After homeroom ended,
They weren't exempt from attending.
According to Zanoba, lunch break would start in about two hours. He'd invited me with a smile to share a meal together.
That was nice of him.
I'd sign up for some classes myself eventually.
But I had to keep my priorities straight. I hadn't come to this school to study.
That said, I couldn't just zone out for two whole hours. I hadn't come here to slack off either.
So for the time being, I decided to explore the school facilities.
I'd already asked about the locations of the classrooms and had looked at a map, but it'd be better to see everything with my own two feet.
With that thought, I set off.
First stop: the infirmary.
This school's infirmary was spacious. About eight beds were lined up, with two healing magic practitioners on permanent staff.
That probably meant there were a lot of injuries from magical accidents. Even now, a man roughly twice my height was being carried in on a stretcher, clutching one arm while his leg bent at an unnatural angle. One of the healers held the injured area while rapidly incanting.
Intermediate-level healing magic.
The man's expression of agony quickly eased. Not wanting to get in the way, I left the area.
Come to think of it, the plate at the entrance actually read "First Aid Station." It wasn't an infirmary after all.
Next, I headed to the gymnasium storehouse.
This room was located adjacent to the training grounds where the exam had been held the other day. Naturally, the entrance was locked.
I'd either need to get the key from the faculty building, borrow one from a gym teacher, or use spell-less magic to pick the lock.
I used spell-less magic to effortlessly pick the lock and slipped inside.
The interior smelled slightly musty and was quite dusty. It felt less like a gymnasium storehouse and more like a regular warehouse. Shelves held leather helmets and chest guards lined up like kendo masks. In the corner, magic staffs were stuffed together like umbrellas in an umbrella stand. There were also iron training dummies and a pot full of some unidentifiable white powder.
But none of what I was looking for was there.
Apparently, they didn't do tumbling or floor exercises at this school. And the room wasn't even called the "gymnasium storehouse" — it was the "Training Equipment Room."
I'd thought about heading to the rooftop next, but this school didn't have one. Being in a region with heavy snowfall, the building basically had steeply sloped roofs. There was apparently an attic as well, but I'd skip that for now.
Since the rooftop was a bust, I set my sights on the library.
The school's library was a standalone building. Walking about ten minutes from the main building, I arrived at a two-story structure.
When I tried to enter, a guard at what served as the entrance stopped me.
"Halt!"
"Huh?"
"I don't recognize your face. New student? Where's your class?"
"Uh, yes, I'm a new student. I'm in the special program — exempt from classes."
"Show me your student ID."
I fumbled slightly but pulled out the student ID I'd received the other day and handed it over.
The guard looked me up and down, then said, "Alright," and confirmed it. Then I was subjected to a thorough body search.
After that, he gave me a rough rundown of the library's rules.
No magic allowed inside the library. Checking out books was basically prohibited, though a portion was available for borrowing. In those cases, I'd need to get permission from the librarian on duty and register in a ledger. Naturally, damaging or soiling books would result in penalties.
Pretty standard library rules, but apparently, if you severely damaged a book, you could face fines or even expulsion.
Incidentally, all the books in the library were apparently copies. Destroying even a copy could get you expelled. Given how expensive books were in this world, I supposed that was only natural.
"All the same, this is remarkably strict."
"There was a scoundrel who switched out books in the past. Can you believe it — they were selling them on the market."
That was apparently what had happened.
Stepping into the library, a soft scent of books wafted over me. That unique aroma — you could call it musty, inky, or papery. All of those, and none of them.
A glance revealed restrooms right near the entrance. Maybe a countermeasure against the Aokidori Mako phenomenon?
I gave the librarian a light greeting and headed deeper inside.
Near the entrance, desks and tables were arranged, and beyond them, tall bookshelves stood in row after row.
"Oh."
I let out a spontaneous exclamation.
Since coming to this world, I'd read quite a few books, but this was the first time I'd ever seen so many volumes lined up like this.
The building had an open atrium structure, and the second floor was similarly occupied by bookshelves. Desks and chairs were placed throughout, probably because quite a few students studied here. It'd be just right for research too.
"Ah."
That's when I remembered the
'
This was perfect. With this many books, I could certainly look into teleportation in detail.
