Chapter 15
Prepare for the Predetermined Demise (7)
I got up, following Camilla Guinevere while inwardly smacking my head.
She smiled, pulling one of my arms in a friendly manner.
“Alright, Edith! Shall we go to our tent for a bit?”
“It would be an honor to accept Lady Guinevere’s invitation.”
“Please, call me Camilla.”
“Yes, Camilla.”
I quickly dropped the formalities.
I owed her this much since she came at the right time, allowing me to catch my breath.
Her long, curly hair tickled the end of my arm every time it touched.
“I heard you saved our useless little brother! Ah, do you know his name? It’s Cain…”
“Yes, I know.”
“That kid is such a coward. Thank you for helping him. I heard you used magic at an incredible level.”
“You flatter me. If Young Lord Behemoth had arrived earlier, I’m sure he would have saved him.”
As she praised me, I played along appropriately, then suddenly stared at her face.
Camilla, with her fresh yet elegant face between a girl and a woman, was smiling without reserve and seemed genuinely nice.
I knew her well.
She’s one of those who survive this subjugation and become heroes.
And if I had to choose just one person in my entire life to call a ‘friend,’ I would choose her.
It’s not easy to be both a hero and a good person.
Not to mention her excellent social skills, I owed her countless favors in my previous regressions thanks to her bright personality.
…Yet, the fact that I couldn’t feel even a shred of fondness for her ill-mannered younger brother must be due to my warped humanity.
I couldn’t even remember him well. Even after hearing his name and seeing his face, I couldn’t associate him with Camilla.
Perhaps it’s because Cain, her younger brother, died during the subjugation practice.
Anyway, there’s hardly anyone as useful to exploit as her.
She highly valued my talent and sympathized with my unfortunate background, so I just need to pretend to be a little kind.
Vague memories of conversations I had with Camilla in my previous life came to mind.
‘She said she was assigned to the rear during the subjugation practice.’
The image of Camilla shaking her head while showing the large scar on her neck, saying it was from the subjugation practice, but thanks to being assigned to the support team in the rear, she managed to save her life, came back to me as if it were yesterday.
I wonder if she’s still assigned to the rear now. With so many things different from my memories, it was hard to gauge.
‘…It seems we’ve already passed all the tents of the rear unit.’
After walking across the rest area for a while, a large tent at the front caught my eye.
Could it be that one?
As she lifted the tent flap and entered, she started speaking.
“By the way, are you feeling alright?”
“Pardon?”
My body? Why suddenly? Oh, did she hear from Cain?
As I tilted my head and was about to answer her question, the scene inside the tent came into view.
“I’m fi—”
“You’re here.”
…Ethan Behemoth was sitting at one side of the table inside the tent, reading a book.
Camilla smiled brightly.
“Ethan told me. He said you two sparred yesterday?”
“Ah…”
So you spilled the beans.
Still, judging by the light atmosphere, it seemed she didn’t know the extent of my body’s mess as Rimos Therion did.
“…Weren’t we supposed to keep that a secret?”
I glared at Ethan with disbelief, and he averted his gaze. His following mutter sounded like an excuse.
“There are no eternal secrets in this world.”
“Is that supposed to be an explanation?”
“I pestered him to tell me, Edith. Ethan kept glancing at me since we started marching.”
Camilla coolly ignored Ethan’s words as she perched on the table, gesturing for me to take a chair.
“I wondered why, and it turns out he forgot I replaced you in the vanguard and kept looking at me whenever he wanted to talk to you. Isn’t that funny?”
“Ah… Yes, a little.”
Camilla. She was moved from the rear to the vanguard because of me.
I thought the vanguard would manage somehow with Ethan Behemoth there even if I was absent, but it seems the Dean wasn’t satisfied with the vanguard without me.
I never imagined they’d draft Camilla to fill in.
‘Even with Camilla and Ethan Behemoth, they won’t be able to face ‘that’ thing.’
Maybe if they were a bit older…
Should I give Camilla a heads-up? As I was lost in this mild concern,
Camilla, who had been staring at me, suddenly said,
“Ethan seems to like Edith a lot.”
