Chapter 18

It has been a month since I enrolled.

Now, I and Laura are having lunch together in the cafeteria. It’s been a routine since the day after enrollment.

As expected, we didn’t make any friends.

Of course, it’s because of my age. A 26-year-old adult in a classroom with an average age of 15 is too different. I feel apologetic when I realize my classmates are being considerate.

Laura, on the other hand, is due to her background. As she had feared, her true identity had already spread, and the students kept their distance.

So, we always acted together.

...We are familiar with each other and our personalities match well. I have no particular complaints.

"This is quite a challenge, isn't it?"

I muttered.

"What is?"

"Friends."

"Mr. Alberto, did you really want friends?"

"...No, I don't really care, but I do for Laura."

"Hehe."

Laura smiled with a bittersweet expression.

"You said it yourself. It's impossible."

"That's true...but..."

Laura is a good person. I want her to have a normal—enjoyable student life. It would be healthier for her to be with people her own age rather than with a gloomy, 10 years older me.

"It's fine! I thought I wouldn't make any friends, but there's Mr. Alberto, right!"

"...Yeah...if I can help."

"Mr. Alberto is just fine!"

Laura smiled brightly.

"Right. Mr. Alberto, you were 15 once, right?"

"Right. At least I wasn't 26 when I was born."

"Did you have friends during your school days?"

"Friends...?"

I sifted through distant memories.

During my school days—when I had just enrolled in the academy—I had many friends. The son of a marquis. That title enriched my social circle.

But it was superficial.

When they found out I was just an inferior magician—when they learned that the younger, more capable brother was a better heir than the incompetent older brother—everyone turned away from me like the tide receding.

There were two friends who never abandoned me.

On the eve of the final exam, they encouraged me.

"It's okay. I know you're working hard. The last effort always pays off, you know?"

One was a male student, Lugard.

A noble boy aspiring to be a magic knight. Thanks to the swordsmanship he had practiced since childhood, he was much larger than me.

"Yup, yup! It'll be fine! Alberto, you can do it this time! Have confidence!"

The other was a female student, Hulin.

A petite woman with curly natural perm hair and large glasses that seemed to be too big for her face.

They never gave up on me, even at the very end.

But I—

I threw away their trust and ran away.

A pain shot through my chest.

I let out a big sigh.

"A, a, a! S, sorry!? Was it wrong to ask?"

"No...not really...I had two friends—"

Using the word "friends," I thought.

Do I have the right to call them friends? Do I deserve to call them that?

And—

Do they still consider me a friend...?

That's when it happened.

"There you are! It's Laura, right?"

A woman interrupted.

I can't see her face clearly as she is facing Laura, but from her attire, she seems to be a faculty member. She is a petite woman with noticeable curly natural perm hair.

"Yes, that's me, but—?"

"I want you to join the water quality survey starting tomorrow!"

"Eh?"

Laura was surprised.

Water quality survey—apparently, the large lake in the kingdom has been rapidly polluted this year. The academy is sending a team to investigate, and they plan to take a few students along as observers.

Of course, the selection criteria are not random.

You can tell from the lineup. It's clearly a sign of the academy's expectations.

The competition has already begun.

About a week ago, when Filbus handed out materials to the participants, Laura was not selected.

"The list was wrong! I just noticed! I was going to tell Filbus, but he's off today! Is it okay if it's sudden?"

"E, eh, yes, it's fine...?"

"Sorry! Here, take this material!"

The woman thrust an envelope into Laura's hands.

I spoke up.

"That's great, isn't it?"

Laura was selected. She is still within the scope of the academy's expectations.

Unlike me, she is excellent. Laura deserves a better place. It's very gratifying to see her recognized.

"Why are you talking like it's not your business? Mr. Alberto is included too, right?"

She turned to me, saying that.

She was a woman with large glasses that seemed to be too big for her face.

...

...

Eh?

Her face overlapped with an image.

The face of a girl I used to be with every day 10 years ago—

The woman in front of me had the same look. She was staring at me with wide eyes, as if she had been paralyzed.

"...Mr. Alberto...? Is it really you, Mr. Alberto? I thought it might be you because of the age, but..."

I know.

I know her name.

"Hulin—"

That's her name.

After 10 years, I met an old friend at the academy I left 10 years ago.