I’ve been thinking about why things felt so awkward with Erica, and surprisingly, the answer came to me easily. Ever since I came to this world, I hadn’t really met anyone else alone. Wherever I went, Aurora or Linea was always with me, or at least one of them was around.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ve never met people without those two. There were times when I had to talk to really high-ranking individuals, like when I met the Pope at the Central Church. I’ve also been in situations on the Battlefield with strangers before.
But in those cases, I didn’t need to think much about relationships. The Pope had somehow maxed out his favorability towards me from the very first moment we met, and on the Battlefield, I was more concerned about how to finish the fight rather than worrying about relationships. For other high-ranking individuals, they often acted obliviously, which led to some open conflicts.
Aside from those specific situations, it was clear that I hadn’t faced other friends one-on-one apart from Aurora and Linea.
But the kids I call ‘friends’ usually sat near me in the same classroom. We saw each other every day, so I could have a natural conversation with them even without Aurora or Linea around…
But Erica was from a different class.
I hardly saw her during class time, and while I occasionally hung out with her through the Duel Club, she wasn’t even a member.
Yeah, I could definitely call Erica a friend, though. We had rented a villa during summer vacation and spent time together, so I couldn’t deny it now.
But I had barely faced her one-on-one. The awkwardness I felt was probably because of that. Whenever I met Erica, it was always in a crowd of kids.
…
And thinking that way made me realize that I hardly knew anything about Erica.
Oh, of course, I knew some things from the past. Seo-A told me about it. But that story was something Erica herself didn’t know as it was about her backstory.
So, I couldn’t just randomly guess why Erica wanted to see the gods. It just so happened that I had heard stories about Erica’s parents, so I thought maybe it was something related to them. But who knows? Maybe Erica was just as devout as Selena.
With that in mind, I decided to use the remaining lunch break to find someone who might have a clue about her reason.
“Whoa!”
As I burst into the Teacher’s Office, a young female teacher who was about to leave took a deep breath. It’s not surprising to be startled when a giant light source suddenly pops up in front of you.
“Sorry about that.”
“Oh, um… really? It’s okay?”
As I lightly bowed my head to apologize, the teacher responded like this.
…There’s no need for honorifics. Of course, there wasn’t enough time here to convince her of that, so I just bowed my head once more and headed toward Seo-A’s desk.
“What’s wrong?”
Although Seo-A is my homeroom teacher and sees me every day, it seemed she couldn’t fully adapt to the light shining from my face. Plus, it hadn’t been long since she shared the stories about Aurora and Linea, and everyone’s eyes in the Teacher’s Office were fixed on me the moment I entered.
…Hmm.
Of course, it’s probably more accurate to say that people were naturally distracted by me rather than eavesdropping my stories. The light from my face was secondary; my name had been floating around in the news for a while. If someone isn’t particularly close to me, they’d hesitate even to speak casually with me.
There might also be some teachers who are devout church members.
…Should I have just waited until school was over to talk to her privately?
No, that wouldn’t do. That would be too late. I might have to show Erica the faces of the gods together after school.
Since I had come this far…
“Excuse me, teacher, can we talk a little quietly?”
Still feeling the eyes on me, I decided to whisper into Seo-A’s ear. Of course, doing that meant I had to lean down towards her. And that meant the blinding light from my face would shine directly onto hers.
Squinting her eyes as if the brightness was dazzling, Seo-A nodded. Then she glanced around before speaking to me.
“By the way, even if we whisper here, I don’t think the others won’t hear. Everyone’s been in actual combat, you know.”
Hearing those words, I lifted my head, and I saw the people watching us swiftly bow their heads. It’s true that if a goddess comes to talk to you, curiosity about the conversation would arise. Moreover, this Academy is under the influence of the church, so a considerable number of the staff are pretty devout members themselves.
Seo-A quickly organized the documents and textbooks on her desk and said.
“So, let’s go somewhere with fewer people to talk. We still have a little time left.”
“Okay…”
I just came from a place where I was supposed to talk like that.
*
In the end, following Seo-A’s suggestion, we left the Teacher’s Office and found an empty classroom. Coincidentally, it was the place where I had talked with Erica earlier.
“So, what’s going on?”
Seo-A asked in a quiet voice, so I lowered my voice and replied.
“Erica just came to see me.”
“Oh, really?”
Seo-A said, surprised.
“Yeah, and she asked if she could meet the gods too…”
“…”
Upon hearing that, Seo-A seemed to understand why I was talking in such a low voice.
