Chapter 2

"..."

Huh?

Am I... alive?

I thought I died from the lightning strike...

When I opened my eyes, someone was looking down at me.

They seemed to be calling out to me, but my consciousness was still hazy, so I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

My vision was also blurry.

Well, so the person in front of me must have saved me?

Maybe from a mountain rescue team?

...So, I was saved, huh.

"..."

Normally, I guess I should be overjoyed to be alive.

But in my case, the feeling of melancholy was stronger.

A smile involuntarily escaped my lips.

"I guess I failed to die, huh."

"Are you awake? Why were you lying here like that?"

Even though I was saved, the tone of the voice calling out to me was harsh.

It seemed to be tinged with exasperation.

Well, I am a late-twenties NEET who caused trouble for others, so I guess that’s to be expected...

From the sound of the voice, it seems the person who saved me is a woman.

Still, will the rescue costs be quite high?

I remember reading somewhere that the bill can be quite substantial.

Imagining my parents’ furious reaction to such a bill made me even more depressed.

Well, for now, I should thank the person who saved me and explain the situation.

"Sorry. I suddenly went blank—"

"If you’re awake, hurry up. The entrance ceremony is starting."

"Huh?"

Entrance ceremony?

What is this person talking about?

A late-twenties NEET having an entrance ceremony?

Are they mistaking me for someone else?

I slowly sat up and looked around.

It seems we’re still in the mountains.

Yeah, the air is fresh.

I looked up at the sky.

The stormy weather had completely cleared up.

The sunlight filtering through the leaves of the trees was blinding.

But... what is it?

There’s a sense of something being off—

"Ugh."

I felt dizzy.

My head was still fuzzy.

If I’m not careful, I might lose consciousness again.

"Um, where are we—"

Just as I was about to speak, I gasped.

"Wh-what?"

The person calling out to me was dressed in what looked like a cosplay outfit.

Even if they said it was rescue gear, I couldn’t believe it.

It looked like something out of a fantasy game.

A stylish black combat dress, maybe?

There was even a sword sheath on the belt at her waist... and that sword, wrapped tightly in cloth... is it real?

It looks incredibly detailed.

"..."

Um.

Huh?

This person isn’t a rescue team member, are they?

Could it be... I ran into someone dangerous?

I was the one who went mountain climbing in a typhoon, but this person in cosplay is pretty extreme too...

What could they be doing in the mountains in such an outfit?

Maybe they came to live-stream a cosplay mountain climb or something...

Still—

This person is incredibly beautiful.

Perfectly aligned eyelashes.

Sharp, large eyes that slant upwards.

Long, lustrous silver hair (probably a wig).

Her figure is clearly good even through the clothes.

Every part of her is flawless, as if her entire body was designed to enhance her beauty.

Combined with her dignified presence, she exudes a divine aura.

If there were such a thing as a goddess, she might look like this.

Despite the awe, I felt something was off.

Yeah.

Okay, I get that she’s beautiful.

But what is this person doing here on such a day?

It’s not like they’re filming a movie.

They don’t seem to have any companions.

I thought maybe they were live-streaming, but I don’t see any equipment.

Could it be that they just enjoy cosplay mountain climbing as a hobby?

...

Well, they don’t seem like a bad person...

Just then, a clear bell sound echoed.

The beautiful woman clicked her tongue.

"Come on, hurry. If you’re here, you must be a new student at Saint Renous Red Academy, right?"

Saint Renous Red Academy?

"..."

Huh?

Why could I clearly convert the word 'seirunousureddo' to 'Saint Renous Red' in my head, even though I’ve never heard it before?

No, no—more importantly, an academy?

I tried to recall my research on this area.

Hmm.

There shouldn’t be a school around here...

"That bell means the entrance ceremony is about to start. Making a bad first impression by being late isn’t good. Though I don’t care about impressions..."

"Um, can I ask? What exactly is Saint Renous Red Academy—"

"What are you talking about? It’s right there, look."

Following her gesture, my gaze fell on a massive building.

The building reminded me of the quaint, retro universities I sometimes see on TV.

But—

"..."

I wasn’t surprised by the building.

What shocked me was the enormous tree visible behind it—

"What is that...? I’ve never seen such a huge tree... and... how beautiful—"

Ugh.

My consciousness was getting hazy again.

Damn...

No good, I’m losing consciousness...

The beautiful woman was saying something to me.

But I couldn’t understand what she was saying.

What the hell is that huge tree...

Could it be—

"Could it be that we’re not near that mountain—"

And there, my consciousness faded again.