The years following enrollment passed without incident.
When I say "without incident," I mean there were no threats to life.
There was the duel with Linia Pursena.
There was the time Ariel-sama walked around town disguised as me and got surrounded by shady characters.
Small events like those cropped up constantly, but none put our lives in danger.
Everything proceeded largely according to Ariel-sama's designs.
Over those years, her followers grew in number.
But when the third year arrived, we obtained a certain piece of information.
It concerned a figure known as "
Rudeus.
Yes — we had found information about Rudi.
A young man who had become an A-class adventurer and, within a matter of years, spread his name across the Three Great Magic Nations almost overnight. A magician.
His specialty was earth magic.
His true strength was uncertain, but he was said to be able to conjure enormous quagmires without incantation.
When I heard "magician who uses quagmires," I knew it had to be Rudi.
Come to think of it, the first thing he ever used when we met was mud.
Rudi was a Water
I reported all of this to Ariel-sama once more.
"Rudeus of the Quagmire" was the person who had taught me magic.
He was also someone who had gone missing for a very long time.
"If he is the real thing, I would certainly want his help…"
Ariel-sama was skeptical about Rudi, I think.
The intelligence on "Rudeus of the Quagmire" that had come in was extremely suspicious.
Rudeus Greyrat.
Born in
At age three, he became a disciple of
By age five, he had attained Water Saint-class himself.
At age seven, he became a tutor to
According to reports, Eris had been an uncontrollable handful, but he had properly educated her and turned her into a fine lady.
After that, he went missing in the Fittoa Region Displacement Incident.
If I had heard these stories in the past, I probably wouldn't have thought much of them.
But now, after living in the Asuran royal palace and studying at the Magic University, I could say this plainly: This background was absurd.
It was fabricated.
But I knew better.
Rudi had truly revered Roxy as his master.
I had never seen Roxy myself, but I knew she had lived in Buena Village.
Besides, the staff I carried was something Rudi had received from Roxy and then passed on to me.
The part about becoming a tutor at seven also lined up — it was after he and I had parted ways, and the timing matched.
"The information is correct. It's definitely Rudi."
"If
"However, when I actually hear the rumors, they do seem rather suspicious."
Ariel-sama and Luke were both half-convinced.
They believed me to a degree, but I couldn't blame them. Even I, who knew Rudi, thought the stories sounded fishy.
"But would someone that impressive really lend us a hand?
Wasn't that Rudeus originally a Boreas man?"
Honestly, I didn't have a deep understanding of the power dynamics within the Kingdom of Asura.
One year hadn't been enough to memorize it all.
But I did know the
The Boreas faction supported the First Prince.
Zephyrus and Eurus supported the Second Prince.
The Notos faction had been on our side but was now tilting toward the First Prince.
Boreas meant the enemy.
And Rudi, who had been Boreas's tutor, was very likely enemy-aligned too.
But Rudi and Boreas had supposedly fallen out long ago.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been out adventuring in the north.
"If I… if I asked him, I'm sure…"
The moment the words left my mouth, I realized I had no confidence.
Seeing my uncertain tone, Luke let out a soft laugh.
"There's no way a Notos man would fall for what little you've got to offer."
His words made me instinctively press a hand to the chest that Luke always called flat and puff out my cheeks in frustration.
Luke was always like this.
Always making comments about my chest.
Women need curves.
A flat woman isn't really a woman.
I don't feel any feminine charm from you.
Well, what could I do? I was half long-eared elf.
Given my race, there was no way they were going to grow.
But Luke wasn't only full of insults.
In the end, he always said the same thing: That I could stay his friend precisely because I wasn't a woman.
Being called a friend made me happy, but being told I lacked feminine charm was complicated.
Sure, compared to Ariel-sama, I was probably hopeless…
"I didn't mean it like that."
"Then what did you mean? Don't tell me you're planning to reveal your identity."
"Huh? Oh… right."
I was Fitz. "The Silent Fitz."
I couldn't reveal who I really was.
