episode_0082

“Ugh… um…?”

With fatigue, I stirred my body and got up from bed.

But why does my body feel so heavy and stiff?

Perhaps it’s because I couldn’t sleep well due to worrying so much about what happened yesterday afternoon.

Yesterday was truly an eventful day.

Because there was a type of assessment test to gauge the aptitude of students in each department of the academy.

This is one of the essential processes for teachers to directly confirm the students’ abilities, as well as for dividing classes later on.

It was originally supposed to be held on the entrance ceremony day, but a terrorist incident occurred that day, so it was held today, after the external situation was completely dealt with.

Having enrolled in the Magic Department, I naturally took the test based on my magic ability.

And another participant in that test was none other than Isabella Kshatriya, the daughter of the Magic Tower Lord.

No, it wasn’t surprising that she appeared for the test.

It’s because I already knew from rumors that she, the daughter of Magic Tower Lord Shangri Kshatriya, would be enrolling in the academy the same year as me.

But her turn was the problem.

The assessment test basically proceeds with one person coming up at a time.

Individuals cast the magic they are most confident in, and the supervisor evaluates it.

And Isabella’s turn was, the turn immediately before mine.

Other students showed attack magic not much better than a mere fireball, or telekinesis at the level of lifting a small ball, but the magic she showed was on a level incomparable to those, truly jaw-dropping.

As she cast her magic, the test venue instantly transformed into a vast field full of flowers.

One could feel not only the scent of the flowers but also the strength and temperature of the wind, to the point where someone might even mistake it for space movement magic.

The magic Isabella cast was large-scale illusion magic, creating a virtual space that implemented senses, utterly incomparable to reality.

At this, even the elderly teacher couldn’t help but doubt their eyes while also shouting out a perfect score, and she achieved the highest assessment test score among all students in the history of the Magic Department.

…And then, it was my turn.

The magic I cast was Creation Magic and Dispel of each element, causing the elements to appear and simultaneously dispelling them to make them disappear.

Although it might look like this, it was a skill I had trained quite a bit when I was at home, so I could say it was a better level than average students.

But the fact that the person before me was too outstanding was a major flaw.

The supervisors’ reactions were indifferent, and I received a score below average.

The students watching me also had reactions that couldn’t be called positive, either sneering or feeling sorry for me.

Afterward, various misfortunes compounded… Really, I had just entered the academy and never thought I wouldn’t be able to make a single proper friend.

…At least I got closer with the child named Eligio whom I met on the entrance ceremony day and could meet again.

That part was truly a relief.

Anyway, although I had a rather bad day yesterday, I should try to make today even more fulfilling and rewarding.

For morning ventilation, I approached the window and vigorously pulled back the curtains.

And what I saw was a black… sky?

“…What, it’s still 새벽 (dawn/early morning).”

What was visible outside the window was the sky in the early hours, still dark but with that bright yellow light rising.

As I thought, that strangely tired feeling wasn’t just my imagination, but I actually lacked sleep.

Still, I thought positively. I could get the feeling of sleeping twice.

With that thought, I lay back in bed to try and sleep again… but for some reason, I couldn’t fall asleep.

“Why am I like this today… If I don’t sleep soon, it’ll be awkward to wake up later.”

Judging that I might fall asleep late and be late for the academy, I decided to just stay awake like this and endure.

I might be very sleepy during class tomorrow… but it might be better than being late by being tardy.

If necessary, I should consume a lot of caffeine or nutritional potions to forcibly stay awake.

Since I had nothing else to do anyway, I thought I might as well take a look around the streets where there were few people at this hour.

Due to the aftermath of the terrorist incident, there had been strict traffic control around the academy, so I had never properly wandered around the streets.

So, I put on casual clothes and a simple jacket, and headed straight for the complex surrounding the academy.

. . .

As expected, perhaps because it was around the academy, various types of buildings lined up.

Since students who enroll here would likely wander around the surrounding areas, it’s natural that the commercial district would develop.

It was an impulsive night walk, no, a dawn walk, but it wouldn’t be bad to use this opportunity to remember places like various grocery stores.

As I was looking around, my gaze suddenly fell upon the plaza in the center of the complex.

That was because the shape of something was visible above the central fountain.

“…Hmm? Is that… a person?”

As I got closer to the figure that appeared blurry as if space was distorted, something distinct soon became visible.

