15: The End of the Tutorial (5)
'U-uncomfortable. I'd rather faint!'
Darkness had already fallen upon the sea, yet Mago and Renie were still performing guard duty outside. Which ant there were only three of us in the cabin: , Lottie, and Camila. And to top it off, Lottie was sleeping very comfortably.
A full twelve hours since we left the island.
Twelve hours of being alone with Camila.
Twelve hours of my patience drying up and shriveling.
I felt like I was trapped in the Room of Spirit and Ti.
'I think I know what hyperventilation is.'
Moreover, the Professor was just scanning through docunts like a machine. She's been in that state since boarding, as if she doesn't get tired.
Are geniuses different? Is working so enjoyable that she could go crazy?
Scary. She might really be a devil worshipper.
'I'm craving a night shift.'
To think I'd rather be outside in the night wind. As expected of Camila, she's no ordinary person.
As I was getting lost in idle thoughts in the uncomfortable air, Cobe suddenly ca to mind.
Camila hadn't said much to since we departed. If she knew, she would never have just let it slide, what I had done. Which ans,
'Cobe completely believed my words.'
The events before Camila ca flickered in my mind.
'Arsen!'
After the Gate closed and I was blankly catching my breath, Cobe approached . Covered in green fluid, he was huffing and puffing with only his face wiped.
'The terror attack, the dead people, and even Sir Masimo ca, so I was out of my mind, but you! What on earth did you do? Were you an electric type too? Or, don't tell you copied my ability?'
Cobe, pouring out questions with a completely confused face.
Here it cos.
But I already had a counterasure in mind.
'Mr. Cobe.'
I called his na with a calm and indifferent face.
'I'm listening. Hurry up and tell . What is it!'
'What are you talking about, Mr. Cobe? How could I use your ability?'
'Huh? Arsen, do I look like an idiot to you? You definitely shot electricity just like , wh-what are you doing?'
'Did you perhaps hit your head? It doesn't seem so.'
Cobe, who was rampaging with a flushed face, flinched and trembled when I placed my hand on his head with a worried expression. He backed away with a wary look and his eyes rolled around.
'What are you talking about? More importantly, don't touch !'
'It's true that I held your hand because I was scared, but to say I shot electricity.... Rather, I got electrocuted by you and beca like this, didn't I?'
As I held up my blackened arms, Cobe's eyes wavered. But he still didn't seem to believe .
In that case.
'Besides, don't you know how rare multiple ability holders are? I'm an immortal. My rank is C!'
'Uh, huh? That's right?'
When the other person speaks with a calm and serious face, even the truth begins to waver. Add a reasonable basis to that, and you can't help but stumble.
Did I rember wrong? No? Was it really like that? That's not right. As this process repeats, you start to not believe your own mory. If the situation at that ti was chaotic, the effect would be doubled.
Of course, this doesn't work well on smart people.
'Then... I'm the one who took care of the Administrator?'
'Of course.'
Cobe's face brightened. I smiled faintly and nodded.
'I'm glad he's stupid. Really glad.'
I had no intention of revealing my ability right now. It was random, so I didn't even know how it was activated, and it was unstable, so drawing unnecessary attention was a problem.
Finding the protagonist was the most important thing, so it would be really troubleso if I got attention, or, though it's unlikely, if I beca a Ranker.
'Once I find the protagonist, I'll live a safety-first life in the background, so there's no need to stand out.'
Even if the Administrator wakes up and tells the truth, Cobe, who already thinks it's his own achievent, won't stand still. He'll either handle it appropriately, or I'll have to tell the truth then.
For now, I expressed my gratitude for Cobe's intelligence and returned to the situation at hand. A bleak landscape unfolded without fail.
Is there really no way to resolve this uncomfortable atmosphere?
"Excuse , Professor."
"What is it."
"Shouldn't the people outside get so rest too? It seems they haven't rested for a mont since we departed. How about I take over for a while?"
"There's no need to worry about those two. Just focus on your rest, Mr. Neroro."
"Ah. That... is right, isn't it?"
I mustered up the courage to speak, but all that ca back was the corner of her eye flicking up and down. Is she really going to check that mountain of docunts piled up there?
Co to think of it, what are those all about. She told to, so I loaded them all without distinguishing between the scorched and burnt ones.
'I want to go out.'
I thought about going to the bathroom one more ti, but I rembered I had gone thirty minutes ago and planted my butt back down. She might think I'm a bedwetter.
'What can I do besides breathing.'
There was a limit to just sitting there blankly. I wish I could just sleep like Lottie, but I can't just stretch out and sleep in front of the working Professor.
