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Chapter – 20
“Ah, um… that is…”
“I won’t take up much of your time at all. I’ll just roughly follow along beside you while you train.”
“Hmm…”
“Would that be okay?”
If he had asked me to set aside time to personally train him, I would’ve refused without hesitation. But since he said he’d just watch from the side and loosely follow along, it felt awkward to turn him down.
And over the past few days of repeatedly running into Killian, I’d started to feel that he was actually a pretty decent person. Contrary to his cold exterior, he was warmer and gentler than I’d expected.
Is it because he’s close with Ignis? Even though their vibes are completely different, some things are similar.
Ignis was also almost blindly devoted when it came to Killian—doing whatever he said.
Wait a second.
Tomorrow is a day without classes. If I stay at the training grounds all day, I’ll naturally run into Ignis. And if Killian is by my side, maybe Ignis might come closer to me too?
After hesitating for quite a while once Killian finished speaking, I decided to accept his request to slightly increase the chances of drawing Ignis in.
“Then… yes, let’s do that.”
“Really?”
“Are you free tomorrow?”
“Yes. I think I’ll be free all day tomorrow.”
“But I might really be at the training grounds all day. Is that okay?”
“I’m really fine with anything.”
I nodded at Killian, who said everything was fine, and gave him a faint smile.
“I’m not fine.”
“……”
“Renia, let’s stop. Please?”
“We haven’t even done that much. If we stop like this, your stamina won’t increase at all. Let’s do just a little more together.”
I grabbed Killian’s wrist and kept pulling him along as he lagged behind.
Killian, who had come out to the training grounds since morning, asked if we could speak casually, and I accepted. He added that he hoped I’d be comfortable with him too, but I declined, using the excuse that honorifics were still more comfortable for me.
Looking a little disappointed at my refusal, Killian soon started training with me anyway. And so, from morning until now—when the sky had begun to glow with sunset—we’d been doing stamina training nonstop.
“I think your stamina is weaker than I expected.”
“The Magic Department doesn’t really need much stamina…”
At first, I was only focused on whether Ignis would show up. But since I tend to get serious whenever it comes to physical activity, seeing how clumsy Killian was made all my attention shift toward him.
In the end, unable to bear watching him struggle, I found myself genuinely coaching his training.
“Keep your posture straight, and let’s do just two more laps.”
“Two laps?”
“It’s the first day, so I’m already dragging you by the wrist.”
“……”
“Come on, hurry up.”
Killian was forcibly led around the training grounds by the strength of my pull.
“Renia. Then let’s rest just a little. Just a little.”
“……”
“Really, just a bit. Please?”
“Alright. Then we’re really only resting for a moment.”
Killian, who nodded enthusiastically at my words, immediately collapsed to the ground the moment I let go of his wrist.
I looked at him for a moment, then picked up a water bottle placed in one corner of the training grounds and walked over.
“Drink this and catch your breath.”
“Thanks.”
After drinking the water, Killian spent quite some time steadying his breathing. I sat down beside him, also calming my slightly ragged breaths.
As we both stared into empty space without saying anything, his quiet voice gently filled the area.
“Honestly, I worried a lot that I approached you too suddenly, Renia.”
“You worried?”
“That you might find me burdensome.”
…That thought did cross my mind.
“Even while worrying about that, the reason I kept approaching you was…”
“……”
“I’ve been looking for someone who would come to me without looking back if it was my matter.”
“……”
“I’ve never had someone like that in my life.”
He continued speaking carefully, still keeping his gaze fixed on the air.
“So… when I saw you going to the Crown Prince, I thought that I wanted us to become a relationship like that too. That’s why I acted the way I did.”
With an awkward smile at the corner of his lips, Killian turned his head to look at me.
“If I made you uncomfortable, I’m sorry. I really wanted to say that to you.”
“Ah…”
Hearing Killian’s honesty left me so surprised that I couldn’t even look at him properly, sinking into thought instead.
After organizing what I wanted to say, I slowly opened my mouth.
“Honestly, it would be a lie to say it wasn’t burdensome.”
“…I thought so.”
“But as I started seeing that you’re warmer and kinder than I expected, it stopped feeling that uncomfortable when you approached me.”
“……”
After a fairly long silence filled with contemplation, I decided to simply tell him my honest thoughts.
Dressing words up nicely can be good, but I’ve always believed that being straightforward is also a good way.
