Chapter 70. <30. The Four Reunited>
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"What is it? Where are we going?"
"We're almost there."
Having left the academy, Boomer moved without hesitation.
Past the plaza, past the main road, entering some shady alleyway, his expression grew increasingly sinister.
He looked like a criminal about to commit some misdeed.
'This guy, what is he planning?'
Feeling uneasy for no reason, Lumian looked around.
Old, worn-out shops came into view.
There were places selling antiques, places selling old books. He could also see not-so-famous artists drawing portraits on the spot.
Feeling slightly relieved, Lumian let out a sigh.
'It's not a strange place after all.'
Since he couldn't predict what this guy would do, he became alert at the slightest sign of anything unusual.
While having such thoughts, they arrived at their destination.
Boomer entered a small-scale bookstore with a sign that read 'Hit Me.' Inside sat an elderly man wearing glasses.
He gave off the impression of not being particularly interested whether customers came in or not.
But the moment Boomer approached and spoke to him, his eyes changed.
"You've come again."
"That's right."
"Is it because of the newly arrived items? They're quite popular so the price is a bit steep... you're aware of that, right?"
"Of course."
"Very well. Please follow me."
The old man rose briskly from his seat and guided Lumian and Boomer.
One strange thing was that he handed them masks to cover their faces.
'What?'
He put it on following Boomer's lead, but he couldn't help feeling uneasy.
But that wasn't the end of it.
The old man guided them to the inner part of the bookstore, to a door with a sign that read 'Authorized Personnel Only.' And he carefully opened it.
A quite spacious area revealed itself.
There were even more people here than outside. Several men wearing masks were swallowing saliva as they scanned book covers.
'What is this place?'
"For your reference, you can only check the covers. Any attempt to open the packaging to see inside..."
"That won't happen. Even if we accidentally do so, we'll buy it unconditionally."
"Ah, I was worried this newcomer might not know."
"He won't. He's a friend with manners."
"I understand. Please take your time looking around."
The old man nodded and returned to the counter.
Lumian asked Boomer.
"What is this place?"
"You'll know when you see."
"When I see? What do you... ah!"
Lumian, who unconsciously turned his head, exclaimed in admiration.
Numerous pictures and booklets entered his eyes!
Each and every one was utterly obscene. They were in no way inferior to the booklets Boomer had given him as gifts before.
Seeing such things filling the room made his head spin.
Lumian took a step back and said to Boomer.
"This place..."
"Yeah. It's a place I discovered during the break."
Boomer smiled.
A refreshing and clear smile. He looked as if a long-standing worry had been resolved.
Indeed, there was reason for that. After the Subculture Research Club went under, he had been in despair, unable to obtain materials.
For someone in that situation, a new world had opened up, so how could he not be delighted?
The slightly high prices were a flaw, but it was fine.
Despite appearances, he was a noble, and he received a generous monthly allowance from his family. He wasn't in a position to shake over book prices.
He looked at Lumian and said.
"How is it? A good place, right?"
"...Certainly."
Lumian answered, swallowing saliva like the other men in the shop.
It was slightly frustrating to admit, but Boomer was right. This was truly a good place.
Thinking about the events Teoro brought up, he felt a bit melancholic, but if he considered peace of mind, this side was better.
A place where he could satisfy his desires to his heart's content without worry of mistakes or having to watch others' reactions. A place overflowing with various items that could satisfy all sorts of tastes.
Lumian, wearing a moved expression, said to Boomer.
"Thank you, my friend."
"Haha. I knew you'd like it."
Boomer walked confidently with a triumphant expression.
Wondering where he was going, it turned out to be the new arrivals section.
Boomer picked up two books wrapped in something transparent and said to Lumian.
"The author of this book is really famous."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. Anyone who would know already knows. They say it's someone who draws truly... truly amazing pictures. They're so popular that if you come late, they're all sold out and you can't get them."
"I see..."
Come to think of it, most people in this space were holding books like the one Boomer had.
He felt something subtle.
"I heard they arrived today, so it's fortunate. If we had come just a day later, we might not have been able to get them. You take one too."
"Huh? Oh."
Lumian accepted the book in a daze and answered foolishly.
Boomer grinned at him.
"I'll pick out a few more, so you look around slowly. I'll buy them."
"Wait, really?"
"Yeah. I did something wrong, after all."
"Thanks. But..."
"Hm?"
"Knowing about a place like this, why did you have to invade my room to look at that stuff?"
Hearing Lumian's question, Boomer wore a serious expression.
He spoke with a face completely without shame.
"That's that, and this is this."
"...R-right."
Feeling an incredible force, Lumian nodded.
That guy really isn't normal. Lumian thought to himself as he began looking around the room.
"Hmm. Hm..."
Indeed, this was a splendid place.
Lumian scanned the endlessly spread book covers. His appearance was quite serious.
When a drawing style that caught his fancy appeared, he tucked a book under his arm. When he checked product descriptions that sparked anticipation, he tucked another one under his arm. Before he knew it, he had more than five books.
The surrounding men looked at him with 'Oh' reactions. As if saying 'He's quite something.'
Lumian suddenly felt a sense of self-loathing.
'What... am I doing here?'
Certainly, until just before arriving at the academy, he wasn't like this.
He was going to share love with beautiful women, succeed in romance, and do something beyond that.
He had enough to offer. With his handsome face and his even more magnificent member, he felt like he had gained an invincible advantage.
But what about reality.
Not only real women, but getting excited and obsessed over characters drawn in scraps of paper.
