Chapter 65: Act 1 – The Burning City
Today, there was someone at the academy who caught Third’s attention.
Wherever they went, they felt eyes on them.
Even while meditating in the classroom, during meals, and even when leaving school.
In fact, Third usually attracted some public attention due to their unusual appearance, but today felt different, like something subtle was off.
-Swoosh.
When Third suddenly turned their head in the direction of that subtle gaze, they saw a girl hurriedly looking down and pretending to be doing something else.
She was small, looked quite timid at first glance, and appeared to be around the same age as their master (specifically referring to physical age; obviously, mental age couldn’t be comparable).
However, strangely enough, she was in the same class as Third, possibly having skipped a grade due to her exceptional grades.
Their master had said that she was attending the academy through such a route as well.
It was undoubtedly this small girl who was secretly watching them, but she seemed to think she was being careful about it.
Nonetheless, Third, with their excellent intuition, could not help but notice the gaze.
“……”
However, Third reacted without much thought and simply turned their head back, walking down the hallway.
Then, along with that subtle gaze, they could hear footsteps following them.
It felt as if they were being tailed.
Third was quite concerned about the girl following them.
‘Why? Why is she following me?’
Third pondered why the girl was tracking them.
It probably started when they had almost opened the classroom door without noticing her standing behind it.
Since it seemed like it began that day.
Could there have been a problem at that moment?
Third slowly recalled the situation.
At first, they hadn’t even noticed the kid due to her small stature.
So when they grabbed the door, they felt a subtle force and looked down.
They had only made eye contact once then.
Although startled by the girl’s size and face, which showed a hint of fear, that was a normal reaction.
After all, it seemed they were becoming an object of fear at the academy.
That was only to be expected.
If a hawk is mixed among chickens, which chicken wouldn’t be frightened?
However, Third had no desire to change that image.
It didn’t seem like something would change just because they worked hard, and things were too comfortable as they were.
Well, what happened afterward was rather annoying, but that was likely unrelated to the girl.
‘Hmm, no matter how I think about it, I don’t get it.’
For Third, understanding the psychology of a “normal kid” was an extremely difficult field.
Still, isn’t it strange?
Why…
Then, Third felt a sudden sense of discomfort.
‘No, wait.’
It was odd.
Had anyone ever shown interest in that girl who was following them today, even once?
Now that they thought about it, there had been none.
No greetings, no small talk, nothing.
Even Third, who was somewhat of an outsider at the academy, received greetings from a few students as they walked down the hall.
But the girl reacted as if she were invisible.
This led Third to consider one possibility.
That she might be a “master hiding her presence.”
It wasn’t a completely outlandish deduction.
After all, Third themselves was such an “assassin.”
Usually, the more inconspicuous an assassin appears, the more deadly they are.
A young girl would be an ideal candidate.
And Third knew of another such example.
‘Yes, that must be it.’
She was probably suppressing her presence in her own way, and the other ordinary students couldn’t perceive her.
But because of their keen intuition, Third could easily notice a girl like her…
Wasn’t that a pretty plausible deduction?
Thus, Third came to a twisted conclusion, never imagining that the girl was simply being bullied at the academy.
Next, Third thought.
‘The fact that she followed me even after the academy is over surely means she has some purpose.’
That purpose could definitely not be something to bring up in such a crowded place.
If it were, she would have approached them sooner.
‘Just as I thought, something is going on.’
In fact, they had been worried ever since the beginning of the transfer.
After all, anyone would be concerned if there was a child in the class who clearly appeared to have a significant age gap.
Though her small stature intensified that impression, she was clearly not a dwarf as she lacked facial hair.
‘Wait. Could it be that someone knew what class I would be in and placed her there in advance? To get in touch with me? Or to monitor me?’
If so, that “someone” must be quite meticulous.
However, there were still many unknowns.
Why take such a convoluted approach to contacting them? And what did they intend to achieve by monitoring them at the academy?
“……”
Third subtly moved their gaze to check the reflection of the girl tailing them in the window, then walked toward a quieter, less crowded area.
Then, as if expected, the small pursuer followed their path.
And when the girl entered the secluded space after them.
“What do you want from me?”
“……Huh?!”
The girl suddenly whirled around, startled by Third’s voice behind her, then fell forward.
“……?”
Third’s confusion only deepened at the girl’s clumsy actions.
That behavior didn’t at all look like it belonged to someone trained in professional assassination.
Stiff joints, tardy reactions, a silly scream.
To anyone’s eyes, she just looked like a timid klutz.
“……What are you doing right now?”
If she was pretending to act foolishly, she was somehow an impressive actress, but wasn’t there really no need to continue acting here?
As Third stood frozen in surprise, the girl, who had fallen, slowly got up and opened her mouth.
“Uwaah… I thought my heart would stop from the shock… You can play pranks too, huh? Hehe.”
As she laughed sheepishly, Third wore a complicated expression.
“A prank?”
“Yeah, I got really surprised when you suddenly popped out from behind.”
“……”
That was a strange thing to say.
After all, that was certainly not some type of prank.
Yes, it was closer to intimidation.
The magic that could crush internal organs through a shock felt loaded in Third’s grasp.
Yet, the girl had effortlessly nullified it simply by falling forward.
It was quite embarrassing.
Were they of the same kind, or just a regular person?
While Third pondered that, they finally spoke.
“What exactly is your purpose?”
When Third asked that cautiously, she stuttered in response.
“Uh, uh, um… I… um… wanted to say thank you.”
