The dawn atmosphere was soaked in tranquil moisture.
At this time of day, just as the sunrise was beginning, the temperature hit its lowest point. This was true even in the scorching summer when the sun baked the earth.
In fact, the more it was midsummer, the more unique the dawn’s scent became.
It was a season dominated by sunlight and heavy rains.
The moment of escaping the muggy air was particularly meaningful.
This was also why I woke up early every summer morning.
A trained body is built through repeated training.
Therefore, the training had to continue without exception every single day.
Neither summer nor winter were exceptions.
But before I was a swordsman, I was human.
It was only natural to want to avoid the heat as much as possible.
After all, I couldn’t avoid wielding a sword altogether. If that were the case, it was better to move my body while it was still a little cooler.
It was still the late summer when the sun blazed to the point that it felt like my skin would roast during midday.
I had become strong enough not to be swayed by the heat or cold, but I still maintained the routine that started at dawn.
I didn’t know if it was just my feelings, but training in the glaring sun still made me uneasy.
Thus, another similar day unfolded like a hamster in a wheel.
After finishing the dawn training and having a meal, I engaged in another daily routine.
It was a schedule no different from last year.
The only difference was that one more task had been added.
Right after finishing my training, I promptly set off towards the forest next to the dormitory.
I didn’t know why.
I just found my footsteps naturally headed there.
When I sensed a familiar presence, I held my breath and hid among the bushes.
This was my new routine.
In the clearing, the Rainelle siblings were engrossed in a peculiar training from the morning.
At first, I found it hard to guess their intent.
Why on earth were they practicing apologies all of a sudden?
Of all people, it was Senior Elsi.
As anyone at the academy knew, Senior Elsi had a very strong pride.
Given that temperament, it was hardly easy for her to bow her head to others.
This was proven by several failed attempts.
Yet, Senior Elsi did not give up. Instead, she had been continuing her practice every morning for several days.
The reason soon became clear.
“Hey, sister, are you really going to apologize? Those commoners…”
“Even if I bully them, they can’t complain?”
Senior Elsi scoffed, retorting in such a way.
Lupin, being hit with the point, had to keep his mouth closed.
His complexion still showed dissatisfaction.
There was a look on his face that seemed to struggle with why his beloved sister had to apologize to those commoners.
At least his feelings of love for his sister were genuine.
It was just that his personality didn’t quite match.
Senior Elsi, too, seemed to inwardly agree with Lupin’s opinion, her eyes slightly narrowing.
She crossed her arms and opened one eye slightly, and with a cheeky voice, she said.
“…But what can you do? The master doesn’t want it.”
“No, that’s just… Honestly, it seems like an excuse…”
“Anyway.”
Senior Elsi swiftly dismissed Lupin’s reasonable deduction.
Gradually, the girl relaxed her crossed arms, and a firm tone emerged from her lips.
“If it’s an excuse, I’ll get rid of them all… If I keep eliminating excuses, eventually I won’t be able to avoid giving a proper answer, right?”
Lupin appeared to admire Senior Elsi’s will as he fell silent.
After a while, a cautious question came back from Lupin.
“What if they really reject it…?”
“…Hey! Do you really want to keep saying annoyingly pessimistic things?!”
As Senior Elsi yelled out, Lupin immediately lowered his head.
It was a typical squabble between siblings.
Amid this heartwarming daily life, I had to let out a faint sigh.
Every word from Senior Elsi pierced my heart.
Lupin’s assumption was correct.
In fact, I had merely spewed out excuses. I didn’t know how to respond to Senior Elsi.
Thus, each day my heart felt tormented, and my true feelings became increasingly unclear.
Did I truly want to accept Senior Elsi’s confession?
Or was I simply looking for a convenient excuse to reject her?
I pondered and pondered, yet no answer surfaced.
Fortunately, there was one reassuring fact.
The silly morning training of the Rainelle siblings was soon reaching its end.
When I went to the clearing in the forest, the presence of the two had completely vanished.
