Chapter 275 – Friend (1)
In the afternoon of 24th of Platinum Month, the sound of class’s chime that she had been waiting eagerly for reached her ears.
Before like an elegant princess Nell used to tidy up textbooks and writing implements in a comfortable and elegant manner, however right now she stuffed everything into her bag in a hurry as though ever second of time was precious to her.
Like that, she stood up in a hurry, and tried to get out of the class with a force as if the wings on her back would make her fly, but,
「Please wait, Nell-sama」
Her steps stopped right at the moment someone called out to her.
She turned around and saw several classmates of her standing there with a noble girl from Avalon standing in front of them all.
Although not like Nell, they also were beautiful, while the air around them was quite elegant revealing that they were of high class parentage.
They group was a feast for the eyes of men, but for the male students of Elite Course studying in the same room they weren’t beautiful enough to attract their eyes. It was nothing more than a normal scene in their daily life.
「Yes, what might it be?」
「You seem to be in a hurry, are you not coming to the club today too?」
In the Royal Spada Academy, or rather, in all the city-states in the centre of Pandora Continent, there are organizations called clubs for the sake of extracurricular activities. In short, club activities.
Nell was a given, and even the other members of Wing Road were affiliated to the same club.
That was the most brilliant club, where many students try to join but can’t due to harsh conditions, still even more of the students long to enter it, that was――the『Social Club』.
Although just a school club, the members were all nobles with a peerage higher than normal.
The information exchange between them was natural, while creating personal connections with each other for great influential power in future was also done here.
Not to say just how valuable it is to interact with royalties that were the top of a country.
But then, there was also a pitiful prince who stood besides the ball without anyone talking to him during the party supervised by Social Club. Naturally, he stopped coming to the club from next day onwards.
Hence naturally, much more interaction was needed from Nero and Nell, the Elrod brother and sister.
That wasn’t just because their future prospects were amazing, but also because these two had quite the charm in them.
Nero tends to things bothersome and so would rarely show up in the club, on the other hand the diligent and sociable Nell came there most of the times.
However she was also a member of a Rank 5 Adventurer Party, so the pressure of work she had to handle couldn’t be compared to that of a normal person.
Therefore, the number of days she could appear in the club were limited.
That was why, joining the Social Club could be said the best way to elegantly spend the ‘leisure’ time left in her busy daily life.
「I’m sorry. I have work today, so I won’t be coming」
But she declined with an immediate reply.
「Oh my, that is unfortunate」
The female student from the same country spoke while frowning, against her Nell also replied with shrewd face.
「I’m sorry even though you invited me. I won’t be able to come to the club for the time being」
「For the time being? Do you mean until Nero-sama comes back from the outdoor training?」
「……Yes, till then」
After a short pause Nell consented.
Did her actions had some suspicious parts? The female student’s eyes turned sharp and she opened her mouth.
「Nell-sama, please don’t show much pity on a filthy adventurer, moreover a man, without any peerage or background history」
「Eh?」
For a second Nell just kept on blinking her eyes without understand what she said, but little by little she came understand the meaning of her words.
A male adventurer, having interacted with her, was only person.
「The rumours have already started spreading in the school. That there is a certain person trying to get close to you by being overly-familiar」
「Kurono-san isn’t a person like that!」
In an second the whole class fell silent.
Although raised in a good family, they were also children of people, moreover at puberty, so it wasn’t rare to shout out once or twice, however the ideal princess Nell Julius Elrod had never shouted out before with a voice that could resound in the whole classroom, so this was more than enough for everyone to be shocked.
How it wasn’t only them, but also Nell who got surprised.
The female student stared in wonder, while similarly as her Nell also widened her rotund blue eyes.
Immediately after, she seemed taken aback and overlapped her statement with new ones while facing downwards as though she were embarrassed.
「Ah, I’m sorry……but Kurono-san isn’t a bad person like the rumour says」
The rumour she talked about was the one about ‘tentacle man’ that started to spread about a month ago.