“What?”
“What are you talking about?”
…Or not. Maybe it doesn’t matter if they die.
I didn’t know Camilla Guinevere could talk nonsense too.
Words I wanted to say rose to the tip of my tongue.
I thought so too, you know? But do you know what he said to me? He asked to spar.
He must have gone crazy from too much fighting in the past when he confessed to me. Now he’s back to normal.
“Haha, well… Anyway… I’ll get you something to drink. Cold?”
“…Yes. My throat is a bit dry.”
Camilla picked up the white teapot from the center of the table and poured it into a glass.
A sky-blue bluebird shimmered near her fingers touching the teapot. I found myself speaking without thinking.
“Ah, that.”
“Yes. It’s my spirit.”
Camilla smiled brightly and spread her pinky finger a bit more, clearly showing the bluebird that had been hidden by her finger.
Cold water droplets had formed on the teapot where the bluebird touched.
“It’s your first time seeing it in person, right?”
“…Yes.”
In reality, I had seen it countless times already.
That little thing had saved my life so many times.
Camilla’s spirit was excellent in both its manifestation and maintenance, but it was especially specialized in amplifying others’ attacks.
For knights, it strengthened their sword aura, and for mages, it increased the power of their magic.
I vividly remember receiving help several times in life-or-death situations when my mind was unstable and powerful magic wouldn’t come out as I wanted.
In moments of crisis, Camilla Guinevere was never a hero who abandoned her comrades and ran away.
‘She could have just abandoned me.’
“Its name is Bluebird.”
“It suits it.”
The bird didn’t flap its wings but gently circled around Camilla, riding the wind.
It’s called a bluebird, but it’s not a real bird.
Its soft and dense feathers are all made of water with a blue tinge.
Camilla handed me the glass while muttering.
“That’s interesting. Edith, you seem to have quite good spirit affinity. I wasn’t making it visible to people’s eyes just now…”
“I once wanted to become a spirit user in the past.”
“Oh, really?”
Camilla brightened up. Not wanting to give her false hope, I quickly added,
“But I didn’t have enough talent to be a spirit user, so I gave up.”
“Aww.”
Camilla’s shoulders drooped.
She had such a strong desire to meet fellow spirit users that she had recommended I become one several times in previous iterations.
“Ah, I wish there were a few more spirit users at the academy…”
While Camilla was complaining with her cheek resting on her hand, Ethan Behemoth subtly joined the conversation.
“Edith Crowell seems to be quick to conclude she can’t do things.”
What’s that? I glared at him while tilting the glass I received from Camilla, and Camilla suddenly stuck her head in between.
“Why, did Ethan ask you to learn swordsmanship? I don’t like that either.”
“Still, we agreed to do strength training every morning when we return to the academy after the subjugation practice.”
“Is Edith an angel? Edith, did you really agree to that?”
“Pfft.”
I almost spit out all the tea I had just drunk. It wasn’t just because of the conversation between Camilla and Ethan.
“Ugh, this…”
“Hehe.”
As I wiped my mouth and looked at Camilla, she crossed her legs once and smiled mischievously.
Ethan Behemoth raised the book he was holding to cover his mouth.
Are you really reading that? He’s definitely hiding his raised corners of the mouth.
“I put plenty of medicinal herbs in it.”
How can such a taste exist in this world?
No wonder the color looked strange.
I alternately looked at the poisonous-like tea and the sunny Camilla who gave it to me with a complex expression.
“…The smell was fine though…”
“Don’t tell me you’re a picky eater like a child?”
Camilla asked with round eyes, so I couldn’t bring myself to say that my palate was a bit particular.
“…It’s not that. It’s just, doesn’t it taste a bit strange? Have you tried this, Camilla?”
“Hmm, of course.”
That sounds like a lie.
As my gaze narrowed, Camilla’s words lengthened.
“I originally brought it for myself, but I’m specially giving it to you, Edith. Isn’t that an honor?”
🥀
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