“I don’t think that could happen…but did you ever tell Erica any stories about the past?”
“No.”
At least since Seo-A asked first, it meant she hadn’t shared them.
“But…it seems like it could be related to Erica’s parents.”
As I whispered, Seo-A nodded seriously.
“So, how did you respond?”
“For now, I said I’d think about it.”
Upon saying that, Seo-A let out a light sigh and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers.
“Do you actually plan to do it?”
“Since this power can’t be maintained indefinitely. For now, there’s no way to control it, so I have to release it daily…”
“You mean you could see the faces of the gods every day…”
I thought it was a bit odd to say something like it was as casual as going to the bathroom once a day, but that’s just how it was. If I held onto the power, I’d literally awaken as a goddess and ascend before I knew it. And since I wanted to live here a little longer, I was trying to think of ways to control my power.
“Got it.”
After a brief pause, Seo-A answered with determination.
“Can I be there too? I want to deliver that story.”
“Of course. That’s why I came here to ask.”
At my response, Seo-A smiled slightly.
“Just like the goddess. You don’t refuse a request and genuinely try to help.”
“…”
She looked at me with an expression that seemed to radiate warmth, so I discreetly averted my gaze from Seo-A.
“Well, let’s meet after school. I mean, I’m your homeroom teacher, so we’ll have a chance to chat during class anyways.”
Without even having to set a separate meeting place, we’ll end up gathering in the Auditorium after school. Although we can’t do such things there again, it would be much better to go somewhere else to do this.
Before leaving her seat, Seo-A lightly placed her hand on my arm and pondered for a moment before saying softly.
“Thank you.”
*
“Did you stop by somewhere else on the way?”
When I returned to the classroom, Selena asked me that.
By the time I got back, lunch break was almost over. I’d been gone long enough that it was understandable. If I’d really stayed in the bathroom that long, that would mean there was a severe problem with my digestive system.
“I met someone along the way and had a brief talk.”
I answered like that and sat down. Selena didn’t pry any further. Aurora and Linea, who would’ve been waiting for me, did the same. Perhaps they had gotten used to my accidents and adopted a “whatever” attitude, or maybe they simply wanted to respect my privacy.
…Well, what does it matter? It’s probably both.
I glanced sideways at Aurora, who was preparing for the next class. Her face looked as peaceful as ever.
Should I call Erica too? Well, unless I specifically said not to come, Aurora would likely follow. No, she might even come regardless of my request. She may look delicate, but she’s quite strong-willed.
I shifted my gaze to Jian’s seat next.
He was also preparing for the next class. Even though I couldn’t see his expression well from a few seats diagonally behind, since nothing unusual was happening, I assumed Jian’s expression was—
Just then, Jian whipped around to look at me. Is that his instinct as a knight? I didn’t send out any laser beams with my eyes, so how could he feel my gaze and turn around?
Thanks to that, our eyes met precisely.
Well, I don’t particularly have a hobby for making eye contact with boys.
Looking at Jian’s puzzled expression, I just shrugged. He looked confused but soon turned back to face forward.
…Should I bring him too?
Putting aside that he’s Erica’s crush, he’s technically been involved with her too. After Erica’s parents passed away, it seemed that Jian’s family helped her out. I’m not sure why they hadn’t seen each other for a long time after they separated.
So, should I inform him? I thought about it but then shook my head.
No, no matter what, it’s her story, so I need to get her permission first. I’d rather talk more in detail when I meet her before deciding.
…Although I did end up eavesdropping without her consent anyway.
*
When something you’d rather not happen approaches, it feels like it’s charging at you much faster. Classes I usually found tedious seemed to fly by when thinking about what would come after them.
“Shall we go to the Auditorium together? Or do you want to go back alone today?”
Selena casually asked me that as she turned to look at me, but noticing the light radiating from my face made her thoughtful about the question. But I had things I needed to do.
After the usual homeroom time ended, Seo-A had briefly paused her gaze on me, and that was definitely not a coincidence or a mistake. I had two appointments today—one with Erica and one with someone else—so I couldn’t just go back to the Cathedral.
“No, we’re going to the Auditorium.”
As I stood up from my chair,
“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the Cathedral? It seems like it could explode if you’re not careful.”
Rina said with a very worried expression.
I was worried too. My vision was starting to look yellowish as if filtered with a golden hue. That was likely because the Temple of Gods was shimmering faintly within my sight.
