LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 13
There’s a concept called parachute.
Not the parachute you use for skydiving, but the kind you get into a job with connections, landing a position or rank that doesn’t match your abilities.
The original Lilith was just that kind of person.
It was probably because of her name as a Saintess. There’s the religious aspect, but that Holy Power she wields is just too damn useful.
So, the Academy went ahead and transferred her into the advanced class, even though they knew she was lacking.
They probably thought, “A position will make a person!”… and while that sort of happened, the process was anything but smooth. Starting from the lower class might have been better.
Suddenly showing up during finals week of the first semester and slipping into the advanced class? Honestly, that’s just ridiculous.
Thanks to me effortlessly crushing everything in my path, it didn’t become obvious, but everyone assigned to that advanced class was an elite.
These kids had such insane growth rates that even if you threw in some practical exercises at a lower level, they’d manage just fine. And now a freshly awakened baby Saintess parachutes in?
She had no chance of adapting. No matter how saintly she was, the majority of opinions were negative.
In fact, the first rumors I heard about Lilith’s story in the original work were bad ones.
After hearing those rumors, I would occasionally bump into her at various religious events.
With the title of Saintess, she was getting love calls from everywhere.
Once I got to know her a bit and she leveled up to the mid-tier class, her schedule for the first semester of her second year included personal training, and random encounters would crop up again.
Since those encounter events were all random, she was one of the most difficult characters to raise affection with, and there was a saying going around that only the chosen could meet her.
The silver lining was that after meeting her a few times and picking the right choices, you could unlock Lilith’s story.
Well, since the affection system is a mess right now, raising affection is basically meaningless.
But whatever happens, it’s all just a game story. Reflecting on a flow that’s already changed feels pointless.
So, how’s it now in reality? Not much different, really.
Unlike the original, I didn’t arrive as a new student at the start of the semester, so I didn’t carry the parachute label, but I was still lagging behind.
I’m not saying it’s as extreme as in the original, but I definitely feel like I’m in the back rows.
Honestly, if it weren’t for my innate stats and the boost from being a Saintess, I probably wouldn’t even qualify for the mid-level class.
Sure, she’s a Saintess utilizing Holy Power and fights with her fists, which is how it was in the original, so I can let that slide, but she also has this tendency to charge in based on what she sees… making her an easy target to respond to.
It’s accurate to say she’s physically great, but her techniques can’t keep up. In reality, she had almost no knowledge of combat.
In such a bleak world, having a princess of a kingdom near the demon lord’s stronghold not being able to fight? Weird, but there’s a reason behind it.
Since her parents wanted her to live peacefully, reflecting their wishes and the fact that she was born in a war-torn kingdom where battles were frequent… you can’t really complain about the lack of plausibility. It just happens.
Well, it’s safe to say that a parent’s heart doesn’t carry plausibility. It’s easier to think that way and move on.
In the end, the current situation is a tragic result of having inherited a combat-loving nature but not having learned how to actually fight. What a mess.
Thanks to that, she ended up receiving the most healing during the big brawl event hosted by Reina today. I mean, rushing in like a wild boar, there’s no way she wouldn’t get hurt.
She seems to be well aware of this fact, as she always looks down, but knowing her personality, I figured she’d shake it off by tomorrow.
I never expected to be called like this.
“So, you want me to teach you how to fight?”
“Yep.”
I was caught off guard when she asked me to teach her.
Talk about an unexpected situation; I unintentionally blurted out a negative response.
“You just started school. You can just go to classes.”
“But everyone else is doing that. It’s meaningless if I’m just on the same level. I want to get ahead quickly.”
But my instinctive negativity was completely ineffective. She truly believed it was impossible.
But it shouldn’t be. You’ll probably grow and surpass everyone anyway.
Of course, she needs to learn the basics first, but once she gets a handle on them, she’ll easily overtake everyone. She just hasn’t learned them yet, but she has talent to spare. You can’t deceive your bloodline.
During today’s brawl, I could already see her movements changing slightly. Honestly, I was sure she’d figure it out quickly even without my help.
And with the addition of the Holy Power of a Saintess? Ta-da! Major character complete.
But Lilith, who couldn’t believe in herself, was rather desperate.
It seemed her self-esteem had dropped significantly after being beaten up so much lately.
“I know it’s shameless of me after what I said yesterday, but please help me.”
“I don’t think I’d be much help.”
“Are you aware of your position right now?”
