*Unedited
Thanks to the secret tunnel that lead all the way back to the academy, I managed to avoided breaking curfew. I was not that bold and shameless as to break the school rules just after resolving to abide by them yesterday.
” So you did went with Father, didn’t you? ”
Calius-sempai said as he hummed happily. But that sentence.
” …..Ah, seems so. I am actually quite flustered when I heard that you knew about it. ”
” Ha ha ha ha, it was kinda fun seeing you flustered~ ”
I said, while sighing as I tried to complained to Calius-sempai who was in a good mood, but to think it raised his good mood further up.
What was with this person? Being with him was tiring.
Or rather, to go ‘ Ha ha ha ha’ with that emotionless face was kinda scary.
Within this short period, I finally caught glimpse of why Yuria-sempai was so afraid of him.
” Saying that, I thought ‘Ah, he must have received a secret mission from the King.’ when I saw Father leaving the house happily and right after, I heard that you played truant. Considering your personality, you don’t look like someone who does that so when I start thinking of reasons that prevents a Duke’s son from speaking out, I came to the conclusion that the 2 of you must be on a secret mission or something. ”
……Zirco-sannnnnnnn…!!
How can you?! You were seen through easily by you son despite not saying anything! All information were totally leaked! What happened to being the leader of the Intelligence Corp?!
I hit my forehead unintentionally and Calius-sempai smiled wryly, looking at my grim face.
” One of the weakness my Father, as an intelligence corp, has was that his emotions showed on his face too easily. ”
…..True.
At first, I was awed by how ninja-like Zirco-san was with his emotionless face to prevent his feelings from being read but as I got to know him more, somehow, even with his emotionless face, I know what he was feeling. Maybe it was the aura around him. Anyhow, I could read his emotions.
Calius-sempai was nodding every other second beside me.
” Haaaaaaahhhh….. ”
I was tired. Somehow I was super tired.
By the way, I was in the ceiling right now. I climbed up using the stone wall and the place I arrived at was the ceiling. Or inside of it. Was it above?
The conversation we had was as we moved in the ceiling, soundlessly, and by concealing our voices. We were so ninja-like.
I think it was above the route from the classroom to our dormitory. Headmaster should know this.
……….He do, didn’t he?
Ahh, if he did, I wish he could keep it like this. Since this secret tunnel looked to be created intentionally, it must had been the First Founder who did it. How cool. I was pretty sure it will not became his black history when he grew older.
Ah, no matter.
[TN: In japanese, romance (roman), chestnut (maron), romance (roman).]
To have a secret tunnel within the academy’s ceiling. What a nice dream-like ring it has to it. I pray this will survive to the end of time.
” Come to think of it, do Sempai use this route often? ”
I asked casually and Calius-sempai tilted his head, thinking about it.
” I wonder which you meant…hmm… I do use this when it’s the school from home, I guess? About once per week. Because that house was filled with traps so it’s impossible for Mother to clean it. ”
” Sounds tiring. It’s quite a big house, isn’t it? ”
Hmmー, did it meant that Calius-sempai cleaned the entire house by himself? That was really something. Sempai was only lower acad 3, in previous world terms, he was only a grade 6 student when he had to clean an entire mansion!
As expected of a Ninja.
” You understand~? Thanks to that, I am troubled that my wind magic and my cleaning skills got really good~. Ah, having skills without relying on magic is not a bad thing though~ ”
Ah, I see. He had magic to helped him. But, using magic to clean… won’t he caused a flood if he got to into it or something? Walking brooms sounded like what a certain mouse would do. …..No no no no no.
[TN: I had more of a HP vibe then MM though.]
Skills being raise… could this be a hidden training routine to train the grasshoppers of Ninja House? It was scary how it sounds plausible.
….Hm?
As I laughed at my imagination, something nudged at me. What did Calius-sempai said just now?
” I wonder which you meant ”
He said that, didn’t he? Which meant, apart from using it to travel between his house and the academy, he was using it to travel to other places as well, wasn’t it?
Timidly, I turned to Calius-sempai and tilted my head.
” Erm, which, you said…… ”
” Ah! Yes, yes, that’s because my hobby is observation~ ”
Eh?
” Ah, don’t worry~ I don’t have any weird sexual desires so of course I will not enter the rooms or any private spaces. Just the classrooms, corridors, lobbies and the back of the teacher’s office~ ”
Eh eh?