What should I do?
"……You must be so happy, Sylphie. You found the person you were looking for."
Ariel-sama suddenly said that with a warm smile.
Ariel-sama was always kind.
She could be strict sometimes, and she did scheme, but at heart she was a kind person.
And then that same Ariel-sama said something astonishing.
"As an exception, I'll permit you to reveal your true identity to this Rudeus person."
"Huh?"
Reveal my identity.
"But… what if that causes the plan to fail?"
I understood my role well enough.
I was a mystery — the "symbol of power" of unknown identity.
Over the past few years, I had come to learn that I could hold my own against most opponents.
Thanks to the training Rudi had given me.
I wasn't at the level of the Seven World Powers or some king-class or emperor-class fighter.
But I was probably around Saint-class, or so I'd been told.
I couldn't match the King-class fighters employed by the other princes.
Still, I had to maintain my awareness as the Second Princess faction's strongest asset.
"Sylphie, you've worked so hard for me all this time… I want to at least give you a touching reunion."
"But—"
"If the plan fails because of it, then so be it."
Ariel-sama said this in a voice so sharp it seemed to crackle, then added: "Besides, to win someone over, isn't it easier if you tell them you're childhood friends?"
"…Thank you, Ariel-sama."
I expressed my gratitude sincerely.
I caught a glimpse of something calculating behind it, but that was just how she was.
What would Rudi say when he saw how much I had grown?
I was already looking forward to it.
--- The scheme to bring Rudi to the school proceeded smoothly.
Information was leaked to Vice-Principal Jinas, and with a few nudges toward recruitment, he took the bait without hesitation.
A few months later, the day I had been longing for arrived.
During a practical lesson on the training grounds, Vice-Principal Jinas entered with a certain person in tow.
I nearly cried out in joy.
Rudi.
It was Rudi!
Without question.
Unlike before, there seemed to be shadows across his expression, but there was no mistaking him.
I could never misidentify Rudi.
(Oh no… he's gotten so handsome!)
He still bore traces of the boy I remembered, but Rudi had grown into a sturdy, mature man.
His bearing was sharp, and his gait clearly showed he had been rigorously trained.
His worn robe looked wild, the kind worn by someone seasoned through countless battles.
Even from a distance, I could tell his staff was a fine, well-used one.
He walked carefully, alertly scanning his surroundings — just like always.
(Wow… I used to think about marrying someone like that.)
The thought made my whole body flush.
"Ru…!?"
Overcome by an indescribable rush of emotion, I started to call his name and run toward him.
But I froze immediately after.
Because from behind Rudi, an incredibly beautiful woman emerged, following close behind.
(…Wait… could that be Rudi's wife?)
The woman was a long-eared elf.
She had an aura that reminded me, somehow, of my father.
Her features were noble and refined, giving an impression of dignity.
And this woman was being extremely clingy with Rudi.
Rudi looked somewhat annoyed but was clearly not rejecting her.
(…Wait? …Wait?)
In my confusion, the chance to rush over to Rudi slipped away.
After that, I was called in because Rudi needed to be tested — apparently they wanted to verify whether he could truly cast magic without incantation.
By that time, I had more or less composed myself.
A Rudi that handsome might well already have someone special. That was perfectly understandable.
So I told myself.
Yeah.
It didn't matter even if he was married.
He and I were friends.
There was no problem at all.
I'd congratulate him.
No — more than that, I'd first celebrate that we were both alive and well.
I steeled myself with these thoughts and went to speak to him, when— "Nice to meet you. I'm Rudeus Greyrat."
"………………"
Nice… to meet me?
Huh?
Huh…
Wait.
No.
Hold on…
…………He didn't remember me?
"If all goes well, I'll be your junior starting next semester.
Please look after me and offer your guidance."
"…………………Huh?"
When a question mark practically burst from my mouth, I finally remembered: I was wearing sunglasses.
My green hair had been changed to white.
On top of that, I was dressed in men's clothing.
Even setting that aside, eight years had passed since we parted.