At the plaza fountain where my gaze reached, there was a young woman with short black hair sitting on the railing, head bowed.

Looking at her clothes, she seemed to be a freshman like me at the academy… but I couldn’t see her face, so I didn’t know who she was.

Even if I could see her, it’s not like we would know each other at this moment anyway.

By the way, someone walking alone at this time… I know I shouldn’t say this, but for a moment I thought she might be a ghost.

That’s because her appearance, sitting at the fountain, looked so gloomy and depressed that she didn’t look like a living person at all.

So, I moved my legs and tried to just walk past without minding her.

:…Ha… What a guy I am…”:

I couldn’t bring myself to leave someone who looked like they needed help.

Perhaps it’s because of my peculiar personality.

Maybe I should have fixed this useless meddling before entering the academy?

“…Excuse me, are you okay?”

As my voice reached her, the woman with the damp atmosphere lifted her head.

I was worried that she might be a ghost face dripping with blood tears and thick white mask makeup, but fortunately, it was the face of a normal person.

No, perhaps it might be a little much to call her normal.

The face of the woman who lifted her head was a beautiful mỹ nhân with peculiar bright, glittering green eyes.

Furthermore, the freckles connecting from the bridge of her nose to her cheeks even created a cute impression.

“…Did… did you mean me?”

She looked around left and right, then asked me with a strange look.

“…? Yes, you. Um… aren’t we the only two people here anyway?”

“Huh? No… No… Wait… Then… you can see me…?”

? What is this, is she really a ghost?

Why is she asking that question?

Should I run away now…?

“Yes, the… beautiful woman with short black hair and green eyes that suit her.”

“Short black hair and green eyes…? Oh… then…!”

She lightly touched her face for a moment.

And then she just sat there, muttering to herself for about 5 minutes.

During that time, I kept watching her direction and observing the situation.

Thinking if something was wrong, I was about to open my mouth again, but she preempted me.

“Oh… no… it’s not strange for you to see me…

Eventually, in just a little while, you’ll forget everything about me, just like other people will…”

What on earth is this woman talking about since earlier, could she really be a ghost?

Just as I started regretting having spoken to her initially with such thoughts, she opened her mouth again.

“…Oh, I’m sorry. I was just… thinking a little…”

“It’s okay, but can you tell me now?

Your expression and atmosphere have been bad since earlier.

Did something happen?”

“Oh… that’s right. Um… Yes… Um… Could you perhaps listen?”

“Ah, yes, then I’ll sit next to you for a moment.”

Finally, the conversation is continuing, I thought with relief, and I sat down next to her.

Actually, even in this moment, I slightly touched her body.

It was not an action done with any strange ulterior motives.

It was just an action I did unintentionally out of anxiety, wondering if she might really be a ghost.

Fortunately, my finger did not pass right through her body, nor did she have skin that didn’t feel like human flesh.

She simply had an ordinary, very ordinary, physical body of a normal person.

“….? What are you doing suddenly?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I just noticed a bug on you and did it without thinking.”

“….A bug?”

For a moment, she showed a puzzled expression, but then quickly moved past it without saying anything.

“Shall we introduce ourselves first? My name is Rophel Teufel, a freshman who just recently entered the academy.”

“Ah… introducing ourselves?”

“If you don’t want to reveal your identity, that’s fine too.”

“It’s not like that, it’s just… Um… Yes, I’ll tell you.

My name is…”

She said up to there and then fell silent for a not-so-short moment.

It was just the act of saying a name, but she hesitated considerably, as if it was very difficult.

And with difficulty, one name came out of her mouth.

“Me□ru… It’s Mei□!”

She’s not telling me her family name…? Well, perhaps she doesn’t particularly want to tell me that part.

Anyway, it would be difficult to easily tell a stranger one’s name.

“Okay, nice to meet you, Meiru-ssi. So, can you tell me what was wrong?”

I asked her, showing the brightest smile I could.

It might be useless meddling, or rather, it certainly is, but my desire to help someone who was troubled right in front of me was genuine.

But… for some reason, the woman named Meiru didn’t reply.

“…Huh? Just… just now, what did you say?”

Hm? Did I make some kind of mistake?

I reviewed the content of the conversation so far, wondering if I had said something wrong just now.

Because the woman who had just heard my words looked startled, as if she had seen a ghost.

…What, why are you like that?