Well, here I was. The Academy.

My body was trembling, all jello-ish. This was what they called ‘trembling with excitement’. Of course it was. Now that the hindrance called [Shadows] was gone, I could finally and without reserve, enjoy my school life. This must be the way my body was telling me how it was looking forward to it as well.

Definitely not because I skipped the Beast Summoning lessons. It was not that,  definitely not that.

Yep.

Nodding strongly to deeply convinced myself of that, I put on a serious expression as I pa.s.sed through the school gates.

The empty school grounds due to the early timing, felt mysterious. The air was humid, yet somehow chilly to the touch, causing gooseb.u.mps to appear on my skin.

As I continued walking down, the door to the White Dorm appeared in front of me. It felt slightly weird entering through the doors as I left through the ceiling the last time. Oh well, even I felt like retorting about that fact.

I wondered if everyone were still sleeping as the dorm was silent as well. In that stillness, my stomach announced the fact that it was hungry loudly. It resounded throughout the lobby. So embarra.s.sing, it was lucky no one was present.

Yep.

” …….Wah, I am hungry. ”

It was when I reflexively mumbled my thoughts out.

” What is that ‘Wah, I am hungry’? ”

To hear a respond despite not expecting one made me jumped up in surprise. I, I mean, you wouldn’t think there would be any students around this early in the morning, would you? d.a.m.n it, I totally had my guard down.

Besides, his presence was quite thin.

I would noticed it if anyone was standing there. I did took lessons from Father. I learned to notice my surroundings.

But I did not noticed him.

And it was at this unG.o.dly hour.

My heart beating wildly, I timidly turned around and…..

” Good morning, Will. Did you have fun on the trip with Zirco? ”

It was Calius-senpai.

Why?

My head was filled up with that question and I did not managed to processed his question.

When I felt relived upon seeing that it was Calius-senpai, he asked that. To tell the truth, my surprised-meter was going off the scales.

” Erm, who is Zirco? ”

At the very least, I plastered a smile on my face and somehow managed to squeezed out a reply. And the amused Calius-senpai was expressionless.

” Oh my, Will. You sound so distant. …..I said it right? That my hobby is observation. ”

Ho ho ho, Calius-senpai laughed and walked off, leaving me alone, standing there, stunned.

What happened? Or rather, who was Calius-senpai?

It seem like the mysterious feeling I felt when I first returned was true. Looking at the direction Calius-senpai left, a chill ran down my back.

Even with [Shadow] gone, it seem like I will not be able to get a peaceful school life.

” ….Will?! Where did you go?! ”

I cannot bring myself to wake Zen up so I stayed at the lobby, staring blankly before Selphy, who woke up early, noticed and rushed over.

Hmm, I had always wondered that Selphy seem to always be at the lobby, so she actually woke up this early. I did not know that since, thanks to Zen, had always arrived at the last moment.

Ah, even if I tried to escaped from reality by thinking about these kind of stuff but reality was still here.

” …..Will? ”

Which was, you see, Selphy’s eyes were burning. Burning with flames of anger.

” Wh, what is i

t, Selphy-san? ”

I asked, looking at her. But once our eyes met, she averted her eyes with a huge force.

URGH!!

The depressing sound sounded in my heart after so long. Since she averted her eyes, let’s just compromised and accepted it. It might be better to not stare into the eyes of someone angry anyway. Yep.

But, my currently enhanced hearing heard something I shouldn’t had.

” Don’t look at me with that faceーー!! ”

Selphy softly yelled to herself.

” …..Selphy-san? ”

Feeling uncomfortable at how she was back-facing me, I pretended not to hear that as I asked her timidly.

” ….That’s right!! ”

Selphy spun around, face flushed, exclaiming loudly. I jumped.

” Wah! ”

Ah, so my voice could go that high.

This was the worst. I just came back and had already made a fool of myself. Although Selphy’s head was hanging down, her shoulders were trembling. She was definitely laughing. My cheeks went hot from the embarra.s.sment. d.a.m.n it….

” Why, why did you go off without saying anything? Everyone is worried! ”

It was nice of her, to ignored my yell. Trembling, I lifted my head up to her and opened my mouth.

Eh….?

My sight was filled with her as I looked at her.

” Wh, what is it? ”

Even if Selphy was drawing back a bit, my emotions continued to gush forth, bit by bit.

” Thank you, Selphy. ”

I was moved.

Most surely, my expression was one of the most embarra.s.sing thing to be seen at this moment.

This happiness I felt, from which she did not suspect that I was simply playing truant, was immeasurable. It must be thanks to my usual conduct that made her worried for me instead.

What was this, what was this?

If it was like this, the ‘trembling from excitement’ thing this morning would be meaningless, wouldn’t it?

As I nodded, filled with emotion, my world came crumbling around me.

” Oh, isn’t this the rumored Will~! I heard all about it, you know. That Varino is going to give Beryl ‘something’ for missing his cla.s.s. ”

Yuria-senpai said (mocked), laughing happily.

…………OMG……………..

After that, I went into the cafeteria to grabbed breakfast and Zen walked in, with extremely bad bed-hair. Then, as expected, I was asked about what happened but I brushed it off with a vague explanation.

The operation this time was…..ah, it might not even be worthy to be called an ‘operation’…. But it was a secret mission given by the king. Even if Zen was my best friend, I could not possibly tell him.

And during this entire talk, I was not paying attention.

Because, because.

Varino-Sensei is super scary…..!!!!