But still — with this many volumes, where should I even start?
"Should I ask the librarian...?"
No, I shook my head. There was no need to rush into it right this moment. The truth behind that teleportation incident hadn't even been uncovered in the
For now, I'd just get a general sense of where each genre of books was located.
Thinking that, I strolled through the aisles between the bookshelves.
There were all manner of books. Most were written in the human language, but some were in Demon God or Beast God script. There were even volumes in War God script. As for the characters I couldn't read, were they Heaven God script? Or maybe Ocean God script? I'd want someone to translate them into a script I could read.
"Ah!"
A small cry came from behind me.
I turned around.
A boy with white hair and sunglasses was looking my way.
Fitz. He was carrying several books and scrolls under his arms.
I hurried into a rigid standing posture and bowed my head.
"The other day, I'm terribly sorry. My foolish behavior ended up making you lose face in front of the senior. I'd been planning to bring a box of sweets and visit to apologize, but being a new student, everything's been so busy..."
"Wah!? I-It's fine, raise your head."
In my previous life, there was a man named Masa whom I respected. He was a working adult who navigated the rough seas of society entirely through groveling. One of his techniques was "when you've done something wrong, get ahead of it by bowing and apologizing first in the bathroom or wherever, so they can't explode at you during the important meeting."
Fitz, who had harbored negative feelings toward me, grew flustered, and his emotions shifted somewhat toward forgiveness.
Success.
"Rud... ah, Rudeus? What are you doing here?"
"Just some research."
"About what?"
"The teleportation incident."
When I said that, Fitz furrowed his brow.
Had I said something odd?
"The teleportation incident? Why?"
"I used to live in the Fittore territory of the Asura Kingdom. In that teleportation incident, I was sent all the way to the Demon Continent."
"The Demon Continent!?"
Fitz reacted with somewhat exaggerated surprise.
"Yes. It took me three years to get back. In the meantime, my family apparently made it back, but I haven't found a single acquaintance yet. Since this is a good opportunity, I thought I'd do a thorough investigation."
"...Did you come to this school specifically to research that?"
"Yes."
I couldn't very well say it was to treat my erectile dysfunction. But wanting to research the teleportation incident wasn't a lie either. I genuinely wanted to know how that event had come about.
"I see, so that's it... That's amazing."
Fitz said that while scratching behind his ears.
What did he mean by "amazing" when I hadn't discovered anything yet? And what was the "so that's it" about?
Oh well.
"What are you doing here, Senpai?"
"Ah, right. I was in the middle of carrying materials. I should get going. Rudeus, see you later."
"Ah, yes, see you."
Fitz said hurriedly and turned on his heel to head toward the librarian.
"Oh, that's right. If you're researching teleportation, you should read 'Labyrinth Exploration of Teleportation' by Animas. It's in narrative form, but it's easy to understand."
Fitz left those parting words and departed.
He didn't seem like the talkative type, but I didn't get a bad impression from him. He didn't seem to hold a grudge about the exam either. His intense gaze had given me the wrong idea, but he might actually be a pretty good person.
--- I asked the librarian for the location of 'Labyrinth Exploration of Teleportation' and spent the time until lunch engrossed in reading it.
It wasn't a thick book. About the size of a notebook, with fewer than a hundred pages.
It was about an adventurer named Animas Macedonius from the Northern Lands who challenged a labyrinth.
The labyrinth he tackled was the 'Teleportation Labyrinth' — a rare dungeon where every single trap was a teleportation trap.
The monsters inhabiting it were five types, all highly intelligent creatures that understood the labyrinth's structure and where the teleportation traps would send you. If you were unlucky enough to step on a teleportation trap and land at certain locations, hordes of monsters would be waiting to slaughter you.
Avoiding teleportation traps during combat was extremely difficult. The moment things devolved into a chaotic melee, your party would be scattered in an instant. It was classified as an exceptionally high-difficulty labyrinth.
Animas and his companions challenged this labyrinth while systematically investigating the teleportation traps within.
Teleportation traps came in three main varieties. One was one-way teleportation — you'd always arrive at the same place, but there was no way to return. One was two-way teleportation — the destination had a magic circle for returning. The last was random teleportation — you had no idea where you'd end up.