Perhaps they had given up after realizing it wasn’t working no matter how hard they tried.
Only then was I able to stroll through the academy with a slightly more relaxed heart.
At least until any rumors reached my ears.
“Hey, did you hear that story?”
I was on my way back after finishing my training and refilling my water container.
The voices of two students chatting from benches lining the central road lightly brushed against my ears.
As the end of the vacation approached, the crowd at the academy was gradually increasing.
I had been focused on my recovery, but I was just starting to think about visiting those I hadn’t seen for a while.
For instance, Emma.
I had heard that Emma had recently run out of living expenses and went off temporarily to sell potions.
She had survived for a while eating mushrooms, but it seemed she had finally reached her limit.
To sell potions at a fair price, she had to go to the Alchemist Guild. However, since there was no branch of the Alchemist Guild at the academy, it was likely that Emma had left through the Warp Gate.
If that were the case, she wouldn’t be around the academy for at least a few days.
With the new semester starting soon, Emma would have to be back before long.
Just as I was waiting for that news, the rumors came rolling in.
“You know that ‘little villain’ Elsi Rainelle? They say she’s been going around apologizing these days.”
My feet, which had been moving, suddenly stopped.
I remained silent for a moment before shifting my gaze.
There, a female student wearing a similar expression to mine was looking at me.
She asked back, as if to represent me.
“…Isn’t that just nonsense?”
“No, I thought so too, but there are already several witnesses.”
I felt my throat drying out for some unknown reason.
But no matter how much I tilted my water container, only a few drops dripped out. I grew increasingly thirsty, but the dryness wouldn’t go away.
The conversation among the female students continued.
“Honestly, isn’t it funny? Seeing the Rainelle senior bowing to a commoner… Hehe, it would be quite a sight.”
“Arthur, Arthur. If she suddenly lashes out at us…”
“I don’t think she’ll do that, though?”
One of the female students curled her lips up, as if imagining a delightful scene.
Even just picturing it seemed like a very amusing sight.
“They said she received curses and even got hit a few times, but didn’t say a word.”
On the other hand, my heart sank.
Imagining Senior Elsi being humiliated did not sit well with me.
Let alone being cursed and assaulted.
I tightened my grip on the water container automatically.
Of course, no matter how I felt, the female students continued to chat in an indifferent tone.
“Tsk, tsk, those brats are too much… A commoner hitting a noble.”
“Yeah, they must have treated her harshly. You know how cruel that senior can be.”
With that, one of the girls shivered, and the topic about Senior Elsi was set aside.
Until then, I remained frozen in silence.
After a while, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
I should go find Senior Elsi.
Giving into that impulse, I walked on. I didn’t even know my destination, but I didn’t stop.
It was a matter of emotion rather than logic.
Logically speaking, Senior Elsi’s actions were justified.
She had been bullying innocent weaklings all this time.
It hadn’t been just once or twice.
Wasn’t she the one who had assaulted commoners and lower nobles multiple times out of malice? It had become so notorious that the academy had a reputation for being cruel.
So she naturally had to pay for her sins.
One apology wouldn’t wash away all her past, but it was a minimum courtesy. It was better than living as if nothing had happened.
Yes, it should be done.
I reassured myself and roamed around the academy.
As time passed, my heart somewhat calmed down.
The only concern remained was what to say if I met Senior Elsi.
My wandering, having barely regained my composure, continued for a while longer.
Then my steps stopped around early lunchtime.
I heard a shouting voice from somewhere.
“Do you expect me to believe that right now…?”
It was a faint but heated voice.
I quickly held my breath and moved forward.
Not long after, I discovered the source of the voice.
It was a gaunt man.
Wearing glasses, he appeared to be quite haggard, trembling his fragile fist as he glared at the girl in front of him.
The woman in the hooded hat only lowered her head silently.
It was clear who she was.
Senior Elsi.
Finally, I found the girl I had been searching for so long.
