Chapter 88 - Shadow (11)

Vice President Zenia frowned at the smoke.

"Using fire magic in a place like this could spread everywhere..."

Lilith silently stood up again, brushing off her dirt-stained clothes and preparing to fight.

Unlike my memory of her being fragile and passive, now she was calm and resolute.

She must have focused on training while I hadn't seen her.

"New guy, do you know her?"

"No, I don't."

Vice President Zenia spoke as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Training? This... we don't need to interfere. They'll stop attacking when she gets tired and lies down."

By nature, Planteras didn't bother those who were incapacitated. Though she looked somewhat tired, there was no reason to interfere with someone else's training.

But there was something strange...

Though we clearly heard screams, they hadn't come from Lilith's direction.

Just as I thought this, someone let out a piercing scream from the side.

"Hey! Not there!"

We turned our heads simultaneously.

In the direction of the scream, another group of Planteras was clustered. They were entering the forest carrying someone on their shoulders. It was similar to how they transported incapacitated students to Eternia during the entrance exam.

The distance was quite far so I couldn't see the face clearly, but judging from the blonde hair and voice, it was definitely Art Club President Haley.

And desperate cries echoed again.

"Eek! New guy! Over here, here!"

Zenia covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, "The president's final test remains. Go play along quickly. I'll handle this Magic Department girl."

Thinking of the Art Club president who had desperately immersed herself in the role after entrusting me with the sword, I almost laughed.

"I'll be back."

I cleared my throat to hide my amusement and immediately drew the sword, running toward Haley.

***

Though I chased hard, I couldn't catch up immediately.

The Planteras had already entered the forest carrying President Haley.

Since the initiation wasn't over yet, I couldn't approach it half-heartedly.

Fortunately, due to the Planteras' heavy weight, clear footprints were left in the dirt.

Following the footprints into the forest, I soon heard Haley's voice, "New guy! Over here!"

Chasing the sound, I soon caught sight of the group of Planteras carrying Haley.

But whatever they had done, their numbers had increased to fifteen from when I first saw them. Up close, they were also slightly larger than the ones we encountered on the way to the flower garden.

I charged at the group of Planteras. Haley shouted urgently, "New guy! Don't! These are intermediate-level ones!"

As I approached, a Plantera in the rear reflexively swung its arm with a whoosh. Some nearby trees shattered with a destructive sound.

Soon other members of the group who noticed my presence turned around and took hostile stances.

As this was the president's final test, the difficulty seemed to have increased somewhat.

Five Planteras from the rear attacked me simultaneously. I immediately backed away and moved irregularly beside the trees. This was to lure them one by one to deal with them.

"Eek! New guy! Don't come. You'll get hurt!"

I swung my sword at the legs of the first Plantera that rushed at me. It took two strikes to cleanly sever them. When it lost balance and tilted from the severed legs, I cut off its arms in that opening. I dealt with the five lured Planteras like this.

And when I approached the group again, all except the one carrying Haley rushed at me.

"New guy! You'll get hurt if you're surrounded! Give me the sword!"

After avoiding the Planteras' attacks a couple of times, I ended up completely surrounded.

It was hard to be aggressive. Though the sword itself was excellent, the problem was that it wasn't well-suited to my hand.

Arms weren't a problem. But when trying to cut through thick legs in one stroke, the blade would get stuck halfway.

I dodged attacks coming from all directions. Fragments of broken tree roots and gravel flew about noisily.

While moving busily, when I saw openings I would chip away at ankles over two or three strikes. When one's ankle came off and its body tilted, it would get tangled with the one beside it.

In the urgent situation, my habits came out without me realizing. I dealt with some by sticking the sword in joint gaps and snapping the connections apart as if dismantling them, just like usual.

Six remained. As the number remaining decreased, the speed of clearing the Planteras increased.

Haley shouted again, "Hey! Throw the sword to me!"

After clearing all those that had rushed at me, I threw the sword at the final Plantera holding her.

The rushing sword cut both ankles of the last one and got stuck in a tree trunk.

I quickly ran and caught Haley as the Plantera collapsed.

Done.

Only then could I be certain.

I had passed.

Haley coughed while being held, having screamed so much.

I put Haley down on the ground and said, "Are you alright?"

"...What are you?"

"Have I passed the test now?"

She answered in a sour voice, "You knew?"

"The vice president told me."

She looked around at the Plantera remains with round eyes. Her expression showed she couldn't comprehend what had happened. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she grabbed both my arms.

"More importantly, aren't you hurt? Who catches all of these at once? Even I don't catch them so recklessly."

When Haley showed a somewhat ambiguous reaction, I became doubtful. Had I done it right?

"Did I perhaps misinterpret the test?"

She nodded immediately.

"Yes. Just showing the courage to hand over the sword would have been enough to pass? Catching Planteras was my role."

"..."

"Strange. Looking at your face, you seem like you would have been raised like a young master. You're... really a first year?"

***

On the way out of the forest, I had a long conversation with Haley.

"Haven't done this for a while. Far from fighting, everyone's too scared and just runs away."

She suddenly seemed excited and slapped my forearm several times as she continued, "Thanks to you, I had real fun after a long time. You were kind of cool. Pass! Pass!"

Thanks to me overdoing it on the test, Haley was in high spirits. Now, an atmosphere of acceptance radiated from everyone. 

"Feels like gaining a thousand troops. Now I can worry less about the school competition. You, don't go anywhere else. Got it?"

"I have nothing else I want to learn besides painting."

"Pretty, so pretty. Is it because you're from Wiesel? I'll show you around the Empire during the break."

"I'll go if I have the chance."