In the Teleportation Labyrinth, you'd basically repeat teleportation via magic circles while pushing deeper into the dungeon's interior. But among those magic circles, random teleportation ones were mixed in. If you accidentally stepped on one, your party would be scattered, and you'd end up fighting a massive swarm of monsters alone.
The book also included a discussion on how to identify random teleportation magic circles. Using the method discovered midway through the story, Animas pressed ever deeper into the labyrinth.
Animas and his party grew increasingly confident. They practically considered the labyrinth conquered.
But the identification method wasn't foolproof.
Near the story's climax, they failed to identify one and stepped on a random teleportation circle.
Animas found himself surrounded by a massive number of enemies. He lost one arm but barely managed to survive.
However, he lost three companions in one go. Animas himself was already too injured to fight, and he abandoned his adventure.
The story ended there, with a note saying it was left to the reader to conquer that labyrinth.
I couldn't tell if this was fiction or nonfiction. All the same, having your party scattered into a monster house was pretty brutal.
There were similar dungeons in RPGs from my previous life too, but unlike games designed to be cleared, there was always the possibility that a labyrinth in this world simply couldn't be reached to its deepest point.
Other adventurers had mentioned that labyrinths were always designed so you could reach the magic crystal at the very end. But I wouldn't be surprised if there was at least one fraudulent dungeon with no goal.
At the end of the book, there was an analysis of random teleportation. Though called "random," the teleportation was apparently somewhat limited by the magic circle's range. Also, even within a cave, it was extremely rare for someone to be teleported into the earth itself.
According to Animas's reasoning, this was because the magic power of the teleportation destination and the magic power of the teleporting object would repel each other — the same principle that prevented you from directly generating offensive magic inside another person's body.
You couldn't generate offensive magic directly inside someone else's body. I was vaguely aware of that already. But healing magic was performed inside the other person's body. That was one of the reasons I couldn't do healing magic without incantation — but I'd leave that aside for now.
As for teleportation, some similar exceptional theory must come into play. Offensive magic could be generated inside the earth, but teleportation into it was impossible.
Surprisingly, the theory might be quite simple — it might just require extra magic to move a human body from one space to another.
As I was thinking along these lines, the noon bell rang.
Time flew.
--- I moved to the meeting spot with Zanoba, and we headed to the dining hall.
The dining hall was also a separate building — three stories tall, with different floors designated for different groups of students.
The third floor was for human royalty and nobility.
The second floor was for human commoners and beast races.
The first floor was for adventurers and demon races.
This wasn't so much discrimination as separation. If human nobility dined alongside adventurers and demons, it would inevitably lead to unnecessary conflict. Even table manners differed wildly.
I'd assumed that as an adventurer, the first floor would be fine for me...
"Come, come, this way please."
After receiving what Zanoba called his "recommended set meal" at the counter, I was practically dragged by him up to the third floor.
"Ugh..."
The moment I appeared at the top of the stairs, I felt the stares of everyone up there converge on me all at once.
A hint of "commoner smell" was probably part of it, but my current outfit wasn't helping either. The weather was cold, so I'd thrown a robe over my uniform. The mouse-gray robe I'd purchased five years ago was already tattered at the hem, with a large stitch mark across the chest. I'd grown taller recently, so it was also slightly too small.
In a word: shabby.
There were a few other people wearing robes for warmth on the first and second floors, but on the third floor, not a single one. Everyone wore warm-looking mantles or cardigans.
A clear analogy: everyone else was in suits, and I was the only one in a tracksuit.
Even someone like me, who was indifferent to clothing, could read the atmosphere.
"Zanoba, I don't think the air up here agrees with me. Could we at least eat on the second floor?"
"The second floor won't do. Riniia and Purusena are there."
"Then the first floor?"
"The first floor has many coarse people who don't even know basic table manners. As royalty, I should not mingle with them."
"Then let's just eat separately."
"How cruel. Do you have any idea how much patience I've endured because I couldn't meet my teacher until now? At the very least, let me share a meal..."
"Don't subject your teacher to this."
We went back and forth at the foot of the staircase. The stairs were wide, but passing students were clearly irritated.
