Chapter 50

〈Chapter 50〉 A Chance Encounter (2)

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#3

Stella de Peltrine.

I don’t know much about her.

She’s my age, and a lady of the Peltrine Dukedom in the Solar Empire, but that’s about it.

Apart from her appearance, with hair that shines like stars in the night sky, woven from threads of silver, I know nothing about her family’s standing or anything else.

Moreover, this was the first time I had even heard the surname Peltrine. It was truly a puzzling matter. If she was a duchess in the Empire, not some peripheral country, shouldn’t she be a major figure? She was someone from a completely different world from me.

While my lack of interest in other noble families after my own family’s decline played a part, I think the main reason was that I grew up in a rural area where I rarely interacted with nobles.

The Empire, located at the heart of the continent, is vast and expansive. Its population is countless, like grains of sand on a beach. Thus, there are many noble families distributed throughout.

Look at me, for instance; I’m a noble too.

...Even though I’ve fallen from grace.

In any case, while the significance of one’s birth class may fade within the Frontier, it’s impossible to completely change the background from which a person has grown.

Stella exuded an aristocratic grace in every movement and gesture, and she was a person of elegance in her very being.

Even without her saying it, or anyone asking, one could instinctively sense the blue blood flowing through her veins.

Despite this, she displayed such a refined character that one could only look at her with admiration and reverence, without feeling any base jealousy or envy for her life, which was undoubtedly spent in the lap of luxury...

However, as a noble, she must have received various social training from a young age. Why is she so shy? She seems to be quite reserved.

While I thought this was odd, if it was a part of her innate personality, it wasn’t hard to understand.

Most importantly, just because she was a high-ranking noble lady didn’t mean she had to conform to a standardized set of social skills.

For all we know, she might be shy only within the Frontier, but when she steps out to represent her family, her demeanor could be entirely different. No one could know for sure.

In summary,

I found myself alone in the same space with Stella.

As you know, the Epic Class dormitory rules include a rather regrettable clause: "If the other party consents, entry into the opposite gender’s dormitory is permitted." Therefore, there was no problem according to the rules.

Stella consented, so now I could go. It wasn’t difficult. It was a very easy task.

Or so it seemed in words.

Thinking about it logically, or with a common sense perspective, I had only been at the Frontier for a little over a week.

During that time, my interactions with Stella were limited to a couple of times in the cafeteria and a few classes where we saw each other. We hadn’t really talked much.

To be precise, it was more that Stella would shrink back whenever she was in front of me, but the fact remained that we knew very little about each other beyond our names and ages.

And... it just seems a bit off, doesn’t it?

Entering the dormitory of the opposite gender at night. My internal warning signals are ringing.

Of course, I can firmly state that I had no ulterior motives, but I doubt others would see it that way if we were just having a purely academic exchange.

If someone were to see me confidently entering Stella’s room... given the small number of students here, it would only take three days for the rumor to spread.

It might even be faster.

I could almost hear Gabriel’s incredulous laughter at the news.

...So why, of all places, Stella’s room?

It wasn’t my decision.

Stepping into the personal space of someone I’ve only known for a short time, and a member of the opposite gender at that, was out of the question for me.

Then, whose suggestion and decision was it?

Who else could it be if not me? It wasn’t as if someone else had suggested that we just study in a room.

By process of elimination, there’s only one person left.

Obviously, it was Stella.

She recommended her room as the tutoring location, then, after a long pause, she shyly looked up and told me.

She had something to tell me, something she wanted to show me. She wanted me to come to her room for a bit to study and talk.

I don’t know what it is.

But I have a strong feeling that today, she might finally explain the reason for her strange behavior towards me since the beginning of the term.

Whether it’s a good or bad feeling, I don’t know.

“...”

Moreover,

I didn’t really have any expectations. I didn’t even entertain the thought of a thrilling, heart-pounding moment between me and Stella.

That’s because nothing was settled yet.

More importantly, there was something else.

...I couldn’t let this slide without addressing it. I needed to take the initiative and request a conversation.

The dissonance between my memories and my current state of mind.

The emptiness I feel in a corner of my heart, lying on my bed and staring at the ceiling.

The sense of loss that arose from realizing, through the answers I got from the doctor and the silent Mu, that I had lost something I once had.

Even if I tried to be kind to them as I used to, I would hesitate before acting.

Reflecting on it, it wasn’t my current self but my past self who instinctively felt a sense of rejection. In my memories, I had been avoiding them.

By doing so, they cried, felt uncomfortable around me, wanted to have an honest conversation, and sought to apologize to me.

