Chapter 189 - Conspiracy (5)

Early in the morning, an escort from the Holy City was waiting in front of the inn.

Robert Face, the scholar of magic swords, frowned at the sight of the golden-armored holy knights behind Silveryn.

"W-what are they?"

"Don't be afraid. They won't harm you."

"This... I didn't expect this at all."

"The Order still harbors ill feelings towards vampires as a species, but they don't project hatred onto each individual. Especially not towards well-mannered vampires such as yourself."

Robert Face spoke with some difficulty, "So it's a choice between dying by a dark mage's hand or by holy knights."

"No, even the Order is setting aside their ill feelings because they consider this matter so serious."

Vampire history was stained with blood. The entire race had committed unforgivable sins blinded by desire, and sometimes suffered massive slaughter by humans. The Order was always at the center of this dirty history.

Most humans who directly witnessed that history have grown old and died, but not vampires. Although much time has passed, for Robert Face, who witnessed those atrocities with his own eyes, the Order couldn't help but be uncomfortable.

He sighed and spoke in a half-resigned tone, "Am I going to the Holy City?"

"That's the safest place for now. If you don't like it, you don't have to go."

He bit his lip for a moment.

"...I don't know what to do. Actually, that strange woman said something incomprehensible to me. It was in an ancient language that no one uses anymore. I vaguely deciphered it by searching through old books... it meant 'You have nowhere to run.' That's what she said."

Silveryn was silent for a moment.

"Since then, I've been having strange dreams. I keep encountering a strange-looking man in front of a black lake."

"..."

"Every time I have that dream, I wake up drenched in sweat. This too, this too must be a kind of curse."

"It's likely a precursor symptom of a curse. Strictly speaking... it's better to accept that the fate of encountering a dark mage itself is a curse. It might seem too much, but that's how dark magic works."

The frightening thing about dark magic was that one could never predict its beginning or end. It didn't use mana as a price, but it took something equivalent. Sometimes an individual paid the price, sometimes an entire country. It was closer to something created by a higher dimension to manipulate humans rather than magic.

Looking at the Order's golden carriage, he muttered as if giving up, "Curse, curse... I've been caught in a curse."

Silveryn looked down at him coldly and nodded.

"If you waste time in the wrong place and die, it would be a great loss for us."

A curse was like ink dropped in a glass of water. Once it started mixing, it was impossible to separate just the ink back out. The Order didn't believe they could save him. Their goal was to extract useful information while preserving his life thread as much as possible.

His face darkened further.

"I'm afraid of what price I'll pay for resisting..."

"Either way, you have to go to the Holy City where Haejusa is. And even if you comply, you won't meet a good end."

He nodded.

"Alright. I'll go to the Holy City."

***

While talking with Zenia, Haley was twisting her body and roughly tearing off her clothes as if they might rip.

"This damn dress!"

Then she threw the removed clothes on the floor.

It was a dress dripping with luxury, but apparently not for Haley.

As she threw off the dress, her undergarments were fully exposed. Even though the inside was clearly visible from outside the greenhouse, she didn't try to cover herself due to her anger. Seeing this, other female students approached Haley and put up a screen around her, as if used to it.

Watching this scene, Zenia whispered to me, "First-year. Be careful when approaching Haley for a week before and after the ball. Her hysteria gets pretty bad."

"More than that... are you okay, Senior?"

Zenia's situation was worse. While they both ruined the ball, at least Haley could still walk normally.

She spoke with a detached expression, "...Well, it's all fucked up, what can you do?"

It was sometimes hard to get used to seeing her use such rough language with such an elegant and dignified face.

"..."

"I didn't want to dance with anyone anyway. All my classmates are just assholes and jerks."

This might be something she was saying to protect herself from a sense of deprivation. I thought I shouldn't bring up the topic of dancing and stir things up for them.

"Can you walk by yourself?"

"I'm fine. I'm not a weak woman who staggers over something like this. My sparring opponent is now wrapped in bandages from head to toe."

"...Still, I'll help you."

***

After the Art Cluc class ended, students flowed out like water. I approached Zenia, who was sitting alone in front of an easel.

She was gathering her cane and preparing to move.

"May I carry you on my back?"

Zenia looked at me blankly and shook her head.

"No, if people see that, they'll criticize me for acting shamefully with a good junior. If you want to help, carry my stuff."

Then she handed me a bag with her textbooks.

I slung the bag over one shoulder and held Zenia's wrist with my other arm to prevent her from falling.

"H-hey, look at this?"

Zenia was a bit flustered but didn't try to pull away.

Then we slowly walked out of the greenhouse, matching my pace.

"Where are we going?"

"...Magic Department lecture building."

