Crisis (3)

Although I safely made it through the great ordeal that was the group project, that absolutely didn't mean the semester was over. Saying that I needed to earn a certain score to avoid repeating the year meant there had to be something I could do to earn that score.

It could be an exam, an assignment, or even points earned through a presentation.

In short, I was spending my days being insanely busy. Even after getting over the mountain that was the group project, there were countless hills left, so I had no choice but to sweat buckets.

Fortunately, there weren't many subjects with 'exams,' but there were an insane number of assignments instead. I couldn't even write; I had no choice but to pour my time into assignments.

"Aaaah... save me..."

Marie slammed her face onto the desk with an audible groan. Her snow-white hair fell around her like a curtain.

It seemed she'd completely exhausted all her energy after the final class.

"Seriously... why are there so many assignments... It's driving me crazy because there isn't just one, but several."

"Still, assignments are a good way to get points, aren't they?"

"That's only true for you. I'd rather take exams. I'm going crazy because I can't even properly rest over the weekend."

At the university in my previous life, even if you took a lot of classes, you never had more than eight. At Halo Academy, however, you had to take at least ten to avoid repeating the year. Assignments were already overwhelming on their own, but this was on a level where I had to pour all my time into them.

I gazed at the grumbling Marie, then suddenly remembered something and asked her.

"Come to think of it, how are you doing with history? I can't say I'm a good teacher either, but I did teach you all the basics."

As everyone knows, I was teaching Marie history. Not just Marie, either—Cecily as well.

It was Wednesday evening, after dinner, once all the day's classes had ended. Since I was busy with one thing or another, that was the only time I could squeeze out.

Also, while teaching them history, I learned that Cecily had a doctoral-level understanding of the subject without needing me to teach her at all.

She had gained an enormous amount of knowledge from living for over a hundred years, and by human standards, she was a living witness to history.

Above all, her memory was extraordinary. She never forgot anything she learned, so even I couldn't help being amazed.

She was so knowledgeable that I sometimes even asked her about things I didn't know, which said it all.

"Phew..."

Marie let out a deep sigh and slowly lifted her head. Then she rested her chin on her hand and answered my question in a troubled tone.

"I memorized everything you taught me. You even gave me notes to make it easier to understand. Even so, I don't think I'll be able to get a good score on the exam."

I gave a wry smile as I looked at Marie's half-resigned face.

She was... ordinary, to put it kindly, and had a lot of gaps in her knowledge, to put it less kindly. If I told her about a particular event, she would know the name, but not the details.

Anyway, I had worked hard while teaching Marie history. I wasn't exactly good at teaching others, so it had been a little difficult.

At least Marie had approached it enthusiastically, and her memory was decent, which lightened my burden. Thanks to that, we were able to proceed smoothly without getting stuck anywhere.

"Keep at it. Honestly, the other majors are pretty demanding too, so you can't just focus on history."

"I know. But what are you going to do now?"

As I was about to stand up, Marie asked me expectantly. Her eyes had begun to sparkle as well, so she seemed to be hoping for a positive answer.

I considered Marie's expectant question carefully, then looked around.

The class that had just ended was alchemy, this world's unique discipline that took the place of chemistry.

Among the students taking alchemy, Marie was the only one I was close to. Cecily and Rina didn't take the class, perhaps because they weren't interested in alchemy, and although Leona and Benjamin had been my group members, it was hard to call us close.

I watched the students gradually leave, then spoke in a flat voice. I felt sorry for Marie, but I already had plans.

"I have to go eat. I promised to eat with my sister today."

"Oh... really? You're eating with your sister?"

"Yeah."

"Your real sister, right?"

Why was she asking that? When I looked at her incredulously, Marie subtly looked away and pretended to be doing something else.

She seemed embarrassed by her own question.

Then she glanced at me and raised her index finger, speaking in a tone that sounded almost like a reminder. A faint blush had appeared on her face, perhaps because she was embarrassed.

"Um... don't misunderstand. I was just a little confused because you call Cecily 'big sister.'"

"...I understand."

"Anyway, you're only eating with your real sister, right?"

When I reluctantly confirmed it, Marie took the opportunity to ask another question.

I tilted my head at her seemingly more proactive behavior lately, but for the moment, I simply told her the facts.

