174 – Doubt (4)
Luna asks me carefully while examining my face.
“I know… “Are you a person?”
“Yes. “A senior in the art department.”
“… Are you close?”
“No. “We barely even talked.”
Luna was cautious, as if she would lose if she was close to me. Afraid that she might draw attention to herself, she added.
“He has almost nothing to do with me, so don’t worry about it and prepare comfortably.”
Luna nodded her head lightly.
“Have you ever heard of a senior named Ruscus? “I have no idea how powerful she is.”
She shook her head.
“I’m sorry….”
“No, there’s nothing to be sorry about. “Let’s disperse at this point.”
“Yes….”
“By the way, did you return the murder potion book?”
“….”
Luna is startled. He just said it to ease the tension, but he seemed quite embarrassed. She stiffened for a moment, then took a book out of her bag and put it back in its place. Maybe it’s my mistake that it seems like I’m doing it reluctantly. She lowered her head as if she was embarrassed and left her library.
After Luna left, I wasted some time and then quietly stood up and came out.
And there I met a completely unexpected person.
Cecil was standing with her arms crossed, waiting in front of the door. As if waiting for someone.
When I wasn’t wearing a mask, I had no contact with Cecil. I slyly pretended not to see her. As I was passing by, Cecil threw her horse.
“Normally, not many people come and go to Library 3.”
“… ?”
“In the same space as Luna, who has nothing to do with alchemy… “What did I do?”
My heart sank. How did Cecil find out that the two were meeting in a secret location?
Are you trying to suspect me after finding out about the relationship between Luna and Candy? Have you been caught since you were escorting the princess? I whipped my head as fast as I could.
“If you were curious, why didn’t you come in?”
“I should have just rushed in and seen what they were doing. “Does Trisha know you do that?”
If the story of Trisha comes out… Don’t you still suspect me of being candy? I answered as calmly as possible.
“Are you busy with my personal research?”
“Okay. “I follow girls who seem a bit innocent and study them.”
“Why don’t you worry about other people’s business?”
“No, I need to know.”
I shook my head as if I was fed up. Cecil paused for a moment and then continued speaking in a serious tone.
“… “I have a lot of doubts about you.”
“….”
I looked away and walked out as if there was no reason to talk further.
I pretended like nothing happened while leaving the library, but I almost screamed inside.
Cecil… Because I felt like my identity might be questioned. As long as I knew there was contact with Luna, there was a good possibility.
From Noble mtl dot com
Professor Candinella said she handled it well, but did she really do it right?
As soon as I came out of the central library, I went straight to Candinella’s professor’s office.
***
Professor Candinella served her tea with dried oranges and placed them in front of me.
“Drink. “It’s good for cheering you up.”
“Thank you.”
She sat on the sofa across from me and sipped her tea.
“Cecil seems suspicious?”
“Okay… “Yes.”
“Did I exactly say that I doubt your identity?”
“That’s not it….”
“Um… Well, I think differently. As long as we take action, she won’t know. “Why don’t you put on her mask and try making contact with that girl?”
“Wouldn’t it be more suspicious if I suddenly asked to meet you in such a suspicious situation?”
Candinella sipped her tea leisurely. Professor Lee really seemed to think that the situation was not that serious.
“Don’t do that, just meet him once. “If there are more problems, we will come up with other measures.”
“….”
“And a girl like Cecil is not stupid enough to do something harsh even if she knows your identity. “There is nothing wrong with her being cautious, but she also has nothing to be afraid of.”
I came out of the professor’s office without finding any particular solution.
What on earth is Professor Candinella thinking when he asks me to meet him?
What on earth did she do against Cecil? .
I went back to the labyrinth and took the mask and the stitch connected to Cecil. And I wrote a note asking if we could meet when the time comes and sent it off.
After waiting in front of the guardian tree for a while, the reply came faster than I expected.
[Come to the top of the clock tower in the evening.]
