Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Threads of Fate

After leaving the exam hall, my head was dizzy with thoughts about Edward.

“The conditions shouldn’t have been met.”

The condition for Edward, who could be considered a hidden character, to become an instructor.

Finding out Edward’s appearance location and meeting him in advance before the exam.

If one possessed the required stats, that would draw Edward’s interest, making him come to the exam hall.

At that time, if one took first place in the exam, Edward would almost certainly become the instructor of Class A.

Knowing this, I had deliberately avoided his appearance location. I had never run into him, nor had I ever spoken with him.

A moment ago, he and I had met for the very first time.

“Hah...”

The reason I avoided Edward was none other than the randomness he possessed.

As a strange and suspicious person, he changed class contents however he pleased.

In the game, classes were a stable way to gain experience, so even attending classes regularly allowed for decent leveling.

For me, who had a 500% increase in experience gained, classes held even greater meaning.

But his classes, where one never knew what would happen, were far from the word “stable.”

Some classes did not give experience, and in some classes, even if one gained experience, one could suffer major injuries.

It was not as if there were no merits to him as a hidden character.

If one was lucky, one could obtain enormous experience or items as rewards from his classes.

Even so, I wanted to avoid him.

Now that the game had become reality, entrusting my body to luck carried too great a risk.

And yet why...

“Student Zeto. See you again soon.”

Why had he said something filled with such suspiciousness?

Because of my dispel?

Even so, that meant he had already been at the exam hall, and as I said, I had never met him.

It made no sense that I had drawn his interest.

In that case...

“...Someone other than me drew his interest?”

Just then, a strong candidate who could have done that entered my sight.

Whether by fate or by coincidence.

Just as I was thinking of her, she seemed to appear before me as if she had been waiting.

Her golden eyes shone brightly, unobscured even by the falling sunlight, and her gaze was fixed on me the same as before.

Had she been crouching and looking at the flowers blooming in the flower bed?

I considered simply passing by her like this, but... I thought it would be better to try speaking to her after all.

“Thank you for cheering me on earlier. Thanks to you, I earned a good result.”

“...It seems you can distinguish people well just from their presence.”

“It would be troublesome if I attacked a companion. I tend to distinguish people by the unique vibrations I feel from each of them.”

“Vibrations... for example...?”

Eisel brushed back her hair and asked me in a weak voice.

“Things like the sound of the heart... or the sound of breathing...”

At my answer, Eisel, who had been crouching, straightened her knees and stood.

Then she came a little closer to me.

“That means you remember the sound of my heart.”

Saying that, Eisel pushed her face toward me.

Before I knew it, Eisel’s delicate face had come right up to my nose, close enough that I could feel her breath.

“That... is true?”

“I hope you don’t forget it.”

“Pardon?”

“The sound of my heart.”

What on earth was she doing?

She seemed to keep her distance, then suddenly acted so aggressive that I was momentarily flustered.

“...Because we might end up fighting together. I don’t want to be cut by your sword.”

“Ahaha... Then I’ll make sure to remember it.”

I forced myself to give Eisel a gentle smile.

At my answer, Eisel stopped leaning her head forward, glanced sideways at me, and turned her gaze away.

“I’m Zeto.”

I held out my hand to her and greeted her brightly.

This should be the perfect timing to exchange names.

“Eisel... Eisel Ludwig.”

On the other hand, Eisel did not even look at the hand I held out and simply recited her own name.

Had she disliked touching people?

Even I did not know what Eisel thought of physical contact.

“Still, she could at least accept a handshake.”

Putting aside the bitter feeling, I withdrew my awkwardly outstretched hand.

Then again, since she was a regressor, she might be reluctant to come into contact with people.

Looking back through my memories, she spoke to the player, but even the player had never had much physical contact with her.

I set aside idle thoughts and opened my mouth to solve the problem currently before me.

“By the way, have you perhaps... ever met someone named Edward?”

Such a thing had not happened in the game, but I judged that it was sufficiently possible for the current Eisel, who had been showing movements different from the game.

Since I had confirmed Eisel’s abnormal strength with my own eyes, if she had met him, she could have drawn Edward’s interest at once.

“Edward...”

As if tracing through her memories, Eisel’s finger touched her lips.

There was no way she, a regressor, did not know.

She must be acting.

A regressor could not make it obvious by saying, “I regressed.”

“He’s someone whose voice alone is soaked with suspicion. Have you never met him?”

“Mm... suspicious... Ah.”

When I gave her a simple and clear keyword about Edward, Eisel made a short sound as if something had come to mind.

Eisel was an excellent actress.

Her acting looked truly convincing.

“If you mean a suspicious man, I met one once before. He had a pure white ponytail... and sharply narrow eyes. He acted strangely, telling me to cast magic out of nowhere, so I ignored him and left.”

At Eisel’s answer that followed, I finally finished understanding this situation.

“So it was you.”

The person who had called Edward to the exam hall was Eisel.

Well, Edward, who had met Eisel, must have tested her by acting bizarrely out of nowhere as always.

And then, having become interested in the existence called Eisel, he must have reached the exam hall.

Even though Edward found all kinds of things troublesome, when something caught his interest, his ability to act became extraordinary.