“No, I have things to do today.”
“Do you have an appointment or something?”
Aurora asked, her eyes wide open. I nodded my head.
“Yeah, I have a commitment.”
“So you were late returning from lunch because of that.”
Rina, who had come closer, made that observation. I nodded at her.
“Auditorium is probably packed… Ah, I probably won’t be able to join the club activities, is that okay?”
“Well, the club formed because of you and Rina. There’s no rule about having to attend, so it’s fine. It’s just a gathering of those who want to come and hone their skills.”
Actually, I was vaguely uncertain about who was even the club president. Was it Jian since we decided to hold duels? I wonder if he puts himself forward like that. Yet, I questioned how much authority a teenage student could actually have.
“Then, if your power remains like this, wouldn’t it be difficult to do club activities in the future? Actually, it could significantly disrupt your daily life besides club activities.”
Jian, who had been listening from the side, asked me. Luckily, he wasn’t bound for the priesthood, but Jian was also someone who was directly given the title of “Apostle” by a god. It’s only natural he’d have some concern. After all, I had walked around with a halo behind my head even when I was just a saint.
“I don’t think it’s too disruptive to my daily life.”
The truth is, the bigger issue is what an impact my powers have on the daily lives of others. It’s my face shining, but I’m not the one getting dazzled.
Moreover, every time I release my power, some divine incident occurs that makes everyone jumpy.
“Really…?”
Jian replied with an expression that seemed somewhat skeptical.
*
When I arrived at the Auditorium, Erica and Seo-A were already there.
As Erica was chatting with Ramihi, she brightened up when she saw me and then blushed lightly when she spotted Jian.
“Teacher, you’re here too.”
When Jian mentioned that, Seo-A shrugged.
“Since I’m in charge of this club, I have to check in from time to time, even if it’s supposed to be self-directed.”
By the way, it seemed Jian still didn’t know that Seo-A was that ‘older girl’ he used to hang out with as a child. After all, I had written in my notes that he was remarkably dense, so he wouldn’t realize until I told him directly. One can’t tell how long Seo-A could tease him about it.
“Erica…”
Jian suddenly looked at me. He seemed to recall when I mentioned having a commitment.
I quickly approached Erica.
“Erica, I didn’t ask what reason or thoughts you had when you made that request to me.”
When I said that, Erica seemed to take a bit of a step back. Oh, that wasn’t what I meant to do. No matter how comfortably I smiled, it wouldn’t matter if she couldn’t see it.
“But I feel like I know why you brought it up.”
I quickly added, “I might be just making assumptions, though.”
Erica shook her head.
“No, it’s just that I didn’t speak up…”
And she nibbled on her lip. She looked like she was considering whether to speak up or not, so I spoke as gently as possible.
“There’s no need to say it here. I know you wouldn’t have asked for bad reasons, Erica. But—”
I glanced back at the kids in the Duel Club who were all gathered around.
“This is a conversation that seems a bit too personal to have here.”
At my words, Erica fearfully nodded.
“Okay.”
I made my decision and turned back again. Behind me were Linea and… Aurora standing there.
Once again, I thought about whether I should bring Aurora with me. But when I saw Aurora’s expression, I completely erased that idea.
Erica and Aurora were tied together by a tangled bond. In fact, Aurora had initially heard it from Seo-A just recently and had no clue about it before that.
Is there any reason to force the girl who just returned to her normal life to relive those memories?
Thinking so, I was about to ask the two to wait for me here, but Aurora stepped forward.
“…Aurora.”
“Please let me go with you.”
I didn’t say what I was planning to do, but it seemed she had roughly understood by looking at the gathering crowd.
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
I asked, and Aurora hesitated for a moment but then nodded.
It was definitely not okay. But I took that as her intention to give it a try.
“…”
I gazed at her for a brief moment before letting out a small sigh.
“Linea, maybe…”
“Hmm. I’ll wait here.”
It seemed that Linea had grasped what I wanted to say precisely.
“Thank you.”
“Nothing, it’s natural.”
Saying that, Linea smiled at me and then gently patted Aurora on the back.
“I’ll wait… I will wait.”
“…”
And once more, she softly smiled and spoke to Aurora, a gentler tone than usual.
“…Okay, I’ll be back.”
After hearing them talk, I turned around and faced Erica, whose tension was evident.
“So, shall we go?”
Erica briefly clenched her fists over her chest, then nodded.
“Yes.”
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