Chapter 83

As soon as we met, I was immediately called a "non-human" and a "monster," so I decided to introduce myself first.

Clearing up such a strange misunderstanding can wait until later.

"Um... Mr. Sebastian Chandler, right? Nice to meet you, I'm a first-year student—"

Just as I opened my mouth to speak,

"Chinren Academy vs. White Lily Girls' Academy—amazingly, it's Chinren Academy that has triumphed in the fierce battle between the five academies! Could the ancient king finally be making a comeback this year!?"

The commentator loudly declared Chinren Academy's victory.

Immediately after,

"Who would have thought they could beat that White Lily Girls' Academy... This year's Chinren Academy is different from before!"

"Allen Roadel, Shi Arcstria, Sebastian Chandler...! These names are worth remembering!"

"Especially that 'Dark First-Year'! Who would have imagined that the 'Prodigy' would lose!?"

The audience showered them with thunderous cheers and generous praise.

"Hehehe! Isn't it great? It's amazing, isn't it!"

"But, Lirim... We're actually losing, you know..."

Lirim-senpai proudly puffed out her chest, and Feris-senpai promptly shot her down.

Seeing this familiar scene, I couldn't help but chuckle.

"---I've found you, Sebastian Chandler!"

A deep, gravelly voice echoed, and over thirty senior Holy Knights burst into the venue.

"Don't move! Stay calm!"

"Sebastian Chandler, you are suspected of multiple assaults. We request your cooperation to accompany us to the Holy Knights Association."

"Resist, and you'll face severe consequences!"

All of them had already deployed their Soul Armors, ready to strike at the slightest provocation.

Amid the commotion caused by this sudden turn of events,

"Hah... They really are persistent, aren't they..."

Sebastian sighed and shrugged his shoulders. It seemed he had some idea of what was going on.

Then,

"Really... Sebastian, what did you do this time?"

The President, not particularly surprised, asked with a hint of exasperation.

"No, the border security had become abnormally strict, so I had to use a bit of rough methods to get through. I couldn't explain the situation, you see..."

The Holy Romaneria Empire is a country with a travel ban. Explaining that he went to collect a Blood Diamond as a penalty game would never be accepted by the Holy Knights.

(Still... what bad luck...)

The border security had only recently been tightened due to the infiltration of Zak Bonbarr and Thor Summons by the Black Organization. The Arcstria family had just reviewed and reinforced the security network.

"Hah... Sebastian, go to the Holy Knights Association before things get worse. I'll send someone to pick you up later, so stay calm until then, okay?"

"Understood! ---Hey, you guys, be grateful to the President. Thanks to her mercy, you won't get hurt."

Despite facing so many senior Holy Knights, Sebastian said this with confidence.

(That's some nerve...)

He must be confident that he could take on all of them. However, the President's eyebrows furrowed at Sebastian's big attitude.

"...Sebastian? I said 'stay calm,' didn't I?"

"Y-Yes, understood!"

And so, Sebastian followed the President's orders and was led away by the senior Holy Knights.

(What kind of relationship do they have...?)

I was a bit curious, but I decided to ask about it another time.

Thus, after our spectacular victory over White Lily Girls' Academy, we returned to the special viewing area reserved for Chinren Academy.

As I sat down and finally relaxed,

"...Hey, Allen, can you handle the next battle?"

The President asked hesitantly.

"Well... As long as the opponent isn't on Idra's level, there shouldn't be a big problem."

I had completely depleted my Spirit Power in the battle with her, but for some reason, I felt better than ever. The wound on my chest had completely healed, and an unusual vitality surged through my body.

(What's going on...?)

It felt as if something other than Spirit Power was coursing through my body. However, this wasn't the first time I had experienced this sensation. I had felt the same thing once before, during the club fee war when I fought the President one-on-one.

(That's right... during the club fee war with the President...)

As I recalled this, the President said,

"S-Sure... After all that, you can still fight..."

The President smiled wryly.

"---How about Lirim and Feris?"

"Ah... Well, to be honest, it's a bit tough... I'm sorry..."

"I'm sorry too... My Spirit Power is completely drained..."

The two of them looked embarrassed and shook their heads.

"Same here... I pushed myself too hard in the vice-captain battle, so I don't have the energy to deploy my Soul Armor..."

The President, Lirim-senpai, and Feris-senpai were all exhausted. Sebastian had been taken away by the senior Holy Knights.

---Honestly, there's nothing we can do.

"Phew... Unfortunately, we have no choice but to forfeit this time..."

The President sighed deeply and made her decision.

"Right..."

It's a bit disappointing, but there's nothing we can do.

A swordsman's battle is a serious matter. Fighting in such a battered state could result in serious injuries for the President and the others.

In such situations, it's best to rest and prepare for the next opportunity.

Then,

"...I'm sorry, Allen. We, the seniors, are holding you back..."

