Inside a room with matching furniture, there was El who remained quiet after finis.h.i.+ng his preparations for school.

“El-sama, it’s almost time to leave.”

Matthias, who had changed into casual clothes for going out, called out to the similarly dressed El.

“Yes… I understand.”

When he saw El stand up while looking depressed, Matthias got worried and began to ask a question.

“Is there something wrong? I can send a message of absence to the academy if you are not feeling well.”

“That’s not it. It’s just that I don’t want to go to the academy, somewhat.”

When those words was muttered by his master in a soft voice, the overprotective retainer cannot conceal his discomposure. El was definitely happy during his first day of school and Matthias confirmed that there was nothing unusual with El’s expression yesterday. However El had his head lowered quietly, obviously feeling reluctant today.

“Did something happen? Please tell me everything. I will eliminate the cause at once.”

Various possibilities came into Matthias’ mind.

El’s unusual silver hair might have caused some kind of trouble. It would not be strange for aristocrats to take interest towards El since he was admitted as a commoner, his real social status hidden. Although El requested for surveillance to stop, it looks like Matthias needs to keep a closer watch even more than before.

He did not show it on his face but he must have felt hurt in reality, Matthias reproached his inexperience as he thought like that.

“I don’t want to go… together with Matthias.”

“If that is the case, it will be unreasonable forcing—- Would you please repeat that one more time?”

While Matthias was plotting on how to eliminate the cause, it seems like his ears heard something strange so he asked El once again.

“I don’t want Matthias, I want to go with Edna today!”

El went out of the room feeling better after exclaiming what he found difficult to say, while Matthias became speechless due to too much shock.

“P-please wait a moment! W-why is it?”

Coming back to reality after a while, Matthias cried out after El, who had his bag in his shoulders and started preparing to leave.

The maids and the butlers of West Vern House were bewildered when they saw Matthias showing an extremely different personality compared to before, however they continued doing their usual work indifferently.

“Because yesterday…”

El looked back towards Matthias while letting out a sigh.

Then, El started talking to explain the reason as he recalled the events yesterday.

[Elmer]

The rest of his cla.s.smates also talked to him during break, so when lunch time ended, El thought that he certainly did well for his first day in school. El finished his business in the faculty room and headed back to the cla.s.sroom for the remaining one hour of lessons.

“It’s an emergency! Knight of the Purple Blaze-sama is at the school gates!”

“I wonder why? Anyway, let’s go take a look!”

The quiet hallway from before had completely changed and became noisy.

Several groups of excited uppercla.s.smen girls made a commotion and run one after another. A lot of male students are mixed among them, too.

They looked very happy, maybe a famous person came to the academy, I was inwardly puzzled when I entered the cla.s.sroom.

Rent immediately accosted me when I sat down.

“Hey, the hallway was very noisy just now. Did something happen?”

“Everyone was talking about a certain Knight-sama waiting at the school gates.”

“Is that true!?”`

Rent slapped both hands on my desk and leaned forward while standing up.

“What’s the matter? The cla.s.s will soon start and I don’t think thing you can borrow what you left behind from the next cla.s.s.”

I remembered Rent saying a while ago that he forgot something, and that he was just going to borrow from a friend.

“That’s not it~!! Why are you so calm! Hurry up and stand! We’re going to look, too!”

“I don’t really care.”

I’m not interested in a male idol with an embarra.s.sing name like that so I immediately refused.

“Don’t you know him!?”

It appears like he’s so popular to the extent that there’s no one in the country who doesn’t know about him. While I got troubled on how I should reply, Rent pulled my arm and began talking pa.s.sionately.

“Knight of the Purple Blaze-sama is absurdly powerful you know~? He got an overall victory in the Tournament by landslide! He’s someone acknowledged by the Royal Family themselves!”

“Fun~ *sigh*”

Rent’s eyes are s.h.i.+ning like stars. This Knight-sama must really be an amazing person. I can understand your desire to see him as soon as possible, but I wish you would stop forcefully pulling my arm while walking.

