Chapter 43 (1/2)

VOLUME 2 CHAPTER 10: Dragon-san Loses Her Mind Part 1

At Signos Academy, there are facilities that are opened for general public.

On the day of our appointment, I arrived at the Academy much earlier than I told Elvie, and so I tried to look up the exhibition room at the Academy’s map and get there by myself.

And although it was called the exhibition room, its scale was similar to that of a regular museum, if not even bigger.

Apparently it was a room where various students could exhibit their inventions, as well as present the results of their magical studies. There was also a table of all the things that were ever put in here in chronological order, so it was fairly interesting.

In addition, in the back of the room there was the portrait of the first Headmaster of the Academy, in other words a portrait of Kyle in his later years. There was even a plaque with explanation underneath it.

「Hm, Former Exhibition?」

There was even a glass casing with a plaque that read ‘Staff of the First Headmaster’, but surprisingly enough the casing was empty.

Kyle used to carry that staff with him all the time, and in his later years he even began to tinker with it. Once he even asked me if I could lend him some of my scales for his upgrades, to which I agreed quite eagerly.

It’s been a while since I last saw that thing, but since it was not here but somewhere else I guess there was nothing I could do about it.

Feeling a little bit disappointed I left the exhibition room and went back to the corridor, that was now full of students in black uniforms since the lessons were over for the day.

I was feeling so out of place and conspicuous. The curios gazes of young boys and girls were almost way too painful for me to handle.

That’s right, even in the area open to the general public, the sight of someone in their mid-twenties walking among teenagers was rather eye-catching.

Oh, that person in the distance looks like a teacher.

…… I’d better go to the meeting place before someone decides to report me in!!

While telling myself that I reached the main gate at a pace that was a little bit too suspicious, but at the very least I managed to put some distance between myself and the teachers.

There was a statue in the middle of the spacious plaza, one depicting the Black Flame Dragon spreading its wings.

Naturally, it was not a 1:1 scale, but the scales were finely carved out of the high quality obsidian, oh, and is this genuine gold that I see in its eyes? I wonder how much money this thing was worth?

…… It was the first time for me to visit the Academy through the main gate. The last time I was here I used a whole different entrance, so it was all news to me.

Kyle, what the hell is that supposed to beeeeeeeee!!!

Is this harassment? Is that some sick form of harassment you came up with!?

I swear, if you were still alive you wouldn’t hear the end of iiiiiiiiittttttttt!!!

Right now I was feeling so embarrassed that I wanted to get the hell out of here, but I was still clutching my hands on the pedestal and was unable to move away. It was then when I heard a familiar voice calling out to me from behind.

「Noct-san, is everything alright?」

「Aah, it’s nothing, lad. Just an old wound that won’t stop itching.」

「Haah.」

Rather, my head hurts just thinking about it.

While trying to cope with the signs of what was probably a new kind of psychological trauma born from witnessing the statue, I turned around to see Elvie’s puzzled face.

「Heya, it’s been a while. How are you holding up?」

「Umm, I know it took quite a while, but thank you for coming here today, Noct-san.」

「I should be the one who should be thanking you for inviting me.」

「Notc-san, please come this way. And I’m terribly sorry, but it’s quite a bit of a walk.」

「I don’t mind that at all.」

Having finished our greetings, I started to walk through the campus right behind Elvie.

But, how do I put it? For some reason Elvie looked to be quite restless.

「Is there something wrong?」

「No, I mean, I forgot that you stand out so much, Noct-san, and it was my fault for meeting with you in such a crowded place.」

Well, sure, I think that I’m standing out just a little bit. Actually no, make that quite a lot.

「Would it be better if I came here in secret?」

「No, it’s not a problem of any sort, really. I’m just a little bit worried about tomorrow, that is all.」

So that’s the reason for Elvie’s strange behavior.

While I was thinking about that, the wall of forest trees began to grow ever so closer, and finally a lonely building could be seen in the distance.

「This the building that used to house all the clubs in the past…… What do you think?」

Elvie ask me such a question while I look at the brick building covered in ivy, growing bigger with each step closer we take.

「…… Oh, not bad, I gotta say.」

「Is that so?」

Said Elvie, leaving that matter be.

Oh well, it was a rather safe answer coming from me, with no deeper meaning hidden behind it.

But somehow, I could feel that it was something strange with the flow of magic around the forest near the building.

Even though it felt off, there wasn’t that much magical energy in the forest, but I decided to take a note of that for now.

If we walked a little bit further from here we would enter the land under the jurisdiction of one of my Dragon senpais, but since they haven’t sensed anything and didn’t raise questions I assumed it was alright for me to be here.

Even so, it was a force of habit of mine to surveil the magical circulation of the places I was at right now.

For now let’s try to change gears, since I am on vacation, if nothing else.

I told that to myself while I enthusiastically entered the building and followed Elvie to the clubroom.

The first tihing that I saw when Elvie opened the door and we entered the room, was Aru siting in the middle of a classroom-looking room, and he went to welcome us.

「Hello, Mo…… I mean, Notc-san.」

…… Aru tried to say something, but stopped himself before it was too late. It was subtle, but also very dangerous.

「Hey, Aru. It hasn’t been that long since we last saw each other, but I am looking forward to what you want to show me today.」

「I am also glad that you came!」

We exchanged smiles, to which Elvie looked quite stunned.

「So, you really DO know one another. Noct-san.」

「That’s right. I have known this lad ever since he was born. Sorrty for not saying anything. I was just at a loss, thinking that coming out with might be a little bit too sudden.」

「There was no obligation for you to do so, so it’s not your fault at all.」

Ahaha, guess he’s right. Can’t argue with that.