The Academy’s Crude Pink-Haired Martial Artist

When did this even start?

This is my impression of the so-called Nameless Captain.

I stand so close that if I reached out, or rather, if they weren’t wearing a mask, I’d be able to feel their breath.

Yet, despite that, there’s absolutely no presence.

No sound of entry, no sense of existence, nothing at all.

Honestly, as soon as I turned around and saw that white mask, I was so surprised I couldn’t even scream.

If I had really needed to use the bathroom, I might have even wet myself a little…

I had thought Kerian was quite skilled at hiding his presence, but the Nameless Captain is on a completely different level.

Swallowing sound I swallowed my saliva mixed with the sweetness of the candy and glanced at the Nameless Captain, who seemed to be looking at me.

Gender… female.

Even with a large coat, her body shape is not concealed.

Especially the hips stand out.

While her chest is smaller compared to Luna, it’s still considerable, and the line from her waist to hip is so smooth it’s unrivaled.

As for the equipment she usually uses? I can’t quite make it out.

I am somewhat aware that the Nameless Captain is a Martial Artist. People from Eustetia tend to drop hints about such things.

However, she doesn’t seem to fit that image. It could be due to her baggy clothes, but her lines are exceptionally slender.

You can usually spot Martial Artists without even knowing it.

The higher their skill level, the more their physique becomes an undeniable weapon.

Leona, being slightly bigger as a beastman, can get away with it, but humans can’t do that.

Of course… that’s not an absolute rule.

The only Martial Artist I know, Arisa, that girl… she didn’t have those signs either.

You’d have to consider that it’s just her natural physique.

And, me as well.

I may look like a mere snack at first glance… hmm.

Anyway, despite the typical traits of a Martial Artist being apparent, the Nameless Captain standing right in front of me does not exhibit any such features.

The only thing that stands out is her hands wrapped in leather gloves?

Her fist is lightly clenched, as if holding something.

It twitched momentarily.

And then, swish.

It reached towards me.

Flap flap It moved as if inviting me to extend my hand. I stared at that fist for a while, then cautiously extended my palm. Then, thud.

A peppermint candy fell onto my hand.

“…What, what’s this?”

“Hahaha! The Captain seems to like Ellie.”

I looked at the white mask in response to Kerian’s laughter.

Even through the eye holes, I couldn’t see the pupils. Not even a hint of faint emotion could be read.

I gazed at that mask for a while, then bowed my head.

“…Thank you.”

A nod.

The Captain nodded cynically and sat down next to me with the grace of a leopard.

I carefully moved my chair aside.

She had sat down so close it felt burdensome. Without talking, without showing her eyes, without expressing anything… I had no idea who she was.

What I was sure of, though, was that there was no hostility.

And right now, it felt like she would be overwhelmingly stronger than me…?

Would Leona count, or would the Nameless Captain?

I should ask Leona about that later.

“So, Captain. What do you think about what my niece just said?”

Kerian opened his mouth.

“I believe it’s related to what our nameless one is looking for.”

No explanation about what “that” is came. I couldn’t tell if it was because I was present, or if that was just how they usually converse.

The conclusion is, I can’t follow the flow of that conversation.

My father seems to know something, but I have no clue.

If that’s the case, why am I sitting here?

I’d much rather be lying on my bed.

Swinging my legs back and forth out of pointless boredom, the Nameless Captain turned her head towards me.

I met her white mask with my gaze.

And with my eyes, I spoke.

What. Why. So what?

It was a bit of a sharp reaction, but I didn’t appreciate her treating me like some kid since earlier.

Also, I didn’t like her ominously standing behind me.

Then, for some reason, the Nameless Captain nodded, looking somewhat dejected.

I couldn’t tell if it was in response to me or to Kerian, but Kerian seemed to understand its meaning.

“Understood.”

With a heavy voice, Kerian agreed, then immediately stood up and smiled.

“Tomorrow, the Treasure House and Forbidden Library will be opened, so I’ll schedule it for two days later.”

Then, still smiling, Kerian looked at me.

“Uncle will take his leave now. See you tomorrow, Ellie.”

“Tomorrow? Wasn’t it you who said you’d go to the Forbidden Library together?”

“Nope.”

“…Then, is it my father?”

“It’s not even the head of the household.”

Kerian awkwardly laughed, scratching his cheek.

I could guess what that smile meant.

“…I heard that someone from the Eustetia family would be accompanying.”

“Since the Nameless one is ultimately affiliated with Eustetia, that’s how it turned out. But you don’t need to worry. The one here is the strongest and most trustworthy person from Eustetia, the Captain.”

“Hmm… I see.”

Nodding absently, I turned my gaze away. For some reason, I could read a gloomy expression from beneath the white mask.

I tried to ignore that feeling and turned my head away.

“But how are we meeting tomorrow?”

“Since the opening of the Treasure House and Forbidden Library isn’t something that happens often, I decided to attend that event as well. Even though I look like this, I’m quite an important person in the Empire?”

“…Oh.”

