"......I can't quite remember."

Kora glanced at me and spoke.

"There's this feeling of being really scared, but I can't remember what it was about...."

Kora said so and hung her head low.

What's going on, why would she say that and leave it there. It's misunderstanding.

Aten glared at me.

"......Mr. Frondier, don't tell me the child can't even remember because of......"

Exactly as I expected, a misunderstanding.

"There's no way. It's not because of me that she can't remember. It's her problem."

I spoke calmly.

But after omitting the hard-to-explain content, I sounded like a very bad guy.

As expected, Aten narrowed his eyes and said,

"The perpetrator always says that."

"Hey! That's what perpetrators say when they can't remember! Not when the victim can't remember!"

"......!"

Aten then seemed to realize, her eyes widening.

......Am I going to be hanging out with these two from now on?

Of course, I've always wanted to create a separate party that wouldn't interfere with Aster.

Is this the result? Ah, there's Selena too. Among those around me, she's the closest to an enemy, yet the most reliable.

Am I really okay?

Ding-dong-

Just then, an alert sound came from the speaker installed in the classroom.

"Huh?"

All the students in the classroom looked at the speaker, puzzled.

It's still during class, and Jane is here. Jane wasn't surprised but kept silent, puzzled.

I thought maybe someone accidentally pressed the alert button in the broadcast room, but soon a voice was heard.

[Uh, can you really say that?]

What's that about.

A quite panicked voice came from the speaker.

[Ah, ahem. This is an announcement from the broadcast room.]

Then, the announcement voice finally opened with the correct phrase.

[Student Frondier de Roach, please come to the principal's office immediately.]

......Me? The principal's office?

Not the staff room?

[Let me repeat. Student Frondier de Roach]

While the announcement voice was heard, the students and Jane's gaze gathered on me.

Not the staff room but the principal's office, and during class.

"......Please go, Frondier."

"......Yes."

Jane and I exchanged glances with slightly crumpled faces for a moment.

As I got up and left the classroom, I could hear the students murmuring.

-Has Frondier finally caused trouble?

It sounded as if they had been waiting for it.

* * *

The Principal's Office.

It was only after standing in front of it that I realized the seriousness of the situation and sighed.

There's only one person inside.

Constel's principal and chancellor, 'Zodiac' Osprey.

Osprey, who rarely gets involved in Constel's activities unless there's an incident, has unusually called a student individually through a broadcast alert.

But why me?

I took a light breath and knocked on the door.

Knock-knock-

"I'm Frondier. I came because you were looking for me."

"Come in."

Osprey said without hesitation.

Upon opening the door, the first thing that struck me was the vastness of the principal's office.

It was excessively spacious to simply be called a personal office, with most of the space filled to the brim with bookshelves.

Osprey stood in front of those shelves, peering into a book.

He looked at me and smiled comfortably.

"Well, you've arrived at a good time. Make sure to close the door tightly. The hallway can get quite cold for an old body like mine."

...Cold, huh. Quite the plausible excuse.

"Should I lock it?"

I asked, to which Osprey responded with an even broader smile.

"That would be even better."

Click-

As I locked the door, I could feel the room filling with magical energy.

"Is this a soundproofing spell?"

"Well, something like that. However."

Osprey extended his hand towards me and waved it through the air once. Something like a breeze brushed against my face and neck.

"Even my magic can't block Malia's sensory sharing. So, I checked, and fortunately, no abilities are currently applied to you."

...Did he just check for any applied magic or abilities on me with that gesture?

"Is the conversation that important? Even my mother shouldn't hear it?"

"Of course."

Thud-

Osprey closed the book with one hand.

The cover read 'The Legend of King Arthur'.

...As expected.

Osprey looked at me with a slight grin.

"Don't you think so too? It seems our intentions align."

"...Indeed."

"Then take a seat. This conversation might be long."

Osprey offered me a chair, and I sat down with an awkward step.

Perhaps I would have been less nervous if I were just a regular student.

Knowing the kind of figure 'Zodiac' Osprey is, this situation feels particularly heavy for me.

Osprey sat opposite me and said,

"You're the son of Enfer, aren't you? Then it would be best to get straight to the point."

...Not his real son, but it's true that I dislike unnecessary formalities.

I nodded, and Osprey asked,

"That young Enfer, that was you, right?"

Direct to the core. Straight to the point.

Although I had anticipated this since Osprey called for me, I still don't know his true intentions.

It's not easy to outright lie, nor is it easy to confirm.

Osprey spoke again after a brief pause in my response,

"Of course, it's fine whether you are or not. Even if you lie, it doesn't matter."

Osprey said this with a mischievous smile.

"It's just that depending on your answer, my next words will also change."

Ha, this old man.

Following Osprey's smile, I laughed along.

It seems he really wants to have an honest conversation with me.

Now, what should I answer?