Chapter 8 - A Lowly Lump of Flesh

The next morning.

“Um... sir?”

Esther suddenly took a firm grip on my sleeve. Not my wrist. Just my sleeve.

“C-could you come with me for a moment?”

“What is it...?”

Instead of answering, Esther tugged harder on my sleeve. For some reason, she reminded me of a puppy begging to go for a walk.

She led me to the old school building. It had been transformed so beautifully that I wondered whether this was really the place I knew.

“T... ta-da...”

Esther spread her arms in an awkward unveiling. She said something afterward, too, but honestly, I didn’t hear it. I was too busy taking in the view of the old school building to notice.

The flowers swaying in the breeze caught my eye. And it wasn’t just the flowers. Fresh, thriving vines spread across the old school building, warmly filling the cracks in its walls.

Esther had breathed life into the crumbling building.

Success.

This brought me one step closer to the hidden ending. No, she had actually done this sooner than she had in the hidden ending.

A resounding success.

To achieve this much on her first attempt—it was more than I’d expected.

“...that’s what happened.”

While I was lost in thought, Esther finished what sounded like a little boast. I’d only half listened, but apparently she’d meant to revive a single flower and ended up reviving the entire garden... Something along those lines.

“I’m looking forward to this.”

“D-don’t expect too much...”

Of course I was looking forward to seeing what Esther could do, but I’d meant the chairman.

Time to collect my winnings.

008

As I’d discovered last time, the chairman’s office offered a clear view of the old school building. Not that the chairman seemed pleased about that.

“... You must be able to see the future, Lord Daywin.”

From here, the garden Esther had revived was also clearly visible.

“I had no idea... that a student near the very bottom of the school rankings possessed such an ability.”

He spoke while gazing out the window.

“That’s understandable. Wouldn’t it be stranger for the chairman to know every individual student? I was surprised by how much you knew about Laward last time.”

“...”

Perhaps my words had made him reflect on his favoritism toward Laward. He remained silent for a while.

“Do you believe the other students have talents like Esther’s as well, Lord Daywin?”

“You already know her name.”

“... I made a few inquiries.”

What a transparent man. The way he swooped in the instant someone showed talent was uncanny.

“To answer your question first, yes, I do. In my eyes, Laward and all five girls have more than enough talent.”

“Hmm... Is that so? Even though one of them has gone so far as to get suspended.”

The chairman moistened his dry lips with hot tea, then cautiously continued.

“I apologize for our last meeting.”

I met his unwavering gaze.

“I doubted your judgment, Lord Daywin. I should have trusted you completely from the moment you sent Laward to us...”

His voice trailed off, and he smiled bitterly.

“It is shameless of me to ask, but please look after the other students as well. The academy will do everything in its power to help them.”

“Understood. Though I do think supporting its students is only natural for an academy.”

“Y... yes, of course.”

“Then may I ask you for that favor now?”

“Ah, yes. I will keep my promise.”

“I understand there’s a school rule requiring students with the lowest grades to take remedial classes during vacation.”

Remedial classes had been a major event in the game, too. The heroines’ routes branched according to how they spent their vacation.

“I’ve heard that while the other students return home for vacation, those assigned remedial classes must stay in the dormitories and attend special lessons.”

Although it depended on the player’s choices, Laward generally had good grades, so he didn’t stay at the academy during vacation.

That meant the only heroines available for the ‘Spend Time with a Heroine’ vacation event were those exempt from remedial classes.

If there was a heroine you wanted to grow closer to, you raised her grades to get her out of remedial classes. That was one of the game’s objectives.

But now that Laward had become a fanatic, he hadn’t grown close to any of the heroines or helped them.

The result: remedial classes for everyone.

“That is correct. Our special vacation lessons improve students’ academic performance and motivation to—”

“Please make an exception for every student I sponsor.”

I intended to make the most of this vacation. I couldn’t let a time when I didn’t have to visit the academy and the heroines were free go to waste.

Above all, I absolutely needed Esther for the Subjugation Festival.

“... An exception?”

“Yes. Exempt them all. Amelia likes studying, so I’ll leave the decision to her, but I insist on it for the other three.”

