Chapter 55 - My Childhood Friend Has Become a Man

When I said new magic, well... The only holy magic I’d actually learned was buff magic from the Enhancement category.

I had no intention of teaching Laward buffs. Everyone had magic that suited them. So, just like last time, all I could teach him were the fundamentals.

Whether you were a paladin specializing in ranged combat like me or one proficient at both close and medium range like Chris, these were the fundamentals every paladin had to learn before choosing the magic that suited them.

F-rank, as always. But with Laward’s divine power stat now at its peak, I believed he could make even F-rank magic special.

I was certain of it.

055

At eight in the morning, Veronica slipped her arms into her uniform shirt.

‘It’s been a year since I wore this...’

She grew lost in thought as she fastened the buttons one by one.

‘Has it gotten a little smaller?’

After buttoning her skirt as well, she headed out.

KNOCK, KNOCK.

The first place she visited after arriving at the academy was the faculty office.

“What awkward timing.”

The teacher in charge of the magic department’s third-years looked Veronica up and down.

“There are about four months left until graduation.”

Skipping any greeting about how nice it was to see her again or questions about how she’d been, the teacher went straight to the point.

“Can you stay out of trouble?”

“Yes, teacher.”

“Good. You’re aiming to attend a magic university, right?”

“Yes.”

The teacher hummed while scanning Veronica’s student record.

“Your first- and second-year grades were good. But starting in your third year...”

A finger moved down the page.

“They took a nosedive. What happened then?”

“That would have been right after I contracted with my spirit. I wasn’t in my right mind then. It kept talking to me...”

“Talking to you?”

“It has a rather... unusual personality.”

Veronica tapped a finger against her temple, as if to say it was still in there.

“I think you’ll have to reconsider your goal. Getting into the school you wanted before will be difficult. Never mind your third-year grades, you...”

“Yes, I have a disciplinary record.”

“You’re well aware, then. Have you looked into other options?”

“I’m actually planning to apply somewhere less competitive. Somewhere I can get a scholarship.”

“Hmm...”

The teacher thought for a moment, as though leafing through a mental list of magic universities.

“Would you mind being far from home?”

“No.”

“Even as far as the north?”

“The north?”

“Yes, up north. They’d take you there. They wouldn’t care about your disciplinary record, either. You might even say they prefer unconventional mages...”

“Oh, I think that’s where my boss graduated.”

“Your boss?”

“Well... never mind. Could I really get in? I heard it was quite prestigious.”

“It’s worth applying, at least. Above all, you use a spirit.”

The teacher leaned back in the chair.

“They’ll probably look favorably on that. Simply having a contract with a spirit is an incredible blessing.”

“A blessing... right.”

“Well, that should do for career counseling. Go on to your classroom.”

“Yes.”

“You really can stay out of trouble, can’t you?”

Hearing the teacher ask the same thing twice made Veronica want to cause some trouble, but she decided to restrain herself. She had finally returned after a whole year, after all.

“Yes. I promise.”

Veronica left the faculty office. Through the corridor windows, the view was so unchanged it gave her chills. Students coming through the school gates. The school’s symbolic tree swaying in the wind. Even the laundry hanging on the dormitory balconies.

‘Four months, huh...’

In four months, she would no longer have any reason to see that view. Thinking of it that way made it seem rather special. And only now did she feel she understood what a precious year she had lost.

RATTLE—CLACK!

When she opened the distinctive sliding door and entered, every student in the classroom turned to look.

‘Oh, were students supposed to use the back door...?’

Realizing she had marched right through the front door, Veronica surveyed the classroom. Naturally, she met the eyes of the students already seated. Instead of greeting her, they whispered to their neighbors.

Doing her best to look unbothered, Veronica headed for her seat—

‘Come to think of it, I don’t have a seat.’

The students she had shared a classroom with last year had already graduated and gone on to higher education or entered the workforce. She was now in the same year as last year’s juniors. Of course she wouldn’t have a seat waiting for her.

‘I should’ve asked in the faculty office.’

She let out a long sigh. At this point, she had no choice but to ask one of the students here. Veronica leaned down toward a girl who happened to catch her eye.

