The Gloomy and Timid Princess Heads to the Academy

Chapter 111




“…Yes, I’m going. Just wait a moment, first here… Anima, I’ll leave it to you!”

They had merely hidden it away where humans couldn’t see, but behind the scenes, things were quite chaotic.

Cecilia had no idea how to wake up her compatriots who couldn’t be roused by physical or magical means.

Using spirits seemed to be the only effective method, but it took way too long.

It took at least 20 minutes per person, and waking hundreds sprawled out like that would take an eternity.

Even though they were her people, she was still in the role of a student, and her desire to play was overwhelming. But look at this mess.

If I said I didn’t dislike it, that would be a lie. She desperately wished for a miracle that would wake everyone up, yet all she was greeted by were more patients.

“…Phew, Ethan. Can you sprinkle some water on that person with the light blue hair over there?”

“There’s more than one with light blue hair… But putting that aside, you said to sprinkle, not feed? Do elves drink water through their skin?”

Ethan was doing his best to help her take care of the patients, but he was painfully aware of the severe shortage of manpower.

Caught up in such busyness, he pondered whether he really should fulfill such a ridiculous request.

“Sure! Well… it’s a regressed ability, so it shouldn’t be that way normally… but right now, we are just way too short-handed. Please, I beg you!”

Before he could ask anything further, Cecilia was off at a hurried pace, leaving only the spirits floating at her previous spot to carry out some procedures.

“…I guess if I sprinkle it all over here, it would work.”

With no way to know who she was referring to, Ethan picked up a spray bottle and made everyone damp.

At this rate, it was practically the same as watering plants.

Just as he was about to think it was quite rude, another patient came in, and with a deep sigh, Ethan picked them up and moved them to a bed.

Knowing that the elves weren’t incompetent, he couldn’t even begin to guess what kind of being would do such a thing.

Ignoring the familiar smell lingering in the air, Ethan pressed on with the nursing duties.

However, he couldn’t fully concentrate. Gloria’s words from the airship kept echoing in his ears.

Was their relationship really confined to being collaborators? Cecilia hesitated, dismissing it as just collaboration, but Ethan couldn’t dare to decide.

She had given him the strength to escape from the depths of despair when it was hardest, and she was the one who had given him the leisure to stop and look around at the world when the only reason for living had been the church and faith.

It was too deep to just call her a collaborator, yet to take it further felt ambiguous. Watching his turmoil, Gloria smiled faintly, suggesting he think deeply about it himself.

Wouldn’t it be alright if it was someone like her?

Elves don’t have reproductive capabilities, but must one get married to have children? Isn’t it enough for two people who love each other to simply live together?

Ethan couldn’t easily make a decision. Choosing her wouldn’t mean abandoning his faith, but he wouldn’t be able to dedicate himself as passionately as he did now.

“…Ah! Ethan, I said the person with the light blue hair! How can you sprinkle everyone!”

Ethan panicked when the person he was thinking about appeared, blurting out whatever came to mind.

“Oh, that… They all look light blue to me…?”

“Aah, what kind of excuse is that! This is turquoise, this is light turquoise! And this is sky blue! Anyone could tell!”

Ethan truly couldn’t tell them apart and felt wronged, but at the end of the day, he was at fault for not asking sooner, and Cecilia’s imposing presence made it hard for him to say anything.

In the end, he had to wander alongside Cecilia until he could distinguish the elf’s hair colors.

– – – –

“…Um, so. I’d like to inform all students that today’s scheduled activities have been canceled. Once again, due to unexpected incidents and safety concerns…”

When he heard “gather,” he thought they were going to share some grand news, but given the current situation, it turned out they were giving everyone free time out of necessity.

It already felt like that kind of atmosphere, but the fact that they insisted on gathering anyway was rather frustrating, or perhaps they were simply being thorough.

Dokan looked slightly more haggard than before. I’d feel reenergized since one thing in the way was gone, but it seemed he did not feel the same.

“It’s… quite unfortunate. Truly unfortunate. Don’t worry, we have no immediate plans…?”

Dokan whispered softly in his ear while pressing down on his back. It was close enough that he could hear him swallow, and if he concentrated, he thought he might hear his heartbeat too.

…Oh, I hear it. The rhythmic thump sounded like half excitement and half fear. Considering how desperate he was last time, begging to stop while still forcing himself to continue was quite something.

“Hahaha… Aha, I see. Thank you for your understanding…”

He pressed down further to nudge him along slowly. When you put it that way, it sounded quite strange. He started the conversation but was now so scared.