“But if we make exceptions, the other students and their guardians will...”

“I believe you said you would keep your promise.”

“Well...”

He lowered his head and agonized over it for some time.

At last, he reluctantly nodded.

“If you absolutely insist... I will find a way.”

“Excellent.”

“Oh, Lord Daywin. I understand Laward plans to take an advanced course over vacation, in a special class intended for third-years about to graduate. Should we send Laward home for the summer as well?”

“What? No. Please keep a strict watch on him so he can’t go anywhere except the academy and the chapel. He doesn’t have a home to return to anyway.”

“Er, um... Yes...”

The end-of-term ceremony arrived.

Seeing the students lined up in the auditorium brought back quite a few memories for Daywin. He’d wanted to flee from the moment the principal’s tedious speech began, but as a sponsor, he had agreed to go up onstage and offer a few words of encouragement.

Daywin struggled to keep his expression composed and endured to the end of the ceremony. Along the way, he exchanged greetings with the faculty, and being reunited with the female teacher who was just his type offered some consolation.

Apparently, her name was Grace.

Then, from the moment Daywin took the stage looking less than enthusiastic, Laward experienced one shock after another.

‘Why is my esteemed mentor here...?’

His unexpected appearance at the academy without any advance notice was merely the opening salvo. Seeing Daywin here was surprising enough, but when he was introduced as a sponsor who had generously funded academy scholarships, Laward’s head spun.

‘A sponsor... That means... he’s sponsoring students other than me.’

The questions he wanted to ask Daywin piled up. But one thought in particular kept circling in his head.

‘There are others besides me... Besides me... there are other students my esteemed mentor cares about...’

Laward had never once disobeyed Daywin. He had gladly accepted the honor of becoming a paladin, reported his every move, and diligently submitted his assignments. He had never doubted his goal of becoming the Goddess’s sword, nor had that goal ever changed.

Laward hadn’t noticed, but by the time he came to his senses, his hands had clenched into fists.

‘I’m still... nowhere near good enough.’

Laward took a deep breath and nodded.

He would go see his esteemed mentor when the ceremony was over. He just had to wait a little longer.

Repeating that to himself, he waited for the ceremony to end. For Laward, it lasted far longer than it did for any other student.

The ceremony ended with the principal’s reminders about staying safe in the water over the summer. Laward immediately hurried after Daywin.

“Esteemed mentor...!”

The instant he called out to Daywin’s back, Laward’s breath caught.

Daywin wasn’t alone. He was speaking with another student.

A neatly pressed uniform. A first-year’s tie. Ribbons on her sleeves. Fine silver hair. A ponytail. Knee socks covering her shins.

A lowly lump of flesh.

The girl who had pestered him all semester. The girl who had brazenly displayed her lust in this sacred place of learning.

‘Esther.’

Before he knew it, Laward had hidden behind a pillar.

Eavesdropping was an impious act. Yet the thought that Esther was another student receiving Daywin’s support made him desperate to know what they were discussing.

Even if he had to whip himself in penance tonight, he had to find out.

“Esther, do you have any plans for vacation?”

“Plans? Um, first I need to study the spellbook you gave me...”

‘A spellbook?’

Laward felt as though something had struck a resounding blow inside his head.

A spellbook? Had his esteemed mentor been giving that girl special treatment, even going so far as to give her a spellbook?

Surely... it wasn’t holy magic.

“Oh, and I have to take remedial classes. Well... apparently they’re mandatory because my grades aren’t very good.”

“I see. Then come to Hasgard with me.”

“... Pardon?”

‘... Huh?’

Laward was startled at exactly the same moment as Esther.

“I was only asking about your plans out of curiosity. Esther, go back to your dormitory and pack. We’ll be leaving soon...”

Daywin took out his watch and glanced at it.

“I’ll give you forty-five minutes.”

“W-what? No, no!”

Esther was so flustered that she repeated herself, waving both hands.

“Wait a moment! I’m assigned remedial classes, so I have to stay at the academy all vacation!”

“You’re exempt. That was settled before the ceremony.”

“What...?”

“Forty-four minutes. You must not have much to pack.”

“B-but still! If I have time over vacation, I need to visit home, too...”

