blueteamnovel Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Chapter 16
But one cannot simply give up without even trying.
I headed towards Raymon.
"Keke, Raymon. Are you feeling better from your injuries?"
"Ah... Yes. I'm, I'm much better now."
"That's good to hear."
Awkward silence.
The conversation hardly continued.
It seemed like he wanted to talk to me, but he just kept opening and closing his mouth without saying anything.
He really is extremely shy.
I decided to throw out my purpose right away.
I would probably be rejected anyway, but if I keep trying, maybe he'll eventually become my friend?
"Keke, Raymon. Would you like to be my friend?"
"Ye... Yes? Su, Sure. Let's, let's be friends."
[You have satisfied the quest condition.]Cheêck out latest novels at novelhall.com
[Make a Friend (1/3).]
What? Just like that, we're friends?
And this condition requires one to truly think of the other as a friend to clear it.
Raymon really accepted me as a real friend.
The system's judgment confirmed it.
Turns out, he’s quite a nice guy, isn’t he?
From now on, he's not just 'Your Raymon', he's 'Our Raymon'! (TL Note: Basically, he may be a piece of shit, but he's OUR piece of shit)
"Keke, maybe I was the one with the prejudice."
"Me, I don't have any such thing. We, well, it's true that Zero's face looks a bit strange, but...!"
"...?"
"Fi, Fight on! You can live just fine even with such an appearance!"
"..."
"Fi, Fighting!!"
Raymon, with his fists tightly clenched, was genuinely cheering me on.
Watching him, my eyes welled up involuntarily.
Forget what I said before.
This.
Your Raymon, indeed.
* * *
Before I knew it, lunchtime arrived.
After lightly reviewing what I learned today, I headed to the cafeteria for a somewhat late lunch.
By now, most students would have left, so there should be plenty of seats available.
‘No need to rush my meal. There are no classes this afternoon anyway.’
The teaching style at Annwood Academy was different from typical middle and high schools.
In the morning, the advanced class attended lessons together, but in the afternoon, students chose their own classes.
This autonomous approach to education was preferred.
Kind of like a college system, perhaps?
‘Well, it was a necessary choice for the progression of the game, I guess.’
The protagonists are busy saving the world, after all.
If they filled both morning and afternoon with classes, there would be no time to grow, let alone encounter the forces of evil.
That's why I didn't sign up for afternoon classes either.
Apart from the morning and the once or twice a week advanced class in the afternoon, I had a schedule as relaxed as a fourth-year college student.
‘Today's dish is an omelet. Excellent.’
Yellow egg perfectly enveloping the fried rice.
Homemade demi-glace sauce.
I marveled at the perfect appearance of the omelet, shining brilliantly.
Just as I was about to carefully taste a corner with my spoon, someone sat down in front of me. The person who chose the same omelet as me was... None other than Luna.
"Wasn't today's class fun? To find a class fun... Isn't it really different here at Annwood Academy?"
"..."
"Can you show me your timetable? Let's compare. I mean, I'm not trying to match classes, but you might have picked something I wanted to attend."
Luna chattered on as she pulled out her schedule.
She talked a lot even without a response.
"Luna."
"Huh?"
Luna looked at me with an innocent face.
I dug deeply into the center of the omelet with my spoon.
If this were a living creature, this might be where its heart is.
"Keke, you haven't made any friends yet, right?"
"...What, what did you say!?"
Luna, as if stabbed in the heart, suddenly stood up, flaring up.
From her reaction, it was clear that Luna hadn't made even a single friend today.
'Tsk, tsk, I wonder if there is anyone willing to put up with that prickly personality?'
Luna, who was actually quite tender-hearted on the inside, a classic tsundere.
But the ones around her are just fifteen-year-old kids.
"Keke, just 1 point? That's rather stingy of you."
"If you do well, I might even promote you to head of sanitation. Using one's abilities to serve the academy, that's what a true student does!"
Rodelin's eyes blazed.
Yes, I politely decline. Just managing the party is headache enough for me.
It was at that moment.
"Demon! Demon!"
"Gaah!!"
"What, what's that!"
The students in the cafeteria cringed.
It was because a parrot, the size of an adult man's palm, had burst into the cafeteria.
What was peculiar was that about half of its body was black. Even one of its eyes was darkened.
The parrot circled the ceiling, continuously spouting strange words.
"Demon! Danger! Demon! Protect!"
"What, what is that?"
"Freshmen, don't worry about it and eat your food. You'll see it often from now on."
"Keke, say hello and eat. It's senior to you guys."
Looking closely, only the freshmen had shrunk back.
The older students ate their food as if nothing was amiss.
It meant they were familiar with this situation.
Well, I was no different.
"Zero, aren't you surprised? It's your first time seeing something like that, isn't it?"
"Keke, actually, I was quite surprised. It's my first time seeing a parrot that praises the devil."
"A parrot that praises the devil... Now that you mention it, it does seem that way."
Rodelin continued her explanation.
"It's both a mascot and a spirit of our academy."
It's been here even before I arrived, during the time of the seniors, and even before that.
"It seems it has been staying here for at least 20 years, according to the seniors."
"Wow, that's fascinating. It could have flown away, but it didn't."
"Exactly. And the average lifespan of that species is about 15 years. Yet it's still alive, so it rightly deserves to be called a spirit. Isn't that interesting?"
A spirit?
In truth, I could tell even from afar. The parrot wasn't in great condition.
Rough breathing, a slightly broken beak, feathers missing here and there, one eye bulging out.
It was evidence that its life was slowly fading away.
"There must be a reason for it. A reason it has to keep living."
Rodelin gazed at me thoughtfully.
Why is she looking at me like that? It makes my heart race.
"...Fascinating. I thought the same. One of my goals before graduating is to uncover that reason and set that spirit free."
I actually knew.
The reason why the parrot cried out like that, why it struggled to keep living.
And what it desired.
I knew all too well.
'But I can't tell her that.'
In fact, that parrot is a hidden piece.
It's even the key to one of the top three overpowered skills in 'Hero of the Academy'.
'Should I call it a guide bird?'
Anyway, as pitiful as it is, there's nothing I can do right now.
It's because it's a hidden piece that requires quite high specs.
A hidden piece that's only possible after Episode 3 at least.
So for now, I must be satisfied with just marking my territory.
"The freshmen often make a fuss, and I've seen them get bullied. They manage to avoid trouble on their own... But still, if they fall into a crisis, give them a hand."
"Keke, understood."
"Thanks. Now, I must be going. I have to patrol."
Huh? Wait, she's just leaving like this?
My prey... No, Luna, who will become my friend, just got chased away?
That won't do. At least you should become my friend.
"Keke, there was something I wanted to consult about... What a pity."
"Hm? What is it. Listening to a junior's concerns is also a senior's duty. Feel free to speak."
"It's not something to discuss here... Please follow me for a moment."
"Hmm! A confidential and important consultation, I see. That's my specialty."
After returning the tray, I stepped out of the cafeteria.
Leading the way, I guided Rodelin to a secluded spot.
The naive girl followed me, unaware of anything.
'This should be far enough.'
Behind the cafeteria. A deserted, shadowy, and secluded spot.
It was just the right place for a consultation(?).
--TL Notes--
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at /MattReading