But no matter how heartfelt their expressions and apologies were, they didn’t reach me. I drew a clear line and built a solid wall to prevent them from crossing it.

That’s how it was. Even though I couldn’t empathize, I could understand and predict the psychology of that time because it was me.

...It left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Looking at my smooth hands.

Hands adorned with nothing.

If everything had gone smoothly, a silver ring should have been on my ring finger. I didn’t even know if it existed somewhere in this world.

In the end,

...the promise with Mu wasn’t kept.

I had a vague intuition that something significant had happened, something that made them kneel and beg, but I couldn’t remember it.

I didn’t remember the process that led to my current state, the events between me and them, or why I treated them so coldly despite their sincere apologies and desire for a conversation.

I couldn’t recall anything.

It was too much.

If there were any misunderstandings, I wished they could be cleared up as soon as possible. If all the pent-up emotions could be resolved now that we would see each other regularly, it would have been better.

Why couldn’t I do it?

What kind of pain did I have that...

Fundamentally, even after overcoming the lack of talent, a weak body, and a harsh environment, I still couldn’t face them and ended up crouching and hiding.

Looking down at my hands, they were trembling slightly.

...Actually,

I feel a bit afraid.

If the void I feel is filled, I might not be able to make the same decision as I am now.

Therefore,

To avoid regretting it in the future,

I had to seize the opportunity.

...Unless I’m a god,

I can’t create something out of nothing.

However, there are times when, even if it’s impossible, you have to do it. My days in middle school were filled with such moments.

Desperate struggles to survive. Perhaps even more desperate and ugly.

A series of worthless efforts, like scraps of paper, that no one appreciated and didn’t need to. A low and base body and mind.

That was all I was, Egidio Crain.

...But there was one person who loved me.

My ex-lover, who devoted her entire self and held a deep, unrequited love, slowly withered away.

She is very close now.

But she is gradually moving away.

So, before it’s too late,

Before it’s too late to turn back,

...I had to forgive them, even if it was a lie.

#4

Chirp— Chirp—...

Before receiving tutoring from Stella, I went out of the dormitory to have dinner.

It was early evening, and the dusk was slowly descending. The cool spring breeze gently swept my bangs.

The seniors who had filled the park with vibrant energy during the day had returned to their daily routines. Entering the now quiet park, where the sound of birds was the loudest, it felt as if the noisy sounds were ringing in my ears.

But that only lasted a moment.

As I walked through the center of the empty park, the distant gazes of the seniors began to gather around me.

It was probably due to the rumors.

I overheard some Frontier students whispering on the tram, and it seemed that not only I but also Senior Elena was there.

She apparently appeared like a hero at the scene of the incident and saved me from the top of a burning building. Of course, I don’t remember that.

Moreover, ...though I’m skeptical, there’s a rumor that I fought on equal terms with Senior Elena, who had apparently saved me with some kind of glowing, elongated object that she had created by drilling holes in the ground and sky.

What is this nonsense?

But apparently, a few students claim to have seen it. Why are they even here?

Of course, I didn’t believe it. Even if I don’t remember, that’s just too much...

First, let’s look at the facts I know for sure: I was at the terrorist site. I jumped from a high floor of a building, though I don’t know exactly which floor.

Moreover, I was going to meet Professor Nadiriel in the 4th Academic District. According to the official announcement, Professor Nadiriel was the mastermind behind the entire incident.

At first, I didn’t believe it.

...Professor Nadiriel?

Really?

I still remember Nadiriel’s gentle smile. And that particularly prominent... well, I don’t need to remember that, but anyway.

Because of the very kind and gentle demeanor she showed during the first regular class after the orientation, it was hard to believe that Nadiriel was the culprit, but the situation and results pointed to only one answer.

So, based on the circumstances, she must have done something to me under the pretext of research cooperation.

...What can I say?

The world is truly terrifying.

While it’s not surprising now, it’s still true that the most frightening thing is not monsters but other humans.

In any case, it seems that rumors about me have spread widely in the Epic Class. That’s why quite a few seniors recognized me during the day.

Look, even now, someone is running towards me from a distance.

...What, running towards me?

“Junior!”

She runs over with her arms wide open, a broad smile on her face. I hesitate and take a step back.

Should I run? I think.

Sure enough, it’s the Epic Class. She reaches me in the blink of an eye. In other words, I failed to escape.

The ends of her pink cardigan flutter in the wind, and her chestnut hair swings happily in the breeze.

Panting, the senior says,

“Do you remember me? I talked to you earlier today!”

She points to herself and laughs.

It would be rude not to greet her after she went to such lengths.

