32 – Basement (1)
Morning.
I usually wake up quickly, but today was especially different.
Of course, since it was the weekend, it wouldn’t have mattered if I woke up late.
It’s just a pity that I have something to do.
I don’t know about other times, but I was the type to rest well on weekends.
“No.”
In the morning I still haven’t woken up properly. No, should I say around dawn?
I stretched lightly and forced my languid body to stand up.
Today was the day I had a date with Beatrice.
A very unromantic, underground date at the academy.
I turned my head and looked at the time, and it was still around 5 o’clock.
Since the meeting was supposed to be at 6 o’clock, it seems that they woke up at an appropriate time.
I went to the bathroom rubbing my eyes.
“Whoa.”
After taking a short shower, I opened the closet that I hadn’t opened even once in the past week.
It’s because there was no particular reason to take out other clothes besides the school uniform when staying at the academy in the first place.
“…… What.”
That’s what most students said.
“Anyway, that is no excuse in my case.”
I laughed bitterly and took out my private clothes, the only one hanging in the closet.
Since I left this world and headed to the academy less than a day later, of course, I had no other personal items. Same goes for clothes.
Still, when I was possessed, I was wearing decent clothes, so should I say it’s fortunate…….
‘If I had fallen naked in the middle of the city and been caught without knowing why, that would have been quite a headache.’
With that thought in mind, I quickly changed my clothes.
The sleep gowns provided by the academy aren’t bad either, but you can’t go out wearing them anyway.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that my only everyday clothes are made of exceptionally good materials.
It’s just plain, unassuming shirts and jeans that are hard to describe.
The time is about to run out, so I immediately opened the door and stepped out.
Now, I am quite used to the strange sensation of crossing this space. At first, I didn’t feel a little dizzy.
Tak-
I naturally fell into the lobby and looked around, but the students were nowhere to be seen.
There shouldn’t be any guys coming out because it’s the weekend, much less since it’s 6:00 in the morning.
Well, it wasn’t bad in that I didn’t have to worry about the questioning glances.
It was at the entrance of the tower that I joined Beatrice right after I went outside.
It seems that it came out first.
“Good morning.”
I lightly waved my hand and greeted him, and Beatrice flinched at him for a moment.
From noble mtl dot com
“…… Yes, good morning.”
Then he awkwardly nods and accepts the greeting.
“Oh.”
I briefly burst out in admiration.
Still, he says he’s gotten to know them quite well now.
Considering our first meeting, which was a bit radical, it was definitely a great improvement.
With a proud heart, I looked at Beatrice with warm eyes.
“…… Why are you looking at me like that?”
But what came back was Beatrice’s reaction, taking a half-step back as if to see something strange. It hurts a little
“No, let’s go…” ….”
I turned helplessly and took a step towards the main building.
“Yes, what.”
Beatrice responded calmly and followed me.
*****
“What conversation did you have yesterday?”
After entering the main building, Beatrice, who had been quiet for a while, opened her mouth first and said a word.
I tilted my head.
“Conversation?”
“…… A gold dragon.”
“Ah.”
Beatrice’s comment made me think about the previous day’s events only then. Come to think of it, the last time we met yesterday was in the classroom right after the ceremony.
As usual, Beatrice was still looking at me with complicated eyes.
Do you think they might have had something important, like a secret conversation (?) That might harm you?
For example, telling Tsumei about today’s plan as it is…….
Of course, that didn’t happen.
“I didn’t say much. To put it bluntly, um…….”
I returned the answer, recalling the leisurely tea time I had with Tsumei the day before.
“How is school life, and is it satisfactory? How about classes, how about training, how about friends……. It’s about such trivial things.”
If it was small talk, it could be called small talk.
It wasn’t a conversation you would normally have with a gold dragon, but I’ve already told Beatrice that I’m quite close with Tsumei, so there’s nothing wrong with that.
In fact, since Tsumei’s first question about her academy life, she’s always relaxed and has been more inclined to ask silly questions.
For example, rumors about my relationship with Beatrice that circulated around the class.
You seem to have a lot of interest in the hot topics going around among students, Tsumei.
“After that, I went back to the dormitory. You don’t have to worry, because I’ve never had a conversation like you think.”
Anyway, I ended her words with a shrug.
It seemed that the wariness hadn’t gone away yet, so it was to reassure them.
Anyway, for today, we have to set aside doubts and come to terms with each other.
It was just when she turned her head thinking that.
“Yes…… ?”
I stopped for a moment without realizing it.
Because Beatrice’s expression was oddly different from what I expected.
“…… School life? Friendship?”
“Lice?”
“You… ….”
A subtle expression and a trembling tone enough to let you know that he was surprised.
Beatrice stretched out his finger and pointed at me with her eyes wide open.
He then spits out the words.
“Are you really a student?”
“…… ?”
It was a word that I couldn’t help but be embarrassed by, and it was not easy to guess the intention.
Or what?
*****
Let’s hear the story, the cause and effect were like this.
It seems that Beatrice never once thought of me as her own age after the first meeting.
At first I was a bit taken aback, but when I listened to it, it wasn’t that I couldn’t understand it at all.
The first time I met her at her dormitory after her entrance ceremony.
I introduced myself to her as ‘close friends with Tsumei’.
The first thing that made her suspicious of me was probably related to the sudden special admission, but it must have been a little different after that.
Not only are there very few crazy people who would pretend to have a relationship with the gold dragon in the first place, but I also pointed out one of her biggest secrets.