“And you know, he’s naturally an alumni here and is very intelligent! When he fights, he stays calm and looks very cool… anyway, he’s very amazing! Despite that, he disappeared recently. And even though I never saw him personally, he appears in books and paintings a lot! But why is he here in the academy? Ah, could it be he’s here for Shenryl-sama?”

It seems like Rent is a fan of Knight-sama. But thinking how crowded it became in the academy, it may be not just Rent who likes that person but several others, too.

Leaving that aside, I thought about Shenryl-chan. I intended to talk to her today but she just averted her face from me… We never met even though we live in the same house so I finally realized that I’m being avoided. What should I do…?

“We’re here! d.a.m.n! There’s so much people gathered already, I can’t see anything!”

It’s a large crowd just as Rent said, it’s as if all students from the academy came out.

“It looks like we can see from here.”

I called out to Rent after coming across a s.p.a.ce where there are few people, however I became at loss for words when I saw the center of the crowd. I rubbed my eyes, thinking that I was just seeing things. Then I opened my eyes slowly once again.

“What? Did you see?”

“Ah… yeah…? I saw, but I feel like I saw something wrong.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying! Move a bit. It’s the real one! It’s the real Matthias-sama! He’s as cool as expected!”

I was pushed aside, then got hit at the back repeatedly by an exited Rent who just saw 『Knight of the Purple Blaze-sama』.

“So cool…”

I can’t believe this scene in front of me, Rent repeatedly said that while looking like an idiot. Inside my head, his words spin round and round.

What the heck is this!? Matthias is Knight of the Purple Blaze-sama!?

“He’s always cool…”

“Cool, huh…”

Even though I can admit that Matthias is attractive (kakkoii), it’s hard to nod in a.s.sent when Matthias is claimed to be cool (kuru).

“I want to become like that, too.”

“…I see.”

Matthias is really attractive (kakkoii), moreover he’s strong. However, I think that the usual Matthias is not cool (kuru). In the end, I decided not to tell Rent anything. I supposed I shouldn’t destroy a pure young man’s dream like that.

More than anything, I’m very embarra.s.sed. I want to leave here quickly before it becomes something troublesome.

“Cla.s.s is starting, let’s go back to the cla.s.sroom.”

“That’s right. Ah, the Headmaster is coming!”

When I followed Rent’s line of sight, I saw a middle-age man, whose plump body shook while running, wiping his sweat with a handkerchief.

It’s my first time seeing the Headmaster since Matthias said it’s alright for me not to meet him when I entered the academy.

“Shenryl-sama is also coming, it looks like she went to the Headmaster’s office.”

“It seems like it.”

The Headmaster elbowed his way through the rows of students and after arriving to where Matthias is at last, he then guided him to the Headmaster’s office’s direction while Shenryl-chan drove away the students this time.

However, I felt anxious when Matthias turned his head restlessly as if looking for something. And then from the distance, I saw Shenryl-chan became displeased even though she was just smiling until now.

Is it too conceited of me? Thinking that I am the one Matthias is searching for? I sneered at myself and tried to turn my back. At that moment, Matthias looked at my way…

“Matthias-sama looked at this way just now!”

Rent, who is supposed to be facing the other way, suddenly raised his voice.”

“It’s just your imagination.”

“Is that so? But just now he absolutely…”

“Was that Matthias-sama?”

Well, it’s only proper to ask which is Matthias-sama since I’m supposed to not know him.

“That’s right. There’s no way Matthias-sama of the West Vern House, the country’s– no, one of the world’s Great n.o.bles, will notice us.”

“Right, right.”

I agreed with Rent as we walked along the corridor.

By the way, the cla.s.s had already started. Well, there’s no student left in the cla.s.sroom since there’s this incident.

I am glad I didn’t say anything about being acquainted to Matthias.

No matter what kind of hero Matthias is, even if he has such an embarra.s.sing nickname, even if the world acknowledges a different aspect of him, it doesn’t change the fact that he’s an important existence who had been with me ever since I was born.

However.

However, when I think about how our eyes met a while ago when he mouthed “I came to pick you up” and sent an exaggerated wink afterwards…

“Let’s pretend that I don’t know that person,” …is what I thought.