Still, while drifting aimlessly, one question weighed on him.

“So, do you have a good way to kill time?”

So what now? Unlike the academy, which at least had things like zoos, botanical gardens, libraries, and restaurants with plenty to look at, here it was so terribly boring that one could say there was nothing but grass and trees.

When it came to the quality of food, I wasn’t even holding out hope.

A stroll didn’t seem like a great option either. No matter what he tried to look at, turning his head would only reveal grass and trees, offering no visual pleasure.

You could only marvel at something so many times before it grew tiresome. No matter how interesting it was the first time, by the third, it just felt dull.

If they planned to sleep until night to pass the time, they were both certain to wake up at the crack of dawn the next morning. I could probably wake up somehow, but Dokan would be the problem.

“There’s not… much to see, but surely there’s something. If we take our time and look around, we’ll surely find something. Or we could ask Cecilia, the local, if there’s anything interesting.”

That sounded just like him. At least he suggested there should be something. Surely there had to be something, but… who knows how many hours that will kill.

“Yeah, I suppose. At least there are plenty of oddities to look at. Mother… was it the World Tree? How about we check there first?”

“Going there might be a wild goose chase. They say that’s where the cause of the chaos is, so for a while, only selected individuals can approach.”

“Great. It’s like the biggest attraction in a place where there’s nothing to see at all.”

I felt completely swindled, thinking the air would at least be nice, but nope, I can’t even get close to the World Tree. If that’s the case, I might as well have visited an island.

“…Magnificent. Then let’s go to that grass-smelling girl. But… do you know where she is?”

Then it would make sense to go to Cecilia. However, she hadn’t been seen since she escorted them back then, so they had no idea where she was.

“Umm… I’m not sure about that… Ahahaha…”

Well, that’s wonderful. Even the guide doesn’t know where she is.

“Then… Finding out where that grass-scented girl is should be our first priority.”

“…Perhaps she’s in the place where people who collapsed are gathered? She enjoys helping, so I think she might be there aiding with the aftermath.”

Thinking about it, that made sense. Although the question of where exactly that place was was an adorable dilemma, stopping anyone passing by to ask yielded results, and they quickly arrived.

“…This is serious.”

“I agree. Are all these really the collapsed people?”

Even in a rather spacious area, elves lay sprawled out on the ground, enough that one had to watch their step to avoid stepping on them. In the distance, people were busily moving around, attending to the patients, but they were woefully outnumbered compared to the patients.

“…Oh, Dokan? And Ho-Yeon…? What are you two doing here… Oh no, you’re stepping on someone’s hair!”

Oh dear. I was trying to pay attention, but there were so many that it was harder than avoiding fallen leaves.

“…I came to ask where there’s something fun to do, but it doesn’t seem like the right moment for that.”

“Ah, yes. As you can see, there are way too many, and we desperately need hands. And… well, it’s sad to say, but there’s almost nothing for outsiders to enjoy…”

Because there’s nothing fun to do, you’re busy, right? It felt like that kind of implication. I really didn’t like the way he was avoiding eye contact with me while only talking to Dokan.

What I disliked even more was the thought that he might not refuse that proposal. He was already glancing back and forth between me and the patients, looking conflicted.

“…Ho-Yeon… would you be able to help?”

Ugh. Coming here to hang out, and now I’m nursing. But at least the time would pass well.

“Why are you asking me? If you want to do it, go ahead. Just know that if you’re in, I’m in too.”

“Really?! Thank you, Ho-Yeon! I feel bad asking, but please start with the people around here…!”

Cecilia mistook that Dokan would help, and without waiting for an answer, she rushed off to care for other patients.

“…Uh, I’m sorry. Ho-Yeon. You really don’t have to go through this trouble…”

“Enough. I didn’t care for doing something troublesome; I just hated the thought of you frolicking with another girl. Now let’s get started.”

But what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to try shaking them awake? He didn’t tell me the most crucial part, so I had no idea what to do.

With Dokan and Cecilia busy with their work, I felt I had to do something since I couldn’t just stand there idly.

…Okay, shaking them should be fine, right?

As soon as I touched the elf, I felt something both familiar and quite unexpected. A pure magic untarnished by anything.

It was untouched by either divine will or human corruption; it was just pure nature.

What is this, and why is it within them? Before I could question that, the magic flowed into my body. Well, nothing dire was going to happen. It just didn’t usually enter me.

As more and more questions piled up, suddenly, the elf jerked awake.

What on earth.


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