Celin let out a long sigh.
Only after hearing my story did she seem to finally feel at ease. Various emotions flickered across her relaxed expression.
Relief, joy, and a dim sense of sympathy and compassion.
For me, such feelings were rather rare.
All I could think about was Senior Elsi.
Celin had an unusual fixation on me.
Naturally, Elsi’s actions, who had confessed to me, wouldn’t be seen favorably.
One might say she seemed like a being snatching away a friendly older brother.
In Celin’s gaze lingered emotions such as sympathy and compassion. There was only one possibility, no matter how I thought about it.
It meant she empathized with Elsi’s miserable feelings as a woman.
Thus, I felt my heart tighten even more.
Did I give her too great a wound?
Though she appeared strong, Senior Elsi was a woman hiding a tender interior.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it took her quite some time to overcome the pain of unrequited love.
And my suspicion was soon validated.
Celin let out a bitter murmur.
“Yeah, I see… No wonder I heard you crying every night.”
“……Is that all?”
“And I heard you cursing I-an oppa too.”
I felt I understood why Celin had come to find me right away.
Sure enough, it was just like Senior Elsi.
Recently, whenever she encountered me, she appeared dejected or blushed while clearing her throat, yet was cursing me in her room.
Even so, she still displayed a submissive attitude towards me.
Every time she greeted me, she would bow her head, and whenever she happened to make a trivial request, she would comply right away.
Even if that was the case, the resentment she harbored inside as a woman must not have diminished.
It was a heartbreaking matter.
As I wore a gloomy expression, Celin carefully offered words of comfort.
“Hey, don’t worry so much! Anyway, someone like Senior Rainelle will be a better match than I-an oppa, right?”
“……Is that a compliment?”
I couldn’t help but ask back, somewhat agitated.
If Senior Elsi could rise again after overcoming the pain of unrequited love, it would be a welcome occurrence. However, to console me by saying there are certainly men better than I in particular was a bit much.
It wasn’t an incorrect statement. Hence, I felt even more directly hit.
Of course, whether she meant it or not, Celin didn’t seem to care at all.
By now, the slightest hint of regret had completely vanished from her expression.
I was internally perplexed, but for the time being, I decided to leave Celin be.
Her grinning appearance was quite cute.
After a while, Celin added a few words as if feeling uneasy.
“……But I-an oppa, you know? I’ve never mistreated anyone.”
“Who said what?”
I scoffed and brushed off Celin’s worries.
Although there was indeed a history of stirring up a negative reputation regarding Ceria.
I wondered if things had settled well between me and Ceria. I felt I had apologized at some point in the past.
Thinking I should definitely find out someday, I spent that night enjoying a long chat alone with Celin for the first time in a while.
With the shadow of Senior Elsi still hanging over a corner of my heart.
Still, there was one fortunate fact.
Thanks to defeating the Corpse Giant, countless concerns were resolved.
Hundreds of territory residents were not only spared but their living grounds were also preserved.
That alone was worth sacrificing my life for.
However, there was one person apart from me who was also greatly energized: the Lady Virgin Saint.
She puffed her chest out with pride, placing her hand on her heart.
Her voluptuous presence was once again highlighted. Every time that happened, I reminisced about the enjoyable memories with the Saint.
The softness and elasticity of her touch.
It was wonderful.
I absentmindedly propped my chin and almost began to nod, but managed to hold back.
It would have been fine if it were just the Saint, but Yulen was also there by her side.
I preferred to avoid any strange misunderstandings with Yulen.
He might come after me with a knife, asking what I did to his sister.
It was a terrifying thought even to imagine.
Feeling the cold sweat trickling down my back, I admired the self-important Saint.
“Ahaha… I-an, you should have seen Archbishop Einadel’s reaction! That old man, he was ready to blow up when he used the auxiliary bloodline, but then he shut up… Puhuh.”
“……Is defeating the minions of the evil deity such a great achievement?”
“Of course!”
Still caught up in the excitement of victory, the Saint clenched her fist and declared.
It had been a while since she looked so exhilarated.
When I had just gotten up, she had clung to me, crying and wailing, and it seemed that hitting the ‘Archbishop Einadel’ had made her that happy.
So all I could do was wear a hazy smile at the Saint.
If she was happy, then I was happy too.
“The Heavenly Deity Sect exists to protect humanity from the evil deity. And the minions of the evil deity are truly the forefront of that fight! It’s a mythical achievement indeed.”
Of course, I became the focal point of that shining achievement.
For the Saint, this must have felt somewhat unjust.
No matter how bravely I had rushed in risking my life, it was she who weakened the Corpse Giant and provided the decisive opportunity.
Moreover, the bloodline she had used was worth an enormous value equivalent to that of a holy place.
Yet the Saint showed no signs of feeling wronged at all.
Instead, she looked at me with pride in her gaze.
It seemed she had become more excited now that I was doing well.
