The unexpected appearance of the heroine.
I was so surprised that I couldn’t respond immediately.
As I opened and closed my mouth repeatedly, a few seconds later, I managed to articulate some words.
“Le-Leah Laintaina?”
“That’s right. Do you remember me? I’m glad. It seems we don’t need to introduce ourselves again. How nice, how nice. I don’t like to waste time, you know. And you?”
“Uh… Y–Yes, I also prefer not to waste time.”
“Oh, what a coincidence. I thought we might get along, and it turns out we do, how lucky!”
“Why did you think that? Not to be rude, but… this is the first time we meet. So, I don’t understand what made you think that.”
She raised her index finger and chuckled, making a “tsk tsk tsk~” sound.
“Because yesterday, after the entrance ceremony, I saw Hermes-kun leaving the library! I’m sorry to say this, but I could overhear a bit of your conversation with your maid… Do you like magic?”
“Uh…”
Was she there too?
I see. Now I understand why Leah Lainteina approached me.
She is a well-known mage in society. Although the Lainteina Viscount family is common and unremarkable, she was the exception.
Her nickname is “the prodigious daughter of magic.”
As her name suggests, apart from the protagonist and me, she could be said to be the number one mage in the royal capital.
This is because, usually, in a world where each person only has affinity with one attribute, she is able to use magic of all basic elements except for “holy” and “darkness.” Nothing less than four elements!
Still, her talent doesn’t stop there. Even though it’s only the beginning of the game, she has already mastered spells of the four elements to an “intermediate” level.
If you only look at her progression speed, she’s faster than the protagonist.
Facing her and talking so passionately about magic, it’s impossible not to capture her attention. That’s the kind of person she is. Her friendly way of treating the protagonist, a commoner, is due to her personality.
However, this time it was a mistake… How should I respond?
After thinking for a bit, he decided to be honest and answer sincerely.
“…Yes, I like it. Magic is interesting.”
“Exactly!”
“Huh?”
With her face getting closer to mine rapidly, I could see my face reflected in her gem-like pink eyes.
Despite my obvious rookie clumsiness, she, with bated breath, didn’t notice. Her voice became more intense.
“Magic is amazing! Hermes-kun understands it very well! The best thing about magic is that there’s something about it that can’t be replicated by anything else. It feels unique, you never get bored, right? Every time you practice, you discover something new, don’t you wonder what else you could do? It’s better to try in practice than just read books, you find solutions more quickly. Even though I still lack skill!”
“Stop, stop! Calm down, Lainteina-san. I understand you love magic. But please, step back! People are watching us.”
“Oh… hehe. It seems I get carried away when it comes to talking about magic. I’m sorry, Hermes-kun. Oh, also, just call me ‘Leah’ casually. Wouldn’t it be sad if only I called you by your name? Besides, I feel like we’re going to have a long relationship together.”
“It’s an honor for the prodigious daughter of magic to tell me that.”
“Haha. That’s because you, Hermes-kun, are the first person I’ve seen besides myself.”
“First person?”
“A fellow magic enthusiast. There was no one else but you! The person who went to the library after the entrance ceremony. That is, you and me.”
Did she approach me because she was intrigued?
Meeting the heroine unintentionally… It’s surprising how things intertwine.
“So let’s be friends, Hermes-kun!”
With that said, Leah returned to her seat while waving her hand.
After the storm of emotions, I sighed with multiple meanings.
Only the second day of classes and a problem had already arisen in my plan.
