By Zephyria 
Sunday.
The thirteen children who wanted to climb the Yuil Mountains headed to the 1st Magic Tower with the three Professors. It was the very Monster Sparring Arena where I had fought the Ogre before.
There, all the children were given the task of taking the lives of more than one small Monster.
They also listened to a lecture on what to do when surrounded by small Monsters, but the basics were the same. Don’t panic, don’t hesitate, don’t be afraid.
Hunting edible beasts from afar was completely different from slaughtering intelligent Monsters that stood on two feet and screamed at close range.
I stepped up first for the children who were afraid and hesitant.
If they were going to die anyway, it was better to kill them quickly. Killing them instantly without playing with them for long was what I did best. I dragged the Goblin’s corpse, its head severed in one swift motion, to the side. No one laughed. No one praised me for doing well.
The next child stepped up immediately.
Maelo Sanson silently watched the children with cool eyes, and so did Angela Sting. Everyone watching did not cheer or rejoice at the slaughter, and everyone who stepped forward killed the Monsters in the most correct and safest way, and piled up their corpses.
In the middle, one child was hit by a Goblin’s poison needle. However, the Professors did not budge until the child killed the Goblin himself and asked for a detoxification Artifact.
Watching the process, I realized another thing.
Only now, really only now, were the Professors treating these children like adults.
For the three years they had studied at the Academy, the Professors had carefully examined and cherished every child, lest they break or be damaged. But from the moment they decided to climb the mountains, the children began to stand on their own. They had to practice in advance how to overcome dangers without their help.
Benjamin beheaded the Goblin in one swift motion like me, and Marianne killed the Goblin by making its head into a large, round ice lump.
Some of the less talented children could not kill the Goblin in one go. It was terrible to see them crawling on the floor and spilling their insides, even if they were Monsters. But they, too, eventually succeeded, even while gagging.
Rubel, that pitiful and pathetic fellow, glanced at me before killing the Goblin.
Was he worried that he couldn’t do it? I just nodded to him, telling him to do well. Rubel gritted his teeth and thrust his sword, and it caught on the Goblin’s bones. While listening to the terrible screams, Rubel completed his task with a pale face.
It’s okay, you did well. When I whispered softly to comfort him, Rubel hooked one of my fingers and held it, hiding it from the others’ eyes. Feeling sorry for him, I stroked the back of his hand with my thumb a few times to indulge him.
But I am still lacking.
I was used to the battlefield where I took care of those weaker than me and fought, but I was not used to fighting with others. I tried to cut what I could cut, and I tried to cut what others could cut. The range that I could protect with this hand was limited, so I had to learn how to let go.
Thus, in the second week, each group learned how to deal with medium-sized Monsters and practiced Combined Swordsmanship.
Benjamin, who used Imperial Swordsmanship as his main Sword Art, stepped forward with a shield in one hand. It was to attract the Monster’s attention from the front and prevent the attack from flowing elsewhere. If I struck the Monster next to him, Rubel would support him from behind.
After that, Marianne would join in, attacking from the very rear, surveying the battlefield, and healing the children. The swordsmen could also heal themselves using Recovery Artifacts, but all Artifacts shone even more in the hands of a Wizard. I thought it was a good choice.
We usually left Marianne’s position empty and trained, but on Thursdays, we gathered with the Department of Magic to practice so that our feet would not get tangled. As expected, thanks to steady training, Marianne boasted superior stamina and skill compared to other Department of Magic students.
Every day passed so busy and hectic, and before I knew it, it was Friday of the second week.
In the first week, the children were exhausted and slumped after finishing swordsmanship and magic classes. But that was not the case today. Whether it was because they were young or because they were so determined, everyone looked fine even in the evening.
Today, I also sat Benjamin and Rubel on the living room floor and watched them Breathing and regulating energy.
Benjamin was such a calm and uncompetitive guy that he didn’t care how Rubel acted and just did his own thing. On the other hand, Rubel was very conscious of Benjamin and couldn’t hide his desire to get ahead quickly.
But it was still too early. He was at least able to imitate Breathing and regulating energy because he was able to feel aura, but it would take at least three years to create a Dantian (Energy Center) in the Central Plains. It was a great thing that Benjamin created a Dantian (Energy Center) in half a year. I soothed Rubel, telling him not to be impatient.
That night, someone carefully knocked on my door.
I could tell by the feeling, even without a voice. It was Rubel. It was a tacit agreement that everyone would finish their day in their own rooms at this late hour, so I was very puzzled.