“……B-but you mustn’t do anything reckless like back then, alright? I-an, I’ve told you repeatedly that you almost died last time.”
“Yes, yes, I understand.”
While exchanging a promise that seemed like it wouldn’t be kept at all, I subtly turned my gaze to Yulen.
He was simply watching me and the Saint with a pleased expression.
He didn’t intervene at all, whether I was having a conversation with the Saint or not.
Still, it felt rude to leave him standing alone like a conifer in a snowfield, so just as I was about to say something.
“ I-an, then please take care of my sister for a bit. I’ve got some luggage to pack…”
He winked at me and left.
Today happened to be the day I was leaving the Manor towards the Academy.
If there was luggage left to pack, it was only natural to prioritize that.
However, the fact that the escort knight had left their post and entrusted me meant I had to stay next to the Lady Virgin for a while longer.
In the end, I had to listen to the boasting of the self-important Saint for much longer.
But that was okay.
The time spent with the Saint was always enjoyable.
Thanks to that, I was able to melt time until the last farewells with my family.
The parting with my family was always the same.
I simply embraced my father, mother, and then my brother and Liya in turn.
My father and mother told me to take care of myself, and my brother handed me an opal gemstone. From the looks of it, it seemed to be a recently discovered vein.
The one I shared the longest and most heartfelt hug with was always Liya.
She buried her face in my chest, tightening her embrace around me. The soft sensation of her body pressed against me felt somewhat awkward.
Liya looked up at me with tear-filled eyes.
“……You’ll be alright, right?”
“Yeah, Liya. Let’s meet again next break.”
It was a cliché farewell.
With that last thing said, I turned and set off, leaving the Percus family watching the back of the carriage I was riding off in.
However, today a new mystery had been added during that time.
As always, Liya had pecked my cheek and left an ominous last word.
“I won’t be waiting too long, brother.”
What did that mean?
In a moment, doubt arose, but my party had been waiting far too long.
In the end, I had no choice but to push Liya’s words to the back of my mind and take my steps to leave the Manor.
Inside the carriage, whispers of conversation began to fill the space.
The main topic was Senior Elsi.
The Saint covered her mouth and sent a sympathetic gaze towards Senior Elsi.
“I heard from Sister Rainelle… you confessed to I-an and got rejected. It’s heartbreaking. If you need the help of the Heavenly Deity, don’t hesitate to come find me.”
It was something that couldn’t be hidden forever.
Ultimately, everyone in our party learned about the incident between me and Senior Elsi, which seemed to have caused her to suffer humiliation again today.
If I had known this would happen, I would have rather made sure to keep things under wraps.
But, it was inevitable that the origin of the rumor was not from me.
I had heard that Elsi had unconsciously revealed it after being provoked by the Saint.
Truly, the verbal skills of the Saint, who had navigated the icy political landscape of the Holy Kingdom, were formidable.
Of course, Elsi wasn’t the type to stay quiet just because the Saint was teasing her.
She immediately bared her teeth and growled.
“……Hey, could you remove your hand?”
At that, the Saint quietly removed her hand covering her mouth.
It was only for a brief moment, but it was unmistakably visible.
Her lips were curling into a sly smile.
Unable to hold back anymore, Elsi raised her voice.
“This damn girl…!”
At that moment, I cleared my throat.
Startled, Elsi’s eyes turned towards me, and she immediately grew flustered, avoiding my gaze.
The blushing maiden awkwardly retreated back to her original spot.
It seemed she had no willingness to converse with me yet.
I felt a bit bitter about that, but the Saint merely wore a winner’s smile.
In the end, a sigh escaped my lips.
When we arrive at the Academy, I would have to arrange an opportunity to talk with Senior Elsi again.
After chatting with the party for several days.
I finally stood before the familiar schoolyard.
After experiencing all sorts of chaos, the scenery felt particularly surreal.
It was because the break hadn’t ended yet, and the central road was quiet.
Did I truly return to the Academy?
What snapped me out of my daze was a sudden cry.
“……Kraaah!”
It was a small and cute voice.
It seemed she was trying to imitate a somewhat threatening beast, but due to that tone, it was not scary at all.
I gazed blankly towards the source of the sound.
There stood a girl with dark azure hair.
Her hands were clenched like the claws of a beast, and her eyes were closed as she leaned her upper body forward, creating a rather endearing pose.
Eventually, I found myself asking, somewhat dumbfounded.
“……What is it?”
Coughing lightly, the girl straightened her posture again.
Perhaps feeling bashful, she had a flush on her cheeks.
Looking down, the girl spoke with a slight tremor in her voice.
“Um, um… I’m a dragon! A puppy… seems to already have a spot, so…”
Seeing her like that, I couldn’t help but wear a vague smile.
I had indeed returned.
There was only one place on the ground where such an oblivious Imperial Princess could stay.
The long break had finally come to an end.