My gaze naturally turned to Camila, who was sitting on the sofa across from .
Her brilliant purple eyes move busily. Occasionally, she circles sothing. But mostly, she sets aside the docunts she has read with an annoyed expression.
'A devil worshipper. I don't really believe it, but anyway, that's what they say.'
There's no smoke without fire. Is it just a rumor because she's too competent? Or is this also a clue related to the destruction?
As I was uncharacteristically racking my brain, my head throbbed. Then suddenly,
'Oh. But just because she's the protagonist's person doesn't necessarily an she's a good person, right?'
Take the shonen manga I've been reading since I was a kid, for example. The protagonist's best friend or family mber being the final boss is not a one or two-ti occurrence.
'Should I be wary as the Center Director said.'
It was when I was groaning while leaning back.
"I can't concentrate when you keep looking at like that. Is there sothing you want to say?"
Huk. I'm caught.
"No, Professor. It's just that I don't have anything to do...."
"Co to think of it, you call Professor. As if you know well."
Camila, who had taken off her glasses, put down the bundle of papers she was holding. Her burdenso eyes t mine directly. My palms were sweating.
I'm actually not that immune to beautiful won. But these uncomfortable situations, where it's just the two of us, of course Lottie is here, but anyway. These situations keep happening, so to be honest, I'm very ntally exhausted.
After choosing my words for a mont, I finally decided to bring up that story first.
"It's a bit late to say this now, but I've actually seen you a few tis."
"We have?"
"I'm a graduate of Remble from this June. Luckily, I was able to attend your class a few tis."
"Remble?"
Camila's eyes widened with a surprised expression. Seeing her behavior so far, I had thought she would know all this, but it seems she didn't.
"You probably don't rember. I wasn't a very noticeable student."
"Wait.... I think I've heard of it. Immortality users are not common."
Camila's brow narrowed faintly.
She seed to be struggling to rember , but from her expression, it seed she wasn't having much success.
"Professor, of course you'll take care of everything, but just in case, I'm not going to lose my job or anything, right?"
What pulled Camila out of her thoughts was a question I had been wanting to ask for a while. Camila, who had been closing her eyes intently, shook her head.
"You will continue to work as Lottie's sitter. You can think of it as your affiliation changing."
"Is that so. That's a relief."
One of the things I had been holding in was resolved. Good. I'm definitely not losing my job.
As the conversation was cut off again, I casually picked up a biscuit from the table.
"Mr. Neroro."
Just as I put one in my mouth, the Professor called . As I mumbled and looked at her, a sowhat strange expression t my gaze.
"I haven't completed the plan yet, so I can't say for sure, but a lot will change in the future. You'll need to be prepared."
Words that are burdenso just to hear.
The biscuit in my mouth got stuck in my throat. I needed water, water.
"Eup, kek! Keub...!"
Camila, with a sowhat pathetic look in her eyes, handed a glass of water. I chugged it all down as soon as I got it.
"That, that plan is...."
"You'll find out everything later. Ah. Is Lottie speaking well these days? Her language is still slow compared to other children."
My mouth closed at the unexpected question. The appearance of a question that Lottie's guardian could certainly ask.
After hesitating for a mont, I nodded my head.
"Yees.... She's slow. Very slow. I try to talk to her often, but I'm not sure about the effect."
"But it's not a problem, so there's no need to worry too much."
"Ah, yes, yes."
Uh.
The flow of conversation just now was a bit....
Didn't the speaker change?
"Lottie is originally a child who cries easily and is sensitive, but she's really quiet next to you, Mr. Neroro. It's surprisingly so."
"Is that so? I thought Lottie was on the gentle side."
Perhaps because it was a complint from the child's mother, my shoulders strangely puffed up.
"How was life at the Center. Were there any shortages in facilities or supplies?"
After that, we talked about various things. Camila's questions sohow felt like small talk, but it was better than being in silence.
Since it had co to this, I also asked quite a few things I was curious about Astava, while staying within appropriate boundaries.
"Excuse , can I ask just one more thing?"
"...What is it?"
Did I talk too much? The conversation had cut off at so point, and Camila's gaze, as she was looking over the pile of papers again, was quite sharp.
But I couldn't help it.
It just ca to now, but this one was really, the most, completely, truly the most important factor.
"May I ask what will happen to my salary? It would be troubleso for if there are changes due to my circumstances."
"...."
Why isn't she saying anything.
"I have to pay off a debt, and it's quite a large one. It's okay, please tell comfortably."
"...."
"Professor?"
"...It will be paid without any changes. The sa as at present."
It was the first ti I had seen Camila flustered.
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