Chapter 301 : Side Story (3)
Chapter 301: Side Story (3)
After parting with Lancia, I suddenly found myself muttering without realizing it.
“…I’m tired.”
It wasn’t just my imagination.
Then again, it wasn’t because of the mind-numbing conversation I had just had with Lancia either.
Even though nearly a year had already passed, my body still hadn’t returned to what it used to be.
…Of course, considering that I had literally been in a dead state for almost half a month, the fact that I could move around with all my limbs intact was already something I should have been grateful for.
‘So next….’
Professor Windy May.
In other words, I should go see my mentor.
She would probably pretend otherwise and act as if she didn’t know, yet still be anxiously waiting and wondering when I would come to see her.
I immediately turned my steps toward Professor Windy May’s office.
While crossing the Academy—which was far noisier than usual—I spotted a head of vivid red hair that stood out even from a distance and instinctively called out with delight.
“Allen!”
Hearing his name, Allen immediately turned his head toward where the voice had come from.
The moment he noticed me, he broke into a bright smile and walked straight toward me.
“Lian!”
Even though he had visited me so often while I was bedridden, his attitude was like someone greeting a friend after a long time apart.
But I felt just as happy to see him.
“Sorry. I knew you were coming today, Lian, but I’ve been busy with work….”
Allen spoke with a rather apologetic expression.
My eyes fell on the sparkling brooch pinned to his chest.
“What’s this? Did you join the Student Council?”
“Yes. It sort of happened along the way.”
He nodded slightly.
“I wanted to surprise you, so I kept it a secret… but I didn’t expect it to be discovered so easily.”
“Don’t worry. I’m surprised enough.”
I tilted my head in disbelief.
“But Allen, of all people—you joining the Student Council….”
“Hahaha.”
Allen laughed awkwardly.
After all, hadn’t he always hated getting involved with other people?
Knowing his personality well, I quickly realized who had made him choose something like this.
“What’s wrong with Allen’s personality?”
The voice was so cold and blunt that anyone hearing it for the first time might mistake it for a provocation.
Third Imperial Princess Mercedes, who had approached Allen’s side, spoke while crossing her arms.
“Is it really that strange that Allen joined the Student Council?”
“I’m just saying I’m surprised.”
Smoothly brushing it off, I greeted her.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.”
“…Nice to meet you too, Priest. I’m glad you look healthy.”
“That’s thanks to your concern.”
“I wasn’t particularly concerned.”
Mercedes shrugged.
“Well… if I’m being honest, we weren’t exactly close, but we were still fellow students, so I was a little worried. Though Cecilia worried far more than I did. Your mentor too, Allen as well. Miss Yuran as well. And others too.”
Allen let out a quiet sigh at her complete lack of tact.
“Mer, when you say it like that people might misunderstand. And you were quite worried yourself. You even made those elixirs and artifacts to help with his recovery.”
As Allen quietly tried to reason with her, Mercedes’s previously expressionless face suddenly flushed bright red.
“Allen, you idiot…! I told you not to call me that in front of other people!”
“Ah, sorry. That was a mistake.”
“What mistake? That was completely intentional! And I said that was a secret!?”
Mercedes, grinding her teeth, punched Allen’s chest repeatedly, but he only gave an embarrassed smile as if he were used to it.
‘Some things never change.’
Even in my previous life, the two of them had been lovers.
From the looks of it, that fact hadn’t changed this time either.
“…Ah, anyway. My mentor is waiting, so hurry and go!”
“Yes, thank you for telling me. Mer…cedes.”
“Y-You…!!!”
Mercedes’s face turned so red it looked like it might burst.
Fearing the stray sparks might reach me, I quickly slipped away as if escaping.
Watching my retreating figure, Allen quietly asked,
“…Are you very angry?”
“Yes!”
“Really?”
“I said I am!”
“Will you not forgive me?”
“Absolutely not!”
Allen chuckled softly.
Then he gently took her hand.
Startled, Mercedes looked around and shouted,
“Wait, are you crazy?! What if someone sees us?!”
“You already set up a barrier. I’m perceptive enough to notice that.”
“…….”
At Allen’s words, Mercedes fell silent.
Then, as if resigned, she allowed him to continue holding her hand.
“…Ah, I almost forgot.”
Still holding hands with Allen, Mercedes tapped the air lightly with her finger as if she had just remembered something.
“What are you doing?”
“Sending a message.”
“A message?”
“Yeah.”
Mercedes nodded.
“Cecil and I are in an alliance.”
She did feel a little sorry toward Yuran, since she was also acquainted with her—but what could she do?
