Side Story Chapter 02 (Main Story 10.02) “The Arithmetician’s ‘Bubble of Pride’”
The peace I should have regained last night by washing hundreds of dishes at my family’s inn returned to arithmetic nothingness (zero) along with the rising morning sun.
On the main street of the Royal Magic Academy‚ on the day of the entrance ceremony.
The class assignment board posted on the wall of the school building reflects the spring sunlight‚ shining dazzlingly.
The problem is the sheer energy of the new students surrounding it.
Cheers‚ sobs‚ voices calling out names—the total volume easily exceeded by five times the heat calculation I had estimated for a “peaceful entrance ceremony.”
(…This is strange. It deviates far too much from the arithmetic prediction curve (trend line). The people who saw the number “0.2” in yesterday’s acceptance announcement should have all laughed‚ and by today I was supposed to fade out into the corner of the lowest class like air.)
As I tried to straighten the collar of my ill-fitting uniform‚ I noticed my fingertips trembling slightly.
The board in front of me. The very bottom row. My name engraved at the end of the lowest of the low‚ “Class 1-F.”
“ Louis Adel ”
The letters are definitely there. But the surrounding reactions had completely exceeded (overflowed) the capacity of my brain server.
“Hey‚ did you see… that Louis Adel really has his name in F class.”
“Magic power index 0.2. By deliberately choosing the lowest tier‚ he’s mocking the entire existing magical class system itself…!”
“What a fearless guy. Even that messy hair of his looks like a declaration of rebellion against old authority…!”
(…Please stop. My pride right now is like soap bubbles popping in a sink. If I’m hit with that kind of heat called expectation‚ I’ll fizz away in an instant and evaporate into nothingness.)
I hunched my back further and tried to escape toward “peaceful coordinates” through gaps in the crowd.
Right‚ left‚ route at a 45-degree diagonal. The optimal solution path with the least visual noise and the highest chance of logging out from others’ awareness.
But—
“Louis-kun‚ found you. …Trying to run away again? Nope. My side is the safest place in the world‚ you know.”
Suddenly‚ a slender arm extended from my blind spot‚ wrapping around my left arm and firmly holding (locking) me in place with her weight.
Serina Elferia.
She completely sealed off my escape route with the overwhelming “mass” of her own body.
“…Se-Serina. You’re close. No‚ more like you’re embedded into me. My personal space (radius 1 meter) has been warped and deleted along with spacetime by the singularity known as you.”
“Huh? I’m next to you‚ so this is normal‚ right?”
Serina tilted her head and peered at me from extremely close range.
Her hair‚ like spun silver threads‚ brushed my shoulder‚ and through the thin fabric of my uniform‚ her soft elasticity and 36.5°C heat source pressed directly against my upper arm.
“Louis‚ your face is red? …Hey‚ look this way more.”
Each time she leaned in‚ her warm breath grazed my ear. A sweet floral scent unilaterally invaded the brain’s calculation area.
(…This elasticity and heat transmitted through my arm exceed the ‘standard value for a noble lady clinging to a friend’ by 300%‚ no matter how I calculate it. My wall of reason is on the verge of meltdown… no‚ it’s already melted.)
Stealth (concealment)‚ completely defeated.
Escape route loss confirmed. …Since the day this distance-bug noble lady was incorporated into my life’s balance sheet‚ perhaps the path back to peace has ceased to exist.
“Louis! As I thought‚ my eyes were not mistaken!”
A booming voice that shook the eardrums echoed through the corridor leading to the school building.
Clad in silver armor shining in the spring sunlight‚ a man who embodied walking justice—Leon Varks—strode toward us. Behind him‚ onlookers dazzled by his overwhelming “sun aura” lined up like a parade.
(…Leon. Your ‘indiscriminate buff called justice’ is lethal poison to me while I’m in stealth mode. The surrounding hate (attention level) is skyrocketing exponentially.)
Still captured by Serina’s arm‚ I forced a strained smile toward Leon.
“Hahaha! I heard‚ Louis! Placing yourself in the lowest class and looking up at the summit from the bottom…! That attitude is exactly the same as a holy knight’s training! You really exceed my expectations at every turn!”
Leon grabbed both my shoulders with heated hands and shook me violently back and forth like I was his mortal enemy. My brain was shaken‚ and my thought processing was forcibly shut down physically.
“Leon‚ please stop that ‘misreading of courage.’ My stomach lining is reaching its arithmetic limit. This is just a measurement error. I’m just an innkeeper’s son. Please process (load) the fact that I barely passed at the lowest rank as it is…”
“Did you see that ‘aura of deliberately avoiding attention’ of Louis…! Not currying favor with authority‚ that hunched back gazing at the top from F class! That is the bearing of a true strong man!”
Ignoring my desperate plea completely‚ Leon began loudly promoting my “cowardly stance” to the students behind him. His 100% pure justice filter forcibly compiled my pathetic appearance into “the aesthetics of a true hero.”