"I'm sorry, Allen... Today, I really felt the lack of training..."

"...I feel a bit guilty..."

The President, Lirim-senpai, and Feris-senpai apologized, bowing their heads.

"Please, don't worry about it...! Actually, I'm a bit tired too, so it's just right."

To avoid hurting their feelings, I told a small lie and smoothed things over.

■

Our final standing, after forfeiting the semi-finals, was fourth place.

We won't be participating in the finals tomorrow, but...

The audience gave us a big round of applause for our significant achievement of defeating White Lily Girls' Academy.

(...Next year, I'll aim to reach the finals...)

Tomorrow, regular classes will resume. Training with Soul Armor, improving physical strength, and manipulating darkness—of course, daily practice with a wooden sword is also essential.

(Haha... There's still so much to do...)

The more tasks I have, the stronger I can become. Thinking about this, I couldn't help but smile.

After the long closing ceremony, the Chinren Academy Sword King Festival came to an end.

The seniors who had been cheering us on in the audience rushed over to me.

"I saw it, Allen! You did an amazing job! You won all your battles, right!?"

"Hey, can I join your practice group? No, teach me swordsmanship!"

"Seriously, why are you the only one still so energetic!?"

I was bombarded with questions while being jostled by the seniors.

Surrounded by many friends, I left the National Holy Battlefield.

However, just then, I was taken aback.

(What... is this...?)

At the exit of the National Holy Battlefield, 'Extra Editions' were being distributed.

Of course, the fact that they were being distributed isn't the problem.

The problem is that the front page prominently featured 'my face.'

'The Prodigy Idra is Defeated!? The Unknown Swordsman Allen Roadel!'

'The True Strongest First-Year, Allen Roadel! The Secret to His Strength!'

'Wearing Pitch-Black Darkness, a Supernova! His Name is Allen Roadel!'

The large headlines were easily readable from a distance.

(What's happening...?)

Faced with this unexpected situation, I stood there like a statue.

"Wow... Allen, you've become famous..."

"Kuh, I'm jealous...! Next time, I'll make a big splash and make the name 'Lirim Tsorine' known nationwide!"

"No, I think this is just embarrassing..."

The President and the others took an extra edition each and commented as if it were someone else's business.

(This...)

Wherever I looked, the extra editions featuring my face were being distributed. The general audience, upon receiving them, glanced at me.

It was incredibly embarrassing.

"Let's go home quickly..."

I hurriedly made my way home, and the seniors followed.

After navigating through the streets of Orest, we finally returned to the dormitory where Reia and I lived.

"Phew... I'm tired..."

"Hehe. It was tough, Allen."

"Yeah, the last part with the extra editions was a surprise..."

I put my sword in its usual place, sat deeply into the sofa, and let out a big sigh.

"Phew..."

Strangely, my body felt incredibly energetic, but mentally, I was quite exhausted.

It was a mixed state of being in good and bad condition.

(...In such situations, the best thing to do is to go to bed early...)

After eating dinner, taking a bath, and getting into bed with Reia,

"Good night, Reia."

"Yep. Good night, Allen."

I turned off the lights and slowly closed my eyes.

After ten, twenty, thirty minutes had passed,

(...Something's off. ...Yeah, something's definitely off...)

There was something that had been bothering me, and I couldn't fall asleep.

"...Hey, Reia. ...Are you awake?"

"...Yeah, what's up?"

"If I'm wrong, I'm sorry... But I feel like you're not as energetic as usual..."

That's right.

Since defeating Idra—Reia has seemed a bit down. She smiles as usual, but sometimes her expression seems to fall into shadow.

"…Yeah, a bit..."

She nodded.

"…If you have any worries, why don't you talk about them? Sometimes, just talking to someone can make you feel better..."

These words were a quote from the 'Sage of Time,' who was a good listener.

"…Well, Allen won against that amazing swordsman Idra today. You received a lot of applause from the audience and praise from the seniors... It's very, very happy, but... it feels like you're somewhere far away... and that makes my chest feel tight... I don't know what this feeling is... I can't really explain it..."

Reia muttered and fell silent.

"See..."

"...Yeah..."

"..."

"..."

An indescribable silence fell over our bedroom.

(My chest feels tight... This is quite a challenge...)

Unfortunately, I don't have any knowledge of psychology.

It's difficult to pinpoint the cause of Reia's discomfort.

But... there is one thing I can clearly say.

"I don't understand how you feel... But there is one thing I can say for sure."

"...What is it?"

"---I will always be by your side. I won't go anywhere on my own. If we go anywhere, we'll go together."

"...Really?"

Looking up at me with downcast eyes,

"Yeah, it's a promise."

I firmly stated.

"...Thank you..."

She buried her face in the blanket and fell silent again.

"...How do you feel now? Is it a bit better?"

"Yeah... I feel really happy."

"That's good to hear..."

Then, I held Reia's hand, and we lay down together and fell asleep.