And when I carefully asked about Senior Fabella who had helped me find Liria, she suddenly burst into laughter and said, "Ah her, she once had trouble when a guy who entered the Art Club through Fabella's invitation suddenly confessed his love. Two guys even. Want to know what happened once? While we were all painting, he suddenly stood up next to Fabella, unrolled a scroll, and started reciting a love ballad he had written. Can you imagine?"

"..."

"That's enough to give girls real trauma. Even I would have been wary. Please understand why she's sensitive."

"I understand."

Coming out of the forest back to the flower garden, we encountered Lilith resting on top of Plantera remains.

"Oh my, she must have had trouble getting tangled up with the Planteras I lured."

So that was how so many Planteras gathered—Haley had personally lured them one by one. I had thought there was some senior-only pheromone or something.

Lilith, who I thought was just training, seemed to have gotten caught up in this without knowing what was happening.

Lilith's shoulders were slumped and she looked drained, as if something had happened.

Fortunately, she seemed to have no interest in me, not even giving me a glance.

Haley approached Lilith and patted her shoulder.

"Are you okay? Sorry. Come to the Art Club later. I'll treat you and give you potions."

Lilith bowed her head slightly and said, "No. I'm fine..."

Seeming uncomfortable in this place, she left after weakly saying just that.

***

I finished my eventful first Art Club class.

I waited in front of the Drama Club's small theater entrance at 6 PM as Trisha had said. Now that schedules were done, it was time to return together.

I couldn't dare enter since there was a large sign saying, [No Entry for Other Club Members] on the theater entrance.

Quite a few people were coming and going through the theater entrance. 

Is the Drama Club's schedule not finished yet?

Everyone carefully looked me over once as they passed. Their gazes were subtly sharp.

After waiting about ten minutes like this, the door suddenly burst open with loud thumping footsteps from inside the theater.

It was Trisha. Her hair was slightly disheveled as if something urgent had happened.

She came out, roughly closed the door, and caught her breath while leaning against it for a moment.

Then, without fully catching her breath, she clung to me, firmly gripped my shoulders, and said, "Damian, you can't be here! It’s an absolutely no-no!"

What's all this about?

She looked extremely urgent as if I had committed some serious crime.

"You told me to come here."

After yelling at me to come pick her up at the Drama Club...

"We'll talk about that later!"

She pushed my back and hurriedly left the theater.

She kept pushing me to the middle of a place away from the path where trees were dense and few people passed.

"Trisha, calm down..."

I tried to resist and stop, but Trisha kept pushing my chest and eventually, I sat down after tripping on tree roots.

Trisha quickly surveyed the surroundings as if looking for pursuers, then came between my legs and crouched down.

"Do you know you're in huge danger right now?"

"...Me?"

"Yes! I heard the Drama Club seniors are plotting to harass you. It was such a barbaric and unpleasant method. Don't even go near the Drama Club from now on."

"..."

"Do you know how hard I worked to protect you!? I tried so hard to persuade them it wouldn't work, but they wouldn't listen. If you weren't my friend, I would have given up long ago."

"Why does the Drama Club want to do that to me?"

"I'll tell you about that later. You should stay hidden for a while."

It was probably just some mischievous pranks at most. I wasn’t too worried, but since I heard similar things from the Art Club seniors, I agreed moderately for now.

"...Alright."

When I accepted without much resistance, Trisha sighed in relief. There was a strange sweet scent in her breath.

"But what's that smell? Are you doing something besides acting?"

"Smell? What? Ah! It's because of this."

Trisha took out a leather pouch about the size of a fist.

She picked up a piece of carrot that had been cut lengthwise into bite-sized pieces from inside.

"Carrots?"

"First years can't handle complex roles so we're practicing with fables! I'm a rabbit!"

"So you're eating that to immerse yourself in the rabbit role."

"Yeah, something like that. It's Furikio Sweet Carrot. It's super sweet?"

Then, she took a bite and chewed.

Not stopping there, she offered me some too.

"You eat too."

"No, I'm fine..."

Trisha forcefully pushed the one she had bitten into my lips before covering my mouth with her palm.

"Friends share even a single bean."

As I was startled by the sudden foreign object, Trisha coaxed me gently.

"Chew well. That's right, that's right."

Though I reluctantly chewed... it tasted good. Unlike regular carrots, it has a deep, rich sweetness.

Trisha smiled shyly showing her dimples, then patted my hip like soothing a baby.

"Oh,, good job."

"..."

"I was planning not to even speak a word to you, but since you listened well, I'll let it slide."

Is she talking about this morning? 

Wait, is she still sulking…? It seems less troublesome to just accept it without saying anything.

Soon after, a female student called out anxiously for her from quite nearby, "Trisha! Where did he go?"

Trisha flinched as if startled and whispered in my ear.

"Where's your mask? Your mask!"

"...In my inner pocket."

She rummaged through my chest area on her own and pulled out the mask to put on my face.

"Wear this. And wait at the main gate. I'll be right there!"

Trisha burst out through the garden trees. Shortly after, their conversation could be heard.

"Senior! I'm here!"

"Trisha, I heard your friend was around here, where did he go?"

The voices of these two gradually grew distant. I quietly listened to the sound.

"I don't know. Seems he left first after waiting."

"Really? Aw, that's too bad. I was going to... to him..."

I couldn't catch all the words as they grew more distant. Trisha raised her voice slightly, "No way! He's not into that kind of thing!"

"What kind of thing? Could it be...?"

"No! Snow-white long hair... they say."

"...What, does he like... teacher?"

"No... not..."

"Hey, no need to complicate things... men... like... taste... fall..."

"No..."

Though I was unsure of what effort Trisha was making, I hope she wasn’t making up strange things about me.

I leaned against a tree for a moment.

What is this? I feel strange. Everything that happened today feels like... a bizarre play.

Like a play where everyone knows the script, and I was the only audience member.