Chapter 164
“…”
…What?
I’m relieved he’s not misunderstanding, but why does he have to be so annoying?
Dinner had started ages ago, and only now did he pick up his fork for the first time.
Not that he intended to eat. Displacing my fork, he rescued the meat I had been hacking at and brought it to my mouth.
I glared at the piece of meat presented before me.
To eat or not to eat.
As I wrestled with my inner conflict, he teasingly raised an eyebrow.
Eventually, I took a bite. While I was chewing aggressively and filled with indignation, he joked as if offering to accommodate any of my whims.
“Rose, if you want, I’ll go along with you, so don’t live too self-consciously.”
“…”
“No matter what people say, you’re the one who ended up with the most outstanding Esper.”
“Eh, what are you saying…”
As I pouted, Claude laughed softly.
Shaking his head and laughing, I felt oddly unsettled once again.
* * *
Days passed.
The uneasy feeling was apparently just a fleeting worry, and I soon felt better. I resumed my diligent training at the Guide Division.
Then, unexpectedly, I heard some news.
“…Huh? A combat demonstration? By Lord Claude?”
“Rose, you didn’t know?”
“I had no idea…”
Simeyez and Epine looked incredulous, wondering how I, being closest to Claude, could be unaware of such a thing.
But truly, I hadn’t heard anything about it.
In the Esper Division of the Center, there’s a regularly held event known as the combat demonstration.
The purpose of the combat demonstration is to train junior Espers by having senior Espers with extensive real-life experience exterminate mutants, with the juniors observing as a form of training.
For Espers, combat demonstrations are the most popular events. Junior Espers can learn practical skills and know-how from senior Espers, while seniors have the chance to showcase their abilities and appeal to the Guides who come to watch.
Of course, Claude has never once participated in such events. Given the high risk of going on rampage, he was only mobilized in national disaster situations, and besides, given how much Claude despised other people, he would never enjoy such an event.
Even though he now has a Guide and is in a situation where he must be cautious about his unauthorized imprinting for a while…
He’s participating in such an event? That Claude?
…And he didn’t tell me?
“Anyway, you’re going, right?”
“Well, I’m not sure…”
Is it worth skipping classes to watch?
The combat demonstration typically involves fighting hologram mutants in an indoor arena.
But I’ve already seen Claude turn rock golem mutants into snowflake shaved ice during an outdoor mock training.
Seeing my lukewarm expression, Epine and Simeyez started to coax me.
“Hey, why are you excluding yourself, our Guide Division’s aggressive honey badger!”
“Um…”
“Let’s go, Rose, okay? You’re going, right?”
“…Alright, then.”
So, Simeyez, Epine, and I headed to the Esper Division’s combat arena together.
However, there was something we hadn’t anticipated…
“…It looks like it’s all full?”
The stands were already packed.
The front row prime spots were tightly taken by Espers who had arrived early. Naturally, the combat arena was almost out of sight for us, who had started out a bit late.
Yet, more people kept crowding in behind us.
“…It would be a relief if we don’t get trampled in that crowd.”
I muttered as if watching a fire from across the river.
It must be truly unusual for Claude’s combat demonstration to draw such a crowd. People skip classes even when attendance means getting paid, yet here they are flocking to a free show.
To me, who had neither the courage nor reason to push through the crowd, the scene before me felt foreign and alien.
“…Maybe it’s better to just go back?”
But Epine looked down at me and laughed as if finding me amusing.
“Ha, Rose, such an innocent lamb.”
“…What?”
“Just watch, Rose. You already have your significant other, but it wouldn’t hurt to learn, right?”
Epine said cheekily and scanned the Espers in front of us.
Then, as if she had spotted someone, she confidently walked towards them, her short hair fluttering behind her.
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