195 – Behind the Scenes (11)
The Sword Master’s letter contained only a signature to identify the sender, but no other message was written.
But we can somewhat predict what this means. Could it be that he wants you to play with Shion at the prom? Because I am the only man who has anything resembling a friendship with Shion.
Gold coins are much more plentiful than before. This is a huge amount of money, equivalent to half a year of salary that I received when I worked in a workshop. Of course, considering the price of the rig bed, it is not a very luxurious amount.
Is there a need to give this much?
Well, maybe he knew that dealing with Shion was not usually difficult.
I had no intention of becoming Shion’s ballroom partner just because I accepted a bribe.
I wouldn’t attach much importance to the dance, but I didn’t want to choose my partner in such a disrespectful way.
It’s not even polite to the two friends who are waiting for my application. It’s not even good for Zion. How bad would you feel if you found out that you applied to become a partner because of money?
***
After completing her daily training and taking a bath in the common bathhouse of her dormitory, Shion put on a robe and took a rest in her designated seat in front of the fireplace in the lounge.
She sat there and admired the view of the living quarters in broad daylight from the full-length window.
Unlike Zion, I could feel some excited anticipation and excitement from the men and women passing there. What on earth is so happy? It was like characters from a fairy tale where everyone had a happy ending.
Zion couldn’t be as excited and excited as they were. No matter how many fairy tales she read, she could not empathize with them, and because of the harsh reality she had faced since childhood, she was unable to indulge in romance and leisure even for a moment.
Feeling sick of their bright looks, she left the lounge and went up her stairs.
As she walked forward, she stopped in front of her own room. There was a bouquet of flowers in front of her door.
This was the fifth time. At some point, someone whose name she didn’t know started leaving gifts on her door every two days and running away.
The first time or two she selflessly brought them into her room, but when they withered and turned into trash due to lack of care and neglect, she either threw them into the garden or left them as they were.
“….”
As her prom season approached, more and more people approached her in this way.
She even left a lollipop in her locker as if she were candy herself. She couldn’t tell if it was real candy.
The only thing she didn’t feel like interacting with was that he was scared and couldn’t show himself even though he was hovering around her.
She left her bouquet and went inside the door.
She then threw off her gown and examined her naked body for any new bruises or cuts. During her training, her main routine was to check for injuries she was unaware of and reflect on her mistakes.
After finishing her recovery, she picked up her underwear and put them on. Then she heard someone’s footsteps in her hallway.
Since there were only a few students living in the Wittruff building, it was quite rare for her to hear anyone’s footsteps. When the footsteps stopped in front of her room and a rustling sound was heard, she realized that it was the guy who had been stalking her from before.
From Noble mtl dot com
She was in her underwear, picked up her purse, and swung open her door with the intention of preventing him from coming in again.
And when she met an unexpected person in front of her, she was speechless for a moment.
Because the man in the mask was standing there.
He looked at the bouquet of flowers at his feet and at Shion in his underwear and spoke as if he was embarrassed.
“It’s not what you think.”
***
Shion glared at me with aggressive eyes, thought about it for a moment, and then decided to kill himself.
“You’ve done everything so far?”
Are you talking about the bouquet of flowers left in front of the door? Unfortunately, I got caught and ended up being falsely accused.
“No.”
I told you so. No. I don’t know.
Shion asks back with cold eyes.
“Then why did you come?”
“Because I have business to attend to.”
She looks me up and down for a moment.
“… Come in.”
Shion turned around, leaving her door open. She then opened her closet and took out her training uniform and put it on. She took a quick peek and saw that her closet was filled with ten identical training uniforms. Unlike other girls, she didn’t seem to have any interest in dressing up or dressing up.
The fact that she shows no sign of discomfort even when she is shown in her underwear makes it seem as though the soul of a man is in a woman’s body. Maybe it’s because they don’t recognize me as the opposite s*x that they show this carefree side.
I stood in front of the door without stepping in and spoke.
“No, I will set an appointment time, so come to the designated place at that time.”
She said as she put on her top and pulled her hair out of her collar.
“I don’t like it.”
“….”
“I don’t have any time left other than today. “If you want to fight me, end it today.”
“… “What’s the point of fighting when I’ll win?”
“….”
Then, Shion’s body stiffened slightly. Soon after, she silently grabbed her magic sword that was placed next to her table.
Do you really intend to fight? I can’t even tell a joke to this fight-mad woman.
I hurriedly changed my mind before a fight really broke out.
“If you only have time today, put down your sword and come out. “Because there are more important things than that.”
***
As soon as I came out of the dormitory, I sent Stitch calling a carriage.
Unexpectedly, Zion obediently followed my words.
Like her usual behavior, she ignored everything others said, only did her own thing, and never seemed to follow anyone, but strangely enough, she was running after me as if she were a duckling.
Students around her living quarters kept glancing at us, as if it was their first time seeing Zion match her steps with someone. This gaze is quite stinging.
“Wait a moment.”
Before Shion followed, she suddenly stopped.
