32 The Undying Magic Swordsman (1/2)
After the match, it seemed that I was going to be forcefully brought to the infirmary, so I gave them the slip and escaped.
That was dangerous.
If someone sees that I'm pretty much unscathed, how could I explain it? I almost had to cut myself back there.
I exit through the participants-only door, then walk down an empty hallway.
I guess the remaining 33 techniques would have to be saved for next year. Hopefully a good opportunity comes before then.
”U-, um...”
”Nn?”
Suddenly, a student that I'm not familiar with calls out to me.
It is a cute girl with pink hair wearing the school uniform. I feel like I might have seen her before. Or maybe not? Not sure.
”Your injuries... are you alright?”
”J-, just barely... avoided any deep wounds... I think?”
I nonchalantly take the pose of pressing on the wound on my chest.
”That's a relief. Um, I saw your match.”
”I, I see.”
”I don't watch matches often, but the way you kept standing back up, I thought it was really cool.”
”Erm, it was cool...?”
”Yes...”
She nods with a slight blush.
What a strange girl she is to find a mob 'cool.' Well, there were indeed a lot of people in the audience, so I guess it wouldn't be strange for one or two to have such eccentricities.
”So, um, this...”
The girl timidly holds out a small package.
”This is?”
”I baked some cookies... in return...”
Is this like a gift for a good match?
”Thanks.”
Since she already went to the trouble, then might as well.
The girls smiles happily.
”I-, if it's alright with you, can we start as friends?”
”Friends? Sure.”
Aside from a certain exception, I generally live by a policy to not cause girls embarrassment.
”Yes! Step-father, we became friends.”
Step-father?
The girl is looking towards a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair in a swept back style who is walking towards us.
Now this thin man, I recognize.
”Vice Principal Ruslan...”
He is this academy's vice-principal, and also used to be a master fencer who had taken the championship once at the Festival of the God of War.
And if this girl is calling him 'step-father,' then it must mean she is...!
”Sherry Barnett...!”
”Yes?”
According to my own investigation, she is arguably the biggest character in the Scholar Academy.