(unedited)

“Are you going straight residence for trip?”

I rapidly modified the topic. I figured that if we talked about exams for too lengthy, I wouldn’t have something left.

“No, I’m not going residence whereas I’m on the academy.”

“Actually……?”

“And also you?”

“Effectively, I’m going to remain right here for some time after which go residence.”

I thought of going instantly, however I used to be advised that college students in swordsmanship courses should do additional coaching each trip.

This meant that Liel must keep on the academy for the complete trip, similar to final yr.

If I left him alone, he would get bored when he wasn’t coaching.

So I made a decision to stick with him for some time after which go go to my grandmother.

I wrote a letter to my grandmother about this upfront, and he or she stated that she understood how apprehensive I used to be about Liel, and that I ought to take excellent care of him.

To her, Liel was like a grandchild, so it was a pure response.

I assumed it wouldn’t be a foul thought for us to exit and play collectively throughout the trip when Liel wasn’t coaching.

“Hey, why are you following us round?”

Simply as I used to be occupied with the place to go, I instantly heard Melissa’s sharp voice. She wasn’t speaking to me, however to somebody who was following behind.

“Oh, no, no……. I’m simply…….”

I circled to see a brown-haired boy with neatly slicked again bangs, cowering and stammering his manner by means of a collection of stuttering excuses.

He was really simply saying one “no” after one other.

I believe he’s in my grade.

At first look, I assumed I acknowledged him, however then I didn’t.

Sadly, I hadn’t but memorized all of the faces and names of my classmates.

I tilted my head and seemed on the boy—.

“Oh, it’s nothing!”

The boy who had made eye contact with me turned and ran away, as if he had seen one thing he shouldn’t see.

“Who’s he?”

“Undecided……?”

‘Why did he run away if you noticed me?’

* * *

[Narrator’s POV]

The boy who had been following Melissa and Lucy, solely Lucy to be actual, was named Pavon. He was the third son of the Countess of Merrin.

He was uncharacteristically timid, with a uninteresting presence regardless of his compliant look.

“Ugh……. They should have thought I used to be bizarre……!”

Sobbing into his fingers, Pavon buried his face in his fingers as he squatted alone in a abandoned yard.

It was about three months in the past that Pavon started to note Lucy.

It was raining laborious that day, and Pavon had the misfortune to be caught by his professor so he was doing chores and acquired out of faculty late.

As he watched the rain fall, he cursed himself for not bringing an umbrella that morning.

Quickly, his eyes caught sight of a number of college students strolling within the rain.

A few of them have been attending a swordsmanship class. They weren’t like different college students.

As instructed by their instructors, if it rained, they needed to stroll within the rain, and if it snowed, they needed to stroll within the snow.

It was real-life coaching for the frequent out of doors actions they must endure once they grew to become knights.

Pavon seemed on the males within the rain and realized that he would quickly be one among them.

His shoulders slumped, his face gloomy, he took a step ahead. A woman with an umbrella haphazardly stretched out subsequent to him and walked by.

Pavon instantly acknowledged her as Lucy, who was in the identical grade as him, and since he was habitually observant, he had already memorized the faces of the first-year college students.

At this level, he didn’t suppose a lot of it, besides that he envied Lucy for having an umbrella.

Till she grabbed the rain-soaked arm of a person within the rain.

It didn’t take lengthy for Pavon to acknowledge the person she was holding onto.

It didn’t take lengthy for him to acknowledge the person Lucy had grabbed, each as a result of he was well-known and since he’d overheard Cecil, who was in the identical lecture that morning, speaking about them from the again of the room.

“They’re simply buddies.”

However her pal shook her head in disbelief.

Cecil’s pal didn’t appear to consider it, and neither did Pavon.

But when they have been actually simply buddies—

What sort of love does a lady have for somebody that she’ll run by means of the muddy floor to place an umbrella on her ‘pal’?

All of the sudden, a query flashed by means of Pavon’s thoughts.

It grew for a second, making a small breeze.

If solely Lucy and Liel have been actually ‘simply’ buddies, as Cecil had stated.

