Chapter 108 - Abnormality and White Lily Academy [9]
108. Abnormality and White Lily Academy [9]
The next day. I woke up to the warm sunlight coming in through the window.
「Nmm, hmm…」
Stretching greatly, I slowly sat upright.
「-Good morning, Allen.」
Idol, dressed in the uniform of White Lily Academy, had a soft smile on her face.
「A-aa… Good morning, Idol.」
My breath was taken away for a moment at her fresh sight. I pretended it didn’t affect me and tried to greet her as I would naturally.
When I went to the bathroom and tried to brush my teeth,
「Hey, can I make something?」she asked, pointing at the refrigerator.
「I don’t mind that, but… are you sure?」
「Yes. I can make something for both of us. Can I open it?」
「Yeah, use what’s inside as you like… Though there isn’t much.」
There was only bean sprout, egg, and pork.
「This much should be fine.」
With a quick look at the ingredients inside, Idol nodded and started cooking.
While she was busy cooking, I completed my morning preparations.
As I put my hand through the sleeves of the Thousand Blade uniform,
「Allen, I’m done.」Idol called out to me.
「Thank you, I’m coming now.」
After quickly checking my appearance in the mirror, I went to the dining table where she was waiting.
「Oh, this looks delicious!」
There was white rice, fried egg, and stir-fried bean sprout and pork.
In this short time, she prepared breakfast for the both of us.
「Fufu, I hope it fits your taste. Are you fine with soy sauce?」
「Yes, thank you.」
Then, I and Idol quietly put both hands together and,
「「Itadakimasu.」」
I used the chopsticks to break the puffed up, swollen egg-yolk. Yellow yolk overflowed from within. I wrapped it in the fried white body, and brought it to my mouth.
「How does it taste?」
「It’s delicious! Idol is a good cook!」
This was a little surprising because the girls at Thousand Blade Academy were not good at cooking.
「Thank you. But I’m not that good at cooking.」
「Is that right? I think this is good enough…」
「I’m good at this kind of ordinary side dish. But I can’t make cakes or cookies at all. Unconsciously, I tend to insert a hidden flavor, and by the time I notice, I would’ve created something ridiculous. During my middle-school days, it even became an incident.」
「Is that so…?」
Apparently, there is a clear division between what she is good and bad at.
「By the way, did you attend a girls’ school in middle-school, too?」
「Yes. My father is prone to worrying, so he never allowed co-ed.」
「I see…」
If her father sees us like this, it will surely boil into some kind of problem.
「Well, Idol…」
「What?」
「Don’t tell anyone else that you’re sleeping in my room, okay?」
「…? I don’t really get you, but I understand.」
I’m slightly worried if she really understands what I meant…
All I can do is trust her.
After breakfast was over, I decided to go to the academy much earlier than usual.
This was, of course, to prevent being seen from leaving the room with Idol.
The time was seven o’clock in the morning, and there was still two hours until the start of the first period.
(At this time of day, no one will see us.)
That’s what I had thought, but… I was an idiot.
When I opened the front door slowly, so as not to make a noise,
「God! How do I express the joy of going to the same academy today!」
I don’t know how long he has been on standby, but there was a figure of Cain-san kneeling with his head bowed.
He looked up slowly, and confirmed the appearance of me and Idol coming out together. He stared, gaping.
「GGGGod! W-What on earth does this mean?! Why is Idol coming from your room?!」Cain-san raised a screaming voice, and looked between me and Idol alternatingly.
「Q-Quiet! There’s quite a lot going on, so she’s just staying overnight temporarily…! There is nothing else going on!」
When I said, almost slurring,
「I see. I fully understand.」
He listened to me surprisingly obediently.
「E-Err… are you convinced…?」
「I will not do anything stupid as to doubt the word of God. If God says black, then even white is black.」Cain-san said, with a very nice smile on his face.
I don’t know why I am being worshiped so much, but… it really saved me this time.
「A-Anyway, I’d like to keep this matter confidential, please?」
「Yes! Even if I have to place my life on the line!」he replied, bowing his head deeply.
I succeeded in sealing Cain-san’s mouth and went to the classroom of Year 1 Class A.
■
About a week had passed since I transferred to White Lily Academy.
「Good morning, Allen-sama.」
「Good morning, Allen-san. It’s nice weather today.」
「Aa, good morning. Shirley-san, Misha-san.」
And now, I was able to talk happily with my classmates.
At first, they were strongly vigilant, but the exchanges gradually increased through Idol and now they have warmed up to the extent where we could have small talk.
Then, the door of the classroom opened as I exchanged greetings with other female students.
「Good morning, Allen!」
「……Morning.」
It was the cheerful Ria and sleepy-eyed Rose.
「Aa, good morning.」
Ria placed her bag in her seat and asked me a sharp question.
「Even so, Allen. You’ve been coming quite early these days. What’s going on?」
「N-No…! There’s nothing…」
「…Hmmm?」
She looked me in the eye while thinking about something deeply.
Fortunately, no one has found out about my living together with Idol, except for Cain-san.
(One more week left…)
I can only hope it comes to an end without any incident.
When I was thinking about that, a certain girl came up to me timidly.
「Uh… Allen-sama. May I ask you something?」
If I remember correctly, her name was… Yes, Reese-san.
「Yes, what is it?」
「I-I’ve been a little curious about it for a long time… Your darkness… does it perhaps have the effect of treating wounds?」she asked, with a serious expression.
「Yes, that’s right. If it’s just a little cut, it’ll heal quickly」I said, and brought forth a little bit of darkness from my fingertips.