I stood up, brushed the dirt off my clothes, and spoke to Killian.
“So let’s try, together, to become people who can run toward each other’s matters without looking back.”
“…Yeah. Let’s do that.”
“Then get up already.”
“Huh?”
“You need to train.”
“Renia!”
I forcibly pulled up Killian, who clearly didn’t want to stand, and we resumed training.
After eating a late meal and returning to training again, how much time had passed?
At last, I spotted a familiar figure slowly approaching the training grounds.
Wow… he’s here.
Overjoyed more than ever, I rushed over and greeted the owner of the silhouette.
“Ignis! You came out today?”
“Renia! It’s been a while—”
“Ignis!”
Ignis, who had shown an inexplicable hint of unease upon seeing me, soon noticed Killian standing beside me. Surprise flashed across his face.
“How are you two—”
“Did you come to train? Ignis, try to stop Renia a bit.”
Killian also seemed to speak casually to Ignis in private, just like the others.
“Huh? Ah… well…”
“Please.”
Ignis fidgeted, his eyes darting around awkwardly, then stepped closer to me and grabbed my arm.
“Re… Renia. Wouldn’t it be better to stop now?”
“Then should we stop here for today?”
Saved. I was about to fall back into that strange state again.
The real reason I’d stayed at the training grounds all day was to meet Ignis. Now that I had, there was no reason to stay any longer.
Thinking how fortunate it was that I got to see him today, I smiled softly at Ignis.
At that moment, Ignis brought his hand to his chest and suddenly frowned, speaking in a hurried tone.
“I—I forgot my sword! I can’t train today. I’ll head out first!”
“……”
Ignis.
Your sword is on the ground right there.
“In the history of the Empire…”
Figures.
I can’t sleep at night, but the moment class starts, sleep comes rushing in like madness.
And of all things, this class is about history.
It’s the last class of the day, so let’s endure it.
I forced my heavy eyelids open, trying desperately to stay alert.
Ah… this won’t work.
No matter how hard I tried, my eyes were almost completely shut. Accepting defeat, I slightly lowered my head, brought one hand to my forehead, and gently covered my eyes with it.
Just a bit. Just let me sleep for a moment.
Adopting a posture that looked like I was focused on reading, I slowly drifted into slumber.
“…Miss Renia.”
“……”
“Miss Renia?”
“Yes? Ah, yes, Professor!”
The professor who called my name stared at me silently for quite some time.
What is it? Did I get caught?
“Miss Renia.”
“Yes!”
“You don’t look very well. It would be best for you to visit the infirmary.”
“Ah…”
“……”
“Me… me?”
What is this?
Professor Kyla is sending me to the infirmary during class?
Professor Kyla—the one known throughout the academy for her strictness?
She was the chief professor of the Swordsmanship Department and also in charge of Imperial History, a truly capable person.
If even she was telling me to go to the infirmary mid-class, my complexion must have been pretty bad.
This is all because I’d been overthinking too much at night.
Whenever night came and I lay in bed, my worries only grew darker, keeping me from falling asleep.
Especially my concerns about how to keep Ignis close took up the biggest portion.
It’s already been almost two days—how am I supposed to get in contact with Ignis…?
It would be nice if there were some kind of forced situation that required us to stick together.
“Go and get some rest.”
“T-Then I’ll do that. I’m sorry.”
I didn’t refuse the professor’s suggestion and accepted it as it was.
Then I solemnly packed up my things. I really felt like I could collapse and fall asleep at any moment.
My head was throbbing too.
Thank you, Professor.
“Yaaawn.”
When I arrived at the infirmary, I received medicine from someone other than Aiden, the usual head caretaker. After taking it, I fell into a deep sleep.
After quite a long time, I woke up, stretched, and looked around. The infirmary was as quiet as ever.
I sat up and pulled open the curtain around the bed.
Standing there was Aiden, not the caretaker who had given me the medicine.
“You’re awake?”
“Yeah. You weren’t here earlier. Did you go to class?”
“Mm.”
Aiden stared at me intently for a moment after I stepped closer, then asked,
“So, what was wrong that you came here?”
“Me? I just pretended to be sick because I didn’t want to attend class.”
I let out a playful smile at Aiden, who was sitting on a chair.
When I lightly perched myself on the desk in front of him, Aiden reached out and gently ruffled my hair.
“Maybe don’t say you were faking it when you’ve got dark circles like that.”
“…Are they really that bad?”
