第６０７堀：よくわからない噂 (Part2)
"Besides, we're both Japanese, and on a personal level, it’s actually quite fun. It feels like we're on an adventure. When I first arrived in this world, I was backed into a corner. I was surrounded by enemies, and the princess I was stuck with was a total dud."
While my mind wandered to other things, we finished our conversation and headed to the location where the top-performing students had been summoned before the evening set in.
"Huh? The Principal, Lady Kagura, and guests from Weed?"
"Why are they here?"
"Is it a school tour?"
"Whoa, is this a surprise inspection!? If I show off my skills, maybe my grades will go up!"
It seemed to be break time, as students were coming and going, and we were drawing quite a lot of attention.
*Would someone really call someone out to a place like this for a confession?*
*Wouldn't it be normal to specify the location for a confession from the start?*
*Why go through the trouble of calling them here just to move to another spot?*
As I stood there observing the scene and thinking that Kagura’s "confession theory" didn't hold much water, I noticed something else...
"Wait, aren't there other intermediate students here like us?"
"Hmm? You're right, that brooch is definitely for an intermediate student. But I’ve never seen that girl before..."
"Wait a second, that girl is a loner. You know, the one who’s always just... there in the classroom."
"Ah, the ghost of the intermediate grade."
...Hold on a minute.
Solo-san, you’ve been officially branded a ghost.
Is your presence really that faint!?
At this rate, making friends or socializing seems impossible. I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a social disaster—I’m an otaku, and I dealt with my fair share of bullying, but I still had one or two friends in class I could talk to.
As I was lost in these thoughts, Solo seemed to overhear their whispers and hung her head. Just then, Eoid and Amanda approached her.
"Solo-san. Can you tell who's an intermediate student by their brooch?"
"Eh? Oh, yes. Like this, the intermediate brooch is triangular."
"Huh, that’s cute. So, it changes for the upper-grade students, right?"
"Yes. Kagura-senpai’s special-grade brooch is a golden hexagram. Mikos-senpai’s upper-grade brooch is a silver hexagram."
As Solo explained this, Kagura and Mikos joined the conversation.
"Wait a moment. Come to think of it, don't the top-performing intermediate students also get gold ones?"
"That should be right. Kagura was wearing one, too. Wait a minute... Solo, that brooch is gold!?"
"That’s true. Only those in the top ten should be wearing gold brooches."
"Ho-ho. So Solo is a promising newcomer among the intermediate students, then. Even that Zeman guy only had a silver brooch."
*Oh? So she’s better at her studies than I thought?*
*Was it like Yuki-san said—the teacher who scolded Solo was actually being strict to try and help her? Maybe they thought that trying to protect her openly would only damage her academic record? Or perhaps she’s just the type who doesn't realize she’s in the top ten?*
*And wait, Zeman picked a fight with Kagura even though he didn't even have a gold brooch? Did he think she was just an airhead?*
*Ah, now I understand why the teacher scolded her. They didn't know how she would react to a commoner. After seeing her performance against Zeman, of course they’d be on guard.*
As I was coming to this realization, Amanda spoke to Solo.
"Wow, so you're actually good at studying, Solo-san."
"Oh, no..."
"Don't be so modest. You should teach us a few things. Since we're friends now, and I haven't heard much about intermediate-level studies, asking you is the best way to go."
"F-friends!?"
"Huh? Oh, did you not want to be?"
"N-no, not at all! I just... I didn't think someone like me would be good enough. Because, right after I enrolled, Domno-sama told me, 'Don't come near me, commoner.' And then..."
"..."
*So that’s why she started avoiding people and became a loner.*
*And it was Zeman’s fault? Was the reason just because she was more talented than him?*
*Shouldn't Popuri-san have just finished him off back then?*
"Ignore the idiots who obsess over commoners and nobles. Honestly, I should have just left him unable to recover during that duel."
"I agree. We should report this to the Principal. It’s a social loss if a girl with a gold brooch quits because of something like this. Besides, Kagura and I don't care about status."
"I don't care either. I mean, I'm a commoner myself."
"Exactly. I'm a commoner too, so it's fine. I'm easier to get along with than Kagura or Mikos."
"Hey, don't lump me in with that idiot! I’ll be your friend too!!"
"Count me in as a friend too, Mikos-chan!! Now we’ve got a connection to the top intermediate students!!"
"Mikos is just after information, you know. Be careful, Solo. Mikos is..."
"Eh? Eh? Eh?"
As we were chatting away, a sharp voice pierced through from the side.
"Kagura! And you students! If you came here to gossip, go home!"
"Yes!? We’re so sorry!"
And just like that, we were all scolded by Kanna-san.
"That's youth for you."
"No kidding."
"Taiki-kun, Yuki-kun, I agree with your sentiment, but could you help us out now?"
"Yes. We’re sorry."
It seems we aren't much different from them.
A strange rumor.
What kind of predictions will you, the readers, make?
Solo has become a rare presence among this group, capable of speaking from the perspective of a commoner.
And as for that guy named Domno... well, he was up to all sorts of things.
Anyway, it’s now November.
The cold is starting to settle in, so please take care of yourselves and try not to catch a cold.