“And so, I’ll go with Edna.”

“With pleasure.” (Edna)

The academy will be in uproar if Matthias will go, I gave that simple explanation and then left with Edna.

“Please wait! Can I come fetch you after cla.s.ses?”

“After cla.s.ses is no good, too.”

The same disaster as yesterday will happen again if Mathias is there. Fortunately, I just barely got away from the students by pretending I had some business in the faculty room, and had to go to the Headmaster’s office to meet Matthias.

“No way…”

Matthias despaired when his last hope was cut off.

“I’m off!”

“I will properly send him off so please do not worry.” (Edna)

Leaving Matthias like that, the two of them left while smiling.

“Matthias, there’s no helping it, y’know? It’s your fault for showing off in high school and becoming famous!”

Leont called out to his depressed friend, but Matthias just collapsed on his knees without saying anything.

“As for me, Edna also refused marrying me today, too.”

Matthias suppressed the feelings of wanting to comment on the words ‘today, too’ and stood up.

He unexpectedly had free time to spare. When thinking about how many hours he’ll spent waiting for El to come back home, Matthias became dejected again.

“…That’s right. I’m going to cook.”

Now that his Master is not here, Matthias can divert his loneliness by being of use to him. Matthias thought so. Thus, that idea just came to him.

When the afternoon homeroom finished, the students began preparing to leave.

I thought everyone would go home like always but the males students gathered at my seat one after another for some reason.

“El, are you free today?”

Soon, one person addressed me.

“It’s alright if it’s after school.”

I don’t have anything planned today.

It seems like Edna-san made the carriage wait for me at a distance from the academy.

Besides, I intended to look around the academy today that’s why I told her I may be late, so I have some free time.

“Then, will you come for a while?”

“Sure.”

I hoisted my bag on my shoulders and followed everyone, who started walking without stating our destination.

I wonder why that kid has a somewhat stiff face…

And then, we finally arrived at the place where Chabo-kun is.

“We’ll run forward from this line at the same time, and the guy who can reach the farthest wins.”

That was declared by my cla.s.smate after he finished drawing a long horizontal line using a tree branch.

“The farthest?”

Chabo-kun lies on the other side of the line.

I see.

This is so we can decide who’s the fastest among the boys in the cla.s.s.

I feel like the rank in a race in elementary school is very important.

A boy with good reflexes is acknowledged to be superior than a smart person by those people around him — a hero during sports day.

Popularity among females becomes high, too.

I’m sure it’s because a new member is added so they’ll re-judge the ranks.

But it doesn’t make sense to do it here at any rate.

This is such a large courtyard.

“It’s fine to stop if you think you can’t go on anymore.”

“Yeah.”

How rude!

It’s true that my muscles look like they’re underdeveloped, but I’m not that weak that I won’t be able to run such a short distance!

“Everyone, line up.”

Everyone started to shuffle to their preferred places with that declaration.

Of course, that would be having the tips of their toes near the line.

That’s it!

I lined up at the center, a position where I can dive at Chabo-kun while running.

This place is the least crowded, but it is because of that reason that I chose this place.

I’m sure the first kid to arrive will have the right to play with Chabo-kun.

If that’s the case, then I can’t lose!

I shall be the one to first plunge into that white feathers by all means!

“Wait!”

The boys near the center like me were similarly put to a stop when Rent shouted that as he came over to me.

“Is it fine for you to be in the center? Being in the edge of the line is better.”

“Here is fine.”

Rent grasp my shoulders in order to persuade me.

However, I didn’t yield.

It’s better to be in the center than the edge, since it makes competing halfway in the race easier.

I’ve already experienced it in my previous life — the fastest person is the one who runs the shortest time.

Moreover… Rent also had eyes similar to mine, eyes that aims to get the overall victory.

“Then… you can stop if you think it’s impossible to continue.”

“Yeah.”

But even so, I think no one runs away from a race.

However, Rent returned to his place after saying just that and all the boys lined up at their starting position again.

