Chapter 45
A problem had arisen.
No, it seemed like a problem had arisen.
The problem was that I didn’t exactly know what the problem was.
The fortunate part was that, even if I didn’t know why it was a problem, I could tell that it was a problem.
I was looking at the tall man in front of me.
I hadn’t planned to meet him specifically. This guy had barged in.
“Elpini!”
He called out and blocked my way with his sheer bulk.
Tall, with a roughly proportioned face, broad shoulders, and blond hair…
Who was he?
I didn’t know.
Elpini would know, but since Elpini had no memory, I didn’t.
The silence became awkward, and I wanted to leave immediately.
The guy frowned.
“You don’t recognize me, do you?”
“I don’t.”
“How could you not know me!”
“I don’t remember.”
He opened his mouth.
“I don’t know what story we share, but if it’s a good one, keep it; if it’s bad, forget it.”
Then he started to leave—but suddenly, I remembered. Wait—
“Oh, you.”
“Do you remember?”
I did.
He was one of the gang that had broken into the house.
The one who had cowered when he saw Irix, yet was the only one to return home unharmed.
So why was he in front of me now? What was he planning to do?
“Hey, Paltis.”
A cold voice came from behind. The boy called Paltis flinched as if he had been startled.
“Me?”
Irix was standing there, holding a thick book in one hand.
“Yes. You, Paltis Heinsman.”
Paltis Heinsman.
Finally, I knew the name of this hulking figure.
I saw his trembling lips, eyes that couldn’t meet mine, and hesitating hands. He was afraid of Irix.
“Why are you here? No one died that day.”
I reminded myself again.
This was a fantasy world, a fantasy world. People dying wasn’t a big deal. Even if it was very significant to those who actually died.
“I… I did get hurt.”
“Oh dear, oh dear. What a shame. You should have visited them.”
But Irix wasn’t feeling any pity. His eyes were cold, his face expressionless.
“So what? What do you want from me?”
Paltis opened his mouth.
“What… what?”
“You guys broke the door and the stairs, right? You got hurt because you went overboard, so what do you want me to do?”
“We did that?”
“Yes, you did. So I came to get compensation, but by the time I realized, you were gone.”
Of course, Irix had never lost consciousness, so there was no need to “come to.”
The thing that had shocked Irix most that day was the pitch-black egg dish cooked with a dragon’s breath from a demon’s chicken. Actually, it must have been a normal chicken egg; Maimon had just made it into a demonic dish.
“You do have a conscience, then. Coming all this way to get compensation. I’ll send you a bill soon.”
Paltis was baffled.
“You attacked us!”
“Oh? I didn’t do anything. Maybe Senpai did?”
I shook my head. Ultimately it was my responsibility, but there was no evidence, so as long as I didn’t speak, it was fine.
“Neither I nor Senpai did anything. The house got damaged, and you guys were there. So you’re the ones who have to compensate.”
“You’re saying we suddenly threw ourselves down the stairs and destroyed the stairs and walls of the house at once?”
“Yes, exactly that.”
“How could we?”
“Knights-in-training and magic students probably did something. I, as a frail ordinary student, don’t know anything. Same for Senpai. Right, Senpai?”
I had no obligation to reveal the truth now. So I didn’t have to tell him about Irix being strong enough to easily take down this guy, or that I could summon the god Peregion. I slumped and spoke weakly.
“Yes, that’s right. I’m a frail ordinary student.”
Paltis, who had been looking at the two of us seriously, asked:
“Are you two close?”
“No.”
“Yes.”
Irix and I looked at each other and then spoke again.
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Do you mean you are close, or not?”
Irix stepped forward.
“It depends on the criteria. Why are you asking?”
“I’ve never seen you two together.”
“You became close when you weren’t looking.”
“When?”
“During vacation.”
“Vacation? That’s completely opposite directions! Elpini was in Sanz, and you were at your family’s villa.”
Irix’s face stiffened.
“Why?”
When I asked, Irix quickly said:
“It’s bad enough he knows I was at that villa, but it’s worse that he knows Senpai came from Sanz.”
Right. That made sense.
I was annoyed too.
But Paltis said something even worse.
“I have something to say to Elpini. Step aside.”
