Chapter 72: A New Wave (8)
Fortunately, the flames died down before long.
Just in case, I carefully examined Allen’s condition, but thankfully, there seemed to be no particular problem.
No, rather, he actually looked as if he felt relieved in some way.
After that small disturbance ended, Allen seemed to ponder something for a moment before soon looking at me and speaking.
“Forgive me, Lian. It seems I will have to break today’s promise.”
“Yeah, it can’t be helped.”
To be honest, I was already half-expecting that.
He had just confided in me his shocking worry about wanting to quit the Academy.
And now, looking closely, it seemed he had undergone yet another change of heart of similar weight.
“I’ll explain things properly to Miss Everglenn for you.”
“Thank you. If possible, please also let her know that I will apologize personally later.”
“Alright, go on ahead.”
Allen, as always, slightly lowered his head toward me in his polite manner.
And before turning his body to leave, he gazed at me steadily and said this.
“And about what just happened…… I truly thank you. I feel embarrassed that words of gratitude are all I can offer.”
“Hey, no need to put it like that. You’re making me feel awkward.”
Thinking he was being overly formal again, I waved my hand dismissively.
At that, Allen only tilted his head slightly, as though puzzled by my reaction.
“I just patched together things I happened to pick up here and there and told them to you in a way that sounded nice, that’s all.”
“……”
He was silent for a moment at my words.
And then.
“……Is that so. In that case, let’s leave it at that.”
Having answered like that, Allen glanced down at his arm for a brief moment.
It was the spot the White Flame had first touched.
“……But I’m not shameless enough to pretend I didn’t receive something like this.”
“What?”
“It’s nothing. At any rate, I will make sure to repay this debt of gratitude, Lian.”
As I watched his back while he left after saying that, I whispered in a small voice.
“Then, as always, I’ll leave it to you.”
― Iing!
At my request, the spider, as always, lifted its front legs and shook its body from side to side.
Finding that sight unreliable, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh-laden question.
“Just to be clear, you’re not seriously only going to ‘watch from afar,’ right?”
― Giing?
“When I say ‘watch,’ I mean that if something strange happens, or if something unusual comes up, you should look carefully and let me know. You’re not just saying ‘okay’ without even understanding what I mean, are you…… ow!”
― Giik!
At that, the creature immediately smacked my cheek with its front leg, as if offended.
Though its leg was small, the strike was so sharp that I accidentally let out a groan.
Even though I was staring straight at it in surprise, it only huffed in anger as if still not satisfied.
In the end, I had no choice but to apologize to it.
“S-sorry. That was a slip of the tongue.”
― Ging. Iing. Gi-iik.
Only then, as if its anger had subsided, it shook its front legs a few times and leapt off my body.
And, as always, like mist scattering, its form blurred like a phantom and soon vanished without a trace.
Left staring at the spot where the spider disappeared, I found myself absentmindedly rubbing the cheek I had been struck on.
“……! Is that so.”
When Cecilia heard that Allen wouldn’t be attending, she replied with a rare sparkle in her eyes.
Even as she continued stretching, a faint smile lingered at the corner of her lips.
‘Was it really that uncomfortable for her to be around Allen?’
Thinking back, Allen too had shown signs of discomfort when with Cecilia.
At first, I brushed it off, assuming they were just both shy with strangers. And more than that, since in the future they would become comrades who entrusted their backs to each other, I hadn’t thought much of them being together……
But it seemed I would have to change how I looked at this a little.
“Cecilia.”
“Yes, Lian.”
“Was it very uncomfortable for you to be with Allen?”
At my blunt question, Cecilia silently continued her stretching with a firm, steady motion.
She was so flexible that anyone watching would be compelled to exclaim in admiration.
“It’s not that Mister Amiel is especially uncomfortable…… To tell the truth, it’s that everyone besides you, Lian, makes me uncomfortable.”
“Ah.”
“And, um……”
Cecilia chewed on her lip as if mulling it over.
It looked as though she was worrying whether what she was about to say might tarnish someone’s honor.
“The spirits seem to avoid Mister Amiel.”
“Allen?”
“Yes.”
She nodded as if she had nothing to hide.
At that, I couldn’t help but tilt my head in confusion.
“The spider seemed perfectly fine…… even when it was with Allen, it didn’t react in any particular way?”
I almost blurted out that I had carelessly asked it to follow Allen around.
Without a word, Cecilia made a slow gesture into the air.
Then, just like before, the Mist Bird and the Serpent of Flame appeared at her sides and settled into place familiarly.
They were the other two spirits out of the three she had contracted with at the same time as when she was with me.