The reason why the saintess entered the academy, and the purpose.
In other words, the destruction of the demonic sword.
As much as he said it openly, he thought that no matter how conservatively he thought about it, this fourth special admission student named ‘Dante’ would not be a normal student.
It wasn’t just an acquaintance who had a shallow relationship with Tsumei.
A closer relationship than that.
An aide or a confidant. Are there any such things?
He probably thought of me that way.
I also intended it to remind you of that kind of thinking halfway through.
But there was one thing I hadn’t considered at the time.
I didn’t know that, but when I thought about it, it definitely made sense.
1. Dante is Tsumei’s aide.
2. It is also a limb that is close enough to receive even the secret story about the Holy Church.
First of all, there was enough room for doubt.
The decision was made that he would not be an ordinary student as he had Gold Dragon as his aide.
So, it was a very normal thought process to think that the age of a boy or young man that matches his appearance would not be ‘absolutely’.
Just looking at Helena right now, unlike her appearance as a young woman, she was almost in middle age.
As Beatrice said, it wouldn’t be strange to think of her as a novice who lied about her age and appearance.
‘In the meantime, conversations about school life and friendships pop up, so it’s natural for the child to be embarrassed.’
If I had to question it, it was a question that fell within the category of an extremely normal one for a dean to ask a very young student.
No matter how much Tsumei is, she wouldn’t ask such a question after enrolling a grown adult into the academy.
The more I thought about it, the more I felt embarrassed because I thought Beatrice’s reaction was natural.
How old have I been treated?
Such a curiosity came to my mind for a moment, but I didn’t bother to say it.
Instead, he just scratches his cheek and gives back a definite answer.
“I’m nineteen this year, I am.”
“…… !”
At that, Beatrice’s expression was stained with surprise and disbelief.
As if she couldn’t believe it, she asked me in a deliberately serious voice.
“…… Really?”
“Really.”
As she nodded without hesitation, Beatrice put on an even more shocked expression.
“It’s a lie.”
“What are you going to use it for by lying about something like this… ….”
With a sigh, I resumed my stopped steps.
“Go, let’s go together!”
While chasing after me, Beatrice tried to say something more, but I increased my walking speed a little to show that I wouldn’t listen.
Of course, there was an intention to hide his expression.
‘Nineteen.’
Recalling my age at the ‘present’ that I mentioned directly just a moment ago, I felt a slight pang of conscience.
Based on the status window, the introduction of 19 is not a lie at all, but even if it is said to be the complete truth, it is a bit of a joke.
I turned and turned around the road, trying not to meet Beatrice and her eyes. Until you reach your destination.
‘…… Anyway, it’s not even a couple of years apart. Five years at the most.’
It was strange to introduce myself as being in my mid-twenties, so I just said that I was 19.
If there is no lie in the status window, it probably fits the body age of this body.
It’s not an old monster close to 100 years old, as Beatrice thinks.
So it will be fine. Why can’t I be proud?
…… I just decided to think so.
‘From now on, I am nineteen, I am nineteen… ….’
It was a time when I was moving along the road in a half-daze, repeating that to myself.
“No, wait a minute.”
Beatrice, who had been following behind me, grabbed my sleeve and stretched out.
Of course, that didn’t stop me, but her subsequent reaction was quite different from what I expected.
“You are not angry, are you? Why are you walking so fast?”
“…… ?”
After not understanding for a moment, I reflexively turned my head away.
Beatrice was looking at me as if she was restless somewhere, but as I blinked at her, she too paused for a moment and looked up at me again.
Her expression changed slightly cryptically.
“…… Is that not like that?”
“What?”
When I asked again, Beatrice murmured softly, avoiding her gaze again.
“Uh, I was treated like an old man…… ?”
“… ….”
I kept my mouth shut.
That was definitely too much.
I don’t know if I’m in my mid-20s or late 20s, at least in my 30s.
No matter how you do it, why are you turning an ordinary young man into an old man?
Beatrice immediately nodded her head slightly.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you.”
“…… No… ….”
Still, if you apologize for things like this, I really have nothing to say.
I wish I had felt more remorse.
I let out a rough sigh and, to change this uncomfortable topic, touched Beatrice and pointed to her front.
“Okay, anyway. Can you see it over there?”
Beatrice raised her head, and I continued.
“That’s the first entrance to the basement—.”
Ugh-
No, not exactly.
I was trying to talk.
Until the wall I pointed to with my fingertips, that is, the ‘entrance’ leading to the basement, shimmered in an unusual form.
‘…… Uh?’
I was taken aback.
I stopped moving for a while.
The moment when the face of a woman in a white coat was faintly revealed through the shimmering wall.
“Come here.”
“Eh?”
I put everything else aside and quickly hid myself behind a corner, hugging Beatrice.
There was a reason to do so.
Shortly thereafter, the shimmering on the wall stopped and the woman fully revealed herself.
I held my breath and at the same time covered Beatrice’s mouth with my hand.
“…… ?! …… !!!”
I could feel the presence of Beatrice struggling in my arms, but I ignored it.
Now it was more important than anything else to not be caught by that ‘professor’.
Other normal researchers might be able to trick them somehow with the use of brooches.
To pass off the stolen brooch as a flimsy excuse, there was a high chance of getting her suspicious.
The woman with the blurry pupil is none other than the original owner of the brooch we stole.
Because she was Professor Chloe Jane.