These days, we all slept in everyday clothes instead of pajamas. We had talked about getting used to it in advance, saying that we sometimes slept fully armed in the Yuil Mountains.
In fact, it was first recommended for Marianne, who had to live with her peers as a girl. But it was nice that I didn’t have to be flustered even with a sudden visit at this late hour.
I didn’t say anything more and opened the door right away.
“What’s wrong?”
“That, Mika.”
However, wearing matching tops and bottoms did not mean sleeping in clothes that were tight all over. Rubel was wearing a shirt with a thin ribbon tied around the collar, but the ribbon was more loosely disheveled than usual.
I was embarrassed by the unfamiliar sight of his hair, which he always neatly swept back and tied, let down. To hide my feelings, I bit the soft flesh inside my mouth and held my breath.
Rubel didn’t answer right away and leaned slightly against the door frame. The big guy looked endlessly fragile as if he couldn’t properly support his body. Worried, I asked again.
“No, what… Are you sick or something?”
“…No, no. It’s not that… I can’t sleep well.”
“…Can’t sleep?”
I blinked, not immediately understanding what he meant.
I wondered if he was suggesting we go for a walk, but he wouldn’t suggest that in those clothes. Spring had not yet arrived. Sierren’s winter was harsh, so you would have to wear a thick jacket and a cloak to go out for a night stroll.
Puzzled, I stared at him, and Rubel covered his lower face with one hand and lowered his eyes slightly. The child swallowed, taking a deep breath like someone who had made a big decision, and continued, avoiding my gaze.
“Now, when we go to the Yuil Mountains… we’re going to eat and sleep together.”
“Yes… That’s right.”
“So…”
“So?”
“Can we, sleep together? Just for today.”
“Yes?”
What is this guy talking about?
I was dumbfounded by his stammering words. There was no need to hesitate for long. I refused right away without hesitation.
“Yes, you can’t.”
“…Why?”
“Well.”
I knew this guy was gentle, but did he have to be so clueless? It was cute and funny, so I didn’t bother to stop the laughter that leaked through my teeth. I asked again with a smiling face.
“You know that sleeping together in the field when the time comes and sleeping under the same blanket are not entirely the same thing, right?”
“…That’s…”
I also grew up not knowing anything, but this child is even worse. His body has grown so suddenly, but how can he be so fair and innocent like a newborn? I felt itchy inside.
I tried to hold back my laughter and stroked my face with one hand, wondering how to explain it to him.
If he and I were just close friends, just men to men, it wouldn’t be a problem. I could just think of him as taking care of a child and hug him to sleep. But haven’t we already talked about it several times?
“I’m not confident that I can sleep quietly next to Rubel.”
“…Why?”
“Do you have to ask?”
The child stopped rubbing his temple against the door frame like a young cat. The cheeks of the guy, who had been tense and even pale when he first asked to sleep together, were clearly flushed red.
Only then did I realize that the child didn’t really mean it when he said that.
He wanted to confirm if I still loved him. He had been so busy in body and mind that he hadn’t spent time alone with me even though we lived together.
But he must have known how I usually felt, so why bother?
But even if he came with that intention, what could I do?
He’s so pretty.
“However, I don’t want to just leave Rubel alone if he’s scared of a strange bed.”
“…Then.”
“I can stay by your side until you go to sleep. Would that be okay?”
“…Yes.”
I laughed again and soothed him carefully.
So let’s go to your room, I said, and led Rubel. But when I left the door like that, I gasped when I saw Marianne and Benjamin sitting quietly on the living room sofa, looking this way.
It seemed that Rubel had slipped out while I was distracted by his cute behavior.
Marianne, who was already looking this way with her eyes wide open, covered her face with the handout she was holding.
“Well, I heard a noise… I thought you were doing extra study, so I came out.”
“…”
“No, well, have a good night. Ah, I’m sleepy. What are you doing, Benjamin? Let’s go to bed quickly.”
“…Uh, uh. Yes… Good night.”
Rubel, who was standing stiffly in that spot, turned as red as he could be.
I was just staring blankly at the guy who had become hot, and I coughed in vain because I felt embarrassed for no reason.
What is this? Rubel, who is old enough to eat and is making a fuss about being afraid to sleep alone, is shy, but I, who offered to put Rubel to sleep in front of the children who clearly know my lewd heart, am also making a fool of myself.
Rubel, who was standing stiffly in that spot, suddenly made a fuss about sleeping alone and went into his room. I, who was left alone in the living room by chance, stood there blankly for a while and then returned to my room.
I was embarrassed and ashamed, so I couldn’t fall asleep all night and tossed and turned for a long time.