“Excuse me.”

“Eek!”

But the moment the girl heard Veronica’s voice, she sprang to her feet and backed away.

“Excuse me, is there an empty seat...?”

“H-here! Please sit here! You can have mine!”

“Uh...”

Veronica looked down at the chair the girl had vacated. The girl offered it to her, complete with its plush-looking pink cushion.

“No, that’s not what...”

When Veronica scratched her head in bewilderment, the girl raised both arms defensively.

“Eep!”

“...”

“You can have it! Just don’t hit me!”

“H-hit you? Why would I?”

Veronica glanced around. More students than before had gathered around her, their whispers growing louder and buzzing in her ears.

‘... Maybe I should’ve just dropped out after all.’

The instant that thought crossed her mind, she shook her head.

‘No. I promised... I’d repay his faith in me.’

She collected herself and was just about to speak to the girl again when—

“This is the swordsmanship department’s classroom, senior.”

A languid, calm voice cut through the whispers.

It belonged to a girl openly reclining with a pillow on her classroom desk. Not only did she have a pillow, but blankets were draped over her knees and shoulders. The beautiful girl looked ready for bed, staring straight at Veronica with tired eyes underscored by deep dark circles.

She was the first person today to properly meet Veronica’s eyes.

“Oh, you’re... right.”

Veronica checked the sign above the classroom door again.

“They’ve moved the classrooms around for various reasons. Oh, and the infirmary’s moved too. If you need to rest during your time of the month, you’ll have to go to the third floor... Maybe I shouldn’t have told you that. I could’ve seen something entertaining. Yaaawn...”

“Thanks, Lucia.”

“Hmm? How do you know my name?”

“Of course I do. You entered at the top of your class when I was a second-year. Though you seem to have... changed quite a bit since then.”

“Have I...? I’m honored that the academy’s biggest celebrity recognizes me.”

“Celebrity?”

“Yes. You’re famous for assaulting a teacher.”

“... Huh?”

“Didn’t you?”

“Of course not!”

“You’re famous for having a school violence committee convened because you assaulted a teacher. I heard the teacher’s parents, who are in their sixties, reported you for hitting their child.”

“What kind of rumor is that? It sounds like someone’s bizarre dream.”

“No, that really was the rumor. Though I do dream quite often.”

“Haa...”

Veronica shook her head.

‘So rumors like that are making them stare even more...’

“Anyway, thanks for telling me.”

“Sure. Neither of us has much time left here, so let’s hang in there.”

“Come to think of it, you’re a third-year already too.”

“I know. I wonder where that top entrant went.”

“Well, I can see someone who looks like she’s about to be swallowed by her blankets.”

“Oh.”

“Hmm?”

“Are you planning to enter the Peach Garden Festival, by any chance?”

“The Peach Garden Festival?”

Veronica recalled the letter she had received from Daywin a little while ago. Since he had asked her to enter, she naturally intended to apply.

“Yes, I am.”

“Perfect! Then could you perhaps take my... my... hmm...”

Lucia fell fast asleep midsentence. Apparently, she had used up her entire daily quota of dialogue.

“What the...?”

Veronica chuckled, gently stroked the sleeping Lucia’s hair, and left.

Before finding the magic department’s classroom, she returned to the faculty office.

“Veronica? Why are you back...?”

“Participants in the Peach Garden Festival are chosen at the academy’s sports meet, right?”

“Hm?”

“Please put my name down too. For the dueling event.”

“You want to enter the Peach Garden Festival?”

“Yes.”

“Well, all right... I happen to be in charge. A department head wouldn’t normally handle even this sort of thing... Why am I even a third-year homeroom teacher at my age...?”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing. Never mind. You know the third-years are all formidable, right? You’ll have to place in the top four at the sports meet.”

The teacher opened a drawer and took out an application form. Just then, Veronica spotted a familiar name on one of the papers stacked inside.

Sports Meet Dueling Event Applicant.

First-year.

Laward.

No surname. Just Laward.

Her childhood friend.

“Why is... he here...?”

“Hmm?”

“Nothing. I must have misread it.”