「Kurono-san is my precious friend. Please don’t speak badly of him」
It was unforeseen to see Nell opposing with resolution, the female students standing in front just showed expressions of bewilderment, while keeping silent.
「I thank you for being worried about me, but you are going too far for speaking about my private relationships. I am not a child anymore, I can choose the person whom I want to go out with」
Nell spoke in a sharp tone, and as if to cut down the conversation she left the room while speaking words of farewell.
.
.
.
Nell Julius Elrod was resenting.
She had a personality that seemed to be unrelated to anger, but she had enough backbone to raise her voice if her friends were to be ridiculed.
(Why……everyone talks bad about Kurono-san……too cruel)
If the unfounded rumour and infamy was due to the walking alone and helping her, even the kind-hearted Nell would be angered.
(Ah, I’m sorry Kurono-san, I have given you bad rumours again……)
While feeling displeasure regarding the classmates that said thoughtless things, she that it was sad that she had been causing problems for him.
In the first place she held an isolated social status of First Princess of Avalon.
If she had interaction with a man nothing more than an adventurer, it was easy to imagine false rumours being spread.
No matter how much good will she had, based on time and circumstances it would only cause the other person troubles. Nell knew the meaning of the words ‘it’s not your business’ or ‘don’t bother me!’.
That was why, sometimes it was needed to get away from the other person on her own, however,
(But Kurono-san is already an friend of mine……It will be rude to keep my distance from him)
She didn’t had that intention at all.
(Moreover, I’ve only caused trouble to Kurono-san and not returned the favours yet)
Nell kept on thinking the reason she couldn’t get away from Kurono, but she recognized a person in her peripheral vision and her thoughts stopped.
Before she realized it, in front of Nell walking on the avenue leading to Kurono’s dorm, a tall person with black hair was standing.
「Ah, Kuro――」
Her elated voice, without reaching the end, entered back into her throat.
「Eh, huh, that person is……」
Before she realized herself an expression of bewilderment appeared on her face and her gaze wasn’t affixed on her precious friend, but the beautiful elf girl standing beside him while laughing like a flower.
She didn’t recognize her at first, but Nell’s brain worked hard and she derived the conclusion that it was a person she knew.
「If I remember correctly, it is the guild receptionist, Erina-san」
『Wing Road』surely reached Rank 5 in the shortest time, but at the time of formation they surely used the Adventurer Guild branch present in Academy District.
There they had met the reputed beautiful receptionist, so naturally she knew about her.
Why is that person here, kicking away that question, Nell’s big chest felt something like an indescribable malaise.
「Why, what for? Talking with Kurono……」
Her heart throbbed faster in a bad sense.
She also didn’t know why, but before she knew it, she was already tailing behind the two of them by killing her presence.
Nell didn’t have offensive ability, but she was a member of a Rank 5 Party, so her stealth skill was already quite high-levelled.
If she wanted to, she could also use support magic on her and her stealth mode would level up even more.
Moreover, if she used her speciality, the wind magic, then,
「sorry――later――that’s why――」
She could eavesdrop on their talk while maintain a distance.
The conversation between the two first came in broken pieces, but soon enough could be clearly heard as though they were all standing close to each other.
「――You haven’t come recently, it’s lonely」
「Sorry, I will come tomorrow, so give me your recommended quest」
「Ufufu, I will choose a harsh one just for Kurono-kun」
「I’m alone right now, so please not a dangerous one……」
Nell stopped the wind magic carrying their voices and her steps.
「What, am I, doing?」
Why was she not able to call out him normally?
She even eavesdropped their conversation, it wasn’t a good deed as a human.
While seeing off the two walking to the other side of avenue, Nell was tormented by the whirlpool of self-abhorrence in her heart.
「……I need to, go to Kurono-san’s place」
About the time the two couldn’t be seen, Nell again started walking.
Even with guilty conscience, Nell didn’t want to take the option of not wanting to meet Kurono.
No, it was because the feelings in her were too unmanageable that she wanted to meet him so bad that it couldn’t be helped, just the two of them.
As a result Nell headed towards Kurono’s dorm as she had planned at first. Her steps were, somewhat too heavy for her.