Then, at that moment— "Heeey, it's Lord Luke!"
Loud, excited voices rose from the floor below. Those shrill cries were steadily growing closer.
"Loooord Luke, next time it's my turn—"
"Oh stop it, Lord Luke, you're so mean!"
"Hey Lord Luke, can I come on the next date too?"
One handsome man was ascending amidst a crowd of girls, his arms draped around two young women in uniforms that looked tight across the chest.
They had their hands around his waist as he climbed the stairs with a carefree grin.
This was the guy I'd seen at the entrance ceremony. Luke, was it? What was his last name, Skywalker?
As I was thinking that, our eyes met.
"You..."
Luke's eyes narrowed. His carefree expression gradually turned hostile.
"I believe you were Fitz's..."
Before the sentence was even finished, I bowed my head immediately.
This guy had apparently also watched my match with Fitz. Fitz didn't seem angry anymore, but he might have been upset on behalf of his friends. People in cliques like this cared about the group's face.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Rudeus Greyrat. Starting today, I'll be attending this school. Please take care of me, Senpai."
"Yeah, I know. Fitz told me about you."
Luke looked at me with an unpleasant expression.
"So, do you know my name?"
"No..."
Asked out of the blue about something like a post-apocalyptic warlord's brother, I shook my head. I'd heard the name Luke, but I didn't know his full name.
"I see. You don't even think I'm worth knowing. Figures."
"S-Sorry. If you'd be willing, could I have the honor of your name?"
Luke stared at my face with a sour look for a moment, then let out a single huff.
"Luke Notos
He spat the words out and strode past me.
"Oh em gee, what was that, like, totally unreasonable—"
"Also, that robe? So lame. The edges are all frayed."
"If it's torn, just buy a new one, geez."
The voices of his entourage of girls rained down with their criticisms.
But none of that registered in my ears.
Luke Notos Greyrat.
My father
Was this an illegitimate child?
No way. Not a chance.
Paul had already abandoned the Notos name. For someone to openly use it meant they were probably... a cousin or something.
"Master, we've caught the attention of a troublesome one."
"Yep, that can't be good."
"He's Luke — a high-ranking noble of the Asura Kingdom. Technically a student, but also a bodyguard for Princess Ariel."
"...Whatever the case, we should stop eating here."
"There's no helping it."
After that, we compromised and decided to eat outside.
The weather was nice, and I used earth magic to quickly whip up chairs and tables — a makeshift outdoor café, if you will. Zanoba was so impressed by that single spell that he let out an excited "Oooh!"
If I could impress him like that right in front of me, I was happy to oblige.
During the meal, he told me about Princess Ariel and her entourage.
Ariel Anemoi Asura. Seventeen years old.
A legitimate member of the Asura royal family. The second princess.
She was the sole daughter of the Asura Queen Consort, who had never been blessed with many children, and her succession rights placed her third at a young age.
The Queen Consort had suffered poor recovery after giving birth to her and had become unable to bear further children.
She was the only child of legitimate blood that the Queen Consort had produced.
Besides Ariel, the Asura Kingdom had two princes who aimed for the throne — the first prince and the second prince. Their factions were packed with the kingdom's most powerful figures.
If the prince they supported became king, they could reap the benefits. But there were so many people involved that it wasn't guaranteed everyone would get their share. After all, even within the minister factions, there was a hierarchy. Those ranked low were ignored.
So when the second princess was born, those who saw little chance of sponging off the princes' factions latched onto her instead.
A faction known as the Second Princess Faction was formed. But about four years ago, the most powerful figure in that group was ousted. The second princess was effectively exiled to this school under the guise of "studying abroad."
That princess had two bodyguards. One was Fitz — "Fitz the Silent."
A person who could cast magic without incantation. When the princess had nearly been assassinated during the ousting turmoil, he'd reportedly annihilated the assassins with terrifying combat prowess.
It was known that he was of the long-eared race, but where he'd been born, what he'd done growing up — that was a complete mystery. Very few people could teach spell-less magic, yet apparently, his master was unknown.
The Ariel faction also seemed to tend toward hiding his existence. From that, it was said that Fitz was some kind of cold-blooded combat machine secretly raised by the Asura royal palace, or something to that effect.
