第６０６堀：ボッチの棲み処 (Part1)
### Chapter 606: The Loner’s Sanctuary
**Side: Yuki**
I am currently being reminded, once again, of the difficulties of education—or rather, the complexities of human interaction—in this other world.
“...Sniff, *hic*. What did I do wrong? It’s not like I *want* to eat my meals alone in the bathroom.”
The one sobbing before me is Solo Findou, a mid-level student at the Haiden Magic Academy. She is the truth behind the rumors of the East Women’s Restroom that we were tasked with investigating.
To put it simply, skipping the complicated parts: she is a loner who had been eating her lunch there every single day. That was all there was to it. That explains why we never heard any reports of strange occurrences in the evening or at night; she was only there during her lunch break or free periods.
When I first heard the details from Kirue, I thought it might be a prank, but thanks to the courageous actions of Kagura and the others in uncovering the truth, we found ourselves facing a problem potentially more serious than a mere prank. We were now confronted with the eternal human dilemma: how on earth does one solve the problem of a loner like Solo?
It seems this kind of issue is no different in another world. Honestly, this is the sort of thing that should be left to the school, but in a place that is essentially medieval Europe with a dash of Japanese-style education thrown in, there is no framework for saving such timid students.
“Stop crying already! You should be ashamed of your lack of social skills! Because you’ve inconvenienced us, this will affect your future academic path!”
The one saying this is the female instructor in charge of Solo. We had called her over because we felt it would be inappropriate to intervene in the school’s discipline without permission, but there was no compassion in her voice. If anything, fearing that she might be implicated in Solo’s actions, she began to scold the girl while raising her hand right in front of us.
*Smack!*
“W-why...! B-but, everyone ignores me...!”
“Your grades aren’t even that good! And now you’re trying to shift the blame onto those around you! That’s enough!”
...What she’s saying is logical. But it is also the responsibility of the teachers who left her alone until it reached this point. Not that you can pin all the blame on the instructors, either. Moreover, this academy prioritizes magic over social skills. They don’t teach you how to make friends.
Well, even in Japanese schools, that isn’t exactly something that’s explicitly taught. It’s usually something learned autonomously, or perhaps through the occasional moral education class. A school is a place for study, not for playing around with friends. While that’s true, the general consensus in Earth’s educational field is that social interaction is an indispensable, inseparable part of the experience. Expecting that much from this academy, however, is probably asking too much.
“Be prepared for expulsion!”
“Ehh!? T-that, that’s too much! My parents worked so hard to send me to this academy...!?”
“‘Too much’ is not the issue! You’ve wasted your parents’ goodwill—what have you been doing all this time?!”
“T-that is... *sob*, *hic*...”
...It’s a fair point, but still. If we hadn’t come along, she might have spent the rest of her time here living her quiet, lonely life until graduation. I don’t know what would have happened after that, but she wouldn’t have stumbled here.
*Sigh.* It can’t be helped. I suppose I should...
“Ah, wait a moment.”
Just as I was about to speak up, Eoid made a move.
“It’s not like she was getting in our way, and she proved through her own experience that the area was safe, so... don’t you think that’s a bit much? Right, Yuki-san?”
“Indeed. You could say she played a part in resolving the incident. As Eoid said, she did a good job. Because of that, the teacher’s evaluation of her should actually go up.”
“I-is that so?”
Solo’s teacher looked at us, clearly bewildered. I kept that gaze and turned toward the Academy Principal.
“Isn’t that right? It’s not like there’s a rule against where one eats their lunch, and Solo-kun did work that would have taken us days or even months to complete, rather than just the evening.”
“Well, that is true. If Yuki-sama, Princess Stasia, Popuri-dono, and Eigil-dono have no issues with it, then...”
When asked, the others didn’t demand any harsh punishment for Solo or the teacher. And so, Solo was not only acquitted of all charges, but she was also credited for her contribution to our investigation.
I wanted to say “all’s well that ends well,” but human society doesn’t work that way. If you’ve been helped by someone of higher status, it’s only natural to express sincere gratitude, and it’s basic etiquette to try to build a connection. I think the way people meet in this world is quite well-structured.
“Come now, Solo-san. Thank everyone.”
“T-thank you very much!”
“I, too, would like to express my gratitude. Thanks to you, I can continue to let Solo-san study here.”
Seeing the teacher speak to Solo in a gentle tone—so different from before—and bow alongside her, I thought for a moment that she was just being a two-faced opportunist, but I didn’t get that vibe. Perhaps she had been so harsh earlier because she feared she and Solo would be fired for interfering with us. By punishing her on the spot, she might have thought she was doing the best she could to protect her student. Or perhaps, as I initially thought, she realized this was a good opportunity to build a connection.
Either way, I’m just relieved Solo won’t be expelled.
“Hey, Eoid. Why did you protect Solo-san?”
In the midst of this, Amanda asked Eoid the reason for his actions. Naturally, the rest of us turned our attention to him, as we were curious too.
“It’s nothing big. You know, I was a dropout too, right?”
“Ah, I see.”
As Amanda nodded in understanding, the members who knew Eoid’s history felt the same. Eoid had also been a bit of a failure in his own right. Though, since he was always getting into ‘lucky lecherous’ situations with Amanda, Samantha, and Cleena, it never really felt like it.
“There are so many things in studies and magic that you just can’t do no matter how hard you try. I was only able to make it this far because I met you guys. I thought this might be a good opportunity for Solo-san, too.”
I’m grateful that Eoid thinks of our ‘training’ as being saved, but the truth of the matter back then was that we just needed to draw the attention of Amanda and Eoid. The plan worked perfectly, and we were able to move in secret, so it was a total success. However, there’s no need for us to raise Solo with the same ‘tender care’ we gave him.
...Though, I can’t exactly say that out loud.
“That’s true. Meeting is a form of fate. Actually, since this investigation is top secret, I’d like to ask for Solo-kun’s cooperation as well. Would that be alright with you, Principal and Teacher? I wouldn’t want her to lose credits and be held back a year because I’ve been dragging her around.”
“Hmm. If it’s in the form of a special curriculum, I don’t mind. What do you think, Teacher?”
“I agree with the Principal. I don’t mind adding to her evaluation in the form of a special curriculum, but that doesn’t mean she can neglect her basic studies. As long as she works hard on her academics and keeps her grades up, I think it’s fine.”
This teacher is quite earnest. I think she could afford to be a bit more flexible, but she’s likely saying this because she believes it’s in the student’s best interest. If she just let it slide with the extra credit, it would be easier for everyone, but insisting that she study for the sake of her future shows that this teacher is a truly respectable educator.
The rest depends on whether Solo herself can keep it up.
“I-I’ll do my best! Thank you very much!”
She seemed so overwhelmed by the fact that she had avoided expulsion that she replied without really thinking. As far as I’m concerned, my goal was just to stop her from being expelled, so that’s fine by me.