We had both changed so much through growth that it was only natural he wouldn't recognize me at a glance.
I had been thinking too selfishly — assuming that if I had recognized him, he would recognize me too.
I had been too hasty.
Well, then I could just take off my sunglasses and introduce myself properly.
I already had Princess Ariel's permission.
This wasn't the right place, but I could call him somewhere private and reveal myself there.
And yet — a thought occurred to me.
An unwanted thought.
(Rudi… he doesn't remember me anymore…)
Once that thought took hold, I couldn't bring myself to remove my sunglasses.
Take them off, tell him my name, and then hear "Sorry, who are you?" in return…
Just imagining that was enough. I was done for.
"Ah… y-yes."
All the things I had planned to say when I met Rudi — all the carefully rehearsed words — dissolved into nothing.
I no longer knew what to say.
And before I knew it, the examination began.
I lost.
I was utterly, completely defeated.
My magic was sealed by some incomprehensible technique, and before I could do anything, a stone projectile of a level I had never seen grazed my cheek.
He could have hit me dead-on if he'd wanted.
He had held back.
My growth was irrelevant.
Rudi had surged far, far ahead.
"H-how… how did you do that…?"
The only thing I managed to ask was that.
"It's a magic called Disturb Magic. Have you heard of it?"
I hadn't.
I had never even heard the name.
It was probably some unique magic belonging to a particular race or tribe.
No one at the Magic University would know about a spell like that.
(Rudi is incredible.)
I thought it again with fresh conviction.
What I felt was pure admiration.
He had truly grown.
To a level incomparable to someone like me.
As I watched him with those thoughts, he suddenly bowed his head.
"Thank you so much, Senior!
You held back to let a new student like me shine!"
"Huh?"
I was bewildered.
It made no sense.
I hadn't done anything at all. Rudi had to know that.
But give me credit?
Confused as I was, I grasped the hand he extended.
It wasn't the hand of a magician.
It was the hand of a swordsman.
A hand with calluses from being formed and then broken down — the hand of someone who had trained relentlessly.
A hand that had held a sword far longer than Luke's, despite not even being a swordsman.
And, bewildered as I was, I held that hand and felt my heart racing.
The warmth of Rudi's palm transmitted through my own, and I was inexplicably happy.
But then Rudi left me even more bewildered.
"I will properly express my gratitude another day."
Gratitude? What did he mean?
I didn't understand.
I didn't understand.
But then it dawned on me — another day meant I would see him again.
Feeling my face grow a little hot, I nodded vigorously.
And after Rudi left, I finally remembered that he hadn't recognized me, and I cried.
--- From Ariel's perspective: After returning to the student council room and catching my breath, Sylphie came to me in tears.
"He said 'nice to meet you'…"
At first, I thought she was upset about Rudeus being with a woman.
Incidentally, the woman with Rudeus was an S-class adventurer and a party member of his. It was immediately clear there was no romantic relationship.
But Sylphie's heart wouldn't lighten.
The problem ran deeper than that.
"Rudi doesn't remember me anymore…"
"Sylphie…"
I was at a loss.
This was unprecedented.
The girl Sylphiette was supposed to be stronger than this.
She was supposed to be tough, earnest, and straightforward.
And yet here she was, crying in my lap.
This was a girl who had barely shed tears even when she learned her parents had died in the Displacement Incident.
And now she was this devastated simply because that scraggly-robed boy hadn't recognized her.
Watching her like this, a slightly sadistic impulse sprouted in my heart.
That was unbecoming of me.
I didn't want Sylphiette to dislike me.
We were friends, after all.
But that boy.
Rudeus Greyrat.
If he was the same age as Sylphie, he had barely just come of age, if at all.
Honestly, he was a bit different from what I had imagined based on Sylphie's stories.
My first impression was "shabby-looking man."
He could have bought a new robe, but instead wore a cheap, threadbare one.
His obsequious, overly deferent manner.
The way he darted nervous glances around his surroundings.