The other bodyguard was Luke — Luke Notos Greyrat. The second son of Pyrrha Notos Greyrat, the current head of the Notos household.
He had apparently been given elite education since birth as Princess Ariel's guardian knight. Even after the ousting, he continued in that role as insurance — in case the princess recovered and re-entered the succession struggle.
From the time they enrolled, they had been in the spotlight — the envy of all, yet simultaneously feared and revered.
"However, please note that this account includes some of my own speculation," Zanoba concluded.
"Oh. Thanks... But seriously, Zanoba, you really know your stuff."
"I had it researched."
"By whom?"
"Two foolish beast-race girls."
Riniia and Purusena, then. Zanoba's expression was one of anguish.
Was he being made to run errands?
"Zanoba... are those two bullying you?"
"Bullying? No. I merely lost in combat and submitted. That's all there is to it."
"Submitted, huh."
Zanoba looked somewhat troubled, but his voice was flat. As long as he was okay with it...
Bullying typically happened out of sight. If this guy was suffering, I wanted to help.
But their strength was unknown. If I allied with Zanoba, maybe... but the Doldia tribe was apparently a special race among beast races, and I didn't want to make enemies of the other beast races too. They jumped to conclusions based on prejudice and were so far outside the norm that they were scary.
Well, of course there were decent ones too. Like Ghislaine.
Besides, I was a champion of the bullied.
"If anything bad happens to you, let me know. I'll help however I can."
"Hahaha, I won't trouble my teacher. Rest easy. Now then, let's talk about dolls!"
Zanoba laughed as he said that.
Hmph... Well, I'd keep watching for a bit longer.
--- After lunch, I resumed my stroll. But I couldn't think of any other places worth checking out, so after a quick sweep of the main building, I returned to the library.
I dove into the literature on teleportation. But I'd never actually used a library before. Just finding the right materials took a considerable amount of time.
I had the librarian show me the catalog, then picked out anything with "teleportation" in the title. Finding those books in the sea of volumes was another task entirely.
That alone took several hours.
And some of the books I brought back weren't even detailed texts on teleportation. Others were written in jargon and difficult language. Some were in scripts I didn't understand at all...
Most of them were books I couldn't decipher without specialized knowledge.
"At this rate, if I'm going to do serious research, I'll need at least a notebook."
There was only so much I could absorb just from reading and memorizing.
Realizing this, I asked the librarian to hold my books and stepped outside.
Outside, it was dusk. Students finishing their classes were trickling back to their dorms. Some were heading into the library.
I went against that flow and headed to the school store.
The store was near the main building's entrance — more of a general goods shop, really.
Inside, several students were shopping amiably. Glancing around, I saw magic textbooks, magic stones, robes, wooden swords, beginner's wands, and more.
There were also bags, shoes, soap, and other daily necessities. Dried meat, smoked meat, bottles of water, bottles of alcohol — essentially everything.
I bought some paper bundles, a pen, ink, and string to tie the bundles together, then left.
I hadn't even brought any of these things with me when I came to school. What exactly had I come here for?
Well, obviously, to treat my illness. I just didn't have any leads yet.
When I exited the store, the surroundings had grown dark. There were no streetlights, but the road glowed faintly, so I continued walking.
Winter was technically over, but snow still lingered on the ground. Watching my step, I hurried toward the dormitory.
No one else was around. I could hear distant commotion, but I felt as though I'd wandered into a space devoid of people.
From the main building, the order was the women's dormitory first, then the men's. The path ran past the front of the women's dormitory.
Without thinking much of it, I walked straight down that path.
That was when— "Hm?"
Something fell from above.
White.
But not snow.
Instinctively, I caught it.
"Oh."
Unfolding it, it was a piece of pure white cloth. Slightly decorated but not gaudy — it gave an impression of cleanliness.
To be specific: it was a pair of panties.
Maybe someone had been trying to air-dry them.
Looking up, I thought I'd caught the eye of whoever had dropped them. But it was too dark to make out the face.
Still, they looked somewhat familiar...
"...Um, I'll return this to you."
"AAAAAH! Pervert! Underwear thief!"
Huh?
A female student's scream.
Not from above.