“But why do you ask?”

“I met him at the exam hall earlier, and he mentioned Eisel. It’s nothing. He was just... an unusual person.”

In reality, Edward had never mentioned Eisel when he met me, but my excuse was entirely one-way information, so no particular problem should arise.

“He certainly was unusual.”

Eisel nodded slightly in agreement with my words.

Should I go back now?

There was no proper justification to continue the conversation with Eisel, and if I created a justification where there was none, she might feel burdened.

I still wanted to save Eisel, so I did not want to go down a path where my relationship with her worsened.

“Then. I’ll be going now.”

“...”

After Eisel and I lightly bowed our heads to each other in farewell, I turned my steps toward the dormitory.

At this time, Yuri must have returned on her own, right?

...Just in case, I should check the bench as I pass by.

I can see his back as he moves away.

The hand he held out to me flickers before my eyes.

I was sorry.

Sorry that I could not take it.

I could not even look at it.

Because if his outstretched hand entered my sight even for a moment, I might grab it on impulse.

But if I took his hand now.

It felt as if letting go of his hand would be far too difficult, so I could not take it.

...No, I could not take it.

Because the hand I would hold again, this time, I never wanted to let go.

I desperately wanted to hear more of Zeto’s sweet voice, but it was all right.

Tomorrow, I could meet him once more and have a longer conversation than today.

“Ahaha... Then I’ll make sure to remember it.”

When you don’t remember a thing.

Idiot.

Stupid Zeto.

...My lovely.

My Zeto.

***

An office filled with a sharp, cold air.

The neatly arranged documents and objects on the desk were all perfectly aligned.

This represented the personality of the owner of that place.

“What you just said. Are you serious?”

“There seem to be many people who don’t trust me today.”

Though it did not show on his face, Juliut Klaus was extremely flustered.

His son Edward, who had ignored him every time he told him to do some work, had finally.

“Finally... you say you will try working as an instructor...”

“I was merely waiting.”

“For what?”

At Juliut’s question, Edward leaned his chair back and lounged.

“It seems a lot of interesting guys have entered this time.”

“Interesting guys... What kind of students were they?”

The headmaster of an academy was an extremely busy occupation. Juliut did not have the leisure to check the students every enrollment.

Special students would stand out on their own anyway.

“There was one with a very outstanding level. At that point, it makes one wonder why that person is attending the academy at all... In any case, one person like that.”

“And?”

“One unexpected guy. He dispelled with nothing but a single sword.”

“With a sword... dispel...?”

“Yes. Of course, he did not go so far as to break Father’s ‘illusion magic’... but isn’t that still interesting enough?”

Because Juliut knew Edward was not the type to tell lies, he accepted it despite thinking it made no sense.

“...So. What do you want, Eddie?”

Since Juliut cherished his son, he wanted to grant his wishes as much as possible, but the problem was this son’s willful personality.

“Class A for this year. I will take charge of it.”

“What? That position was probably scheduled to go to Kaliman.”

“I already spoke to Instructor Kaliman in advance.”

“...”

Juliut stopped doing paperwork, removed his glasses, set them on the desk, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“...Did he agree?”

“Kaliman seemed a little reluctant about Class A this year too. That was fortunate.”

“Well, since all four elemental families with their heavy backsides enrolled together... and including the students you mentioned, it would certainly be burdensome.”

“I promised Kaliman fair compensation. So there should be no major problem.”

“Whew...”

Juliut sighed and fell into thought for a moment.

He was his own son.

He possessed more than enough ability to serve as an instructor.

If anything, Juliut was underestimating Edward because he was his son.

Objectively speaking, he possessed very excellent ability.

Even compared to Juliut himself, the foremost figure in illusion magic with the title of archmage, Edward had grown so steeply that he was on the verge of catching up to him at a young age.

But appearances were the problem.

Someone who had not even been doing instructor work taking on the role of an instructor, and Class A’s instructor at that.

And the fact that such a person was the son of himself, the headmaster, made Juliut fall into worry.

At that moment, Edward made a proposal to Juliut.

“I know very well what you are thinking. Then how about this?”

“Speak.”

“In the end, Innocence Academy is a place where ability is proven. Shouldn’t I simply prove myself as an instructor as well?”

“Prove?”

“The main exam to be held this semester. Every member of Class A passes, with no failures... How does that sound?”

“Hmm...”

Juliut let out a deep sigh.

The academy’s main exam was an exam where one’s grade—meaning class—could change.

Since Class A’s exam gathered the most outstanding students, it was the most difficult.

“There has never been a precedent for that.”

“That is why it is proof.”

“Hah... Very well. Then we will do that. However, Edward, make sure you remember this. If there is even a single failure, you may never be allowed to work as an instructor again.”

“I understand. Then, since the conversation is over, I will be off to meet my wife.”

“How did such a slippery fellow get married...”

Whenever Juliut saw Edward being endlessly tender toward his wife, it always felt truly unfamiliar.

Before leaving the room, Edward smiled and left one remark for Juliut.

“With that personality, Father, you managed to get married just fine too, didn’t you? I’ll be going first, Juliut ‘Headmaster.’”