EP.216 The Story of the Past, The Pied Piper of Hameln - 2
Historia thinks of me as a kind-hearted pushover who can't easily abandon even a single dropout.
Lankart considered me a cold-blooded person who even calculated that much before acting.
Do they know? What they see in me is the world they want to see. In a way, I am a mirror reflecting their desires.
So what am I? A pushover? Or a cold-blooded person?
Well. If I had to be precise, I think I'm both.
Originally, I was the type who couldn't refuse others' requests well. Because I'm a mind reader... is probably the biggest reason.
If it's a desire they'd risk their life to achieve, I unknowingly want to cheer them on.
If it's a child hiding candy in their own secret spot and pretending not to know, I want to smile and play along.
If it's an act of projecting their past self and placing expectations, I want to meet those expectations.
...Even if the other person is older than me.
"Historia participated in the log running, you say."
Called before Chief Instructor Nicholas, I answered politely with my arms gathered behind my back.
"Yes. Chief Instructor Nicholas."
"Well done, Huey."
The Chief Instructor of Hameln, Nicholas, nodded deeply and wore a gentle smile.
"Historia... that child. She's truly a blessed talent. It's the fortune of this Hameln, and furthermore, of the military nation. At that age, mastering ki gong and creating her own martial style—such talent can be counted on one hand even in the Empire."
His thoughts naturally shifted to Lankart. The smile on his lips was painted with an even larger smile.
"Lankart. That guy is the same. While unique magic paths differ from person to person, their scale changes according to the intent they embody. Lankart's unique magic path is at least strategic-class. Enough to change the course of battle alone. If only there's an opportunity... becoming a Magus is not just a dream."
Even with two students who would become far greater than him as Chief Instructor, Nicholas's heart held only joy.
Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas. A man strict yet affectionate toward students, loyal to the military nation, and a soldier who devoted himself. Not a legendary soldier, but an officer with the qualities of an outstanding educator. He was also a figure who proved that the military nation's personnel selection wasn't too bad.
The soldier who was more loyal and loved his country more than anyone rejoiced as he envisioned the military nation's brilliant future.
"I trust you, Huey. You're the only one who can speak on equal terms with Historia and Lankart, and give them instructions."
"...I cannot give Historia instructions. I can only make requests."
"What does it matter? If they act according to your words, that's an instruction, a request, and a command."
However, he was a soldier through and through. He wouldn't waste his concern on a lottery ticket that had already been scratched and come up empty.
"You don't need to play the class president role anymore. You have nothing to learn from them anyway."
"I appreciate the words, but I'm a third-year now, aren't I? Since I've taken it on, I'll see it through to the end."
"I heard similar words last year, and the year before that. Not stopping you then is my lifelong regret."
"Haha."
Looking at me laughing it off ambiguously, Nicholas gazed at me with regret.
"In my opinion, you try to take on too much. Ki gong, magic, ballistics, tactics, mystery dismantling, alchemy, medicine, refinement... You dabbled in this and that to find your talent, and achieved results in your own fields. But you've mastered none of them."
I didn't achieve results. I just read minds, grasped the main points, and roughly followed along. So it's only natural I haven't mastered anything.
But Nicholas, not knowing that, thought I had wasted my time and talent.
"You were too outstanding. You'll manage well on your own—I thought so and withdrew my attention for a while. That's my regret and remorse. I should have known that you were still young and didn't know your own talent."
I could feel his earnestness and regret.
The devastating and broken emotion one might feel when a lottery ticket requiring six matches was off by the last digit due to one's own mistake.
In truth, I already knew that I, as a person, could never master anything from the start—but even reading his desperate emotions, I couldn't sneer.
"Everyone experiences that. It's not something that happened only to me. The other kids probably feel similarly."
"...Ah. Right. The other kids."
The fact that Nicholas agreed was because he was, at least, an educator. If it were another soldier, they would have yelled at me not to muddy the point.
No, before the first year even ended. They would have forcibly separated me from them.
'Huey has a personality that pours a lot of attention and time into others. Becoming close to Historia and Lankart is thanks to that, but there are side effects too. He gives attention even to those who will become regular soldiers. I left him be thinking another Historia or Lankart might appear, but I shouldn't have put Huey with them from the start. If I had separated them from the beginning.'
Nicholas, who even valued abandoned lottery tickets as resources of the military nation, was the closest to being an educator. But even so, he couldn't escape the limits of being part of the military nation.
Nicholas spoke without hiding his devastated feelings.
"...Still, it's not over yet. You still have the Senior Military Academy. There, you'll meet instructors better than me."
"I'll meet instructors with higher ranks than you, Chief Instructor, but it'll be hard to find a better teacher."
"No need for flattery. I've already failed."
He said self-deprecatingly, but he must have felt slightly better from my flattery. I raised a salute and turned to leave.
As I stepped outside and closed the door, Nicholas, left alone in the inner hall, let out a deep sigh and pulled out a classified document buried in his pile of paperwork. Reading the document with an even more troubled face, he squeezed his eyes shut and muttered.
"...Maybe, I might be able to undo my mistake. If his heart that cares for his peers is that great..."
Nicholas read down the text of the classified document, unaware that I was reading his mind outside the door.
Hameln was built on the academy from the days when it was once a kingdom. Materials from that era remained as they were, so mystery dismantlers and military nation researchers frequently visited.
Among those, someone handed over some materials. Things that should have originally been discarded, but Nicholas accepted them, holding that person back.
-Type 1 Taboo, Gluttony.
Nicholas's eyes grew deeper.
"Ah, that's refreshing!"
"Grrrrr..."