"Probably... I'll be eating with my sister's friend too. We were originally going to eat together over the weekend, but she said she'd been busy because of the freshmen. Next week is practical training, so her training load apparently increased."

"Your sister is a martial arts assistant, right? My brother said your sister is really scary."

"Hmm..."

I looked upward and thought deeply about what she had said. Nicole, who was overflowing with love for her youngest sibling, was the model of a kind older sister to me.

Even when I did something wrong, she merely gave me a stern warning. She had never once raised her voice or used physical violence against me.

However, whenever I visited the training grounds on weekends, she revealed the instincts of a 'lion.' If a freshman broke the rules or deliberately provoked her during a sparring match, she would utterly crush them, then use corporal punishment to strictly whip them into shape.

"Well... I can see how she'd look scary to other people. Still, I can say she's a good person."

"You siblings are really unusual. My brother and I are always fighting. Is it because there's such a big age gap?"

"I guess everyone's different. Your brother has a good personality too, doesn't he?"

"Ugh. My brother?"

Marie made a face as if she'd just heard the most absurd thing in the world. Seeing her make a face like that confirmed that they were definitely real-life siblings.

But I couldn't deny that her brother had a good personality. Remembering our first meeting, I told her about it.

"You know the bookstore where we first met. When you threw a fit because The Life of Xenon hadn't come out..."

"Aaaah~ I don't know. I don't know. I don't know anything~"

Just as I was about to mention it directly, Marie covered her ears and shook her head as if she didn't want to hear it.

I stared at her whining like a child with an incredulous expression, then snickered. Still, I had to say what needed to be said.

"No matter what you think, it's clear that your brother cares about you. Otherwise, he wouldn't have brought you to the bookstore himself."

"...I guess so. That's why it feels even stranger."

"Anyway, you don't have anything else to say, right? Our appointment is at six, but I think it'd be better to leave soon."

"Hmm..."

When I asked while tucking my notebook under my arm, Marie looked thoughtful. I waited beside her while she gathered her thoughts.

Then she shifted her blue eyes toward me and spoke in an extremely cautious tone.

"If you don't mind, could I meet your sister sometime? Not to eat together, just to say hello."

"That shouldn't be a problem."

"Really? Great. Then let's go."

As soon as I gave her permission, Marie sprang to her feet. The subtly excited tone of her voice and the pleasantly upturned corners of her mouth revealed how happy she was.

I briefly watched as she quickly gathered her things, then headed toward the classroom door. Marie came to stand beside me and began walking with me.

"Isaac. Do you think your sister is pretty, by your standards?"

"Even objectively speaking, she's on the pretty side. Just imagine my face turned into a woman's. Her hair is navy blue, though."

"Does that mean you're admitting your face is pretty?"

"I can't really deny it. I take after my mother more than my father."

We chatted about this and that on the way to the meeting place. Most of it was trivial, but that alone was enough.

More than anything, talking with Marie was the most comfortable. Lina was difficult to deal with, and Cecily always added mischievous teasing to everything she said, which made it hard to keep a conversation going.

Since entering the academy, the person closest to me could unequivocally be called Marie. At least within my painfully narrow social circle, there still wasn't anyone as easy to be around as her.

"Isaac, do you have any plans for after graduation?"

Then Marie suddenly asked about my future after graduation. I was slightly puzzled by her question, but soon began to think carefully.

'I can't spend my life writing books alone...'

Although The Life of Xenon had become an unexpected smash hit, I couldn't rely on that one thing forever. Besides, after being reincarnated into a fantasy world, it seemed like a waste to do nothing but write books.

At the very least, I wanted to visit various countries and enjoy their cultures to the fullest. Rather than a dangerous adventure like in an ordinary novel, I wanted to savor a quiet, everyday life.

"Maybe... traveling the world? I'd like to travel the world at least once. I want to leave the Empire and experience various cultures."

"Traveling the world... That doesn't sound bad either."

"What about you?"

"I'm not going to tell you."

"... ..."

Seeing Marie answer with a fresh smile, I realized what had happened. I'd been had.

I stared blankly at the smiling Marie, then shook my head as if there was no stopping her. She giggled at my reaction and then muttered so quietly that I could barely hear her.

"...If possible... I'd like to..."

"What?"

"If you didn't hear me, forget it. By the way, isn't that person over there your sister?"

When Marie changed the subject, I set aside my question and looked in the direction she pointed.