“Thank you? For what?”
Saying thank you out of nowhere was baffling.
No matter how much Third thought about it, they couldn’t recall any action that warranted such gratitude.
Then the girl mumbled again, her voice getting smaller.
“Um, for opening the door yesterday in front of the classroom… Thank you…”
Third was momentarily at a loss for words in response to the girl’s statement.
She had been tailing them just to express gratitude for opening a door?
That made no sense at all.
“……Is that all you have to say? Just thank you for opening the door?”
“No, I mean! What I’m saying is!”
Flustered by Third’s indifferent tone, the girl hurriedly continued.
“Um, it’s thanks for getting angry on my behalf! I really wanted to express my gratitude!”
“I got angry on your behalf?”
Third attempted to recall what situation they had been in at that moment.
Third had merely been frustrated that her slow reactions were obstructing the flow of traffic and wanted to pass by; there had been no intent behind it.
They had been irritated only by the act of setting such childish traps to make fun of someone.
The girl hadn’t been a consideration at all in that situation.
And yet, for some reason, she was expressing gratitude now.
It felt somewhat strange.
At that moment, the girl pulled something out of her bag and handed it over.
“Here, take this.”
“What is this?”
Involuntarily, Third accepted what appeared to be chocolate sold at a shop.
“Chocolate?”
“It’s a token of gratitude! So, I’ll be going now! Bye!”
With that, she hastily departed.
Third watched her retreating figure in disbelief and muttered.
…Is this the end?
Is there nothing else to say?
Looking at the chocolate they held in their hand, Third grimaced.
She followed them around all day just to give them this?
What kind of person was she?
Are all those who live ordinary lives like this?
Third wondered if there was something more written on the short note attached to the chocolate wrapper.
However, contrary to Third’s expectations, the note contained nothing substantial.
“Thank you so much for helping me, Umi…?”
Umi.
At least they learned her name…
——
“Why do I even have to do this…?”
“To attract customers, of course.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
Luke, receiving the flyers printed for festival promotion, showed a truly exasperated expression to Kaila.
“Was it really necessary to wear a maid outfit to post them on the bulletin board?”
“But that was the bet.”
Indeed.
By a stroke of bad luck, Luke had drawn the short straw in a lottery to find who would post cafe flyers on all the bulletin boards of Tigr Academy while dressed in a maid outfit.
“…That lottery was rigged.”
Otherwise, Luke’s good fortune wouldn’t have failed him this time.
For a while now, he had clearly only gained benefits from situations related to luck.
Yet, somehow this time he ended up winning.
Clearly, there had to be some sort of trick involved.
But Kaila brazenly responded.
“Well, is there any evidence it’s rigged?”
“Uh, well, not exactly…”
“Then you need to accept the outcome.”
“……”
It felt strange.
He definitely hadn’t used magic.
There must have been some trick to it, but he couldn’t think of anything.
No matter how much he protested, it wouldn’t have any persuasive power.
“Sigh, it can’t be helped. A promise is a promise…”
Unfortunately, Luke was a mage who always kept his word.
With no choice but to hold the flyers, he trudged toward the bulletin board, even after classes had ended, he felt that many more gazes were drawn in his direction than usual.
Of course, that was precisely the intention behind this.
Drawing attention meant receiving interest, which meant more advertising.
Kaila, the one who had come up with that idea, cheekily commented from the side.
“Ooh, is it because the model is cute? You’re already quite popular!”
“……”
At that moment, Luke thought that he really might have been fooled.
“Uh, hey.”
“Huh?”
A male student approached Luke.
He appeared quite nervous, but Luke didn’t know why.
He might have been uncomfortable talking to a girl.
Looking at the color of his neck scarf, he was in seventh grade, so if a first-year student is 10 years old, he was probably around 17.
“Hello, Huma! What’s up?”
“Oh, well…”
Kaila greeted him warmly, seemingly familiar with him.
But as Luke observed closely, it seemed the business was more with him rather than Kaila.
Though Luke was busy, he found it bothersome to get caught up in this, but as the face of the cafe, and as an adult, he couldn’t possibly get angry at a mere 17-year-old, so he forced a gentle smile and opened his mouth.
“Is there something you want to tell me?”
He awkwardly asked, “Could you tell me what grade and class you’re in…?”
“Hmm? I’m in 2nd year, Class 1.”
“Oh, I see. Second year, Class… What? Second year? Really?”
-Nod.
The boy, realizing how odd Luke’s answer was, stiffened.
And Kaila, who was watching that scene, finally burst out laughing.
“Hahaha!”
She laughed so heartily that her shoulders repeatedly shook up and down.
Tears filled her eyes.
When Luke questioned why she was laughing so suddenly, Kaila, clutching her stomach, replied between fits of giggles.
“Pffft, he’s hitting on you! Silly!”
“Hitting on me?”
Look at those innocent eyes that didn’t even know what hitting on meant; it was such a funny situation!
Kaila explained playfully in a teasing tone.
“He wanted to be your boyfriend!”
“What?!”
With wide eyes, Luke turned to the male student in disbelief.
“Hey, is that true?”
“No! I didn’t know! Really!”
Could you tell by his body?
Seeing Kaila made him think he might be only one or two years younger!
How could that possibly be the development stage of a second-year student?
Of course, it was a misunderstanding!
Feeling wronged, the only thing he could do was to excuse himself and leave in a hurry.
Hoping that Kaila wouldn’t spread any strange rumors about him.
