The day after Fei completed his grueling training, the five of them decided to rent a room to study. Yururu took her place at the lectern while the others sat in chairs in front of her. Long desks were arranged for everyone to use. True sat on the left end, with Bowlan beside him. Arthur occupied the seat next to Bowlan, and Fei sat a little further away on the right end. Thick materials like textbooks were placed on their desks for their classroom study.
“Now then, everyone. This time, we will discuss the Daemon, considered the most dangerous entity among those fought by the Holy Knights. It is said to possess a sculptural aura with a completely white body. The Daemon takes on various forms, such as a man-eating flower, a human-like figure, or even a grotesque shape that defies description. It primarily operates from the afternoon until late evening, after the sun has set.”
“Teacher-“
“Yes, Bowlan-san?”
“Why doesn’t the Daemon operate in the morning? I’ve been wondering about that for a while.”
“That’s a good question! Have you heard of the Strongest Daemon, an ancient monster that brings calamity?”
“It’s a monster that once attempted to engulf the world. Its name is recorded in hero tales and widely known.”
“It was sealed by the original hero 500 years ago. The Daemon is said to be derived from the power of this Strongest Daemon.”
“Hmm.”
Bowlan nodded as the teacher continued the story. True and Fei listened without any particular action, while Arthur’s expression darkened slightly.
“This Strongest Daemon was originally a human, a magician to be precise. However, due to various illicit experiments and crimes, he was punished by imprisonment and subjected to torturous flames, resulting in severe burns. It is said that exposure to sunlight causes him immense pain. Thus, the magician primarily operated during the time when the sun had set.”
“Oh, I see. I knew about Arthur and all that, but I wasn’t aware of this story.”
“It is believed that his human traits, memories, and habits influence the timing of the Daemon’s operations.”
“Hmm… Speaking of which, Arthur shares the same name as the hero, right? Is there any connection?”
While listening to Yururu’s story, Bowlan noticed something. It struck that Arthur, seated next, bore the same name as the hero from the famous tales. To Bowlan, it was merely an idle observation, but Arthur seemed displeased and turned away with a sullen expression.
“……What?”
“But, I mean, they bestowed upon us quite an impressive name, didn’t they? Our parents, I mean.”
“……Shut up.”
“What? Why are you so upset?”
Bowlan spoke candidly, but Arthur clearly felt uncomfortable. Sensing the tension, True intervened to mediate.
“Hey, Bowlan, calm down. It seems like Arthur doesn’t want to discuss it.”
Despite True’s intervention, the atmosphere remained heavy. Yururu glanced around the room anxiously as the tension escalated.
“Never mind that, it’s not important. Let’s get back to the topic.”
Fei appeared unaffected by the tension, urging them to continue as if he disregarded the argument. His demeanor carried an air of finality, and the conversation concluded on a sour note.
“Oh, right. Sorry, Fei.”
Yururu attempted to change the mood, and Fei directed his attention toward Bowlan.
“Oh, and Bowlan?”
“Yeah?”
“Stop making such a fuss about the name. You’re not a child anymore. There’s no significance in trying to relate it to something else. Maybe you find it amusing, but to me, it’s just tedious.”
“….”
Bowlan fell silent and turned gaze away. Arthur, too, redirected focus forward when Fei spoke. The class carried on until the bell rang, signaling the end of the session. Afterward, the five of them left the room, making their way to the physically demanding training session, just as rigorous as the previous day.
Fei led the group, with Arthur walking alongside him.
“Thanks for earlier,” Arthur said.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Fei replied casually.
“The name thing, I mean.”
“Oh, that. Don’t misunderstand. I did it for my own sake.”
“So, Fei, the name doesn’t bother you?”
“I don’t care. It holds no interest for me. I’m simply forging my own path.”
Arthur’s countenance was typically impassive, but today, a faint smile emerged, akin to that of a natural girl.
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The lecture began, and it appeared that the Holy Knights had to study various subjects. As the protagonist, I approached everything with utmost effort and dedication. Hard work was ingrained in my character. While I listened attentively, Bowlan couldn’t help but cause a disturbance.
“Oh, by the way, Arthur shares the same name as the hero. Is there any connection?”
This single sentence sparked a small argument between Arthur and Bowlan, disrupting the class. Honestly, I detested these kinds of situations.
I’ve hated these sorts of things since high school, when people would make a fuss just because their name was similar to that of a historical figure.
“Today’s lesson is about Oda Nobunaga.”
“Huh? Oh, now that you mention it, your surname is Oda, right!?”
It was a typical behavior among high school boys to make a ruckus, attempting to impress girls or elicit laughter from the entire class. Perhaps they wanted to ask, “Are you related to him?” or something of the sort. I had despised such incidents even in my previous life. It wasn’t amusing to witness. I was genuinely focused on my studies, and these interruptions were bothersome. I wished they would refrain from such behavior and let me concentrate on my studies. If they wanted to engage in such discussions during their free time, that was their prerogative, but not during class. As the protagonist, I was diligently striving during my apprenticeship, and I didn’t appreciate being disrupted by childish antics.
Bowlan was no longer a child, yet he acted like one. Despite cute appearance, she gave off an impression of lacking any proper education. It was rather regrettable.
Perhaps Arthur was also troubled. Sharing the name of a famous individual must have its challenges. People likely made jests about him having the same surname as Oda Nobunaga.
“Oh, about the name thing…”
“Yeah, what about it?”
Arthur seemed equally bothered. If that sarcastic Arthur was expressing gratitude, it must have genuinely irked her.
Well, a name does hold significance, and I won’t deny that. I had no knowledge of Arthur’s parents, but there might be some deeper meaning behind bestowing upon her the name of a hero. However, I was too preoccupied to concern myself with such matters. I had no interest in them. I had far more pressing issues to attend to in my busy life as the protagonist.
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