She was pointing toward the fountain in the middle of the square, and Nicole really was standing in front of it.

Even from a distance, her impressive proportions were eye-catching, and her navy hair was tied in a ponytail. It was definitely Nicole.

"Wow. Your sister is really cool."

Marie had apparently seen Nicole too, because she voiced her sincere admiration. Just as she said, Nicole's current appearance was cooler than that of most models.

Black leather pants that showed off her long legs and a black shirt on top. That simple combination alone radiated both coolness and beauty.

She must have come straight over as soon as class ended, but she could wear casual clothes because she was a teaching assistant.

"Hmm? Ah! Isaac~!"

Nicole, who had been loitering in front of the fountain, must have spotted me too, because she raised her arm and called my name. I raised my arm in response.

When I raised my arm, Nicole stretched out her long legs and walked toward me, as if to say she would come to me first. Soon she was right in front of me, but then she noticed Marie standing beside me and made a questioning face.

"Who's this?"

"Ah! Hello! I'm Marie Hausen Rechillis of House Rechillis!"

As soon as Nicole asked, Marie introduced herself in a strong voice. I had the odd impression that she was nervous.

Meanwhile, when Nicole heard Marie state her name and house, her golden eyes widened as she looked at me. Her expression plainly asked why someone like this was standing beside me.

I casually cleared up her confusion.

"She's my friend. We happened to get a chance to meet and became friends."

"...Hello, Lady Rechillis. I'm Nicole Ducer Maishal, Isaac's older sister. It's a pleasure to meet you."

After hearing my answer, Nicole politely introduced herself as well. Even while greeting Marie, she did not withdraw her suspicious gaze.

"I-It's an honor to meet the Red Lion's daughter too. And you can speak casually with me. Formal speech makes me uncomfortable. You know House Rechillis, right?"

"...I know it well. Then I'll drop the formalities right away."

Nicole seemed to know House Rechillis well too, because she dropped the formalities without hesitation. Then she looked back and forth between Marie and me before asking Marie a question filled with curiosity.

"By the way, you're friends with our Isaac?"

The questioning tone also contained a hint of wariness. Since Nicole knew that I was the author of The Life of Xenon, she had sufficient reason to be wary of Marie.

Marie seemed to quickly notice the faint wariness in Nicole's tone, because she immediately answered. Her voice trembled slightly, perhaps because she was nervous.

"Yes. We're friends."

"Hmm... I see. That's a little unexpected."

This time, Nicole spoke while looking at me. Apparently, she hadn't expected me to become friends with the daughter of a high-ranking noble, of all people.

I hadn't expected to become friends with Marie either, so I shrugged. Dangerous situations had often arisen because of it, but so far, everything had been fine.

Besides, if I told Nicole that I had also become close with Rina and Cecily, how would she react? I didn't feel any need to bring it up, so I remained silent.

Marie, completely unaware that Nicole didn't know about the others, asked her about the remark that it was unexpected.

"Unexpected? What do you mean?"

"Oh. I didn't mean you. I was a little worried about whether our Isaac, who's blunt and only cares about his own business, could make any friends. But once he did, I didn't expect it to be the daughter of a duke."

I agreed with that, so I nodded. I hadn't imagined that I would become close with Marie either.

But it kind of sounded like she was badmouthing me. Surely not.

"Phew..."

In the meantime, Marie seemed to have been reassured. She placed a hand on her chest and let out a sigh of relief. Then she spoke with a brighter expression than before.

"Then that means you're okay with Isaac and me being friends, right?"

"Hm? Well... I suppose so. It might even be... fine?"

"Really?"

At Nicole's positive answer, Marie's face lit up completely. Why was she so happy?

However, while Marie's happiness soared, Nicole seemed to grow anxious. She knew better than anyone how dangerous it was for Marie and me to become close.

Marie being the daughter of a ducal family was part of it, but the biggest reason was probably that I was the author of The Life of Xenon. The closer she got to me, the more likely it was that my secret would be revealed inadvertently.

Being friends with Marie would make my life at the academy easier, but that was only true as long as she didn't discover my secret. From Nicole's perspective, Marie was practically a double-edged sword.

So she looked back and forth between Marie and me, gauging the situation, then spoke cautiously.

"...Isn't that right?"

"Ah..."

At that, Marie's face rapidly fell.