episode_0083

“C..Could you please say that again, just one more time?”

“Huh? What.. what are you talking about?”

“That part you just said, exactly as it was! Please say it again!”

She, who had just been speaking in a somber mood, had her eyes wide as if she had seen something she shouldn’t or heard something she shouldn’t have, which left me no choice but to be flustered.

“..Huh? Even if you mean the part I just said, I was calling your name and asking what the problem was..”

“Yes! That part, that’s the part I’m talking about. Right now.. you said my name, didn’t you?”

Huh? Is there.. a problem with that? I wouldn’t have mispronounced it or gotten it wrong. For now, though I don’t know the reason, I decided to follow her request.

“Yeah, well… Ms. Meiru, could you then tell me what the problem was?”

As I opened my mouth again like that, she was looking up at me with an expression of disbelief, as expected.

Uh oh.. Even when I first saw her and spoke to her, this is a reaction I just can’t understand. Is there perhaps something that I, a noble from the frontier, don’t know, something unique to this region or known only to people nowadays? No matter how much I think, I feel like my mind can’t keep up with the situation.

“…I see.. Me..Me□ru.. Mei□.. Like that..”

“Uh.. are you okay? Are you experiencing any problems like a headache or dizziness..”

“Ah, no. It’s nothing like that. I’m fine. …You asked me to tell you what the problem was, right?”

After that, she told me about many different worries. Unfortunately, she didn’t tell me the exact reason for her worries, but if I were to summarize her words, she was worried because she couldn’t express her worries to others recently, for instance. Or that she often felt lonely because she couldn’t usually talk with others before that. Or that she was deeply confused about her own identity. Especially if the part about not being able to talk well with others was true, her dark complexion brightened up considerably while she was talking with me even a little like this.

And the solution I reached through this situation was a very simple and obvious conclusion.

“..So, do you need a friend?”

“Huh? A friend..?”

“Yes, a friend. After listening to everything you said, it seems like Ms. Meiru might need a friend. Someone to listen to your worries, to lessen your loneliness by talking together, and to comfort you. As I see it, it seems right that you need a friend. In fact, while you were talking to me, your complexion improved a lot compared to the beginning.

“I know that much. However.. making friends, that part is too difficult..”

Hmm.. Is there a problem with communication? In a way, she might have a similar problem to Eligio Gremrina, whom I met at the entrance ceremony. No, judging by her current attitude, it doesn’t seem like she has a problem talking to someone she’s just met. Well, she must have her own problems that she can’t tell me. It’s just that it doesn’t show on the surface, she might feel nervous or anxious in front of someone she’s meeting for the first time, or she might want relationships with others but not want overly deep or long-lasting ones. Let’s put this part aside for now.

“Then let’s do this. I’ll be your friend first, Ms. Meiru. I may not be able to solve all your immediate problems, but I can at least be of some help going forward. ..Uh… This is the only method I can think of right now, would it be a bit rude?”

“Ah.. no! Not at all. It’s just.. I was worried I might be too much of a burden…”

“Haha, don’t worry about that part. Is it okay if I treat you a little more casually from now on?”

“Yes, please do. So.. please do..?”

“Okay, I’m Lopel Teufel, from a powerless noble family in the frontier. Well then, please take care of me from now on, Meiru.”

After that, the situation flowed quite smoothly. Following the sudden meeting that happened in the early morning, I actively spoke to Meiru, who had now become my friend, and continued the conversation. She also showed a bit of awkwardness at first. It was obvious that she hadn’t had many friendly conversations like this with others. However, as the conversation gradually grew longer, whether it was about the differences between the academy she expected and the actual appearance. Or for what reason she enrolled in the academy, and other various trivial stories like those, as we exchanged them, her condition quickly began to show improvement. Her face gradually brightened, and the tone and volume of her voice also gradually increased. In fact, to the extent that it was hard to believe her words about not being able to speak to others until now, she was very active in conversation with others.

“Time has already gotten this late, hasn’t it.”

“Huh? Ah.. really already..”

When I pointed with my finger towards the center of the plaza, the hands of the clock located there were already indicating that the academy’s entrance time was approaching. Well, even so, I’ll have quite a bit of time from now on, but it would be better to return now to go back to the dormitory and prepare various things.

