"As expected, Cilly is in first place."
Each of us held our midterm results in hand. The small differences in the numbers on the paper determined who was happy and who was disappointed.
We were comparing each other's results, just like the other students, though not as intensely.
Yuri already knew her practical skills score would drag her down, and Annie was well aware that her written test scores were her weak point. So neither of them had high expectations to begin with. With the practical score weighing more heavily, Annie's overall ranking was slightly higher.
Then there was Cilly. Not only did our classmates, but even the teachers who instructed her acknowledged that she was the perfect student, excelling in both academics and combat. She ranked first in both written and practical exams, making her the top student in the entire Swordsmanship Department.
And what about me?
Naturally, I had half given up on the idea of taking first place, knowing that Cilly was around. But since I'm aiming for a scholarship, my grades couldn't be ignored. While my rankings varied by subject, my overall score placed me right behind Cilly in second.
Although the final exams were still to come, I was on track to secure a scholarship—maybe not a full one, but enough to be satisfied.
"So, what's up with that cat?" Annie asked, pointing at the cat sitting on my lap.
"Hmm... I'm not really sure either. I don't know much about this little one" I replied. The cat had grown quite fond of me and would come to sit on my lap whenever it spotted me. But beyond that, I had no idea who owned it or where it lived. Judging by its sleek fur, I could only assume it was well-fed.
Now that the cat had lowered its guard around me, I figured it was time to try again—the forbidden technique that no cat could resist. The last time I failed, it was probably because the cat still felt wary around me, and I hadn't adjusted my strength properly.
I gently stroked the cat from its head to the tip of its tail, slowly, carefully. It couldn't suspect my true intentions.
I was an assassin, trained to remain patient for days in one place without making a sound, waiting for that single moment of opportunity. When that moment came, I never let it slip by.
And finally, the moment arrived.
"Purr..."
The soft, contented rumbling sound filled the air as the cat relaxed completely under my skilled hands. I didn't miss that fleeting opportunity.
Smack
I gave the cat's bottom a gentle smack.
Startled, the cat raised its tail and tried to leap off my lap, but I wasn't just a former assassin—I was also training to become a Swordmaster. There was no way a mere cat could escape my grasp.
Smack
I smacked its bottom again before it could jump. And again. And once more.
Swiftly, yet gently, I continued to pat the cat, using just the right amount of force from my wrist.
The cat's reactions were adorable. At first, it tried to jump off my lap. Then it let out a small yowl on the second smack. By the third, it even bit my thigh lightly.
But on the fourth smack, the cat couldn't resist its instincts anymore. It gave up and lay limp in my lap, lightly scratching my thigh without extending its claws, completely overwhelmed.
Yes! This was it!
Feeling victorious, I used both hands to double the intensity of my playful smacks.
I only stopped when I noticed the others staring at me with looks of disbelief.
As much as I wanted to keep going, it seemed like I should be satisfied for now. I was content, and judging by the look on the sprawled-out cat's face, it was too.
See? The cat's happy too. It's looking at me with satisfaction.
Thwack!
Then it slapped me in the face and darted away.
Why?! You were enjoying it too!
"Well... Elys, you did go a little overboard," Yuri said, trying to console me as I reached out toward the disappearing cat, feeling the sting of rejection.
Meanwhile, Cilly was watching me... and I couldn't shake the feeling that her gaze was directed at my backside. But surely, I was just imagining things.
"Ugh... I can't believe Ian scored better than me... this is humiliating," Annie grumbled, more upset about being outdone by her younger brother than by my cat-related slap.
For the record, Ian was in the top tier of the class. His practical score was slightly lower than Annie's, but his written score was far higher. After all, very few students had lower written scores than Annie.
"Now that you mention Ian, you two don't look much alike," I said, thinking about it. Annie and Ian were twins, yet they couldn't be more different. Well, except for their red hair.
Their choice of weapons, combat styles, aura techniques, and even their physiques were completely different. Their faces had some similarities, but the stark contrast in their builds made it hard to notice.
"Really? Well, we are fraternal twins, after all," Annie said casually.
"I have an older brother too, but... we're very different," Yuri added, her voice taking on a slightly somber tone. She must have faced a lot of comparison to her older brother, especially with their father being a Swordmaster.
Yuri worked hard, practicing with her sword daily and eagerly learning from both professors and classmates. Despite all her efforts, however, her progress had been slow. I felt bad for thinking it, but Yuri hadn't inherited her father's talents. If she had, she would've surpassed her current level long ago.
"What about you, Cilly? You have an older brother too, right?" Annie asked, quickly shifting the conversation to lift the mood. According to the information I'd seen during the assassination attempt, Cilly had an older brother in the Deretia family. He was a skilled swordsman, but not famous or particularly noteworthy. The family's hopes were pinned on Cilly, who was the strongest candidate to become a hero.