“...Hello, Senior Raylin.”

Under her cardigan, there are probably three stars on her chest.

Epic Class 3rd year, Raylin Iona.

One of the seniors who approached me earlier today under the pretext of promoting a club, and the president of the Fashion Club “Masterpiece.”

“You remember me! I’m glad. Hehe.”

Raylin sighs and quickly continues.

“Where are you going? Going to eat? Do you want to eat with us? Or, do you want to eat with me separately?”

She crammed four questions into one sentence.

I should have given four answers to match: “I’m going to eat. Yes. No. No.” But I dismissed it briefly.

“I plan to eat alone today. Sorry.”

“Eh...”

Raylin lets out a shocked gasp.

“Eating alone...? Aren’t you lonely?”

“Not at all?”

Sometimes, it’s more comfortable to eat alone.

It’s a unique kind of feeling that active people like Raylin might never understand...

“...Is that so? Still, isn’t it better to eat with someone? I was just on my way to eat too. How about it? Let’s eat together. We can talk about club activities while we’re at it.”

“No, why are you doing this?”

Raylin sticks close to me.

She slips her hand between my arm and waist, then links her arm with mine.

The soft material of her cardigan makes the fluffy sensation very noticeable.

If I tilt my head slightly downward, Raylin’s face is right in front of me. The scent that makes me feel drowsy if I keep smelling it tickles my nose.

“I’m interested in you.”

“...What?”

Ignoring my question, Raylin caresses my arm with a loving gaze. Her long, slender fingers, painted with a light black nail polish, wrap around my arm like a snake.

“You have the qualifications to be the vice president of our club. This solid bicep, this bamboo-like height, the way your uniform fits and the proportions... Let’s open a new era of imperial fashion together. Let’s lead the trends of the empire, discarding those flashy, outdated costumes. With you, it’s definitely possible!”

I see.

She’s a very difficult type of person.

I had a hard time detaching her earlier today, and now, it’s even more troublesome.

“I’m actually not really interested...”

“It’s okay! Let’s eat together first and think about it! You don’t know your own potential yet. I’ll tell you everything from one to ten. Even if you refuse later, can you spare a little time? Okay? Okay, okay?”

“No... There are other people with you.”

Earlier, Raylin said, “Do you want to eat with us?”

Sure enough, Raylin had separated from the group and enthusiastically called out to me to eat together as soon as she saw me.

Raylin tilts her head.

“Eh? Is there a problem? I said I want to eat with you.”

Is that how it works?

It seems like a rude thing to do, but it doesn’t seem to be a problem for her. Maybe people who are more outgoing than me are all like this... If so, I still have a long way to go...

Her bright eyes look up at me. Her beautiful eyes, colored like the sunset, are fixed on me, and the force with which Raylin grips my arm tightens.

I sigh. To free myself from Raylin’s arm, I raise my hand and gently push her arm, stepping back slightly.

“No, please eat with your group today. And I’m really sorry, but I find this kind of behavior burdensome, so I’d appreciate it if you could refrain from it...”

“Are you going to keep doing this?”

“...What?”

Tight.

As if refusing to let me free her arm, she clings to me even more closely, speaking in a moist voice.

“This really hurts me. I’m being completely serious. Our club is in a crisis because new members keep leaving. They’re all uninterested in fashion and just want to play... There are only three members, including me. But if you join, I’ll be really happy. We won’t have to disband, and we can enjoy activities every day with you. We won’t have to give up our dreams...”

My discomfort level was off the charts.

Why do the women around me so easily shed tears? They even sniffle. It’s frustrating. Really...

Showing such affection means she’s desperate, but unfortunately, that’s not the case.

They say that believing a woman’s tears is like drinking poison knowingly. Especially when they cry because things didn’t go their way, it’s even more dangerous.

...That’s true, but I know.

I hate myself for not being able to brush her off even though I know.

“Senior Raylin, that...”

Of course, I intended to refuse in the end.

I said it would be fine to listen to her once, so I thought it might be okay to give her a little time, even if not today, at some point later.

“Let go, Senior.”

Thud. Thud.

Short footsteps sounded.

Suddenly, the arms that linked us were forcibly untangled by two hands that appeared between us.

“Eh, eh?”

We both looked up.

A beautiful girl with black long hair, standing with her arms outstretched to widen the gap between us, spoke softly with a gentle smile.

“My friend is in trouble, isn’t she?”

She smiled.

To avoid sounding rude, she chose to smile instead of frowning. It was a polite smile. I could almost hear her inner thoughts...

But to me, it looked even more terrifying.

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