His lack of confidence…
And above all, there was simply no charisma to him as a man.
Whether I tormented him or he tormented me, I doubt I would feel the slightest thrill.
Luke was better than that, honestly.
Luke was a womanizer and a flirt, but when it came to sexual appeal, he was first-rate.
Not that we would ever act on anything, given our master-servant relationship.
But that boy.
Rudeus Greyrat.
A man with no charm whatsoever.
And that man was making "my Sylphie" cry.
That was something I simply could not forgive.
"Has he really forgotten? Why not show your face, tell him your name, and then despair?"
That was Luke.
He, too, seemed to have certain feelings about Rudeus.
"What if I do all that and he still doesn't remember…?"
"Then that's just how it is."
"Don't just dismiss it like that!"
At Luke's casual remark, Sylphie protested in a pitiful voice.
Luke let out an exasperated sigh.
Luke was competent with a sword but otherwise thoroughly mediocre.
He took his bodyguard duties seriously, but everything else he treated with a devil-may-care attitude.
Especially when it came to women — he had more than once taken what he wanted and then paid his way out of consequences.
Very much a man of the Greyrat family.
But he did have one particular talent.
It was observation — the ability to see through to a person's true nature.
The Greyrat family's legendary "eye for筛-ing out the dangerous schemers you'd better not get involved with," passed down through generations.
That family was full of such peculiar things.
And Luke genuinely respected Sylphie.
Not as a woman, but as a colleague and a comrade-in-arms.
That Notos Greyrat family's prodigal son.
A man who, upon seeing a woman, thought nothing of using her and discarding her.
He respected Sylphie.
That was the kind of woman Sylphie was.
I understood it well.
I too respected Sylphie — for how she had endured, surviving assassination attempts and pursuits.
She worked so hard. She truly did.
As for Luke's misgivings about Rudeus, I had quietly asked him about it earlier.
Luke said Rudeus was not to be trusted.
This seemed to stem from the rumors surrounding him.
Beyond what Sylphie had told us from the past, all we had about Rudeus were rumors.
According to those rumors, he was strong but never angry, never fought, and was an exemplary person.
There were no bad rumors whatsoever.
He sounded like a fictional character.
According to Luke's theory, good rumors were far less likely to spread than bad ones.
Luke suspected the information was being deliberately manipulated.
For example, a recent piece of intelligence claimed that "Rudeus of the Quagmire single-handedly defeated a stray dragon."
Single-handedly.
That was impossible.
"If the rumors are that impressive, he must have done something on that level," Luke said.
It was probably a small-group dragon hunt that was then promoted as if Rudi had done it alone.
He was certainly strong, of course.
After all, he had defeated Sylphie, who was armed with magic-infused equipment.
Any ordinary magician would be no match for him.
Or perhaps he truly was at a level where he could solo a stray dragon.
But even if that were true, Luke insisted the rumors were still suspicious.
He said that in order to spread only good rumors across the Three Great Magic Nations in the span of just two years, someone would have to be deliberately orchestrating it.
Deliberately manipulating information to let only positive stories circulate.
A cunning man.
That was Luke's assessment after seeing Rudeus in person.
Such a man would betray you when the chips were down. Untrustworthy.
Luke was emphatic on this point.
"I am opposed to drawing him into our ranks, Ariel-sama."
"I agree. But his strength is undeniable… let's table it for now."
It was Sylphie who tilted her head at this decision.
"Huh?"
She argued that whether or not he remembered her had nothing to do with his abilities.
Rudeus had become incredibly powerful, she said.
And that strange spell — Disturb Magic — must be some race-specific technique.
If they could make use of it, every other magician would become obsolete.
He was the most reliable ally they could hope for.
But that wasn't the point.
We already found him suspicious.
Sylphie seemed to have become blindly attached to a childhood friend she hadn't seen in years.
And, if I was being honest, we were being emotional too.
Who did Sylphie think had been her emotional anchor these past few years?
It was undoubtedly that Rudeus.
