The Academy’s Crude Pink-Haired Martial Artist

“Why would I cry?”

I squinted and shot a glance at Stella.

Then I scanned my face.

“And when did you take the key? That’s stealing. Even if you’re broke… what the hell.”

Moisture wells up.

What is this?

I shouldn’t be crying even if those bastards are doing whatever they want.

…Is it because of my period?

Yeah… that must be it.

There’s no other explanation.

“…I just yawned. I’m sleepy.”

Stella, with her mouth pulled down into a frown, took a step closer and looked down at me.

Standing this close, the height difference is pretty noticeable.

“Stop lying.”

“It’s true. And what are you going to do about it if I’m lying?”

“You’re still not well. You’re in pain, right?”

“Do I look like I cry when I’m hurting?”

“That… I guess. But still! You have something wrong!”

“Don’t shout, it’s loud.”

“Oops… I’m, I’m sorry. Ahem! Anyway, it’s clear your health isn’t good. So… yeah. I’ll sleep with you today to take care of you. I have no other motives.”

Saying this, Stella flopped the pillow she was holding onto the bed.

…Is this girl crazy?

“What nonsense suddenly? Why are you sleeping in my room? No way. Get out.”

“I don’t want to. I’m not leaving. Eurasia isn’t here, so I have to take care of you. First, eat this.”

“What do you mean take care of me?”

“Watch your words! Yikes… sorry…”

Bam— Stella suddenly yelped and covered her mouth in surprise, blinking a few times before grabbing my shoulder.

“Yikes… sit and eat quickly before it gets cold.”

I don’t understand the situation or why she’s acting like this all of a sudden, but I sat in the chair following Stella’s direction.

The smell of food made me feel hungry.

“What’s this? Did you make it?”

Stella brought the same menu I had fed her yesterday.

Seaweed soup.

“No? How could I make something like this?”

“Then you bought it?”

“Yeah.”

“Where’d you get the money to buy this? And why’s it in a lunchbox?”

“Uh? That’s… um…”

Stella, who had been fumbling with her lips, hung her head.

“…If you bring the lunchbox, they give you a discount.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that.

“Discount? How much?”

“…Oh, five hundred sel.”

Stella muttered softly, then reached into her pocket and handed me something.

“What’s this?”

“…Utensils.”

“Why are you carrying this in your pocket?”

“W-well, each one costs two hundred sel. They’re disposable. So… I carry my personal utensils.”

“…You keep it in your pocket?”

“Th-this one! I didn’t have a hand to carry it. I originally carry it in a bag!”

Whether in academy uniform or casual clothes, Stella always had a bag around her waist. So that’s what she was carrying—utensils.

“Do you just have personal utensils in that bag you wear every day? I thought you kept a dagger for self-defense or something.”

“Ugh, eugh… enough! Just eat quickly!”

Despite saying she wouldn’t shout, she yells again. It’s so ridiculous that I can’t help but snicker.

“What’s this?”

“Th-this one I’ll eat.”

“What is it?”

“…Whole wheat bread and butter.”

“Why are you eating that?”

“Eating? I… I actually like it.”

Saying this, Stella casually started tearing open the brown wrapping. It looked like she was used to it; her motions were practiced.

“What are you staring at? Eat quickly.”

“Okay, I will. Thanks for the food.”

I picked up my spoon.

Stella’s spoon… how should I put it?

It looked well-used.

Was she trying to elicit sympathy because she looked like this? How could someone be so pitiful to the bone?

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“How did I look?”

“…Your gaze is unpleasant.”

“It’s because you hate me that you feel this way.”

“Y-yeah. I… hate you.”

“I hate you too.”

Snicker— I took a spoonful of the seaweed soup.

It tastes decent. It’s tasty, but of course, mine tasted better.

Still, Stella brought it for me, and she’s broke, so I’ll eat it nicely.

Om nom nom— As I eagerly moved my spoon, I felt a piercing gaze from across.

As if that wasn’t enough, I even heard swallowing sounds.

“Hey, you eat too.”

“No? You just eat. I’m fine with this.”

“Stop being ridiculous and eat quickly. I can’t finish it all by myself.”

“…R-really? It would be a waste if I leave it behind… okay then… I guess I have to eat it reluctantly. Hmph…”

Slurp— With a slightly flushed face, Stella wet her lips like she was preparing to dig in but soon dropped her head in disappointment.

“Now that I think about it… I don’t have a spoon…”

“Open the drawer next to you. There are disposable spoons.”

“Ha.”

Stella was quick to act. As soon as she heard me, she pulled out a disposable spoon and unwrapped it.

“Are you… eating?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you really eating?”

“Damn it.”