「…! Oh, so I was right!」
For some reason, Reese-san was overjoyed and clapped her hands.
「Actually, I have a request. If you don’t mind, would you please listen to it?」she said, her voice shaking, and bowed.
「Request, is it…?」
「Y-Yes… Actually, I… I am troubled by an old scar. It’s a little unsightly, but please take a look here…」
Nervously, she rolled up her uniform sleeve.
「…I see.」
There was a red-black discolored bite mark on her arm.
「This was from about five years ago – a wound I had when I was still in elementary school. If I remember correctly… It was when I was hunting for monsters as part of a class activity… and I was bitten by a werewolf when I dropped my guard for a brief moment.」
「Is that so… I’m sorry to ask this, but have you seen a doctor?」
The medicine of this country is constantly developing.
A bite like this can be healed quickly.
「Yes. I’ve seen many doctors, but it was useless. It seems that the “curse” of the werewolf is attached to this wound. I was told that it would stay like this forever.」
Reese-san told me with a sad look, where I thought she might start crying at any moment.
(Curse, huh… That’s certainly troublesome….)
A curse is an unexplained power exercised by a monster.
Effects, invoke conditions, and curse dispelling methods – little detail is known about them.
「…I understand. I don’t know if I can do it, but let’s try it.」
This “darkness” is, after all, the power of that monster.
The chances are not so high, but… a slight chance does exist.
「T-Thank you… !」
「Well, here I go.」
「Y-Yes…」
I focused my concentration and coiled the darkness around her discolored right arm.
Gently, softly, trying to swallow only the bad.
Then, the red-black discolored skin quickly returned to its original beautiful skin.
「A-Amazing…」
The voice of admiration leaked from the surrounding students as they saw such a magical scene.
「Phew. Thank goodness, I managed it somehow.」
When I put out the darkness, Reese-san looked at her beautiful arm and teared up.
「Th-Th… Thank you!」she exclaimed, shedding tears of joy.
It’s only natural.
That kind of scar would be traumatic for a girl of her age.
(But even so, this darkness… It can even erase a ”curse”?)
I thought it might just work, though I didn’t think it would be so easy.
(Just what is this spirit core that dwells in my soul…?)
When I was thinking about that,
「A-Allen-sama…! Actually, I have a small request too!」
「M-Me too…! There’s something really bothering me right now!」
A lot of female students rushed to me at once.
「Eh, ah… please calm down a little!」
Then I wring out darkness until my spiritual power was completely exhausted.
As a result, I had a new understanding of this darkness for the first time.
This darkness has an absolute effect on external wounds.
Cuts, bruises, curse, rash, dry skin, muscle pain – all heal in no time.
On the other hand, it seemed to have no effect on『disease』such as a cold.
After that, in the morning, we mainly trained in soul dress.
During lunch break, I had lunch with a group of ten people including Ria and the others.
And we did strength training in the afternoon.
After classes were over, everyone gathered together, and did our respective training.
Everyday was so tiring and fulfilling at the same time. And today was the last day we were to spend in White Lily Academy.
「Yes, that’s it for today’s class. Everyone, please be careful and go home.」
As soon as Chemy-san finished the last homeroom – I ran out of the classroom.
And then,
「Wait, you bastard!」
「Allen, wait a minute!」
At the same time, Sid-san and Idol came after me as expected.
(As expected… they won’t let me escape that easily!)
I ran down the spiral staircase and just as I was about to exit the main academy building–
「I’m not going to let you escape, Allen.」
Idol, who increased her speed of movement by using Flying Thunder God, stood in front of me.
And,
「Teme… I’m not going to let you go today…!」
Extreme cold air blew from behind.
「Ah, aha… It seems to be so… 」
With a wry smile, I sighed loudly in my heart.
「Nee, Allen… Let’s do it.」
「Today is the last day.『Next time』won’t work anymore…!」
The two who were burning with fighting spirit said so, and thrusted their soul dress towards me.
(Just how much do they want to fight with me…?)
The two weeks at White Lily Academy, Idol and Sid-san asked for a duel at every single opportunity.
I gave a reason every time, and postponed it, but…
It seems that I can’t run away this time.
(It’s not that I don’t want to fight against them…)
If I fight with my full power against Sid-san and Idol, this academy will turn into a mess.
(And above all – I’m sure my body won’t listen to me for a few days after the fight.)
It was too wasteful to waste the precious time in the infirmary when I can take the classes of White Lily Academy.
For this reason, I’ve been putting off their challenges.
「Haa… I understand. Then, if you agree to the condition of『no soul dress』, I will accept the challenge.」
And when I put forth the special condition,
「Aa?」
「No soul dress?」
Sid-san and Idol frowned together.
「Yes. If it’s a battle with soul dress, I’ll only be able to deal with either Sid-san or Idol today.」
「…Tch.」
「…Certainly.」
「So it’s a duel without a soul dress. Competing with pure『swordsmanship』as a swordsman is also a serious battle.」
A battle that lifted the ban on soul dress will surely be a death fight.
When that happens, there’s one person whom I can imagine posing a great trouble – Sid-san.
He won’t stop once he catches fire.
I’m sure he’ll recklessly release the power of the〈Vanargand〉and freeze the whole of White Lily Academy in ice.
That’s why I proposed a duel without a soul dress.
And this was… a good confirmation for me, too.
「Haa, that might be interesting once in a while… Fine, let’s have it your way!」
「I don’t mind that either!」
Thus, on the last day at White Lily Academy, I am to have a swordsmanship match with Sid Euclius and Idol Luxmaria without the use of soul dress.