And as if she had read my thoughts, Meiru brought up the topic first.

“Today.. thank you so much. Actually, talking with someone on the street like this was the first time.. no, it’s been a long time. Now that I see, it seems like you should probably part ways with me soon. Um.. if it’s not bothersome for you, Lopel.. when can we talk together like this again?”

“Why ask such a thing? We’re friends now. It doesn’t matter if it’s inside or outside the academy. Whenever you want to talk or express your worries, feel free to strike up a conversation. Isn’t that what being friends is about?”

“Then, before we part ways today, can I ask just one last thing? About… you talking to me earlier this morning.. why did you do that?”

“Haha, what should I say about that.. I’m just unnecessarily nosey. There’s no particular reason, so you don’t need to think too deeply about it.”

“..Right.. that’s how it is…”

With that, Meiru and I parted ways. This is because we both needed to prepare for classes as academy students.

. . .

As expected, is this what they mean by the academy is the academy? Honestly, before enrolling here for the first time, I worried a lot about whether I would be able to keep up with the classes. However, contrary to those worries, as expected, the classes proceeded smoothly, easily understandable for everyone regardless of their basic knowledge level, as if the saying that it condensed the essence of the continent’s education was not an exaggeration. With this, achieving excellent grades..! might be too much, but staying in the middle ranks shouldn’t be too difficult.

However, there was one problem and that was… I didn’t have a single friend in the same class. I was assigned to the E class, which is located below the middle from A to F. The classes themselves were conducted according to the level of that class, so it didn’t really matter for education. If there was a problem, it was that most of the people in this class were… nobles who felt very different from me. What should I call this… It’s difficult to become friends, or rather, I don’t want to become friends. There were only nobles who gave off that kind of feeling. Or a pot-bellied guy who spent all day hitting on female students from lower-ranking noble families or commoner backgrounds. Or a scrawny fellow overly intoxicated with the arrogance of attending the academy, even though they’re all just academy students. Or strange guys who persistently questioned and clung to knowing what region someone was from, there were only kids I really didn’t feel like befriending. As expected, should I say there were all sorts of people in the world… There were also guys who were suffocating just to look at.

Perhaps rather than helping Meiru, who said she had no friends earlier this morning, I should have worried about myself first.

Sighing with such thoughts, I was walking alone towards the student cafeteria to get lunch. Just then, murmuring sounds from around began to fill the building.

“Wow! Look at that! That’s the Imperial Princess Tiara Altarion, who just enrolled this year!”

“Wow.. those beautiful golden locks and those clear blue eyes.. she’s truly so beautiful…”

“And look at all the people around her! That’s.. Ding Hoilu from the Knight Faculty who came from abroad to study!”

“Oh my, that person is the lady of the Bahamut family, recently famous in political circles…”

Because of all that commotion, I also couldn’t help but have my gaze move automatically. Ah, that’s the Imperial Princess, is it? As I had heard from rumors, she was truly beautiful and dignified. As expected, it feels like the world she lives in is completely different from mine.

In one moment as I was looking at the Imperial Princess, our eyes met. Then, whether it was just my imagination, it seemed like she was looking towards me and smiling gently. Her pure white skin, shining hair, and blue eyes like the deep sea, truly a face like a work of art. For a moment I wondered if she smiled because our eyes met, but let’s not misunderstand. That Imperial Princess, smiling at someone like me, a mere noble from the frontier? There’s a limit to delusions. In the first place, there are so many people around here, aren’t there? Surely she was looking at someone else and just happened to get confused by chance.

“Wow, crazy, did you see that just now? The Imperial Princess smiled at me!”

“What are you talking about? The Imperial Princess was looking towards me!”

“Sigh, honestly, you still don’t get it? The Imperial Princess just responded to *my* smile!

Look at that, so let’s not make any unnecessary misunderstandings about the Imperial Princess looking at me either. For some reason she’s approaching me, but let’s not misunderstand. She spoke to me right in front of me, but let’s not misunderstand. Just now, the words asking for my name popped out of her mouth, but let’s not misunderstand.

…Huh?