” Ah, but I saw how Will got lost around the school when you first enrolled in~ Fu fu fu fu. ”
Eh eh eh eh eh?!?!?!
Wait, what was this person saying?! Even if he was using that cute face of his to smiled at me, I can’t smile. What forte was that? Training for the Intelligence corp? Did he said anything regarding that?
” Ah, it’s just training for my future. But still, the number 1 reason is because it’s fun. ”
Kyaaaa! Don’t say that with an emotionless face! It’s scary!
Hm? Wait a minute. Did he said that he saw how I was lost?
” Lo.. lost? ”
I asked, slightly panicking and this time, Calius-sempai showed a complacent smile.
” Yep yep. Observation sure is fun~ ”
Ah, Yuria-sempai, I am really sorry.
This onii-san just understood your feelings.
I was finally here.
” Hahh….. ”
Descending onto the lobby of our dormitory, my shoulders slumped as I gave a deep sigh. Calius-sempai, who gracefully jumped down, looked at me and smiled.
” Are you okay? ”
No way I am. I was tired from this and that, plus the shocking truth about Calius-sempai…. especially my mental strength. Well, I can’t really say all of that so I hesitated a little.
And Calius-sempai mistaken that as some information I cannot reveal as a weird aura leaked out from him.
” I want to get into the Intelligence Corp soon too…. Will is so lucky. ”
Oh, it turned into that. I panicked a little in front of the down-hearted Calius-sempai. I looked low acad 1 and Calius-sempai low acad 3 but my inner age was around 30. I should not let a younger child get depressed just because I was tired from some useless matter.
This was bad. Panicking, I tried to correct Calius-sempai as I opened my mouth.
” No, it is not like I can’t speak about it, it’s that- ”
It’s nothing, but the words got stuck in my throat once again and my meaning got mistaken. Again.
” Ah, I understand. Then, why don’t you come to my room? Sempai will listen to your troubles! At this time, Kiro will most likely be in the cafeteria so there is no one in now. Yep. ”
Calius-sempai’s hair swished as he started walking ahead happily.
Yep. This is William Beryl, who was currently in Calius-sempai’s room to discuss about my troubles yet had none, William Beryl.
I cannot lie, as it would most likely came back to me.
The setup in Calius-sempai’s room was the same as ours, the only difference was the bookshelf at one side of the room was totally empty. I stared at the empty bookshelf involuntarily and Calius-sempai smiled wryly, pulling up a chair.
” It is as you thought, that’s Kiro’s side. ”
He did not betrayed my expectations.
As the chair was pulled out for me, I have to take a seat. After doing that, Calius-sempai took a seat opposite of me.
” And? What’s up? ”
What should I do?
Being stared by Calius-sempai, I tried to keep a poker face as cold sweat dripped down my back. I had nothing, what should I do? Let’s just dig something up.
…….The things I was troubled with lately…. Hmm…. Ah, that’s it. This might be perfect.
Looking straight at Calius-sempai, I swallowed, before opening my mouth.
” That… Zen was behaving weirdly when I came back. I don’t remember doing anything wrong and Zen himself said it was nothing when I asked but his attitude was obviously different from before…. ”
I was truly troubled over this matter. This was not the reason I hesitated previously but it was still a trouble. Plus, I can hit 2 birds with 1 stone by cheering up Calius-sempai and discussing it with someone at the same time. It was not like I was expecting advice, just by listening to it was enough.
….Although, for an adult to be discussing his troubles with a child… don’t mind, don’t mind. Wait, no. No matter who will only see me as a 8 year old child! Safe!
And, when I was not expecting an answer, something surprising happened.
” Ah~ I see! That’s why you wanted to discuss with me~ ”
He looked happy as he nodded at me. Hmm, minus the fact that I still don’t really know him well enough to discuss it with him, why did he thought that?
” You must have asked because you knew I was observing right? ”
…..Ah, that’s why.
Putting aside the fact if that was legal or not, he do had an advantage to offer.
I gave a tiny nod and Calius-sempai turned serious.
” If it’s that, I do have an idea. ”
You do?!
The retort I had reflexively was swallowed down. As expected of the next-head-in-line of the Ninja House. I cannot make light of the information he has.
” He had an increasingly sullen face as he visited the library every day. I guess he must had problems with his studies? Maybe he felt a sense of crisis when he found out that he couldn’t solve the problems by himself when Will is not around, I think. ”
……Everyone, we had a genius detective here, like a certain someone.