Episode 42: Together

Time passes quickly, and when I left the infirmary, the sky had begun to turn orange.

Homeroom had been fairly long, and there was that whole duel incident, so it couldn’t be helped, but still, considering it had been blue sky until just a while ago, I could really feel the dizzying flow of time.

No, this wasn’t the time to be thinking so leisurely.

I had a promise, didn’t I.

A promise with Eleanore.

I had bumped into her earlier, but I wondered if she was already at the fountain, our meeting place.

It wouldn’t look good if I kept her waiting. Besides, as a servant, I’d probably be told off for making my master wait.

I hurried toward the fountain plaza.

In the end, I couldn’t drop off my luggage at the dorm, but there was no helping it at this point.

Swinging my bag that was shaped like a school bag from my previous life, I ran.

When I emerged into the plaza, a faint darkness had begun to spread around me.

However, in my field of vision, there was an object that shone even more brilliantly in response to the decreasing brightness of the surroundings.

Sparkling and… how should I put it, emitting light reminiscent of a vending machine from my previous life, the fountain.

Dazzling water spray was being scattered, and sitting on the edge of that fountain was a person radiating an even greater presence.

“Eleanore-sama!”

“Ah, Arcs”

Her gaze, which had been fixed on one point on the water’s surface, turned toward me.

“Good work today. Were there any problems?”

“Yes, as you can see”

Well, I hadn’t even checked… but that couldn’t be helped.

Though I did encounter someone rather abnormal, I decided not to mention that.

“That’s good then. …But it seems like you had various difficulties”

“…Yes. It’s hard to believe it’s only the first day with all this stress…”

I dramatically slumped my body.

I was actually tired enough to want to do that much today.

“That’s so like you, Arcs. You were quite the topic of discussion in the noble course as well”

“…Really?”

“Yes. Everyone was saying how amazing, how amazing you were… You’ve already captured the hearts of the nobles, haven’t you”

Capturing hearts sounded like it could cause some misunderstandings.

Most likely, the majority were just people who saw my fighting and wanted to make connections, and if that was the case, I’d like to let go of them from my end.

“I don’t intend anything like that at all… I think there are probably some people who internally think a commoner is getting too cocky”

“Not at all. Certainly… there were some who were somewhat critical, but when I spoke with them properly, they came to understand how amazing Arcs is”

“…Eh”

Eleanore’s expression, smiling yet somehow sending chills down my spine… couldn’t help but look like a missionary of a suspicious religion.

She seemed to half-deify me…

Soon I’d have to help her become independent, though not quite like a child leaving their parents.

I hoped something would change during this academy life.

“Well… enough about me. How was it for you, Eleanore-sama? The first day at the academy”

“Let’s see… As I mentioned earlier, I made some conversation partners. I had various discussions with them”

“That’s good. After all, I think friends are essential to academy life… Ah, were they female?”

“Yes. Male students seemed a bit… I felt like they were somewhat avoiding me”

Ah.

The male students in the noble course… they must have been nervous.

Even if I were in the same position, I’d probably react awkwardly too, so it couldn’t be helped.

They might be dazzled, but please get used to it…

And while you’re at it, show your faces once you become friends.

I made such a backseat-father-like mutter in my heart.

Her dependence might also be my fault.

“Well, it’s like that on the first day. It’ll be fine if you can become friends from now on, and there will be many opportunities to interact. Like after-school activities…”

I absentmindedly looked up overhead.

The sky already had the appearance of night, with stars beginning to flicker into view.

Then suddenly, I thought of something.

“…Come to think of it, Eleanore-sama, are you joining any committees?”

When I voiced my question, her body trembled with a start.

“…No, I’m having trouble deciding… W-what about you, Arcs?”

“I’m not joining… or rather, I think it’s impossible. I’ll be busy with various things”

“I… see”

At my response, Eleanore’s voice tinged with a slightly disappointed emotion.

…However, perhaps due to my fatigue, I didn’t notice it.

“But I think you should consider it, Eleanore-sama. It’s a valuable experience you can only have now. Come to think of it, the noble course also has things like club activities”

They didn’t exist in the knight course under the pretext of focusing on training, but the noble course had a wide variety of club activities.

This was something depicted in the original work as well.

There was a club for a sport similar to tennis, though it wasn’t called that, and I recalled that a prince-like handsome guy belonged to it.

“You should consider various options…”

While stretching my body, I said this as if it were someone else’s business.

But well, this really was someone else’s business.

To put it badly, it was something she herself had to decide.

I was thinking that… which was fine.

But apparently, I had accumulated more fatigue than I imagined.

I tilted my body’s center of gravity backward.

Even though there was only the fountain behind me.

“Whoa!!”

Naturally, there was nowhere for me to rest my body, and I was struck by a slight floating sensation.

At this rate, I’d splash into the water.

I quickly twisted my body and placed my hands on the edge to support myself.

“…S-sorry. For some reason I thought there was a backrest…”

Even I felt like what a stupid thing to do.

I felt tense at having nearly gotten soaked, and tried to wipe away my cold sweat.

As I did so, I noticed.

My right hand was touching Eleanore’s hand.

“Ah! I’m sorry! A-are you hurt?!”

I quickly withdrew my hand and expressed my apology.

Since I had tried to support myself, I might have pressed down on it quite hard.

If that were the case, how inexcusable.

“…”

She was silent.

While staring at the hand I had touched.

“Um, Eleanore-sama—”

As I called out to her in concern, she glanced toward me.

And at that moment, warmth dwelt in my hand.

“…What’s wrong?”

Eleanore looked straight at me, grasping my hand with both of hers.

I widened my eyes at her sudden action.

“I’m sorry. I’m about to say something selfish, but… Arcs”

She began to speak quietly.

She showed a somewhat hesitant manner and her gaze wandered, but as she called my name, she focused those black eyes on me.

And then

“Won’t you join the student council… with me?”

…Huh?

“Student… council?”

I quietly echoed the unexpected word.