LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 20 - The Scent of New Encounters☆ (2)
Alvit asked back in a dumbfounded voice.
“…Who?”
Bell, the ‘smug victor’ concept lover of the
“Aah~”
Bell was now sitting in the darkness of the 2nd floor student council room where the sunset was fading. She was twirling her black hair with the fingertips of the hand supporting her chin, exuding a very displeased air.
And she muttered with a sigh:
“…I even practiced all the lines and situations.”
Bell had a small, childlike physique unbefitting a high school 2nd year student. But the aura flowing from her exuded a pressure that couldn’t be carelessly ignored.
“Haah…”
The sunset light glinted off the silver 2nd year badge on Bell’s sleeve.
“…This is no fun.”
With those words, Bell tried something with a bored expression. As her red eyes looked at us, the air spread around shook.
Swish swish swish swish―
A faint sound that could only be heard in the ‘world of the moment’, a vast cognitive ability.
“…!”
I marveled as I sensed Bell’s presence.
In that brief moment, she was already gauging the ‘distance’ between us and dominating the space.
‘As expected of a strong character who joins in the middle of the story, she’s already using [Wave Ether].’
[Basic], [Vibration], [Wave], [Unique].
The 3rd stage among the 4 stages of ether manipulation.
The next level beyond [Vibration Ether] that ‘resonates’ with reality.
[Wave Ether] that ‘distorts’ reality.
It was a realm that belonged to those who could call themselves ‘strong’ even within
Bell’s red wave ether splits like threads and approaches, occupying the student council room.
Swish swish swish swish―
Bell’s [Wave Ether] recognized and dominated all objects and people existing within a radius of several meters. Though narrower than a [Unique Ether] user, she definitely created her own space.
“…”
Bell, who had definitely grasped her surroundings, began to fill her eyes with mockery.
“Hmm…?”
She relaxed her dejected expression from just now, and smiled while making chuckling sounds with the corners of her mouth pulled up. That smile felt like a cat’s smile upon discovering a small animal good for playing with.
“What’s this, you’re all wearing student council coats but. You’re all just small fry using basic ether?”
When her concept became not just an act but real arrogance, she couldn’t contain her excitement.
I inwardly chuckled seeing that sight.
‘This damn arrogant brat, as soon as she judged she was definitely the strongest here, she looks down on us.’
In fact, there were two points Bell was overlooking.
One of them was that I had avoided the ‘distance’ of her [Wave Ether].
‘It’s a petty technique I never had to use even in front of Hilde.’
I had completely dodged Bell’s ether that was trying to cling to gauge the distance, and calmly pretended not to know, but. My juniors who still belonged to the [Basic Ether] stage could only flinch at Bell’s vague presence.
‘From her view, it probably looked like we all cowered, including me.’
As the atmosphere gradually heightened, Bell started to act leisurely in earnest. And my juniors who had only now sensed such a suspicious air.
“…”
I fell into thought while looking at the scene in the student council room.
It was strange.
If Bell was from the
This current situation didn’t seem like the behavior of someone who knew about [Pink Spiral] at all.
‘It seems she hasn’t heard anything about me from Hilde.’
What was certain was:
Bell doesn’t know ‘the past me’.
‘Rather than rashly revealing my power… I should go along with her for now for the conversation to progress.’
I stared blankly at the floor where Bell was sitting.
Creak―
“…”
The second fact she was overlooking.
Looking at that, it wouldn’t be long before her concept broke.
So I decided to continue my Clara act even in front of Bell for now.
“Wow―☆ So cute! The ribbon suits you too! Hey☆ Did you come to play at our school―☆ Should we have tea time together?”
“Huhu, thank you. But I didn’t come to play~”
Bell didn’t withdraw her cold smile, and fully emitted [Wave Ether], completely dominating the space. And my juniors who had just now noticed something had happened started to panic.
“That person just…!”
“…Seems like she did something.”
“Eh, eh?! What’s going on―☆”
“…”
Alvit erased her bewildered expression, put on a cold gaze, and came to the front to ask a question.