Historia stretched her back with a refreshed face. On the other hand, having been beaten repeatedly, I lay face down on the ground groaning fiercely. My arms and legs hurt from being struck countless times.
Despite her friend groaning in pain, Historia still seemed to be in a good mood even at my miserable state.
"It feels so good to move after a long time. Right, Huey?"
"If you're on the receiving end... you wouldn't feel so good either..."
"If you become strong enough to hit me, I'll let you hit me as much as you want."
"You're good at twisting words to say you won't get hit..."
Groan. I let out a small moan and turned my body. Historia wiped her sweat and laughed happily.
It was a sparring match where Historia didn't use ki gong. Naturally, in this case, I who have a larger physique should be at an advantage...it's better to abandon that thought.
Those who have learned ki gong exert strong power. At first, a body that was swung to its limits gradually adapts to that power over time. Eventually, a body much stronger than an ordinary person's is completed.
So, right now Historia has become strong enough that even if I use ki gong, I can't win!
"Why do you spar with me... Springfield the second seat or combat department instructors are there..."
"It's not fun."
Historia answered while stretching her long arms and legs, still having energy left.
"If I use ki gong, I win."
"How enviable. What if you don't?"
"When I ask to do it without, they just try to crush me with force. They don't even think about reading moves or striking openings. It's no help at all."
"You're full of it... If I had strength like yours, I'd have crushed them right away."
"You can crush me all you want, so go grow some ki energy somewhere."
"If it worked like you say, I'd have grown it already."
Sighing, I took out a paper case from inside my clothes. Clicking open the top, there was exactly one rolled magic herb cigarette left.
One stick? Even the magic herb cigarette is pushing me around now.
Magic herb cigarettes are level 3 luxury goods. Not an officer cadet but a mere military school student can't obtain them. But what does it matter. Magic herb cigarettes don't discriminate between people or occasions. Put it in your mouth and light it, and the sweet smoke whispers and comforts me regardless of situation or time.
While I was having a secret rendezvous with the smoke in the paper, Historia approached.
"Magic herb cigarette? You smoke that stuff?"
Before Historia could nag me, I scowled and spoke.
"Ria. What if I had even a little more ki energy or mana?"
"Then it would be perfect."
When the topic of ki gong came up, Historia approached me without caring about the smoke and said.
"Your ki gong operation is really natural. You're perfectly digesting all the power you have. As for your understanding of ki gong, just look at your written test scores."
"That's because my ki energy is like a single grain. It's easier to handle a cup than to move a bathtub."
"Liar. When I couldn't control my overflowing ki energy and was breaking swords and spears, you were the one who suggested I try using a gun to balance it out. And you're saying you lack understanding?"
No, Chief Instructor Nicholas thought of it but gave up because of the negative perception of guns, and I just intercepted and said it after reading his mind with telepathy.
I couldn't tell her the truth, so I let my words trail off.
"...That's why you keep coming to spar with me. It's the biggest mistake of my life."
"Hehe. For me, it was the greatest fortune of my life."
From her bright smile, only joy could be felt. Having already accomplished something, possessing the strength to move forward, with a brilliant future waiting for her, she only needed to look ahead.
The only thing Historia lacked was a friend who would walk alongside her when she went too far, but with Lankart and me here now, even that was fulfilled.
She only had to move forward.
Historia did.
"But why the gloomy face all of a sudden. Wait. You, don't tell me?"
'Huey was called by Nicholas earlier, right? Why? Don't tell me?'
She has good intuition. Having realized something, Historia urgently leaned in and examined my face.
"If Nicholas, or the military nation command offers to increase your ki energy, accept it without hesitation, Huey!"
"How would they increase ki energy."
"You just take tonics or spiritual pills!"
"Easier said than done. Where would I get those? Even if I could, would they give them to a mere student? Even if they did, there's no guarantee my ki energy would increase."
"No. I think there's a possibility! If the military nation has their eyes on you, they wouldn't just leave you alone!"
It was nonsense. If the military nation would treat someone that specially, they wouldn't have named the country a military nation.
But Historia's face, sparkling with hope, looked so bright that I couldn't bring myself to crush it.
I'm sorry. Historia. What the military nation prepared for me isn't a spiritual pill or tonic.
It's something much worse in quality.
Though it's not just for me alone, that is.
"Sigh. Puff."
With nothing to say, I blew cigarette smoke at Historia's face. Historia, who inhaled the smoke, recoiled in shock at the scent stinging her nose.
"Cough. Isn't this practically poison? Why do you even smoke this stuff?"
"Puff. You don't know. This is... as you live life, sometimes a day comes when you want to pour even poison into your mouth. You shouldn't smoke this kind of thing."
"Putting on airs when we're the same age."
Tsk tsk. Only those who haven't experienced it think this is putting on airs. I released the magic herb cigarette from my mouth and waved it around. As if it were a barrier, Historia only turned her head this way and that to avoid it.
"Does it look like putting on airs? Then try smoking it once."
"Are you saying I can't smoke it?"
Smack. Historia swiftly snatched the cigarette from my hand. Looking at the half-burned cigarette and hesitating for a moment, Historia alternated between looking at me and my lips, then bit it with a big chomp. The moment she put the cigarette in her mouth, Historia's face turned bright red.
Anyone watching would think she was smoking it properly. I muttered in disbelief.
"I didn't say you could actually take it."
"Cough. You, told, cough!"
"Hey, it's burning out. If you can't smoke it, give it back. I barely got that through begging."
"Inhale, cough. I'll, cough!"
Even with her face flushed red, Historia kept dodging my hands and running away. Until one cigarette burned completely away.
That was my last one.