87 – shadow(10)

“What are you?”

“See you again. Thank you last time.”

“Did I ask you to visit the art department once, or did I ask you to join here?”

“It was my choice to come to the art department… . It has nothing to do with seniors.”

She stopped her brushing hand, paused as if lost in thought, then put it back in the brushbox and said,

“… yes?”

“… .”

“Just because I helped you a little, didn’t you enter the art department with a fateful meeting or something?”

“… … .”

“I think if you do a little good to the gloomy-looking kids, that kind of thing will happen… i’m a bit sensitive I asked just in case.”

Looking back, when I went to find Lilia, I was accompanied by this senpai, and my expression was dark. I never imagined that I would be imprinted with such an image.

“You are overly concerned.”

Previously, Professor Georgia had many students with impure intentions because there were many female members. Considering that, the sensitive reaction is understandable.

“Yeah, what can I do? I’ll believe it for now. I am Favela.”

Since her right hand was stained with paint, she held out her left hand instead to shake hands. And on the ring finger of that hand was a ring.

As I looked at the hand, she continued with a smile as if conscious of my gaze.

“Oh, this ring. It was given to me by my fiancé. Pretty.”

“Yes, I see.”

“Your fiancé is obsessed enough to come to Eternia, so you have to be careful. I don’t want to make a fuss.”

It is not too late to talk about this after getting to know each other properly. In my experience, if you say something like this immediately after a voiceover, you should understand it with the intention of drawing a clear boundary. It can also be interpreted as showing off ‘I am loved this way’, but… Intuitively, this is definitely not the case.

There was also an external reason to keep a psychological distance from this woman. Until the first impression is erased, I will have to stay away from you.

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Judging from the lukewarm attitude of the other members towards the newcomer after a long time, it seemed like it would be best to keep quiet for a while. I came to learn painting, and I can prove it with my actions.

“By the way, why did you ask me to come to the art department?”

“Ah, there was something I needed extra work for. I was told to work on it and send it back, but I didn’t think I would even enter the house… .”

At the same time, on the other hand, the way he speaks, saying that he doesn’t welcome my entry very much, is strangely annoying.

“Don’t you like what I entered?”

“no… Well, something like that… .”

Even after saying that, Favela’s expression showed an unwilling feeling.

I said politely.

“Call me when you need me. We will help you then.”

Then he got up and picked up an easel and a chair.

Favela said a little embarrassed.

“you… what are you doing?”

“There are plants I want to draw, so I will move.”

“If that’s the case, I can help…” .”

“it’s okay.”

I packed my things and walked away from Favela.

While crossing the members again to move to the other side, someone grabs my back hem.

Not even one.

Each of the three different hands strongly grips the hem of my clothes and prevents me from passing.

“sit down.” “Newcomer, sit here.” “Why are you walking around like that?”

“… ?”

Then he takes my chair and puts it next to them and slaps it away as if telling me to sit down.

“Now is not the time to paint. sit down.”

“… .”

I had to sit down reluctantly, overcome by the stubborn hand.

He even took my easel and moved it to the back. I was caught by three female seniors and couldn’t move carelessly.

“Sit here quietly and wait.”

I’m a little embarrassed. Why are you doing this?

Giorgia, the only person to help me in an unexpected situation, is preoccupied with discussing with the members sitting in the front.

It seemed that the members were begging her for something. What’s going on?

“Professor!”

“I’m a novice at Grace Mountain now. Whenever you guys say you don’t want to go to the training week. You said you don’t want dirt on your pretty clothes?”

“The weather is nice, so are you sitting still?”

“Our paint has run out.”

“Originally, I was supposed to have classes in front of the guardian tree, but I couldn’t do it this time because I was banned from entering.”

said Georgia as if it were complicated.

“A new member has arrived, and he is going to Grace Mountain during the training week?”

“It’s a combat unit! You will do well.”

“How are you? It should be done someday.”

Georgia sighed strongly.

“Hey! Before you guys, one of them ran away!”

“That is a misunderstanding. I confessed to myself and left because I was embarrassed to be kicked.”

“If you don’t open the ceremony, you won’t be welcomed.”

The female members burst out laughing all at once.

Giorgia took a deep breath, brushed her hair back, and called for me.

“Damian!”

When she gestured to me, the seniors who had grabbed me finally patted me on the back as if to let go of their restraints.