It came from behind me.
I spun around frantically. A figure was pointing at me and screaming.
It was a misunderstanding. But by the time I realized that, it was already too late.
With a delay from the scream, the balcony doors started slamming open.
And then figures — one, two, three — leaped out from the first floor.
Before I knew it, I was surrounded, still holding up the pair of panties.
I had no idea what was going on.
"Ah, um, you see..."
"Hmph!"
Standing at the front was a terrifyingly large-built girl. "Girl" was generous — "woman" was more accurate, or perhaps "bandit" or "gorilla."
That was the impression she gave. Her shoulders were nearly twice the width of mine.
A beast race...? No, maybe a demon race.
"You worthless scum of a pervert."
The girl spat on the ground in front of me. An insult right out of nowhere.
This was hardly the behavior befitting the Wise Man of the Forest.
What was going on?
Why was I suddenly being treated like an underwear thief?
True, I was a fifteen-year-old boy with a keen interest in undergarments, but this time I hadn't tried to steal, smell, or anything else. I'd simply caught something that fell from above before it hit the ground and was going to return it to its owner.
"W-Wait! I didn't do anything!"
"You didn't do anything?"
The gorilla-girl grabbed my arm.
Big hand.
"Then what's that you're holding in your hand?"
There was indeed something in my hand. Her expression said it was the smoking gun.
The stares from all around stung. Undeniably hostile stares.
My legs started trembling.
"That's Lady Ariel's underwear! No matter how much you admire Her Highness, to be so brazen at this hour — have some shame!"
At the gorilla-girl's tirade, the surrounding girls also hurled insults at me: "That's right!" "Pervert!" "Die!"
I was about to cry. What was even happening?
"Come on! I'll drag you over here and make sure you regret this so it never happens again!"
She grabbed my arm and shoulder and began dragging me.
I tried to resist slightly, but all I managed was to leave skid marks on the ground with the soles of my shoes.
The power difference was enormous. I'd been training too, but our muscle mass was just too different.
Was I going to be dragged into the building and beaten within an inch of my life?
For a crime I didn't commit.
Should I run?
I hadn't done anything wrong, but if I ran, wouldn't they declare me guilty?
What do I do? Was this what getting falsely accused of groping on a train felt like?
Could I talk my way out of it?
They'd already made up their minds, but...
No — this was exactly when I needed to be firm. I'd done nothing wrong.
With that thought, I used earth magic to anchor my feet in place.
My feet stopped sliding, and the gorilla-girl looked surprised.
Then she peered at me with a mocking expression.
"Oh? What's this — going to throw a tantrum and struggle? For an underwear thief, you've got some nerve. Do you really think you can take on all of us?"
I didn't feel like I'd lose. But "underwear thief"...
If I fought back here, I'd still be branded an underwear thief. Falsely accused. And worse, if I fought, it could escalate to charges of assaulting women. Then it wouldn't be false anymore.
They could even start a petition and drive me out of school.
What a mess. What was I supposed to do?
"Wait! Stop right there!"
A somewhat high-pitched boy's voice rang out.
"Lord Fitz!"
"Wha— Lord Fitz!?"
"Fitz spoke?!"
"Why is he here?!"
Parting the crowd, a small boy with white hair and sunglasses appeared.
Fitz.
"Sorry. I was trying to hang up that underwear and dropped it. He just caught it for me."
Fitz, panting slightly, positioned himself between me and the gorilla-girl. And he vouched for me.
The gorilla-girl huffed.
"Fitz... sir. I know you've been entrusted with doing Her Highness Ariel's laundry. But that's a separate matter. This guy was walking around here at this hour. After sunset, only female students are allowed on this path — that's the rule."
That was a rule?
There hadn't been any sign, though.
While I was confused, Fitz shook his head.
"He's still a new student. He's a special student with a single room, so he doesn't even have a roommate. He wouldn't know the dorm's detailed rules yet. I'm asking you to overlook it."
Fitz was desperate. Even from the sidelines, I could feel the urgency in his voice.
I didn't know the full picture, but I was grateful.
The gorilla-girl turned to me, her expression clearly asking, "Is that true?"
I nodded vigorously.
