Evil Avalon - Volume 2 - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Love Letter

“Souta, Kaoru’s come to get you!”

I was going to attend school after a break of a few days. Since I’d let Kaoru know, she’d diligently turned up to walk to school together. I put on the school uniform that I’d bought to fit my slightly slimmer body and went down the creaking staircase. Kaoru was waiting for me by the door, but she didn’t seem her usual self.

“S-Souta, is that really you?” asked Kaoru.

“Yep,” I replied. “My diet has started working... Are you all right?”

She clutched at her chest like she was in pain. Had she caught a cold? I asked her, and she was apparently all right. Maybe she was lovestruck with my new handsome appearance? Oh, the trouble with being popular!

While I entertained myself with delusions, I walked a few paces behind Kaoru as we walked to school, as always. I had lost weight but was still quite plump, so I’d need to wait a little longer until I could be considered handsome. Just a little longer...

The clear summer sky had brought the temperature to a warm twenty degrees Celsius despite the early hour, cooled by the occasional refreshing morning breeze. I’d sweated heavily during my first day of school on my morning walk despite the freezing weather, and the weight of all my fat had slowed me down. Now, the walk gave me far less trouble.

I was 170 centimeters tall at the moment and weighed 80 kilograms on the scale yesterday. While I regretted gaining some weight back after the Volgemurt fight, I couldn’t resist my hunger. However, I’d shed plenty of weight while increasing my muscle mass to improve my body’s balance. The Glutton skill still gave me an insatiable hunger, and my mother tried to fatten me up at every opportunity. I would need an iron will to stick to my diet without giving in to temptation.

Appraising the Glutton skill was one of my three major concerns, including my hunger and getting money. Still, I had no rush and could decide what to do with the skill later.

***

I followed Kano as we navigated the disorderly mess of school buildings toward the classroom for first-year Class E. When I sat down at my desk, I noticed the rest of the class was staring at me like I was a unicorn.

“Is it just me, or has Piggy lost weight?” one of them said.

“Yeah, he’s more piglet than pig now.”

“Ha ha, you’re saying he’s returned to being a baby, then!”

“I, uh, caught a cold,” I said.

My classmates usually ignored me, so it felt awkward to find myself suddenly at the center of their conversation.

Listen, guys, I’m a coward and can’t handle you staring at me like that! Yeah, I know how weird it is to lose twenty kilograms in a few days, but still! I thought.

I shrunk in my seat, pretending to read a book, until two sweet angels descended from the heavens and appeared by my desk.

“Hey, Narumi!” greeted Oomiya cheerfully, who had her hair in two braids on either side of her shoulders.

“Are you feeling better?” asked Nitta, the girl with glasses, who was as relaxed as ever. “You’re, like, so much thinner. Must have been a really bad cold, huh.”

The two friends were as beautiful as ever. I was grateful for their concern over my health, but it was a “really bad battle” rather than a “really bad cold” that had caused my weight loss. I couldn’t admit that and told them I was feeling better instead.

After I’d greeted them back, I asked them why they’d wanted to talk to me. It seemed we had a sword fighting class in the Arena in the afternoon.

“The thing is, we need to form pairs,” explained Oomiya. “But you were sick, so you don’t have a partner, right?”

Being told to form pairs was every loner’s nightmare. Would we start sparring already? I couldn’t think of another reason we’d need to pair in sword fighting class. Physical education at the school, like club activities, was meant to help with dungeon raids. Various classes also instructed students in weapons usage and martial arts. I recognized the benefits the combat-focused classes could have for me for dungeon raids.

“Her partner is absent today,” said Oomiya, glancing at Kuga. Yet Kuga was sitting alone in a shadowy corner as if trying to stay out of sight. She was usually a quiet student but did speak to her roommate, who was supposed to be her partner. “So I told her I’d be her partner.”

“If I pair up with you, Narumi, we’ll all be sorted,” said Nitta. “How about it?”

The simplest solution would’ve been for Kuga to pair with me. But Kuga was a secret agent with an appraisal skill, so I didn’t want to get too close to her. Oomiya and Nitta’s suggestion to split up and form pairs with each of us was a stroke of luck for me.

However, I felt it would be awkward for a guy like me to budge into a girl’s group, so I—

“Yes, please!!!”