“done. go!”

“… … .”

Having become free, I stepped forward reluctantly.

Giorgia took me and after about twenty steps away from the gathering of the club members, said.

“I can’t live because of those bitches. Guys, it looks like they didn’t welcome you back for fear of going to another department.”

“Can we move the wealth elsewhere?”

“Yes, it is possible to move until next week. More than that, Damien, have you dealt with a lot of Planteras? Not the big ones like Scout Plantera, but the rather weak ones I saw during the entrance exam.”

“… Why are you asking that?”

“Do you know about the cultivator? Every other week, Eternia releases Plantera on Mount Grace to train students. It will be similar to the entrance exam.”

“By the way, is there any reason to enter Mount Grace?”

“We gather all the dyes and brushes from Grace Mountain and make them ourselves. Eh, originally, training masters avoid it, but these bitches are protesting that you came and let’s go.”

“… … .”

“You can think of it as a kind of entrance ceremony. If you pass this over, it will do you good. The kids are all good by nature. Also, do you really take care of your juniors like you guys do?”

“It’s all good, but I didn’t bring my sword… .”

“Professor!”

In the meantime, a female student came toward us holding a sheath.

“I found this in the greenhouse. It looks like a really good sword, but it doesn’t seem to have an owner~”

“… … .”

Giorgia grabbed the sword and waved her hand, signaling the girl to go back. After that, I grabbed the luxurious handle and gently pulled it out. The brass-colored blade glistened in the sunlight.

“There is nothing. These insidious gimmicks. It’s a sword made from the biotiny metal called Heart of the Mountains. It’s Haley’s in the 3rd year of the Combat Division. A senior directly under your department. Can this be enough?”

“Yes, it is possible.”

I can do it, but I have some concerns.

I’m more accustomed to using a sword to dismantle limbs than cutting Plantera.

I’m worried that someone will find out about my habit because I did that while wearing a mask during the entrance exam.

I have to be very careful not to get out of the habit.

“But the lost items… Can I use it however I want?”

Georgia smiled and replied.

“What about the lost item, Haley? She’s the head of our art department. The blonde hair that was sitting in front of me was tied back, and the face was pale and looked like a fox. Give it back to him when you’re done.”

“… .”

***

The art club members came out of the conservatory and moved in line as if they were going on a picnic. The chirping did not stop, it was like watching a group of excited chicks out in the yard.

As we passed the hills near Mount Grace, Plantera began to appear sparsely in the distance.

Professor Georgia led the male students in the back row who were depressed by the momentum of the female students.

“Hey, you guys are all good guys in the undergraduate school, but why do you have such low energy every time you come here?”

Excluding Damian, there are only five male students in the art department. One Ministry of Magic, two Departments of Alchemy, and two Departments of Sorcery. They are all youngsters who do research in their closets.

In fact, even Professor Georgia knew why people were dying to draw.

Large departments such as the theater department and dance department are so large that they are divided into A and B classes. Nevertheless, the art department does not lag behind them in events such as intramural competitions. It is because of the spirit of the female students in the art department that they are called the elite minority.

Exclusive, but on the contrary, solidarity is good internally. Once you admit it, your juniors will actively take care of you and never throw it away.

It’s just a pity that these innocent boys are always in the middle of the day because it’s a group of extreme women. Georgia encouraged the male students with both arms around their shoulders.

“You guys are the center of our art department. know?”

“… .”

“Professor, is that friend okay?”

A student gave Damian a worried look.

Damian was busy dealing with Plantera at the forefront of the ranks.

They were worried that after suffering like this, they would end up in the same situation as them.

At the start, Giorgia gave instructions to unite in groups of five and face Plantera.

One group of boys, one group of quiet girls.

The other twenty or so… Damian followed closely behind.

“Haley is the strongest in the art department. by the way… .”

Haley, the head of the art department, who must have cut off hundreds of Planteras, was screaming eagerly behind Damian.

It was embarrassing for the male students to see him for the first time.

“Aww! Newcomer, here!”

Another male student added.

“Xenia senior… Originally, we were dealing with five Planteras… .”

Part of the remains of Plantera, which was blown away after being hit directly by Xenia’s magic, was once found in the student plaza.

And, Xenia was also screaming behind Damian.

“Mom! Newcomer, here too!”

Damian was being whipped around, but Giorgia wasn’t worried about him.

