Chapter 10

Episode 10: The Robed Woman <2>

About five minutes after Shion silently began staring at the night sky, the woman finally stood up. Brushing the sand off her robe with her hand, she spoke to Shion in a somewhat exasperated, yet composed tone.

“What are you standing there with that dumb look for? I want you to take me to the market already. Not that I care, but since you insisted on escorting me, I’ll let you. Don’t forget to be grateful, okay?”

“…Yeah, let’s go.”

Realizing it was pointless to argue, Shion started walking without protest.

“W-wait a second. Are you… mad? Um, well…”

The woman hurried after Shion, who had started walking indifferently, her voice tinged with a hint of panic and unease.

“Nah, I’m not mad. I’m just glad you seem to have pulled yourself together.”

“O-of course! That kind of thing is nothing to me! And if you’re not mad, you should’ve said so from the start!”

Her tone, which had briefly faltered, quickly regained its usual arrogance.

“Ah, my bad. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“That’s better. Hmph.”

The woman smiled, clearly satisfied.

“Maybe she’s not so bad after all,” Shion thought.

…After that, the two walked down the night road, with Shion slightly leading the way.

“Are we not there yet?”

“Are you sure we’re on the right path?”

“I’m bored. Tell me something interesting. You’re such a dull man.”

“…Stop it. No more talk about ‘darkness’ or ‘sin.’ It’s giving me a headache…”

As they walked and chatted, the dim road ahead began to brighten with the lights of the town and the sounds of people.

“See, we’re almost there.”

“I can see that! Are you mocking me?!”

“…Yeah, I guess.”

They had been walking and chatting for about fifteen minutes, but the woman’s attitude remained the same until the end.

“Oh, right.”

The robed woman suddenly stopped.

“I suppose you did help me, so I should thank you. Just a little, though.”

“What’s this all of a sudden? Don’t worry about it.”

“I can’t just ignore it. I didn’t ask for your help, but not thanking you would be beneath me.”

“…?”

The phrase “beneath me” stuck in Shion’s mind.

──Her overly deliberate, ladylike tone, her excessively haughty attitude, and her insistence that not thanking him would be beneath her.

And then, the deeply drawn hood of her robe, as if hiding her face to conceal her identity.

“(Is this woman… seriously thinking she’s some runaway princess visiting the commoners’ town? What a weirdo…)”

Shion was slightly taken aback.

“Is there something I can give you as thanks…”

“…You don’t have to force yourself. I didn’t help you expecting anything in return.”

As the woman fumbled under her robe, Shion replied, trying not to make her feel obligated.

“But my dignity… Oh! I know!”

As if remembering something, she pulled back her hood.

“───”

For a moment, time seemed to stop.

Bathed in the moonlight was a stunningly beautiful girl with lustrous pink hair and eyes.

Her skin was so pale it seemed translucent, and she looked to be around eighteen years old.

A girl so beautiful that anyone who saw her on the street would be captivated, unable to look away after passing her.

“(…Wait, she’s taking it off?)”

Faced with this breathtaking beauty, Shion could only mentally吐槽. But for someone who had never developed an interest in the opposite sex during adolescence, it was only natural.

After pulling back her hood, the girl reached behind her neck and removed a pendant, holding it out.

The pendant had a four-centimeter oval jewel at its tip, a deep purple that appeared almost black in the dark.

“Here, take this as my thanks!”

“…No, it’s fine. That looks expensive, and isn’t it important to you?”

“It might be expensive, but we have plenty of these at home! So don’t hesitate!”

“No, uh…”

“I’m offering it to you! Are you refusing me? Who do you think you are? Or do you think my pendant, tainted with my sweat, is too dirty for you? I’ll kill you!”

“No, no, no, calm down! Don’t kill me!”

Shion replied, slightly panicked.

“So you’ll take it?”

“…I’ll gratefully accept it.”

Resigned, Shion took the pendant, and the girl smiled, clearly satisfied.

“You probably won’t wear it, but you can sell it and use the money for your poor life.”

“──No, I’ll treasure it as a token of your gratitude.”

Though Shion often seemed questionable, he couldn’t help but smile faintly at receiving someone’s gratitude.

“…That’s a good attitude.”

Pulling her hood back over her face, she muttered softly, “Come on, let’s go,” and they continued toward the market.

Upon reaching the market and walking through the stalls, the girl said, “I found someone I know. You’re no longer needed. You can leave now.”

“Glad to hear it. Try not to get lost next time.”

“None of your business!”

Pouting, she walked off into the distance but soon stopped and turned back.

“Oh, right. What’s your name?”

“Huh? Oh, Shion. Shion Kurosaki.”

“Shion… Shion. It’s creepy how you just blurted it out, but I’ll remember it if I feel like it.”

“…Thanks, I guess.”

“And… what are you, Shion? Are you really that scary ‘Red’ person or whatever?”

“Nah,” Shion replied with a somewhat smug smile. “I’m just a C-rank magic student.”

“Huh? A student? Just a…?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Hmph… Well, whatever.”

Though slightly confused by Shion’s response, she quickly brushed it off.

“Well then… Shion. Thanks for today. I’ll… thank you a little.”

With that, she turned on her heel and walked away without looking back.

After watching her meet up with someone she seemed to know, Shion headed toward the capital’s station.

◆

After parting with the girl, Shion boarded the magic train and returned to the magic academy dormitory, where he had a late dinner.

After finishing his meal and cleaning up, he carried his magic books and potions to the academy’s training grounds.

His goal was simple: to train in magic.

As if nothing had happened earlier, he focused entirely on his training.

Thoughts like “I’m tired, I’ll rest today” didn’t exist for him. A tired body could be revived with potions.

“Haah… haah…”

Shion, with his hands on the ground, breathed heavily, his expression strained.

His veins bulged abnormally, and sweat poured onto the ground.

Having returned home after 8 PM, he trained until 2 AM, pushing his body to the brink of collapse before finally ending his night training.

After washing off the sweat from his training in the bath, he cast a “Recovery Boost” spell on himself and went to sleep.

An hour later, he woke up and began his magic training again.

This was the daily life of Shion Kurosaki, who lived not day by day, but second by second.

Click the heart to easily show your support. (Login required)

Support

Log in if you have an account.

Learn more about the reading experience available on Kakuyomu.