By Zephyria 
Thursday, it was advanced swordsmanship class.
As usual, while practicing Combined Swordsmanship, Walter Orgen almost got seriously injured. For some reason, he was more distracted than usual and tried to block a classmate’s sword with his left arm, which wasn’t holding a shield.
Fortunately, Maelo Sanson, like someone with eyes on the back of his head, managed to snatch the sword with his bare hands, so no one was hurt, but he was severely scolded.
Even while being scolded, he showed no sign of proper remorse, so he was punished by running laps around the training ground while the other children trained.
Walter Orgen was jovial, witty, and gentle in disposition. Having deferred his graduation several times, he was older and acted as the eldest brother in the advanced swordsmanship class. As he had been taking the advanced swordsmanship class for several years, he rarely made mistakes.
Many children glanced at the boy running laps with worried expressions.
I, too, had spoken with Walter about various small matters and felt a sense of familiarity with him, so I couldn’t help but worry if something was wrong with him.
Upon reflection, he had been less humorous in recent weeks than before.
He still told jokes often and charmed the other children as usual, but between classes, he would sometimes stare blankly at the sky or fall into thought.
I hesitated, knowing that if it were a family matter, my questions wouldn’t help, but just in case I could be of assistance, I grabbed Walter’s wrist as soon as class ended.
“Hmm? What is it, Mikael?”
“…That.”
“What is it? I’m really fine. Didn’t you see the professor block it well earlier?”
“Is something going on lately?”
“Uh-huh.”
Walter Orgen couldn’t hide his bewildered expression and hesitated, but then he smiled with his usual easygoing grin and shrugged his shoulders.
“Just some things. Thanks for your concern, man.”
“…”
“No, really, that’s not the kind of expression you should make…”
Walter Orgen looked back and forth between my hand on his wrist and my face, then chuckled and gave a proper answer.
“It’s just about graduation, you know. I’m thinking of deferring it one more year…”
It was a surprising statement.
Walter smiled wryly, shook the wrist I was holding, and asked me to let go, so I did.
Benjamin and Rubel, who had come over with the other children to have lunch with me, were also surprised when they heard that.
“One more year… are you serious?”
“Uh-huh, well. No, it’s not that surprising, is it?”
“Well, yes, but…”
Shierun Academy allowed early admission, early graduation, and deferred graduation.
While all were possible, none were common. The fact that I was the only early admission student among this year’s intake was proof enough.
Furthermore, I had heard that Walter Orgen had already deferred his graduation several times.
According to the academy handbook, one could defer graduation for up to five years, but few students stayed at the academy, paying exorbitant tuition fees without special reason.
I scanned the young man, who looked significantly more mature than the other students.
Walter Orgen was already a First-Rate Martial Artist aiming for the Peak realm. His skill surpassed the advanced level of Sword Expert.
He could join the Imperial Knight Order upon graduation, so I couldn’t understand why he would remain at the academy.
“…How old are you this year, Orgen-senpai?”
“Why? Do I look too old?”
“I didn’t mean it that way.”
“I know, I know. But…”
Walter’s hand ruffled my hair in a familiar manner. I stood still, waiting for his answer, not bothering to avoid it. His wry smile felt unfamiliar, and I didn’t feel like pulling away.
“…Twenty-one. I’ll be twenty-two soon.”
Most students entered the academy at fifteen, attended classes until seventeen, and graduated at eighteen.
He had already deferred graduation for four years and was saying he intended to take classes for the full remaining year before leaving.
As I, and the other children, stood there dumbfounded, unable to add anything, Walter rubbed the back of his neck with an embarrassed expression.
His neck, exposed beneath his tightly braided hair, was red.
“It’s just… there are some circumstances.”
“What on earth could those circumstances be…? Didn’t you say last time that you wanted to be dispatched to the Yuil Mountains right after graduation?”
“Well, yes, I did.”
“Could it be that you didn’t meet the dispatch requirements…? No, that can’t be right either…”
“Uh-huh, I could go.”
As I pondered the reason, the answer came quickly.
Hadn’t I myself considered deferring graduation to learn more from Maelo Sanson?
If one wished to dedicate themselves to the sword at a young age, they might not want to leave the side of a Martial Artist of Hwagyeong who taught them.
Thinking that way, my heart softened.
Seeing a student contemplating whether to graduate or not, caught between the desire to move forward and the desire to stay by a good mentor’s side, I felt an urge to encourage him.
