"Um, are you sure about this?"
"It should be fine, probably. Are you ready for this?"
"Yes, I'm ready!"
Lisha replied energetically, albeit with slightly swollen eyes. After she had calmed down, we had been talking about the God-Demon War for over an hour.
By the way, the preparations she mentioned were for attending university. Yes, in order to participate in the God-Demon War and protect the saint, Lisha had to attend university. It was because there was a battle for credits there, a battle that could decide the course of one's life.
I had prepared myself for the possibility of taking a six-month hiatus if the demons indiscriminately targeted Lisha. However,
"Basically, the demons only operate at night."
"Huh, is that so?"
"Yes, because the Aether is very thin in this world. Both we and the demons need time to recover our magical energy after battle, so we choose the night when there are fewer people around and the Aether is denser."
"I see. No wonder they only chased you at night."
And so, this conversation took place after breakfast. It was true that the Aether in this world was significantly thinner compared to Asteris. Aether, also known as spiritual energy, was the higher-dimensional energy that permeated the natural world, and it served as the foundation for generating one's own magical power. The reason why magic had developed so much more on Asteris than on Earth was likely due to this difference.
So, I was able to avoid taking a leave of absence after all.
"Alright, while I'm in class, you can pass the time at the library or wherever you like on campus. If anything unusual happens, just release your magic, and I'll come running."
"Understood. I didn't attract much attention when I visited yesterday, so I'm looking forward to it."
"It's not as exciting as you might think."
Our Seijo University was located in a remote area, which might explain its policy or the fact that local residents, even families, could dine at the university cafeteria without issue.
The library required a library card to check out books, but there were no restrictions on reading books within the library. It would be a good pastime for Lisha, who had virtually no knowledge of Earth. At the very least, it would be safer for her to be nearby rather than left alone at home.
We left the house and headed to the university together. Lisha was walking energetically, her eyes full of curiosity.
"When I was in Asteris, I hardly ever left the church, and everything here is so new to me."
"Oh, I see. Do saints not get to go outside much?"
"Yes, opportunities to go outside have been very rare for me until now."
Suddenly, Lisha remembered something.
"Come to think of it, you were able to tell that I was related to the church just by looking at my clothes and even my rank."
Oops.
"W-well, it's a bit of family tradition. Passed down through word of mouth."
"It's amazing that it was passed down in such detail. Did your ancestors have connections with the church?"
"Who knows, right?"
I chuckled with a vague expression. There was no point in having such useless information passed down through the generations.
Now that I think about it, that was a careless thing to say. While Lisha is straightforward, that was a weak point to exploit.
Let's change the subject quickly.
"By the way, Lisha, let's go over your cover story one more time."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Your background."
She seemed to catch on and clasped her hands together.
"Ah! Um, I'm Lisha, staying at Yuusuke-san's house for homestay."
"That's right. And you're from a small town in America."
Exactly, this was the background I had come up with in a matter of minutes. I decided to stick with it because it seemed like a reasonable explanation for why a clearly foreign girl like Lisha was staying with me.
I didn't bother with intricate details because it felt like if it's too much detail, she would come out looking like a fool.
"Right. And if you're asked something you can't answer, just smile and play it off."
"Can I really handle it?"
"It's the pinnacle of Japanese diplomacy, so I think you'll manage."
With Lisha's smile, she could probably continue dodging any inquiries. Cutely charming her way through.
The troublesome one here was, in fact, me.
Why, you ask?
"Well, Senpai! What a coincidence..."
I had to explain this to these guys so they'd accept it.
"Hey, Hinata. Are you heading to class?"
When I turned around in response to the voice from behind, there stood Hinata, wearing loose white pants and a navy blouse. She had raised her hand, perhaps to greet me, and was now frozen in that position.
Her eyes were fixed on Lisha, who was right next to me.
Since I had ignored the text messages she sent me after we ran away yesterday, Hinata must have been quite surprised to see her here. She probably never expected me to bring the person she wanted to hear from in person. I hadn't expected it either.
But if I was bringing Lisha to the university, there was no way to avoid explaining this to them.
"Oh, uh, Yuusuke-san."
"I'll explain, so Lisha doesn't have to say anything. Just nod or something."
I whispered to Lisha, then walked toward the rigid Hinata.
It was good that I encountered Hinata first. Souji was the type who could read the room, so he probably wouldn't pry too much. On the other hand, Hinata tended to ask many questions and, once convinced, would spread the news.
Just like with Tsukiko, if Hinata spread the word, it would make my life much easier.
This was the moment to make my stand. Let me show them the negotiation skills I had learned from my comrades during my Hero days.
I approached Hinata and placed my hand on her shoulder, looking into her eyes with a serious tone.
"Hey, Hinata, do you have a little time?"
"Eeek!?"
Perhaps surprised by my unusual tone, Hinata let out a high-pitched squeal in response. Heh, the right tone and intonation were essential in moments like these.
"There's still some time before class, right? Don't worry; I won't take up too much of your time. But it's something important."
"I-Is it important!?"
"Yes, it's something important related to both of us."
"Our future!?"
By repeating the phrase "important talk" consecutively, I emphasized it. Hinata was generally a serious person, so if I presented it this way, she would likely listen without making light of it.
And indeed, my negotiation skills seemed to be working even better than expected. Although she usually interacted with me without showing her much respect, she was now avoiding eye contact with me, stammering and blushing.
This ability to negotiate had been taught to me by my comrades during my Hero days, and I had only used it while casting spells until now. But it turned out it could also be effective in normal conversations.
As I was impressed with the results, Hinata closed her eyes as if preparing herself and spoke in a trembling voice.
"Alright, I understand."
Great, she understood.
"So, can you spare a moment to hear me out? ...About this Lisha."
"Yes?"
"No, I mean, about this Lisha. Hinata, I thought you'd want to know."
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
Hinata finally comprehended the meaning of my words. She looked at Lisha, then at me, and repeated this process several times. Then, while still looking into my eyes, she lost her expression and her face went completely blank.
Her cheeks, which had been slightly red, returned to their original state without any lingering warmth. Her eyes, which had appeared moist, lost their light.
In that moment, I realized.
Negotiation skills were useless for a Hero who could only fight.
Hinata, staring at me with a cold gaze, spoke in a flat voice.
"Understood. So, why don't you go ahead and tell me that story you mentioned?"
I couldn't understand why Hinata was so angry, had I done something wrong? And how Lisha could continue to smile and follow my instructions even in this situation.
As various thoughts crossed my mind and disappeared, I followed Hinata, who had started walking with an unsettling air.
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