—I bowed so low my head nearly hit the ground. The two girls had likely, or definitely, only invited Kuga and me out of pity so we wouldn’t be left out. Though, I would not let this golden chance slip out of my fingers!

I hadn’t fostered relationships with my classmates because I’d spent all my time raiding the dungeon. Plus, I had made a name for myself by being the loser that had lost to a slime. No one wanted anything to do with me either. Even though I’d become a loner, Oomiya and Nitta had gone out of their way to include me, and I wanted to get to know them better. Platonically, of course.

“They’ll hand out weapons in the class, so you don’t have to bring any,” added Oomiya. “You should try to find protective gear that fits you... And I have to say, you seem really different.”

“Yeah, it’s not just that you’ve lost weight,” agreed Nitta. “And you seem a lot stronger.”

“Y-You think so?” I responded.

I’d been obese and hardly been able to move when I joined the school, and now I’d slimmed down to just a plump boy. My exercise regime and dungeon raiding had built up muscle in my body. Although, the biggest reason for my weight loss was my fight against Volgemurt... At any rate, I definitely looked different.

“I’ll see you later, Narumi!” said Oomiya.

“Go easy on me when we spar,” remarked Nitta.

Both left to join another group of girls, waving at me as they went.

Class E’s treatment at the club fair had dampened Oomiya’s spirits for a time, but it seemed she was regaining some of her usual cheer. Nitta was as beaming as ever, clearly enjoying school life, and her presence always lightened the hearts of those around her. I was glad I’d gotten to speak to them on my first day back, as it put me in a good mood.

Right, today’s going to be a good day!

***

Most of my classmates went to the cafeteria at lunchtime, while only ten students stayed behind in the classroom. I also remained, eating a jam bun with milk I’d bought for a change of pace to the school lunches I usually ate. As I did that, I skimmed through Oomiya’s notes for math class she’d lent me so that I could catch back up after my absence.

We were only in the first term of school, even if the problems set as homework were already as difficult as university entrance exams. I needed to work more than I had at my old high school, or I’d fall behind. Even though I’d studied at a STEM university that wasn’t the best in my original world, I didn’t plan on letting myself lose ground to first-year high schoolers in STEM! While I copied the problems over and munched on my bun, I heard a stir from the other side of the classroom since someone was saying my name.

“You there,” a girl called out to a student. “Is there anyone named Souta Narumi here?”

She was a petite girl with long wavy blue hair and good posture. Her eyes and small nose gave her a dignified, strong-willed appearance. Her voice was clear and distinct, even from behind the black feather fan she held in front of her mouth. She was the very image of a noble girl.

The blue scarf on her uniform showed she was a second-year student. She hadn’t customized her uniform, but everything about the way she looked was elegant. This demeanor made it clear she was from the upper class or something akin to it.

If I remember correctly... I thought.

As an answer to the girl’s question, my classmates all pointed their fingers at me in silence like they were pointing out a criminal, then they held their breaths. I didn’t particularly want to get involved, though the tense atmosphere in the classroom left me no choice but to speak up.

“I’m Narumi,” I said. “Do you need me for something?”

“You?” the girl asked skeptically. She glared at me, looking me up and down. “Hmm.”

I felt incredibly uncomfortable under her gaze.

“I want to speak with you in private,” she said. “Come with me.” She set off, walking without waiting to hear my answer. I didn’t feel I could ask her to wait until I’d finished eating, so I shuffled behind her.

***

We walked out into the hallway, took several turns, climbed a flight of stairs, and ended up inside an empty classroom. At that point, the girl handed me a postcard-sized envelope.

Wait, if she’s taken me somewhere to be alone together and given me this... Could it be a love letter?

The envelope itself didn’t seem special, but a wax seal stamped with the mark of a plant enclosed it. On the front of the envelope was written “To Souta Narumi.” But it had nothing written on the other side to identify the sender.

Given that the young lady was glaring at me as if I were a rodent, I could probably rule out it being a love letter. Love definitely wasn’t the feeling I was getting from her; if anything, she seemed to dislike me. I wondered whether her annoyance had anything to do with the sender of the letter. When I went to open the letter, she interrupted me.

“I want you to answer my questions before you open the letter,” she ordered. Her voice had grown stricter like she was presenting me with a warning.

Because I had no idea what was happening, I thought it would be best to do as she said.

“What do you want to know?” I asked.

