Earnest entered her room and shut the door, cutting herself off from the hallway. Now that she was alone, she finally let out the sigh she had been saving up all this time. She could feel herself loosening up a bit.
After removing her sword belt, she placed her beloved blade against the wall. Then she took out her hair clip, freeing her long red hair as she undid her top just a little to release her pushed-in chest.
“Whew…”
She finally felt like herself again.
Student lodging, as a rule, involved two to four people staying in large rooms, but Earnest was allowed a personal chamber as a special case. It wasn’t anything she specifically requested—it was just that nobody wanted to be roommates with the famed Empress, and this was the natural result.
She was grateful for it, though. Around other people, she had to fulfill her role as the Empress. If someone lived with her, she’d need to keep up the act even in her own room. It was her destiny to remain at the top. The Flamings belonged to one of the most prestigious noble families in the land. Their lineage of knights had long served the king, both secretly and openly, and was now one of the kingdom’s greatest military clans. And Earnest Flaming was slated to be the next head of the family.
Because of her position, it was expected that she would stand at the top in all things. It was her duty. She needed to be a model for the entire student body, taking the lead and demonstrating what it meant to be an exemplary student and—
“Whew…”
She reached out for the pitcher that sat atop the sideboard. Not bothering with a cup, she brought it directly to her lips and began chugging. There was no way she could ever do something like this around others.
Earnest always maintained a policy of strict self-discipline. Being at the top was, to be honest, nothing more than a result—the result of controlling herself more powerfully than anyone else. That had led to all her achievements—it had been almost automatic. As a noble from a clan of knights, she had certain duties, of course. But Earnest had an even greater calling, one that demanded an even higher standard of discipline.
That was why she never made friends. And she was content with that.
“But him…”
That new transfer student, of all people… He had called her his friend. They’d only shared one meal. How idiotic.
As Empress, she couldn’t recall a single time when she had shared a table with other students her age. It wasn’t that she was purposely keeping her distance—the other students did that for her. But here he was, stomping right up to her, taking a seat, and calling her his friend like it was his right to decide.
She had seen for herself what he’d done on the Proving Ground. Only ten or so others had witnessed it with her; it was being called a “mystery explosion” by the rest of the student body. He had broken through the Proving Ground’s multilayered magic barrier and half destroyed an entire school building—all by himself. If that became public knowledge, the whole school would be in an uproar.
Only a champion could do something like that, and no student was supposed to be at that level. But Earnest wasn’t kidding herself anymore. She knew that hadn’t been some kind of freak accident. She had to acknowledge his abilities. He might very well be second only to her in this school.
And he had called her his friend. Maybe she could allow it. If he claimed to be Earnest Flaming’s friend, he’d better be capable of blowing a giant hole in a school building. Otherwise, he’d just be making her look bad. The damage to her reputation would be incalculable.
And that meant…she had done it. She had made a friend. For the first time. A friend. A friend. That’s what he had called her—a friend.
“A friend… But then… Oh, what should I do?” she muttered to herself.
She had just brought her hands up to her chest, lost in her emotions, when suddenly—
Clatter, clatter…
—there was a noise in her room. Nobody else was inside. The clattering sound had come from her sword, propped against the wall.
This was the magic sword Asmodeus, imbued with flame magic; an heirloom passed down through generations of Flamings. Earnest had become its “possessor,” and that was a big reason why she had been named the next family head at such a young age. Whoever possessed Asmodeus always led the Flaming clan in the service of the king. That was the rule.
The vibrations of the sword were a reminder—Earnest was loosening her heart too much. The realization made her shudder. She promptly reined in her emotions, biting her lip and chasing away the feelings floating around in her mind.
“I need to remain at the top…like all those of the Flaming clan…”
She whispered this over and over in the darkened room, as if chanting a curse—with herself as the target.
✦ ✦ ✦
It was time for another practical study session.
Blade liked these sessions a lot more than he did the lectures. He enjoyed just being able to move around. He had lain motionless in bed for several months at the hospital after his fight against the Overlord, so his body had atrophied in all kinds of ways. It’d likely take several more months to get back in shape.
But then, do I really need to worry about that? I’m a normal person now. It’s not like I gotta duke it out with another Overlord. He was really strong. It’s a miracle I’m even alive. Though I’m sure he’s thinking the same thing right about now.
“Yo!”
Blade raised a hand in greeting at the red figure as soon as she entered his sight. He had just made friends with Earnest the day before. At least he thought they were friends… Huh? Weird, she was ignoring him.
“Yo! Yo! Yo!”
He circled her, hopping around to get her attention. She must not have seen him or something.
Glare.
She shot him a blood-curdling look. This time, her eyes emitted a force so strong it manifested physically. He could feel his hair blowing backward. For just a moment, he had a new slicked-back hairstyle. He had once met an old crone who could fire off top-level flame magic just by staring at something, and he was sure Earnest could pull that off, too, if she kept at it.
“What could you possibly be doing?” she asked, frowning as hard as she could.
“Just saying hello… Yo!”
His arm flew up.
“I told you yesterday that I recognized your skills, didn’t I?”
“Y-yeah…?”
Blade wasn’t sure he remembered that. But he could easily imagine her glare boring holes in him again if he admitted it, so he kept quiet. Ain’t I smart? he thought.
“You’ll be joining this group,” she said, gesturing to several students gathered around her.
The group in question gave off a particularly strong presence even amid the senior class. He remembered the girl wearing the cape exactly as blue as her hair. He’d become friends with her a little while ago; he remembered her name and everything.
“Oh, it’s you, Sophie!” he shouted without thinking.
She met his line with a confused quirk of her eyebrow.
“I—I am Blade!” he continued.
“I know,” she replied bluntly. Such a cold response would put a damper on anyone else, but not Blade. He was delighted. She remembered his name! That made her a real friend!
“What are you doing?! Line up! You’re wasting everybody’s valuable time!”
Earnest dressed them both down. Even Blade could tell she was angry.
“Did I upset her somehow?” he asked Sophie, shrugging his shoulders.
“I don’t know,” she replied curtly, not even bothering to shrug.