“I don’t know who you are, but. May I ask what a 2nd year student from another school is doing in our school’s student council room?”
“Hmm~”
Despite her polite tone, Alvit had placed her hand on her sword hilt with a wary look.
Bell kept giggling while looking at that sight.
“Hmm… I wonder? Why indeed~? This cute senior doesn’t want to answer the cheeky junior’s question~”
“I’m not your junior. And if an unidentified student is occupying our school, we’ll have to take measures.”
“What? Ahaha! Perhaps the evening sun is too dazzling and you can’t see the clothes I’m wearing?”
“…”
“Huhuhu… Just kidding~ This cute senior just came to play because she wanted to get close~”
“…Tsk.”
Alvit clicked her tongue as if frustrated, but didn’t back down, trying to protect us as much as possible.
Giggle giggle
Bell smiled contentedly as she directly revealed her power, watching Alvit unable to say anything.
Red eyes shining in the darkness. The black
In all outward aspects, Bell was overwhelming Alvit’s group.
“…”
“…Kuh.”
“…”
Everyone from
“Hmm…!”
Bell made the most satisfied expression while savoring the atmosphere that had been frozen like ice for a while. Then she withdrew all the wave ether spread in the space and smiled seemingly pleasantly.
“Ahahahaha―! Just kidding~ A joke! Hey! Your expressions are too scary! What if this cute senior gets surprised seeing that~”
“…”
Bell walking forward while reaching out her hand to Alvit like that.
She stepped on a certain point on the floor.
Creak―
The sound of the covered flooring twisting.
Due to the construction that had finished today, it wasn’t noticeable, but, it was originally a spot where there had been a hole in the old wooden floor of the student council room.
‘Now…!’
I filled my toes with [Wave Ether] and rolled my foot.
Woong…!
A sound so faint it couldn’t be heard, covered by the sound of the twisting floor.
Because attention was diverted to the evening sun and the tense atmosphere, eyes were looking up.
The red ether that leaked very slightly from my foot wasn’t seen.
So Bell was still smiling with satisfaction, approaching Alvit with a sinister face. Her hair neatly tied in a side tail swayed along with her cheerful gestures.
“Well! I was a bit tired from waiting so long~ But I’ll introduce myself properly! I am Bell, the cute secretary of the
Crash―!
With the sound of the wooden flooring breaking.
Bell’s face, which had been walking nonchalantly, slowly sinks downward.
Everyone watches in confusion at the situation that happened so suddenly.
Wobble―
“Eeeek―?!”
As if sinking into a swamp.
The sight of Bell disappearing into the floor appears in slow motion.
And she instantly vanished to the 1st floor.
Crash!!
Bang―!!
Roll roll roll
Clang!
Along with a loud landing sound, there was the sound of construction materials piled on the 1st floor collapsing. Like a bomb had passed through, a cloud of dust rises billowing from the hole created in the student council room.
We murmured while looking at the dust cloud tinged red by the sunset light.
“What on earth.”
“…Haah.”
“…What happened?”
“…Ahaha☆ Looks like the floor construction wasn’t quite finished―☆”
The tension that disappeared in an instant.
We stared blankly at the hole created in the floor.
There, Bell was stuck among the construction materials, completely upside down with her skirt flipped over. And she seemed flustered by the sudden situation, just rolling her eyes around before meeting our gaze.
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
Silence…
Awkwardness…
Embarrassment…
Rustle―
Bell got up discreetly, pretending to be nonchalant while dusting off her clothes. But her uniform and coat had long since been stained with paint. And she looked dejectedly at the mess around her and said:
“…Um, could you not report this? I’ll be in big trouble if the boss finds out.”
“…”
“…Sorry. I’ll clean up.”
Bell hastily made a show of cleaning up. But the construction materials strewn all around weren’t at a level that could be cleaned up by pretending to tidy up.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Bell soon gave up and looked up at us above. She mumbled while looking at her thoroughly dirtied uniform:
“…Do, do you have any spare clothes?”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“…Guys…?”
