Chapter 2.7 (1/2)
”Mnn…” The first thing that reflects off of Sora's eyes upon awakening is Laila's sleeping face. ”Uwaa! This girl's still asleep? …She's way too exhausted.”
Sora, no longer restrained by Laila like the previous night, uses the opening to slip out of bed. He stretches with a big, ”Mnn~~~” He slept a bit deeper than usual. I get the feeling I had an important dream… oh?
For some reason, a piece of paper is on top of the round table in the center of the room. Sora picks it up out of curiosity. This—
Getting in the way of your cuddling didn't feel right, so I didn't wake you up! I'm such a thoughtful guy! Hahaha
Mn~, there's all kinds of things I want to say about this. I suppose I'm grateful for not being woken up. I had restful night. More importantly, how long's this girl going to sleep?
This is so annoying… At this rate, I wonder if she'll enter the eternal sleep.
—kon kon
Someone knocks on the door. Sora opens it while wondering, Who's that?
Lydia is outside with a somewhat proud look on her face. In her hands is a bag. She says, ”Here it is, your luggage.”
”Ahh, thanks… you found me really fast.”
”That's because I'm the board chairman.”
That's not a good reason. What? Am I being watched or something?
Sora accepts his luggage and tries to close the door while saying, ”…Cool, later.” Lydia stops him from shutting her out by sticking her foot between the door and its frame. He says, ”What is this? Are you some sort of over aggressive door to door salesman?”
”What are you… How's slave-chan?”
”Yeah, she's was bit too energetic, so she' right sleeping now. Also, don't call her a slave. Her name is Laila.”
”Got it, by the way, have you gone to cla.s.s yet?”
”Oh, yeah, no worries. I will properly turn in my hour.”
”I see, will you be taking Laila-chan with you?”
”I'm going to let her choose.”
Lydia says, ”Really? Well, be careful. Juggling various things is difficult.” She then separates from the door and leaves.
Sora sets his bag atop of the round table while musing over the board chairman's words. I'm juggling various things? Yeah, I guess I am. But I'll hit her if she says strange things about Laila.
Sora is organizing his belongings when, from behind him, comes a distracting, ”Mnnaah~~~”
Laila says, ”Mnn… Morning, husband.”
”What, you've woken up? Darn.”
”My, my. My husband is a shy-san.”
What is she going on about? Did she lose it from sleeping too much?
Sora says, ”Anyway, I'm going to school after this. What ar-”
”I'll go.”
”Haa, an immediate reply. Then, once we finish, let's go.”
–n.o.bel Diamond, n.o.bel Diamond, we'll sing until you're here–
Sora and Laila head for the cla.s.sroom once they finish their preparations. They don't pa.s.s anyone since cla.s.s is currently in session. Laila is unable to calm down as she looks around, kyoro kyoro. Her restlessness annoys Sora and he says, ”I won't take you if you don't calm down.” She then follows behind him without a word.
The current lesson ends just as they reach the cla.s.sroom. The teacher emerges from the room and Sora bows as they pa.s.s one another.
Yami notices Sora before anyone else. ”Masta!” She dashes up to him while saying, ”Welcome back.”
Sora pats Yami's head, pofu pofu, while saying, ”Yeah.”
Asia says, ”Welcome back, desu no~”
s.h.i.+loh says, ”Welcome back!”
Ray says, ”We- Welcome back.”
Sura also greets him. She bounces in place as if saying, ”Welcome back.”
Yami says, ”Masta, who's that girl?”
”Ah, she's-”
”I am husband's faithful slave, Laila=Dragonica.”
Everyone in the cla.s.s tilts their head at Laila's introduction. Since she can only speak in the unique, Dragon Newt language, no one understood her.
Sora continues despite Laila's interruption. ”She's, well, she's kinda… my slave, but I treat her like a person.”
Asia says, ”Wait, a slave, desu no!?”
”Masta…”
Uwa… everyone is giving me weird looks. Looks like I need to explain this in detail.
–n.o.bel Diamond, where art thou, n.o.bel Diamond–
Sora gives a detailed explanation and everyone consents to his actions.
s.h.i.+loh says, ”So that's what happened? I guess you really are a good person.”