“If it’s short, don’t say it; if it’s long, absolutely don’t say it.”
Irix came forward to face Paltis.
“You’re telling me not to say anything!”
“Exactly. You notice things quickly, as expected. Let’s go, Senpai.”
Paltis spoke urgently.
“Hey, I have nothing to do with them!”
“I didn’t ask. Don’t care either.”
“You’re not talking to me, Irix Berkart!”
Then he quickly spoke to me:
“I only came along that day because everyone was teasing me! I wasn’t going to do anything to you! And yesterday, I came to stop them from doing anything bad.”
“What?”
The fact that he was there yesterday and on the day I didn’t know about was already a problem.
“When I heard you refused the exam and left school, I wanted to stop you. Then when I heard you had returned, I wanted to protect you this time. That’s why I came. To protect you.”
Isn’t stopping them first more important than “protecting” me? That gang seemed to be the strongest, with the most prestigious family.
I didn’t want to hear more, but there was something I needed to ask…
“You… do you know about Elpini?”
“You could say that.”
Yes.
This guy knew about the “real Elpini.”
“What kind of kid was Elpini?”
Irix opened his mouth.
He had a look that said, Why are you asking that to a guy like him? but knowing about the memory loss, I didn’t stop him.
“Well… it’s hard to say here. Um, over there…”
And I saw it.
Was he blushing?
No way…
My stomach churned ominously.
Irix looked at Paltis as if disgusted.
“Did you… like me?”
Paltis’s mouth opened, and Irix gritted his teeth.
“Just try saying you like me!” Irix yelled.
“Calm down. He’s not confessing to you, so why are you like this?”
“Don’t say disgusting things! I hate that more, but this… I still hate!”
Terrified, Paltis said:
“L-let’s talk privately. Eh, Elpini, you don’t like chaos either.”
“No. I like chaos. Say it here.”
Paltis shivered, looked around, and lowered his voice to speak so that no one nearby could hear.
“Um, do you have time today?”
“What are you saying? Speak loudly.”
“No! I have no time!”
Irix, whose hearing was the sharpest, ready to catch even Paltis’s breath, spoke loudly. Paltis lowered his voice further.
“Tomorrow?”
“No!”
Again, Irix.
“When will you have time?”
“Never, so talk here now!”
Irix kept going.
Paltis clenched his fist. But such a fist was no threat to Irix. As soon as Irix clenched a fist too, Paltis’s fist softened into an open palm, as if saying, “Let’s solve this with words.”
“What are you two even to each other?”
“None of your business. If you have something to say, say it here. There won’t be another chance. Because soon I’ll rip your tongue out!”
As expected, Irix.
And he really would.
“Say it now! And if you can’t say it in front of me, don’t say it anywhere!”
Though not involved, he was the angriest. Finally, Paltis took a deep breath, put his hands behind his back, and made a grand announcement:
“Elpini, I had feelings for you.”
“So what?”
“When I heard rumors that you liked me, I was embarrassed. So… I’m sorry. I didn’t have the courage.”
I blinked.
“That can’t be true.”
“What? That I liked you?”
“No. There’s no way a girl exists in this world you could like, and that it would be Elpini.”
Paltis’s face twisted.
“You… you must have liked me. That’s what I heard.”
Of course, of course.
I closed my eyes and sighed.
“Wait, you…”
“You just came here repeating some nonsense you heard!”
Irix jumped out. I grabbed his clothes and said:
“Stay put, Rix. And you, Paltis. I didn’t directly say that, did I?”
“No. Not exactly…”
“Paltis, you heard a false rumor.”
I said firmly:
“If it made you excited, keep it as a fond memory. If it made you upset, just forget it. Get along with your girlfriend.”
Paltis was bewildered.
“Girlfriend?”
“Yes. The one who came with you.”
“You mean Willemina? There were rumors with her, but that was a misunderstanding. She already has a fiancé. And she’s not even my type.”
I wasn’t curious about what Paltis’s type looked like. But suddenly he seemed to realize something and smacked his forehead.
“Oh, that’s it.”
“?”
“If it’s a problem that you’re a lowly orphan and I’m the son of a noble family, it’s fine. I understand. I can just teach you about the upper world.”