***

From then on, Pavon watched Lucy carefully: each time she was requested about Liel, she at all times answered with the phrase “buddies”.

Each time she answered, he would really feel relieved.

Sooner or later, he realized that he appreciated her. It wasn’t love at first sight.

He knew Lucy earlier than he noticed her that evening within the pouring rain.

In fact, if somebody requested him if he remembered that evening, he would truthfully nod.

It was the primary time he realized he needed to be cherished by somebody of the alternative intercourse.

The second he realized his emotions for Lucy, he was grateful that he was the third son of the Depend of Merrin.

It could be getting forward of himself, but when he have been to marry Lucy, who would inherit the marquisate, he must enter her household.

He as soon as stated this to a pal and was known as a creep.

He couldn’t wait to admit his like to Lucy, it doesn’t matter what others may suppose.

He needed to provide himself the closure he deserved.

However it wasn’t to be. Lucy was at all times with Melissa or Liel, besides when she went to the library.

Typically he’d discover her within the library and attempt to speak to her, however he’d have to surrender instantly as a result of she’d be speaking to a senior who’s a part of the library committee.

He puzzled if he was simply unfortunate, or if Lucy was at all times surrounded by folks.

No matter it was, Pavon hadn’t been capable of get a phrase in along with her, not to mention a confession, regardless that it was solely three days earlier than trip.

“T, tomorrow is…….”

Sobbing into his lap, Pavon clenched his fists tightly and vowed to himself.

Tomorrow, he would confess to her, regardless of who’s by her aspect.

* * *

[Liel’s POV]

When the morning coaching ended, the scholars disappeared one after the other to take showers.

Usually, Liel would have blended in with them and gone to his dormitory to clean up earlier than heading to his afternoon lecture.

If solely he hadn’t been stopped by Teacher Hemil.

“I ought to warn you, that is an invite, not a requirement, and you may say no when you don’t wish to.”

Earlier than he may even get to the purpose, Hemil’s face was critical. He seemed nearly too critical for somebody who was attempting to ease the burden on somebody.

“Okay.”

Liel replied, resisting the urge to scrub up.

“Throughout this trip, I used to be questioning if you need to accompany me on an extermination mission.”

“Extermination mission?”

“At its greatest, it’s observe, at its worst, it’s……. I can’t consider a phrase for it, besides that you could possibly get killed when you do it incorrect.”

Hemil scratched the again of his head. If his demeanor was any indication, he was not in favor of Liel collaborating.

Nonetheless, he made the advice to Liel as a result of all of the instructors have been in favor of it, aside from him.

‘They’re those who voted for it, not me.’

Hemil grumbled to himself.

Up to now, when wars between people and demons have been at their peak, or when demons have been on the rise, college students as younger as six have been typically recruited to struggle.

However that was solely when the state of affairs was determined, however by now it had lengthy since develop into little greater than a foul custom.

Definitely, it wasn’t till after the struggle with the Demon King that this custom reemerged within the Academy.

The knights who fought in that struggle argued that there was no telling when such a disaster would happen once more, and that they wanted to boost knights as expert as Duke Marsen.

To take action, they stated, sensible expertise was essential.

Nonetheless, the protection of the younger college students was additionally vital, so that they often picked and selected solely those that had the abilities to outlive in fight.

The instructors, except for Hemil, voted unanimously in favor of Liel.

They acknowledged his expertise, however additionally they had excessive hopes for him as a result of he was the son of the Duke of Marsen, one other untold struggle hero.

“In return, in fact, you’ll get a excessive mark in your life historical past and further factors in your grades, however……. It’s a small worth to pay for risking your life. You possibly can flip it down proper now, okay?”

Hemil requested, wanting Liel to say no proper now.

Liel rolled his eyes and seemed up on the sky at Hemil’s contradictory angle of providing and refusing.

Lucy will likely be returning to the Marquis of Seywint for the holiday anyway.

So so far as Liel was involved, it was the identical as if he was coaching right here or going out to the outer partitions of the Empire.

“By when ought to I let you realize?”

In contrast to Hemil, his voice was calm. Hemil’s face crumpled at his oddly constructive tone.