It was an unfamiliar place that I had never been to before. Maybe it was because I was so sensitive, but I couldn’t shake off my anxiety easily.
***
The clock tower is the tallest building in Eternia. Because of this, you could see the clock tower no matter where you were on campus.
This was the first time I knew I could climb up there.
On the top floor of the clock tower, huge steel gear wheels were moving regularly. Cecil was waiting first on the small balcony opened for maintenance.
“Candy, come here!”
Cecile looked at me and shouted.
She sat down with her feet out on the railing, giving her a clear view of the outside, and tapped the seat next to her with her hand.
“Sit down.”
I sat in the spot she had chosen and admired the scenery outside. I was able to see not only the scenery of Eternia, but also the geography of Rigbed, which was a bit far away, at a glance.
“Is there a reason you asked me to meet you here??”
“What do you think? It’s good. “This is the second highest place after Mount Grace.”
“Good. “Except for the ridiculous stairs.”
“… “There’s a magic pulley and it came up the stairs?”
No, let me tell you in advance that something like that happened. When Cecile saw me unable to say anything, she laughed.
“Candy says you’re cute because you’re stupid sometimes.”
“….”
“Come on, sit down. I’m going to make this a secret place just for the two of us. You were planning to make one before. There is no need to worry about what other people think. “The atmosphere is nice too.”
“I didn’t even know a place like this existed.”
“Originally, I had bookmarked Library 3 of the Central Library, but someone got it first.”
I swallowed quietly. The people who took over that place were me and Luna. Is this the reason why Cecil discovered the secret location? Once you’ve been caught, there will be no need to use Library 3 again.
Although Cecil did not see me and Candy as the same person, she could not relax. It could be that he is looking at me.
“The clock tower looks better for secret conversations.”
“Okay. “There was something I wanted to talk to you about, but I don’t know if it would be better to say it today.”
“… “What do you want to talk about?”
Cecil said as she looked blankly at the scenery unfolding beneath her feet.
“… No, that’s enough. “Now that I think about it, I think it’s better not to say anything.”
“It’s okay, just tell me.”
“….”
Looking at your expression, it seems like something upset happened.
Cecil kept her mouth shut for a moment, then suddenly looked at me and spoke.
“Why did you pretend not to notice me?”
What does it mean? Are you asking me to pretend not to know even if I run into you at the library? How many times a day does this woman lift my heart and let it go?
“I said that?”
“You definitely saw me. “I even waved my hand, so why did you pretend not to see me and just pass by?”
What is it? I don’t remember anything other than seeing it once before going on a princess escort mission. Are you misunderstanding something?
“When did you see it?”
“I saw you near Suho Tree about 15 days ago. “Do you know how much I thought about you because you pretended not to notice me?”
“… ?”
Cecil poured out words one after another as if she was feeling disappointed.
“They took away all the research results and tools from me. And then all of a sudden, contact was cut off. After that, you pretend not to notice even though you clearly see me. I really had all kinds of thoughts. Did he use me and break off relations? Am I just for carrying bombs? Or just hogunga. Did you think I was the only friend? “I was so sad that I couldn’t even sleep.”
If you listen to it, it seems really mean, but… Fifteen days ago, I was staying in the principality at the time. There’s little chance that Cecil mistook me for someone else, but does seeing me in Eternia mean she saw something in vain?
Perhaps this is what Professor Candinella is referring to? Did he trick Cecil with some sort of illusion spell?
“I guess I was busy so I didn’t see you.”
“No. “You pretended not to notice me even when you saw me.”
“If you put on a mask, your vision narrows.”
“You adapt well when fighting, but then suddenly?”
“Even if sweat gets in my eyes, I can’t wipe it away. And if I had been planning on breaking off relations, I wouldn’t have called you like I did now.”
“Yes, I would have been a bit angry if you hadn’t asked me to meet you. No, I’m still a little angry, but I’m sure I’m even angrier.”