A concept is just a concept after all. Bell wasn’t the type to actually overstep and cause trouble.
She just enjoyed the atmosphere and moved on.
But unauthorized occupation of facilities of another school affiliated with the union and damaging property was a matter that could be formally claimed to the
In fact, like most people favor their own, the students of the
And Bell was Brunhilde’s direct subordinate.
“Um, guys…?”
Finally, Rota answered that pitiful cry.
“…I’ll lend you my tracksuit.”
“…Sorry.”
* * *
We took Bell’s coat and uniform thoroughly dirtied with paint to Grandpa Hua Tuo at the tailor shop, but. Grandpa Hua Tuo shook his head and declared them unsalvageable.
“…Does it fit you?”
“…Yeah.”
Bell was temporarily wearing
On the way back to school.
Bell spoke in a dejected voice while looking at her tattered uniform:
“That… was an expensive coat… I even attached ribbons I bought myself…”
“…Who told you to sit there meaningfully?”
“…”
But she hung her head, unable to answer Alvit’s rebuke.
The school we returned to like that.
The sun had already completely set and it was dark.
Only the light left on in the student council room was faintly shining.
Tap tap tap
The sound of Kara’s hammering, filling the hole created in the student council room floor with remaining flooring materials. Amidst that, we were listening to Bell’s purpose for visiting.
“…So you’re saying you just came to inspect the schools affiliated with the union while distributing
“That’s right that’s right~ I’m not sure if all that is the cute secretary’s job, but! I’m capable, you see!”
“Ca…pable…?”
Kara stopped hammering in surprise.
Bell flinches while laying down construction materials on the floor.
Soon the student council room was enveloped in an awkward silence.
“…”
“…”
“…I made a mistake this time.”
“…I see.”
Tap tap tap
The hammering resumed.
Like that, everyone continued the tasks they were assigned.
Rota and I put the textbooks Bell brought into the student council room bookshelf and organized the old books.
“…Senior, I think we should remove that book. It’s an outdated theory now.”
“Okay―☆”
Since I didn’t study anyway, I didn’t know.
I obediently classified the books as Rota instructed.
“…Hmm.”
Suddenly, Alvit stopped sweeping the floor and looked at Bell while asking:
“By the way, what’s happening in the eastern part of the academy city?”
“Well~ What I can tell you is the establishment of an alliance between
“Erosion… state…?”
“…!”
Dungeon erosion.
Alvit asked again, not understanding the meaning of that term.
I was surprised because I understood the meaning of that term too well.
Bell continued speaking, seemingly not noticing that reaction:
“Yep~ Lately there have been many cases where the ether cores that operate the dungeon gates on each school’s grounds get polluted and the dungeon state goes bad~ So they issued orders prohibiting entry to dungeons where abnormal phenomena occurred~”
“Heeh…”
“
“Hmm…”
Alvit nodded, completely convinced. And soon she immersed herself in cleaning up again.
“…”
“…Senior?”
“Yes―☆ I was just reading the title―☆”
I also resumed organizing books while changing the plan I had inwardly set up.
‘To think those guys have already started crawling out. I’ll have to revise the dungeon exploration plan…’
The next morning.
“Then this cute secretary will be going now~”
Bell, who had appeared meaningfully, left for the
* * *
Before leaving for the garrison.
To report on the ‘real mission’ that had been given to her.
Bell borrowed an ether reception phone at a nearby shopping district.
Click
“…”
“Boss~ It’s the cute secretary Bell~”
“…Report.”
“Hmm~ How should I put it… They were small fry?”
“…”
Bell scratched her head and reported her impression of
“Well~ No one said they ever saw the pink senior do anything special… Above all, when I directly gauged the distance, I couldn’t feel any ether at all?”
“…”
When Bell finished her report.
A chilly silence continued from beyond the phone.
“…Boss?”
“…”
Click―!
Beep… beep…
“…?”
Bell tilted her head quizzically.
Her boss had never hung up the phone like this before.
“No way?!”
Did those
Even though she helped them clean up all night!
Bell shuddered at the growing sense of crisis and betrayal.