And he didn't even remember her. The nerve.
I wanted to show them all how excitedly Sylphie had been waiting these past months.
Even so, I had been looking forward to Sylphie and Rudeus's heartfelt reunion.
Since the Displacement Incident, it had been nothing but bad news. I had wanted to see at least one happy ending.
Honestly.
I know Sylphie was dressed as a man, but how often do you see a white-haired, short-cut long-eared elf?
And he had won against Sylphie, yet showed no joy at all, maintaining that groveling attitude.
Did he think my Sylphie was just some run-of-the-mill magician?
Probably.
And Sylphie was Sylphie too.
After making such a fool of herself during the exam, why did she look so… happy about it?
I felt a surge of jealousy.
"I must say, I am currently quite incensed with this Rudeus fellow."
"As am I. If Sylphie truly was not recognized, we cannot bring someone into our circle who is likely to betray us, however strong he may be."
Luke echoed my words.
And Sylphie pouted.
"…What is with all of you, bad-mouthing Rudi like that…"
Sylphie was unconvinced, but the plan to recruit Rudeus into the group was officially suspended for the time being.
We would wait and observe.
Excessive contact with him was forbidden.
However, I allowed Sylphie to interact with him on a personal basis.
Even if he was suspicious, he was the first acquaintance Sylphie had found in a long while.
And Sylphie did seem happy about it, no matter what.
Besides, perhaps our first impressions were simply wrong and he was the remarkable person the rumors claimed.
Best to keep the connection alive.
"Of course, if Sylphie ever wants to reveal her identity, she is free to do so."
There was a risk in having her identity discovered.
But if it meant uncovering Rudeus's true depths and the truth behind the rumors, it might be a worthwhile trade.
--- From Sylphie's perspective: One month later.
At the entrance ceremony, I watched Rudi from afar.
In his uniform, Rudi looked even more radiant than during the entrance exam.
Our eyes met, and my heart pounded.
That said, he was a special student. He would have little to learn at this school going forward, so our opportunities to meet would probably be scarce — or so I thought at the time.
The month before, at the meeting, it had been decided not to make excessive contact with Rudi.
Ariel and Luke had said all sorts of things, but at the end of the day, both of them seemed to simply find Rudi unpleasant. For reasons I couldn't quite understand.
Was I the one who was strange?
But they had said it was fine for me to be friendly with him on my own.
Excessive contact was banned, but being friendly was okay.
How much was "friendly enough" and how much was "too much"?
They didn't specify, and I suspected that was Ariel-sama's kindness.
That alone was enough.
Just being able to talk to Rudi was enough for me.
But how should I approach him…?
As I pondered this, I attended class with Ariel-sama.
Ariel-sama had it tough — as a figure of charisma, she had to maintain top grades.
The mixed-magic class was completely different from what I knew.
Rudi had learned from Roxy, and I assumed the school would teach the same things, but the curriculum was surprisingly complex.
Even so, thanks to Rudi's teaching, I could understand it all relatively easily.
But Ariel-sama and Luke were struggling.
I did my best to support Ariel-sama, explaining things left and right.
But the way Rudi had taught me didn't seem to get through to them very well.
"Fitz, could you bring me the materials for the next class?"
At Ariel-sama's instruction, I headed for the library.
The library was separate from the main building.
There wasn't much time before the next class.
I had to hurry.
I had been going to the library for three years straight, so I knew exactly where every book was.
The materials I needed for today's lesson came to mind almost immediately.
I picked them up one by one.
Yeah, this should be quick.
And then— "Oh!"
Seeing the person standing in front of the bookshelf, I cried out.
It was Rudi.
A complete surprise.
I had been planning to find a chance to meet him later, but I never expected to run into him here.
"…………"
(Wh-what should I say…!?)
Rudi noticed me in my fluster.
The next instant, he bowed deeply.
"I'm terribly sorry about the other day.
My carelessness caused you to lose face, Senior.