Cecilia and Lian shared the same mentor, so inevitably her heart leaned more in that direction than toward Yuran.
After all, blood is thicker than water.
“…Ahem! Who goes there?”
When I knocked on the door of Professor Windy May’s private room, that question came from the other side.
Anyone could tell it was Windy May’s voice.
“It’s me, Lian.”
“Huh? No… this isn’t right…?”
Windy May’s flustered voice came from beyond the door.
Realizing what she wanted, I cleared my throat.
“The third son of the Gwendil Count family…”
…Come to think of it, I had nothing else to say after that.
After thinking for a moment, I answered with a cough.
“…I am Lian Gwendil, successor to the lineage considered the legitimate line of Magic following Sage Arpentia and Archmage Edas.”
“…!!! Ahem. I do not know such a person.”
Windy May replied excitedly.
I wondered if I should continue playing along, but no matter how much I squeezed my brain, nothing more came to mind.
“…Mentor, it’s me. Lian. Your disciple.”
“I do not know such a—”
“I really can’t think of anything else to say. Please open the door.”
“…….”
Creak.
After a while, Windy May opened the door with a sullen expression.
“Excuse me, Mentor.”
Her drooping ears suddenly perked up slightly at the word “mentor.”
She tried not to show it, but since there had been nights when she had agonized because I rarely called her that, the word sounded incredibly sweet to her ears.
“Welcome, Lian.”
She grinned as she greeted me.
“From today onward, you’ll have to study diligently. The other two have already gotten far ahead while you were lying in bed.”
“Looks like I’ll have to work hard.”
“Of course. But don’t worry. I’ll teach you well. I’m your mentor, after all.”
Mentor.
At that word, the image of someone who had disappeared since that day briefly crossed my mind.
“…Please take care of me, Mentor.”
“Hehehe, of course, of course.”
Windy May nodded twice in satisfaction.
She had postponed all her other schedules for this moment, and though she felt a little sorry… she had even told Cecilia and Mercedes that she already had plans.
‘Where should we start? Maybe I should check his physical condition first… but that would take too long. For today, maybe I’ll just check his circuits….’
While Windy May was happily reviewing today’s schedule in her mind—
“Sir, if you’re still here now, what on earth are you doing?!”
Bang!
The door burst open as Yeriel rushed in.
Panting as he tried to suppress his anger, he noticed me and immediately cleared his throat with forced dignity.
“So, you’ve returned.”
“Yes. Thank you for all your consideration.”
“Consideration? It was simply what had to be done.”
Nodding in satisfaction at my respectful attitude, he immediately turned his sharp gaze toward Windy May.
She flinched at the intensity of his stare.
“W-What? There’s nothing special to do today. I even attended the freshman welcoming ceremony earlier.”
“After that, I clearly told you many times that you must come to the Headmaster’s Office because there was an important matter!”
Yeriel said, staring at Windy May who acted as if she had done nothing wrong.
“Have you already forgotten that I told you we must verify those foreign students from the Demons’ side—the ones sent under the pretense of exchange students?”
“Ah… that….”
Windy May muttered half-heartedly.
“You can handle that yourself.”
“If I could handle it alone, I wouldn’t have called you!”
Pressed by Yeriel, Windy May shouted,
“I don’t care! Not today! Do it another day!”
“You’re old enough already—stop throwing a tantrum like a child! Come on, let’s go!”
“I won’t! I said I won’t go!!!”
“Honestly…! Aren’t you embarrassed in front of your disciple?”
“It’s precisely because of that disciple that I absolutely can’t go today! Read the room!”
“Good heavens—are those words really coming from you, Sir?!”
The sight of Windy May stubbornly resisting while Yeriel grabbed her wrist and dragged her away was ridiculous to watch.
Though the two of them were completely serious.
“…Ugh! Lian, I’ll be back soon, so don’t go anywhere! Stay here and wait, okay? Promise!”
Leaving behind those almost desperate words, Windy May was dragged away by Yeriel.
And just like that, I was left alone.
“Still the same as ever.”
I muttered quietly.
There was a faint smile in my voice.
“Well then….”
Sitting and waiting felt awkward, so I stood up and began looking around Windy May’s private room—familiar in many ways yet changed in others.
Then—
Bang.
The door burst open again.
“Haa… haa….”
This time the visitor had apparently run here without stopping, clutching the doorknob while breathing heavily.
Cecilia Everglenn.
It was her.
“Cecili—”
Before I could even finish calling her name—
“Lian!”
She rushed forward and threw herself into my arms.
Crash!
With a loud noise, the two of us tumbled backward together.