“It’s because of Professor Sanson, isn’t it?”
“Huh? Professor Sanson is too big. I prefer skinny people.”
“Excuse me?”
“Huh?”
“…Preferences?”
“No. …I mean, I misspoke.”
I couldn’t understand what he was saying. I was only bewildered by his flushed face and flustered state.
I turned to see if the other children understood, but Benjamin just shrugged with a puzzled look.
Lucilla laughed and threw out a jest.
“Like Professor Calypse?”
“No, I told you I misspoke.”
I couldn’t understand why Professor Calypse Agrigent’s name came up here. The other children knew Walter Orgen was close with Professor Calypse, so I assumed they were joking.
Walter playfully covered Lucilla’s mouth. Lucilla giggled and ran all the way to the end of the training ground to escape his grasp.
Walter repeatedly urged me not to tell anyone, so I asked what I shouldn’t say, and he replied it was nothing.
In any case, the inner thoughts of children this age were complex and difficult to decipher.
A familiar gaze met my cheek.
Rubel looked at me and reached out. I knew he intended to fix my hair, which Walter had carelessly messed up, so I lowered my head. His hands, gently stroking my hair, were kind and delicate.
After a while, as Rubel withdrew his hand, I asked,
“Senpai, do you understand what he meant at all?”
“Huh? …Uh-huh? What?”
“Why Walter-senpai is acting like that.”
The boy blinked his dark eyes and looked at me. He hesitated for a long time before shaking his head, saying he didn’t know either.
Indeed, he was naive but not quick-witted.
I decided I would ask Shayden about it next time.
❖ ❖ ❖
Friday afternoon, the third week of October. I sat in the Alchemy classroom without reagent materials.
Professor Cedric, instead of greeting us with his usual loud, bright smile, stood before the lectern with a solemn expression.
“Before today’s class begins, I have something to announce.”
What followed were the stories I had already learned through Rubel.
The reason wolves appeared in Eldos Mountain, the faculty’s subsequent response, and the Imperial Knight Order’s dispatch to hunt the wolves, and so on.
Cedric calmly explained that patrols had been dispatched to the vicinity of the mountain range and that access would be restricted until safety was secured. He then bowed his head deeply and apologized once more.
“It is my responsibility that I did not anticipate such an event. I sincerely apologize to you all. I am sorry.”
“…I’m fine. No students were seriously injured.”
Since the one who had suffered the most was Damian, the students who had been hesitant began to chime in from various places, saying it was okay, it wasn’t the professor’s fault, and offering comforting words to Cedric.
Cedric straightened up and slowly looked around at the children.
I realized for the first time that Cedric’s eyes, usually full of mischief, could hold such a calm and gentle light. My own anger subsided.
Although I had already heard from Rubel, seeing him explain the situation to the children who had no other source of information and apologize sincerely, I couldn’t think of a more appropriate response.
After the announcement, Cedric distributed the reagent materials fairly to the children.
Normally, he would have had the group leader come to collect the items, but his direct action of distributing the materials was clearly a gesture towards Damian, our group leader.
“The reagent we will make today is an antidote that can neutralize three types of poison. The materials distributed now are…”
“Huh…?”
It was not the reagent we were originally supposed to make.
The materials I received looked completely different from those we had found in the forest, so I let out a sound of surprise. Cedric shrugged with a sheepish smile.
“I thought it might not be good for your mental health to be reminded of unpleasant events. I will create handouts later with the method for making the original reagent, so those who are okay with it can read it.”
“…Ah.”
“There will be no report this month, and next month, we will have an experience and camp in the school’s greenhouse. Now, I will explain how to make the reagent, so everyone get ready to take notes.”
The time spent making the antidote together was cheerful.
Everyone laughed and chatted as if nothing had happened. Damian folded the handout twice and tucked it between the pages of a book as soon as he received it, but no one pointed it out.
Of the new reagents made, two were successful and one failed.
Marianne cited insufficient temperature control as the cause of failure, and Jenny cited not meeting the time limit.
Since Damian had trouble sitting for long periods, we promised to come back on Saturday to make the reagent again, and I left the classroom as soon as class ended.
We all ate dinner together.
Damian jokingly remarked that it was good there was no report this month, and Marianne playfully hit him on the back. Laughter filled the air throughout the meal.