I stopped walking and turned around. It’s difficult in crowded places.
“I have nothing to say here.”
“Before looking at the business, I need to hear an explanation first.”
“… “Explanation?”
Shion crossed her arms and walked to the bench in the garden of her living building and sat down. She then glanced up at me and said.
“Tell me first why you chase me every day and leave behind a bouquet of flowers and candy.”
“…… ?”
“I won’t move until I hear the reason.”
I looked at my surroundings. Sure enough, some students looked at us and started whispering. Does he still think I am like that? I really don’t know anything.
“I didn’t do it. “There is someone else who is stalking you, so you can take care of it yourself.”
“….”
“Don’t worry, I’m applying to the prom, not you, but to a pretty, kind, and kind-hearted girl.”
Shion put her hands on her knees and pretended not to hear me.
The number of eyes looking at us began to increase. This was bound to lead to further misunderstandings and strange rumors.
“Look at this.”
I took out the Sword Master’s letter from her arms and waved it in front of her eyes. Shion’s eyes widened as if he was embarrassed. I immediately grabbed her wrist and pulled her. She got out without much resistance.
The onlookers muttered when they saw my sudden action.
“Oh my, oh my.”
I immediately walked out to a place where no one could see.
The people whispering about us got on our nerves, but it was too late to react.
I stopped in the middle of the forest road leading to the guardian tree and released the restraints. Zion massaged her wrist as if her grip was hurting her. She felt a little sorry when she saw that.
Zion first checked that no one was there and then asked.
“Why did you receive Master’s letter?”
“I want to ask you something. And there’s nothing written here. “It just flew in with a bag full of stuff.”
I hid the money story just in case.
“….”
Her face darkened somewhat.
“Is there any reason why I shouldn’t receive it?”
“….”
It was clear that there was something to her face, but she hesitated to answer.
“It may not have been sent to me, but it may have been sent by mistake.”
Shion shook her head.
“Master, you don’t make mistakes like that. “I must have pointed you out correctly.”
Then he hesitated for a moment and muttered to himself.
“For me… You haven’t given me any news for months….”
I understand what the situation is. I didn’t even send a message to my one and only disciple, Zion, but she suddenly sent a letter to me, which must have hurt her feelings.
“He just sent me a signature.”
“Master, you hide the contents of important letters by treating them with chemicals.”
“Then how can I check it?”
“You can just sprinkle shade powder.”
This is an ingredient I’ve never heard of. I know that shade herb powder is a rare ingredient that cannot be found in this area.
Perhaps the gold coin was attached for the purpose of deciphering the letter rather than for any other purpose.
Then again, the Sword Master’s intentions become unclear.
If it is not for the purpose of being Zion’s daily friend… ?
What message is so important that its contents must be hidden? It’s not something I should tell to Zion, it’s something I have to tell only to myself….
“I want to go. “That letter has nothing to do with me.”
She turned around and started to leave.
I immediately ran over and grabbed Zion’s wrist.
“No, you should go to Rigbed together.”
***
Cecil, who was sitting at the front of the classroom for a liberal arts class, listened to the sounds coming from behind her.
“No, that Zion….”
“The kid wearing the mask….”
“Prom… I’m chasing you….”
The kids who had just entered the classroom were talking excitedly as if something interesting had just happened.
The person mentioned in the conversation was Zion and the man wearing the mask.
Hearing those two mentioned together in one place, Cecile’s heart seemed to sink.
I remembered that the two had a secret meeting in the rig bed right after the circulatory system training ended.
Her friend Elias suddenly appeared and took his place next to her as she chewed her lip in nervousness.
“Cecil, what are you doing?”
“….”
As Elias looked at Cecile, who was frozen without even turning her head, she sensed an unusual aura.
“You… what’s the matter. “Who else follows you around to dance?”
“No.”
Cecil seemed uncomfortable with Elias’ interest in her, and she responded coldly, then opened her class textbook and covered her face.
In the meantime, other students filled the row behind Cecil and sat down to continue talking.
“Well, that Shion chased after the masked kid and started a fight.”
“Is he still crazy about sparring?”
“I don’t know. I think it’s true that the two are related. “Because the masked kid got angry and started yelling at me for ignoring her Shion.”
“What?”
“You can either fight with me or dance at the ball.”
“Crazy… “What, did you two end up bickering?”
“But do you know what’s funnier? “The masked kid rejected her with a single word.”
“Oh my.”
“She says she already has feelings for a girl who is pretty, smart, and has really big breasts.”
“Ah… He really looks like a pervert. “Why is she chasing a guy like that?”
“So.”
Elias, who was quietly watching Cecile next to her, poked Cecile’s forearm.
“Cecil? Are you okay?”
Immediately she sensed something was wrong, and she gently pushed down the book that was covering Cecil’s face.
Cecil’s arm fell down weakly. Cecil’s face, revealed in this way, was as bright as blush.
“You… Are you sick?”
Cecil looked out the window without saying anything, then took out a potion bottle and took a quick gulp as if to cool off.