A wave of impressed sighs spread among the crowd.
“Leon. Don’t advertise Louis-kun like some exhibit in such a loud voice.”
Suddenly‚ Serina moved behind me‚ placed her chin lightly on my left shoulder as if to restrain them‚ and brought her nose close to my exposed neck‚ sniffing softly.
“…Mm‚ Louis-kun‚ did you sweat a little? Nice smell. I’m the only one who needs to understand how amazing he is.”
(…Too close. The warm breath on my neck and the sweet whisper in my ear. My calculation circuits are throwing serious errors in a completely different vector now.)
“Oops‚ sorry Serina! But there’s no way the upper ranks will ignore a man like Louis. Even the elite class was pale‚ calling your entry into F class a ‘declaration of war’ against them!”
Leon casually dropped the new spark I feared most like a morning greeting.
(…Declaration of war? That hurts. A severe error code just hit my stomach lining. Being targeted by the elite class means my survival probability for a peaceful school life converges to 0%‚ entering a dead-end route with unavoidable expulsion.)
“I… I just want to map the shortest route to peacefully mopping the back entrance of my family’s inn. Faction disputes don’t exist even 1 millimeter in my life curriculum…!”
My desperate cry was drowned out by Leon’s hearty laughter and Serina’s dangerous whisper‚ “If the elite class gets in the way‚ I’ll ‘optimize’ all of them.”
We were forced to walk down the corridor like a triumphant parade‚ still the center of attention.
My “bubble of pride” no longer had any trace left.
—At the front‚ Serina tightened her grip on my arm again‚ as if to say that once a “correct answer (justice)” is derived‚ it will never be rewritten.
While Leon was passionately preaching his “true hero theory” to the excited freshmen‚ I was pulled by Serina’s sleeve and relocated to this point. —Though the reward for successful stealth wasn’t the quiet I wanted‚ but a silver-haired noble lady glued right next to me.
The academy courtyard we finally reached. The shadow cast by the towering white tower should have provided me with geometrically structured comfort‚ but due to the “heat source” attached to me‚ my brain’s cooling system was still forced into full operation.
“…Phew. I finally logged out of the ‘unnecessary logs’ called others’ expectations. Just Leon’s megaphone-like voice stopping feels like it restores about 15% of my processing resources.”
I sat on the edge of the fountain and loosened my ill-fitting collar. But the “coordinate” beside me was instantly filled with silver brilliance.
“Louis-kun‚ good job. Here‚ this. My homemade honey bread. A special reward for you.”
What Serina took out from her magic bag was golden‚ shining bread. Covered generously with honey and sparkling in the spring sunlight‚ it was less food and more a violent temptation called a “mass of sugar.”
“…Thanks‚ Serina. But right now my stomach is contracted from tension‚ and I’m not ready to accept solid food. If you leave it there‚ I’ll consume it later at the optimal arithmetic timing.”
“Nope. Here‚ say ahh.”
She rejected my words in 0.1 seconds and pushed a torn piece of bread toward my mouth. The distance between us: mere centimeters. Sitting on the fountain edge‚ her thigh pressed tightly against mine‚ eliminating all physical clearance. The sweet floral scent forcibly hijacked my olfactory processing area.
(…This is bad. This situation is a bug behavior not present in my ‘equation of reason.’ My blood sugar and heart rate are drawing abnormal parabolas simultaneously. Every time her white fingertips brush my lips‚ the lethal sweetness consumes my sensory buffers.)
“Louis-kun‚ if you don’t eat… I’ll be sad. Or should I eat it first‚ and then give it to you—”
“I get it! I’ll eat! I’ll do the ‘ahh‚’ so don’t propose that ominous alternative (substitution formula)!”
Blushing intensely‚ I bit into the bread at her fingertips. At that moment‚ her fingers lightly touched my lips.
[ Sweetness: within expected range. Taste profile loaded. ]
Deep in my brain‚ a mechanical sense of acceptance ran through me.
—Sweet. The bread’s sugar level is as calculated. But more than that‚ this “delicious” sensation is slowly melting down my twisted pride.
“Fufu‚ Louis-kun‚ you’re cute. …Let’s stay like this forever‚ okay?”
Smiling in satisfaction‚ Serina intertwined her fingers with my trembling right hand and gripped it tightly on her lap. The irresistible pulse transmitted through her palm‚ and the excessive heat filling every gap between our fingers—it was far too strong to be called mere warmth‚ giving me the illusion of being locked in precise handcuffs that would never come undone.
(…This happiness is frightening. This sweet equation might be the material of the cage she built. …But for now‚ part of me wants to surrender to this unquantifiable comfort.)
My “wall of reason” had already been melted beyond repair by the overwhelming affirmation called Serina.
The calm tea time in the courtyard was interrupted by “external noise‚” just as arithmetically predicted.
“Hey‚ look. That’s the rumored one…”
“The savior with magic power index 0.2‚ right?”
