Chapter 26

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The three of us hurried through the school grounds. I wanted to run at full speed, but Safina couldn't keep up with Zaha and me, and there was a risk of her falling, so we had to give up on that idea.

"Is this the right way, Safina?"

"Yes, Miss Mary. If we turn right at the next corner, we'll reach the arena."

Her voice was still as soft as ever, making it hard to hear, but I was gradually getting used to it and missing fewer words. I have a good adaptability, I guess.

By the way, I initially called her "Karshana-san," but she said she didn't want her family name to be used and preferred to be called by her first name, so I've been calling her Safina.

As we turned the corner, we came out into an open area, and I couldn't help but stop in my tracks at the impressive sight. It looked like the medieval arena I had seen in movies.

A large circular stage was surrounded by stone walls, and rows of seats spread out around it. We were on the second floor of the spectator stands. Looking down, I saw a crowd of people gathered nearby.

(Bingo! They're the other students.)

Students I had seen in the lounge were all looking at the center of the arena, not noticing us.

"Alright... let's join them quietly."

I whispered instructions to the two of them, and they nodded without a word. We bent slightly and moved slowly, approaching the back of the group of students.

(Alright... let's blend in.)

"Ah? The troublemakers have finally arrived, it seems."

Just as we blended in and straightened up, someone who was looking in the opposite direction from everyone else called out to us. Needless to say, it was Senior Karlis.

(I couldn't blend in...)

Internally, I was drenched in sweat as we were suddenly exposed to the gazes of our classmates, who had all turned to look at us. By the way, Safina was hiding behind me, scared.

(No, you don't have to be so scared... No one is going to eat you.)

As usual, my heart was pounding, but I managed to stay calm because Safina was even more flustered than I was.

"Perfect timing, you 'troublemaker trio.' I'd like you to help out a bit."

(What a weird name... 'troublemaker trio'?)

Senior Karlis, with his ever-cheerful smile, called us over and led us down the spectator stands.

(Huh? Wait a minute... that way...)

I had a bad feeling and followed him with heavy steps. As expected, we ended up standing on the vast arena stage.

"Um, Senior Karlis... Is this okay?"

"Ah, it's fine. I can call you Mary, right? Or would you prefer to be called Lady Legaria?"

"No, Mary is fine. So, um... what is this?"

I felt a bit resistant to being called Legaria by Senior Karlis. It's not that I dislike or feel burdened by my family name; in fact, I'm proud of it. However, I'm aware that the name Legaria carries a lot of weight, and being called by it makes me feel like I'm part of the troublesome noble society, which doesn't feel like being in school.

(Thinking about it, maybe Safina felt the same way about not wanting to be called by her family name.)

Feeling a sense of solidarity, I glanced at her, who was still cowering behind me, and then looked around to grasp the situation. In the arena surrounded by stone walls, Safina, Zaha, and I were standing together, with Senior Karlis a bit further away.

(Huh? What is this? Are we going to have a duel or something?)

"Yes, it's a demonstration. I want everyone to get a feel for the arena. We'll be working together a lot from now on... and besides, since everyone is from Solos, they'll be excited to see a fight here, right?"

Senior Karlis's face, showing his teeth in a grin, looked cool, but honestly, I couldn't smile.

(Senior... please don't lump me in with the combat enthusiasts...)

"No, that's not it. Why are we here?"

"Hmm... It seems that the other new students haven't received any training yet. I don't want them to get hurt by doing something clumsy."

"Ah, well... that's true. I received some basic training from Lord Claus... Eh?!"

I was startled by Senior Karlis's words and stared at Safina, who was trembling.

(This girl, despite being so clumsy, has already received martial arts training?)

Honestly, I had been wondering how someone as clumsy as Safina could be part of Solos.

"What are you surprised about, Miss Mary?"

And this guy, who is incomprehensible. His casual expression as he speaks is a bit irritating.

(By the way, Zaha is only interested in strong people, right? Could she have sensed something about Safina's true identity through some warrior's intuition?)

Thinking about it, I started to see this guy in a slightly better light.

"The Karshana family is, well, quite a famous martial arts family."

(Intuition, irrelevant!)

"Give me back my improved opinion of you."

"What are you talking about?"

While I was venting my frustration at Zaha, the conversation had progressed, and the students Senior Karlis had spoken to brought something over and handed it to us before quickly leaving the stage and returning to the spectator stands.

I looked at the heavy object with a displeased expression. Needless to say, it was a sword.

"Don't worry, it's not sharp. It's a training sword, so it won't cut you."

Seeing my extremely displeased face, Senior Karlis tried to reassure me by partially drawing the sword from its scabbard and showing the blade. He looked genuinely happy...

(What a happy face, Senior... Could he be a sadist? Is he trying to bully us, the 'troublemaker trio'?)

Despite the Safina effect, I was gradually panicking.

"To be honest, I had high hopes for this year's new students. After all, we have people from the Eleksil family and the Karshana family. I wanted to see their skills as soon as possible."

Senior Karlis drew his sword with a genuinely excited look on his face.

(He's not a sadist! He's just a combat enthusiast who gets excited by strong people!)

Then, I realized something important.

"Wait, Senior Karlis! This doesn't involve me! I'm just being dragged into it!"

"Ah, yes... I'm very sorry, Miss Mary, but in the flow of things... you know."

Senior Karlis gave a cool wink.

(I'm not happy at all... This is a complete accident.)

While my mood plummeted, Zaha drew her sword and swung it a few times to check its feel.

"So, what are we going to do? Should Mary take the front line?"

"What are you talking about? Didn't you hear what I just said?"

I couldn't help but lash out at Zaha, who was saying something ridiculous with a straight face. I had no composure at all. By the way, Safina, who heard my outburst, took a step back with a "Hiii!" but I pretended not to notice.

"Let's begin. Don't disappoint me."

Senior Karlis pointed his sword at us.

(Ah, why did it come to this... God, I just want a quiet day...)

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