“Hahaha… you seem very skeptical. Anyway, I’ll be on my way now. See you tomorrow, Ellie.”

“Yes. Please take care.”

Waving lightly at me, Kerian quickly left the reception room after giving my father a short bow.

Creek…

There was an unpleasant noise when the door opened and closed.

So, what remained in the reception room was me, my father, and…

The Nameless Captain in the white mask.

The Nameless Captain was still unreadable.

And my father… still had a stiff expression.

At least, it was a first for him to wear such an expression in front of me.

Was he shocked, disappointed?

I couldn’t tell, but what I needed to do remained the same.

I pulled my chair forward and moved a little closer.

Taking a look at my father’s rigid expression, I was deciding how to speak… slowly choosing my words.

This time… I understood that it was time to use the ultimate technique that Sara had once told me about.

So.

“I’m sorry, ah… ah, aah…”

I squeezed my eyes shut and lowered my head.

“Dad…”

Simultaneously, there was a loud clunk sound from the side. It wasn’t from in front; it was from beside me.

The sound came from the Nameless Captain, who had been exuding a noble atmosphere until now.

For some reason, I didn’t take my gaze away.

I looked up at my father.

“…Ellie…”

Joy, elation, happiness, astonishment, anticipation, longing, and emotion.

He had a face filled with every possible positive emotion.

My tongue felt stiff, and it felt like there was a thorn stuck in my throat… making it very uncomfortable, yet I continued.

“…I was worried that you might be worrying for no reason, so I hid it. You… you’re busy with head of the household duties, so I thought if I gave you something else to worry about… you might get even more tired… I’m sorry.”

I emphasized the word “dad.”

It was the ultimate technique Sara taught me.

She said that if I ever made a big mistake, I should try calling my father “dad.”

Then, most problems would be resolved.

However, if overused, it could become a bad habit, so she told me to use it only when absolutely necessary.

And the effect of that ultimate technique was…

“Sniff… yes. Yes… our Ellie. My daughter. My daughter wouldn’t have a bad heart and lied. Yes! That’s right. This dad! Is only worried about our Ellie’s well-being. That’s enough. Just knowing my beloved daughter is alright is more than enough… sniff.”

It was amazing.

The expression that had been so stiff it felt somewhat scary melted away.

Not only that, but it also brought back a very, very happy smile he used to show before I regained my memories… from when I was Eliaernes.

…Due to that incredible effect, my internal triangular conscience was poking at me like crazy.

But… upon reflection, I didn’t really need to feel guilty. Because? I clearly felt sorry for my father.

Though I did pull a little trick by calling him “dad,” I truly did feel sorry.

And… the reason I kept it a secret… was partly because I didn’t want to worry my father.

I thought it would be troublesome… but it was there.

In any case, I felt justified.

Forcing that internal triangular conscience to stop, I chewed on the candy in my mouth.

“If something like this happens again… I’ll consult you, dad. So, this time… please don’t scold Sara and Yurasia too much. They couldn’t resist my stubbornness.”

Then, I stole a glance.

While looking into my father’s eyes, the same color as mine, I grinned.

“…Isn’t that right, dad?”

“…Huh, huh.”

My father’s breath caught.

The Nameless Captain, who was sitting next to me, flinched greatly.

I still had no idea why she was acting like that since earlier, but right now, I had no time to focus on the Nameless Captain.

Just thinking about myself, my whole body shrank, my bones itched, my heart thumped loudly, and I wanted to rip off my twin tails that flowed down my shoulders.

“Well, yeah. I get it. And… I think it’d be best to tell your mom about this too, Ellie. Wouldn’t it be better for you to tell her directly rather than me? It’s better if Ellie talks to her.”

My father, who had been momentarily stunned with his mouth agape, carefully asked.

I nodded as if it were nothing.

There’s no reason not to.

“Of course. I’ll send her a letter or something later.”

Right as I finished speaking, the Nameless Captain suddenly shot up from her seat. The movement was so strong that the chair toppled over, and the table shook.

What’s with this person?

I threw a slight glare at the Nameless Captain out of annoyance and turned back to my father. He had a somewhat awkward expression.

*
After that, the Nameless Captain left, and my father and I had the long-overdue conversation.

We started from what had happened at the Academy and went on to trivial chit-chat about exams and the students.

Though I considered bringing up the side branch, I held off for now.

We could talk about those guys after coming out of the Forbidden Library.

Thus, while I babbled along, my father wore a gentle smile and responded every now and then.

He didn’t seem to ask any special questions.

He didn’t inquire about how I killed the Dark Mage or what happened inside the Labyrinth.

I wasn’t sure whether he was worried about me or knew that it would make me uncomfortable. Or perhaps he just trusted me… whatever it was, I was really grateful.

So I continued to talk even more energetically until I bid farewell to my father.

It felt odd.

I didn’t usually enjoy such trivial conversations. Yet… the chat I had today with my father was surprisingly fun.

My mood was all over the place.

And then the next day came.

I received an invitation from the Imperial Palace.

It was time for recompense.

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