She stared at my face while still gripping my arm for a while, then— "Hmph. For that quiet Fitz to go to bat for you this hard — it must be true. But it's also true that this guy broke the dormitory covenant. As a warning, I'll need to puni— !?"
As she spoke, she tried to drag me again — and stopped.
At some point, Fitz had drawn his staff. He was now pointing its tip directly at the gorilla-girl's face.
"I said he's done nothing wrong. Let go of him... now."
"Fi... Fitz... sir?"
His voice carried a hint of anger.
The crowd stirred.
In the dim light, I could see the color draining from the gorilla-girl's face.
"Or would you all prefer to be sent to the infirmary?"
So cool. I wanted to deliver a line like that someday.
"Tch... Fine."
The grip on my arm was released, roughly. The girl who'd had me in a headlock also let go. My wrist stung.
But I probably didn't need healing magic.
"Fitz sir, I'll give you face this time. But you!" She pointed at me. "Don't you dare hang around near the women's dormitory during this time period again! Next time I catch you, I won't be so lenient!"
The gorilla-girl — apparently named Galliard — tossed off that parting shot and climbed back through the window she'd jumped out of.
The other girls followed, leaving me with piercing stares before vanishing.
In an instant, the women had disappeared from the scene.
"Whew... That Galliard really doesn't listen to anyone..."
Fitz sighed, watching them leave.
So that gorilla was named Galliard. What a fitting name — truly a case where the name fits the body.
Fitz turned to me and bowed his head.
"Sorry. Because I dropped the underwear, it turned into all this."
Why was a boy doing laundry for women's underwear in the women's dormitory in the first place? That was what I wanted to ask. But he was apparently a trusted bodyguard for Princess Ariel, so he'd probably been given special permission.
He seemed sincere. He radiated harmlessness from head to toe. He was dependable, young, and even behind those sunglasses, he was a good-looking kid.
Cute-boy type rather than rugged-handsome, but still.
Oh no. To put it nicely, I was starting to have feelings. To put it crudely, I'd be willing to lick his feet.
"No, Fitz Senpai, you did nothing wrong... You saved me."
"Saved you? If you'd gotten serious, they would have been the ones injured."
That was when I understood why he'd rushed over. If I'd fought back, the girls would've gotten hurt. He'd realized that.
Though that said, he'd still been remarkably helpful.
"Still, that was sudden. What just happened?"
"Ah, yeah. Like Galliard said, after sunset, male students aren't allowed near the women's dormitory."
"Really? But nothing like that was in the school rules—"
"It's a local rule among the students living in the dorms. After dark, you're not supposed to use this path — you take the long way around to the men's dormitory."
A local rule, huh. I didn't know, but couldn't someone have told me? Like Zanoba?
"I had no idea."
"It can't be helped. Just be more careful next time."
"I will."
I didn't need to be told twice. Even during the daytime, I'd never walk this path again.
The memory of all those hostile female stares still made me shudder.
"Well then, thank you so much. If you hadn't helped, Fitz Senpai, who knows what would've happened..."
"It's nothing. I just did what needed to be done."
What needed to be done... Come to think of it, these past few years, I'd been nothing but misunderstood and falsely accused — starting with the beast race, then Paul, then
Did I really have that kind of face?
But Fitz hadn't decided I was guilty. He'd stood by my side and defended me. On fair terms.
Partly because his own carelessness had caused it, and with the exam situation on top of that...
It was genuinely heartwarming.
Fitz Senpai. Despite his blunt personality, he bore no grudge over the exam. He'd given me advice at the library too. He had clout around the school but never threw it around. And just now, he'd read the situation perfectly and saved me.
He looked like a kid, but he was a man of character.
Senpai. Yes — I'd call him Senpai. With the utmost respect.
"But Rudeus, couldn't you have gotten out of it on your own?"
"Not at all. Senpai, truly — thank you."
As I bowed, Fitz scratched his cheek with an embarrassed look.
"Ha ha... Getting thanked by you, Rudeus — that feels kind of weird."
"Eh? Why do you say that?"
At my question, Fitz gave a bashful smile.
"...It's a secret."
I'd be lying if I said my heart didn't skip a beat at that smile.
--- And so, my first day of school came to an end.