We were silent as we crossed the academy campus.

I wasn’t good at small talk, but I didn't expect the usually talkative Zenia to suddenly maintain silence.

She opened her mouth when the lecture building came into distant view.

"First-year."

"Yes, Senior."

"You're... quite admirable."

"You've been taking care of me all this time, Senior."

"Yes, I've taken good care of other first-years too, but I've been a bit more fond of you."

"Thank you."

"So dedicate yourself to the Art Club."

"..."

Unlike her usually energetic attitude, Zenia spoke quite seriously after pondering for a while, "First-year. There's something I want to tell you."

"Yes."

"It might sound a bit unpleasant."

"It's okay, go ahead."

"I like everything about you, but there's just one thing I find regrettable."

"...?"

"When I look closely, it seems like you have no intention of becoming deeply close with your Art Club classmates or seniors. That's what I find so regrettable."

"..."

"You follow me and Haley well enough, but you have no interaction with the others. Among the new first-years, there's a girl named Lilith who's quite nice. She's friendly and pretty. And Marietta has a pleasant personality and is cute too."

"..."

"All the other Art Club first-years except you have become close and support each other, but you seem to be drifting elsewhere."

"I'm satisfied with how things are now."

"Haa, when I see you not forming relationships, it feels like you're someone who's going to leave. Even if that's not your true intention, that's how it looks to us. So we feel uneasy. Don't tell me the Art Club is just something you're enjoying temporarily?"

"...It's not."

"Do you originally like being alone? I thought you'd have a lot of friends, but that Drama Club kid is the only one? When your side was pierced, only she and that... blonde girl came to sincerely worry about you. I don't know how you're getting along, but when I see you... ah."

Zenia sighed as if she was upset about it herself.

She had pinpointed something quite sharply in her own way.

I prepare to leave at any time. Like animals saving energy in preparation for winter. This might have become ingrained as my habit.

At the orphanage, and when Teacher took me in, I always prepared for the time I would be abandoned. It was the same with the Art Club. I never felt at ease as bonds gradually built up, always preparing for when everything would go wrong.

I lived a life where I couldn't survive without doing this.

As we reached the lecture building, she shook off my hand and limped up the stairs. Then she turned around halfway and said,

"Even if it's not the Art Club, I hope you make friends. I'm just saying this because it came to mind. Even if you insist on your way, I'll still like you the same, so don't feel too burdened."

"..."

"Hey, First-year, but that one keeps looking at us, did we do something wrong?"

Zenia points to a spot. There was not a person but a snow-white wolf. It was just sitting with its head poking out from between the garden trees. When we looked at it, the spirit turned around and disappeared into the bushes.

It was Luna's wolf spirit.

***

As lunchtime arrived, I quietly ate in a corner. While forcibly stuffing meat into my mouth, I slowly mulled over Zenia's words. Then someone suddenly appeared in front of me, put down a plate, and sat opposite me.

It was Olivia, the fiancée of Ruscus, my sparring evaluation opponent.

She settled in and started eating without greeting.

There was a bruise mark on the corner of Olivia's mouth that looked a bit old.

After pondering for a moment, I opened my mouth.

"...Senior."

"Yes."

"Was everything okay?"

"Of course something happened after you beat up Ruscus."

"..."

"Ah, I was a bit scared of the aftermath, but it felt so good. You looked the coolest in the world."

"What happened afterward?"

"Oh, didn't you hear? He was about to cause trouble again, but wouldn't you know, the Principality's ambassador appeared right then."

"..."

"The Principality's embassy was created to prevent diplomatic issues because there are many people hiding their identities as royalty or nobility in Eternia. The ambassador saw it once and immediately reported to the superiors. Thanks to that, Ruscus received disciplinary action."

"So, is that a good thing?"

Olivia grinned and said, "His family found out and there was a big uproar, so he won't be able to act recklessly anymore. I can breathe easier now."

"That's good."

"After learning about my situation, the ambassador's side even sent a letter saying they would spare no effort to support me."

"..."

Olivia put down her fork and looked at me steadily as she spoke, "You did it, didn't you?"

I finished pushing the meat into my mouth and shook my head.

"It has nothing to do with me."

She didn't seem to believe my words. But she didn't press further.

"Alright, if you say so. Anyway, I wanted to thank you because I benefited a lot thanks to you. I owe you big this time, so I'll help you anytime if it's within my power."

Olivia finished her meal and stood up with her plate.

I wonder if there was any help she could give me. Either way, it was good to have one more person on my side.

No, there was just one thing actually.

I stopped Olivia as she was about to leave.

"Um, Senior."

"Yes?"

"Could you do me one favor?"