"Well... my brother is quite a bit older than me. When I was younger, I always tried to follow him around," Cilly said, smiling slightly.
I think her brother was about five years older than her. He had already graduated from the academy.
"Come to think of it, everyone here has a brother."
Annie had a younger brother, while Yuri and Cilly both had older brothers. I didn't know if they had any sisters, but it seemed like we all had male siblings.
"Elys, you have a little broth—ah!" Yuri stopped mid-sentence, covering her mouth with both hands, her eyes wide.
"Sorry..."
Huh?
I tilted my head in confusion until I remembered the details about 'Elysia Frentz'.
The Frentz family had been wiped out during a demon attack years ago, and I, Elysia Frentz was supposedly the sole survivor, according to the backstory fabricated by the assassin guild.
In other words, all members of the Frentz family, including Elysia' younger brother were dead.
Since Yuri had been close to Elysia when they were younger, she must've known her brother as well. She had probably been about to mention him before realizing the weight of the subject.
"It's okay. It's been more than ten years, and I don't really remember much anymore," I said lightly, trying to steer the conversation away. The last thing I needed was to let something slip by talking too much about a past that wasn't even real.
Annie and Cilly, who also knew about the Frentz family tragedy, noticed Yuri's slip and quickly tried to comfort me. Annie grabbed my hand and spoke cheerfully.
"Elys! How about coming to visit my house during the summer break? It'll be fun, I promise!"
She was probably trying to be considerate since I didn't have anywhere to go during the break and would likely be left alone in the dormitory. It was a bit overwhelming, but I had no reason to decline.
"Sure, sounds fun. I'm looking forward to it."
"P-please come to my house too," Cilly said, grabbing my other hand. Since I had already accepted Annie's invitation, I didn't have any reason to turn Cilly down either.
"Of course. I'd be happy to."
"Then how about we all visit each other's houses in turn during the break? Maybe visiting my house will bring back some old memories for you, Elys" Yuri suggested enthusiastically. Though it was a sweet idea, no amount of visiting her house would bring back memories I didn't have.
Despite only having just finished the midterms, we were already making plans for the summer break.
We were in the middle of deciding whose house we'd visit first when a paper airplane suddenly flew down the hall toward us. It was flying unusually steadily, without wobbling.
In fact, it was flying a bit too steadily. It didn't seem like it was going to fall to the ground at all.
Bump
The paper airplane gently bumped into my forehead before losing momentum and falling to the ground.
It didn't hurt, but I rubbed my forehead anyway, then bent down to pick up the paper airplane.
Looking around, I didn't see anyone coming to retrieve it.
The moment the plane touched my hand, it unfolded itself.
The paper plane had become a letter.
"Tonight at 10, meet me in the lab. I've already informed the dormitory, so don't worry. - Fresia Gatina -"
Before midterms, I had assisted with a few magic experiments, starting with the first acceleration magic trial. During the midterms, though, Fresia hadn't called for me at all, probably to let me focus on my exams. Now that the exams were over, she was summoning me again.
But this time, she was asking me to come at night. That was new.
And it seemed she had even gotten permission from the school. Between that and skipping classes to nap last time, it seemed our boss was no ordinary magic student. I guess you could say she was the Cilly of the Magic Department?
"What's that? What's that?" Annie asked curiously.
"Oh, it's just someone I know asking me to come by," I replied.
"Do you have to go right now?" Annie asked.
"No, they asked me to come around 10 PM, so I don't need to go just yet."
"10 PM? But that's when curfew hits. Who's calling you out at that time?" Yuri asked.
It wasn't a big deal, but I hesitated to mention the "boss" situation. If I told them I was working for Fresia because I couldn't afford to support myself, my kind-hearted friends would probably start worrying about me. It wasn't a problem, but I didn't want to bring it up either. So I pondered how to introduce Fresia without mentioning her being my boss.
"Who is it? Who is it?" Annie pressed eagerly.
Without thinking, I let one of Fresia's titles slip out of my mouth.
"...Master?"
Crack
Cilly's head turned toward me with frightening speed, making a sound like something had snapped. Did I just hear something break?
"Huh...?"
Yuri's face turned bright red, and she covered her mouth with her hands again. What was going on with her?
"W-what? M-Master!?" Annie, who had been shaking me, gripped my shoulders even tighter and shook me more vigorously.
At that moment, I realized what they were misunderstanding.
I would've preferred to reveal my financial situation instead of letting this misunderstanding continue. I quickly tried to explain.
"No, it's not like that! I'm just being paid to do some work!"
But my explanation only made things worse. Annie shook me even harder, Yuri turned even redder and lowered her head, and Cilly stared at me with wide, unblinking eyes.
Cilly... that expression is a bit scary. Could you stop looking at me like that? Actually, if you start smiling, that would be even scarier. So just stay like that... please.
It took over an hour of explaining before I finally managed to clear up their misunderstanding.