“Leave it alone, they said they weren’t coming and even had to seduce them with beauty like in the theater department. Damian will be fine. Do I look good in people? He has a bit of stubbornness and determination. I saw him a little while ago, and he didn’t shy away from fighting with Favela.”

“With senior Favela… ?”

Favela is as energetic as Haley, the head of the art department. Whatever happened, she did not accompany me to Mount Grace because she was not feeling well.

“And this is the kid that Professor Silverin brought. I’ve never seen anyone as strong as her in my life, but it must be shocking to have grown up under her.”

A male student from the Ministry of Magic said in a loud voice as if surprised.

“Is he a student of Professor Silverin?”

“Okay, lower your voice.”

“No, what the hell… Sigh.”

In his sighs, a complex state of mind tangled with envy, jealousy, and a sense of shame came out.

His status as Silverin’s apprentice was enough to earn the envy of the students of the Ministry of Magic.

In response, Georgia urged him, as always.

“No sighing. No laments. Don’t do it because it doesn’t look like it.”

“… .”

“You guys are young and don’t know. How can I live such a great and wonderful life? Even if riches and honors are given, ‘I can’t live like this.’ There have been cases where I have gone through a painful process to the point of wanting to.”

Giorgia felt it intuitively without having to reveal the past. Damian is a boy with a lot of stories. Children who have lived their lives smoothly want to stand in the same position as Damian… It is greed.

“I can’t imagine how much suffering a 17-year-old had to go through… .”

She ended up having a night with a male student from the Ministry of Magic.

***

I sweated for a while dealing with Plantera with a sword I wasn’t familiar with. I had a hard time covering all 20 people, but thanks to that, the cold silence of the first meeting was erased and the atmosphere changed to an atmosphere that seemed to acknowledge me.

The art club members gathered in a small hill that formed a gentle slope. There were no trees, so the view was open, and flowers were in full bloom everywhere.

There was also a place like this near Eternia. It was a place that fit really well with the art department, which seeks beauty. Plantera also didn’t bother me by chasing me to this place, as if he knew the taste.

As if the members had visited several times, each of them scattered and collected flowers with their skillful hands.

The senior deputy head of the art department, who introduced herself as Xenia, grabbed my arm and dragged it around. Then, he taught me the basic knowledge of the art department.

“If it is difficult to memorize the names of the flowers, remember only the papaya. plus white. If you make dyes with them, you can combine most colors.”

Then he pulled out a red flower and held it in front of me.

“What did you say this flower was called?”

“It’s Charlia. The blue one is Glorinth, and the green one is Phaeton herb.”

She complimented her with an exaggerated expression.

“Ah well done. How could he be so good at holding Plante and even being smart?”

“… … .”

She said, patting the top of my head with the palm of her hand.

“You passed the art department. I haven’t been recognized by the manager yet, but I passed. Don’t you know how old our art department is? If you look good to us, your school life will bloom. If there is something you don’t understand during a joint class, come to the manager or me. I’ll treat you well, so don’t go anywhere else. Just root here. uh? okay? Our manager comes from a powerful family in the Empire, right? During vacation, you invite the members and spend a vacation together?”

Behind the cheerfulness, non-mainstream sadness and earnestness were buried, so I couldn’t bear to say anything bad.

“… All right.”

“And the dance and theater clubs haven’t come yet.”

“… Yes?”

“Looking at your expression, it’s still there. Yes, sooner or later those pig bitches will come and harass you. Call us if you don’t want to. I’ll get rid of them all.”

pig… years? extermination?

Do you have an enmity with those people?

I wonder why they are coming to me. Since Trisha is in the theater department, I have to ask her today.

“I will remember it.”

“Yeah, but where did our manager go… .”

The peace was broken at an unexpected moment. Suddenly, an explosion sounded from over the hill.

– Quaang!

Soon acrid smoke billowed up into the sky.

And, a sharp scream echoed along with it.

All the eyes of the surprised members were directed to the place where the roar had spread.

The senior deputy director and I ran to the garden floor without asking anyone first. From there, looking down the hill, I see five flaming Planteras surrounding a fallen woman.

Dark gray hair, a familiar face. It’s been a long time since we met again, but for one reason or another, we can’t greet each other in a good atmosphere.

The person who collapsed was Lilith, the girl he accompanied during the entrance exam.