I will absolutely win.

I will jump over there.

One of the girls in the cla.s.s will give the starting signal.

“Rea~dy!”

Simultaneously, we set one foot behind as preparation.

Only the sound of the sand being scratched can be heard.

“Go!”

I think Chabo-kun also raised his body in time with that girl’s voice.

To think that you’ll welcome me that much!

I kept running.

I ignored all the shouts and the sounds of kicking in the ground.

I merely pushed forward to aim at Chabo-kun.

There’s n.o.body here.

I am the first!

When I thought so, I finally became aware that the state of my surroundings is strange.

There is neither a call to stop nor a sign of everyone running around me.

I stopped just before my foot reached the goal and turned around as my curiosity got the better of me.

… There really is n.o.body.

Rather than there’s no one around me, all of them traveled the wrong way.

I am at a distance such that going back there is impossible even if I ran backwards.

How shocking!

I stopped running several meters in front of Chabo-kun.

“~~~!”

Everyone is desperately shouting something at me.

But I’m too near Chabo-kun when he let out a cry at the same time, so I don’t have any idea what my cla.s.smates are saying.

There are a lot of kids pointing at me, too.

“I can’t hear you at all!”

I thought they can’t hear my voice, too, so I halted for the time being to shout a reply.

“~~~!”

Chabo-kun also let out a shriek at that time so I only heard a their meaningless shouts that reached even higher.

Something fluffy nuzzled against my back.

“What? Ah, it’s Chabo-kun.”

‘I can’t wait to play anymore,’ it appears like he’s appealing something like that to me.

“Wait for a moment, okay?”

I must talk with the children from my cla.s.s before playing with him.

When I said so, Chabo-kun stopped pus.h.i.+ng me and slumped down his big body near my feet in protest.

“Well then…?”

The courtyard which was so noisy until now, became silent for some reason.

The children who were desperately uttering a cry before, now have their mouths gaping, too.

A long silence dominated the scene.

n.o.body said anything until a loud voice came from inside the school building.

“What are you doing!”

It’s the voice of the teacher whom I’ve seen for the first time.

“Escape!”

“It’s a teacher!’

The courtyard was immediately set in an uproar.

Everybody grabbed their things and ran to the exit.

“Eh?”

Everyone is leaving me?

It will be bad if I get caught by the teacher.

I hurriedly grasped the handle of my bag and proceeded to run away, too.

I am the farthest one.

After running with all my might, I somehow managed to catch up with everyone halfway.

“El, you’re amazing!”

Just before we run past the school gates, Rent called out to me while out of breath.

“I’m surprised! To think you tamed that!”

“I thought you’ll be eaten just after you transfer!”

The kid who was running ahead also purposely turned back and said that to me.

I wasn’t able to hear them properly because everybody is talking while out of breath.

But their praises were transmitted to me.

“But, how did you do it?”

“I thought I just did it like usual…?”

I’ll be embarra.s.sed if you spoil me with praises that much.

I only ran like the usual.

Though I’m sweating and panting, my heart is feeling refreshed.

Even though it began with the feeling of shock, along the way, I felt like I’ve now become a member of the cla.s.s.

“…and that’s what happened!”

I gleefully narrated today’s events to Edna on the way home. In a blink of time, we arrived at the estate.

“I’m home!”

“Welcome back.”

Matthias greeted us inside the mansion. However, his appearance looked weird.

“What’s wrong, Matthias?”

“It is nothing of concern.”

He’s even more worn out compared to what he looked like this morning. His voice is also lifeless.

“Why is the kitchen missing?”

Right now, the kitchen that is supposed to be located where Matthias is standing, has completely disappeared. The surrounding walls are so charred that I can’t even recognized the design. It looks like it was partially caught in a great explosion.

“It is truly nothing. Please do not ask anymore.”

“If that’s the case, then it’s fine.”

I was lead by Matthias back to my room. Though I’m curious about Matthias clothes that are singed in several places.

After changing my clothes, I will tell Matthias about the events today, too.

I pa.s.sed my arm through a sleeve while feeling cheerful.