After parting with Sonya, the principal, Claire, and Siena.
Theo headed to the student cafeteria for lunch.
‘Hmm.’
The cafeteria was quiet, as if all the other students had gone out to eat.
After quickly finishing his lunch, Theo immediately headed to the training grounds.
As expected, the training grounds were also quiet.
While this might have made an ordinary person complacent, Theo was different.
‘Maybe I should practice against a magic doll for a change.’
He was rather pleased at the thought of leisurely training alone.
His first fight against Oliver, one of the continent's strongest, had been a motivation for him.
As Theo was changing into his training clothes in the locker room.
“Hmm.”
His gaze fixed on the collar of his uniform.
A thread on the lower part of the collar was slightly frayed.
For an ordinary person, this would have been a trivial damage, but not for Theo.
‘To think I've been wearing this.’
[Twisted Noble's Dignity] zapped Theo.
He was someone obsessed with appearances above all else.
Theo frowned as he carefully examined the damaged part of his uniform.
“......”
But it was a damage that couldn’t be fixed with the magic stored in the [Magic Cartridge].
‘I should ask Amy to bring me a new set.’
Theo immediately took out his communication crystal and contacted Amy to bring a new academy uniform.
─Yes...... I understand, young master. I will depart immediately.
Though her voice coming through the crystal seemed somewhat different than usual.
Theo didn't dwell on it and promptly began his training.
While Theo was facing a magic doll modeled after Oliver.
Brrr, brrr─
The communication crystal in the corner vibrated.
It was a call from Amy.
Screech─
As he approached the training grounds’ main gate, there was Amy, holding Little Fist.
Amy handed over a suitcase to Theo.
“......Here is the freshly laundered and intact academy uniform you requested, young master.”
“Good, thank you.”
As Theo received the suitcase, he observed Amy's expression without making it obvious.
To an outsider, she might seem her usual self, but Theo saw it differently.
Ever since acquiring the [Observer's Eye] trait, he had been accumulating data on Amy's expressions.
She usually has a stoic face, but even then, she expresses a variety of emotions like joy, sadness, despair.
Finally, he came to a conclusion.
‘Something’s definitely up.’
He didn't know why, but Amy was currently in a state of anxiety and sadness.
‘What could it be?’
......It doesn't seem like anything's wrong with Little Fist.
As Theo remained silent for a while, Amy spoke up.
“......Young master, is there anything else you wish to say?”
“No, there isn't.”
“......Alright, I will take my leave then.”
“Okay.”
Amy, about to leave, opened her mouth again.
“Um... young master. Do you have any plans for this Friday?”
“No. Why do you ask?”
Theo looked intently at Amy.
Under his sharp gaze, Amy momentarily closed her mouth.
‘Should I say it...’
It seemed worth trying.
From what had happened so far, it appeared Theo had some inkling of her true identity.
But──
“......It’s nothing, young master. I’ll see you later.”
──there's no way he could know she's a spy from Equilibrium, infiltrating the Waldeurk family under disguise.
In other words, their relationship started with a lie.
How much would he hate her if he found out the truth?
......Amy didn’t have the courage to reveal that fact.
Theo tilted his head slightly and then spoke.
“Alright. See you later.”
5 minutes earlier, inside the Hero Department student council room.
Saintess Isabella, with her arms crossed, was pacing back and forth aimlessly in the room.
‘It's troubling...’
Recently, she received a report that Claire had caught Theo shadowing her.
Her uneasy mind was not settling down.
The only relief was that he hadn't caused a scene at the site.
There were other people present, including the principal, and he deliberately refrained from mentioning her name.
‘He's cunning, that one.’
It meant that he intended to confront her directly about ordering Claire to shadow him.
‘......What will he demand?’
Since he did not embarrass her in front of others, it's only right to comply if it was a reasonable request.
After pacing for a few minutes, Isabella moved towards the window.
Then, she gazed out at the academy landscape.
It was one of her old habits.
Having heard that the silver-haired fox was a training addict, her eyes naturally drifted towards the training grounds.
‘Oh.’
There he was, in front of the training grounds’ main gate.
The woman in maid attire with a suitcase, was she his servant?
It seemed so.
The maid handed the suitcase to him.
‘......Hmm.’
At that moment, Isabella could read the thoughts of the maid, though she still couldn't read his.
‘How should I tell this to Theo......? What?’
Suddenly, the scene became interesting.
‘......She referred to him as ‘Theo’, her employer.’
The maid recognized the fox in front of her not as a superior being she should serve, but as an equal.
Even for her, who had seen countless employer-employee relationships, this was a rare sight.
Most employees were either trembling before their employers or smiling on the outside while cursing them inwardly.
‘Hmm......’
She tried to continue reading the maid's thoughts until she left, but there was nothing more to read.
The maid was just repeatedly thinking, ‘Should I tell him, or not’, ‘I miss Selena’.
‘Tch.’
It was a missed opportunity.
He's the only one whose thoughts she can't read, so she has to get information from those around him.
About an hour passed.
Brrr, brrr─
The communication crystal she received from Claire vibrated.
......Could it be him?
As Isabella pressed the receive button on the communication crystal, a voice immediately came through.
─Good day, Isabella.
It was indeed him.
Isabella spoke.
“Yes, hello.”
─I have something to discuss with you. Could you tell me a suitable time to meet today?
Avoiding the issue wouldn't solve anything.
From experience, dealing with such matters quickly tended to appease the other party.
“I'm free anytime. Come whenever it's convenient for you.”
─Then, how about in 30 minutes at the student council room?
“That's fine.”
─I’ll see you then.
“Alright.”
With that, the call ended.
“......Haah.”
Isabella placed the communication crystal back on the desk and pressed her temples.
‘Scary guy.’
His level of diplomacy was exceptional for a mere first-year student.
It's as if he knew her, who had been rolling in the cutthroat world of the clergy for years.
Not only are his thoughts impenetrable, but it's also impossible to predict his actions.
The thought of meeting him again made her restless.
“No, wait, change your perspective......”
There could be others besides him whose minds she can't read.
She can't be trembling in fear every time that happens.
“Phewww, phewww.”
Isabella took a deep breath and pulled out a knitting set from her desk drawer.
She had started knitting to find peace of mind after yesterday's meeting with Theo.
She chose silver yarn, a reminder not to forget the man who had so greatly unsettled her.
“Ouch!”
While knitting, Isabella pricked her finger on the needle.
“Ouch, damn it......”
After a brief grumble, she continued with her knitting.
Inside the principal's office.
“Oh ho ho......”
Sonya's eyes sparkled as she looked around.
The principal's office was filled with ancient documents and books that were extremely difficult to find or thought to be lost in modern times.
“Um... principal. Can I read this book, and that one, oh, and this one too?”
“Do whatever you want. Just don't bother me! I'm busy!”
Luna, who responded casually, looked up at Siena standing next to her.
“Hey, pointy ears! So, where's Art right now?”
“I don't know, shorty. It's been so long, I don't quite remember. Ah~ but maybe if you introduce me to other spirit friends, it might jog my memory~?”
Siena looked triumphantly down at Luna and laughed.