“You are one of my few friends, so why would I abandon you?”
“Hmph, maybe it’s because he’s one of the few useful people. “There are very few women in the world who would be friends with an ugly guy like you like this.”
Cecil seems to be very offended by sarcasm.
“Why do you think I’m ugly?”
“I know. “Just looking at it, it looks really ugly.”
It seemed like resentment played a big role in her one-sided attitude of criticizing me. Since I have received something along the way, I should return the favor and relieve my anger.
“… I called you here to repay you for helping me. Your help was really great. “What I wanted to do went well.”
“What did you do to take so many bombs? “Have you accomplished any great mission?”
“… I’ll let you know when our relationship becomes closer. “If you get involved, someone could get hurt.”
“….”
Luckily, he seemed to agree a little with what I said.
“I owe you a big debt. If there’s anything I can do to help, I’ll be happy to do so. “Is there anything you need?”
Cecil thought deeply, her face not yet fully relieved of her anger.
“… Doesn’t exist.”
“Really?”
“So… Not yet. “I will get my due when the time comes, so be prepared.”
Human relationships become stronger as we owe and repay. Cecil was someone worth investing time and effort into.
I got up from my seat. As Professor Candinella said, it was not something to be scared of. I created my own alibi using illusion magic or something, so it would be difficult to suspect.
“Then I’ll go. “Call me later if you need a drinking buddy.”
Even after Candy left, Cecil continued to sit on the clock tower railing.
The clouds gathered in before we knew it, and soon a sharp wind blew through the cracks in the clock tower. Her long hair was flowing wildly, but she did not move and remained lost in her thoughts.
I was quietly looking down at his figure, which had become as small as a dot.
Nothing seemed right to her, but doubts were brewing in her mind.
“It’s suspicious. It’s so suspicious….”
***
I immediately moved to understand the strength of my sparring opponent.
And it wasn’t difficult to get information about my sparring partner, Ruscus.
This is because there were seniors in the art department. Although not as much as the mainstream specialty department, the members were enough to help me.
Haley, head of the art department, said as she took a bite of the apple that a first-year student brought for a still life painting.
“Ruscus him?”
“Yes.”
“We have a difficult opponent. Of course, our newbie is also strong, cute, and true… Also, although I support them, there are very few cases where a first year student beats a senior student. “Well, it may be different for Sian or Simon, but let’s make an exception for him, and with the average freshman’s skills, it won’t be easy.”
“How was your evaluation of sparring so far?”
“Well done. “Maybe he’s never lost?”
“Do you know how to fight?”
“You should know that we are in the same combat group. The problem is that in previous sparring evaluations, he rarely fought with all his might. And he can use magic. It’s a combat club. It’s like using a sword and magic together. Doesn’t your head hurt just thinking about it? I am so passionate that I took private lessons in magic during last winter vacation. Also… Above all, he has a shrewd temperament. “I honestly didn’t want to become friends because of that.”
“….”
Hayley suddenly held his brush upside down and poked my thigh with the tip.
“Still, I don’t think there’s anything we can’t beat if we’re a newbie who had a big problem in the principality. Let’s talk about that separately later. I thought all the kids in the art department, including me, were curious and turned around. What did you do? “Is it true that you have become so close to the princess that you can even talk to her?”
“That’s… “I will tell you soon.”
Then, suddenly, Xenia, the vice head of the art department, burst open the door to her greenhouse and shouted.
“Hey! “What are you doing alone with a newbie?”
Then Hayley gestured happily and said.
“Come and see. “The newbie needs help.”
Xenia shook her head.
“There is something else going on. Shinshin is another fiery fox… “What did she bring?”
Xenia pointed behind her with her thumb.
At the entrance to the greenhouse, there was a woman with a face I had never seen before.
Xenia took a look at my expression and said.
“Newbie, do you know someone?”
“… No.”
“They say I have to meet you? “He asked me to tell you that he is a friend of Ruskus.”