As I glared, Stella finally lifted her spoon.

After a few bites of rice and seaweed soup, Stella tilted her head.

“…What’s this? The taste is different.”

“What do you mean?”

“The seaweed soup you brought tastes different.”

“Of course it does.”

“Of course?”

Stella’s focus shifted from the seaweed soup to me. Whatever the case, I just kept eating.

“Why is it obviously different?”

“Because what you ate was made by me.”

“…Huh?”

“What tastes better?”

I laughed as I looked at Stella, who was making a foolish expression.

“Mine tastes better, right?”

“Argh…!”

Stella’s face turned red as if it would burst.

After that, until I finished eating, Stella couldn’t move her spoon anymore.

*

“Eliaernes. Are you sleeping?”

“Yeah. Sleeping.”

I didn’t have dessert.

After finishing the meal and washing the dishes, I immediately lay down. There’s nothing to digest. Digestion was done during the meal.

Of course, I brushed my teeth.

“Are you really okay?”

…Stella eventually decided to sleep in my room as well.

Instead, Stella is sleeping on the floor.

I didn’t kick her out.

The bed is spacious, so I told her to come up, but I warned her not to pee on the bed, yet she laid on the floor while yelling like a squawking chicken!

Anyway, I didn’t kick her out.

“I said I’m fine.”

“…You’re not dying or anything, right?”

“I’m not.”

And then I briefly explained why I was bleeding all over.

What surprised me was that Stella seemed to have some expectations.

“…I’m sorry.”

But now, she’s misunderstanding that it happened because she tried to save herself.

“What are you sorry for? No, I said it wasn’t because of you, so why are you freaking out?”

“If I… were a little stronger…”

“A little stronger? Nonsense, stop spouting that crap and take care of yourself.”

What happened was to save Stella and Pina.

It’s not incorrect, but the larger reason was… I just wanted to kill Samaela.

And I wanted to quickly gather the things Arisa had left behind.

Killing Samaela would mean saving Stella and Pina, so I guess it’s not wrong.

Not really. I just wanted to go treasure hunting.

“Eliaernes.”

“Ugh—”

“You heard about Akasha, right?”

I thought she was going to say something stupid again, but she didn’t.

“Yeah.”

“Did you hear everything?”

“I heard you were made because of Akasha.”

“Seems you heard almost everything…”

I heard Stella sniffle slightly.

“What could Akasha be…?”

What should I do?

I have a rough idea of what Akasha is, even if I don’t know the details. And I have a rough idea of what the demon race wants to do with it.

Should I tell her this? What should I do?

“I’m… not a human?”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“I wasn’t born… I was made. Not in my mother’s womb, but in a tank.”

“So, are you some sort of beast?”

“No…! That’s not what I’m talking about right now…”

“Anyway, it’s strange to totally trust something a Dark Mage said. Didn’t you see the corpses of the Royal Knight Order behind her?”

I heard a rustling sound. Stella’s gaze fell upon my back.

“That’s… true, but still… so it’s on my mind…”

“Yeah. It would be on your mind. But don’t get too caught up in it. If you’re not human, then what are you? You have eyes, nose, and mouth. You have arms and legs. You think, speak, eat, and pee. Doesn’t that make you human?”

“I don’t pee!!”

“You don’t pee? Then you’re not human!”

“…Yikes! You… you want to make fun of me, having heard such a thing?! I… ugh… you were… so worried about me while hurting… huh…”

I heard Stella shuffle up. After that, I heard a pathetic sniffle.

I turned to look at Stella.

Her eyelids glistened in the moonlight, and shiny droplets were forming just below her nose. I couldn’t tell if they were snot or tears.

Probably snot.

“Are you crying?”

“Yeah! I’m crying! So what?!”

“Then you’re human.”

“…Huh?”

“Only humans cry, laugh, and get angry while talking to humans, not demons or beasts. Even if they understand human language, they wouldn’t whine like you do. So you are human.”

Though hidden in the darkness, it seemed she couldn’t even tell whether that was a compliment or an insult.

“…What if, what if I’m not human?”

“Then just kill all those who say so.”

“…Huh?”

“Kill them all. The dead don’t talk.”

“…What if they say that… if they’re human?”

“Anyone who tells you you’re not human isn’t human from the get-go. And even if they are human, what’s stopping you from killing them?”

Stella paused and lowered her head to hide her expression.

“…You’re too violent. How can you say such things so casually? You’re insane.”

“Why’s it a problem if I defend you?”

“…Your tone is terrible. Your temperament is nasty.”

After some heavy breathing, Stella finally stood up. She then slowly approached the bed and sat on it.

“I’m sleeping here.”

“I don’t want you to.”