“That’s already been settled as well. They told me that since you’d received a scholarship beyond what you deserved, I was welcome to put you to work as much as I liked.”

“Y-you’ve been exchanging letters with my parents?”

“Yes. Very cultured people. You’re welcome to ask questions, but your packing time is steadily running out.”

“Then...! U-um...! Why do I have to go...?”

“There’s a monster subjugation campaign being held this year. It’s a celebration called the Subjugation Festival, and I absolutely need your power.”

“You... absolutely need my power?”

Esther hesitated, looking troubled. Then her face flushed a little.

“W-well, in that case, I suppose it can’t be helped! This is all very sudden! But since you say you need me...!”

Putting on a little show of bravado, Esther promptly spun around and ran toward the dormitories.

CLICK.

Daywin closed his pocket watch and watched her go.

Meanwhile, Laward, who had overheard the entire conversation from behind the pillar, kept repeating the same words like a broken radio.

‘For the Subjugation Festival... he needs Esther... To fight monsters... not me... Esther...’

Laward had rejected Esther simply because he resented the fact that her nickname was ‘the Goddess.’

From this moment on, however, her nickname no longer mattered.

Laward simply hated Esther with every fiber of his being.

[Ending (2) Locked]

[Summer Time!]

『Laward grew much closer to Esther over the first semester.

He seemed to have formed connections with other beautiful girls during his time at the academy, but he paid them little mind.

With summer vacation approaching, Laward was invited to Esther’s family home.

The sudden invitation surprised him, but it would be many times better than leaving the dormitories to return to the slums.

Laward hated vacations.

Fortunately, Esther’s parents welcomed Laward warmly.

Esther’s family home was so close to the sea that it might as well have been right against it.

Was that because she had caused a great fire in the past?

Always watch out for fire, day and night.

Keep fire close to water, as they say.

Every day, Laward ate warm meals prepared by Esther’s mother.

He even went fishing with Esther’s father, for the first time in his life.

This is Laward’s first time seeing the sea.

“D-do I not look good... dressed like this?”

Of course, it is also his first time seeing Esther in a swimsuit.

He doesn’t think he has ever seen her looking so genuinely shy, either. She has always hidden her true feelings behind sharp words.

Normally, she would have said, “It’s not like I put this on to show y-you or anything!”

She must truly be embarrassed to be in a swimsuit.

Fishing, the sea, and a swimsuit.

Everything was a new experience, but the most precious first of all was the memory of finding someone endearing.

Laward spent a summer he would never forget.

But the world came to an end.』

Endings Remaining Until Tier 1 Bonus Unlock: 3

Huh...?

Why was a message window appearing now...?

The message window had suddenly popped up before my eyes, displaying an ending script and an image of Esther in a swimsuit.

Even though I knew I was the only one who could see it, the illustration was embarrassing enough to make me feel I ought to cover it up...

Esther’s second ending.

Locked.

Once again, an ending had been locked out of the blue. Looking over the script, I saw that this event was only available during the summer vacation after the first semester.

By taking Esther to Hasgard this summer, I’d eliminated the time she and Laward could have spent together. That must have naturally locked the ending.

It was a matter of physically not having the time, rather than any change in Laward’s or Esther’s feelings—

“Esteemed mentor.”

The voice behind me startled me.

That voice. And that form of address.

“... Laward.”

There was only one person it could be.

I wiped the surprise off my face and turned around, pretending to be composed. It had been a while since I’d seen Laward, and for some reason, he looked determined.

“Esteemed mentor, ever since I entered the academy, I’ve maintained my place at the top of my class. I thought I was doing well.”

Hmm.

What the hell was this bastard talking about all of a sudden?

“But being the top student here isn’t enough, is it? To become the paladin you want me to be... I’m still not there yet.”

Laward thrust out his tightly clenched fist.

“I’ll become even stronger!”

Huh?

Hold on.

Wasn’t there something strange about the look in this bastard’s eyes?

“I won’t stop training until you’re satisfied, esteemed mentor! I’ll surpass not only the upperclassmen, but the academy’s standards altogether! Please watch over me!”

Well...

Suit yourself...