'While I'm doing this, guys like Teoro and Karl Krone are probably at parties and balls with ladies...'
Thinking that, his self-loathing deepened.
He didn't want to stay here any longer. His chest felt stifled, and he wanted to go outside quickly and breathe fresh air.
Having finished his thoughts, Lumian put down the books he had selected and headed toward the door.
But before he could open the door, someone entered from the other side.
It was his friend, Teoro Shutgarn.
"......!"
"......!"
Both were wearing masks, but since they already knew each other, there was no way they wouldn't recognize one another. They stood in place without speaking for a while. Lumian was the first to come to his senses.
He asked Teoro.
"So... you're interested in this kind of thing too."
"...So what?"
"No, nothing. Come in. Don't just stand at the door."
"......."
Teoro obediently followed Lumian's words.
But his flushed face revealed his state of mind.
He sighed inwardly.
'To meet someone I know...'
He was extremely flustered. He thought he should have come a bit later, or earlier.
Of course, it was belated regret. With an expression of having given up on everything, he came inside and met Boomer, flinching again.
He cursed the guy inwardly.
'It's because of that bastard.'
If it weren't for Boomer, he wouldn't have even known such a world existed.
But now that he knew, there was no helping it.
Popular and handsome as he was, there were times when everything became tiresome.
Making appointments to meet women, accommodating their feelings, being on edge about every word and action...
When such things became exhausting, he thought it wouldn't be bad to relieve his urges in this simple way.
"Hehe. You came too."
"Shut up."
Teoro shook his head and quickly grabbed a book, putting it in his bag.
It was lightning-fast speed. It was enough to make one think he really was a knight cadet.
And then, another familiar person opened the door and entered.
It was the man who shone with the academy swordsmanship tournament victory, Karl Krone.
"Oh, what's this. Lumian's here?"
"...Don't say my name here. Karl Krone."
"Ah, sorry. My mistake."
He answered briefly and strode over to pick up a book.
It was the popular new release Boomer had mentioned.
Karl Krone briefly scanned the cover, nodded, and then approached the door again.
"When you're done looking, come out. Let's go together."
Thud.
With those words, Karl Krone left the room.
Lumian, who had been silent for a moment, wore a look of realization.
'Men are all the same.'
His lowered confidence rose again.
Having regained his composure, he picked up six books with a cheerful face and went to the counter to purchase them.
Following him, Teoro and Boomer came out.
Outside the shop, they looked at each other and smiled awkwardly.
"Since Lumian's here too, shall we go spar?"
"Sounds good."
"Alright."
"Let's do that."
The four quickly headed toward the academy.
A hollow wind blew through the place they had left.
And about 10 minutes later.
Peek.
A figure deeply shrouded in a robe quietly slipped out of the bookstore.
It was Tanya Eloyse.
She had been here even before Lumian and Boomer entered.
'They didn't... see me, did they?'
That absolutely must not happen.
She came here out of mere curiosity. She couldn't be misunderstood.
Tanya looked around a bit more and nodded. There didn't seem to be anyone around. She raised her aura and quickly left the place.
The owner inside the bookstore smiled faintly and murmured.
"Young people these days are so full of vigor, it's truly a sight to see."
***
Having arrived at the academy, Lumian, Teoro, Boomer, and Karl Krone threw their purchased books in their respective quarters and headed to the scholarship student training hall.
From the second semester, access was granted to the top four from the swordsmanship tournament and several upper-ranking third-year cadets.
The semester hadn't officially started yet, but there was no problem using it from now. Teoro and Boomer had already been using it frequently.
Lumian looked around the quiet scholarship student training hall and said.
"There's no one here at all?"
"Didn't I tell you before? The graduating seniors aren't here during the break. They went for knight order practical training."
"Then it'll be just us for about a week."
"No, the third-year seniors are here so that's not true. Senior Tanya Eloyse also comes out almost every day."
"Then why isn't she here now?"
"That's... I don't know either. She must have something else to do."
"Sigh, I miss her. Senior Eloyse."
Boomer said with a longing expression.
For him, who valued face over body, Tanya was a woman close to his ideal type.
Of course, that wasn't the case for Lumian.
With a nonchalant expression, he said to Teoro.
"Did you train a lot?"
"Yeah. Enough to make me throw up."
"Whoa, really?"
"The three of us practically lived here throughout the break."
Whooooong!
Boomer, who had drawn his sword at some point, swung it strongly.
Unlike before, it was a real sword, not a wooden one.
It meant the professors trusted their skills.
Lumian asked with a surprised expression.
"What the. I heard there are lots of parties and lots of things to do during the break between first and second semester?"
"That's right."
"Then why did you only train?"
"Well... I did think maybe we could have some fun while doing it."
Teoro trailed off and looked at Boomer.
Then he turned his gaze back to Lumian. A faint smile hung on his lips.
"Someone threw a lot of homework at us. Doing that, we ran out of time."
"Haha."
Lumian burst out laughing at Teoro's words.
He felt good.
It was very rewarding to see a junior who didn't ignore his advice and put in earnest effort.
Karl Krone said to him.
"You guys have improved quite a bit. Well, you're still no match for me..."
"This bastard?"
"Anyway, you're somewhat passable now. Of course, I've improved a lot compared to first semester too."
"Is that so?"
"What about you? Don't tell me you only worked on your appearance during the break?"
At Karl Krone's words referring to his handsome face, Lumian grinned.
During the break, he had gone from Sword Expert to Sword Master.
He had grown more steeply than anyone else here.