It seemed my evaluation was getting inflated.
Sure, I did ace the written entrance exam and rewrite history during the practicals, even getting directly into the Student Council…but, hmm, I guess I had it coming. It was all my karma.
But what am I going to do? Accepting this request feels like yet another bout of karma.
And it makes me wonder what I could actually teach after only playing games.
The only combat knowledge I have is game knowledge: “Dodge everything and hit everything to win.” Totally unhelpful.
But if I refuse… I might end up facing Lilith tomorrow, all bruised and smelling awful because she stormed out to train on her own.
“Please. If you help me now, I’ll repay you for whatever you want in the future.”
Seeing my hesitation, Lilith suddenly decided to make a risky move.
A wish from a major character. This is definitely an advantage to accept.
Honestly, she’ll grow and figure things out quickly.
Even if I teach her poorly, she’ll likely thrive and become independent.
So, after some thought, I nodded as if I had no choice.
“Okay, I get it. I don’t know how much I’ll help, but…”
I had no reason to refuse when I could just do the bare minimum and get a wish from a major character.
“Really? Yay! Then let’s go to where we went earlier. They said advanced students have free access.”
“Right now?”
“Yep. The sooner, the better, right?”
The schedule for the Student Council would get increasingly delayed, but… oh well, it should be fine.
Lilith and I returned to the training room where the big brawl had taken place.
///
On the way back to the dormitory, the empty seat next to me felt oddly vacant.
Since coming to the Academy, my chatty nature hadn’t really been a problem, but now that my mouth had briefly been shut, it felt strange.
In fact, she was quite the talker. She just struggled to speak in front of people…
“Oh, I almost forgot! We said we’d meet tomorrow and go together.”
Maybe that’s why? Even without anyone around to listen, she muttered to herself.
“I’ll mention it tomorrow, then we can stick together starting the day after.”
She seemed to think she was being a bit clingy, but as long as she wasn’t showing signs of discomfort, it was fine.
It’s something anyone can do in a friendship.
To Seira, who never had a proper friend until now, Rudion was a precious connection.
“Although I wonder if Rudion sees me as a friend.”
Honestly, I don’t think Rudion has close friends either.
Watching someone else talk to someone seemed… oh.
Suddenly, the face of a classmate I saw earlier popped into my head.
With her silver hair radiating a mysterious aura and uniquely dark, deep-set eyes, she embodied a stark contrast.
Despite her demure appearance, she had a bold personality, but she was particularly reserved around Rudion.
I knew the reason; I had witnessed the calamity she caused during yesterday’s practical exam.
“Her name was Lilith, right?”
There was a letter from my father stating that one of the kingdoms attacked by the demon lord’s army had a fugitive making their way to the Academy.
And the pendant Lilith carried… definitely bore the emblem of Laphine.
If she was carrying that, why hide her family name upon entrance?
Perhaps she intended to reveal it but was stopped by someone else.
“Lilith… Laphine.”
The girl chosen as a Saintess and who made it to the advanced class was actually a princess from a foreign country. What a twist of fate!
Well, those sorts of things matter not right now.
What’s important is that Rudion sat next to her according to her request.
It had only been a brief encounter during yesterday’s practical, yet it was weird that he complied so readily to sitting next to her without hesitation.
Could he recognize her pendant?
No, it couldn’t be. He wasn’t the type to change behavior just because he recognized something like that.
He knew she was a princess and still acted that way, there’s no way he’d bow down to a foreign princess.
“Then why… hmm….”
I have no clue. My social circles are too limited for understanding someone else.
Just because Rudion calmly followed her lead, I couldn’t figure anything out.
“Do beautiful people just get listened to?”
Honestly, I’m confident in my looks, no matter where I go.
Lilith’s appearance… even as a woman, there was an extraordinary purity to her beauty that swelled something inside me.
…It made me a bit uneasy. Thinking Rudion would judge based on looks? What was he thinking?
Suddenly, something translucent and unfamiliar appeared in front of my eyes.
That square, bluish aura contained text I could read.
Ding!
[The affection system has been unlocked!]
[Reaching specific affection levels will grant you special rewards and unique stats.]
[Current Affection: 8/100]
[12 more to the next reward.]
“…Huh?”
All my prior worries vanished in an instant with its appearance, leaving Seira momentarily dumbfounded as she walked back to the dormitory.
It took a while for me to process that, and once I realized who the target was, I faceplanted right into my pillow… but that was a story for me alone.