I had planned to visit with a box of sweets to apologize properly, but as a new student, I've been busy with one thing after another…"
"Uwah!? …I-it's fine, raise your head."
It seemed Rudi had assumed I was angry with him.
I was surprised.
Oh — that was what the words at the entrance exam had sounded like.
But now that he mentioned it, I supposed I had lost face.
Yeah. Now that he said it. Indeed. Yeah.
…So that was why Ariel-sama and Luke had been upset too.
I had always known from the start that I couldn't beat Rudi.
I mean, I hadn't expected to be completely shut out like that.
But from their perspective, my loss must have been unpleasant.
No — never mind that. Let's set it aside for now.
"Rude… um, Rudeus-kun? What are you doing here?"
"Doing some research."
"About what?"
"The Displacement Incident."
Hearing those words, I thought.
Could it be…
Could it be that Rudi was thinking the same thing I was?
"The Displacement Incident? Why?"
"I used to live in the Fittoa Region of the Kingdom of Asura, you see. During that incident, I was sent all the way to the Demon Continent."
"The Demon Continent!?"
I was even more shocked.
I had heard stories about the Demon Continent.
A harsh, unforgiving land where only D-class or higher monsters existed.
Some swordsmen went there for training, but almost none returned.
And those who had been transported there during the Displacement Incident were considered beyond hope of rescue.
Rudi had come back from there.
"Yes. It took me three years to return. During that time, my family was apparently found, but I still haven't located a single acquaintance. So I thought this would be a good opportunity to investigate more thoroughly."
"…Did you come to this school specifically to research that?"
"That's right."
Hearing this, I was struck once again by how incredible Rudeus was.
"Wow… yeah, you really are amazing."
He had spent three years returning from the Demon Continent, and rather than resting easy, he continued searching for others.
That alone was impressive enough, but when an invitation came from the Magic University, he seized the chance to investigate the incident further.
There was probably no one else like him.
If it were me, after three years of struggle, I would have collapsed into a refugee camp and stayed there.
"What about you, Senior? What are you doing here?"
His question brought me back to reality.
I had been in the middle of fetching materials.
Ariel-sama was waiting.
I wanted to keep talking to Rudi, but I couldn't leave Ariel-sama hanging.
"Oh, right. I was in the middle of delivering materials. I've got to go. Rudeus-kun. See you later."
"Ah, yes. See you."
I turned on my heel to go file for the materials' checkout, when a thought suddenly occurred to me.
This library was vast and filled with books, but there was very little relevant to the Displacement Incident.
Even for Rudi, researching the incident would take considerable time.
"Oh, right. If you're looking into the Displacement Incident, you should read Anima's 'Exploring the Labyrinth of Displacement.' It's written in a narrative style, but it's very clear and easy to understand."
I decided to recommend the book that had first led me to understand what displacement truly was.
With that, even a child could grasp the basics.
Other books included sections with pages torn out, too.
Feeling slightly good about having done something helpful, I left the library.
--- That evening.
I was washing underwear.
Ariel-sama's underwear.
Washing Ariel-sama's laundry was my responsibility.
There was a reason for this.
Ariel-sama's undergarments were made from extremely expensive fabric.
On top of that, as the undergarments of Asuran royalty, they carried additional value.
In short, if you took them to market, they could be sold at a premium.
In fact, when we first enrolled, undergarments I had sent to the laundress were stolen and sold.
Four out of five pairs were taken, and three of those were sold.
The remaining one had apparently been kept by the male student who stole them for personal use.
Female students who had no experience with such things were up in arms, crying "Unacceptable!"
For Ariel-sama, who had grown up in the Kingdom of Asura, and for me, who had served her — it wasn't that surprising. The Kingdom of Asura had all sorts of strange people.
But unpleasant was still unpleasant.
So from that day forward, washing Ariel-sama's undergarments became my job.
Ariel-sama was a little uncomfortable having me do that, but it was convenient for me too, since I could wash my own at the same time.
Incidentally, to maintain my disguise, I wore the same undergarments as Ariel-sama — different colors, but the same style.