Sora says, ”Really?”
Ray says, ”I- I also think you're a good person.”
Yami, however, is displeased. She fumes, pun pun, as she says, ”Masta is a pervert.”
”Haa? What'd I do…” Sora takes a breath and says, ”Yami, I'll play with you later, so cheer up.”
”Okay!”
She's such a pure girl.
Sora says, ”Alright…” He then glances towards the wall and sees a large poster. Written in large letters is The Sparring Tournament. ”By the way, what's that?”
Asia says, ”It's a sparing tournament where you use all your strength to defeat you enemies in one by one battles, desu no.”
A sparring tournament… That doesn't sound all that interesting, but I am free. Maybe I'll give it a whirl?
”So, when is it?”
”Tomorrow, desu no.”
Tomorrow? How fast. Wait, tomorrow… I feel like I'm forgetting something. Well, no problem.
Sora says, ”Is partic.i.p.ation mandatory?”
”It is, desu no.”
”I see.”
The lesson that follows is boring. Sora copes by poking Sura through the entire lecture while thinking about tomorrow's tournament. Mandatory partic.i.p.ation means smooth sailing with no registration. Looks like I'll be having some fun. I wonder how everyone here is like.
The moment cla.s.s ends, he turns to s.h.i.+loh and says, ”So, when do we find out who our opponent is?”
”Your opponent? They already announced that this morning. Etto, you're facing the 3rd year, Chloe-senpai.”
A third year? Are opponents randomly selected with no regard to year?
Sora says, ”What kind of person is Kuro-chan[1]?”
”Kuro-chan… Let that person hear you say that and you'll be killed. Chloe-senpai is the student council president and ranks as 12th in terms of strength at this academy.”
The student council president? I see, schools in this world also have proper student councils. And this guy just happens to be 12th… What's with this match up? Am I lucky or unlucky?
Sora says, ”By the way, who's your opponent, s.h.i.+loh?”
s.h.i.+loh's smiling face grimaces.
Ahre? Did I say something wrong? Or is her opponent that bad?
s.h.i.+loh says, ”…Sora-san, do you know why we're called, 'drop outs'?”
”Eh?”
I'm pretty sure it isn't just these guys who are falling behind. Aren't all the students at this school useless? Well, nothing wrong with that. These guys can wield magic… or is that all they can do?
Sora says, ”Because you're useless.”
”Fugi.[2] Sora-san, please don't say that with such a serious expression.”
What was with that fugi?
Sora says, ”Was I wrong? Then, why?”
”You probably don't know because you came to this school with the broad chairman-sama's recommendation, but initially, students need to go through various exams upon enrolling. It's a simple test where you just need to strike the examiner… We couldn't just not hit him, we couldn't even move.”
”How come?”
”…I was scared. I can attack monsters without any mercy, but it's different with humanoids. What if I hurt my opponent? Or worse, I might kill the person.”
…So that's it. That's completely natural, these guys are only 15 or 16. I lost those feelings after meeting Elias, but if it were the previous me, I doubt I'd even be able to fight against a monster.
Sora says, ”Therefore, all three of you got 0's and ended up in this cla.s.s.”
”…Yep.”
”I see, in that case, can't you just withdraw from tomorrow's sparring tournament?”
Their opponents will be pupils of this academy, in other words, humanoids. Not opponents any of them can face.
s.h.i.+loh says, ”Yes… we're going on a field trip.”
”Really?”
It's better than embarra.s.sing themselves, but is that really for the best? They're going to end up in real trouble one day if this keeps up.
–n.o.bel Diamond is not here–
Sora completes his hour's worth of cla.s.s and, with Sura on his shoulder, gets up to return to the dorm. He tries to wake up Laila who's sleeping in the back, but all she says is, ”Mnn~”
Haa, just how many hours does she sleep a day? It can't be helped, I'll carry her on my back.
”Yosh.”
Sura loses her spot and scurries up onto Sora's head.
Sora pays no mind that Yami cries out in displeasure, odd, and returns to his dorm. He tosses Laila onto his bed, but she continues sleeping. ”Should I sleep some more too?”
Naps are important.