“I believe you encountered another member of my clan the other day,” she said.

A member of her clan? Which clan would that be? Hopefully, not Soleil.

“Did that person tell you her name or the name of our clan?”

The girl’s question made me realize she was talking about the ninja I’d met. I hadn’t gotten her to tell me her or her clan’s name because she often performed secret missions. Although I remembered that when we’d parted, she had mentioned a trainee they had at Adventurers’ High. That was most likely the person I was with now. How nice, or worrying, it was that she’d come to meet me so soon!

“No, I couldn’t get either name out of her,” I replied.

“Okay,” the girl said. She cast Basic Appraisal on me, then asked, “Next question, what is your level?”

I’d tampered with my data to show my level as 3, the same as in the school database. Yet the girl appeared convinced this was untrue. The ninja might’ve told her about my victory against the corrupt proctor.

All the same, I didn’t want to muddy the waters with the girl but would never tell her my level. I tried to phrase my refusal as amicably as possible. “I’m trying to keep my level a secret,” I replied. “It’s necessary for my current plans. I hope that doesn’t offend you.”

After a second, she said, “All right. Onto my last question, just who are you?”

That was quite an open-ended question. Was my use of the Fake skill really sufficient to warrant so much distrust? Even though first-year Class E students weren’t as experienced as the rest of the school, Akagi, Kaoru, and the others had already changed jobs. So what was so hard to believe about me becoming a Thief? Maybe people didn’t commonly use the Fake skill? That would explain the proctor’s blind confidence in Basic Appraisal and the ninja’s surprised reaction to my use of Fake.

I couldn’t be sure how common it was and tried to evade the question by saying, “Nobody special. Just Narumi, a first-year from Class E.”

The girl responded to my answer by momentarily releasing her Aura with a burst of hostility, but she quickly withdrew it. Perhaps the person who’d sent the letter prevented her from being openly aggressive toward me. I’d parted with the ninja on good terms, so I couldn’t think why her clan would be out to get me.

By the way, the girl was Kirara Kusunoki, a subheroine in the game who was quite popular among fans. Most of her friends called her by her first name, and those closest to her called her Kii. She was the heiress to a viscount and was an influential figure at the school.

Kirara only turned up rarely outside of Pinky’s BL mode, meaning I knew little about her since I’d played through the game as Akagi or a custom character. All I could remember was that she was a powerful student, acted as Pinky’s rival and protector, hated men, and had several powerful entities backing her.

She kept an entourage of many other students, which gave her a high profile within the school. More than a few annoying events would activate if I was around her, so I would’ve preferred not to get too involved with her. I worried that the letter she’d handed me would make my life difficult.

“Okay, you may read the letter now.”

“All right,” I answered with no enthusiasm. I opened the envelope, finding an invitation to attend a clan celebration. Pretty patterns decorated the card’s borders, and the sender had written the invitation with a fine brush. I was in for a surprise when I saw the sender’s name...

“From Haruka Mikami, leader of The Red Ninjettes?!”

“That’s right,” said Kirara, bringing out her feather fan and covering her mouth again. “The person you met the other day was our second-in-command.”

I knew The Red Ninjettes was an all-female clan composed entirely of Thieves. Their leader, Mikami, was a celebrity known for her glamour and beauty, making regular media appearances. Just then, I realized the ninja I’d met the other day and Kirara were also members of The Red Ninjettes.

But why would the ninja want to invite me to a party? We’d only met briefly. I would’ve asked Kirara, but I doubted they had informed her based on the questions she’d asked me.

“Celebration sounds grandiose, but it’s just a tea party for clan members. As Lady Mikami herself has invited you, I would implore you not to insult her by refusing to attend.”

Kirara’s hostility toward me made sense now. She didn’t like that a stranger, a guy no less, would attend a tea party reserved for the girls in the clan. But she couldn’t do anything about it because her clan leader had invited me personally.

“That’s all,” said Kirara. “I’ll see you again at the party.” With that, Kirara speedily exited the classroom, her footsteps making no sound.

I had to attend the party. While I would’ve liked to refuse the invitation, I was too worried about the potential consequences.

The date’s set just after the Battle of the Classes is over, I noted.

I heaved a sigh as I wondered what to do, then the school bell rang to announce that the afternoon classes would begin in five minutes.

Ah! I haven’t finished my lunch yet. I’d better run.