Having finished the laundry without incident, I stepped out onto the balcony, intending to hang the undergarments up to air-dry overnight.
As I was clipping them one by one onto the clothesline— "Huh…?"
I glanced down from the balcony and froze.
A male student was walking below.
Dormitory rules explicitly prohibited males from walking in this area at this hour.
After all, there was the panty thief incident, and while it wasn't the season, there was also the matter of estrus cycles.
Why was a male student out here…
Even if he was taking a shortcut, the self-appointed vigilante girls on the first floor would swarm him in moments.
Should I warn him?
The first person to spot a rule-breaker had an obligation to alert others.
But I wasn't supposed to raise my voice too much…
(Wait — could that be…?)
And then I realized the person was Rudi.
(Wh-why!?)
In my shock, my hand slipped.
The underwear I had been holding fluttered down from my grasp, landing directly on Rudi's head.
The instant it entered his field of vision, Rudi snatched it out of the air with incredible speed.
(So… fast…!)
It must have been because he was always on guard.
That movement carried the weight of someone who had crossed the Demon Continent.
Rudi apparently realized what he was holding was underwear.
He looked up, spotted me, and held it up — as if to say, "You dropped this."
It was a carefree gesture, completely at odds with the speed of his earlier catch.
(Oh, right — he just enrolled today, so he doesn't know the rules!)
Rudi was a special student, and special students had their own rooms.
Special students were exempt from various dormitory duties, but they were also excluded from orientations that explained the dormitory rules.
I had to tell him.
Standing around holding underwear like that was guaranteed to cause a misunderstanding.
"KYAAAA!"
That worry immediately became reality.
A female student screamed.
The self-appointed vigilante girls from the first floor came rushing out.
In moments, Rudi was surrounded.
(…But Rudi could probably handle this, right?)
I watched with a sliver of optimism, curious to see how he would react.
Would he just blow them away like he did back in Buena Village?
Would he talk his way out?
Would he use magic to threaten or escape?
……Rudi did none of those things.
He was simply grabbed by the arm by a girl named Gorille, looking for all the world like he was in trouble.
His appearance was just like my own had been back in Buena Village.
I felt my head cool rapidly.
(What am I doing!?)
I rushed out from the balcony.
I ran downstairs and pushed through the crowd.
"Heh, what's this? You're going to stand your ground and fight back?
A panty thief, no less. How brazen.
You really think you can take on all of us?"
In the dark, no one seemed to notice, but Rudi had immobilized their feet with earth magic.
I didn't understand why.
Perhaps there was no reason at all.
Rudi's hands certainly weren't shaking — that much was certain.
But then I thought a little further and…
I remembered something from the past.
Come to think of it, when Rudi had scared off Somar and the others, his legs had been trembling.
When Rudi had found out I was a girl and things got awkward between us, he had said, "You've been cold to me lately, Sylphie," while trembling slightly.
That's right — Rudi might have been scared that I disliked him.
…Like an ordinary boy.
(Ah…)
I realized something.
I had always put Rudi on a pedestal.
I had always seen him as someone much older.
But Rudi and I were the same age.
(Am I always going to be the one he protects?)
The last thing I remembered was my father's words.
And the promise I had made in response.
To save Rudi.
That was my vow.
If anything ever happened, I would save Rudi.
That was what I had promised.
That was what I had been working so hard for, wasn't it?
And this whole mess was my fault in the first place!
"Wait! Don't take him — just wait a moment!"
I wedged myself between them.
And I desperately defended Rudi.
It may have been the first time I had spoken to anyone other than Ariel-sama since coming to the school.
I had maintained my silent persona that thoroughly.
But the girl holding Rudi's arm — Gorille — was stubborn.
She was stubbornly determined to condemn Rudi.
Even though he had committed no crime.
"Hmph, even the Silent Fitz is defending him like this. Must be true then. But he still broke dormitory rules. As a warning, he'll have to be puni—What!?"
A warning.