“What did you misread while peeking into my drawer without permission?”

Quick on the uptake, the teacher pulled out the document Veronica had glanced at.

“Do you know Laward?”

“What? Well, I’m not sure I’d say I know him... I don’t even know if he’s the person I’m thinking of.”

“Even if you don’t, you’d do well to get to know him. Laward is the academy’s best new student.”

“He is...? Why on earth...?”

* * *

“Good morning, Looord Karma.”

“You’ve got some nerve saying that at lunchtime.”

I sat beside Lucia, who was munching bread on a bench along the walking path. She was eating away with her eyes closed, perhaps because the sunlight was too bright.

“Lord Karma, I have good news and some ambiguous news. Oh, I’ll just start with the good news.”

“Then why did you ask... Actually, you didn’t.”

I might not be a dating sim protagonist, but she hadn’t even offered me a choice. She hadn’t given me time to ask what on earth she meant by ambiguous news rather than bad news, either.

“I finally found a maid. Ta-da.”

Lucia made a V with her bread-free hand. It was the most feeble-looking victory sign I had ever seen.

“She’ll start coming to Houndry tomorrow. That’s okay, right?”

“Of course. I don’t know if she’ll be okay with Houndry, but that’s cause for celebration. What’s she like?”

“Oh, I don’t know either.”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t even interview her...”

“An application came in, so I just told her to start right away. Before she could run off.”

“What on earth were you thinking? This is someone who’ll be looking after your siblings. You should have been more careful.”

“It’s fine. If she turns out to be a bad person, then she really will have to run. From me.”

She took another bite of bread as she spoke.

“And the ambiguous news is... Oh.”

Lucia’s eyes suddenly lit up, and I instinctively turned to follow her gaze. She was watching Laward and Veronica, who was walking toward him.

“Laward?”

Veronica approached him with a look of disbelief.

“It’s you, right? Laward?”

“Huh?”

“It is! Laward, it’s me! Veronica!”

Her steps quickened as she drew closer.

“It’s me! We used to play together every day when we were kids! We picked pockets together, stole things together, and got beaten up together!”

That was how you two played...?

I was glad they’d eventually gotten their just deserts, but those were hardly ordinary childhood-friend memories.

“Veronica? Is that really you...?”

“Yes! W-wow. You’ve gotten so tall. You used to be shorter than me. Wow...”

Wow. Every line was a bundle of clichés. Their exchange couldn’t have sounded more like childhood friends reuniting.

I stared blankly at Veronica’s radiant smile. I had never seen her look so bashful.

“Your back’s gotten so broad, and your hands too. Wow, you’re a real... man now. Haha, I guess that’s only natural...”

What the hell? Why was she malfunctioning?

This was unsettling...

She was so unlike the Veronica I knew that I felt as though I’d just run into my little sister all dressed up to go out.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“No, I’m just really surprised too... I heard you’d moved away, but I never imagined you’d be at the academy... Wait, why haven’t I seen you until now?”

“Oh, that’s...”

“Anyway, it’s so good to see you again. When you suddenly disappeared, I, well...”

“What’s this? What’s gotten into you? Were you lonely without me?”

“Well, I suppose I was, back then... Though that was a long time ago...”

“Oh, I was only... joking... Hehe. I’m really, really happy to see you too!”

Smiling playfully, Veronica spread her arms and moved to hug Laward—

SMACK.

Laward irritably swatted her arm away.

“Veronica. We may be childhood friends, but don’t cross the line.”

“H-huh...?”

That was it. Now that was a familiar flavor.

Meanwhile, Laward walked straight past Veronica, leaving her rooted to the spot like a stone.

My story had nearly lost its identity lately, but at last, here was a scene worth watching. I felt I understood a little of how those perverts watching Esther lose had felt.

“Whew. I feel better now. So, Lucia, what was the ambiguous news?”

“Oh, that. It just became good news.”

“Hm?”

“A senior came back to school, and I couldn’t tell whether she was a good person or a bad one. But it turns out she’s just entertaining, so it doesn’t really matter anymore.”

Lucia popped the rest of the bread into her mouth and finished it off.