The spider did not appear.
“That’s probably because that one really likes Lian.”
Her completely unexpected answer made me respond a beat late.
“It likes me?”
“Yes.”
She nodded slowly.
“So even if it’s uncomfortable, it still sticks by your side. If it’s your request, it will probably do things it doesn’t even want to do. Because it likes you. Just like I do.”
‘……Huh?’
I felt like I had just heard something I couldn’t brush aside lightly.
Wondering if I had misheard, I looked at Cecilia, but she only reached out her hand to gently stroke the head of the Mist Bird.
“These two, if I ask them, will probably do things they dislike even if unwillingly. Because our contract was formed according to your teachings, Lian.”
“……That’s true.”
“But if you ask them, Lian, they might sometimes listen and sometimes refuse. Because they know that you and I are clos— ahem.”
Cecilia let out a small cough.
“They know that you and I are close. So, they may treat you more favorably than others, but that’s about it.”
“That makes sense too.”
“But that one always listens to your requests, doesn’t it? Has it ever refused you?”
“……”
Now that I thought about it, she was right.
This wasn’t my first time seeing the Mist Bird and the Serpent of Flame.
So I already knew that, as she said, those two spirits treated me favorably, but only as someone ‘friendly with their contractor.’
But the Ash Spider, that one stuck by my side as if we were contracted, and even though it always looked annoyed, it usually fulfilled my requests.
“……I suppose I should treat it more kindly from now on.”
“It would like that.”
With a faint smile, she picked up a slender wooden sword shaped like a rapier, seemingly finished with her warm-up.
In contrast, I picked up a wooden sword of standard size.
I had already completed my warm-up long ago.
“To be honest, waiting since yesterday was tough. So today, please make up for it properly.”
“I’ll try.”
With that, Cecilia and I exchanged formal bows toward each other.
The Mist Bird and the Serpent of Flame were already watching us curiously from the corner of the training ground.
‘Hm?’
Middle guard stance.
The fundamental posture that allowed one to respond freely in both offense and defense.
As I faced Cecilia, holding the only stance I had ever properly learned and mastered, I suddenly realized her posture had changed a lot from before.
Previously, her stance had been more defensive, one that could adapt to any situation. But now, her posture openly radiated aggression, with no attempt to hide it.
Such an aggressive stance—I could count on one hand the times I had seen it, even in my past life.
― Piiiik!!!
The Mist Bird, from the corner, let out a sharp cry like a flare shooting into the air.
At the same time, Cecilia shot toward me like an arrow.
It was a move that the Cecilia from just a few days ago would never have chosen as her first strike.
“Hup!”
A sword strike aiming for my shin.
I quickly stepped back and batted her blade away to the side.
Whoosh!
Just as her body seemed to waver, she spun like a squirrel, aiming straight for my flank.
As I hurriedly deflected her follow-up strikes, I suddenly felt a chill and instinctively jerked my head aside—just in time for her leg to whip past with a vicious whoosh.
“……”
Had I stayed where I was, I would have taken a direct hit to the jaw and gone down without knowing what happened.
To be honest, even dodging that last strike was little more than sheer luck.
As I caught my breath with my heart pounding after putting some distance between us, Cecilia’s eyes were gleaming brightly.
“You’ve changed a lot.”
“Yes, there was a turning point.”
A turning point.
I immediately understood what she meant by that.
“Was it in the Room of Memories……?”
“Ah, yes.”
Cecilia nodded openly, with nothing to hide.
“My ancestor gave me a few pieces of advice. And also taught me swordsmanship that suited me.”
She grinned sheepishly, like a child showing off a new toy.
“He said he wasn’t very skilled in spirit arts, so this was all he could teach me……”
“……”
“In fact, he taught me a lot of things. Just that one technique earlier, he said there wouldn’t be many people my age who could block it. But…… as expected, you’re different, Lian.”
“Well, I was just…… lucky.”
At that, I naturally fell silent.
To think she was directly taught swordsmanship by the knight known as a legend.
If this wasn’t called a great opportunity, then what in the world could be?
And not just any knight, but Siren Everglenn of the Dragon Knights, said to be among the strongest even within the order.
‘They say the most reliable ties in the world are those of blood……’
Come to think of it, Talia Poas also seemed to be secretly looking forward to when someone from her family might come find her.
From the looks of things, it seemed that all the knights one could meet in the Room of Memories took special care in helping their descendants who visited.
At that moment, I once again realized that the affairs of the world were far from fair.
‘……Don’t I have some hidden bloodline secret of my own?’
With that sigh—one no one would ever hear—I rushed forward again, crossing swords with her once more.