“What…? You said it was okay earlier!”

“My mind has changed.”

“Hmm. So what? I’m sleeping here.”

With a feigned haughty voice, Stella laid down on the bed.

Her face was too close. I could feel her breath on my face.

But Stella seemed unfazed. Or maybe she just had her back to the moonlight, so I couldn’t see her expression.

…Are all girls this insensitive to distance?

I turned my back to her. Her breath, which had been tickling my face, now tickled my nape.

“Eliaernes.”

“What?”

“…If the world calls me not human… and ostracizes me… what’ll happen?”

“Come to me secretly and tell me.”

“…Secretly?”

“If you come openly, I’ll be ostracized too.”

“W-what?! You… you really… until the end…!”

Stella, who had seemed weak like a sick chick just moments ago, had regained her normal attitude.

I enjoyed her reaction and snickered.

“Be sure to come secretly. Come and tell me.”

“…What’s going to change if I tell you? Are you going to do more than I can?”

“Of course. I can do more than you. I’m the next head of Eustetia. If your name comes with ‘Eustetia,’ at least they won’t openly insult you.”

The breath that had been tickling my nape suddenly stopped. Then I heard a very tiny murmur.

“…Stella Eustetia? Heehee… that’s strange.”

“If you don’t like it, then just kill those who say it.”

“Ugh… you’re insane. You’re thoroughly crazy.”

I didn’t even bother to argue with that.

I’m aware. I know. We are all insane. We’ve experienced too much and seen too many things to live rationally.

We have no qualms about killing both demons and even other humans.

Even if that human has been a comrade for years, we wouldn’t hesitate.

We couldn’t survive any other way.
We had to survive like pesky bugs, and we had to kill the Demon King.

Because of that, we couldn’t think rationally.

Is that why we’re completely insane? That we’re sealed together with the Demon King?

Luna’s and Paulo’s images linger in my mind. I can’t even fathom what they were thinking when they made that ridiculous choice.

“…Eliaernes.”

“What?”

“Is it because of Akasha that the demon race wants to take me?”

“Yeah.”

“Just as I thought… you know, don’t you?”

I turned to look at Stella. Her eyes were soaked with moisture. Her lips were tightly closed, and her small hands were trembling lightly as they gripped the blanket.

“The plan of the demon race is to use Akasha to break the seal of the Demon King.”

“…What the heck is Akasha? So… did my mother lie to me?”

“Well… I don’t know either. Your mom, ahem, you should ask your mother about that.”

“So… what should I do…?”

“What?”

“If I live and get kidnapped by the demon race… the Akasha will be completed, and the seal of the Demon King will be broken. Then… if I just die, then everything…”

“Hey, you crazy woman.”

I harnessed mana in my fingertip and flicked it on Stella’s forehead.

Thwack—

“Ahhh! You hit me?! With your fist?!”

“Even if you were born for such reasons, is it certain that Akasha will be completed? It seems to me that it’s not. A pissy brat like you cannot. No matter what, it’s the demons screwing around.”

“I’m not a pissy brat! And what do you know! I can do things too—”

“Even if—”

I reached out and gently stroked Stella’s reddened forehead.

“Even if you really get kidnapped. I will come to find you.”

“…Huh? Why…?”

“To get the money you owe me, you brat. The money is second, but your life is worth twice. I have to get it back. How much have I suffered to save you?”

Snicker— I turned my back and laughed at her.

“So don’t think about dying or anything useless like that, just go to sleep.”

“I… will owe my life. Right… I have a lot of debt to pay back. I can’t escape anymore. Hehe…”

“Right, you got that.”

“Yeah… good night. Sweet… dreams.”

After that, our conversation ended.

The night deepened.

Yet sleep still wouldn’t come.

Veiled Behrhaigen.

Luna and Paulo, sealed with the Demon King.

Arisa, endlessly leaving something behind.

All of it, the remnants of 400 years ago, feels like it’s guiding me to a certain place.

The subjugation of the Demon King.

It’s pretty damn arrogant.

It’s not as if they think of anyone as children.
Whether or not they encourage it, whether or not they inform.

I, we will kill the Demon King.

That is an unchanging goal in both the past and future.

“…Bastards.”

At least I’m glad to still be alive.

In these mixed feelings where I don’t know whether to laugh, get angry, or cry, the scent of cherry blossoms carried by the moonlight covers my eyelids.

That night, I was able to sleep quite warmly.

Was it thanks to Stella’s breathing, the scent of cherry blossoms, or realizing those bastards were still alive?

Who knows. I don’t really understand, but I guess it’s because I’m tired.

I’m thinking it’s because I’ve been through a lot.

Two days later…

My mother visited the Academy.

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