“Should we ask him about it? Like how it felt when he broke the measuring device?”
From beyond the hedge‚ female students with inefficient energy called curiosity gradually closed in on our position.
(…This is bad. Another swarm of uncomputable bugs. My mental resources are already near depletion. If I load any more expectations from strangers‚ my mental server will overheat and turn to ash!)
I somehow shook off Serina’s hand and began recalculating an escape route. North or east. A probabilistic refuge with many visual obstacles and the highest concealment rate.
But before I could stand‚ Serina moved.
“Oh? You want to talk to Louis-kun?”
She stood up with a perfectly beautiful “saint’s smile‚” like spring sunlight given form. Her shining silver hair swayed‚ and her overwhelming presence caused the approaching students to freeze for a moment.
“Y-yes! Lady Elferia. Um‚ we were hoping to ask a bit about Adel-san’s magic construction—”
“—That’s enough.”
Serina’s voice dropped slightly.
At that moment‚ it felt as if the courtyard temperature dropped vertically by 10 degrees‚ ignoring physical laws.
From behind her‚ I couldn’t see her expression. But I could see the girls in front turning pale as if stared down by an invisible predator.
(…Huh? Why does everyone suddenly look like processes that were forcibly aborted? Arithmetically speaking‚ their autonomic disruption matches that of facing a life-threatening crisis.)
“Louis-kun is currently in the middle of executing an ‘important process’ with me. Interruptions by impurities (noise) are treated as errors in my world… do you understand?”
The trembling of the girls proved just how abnormal the “absolute-zero silence” she emitted was.
“E-eek…! S-sorry! Excuse us!”
“Let’s go… she’ll really erase us…!”
They scattered in all directions at triple normal walking speed.
I noticed a maid with amber eyes standing quietly in the shade ahead—Rosetta. Expressionless‚ she wrote something in a notebook and disappeared silently into the building’s shadow.
(…Did I just understand? That escape behavior clearly looked like post-“optimization.” …Well‚ whatever. Noise disappearing is a big plus for my peace. Maybe that maid is pulling strings behind the scenes?)
“Fufu‚ Louis-kun. Everyone realized you were shy and kindly backed off‚ it seems?”
When she turned back‚ Serina had perfectly reapplied her “cheerful sweet-loving noble girl” mask. Not even 0.001% of her previous coldness remained.
“…Thanks‚ Serina. Your… whatever that charisma (intimidation) is‚ always helps me.”
“It’s fine. Cleaning up around Louis-kun is my ‘duty.’”
She sat beside me again and locked her fingers with my right hand even tighter than before. My brain’s security briefly issued a warning alert at the depth of her possessiveness‚ but it was instantly purged by the sweet heat from her palm.
As we passed through the academy’s white gate‚ the western sky shifted from burning red-purple into deep gold.
Our long shadows stretched across the cobblestones‚ etched unnervingly clearly.
“Hahaha! You’ve taken the first step of rising from F class‚ Louis! Let’s report it grandly to your parents when we get back to the inn!”
Leon‚ waiting at the gate‚ slapped my back forcefully‚ expelling about 0.3 liters of oxygen from my lungs.
“…Leon. Rising through ranks doesn’t exist even 1 millimeter in my roadmap. Also‚ your strength is at a level that could count as ‘negligent homicide.’ My HP is in the red as we speak.”
I crumpled the “class assignment paper” and shoved it into my pocket.
(…According to the bug-like memory of the ‘cold temple’ stuck in my brain‚ this paper should have been a one-way ticket to despair covered in blood and mud. But now—)
“Louis-kun. I’ll help with dinner today‚ okay? Also‚ I brought a layout of your room.”
“…A layout? Why are you speaking as if you already have full root access to my private domain?”
“Because we’ll be together every day from now on. I need to optimize space for my belongings‚ right?”
Serina tightened her grip on my right hand—still connected since the courtyard—and hummed happily. Her silver hair reflected the sunset like glowing spider silk covering my vision.
(…Ah. This inescapable warm restraint is the equation of the ‘correct answer’ she desires and constructed.)
I moved my tongue to confirm the lingering taste of the honey bread.
Delicious. Sweet‚ certainly.
And yet—
Crunch.
At the back of my tongue‚ that inorganic sensation burst again.
Not honey‚ not bread texture. It felt like “taste data” being swallowed by noise—a definitive error sensation.
A pale system log flowed coldly at the edge of my vision.
“— Daily routine fixation confirmed. Transitioning to taste data optimization preparation (Phase 1.5) —”
(…It’s a bug. Just a sensory calculation error. It has to be.)
I forcibly turned away from the inconvenient log and focused all my awareness on the vivid heat of Serina’s hand—36.5°C.
“…Let’s go home. To my inn. …The dishes are waiting.”
At my murmur‚ Serina nodded happily‚ and Leon laughed heartily.
The three shadows cast by the setting sun were burned darkly at my feet like the bars of an inescapable cage.
End of Chapter 02
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