The moment I heard that word, something inside me snapped.
Punishing someone who had done nothing wrong, simply for being unlucky enough to be in the wrong place— That was unacceptable.
Before I knew it, I had my staff pointed at them, magic power already surging through it.
"I told you he's done nothing wrong.
Now let go of his arm…"
"F-Fitz…sama?"
"Or would every single one of you rather be sent to the infirmary?"
These kinds of threats were something I had learned from Luke back in the Kingdom of Asura.
He had told me that sometimes you needed to bluff, and I had practiced diligently.
On the road from Asura to
Luke had teased that it sounded childish coming from me and had the opposite effect.
But this time, it seemed to work.
"Tch… fine."
Gorille released Rudi's arm.
She tossed out one final parting shot and left.
With their de facto leader gone, the other girls dispersed too.
I let out a breath of relief.
"Haa… honestly, Gorille never listens to anyone…"
I recalled her usual behavior and conduct.
She wasn't a bad person.
It was just that Beast Race members were fanatically devoted to rules.
They didn't bend easily.
But never mind that — I needed to apologize.
This was partly my fault, after all.
"I'm sorry. I dropped the underwear, and that's what started all this."
If my hand hadn't slipped, none of this would have escalated.
Gorille probably wouldn't have overreacted so much either.
Probably.
"No, Fitz-senpai, this wasn't your fault… Thank you for helping."
Rudi's response struck me as oddly different.
Something rigid had dropped from his voice.
I looked up and noticed his expression had shifted slightly.
Only now did I realize— (…Rudi had been on guard against me this whole time.)
Now that I thought about it, things had felt off from the very start.
He had been bowing his head excessively…
But of course.
When you really thought about it, I was "The Silent Fitz."
It was only natural for Rudi to be wary.
And now that wariness had lifted.
(Somehow… that makes me happy.)
It had come from a mistake, but I had moved one step closer to Rudi.
That was how it felt.
After that, I explained the dormitory rules.
That this path was off-limits after dark.
Rudi apparently didn't know, and he nodded with an impressed look.
"Senior, truly — thank you so much."
Rudi bowed one final time.
I felt a strange sense of nostalgia.
Back when I was being bullied, the roles had been reversed.
Had I ever thanked him back then…?
As I wondered, a strange laughter bubbled up inside me.
"Ahaha… it feels so weird having Rudeus-kun thank me."
"Huh? Why do you think that?"
Of course, that was because the first time we— I started to reveal my identity naturally, then caught myself.
Once again, anxiety swelled within me.
If, in this moment, I told him and he said "Sorry, I don't remember"…
I told myself it didn't matter.
Maybe it was fine if he never remembered.
Maybe I could meet him as if for the first time and walk a new path alongside him.
Leave the past behind, and simply get to know the him of now.
So I said: "That's a secret."
Rudi looked utterly bewildered.
I went back to the dormitory.
Of course, I had him return the underwear.
It had been caught mid-air by Rudi, so it wasn't dirty, but Rudi was a man.
I didn't think Rudi's hands were dirty or anything like that, but it didn't feel right to have Ariel-sama wear something that had been in a man's grasp.
"I should probably wash them again… yeah…"
Holding them up under the light, I froze.
They were my underwear.
Rudi had been holding these in his hands…
I was mortified on the spot.
--- One month later, I began researching the Displacement Incident during one of Princess Ariel's "rest days."
Together with Rudi.
The reason it took a full month was that I couldn't bring myself to take the plunge.
What if Rudi rejected me?
What if he thought I was dead weight?
Those fears had held me back.
But Rudi had actually welcomed the idea.
It was that incident — the panty misunderstanding — that had dissolved his wariness of me.
Sorry, Rudi, but I was glad I dropped the underwear after all.
Yeah.
Even though it was embarrassing.
With these thoughts, I took my first step.
For me, it was a huge step.
--- And so, having failed to seize the countless opportunities that arose— Unable to reveal my identity— Unable to take that crucial second step— A year was almost at an end.