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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Unpredictable Sharin
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Sharin Sazaris.
One of the most unpredictable individuals in the *Flame Butterfly* arc.
Sharin possessed a unique trait:
An overwhelming talent that appeared only once every thousand years.
Mireune.
Her eyes, which sparkled like the Milky Way whenever they caught the light.
It was the talent to comprehend the principles and theories of magic just by seeing it.
I, too, knew how ridiculously powerful Mireune was.
Even the professors at Jerion Academy couldn't match Sharin's Mireune.
This was a natural talent bestowed only upon Sharin.
But even so, I never expected it to be able to see through the Veil Bandage.
'The reason Lucas didn't appear when Sharin used the Veil Bandage was...'
Looking back now, it was because Mireune could see through the Veil Bandage.
An unforeseen variable.
Beneath languid eyelids, eyes that seemed to hold a galaxy quietly gazed at me.
Just that gaze made me feel as if something was being seen right through.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Are you still half-asleep?"
I denied it for now.
"Then I'll go ask Professor, okayyy?"
I quickly reached out and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck.
"I was wrong. Stop right now."
Bringing in an expert is cheating.
Fight fair and square with envy and fabrication.
Sharin glanced at me, her nape still in my grasp.
When I let go of her neck, she spun around.
"I really like the cream bread from the cafeteria at lunchtime."
"I hate greasy stuff."
"But I like it."
I barely managed to suppress a sigh.
"I'll bring it to you at lunch, then."
"Yup, yup."
So this was the price for her silence.
"See you thennn."
Sharin waved her hand languidly and headed straight for the Magic Department building.
I watched her retreating back for a moment before turning my own steps.
Though she was whimsical, she was someone who kept her promises.
At least she wouldn't go around blabbing until lunchtime.
'First things first.'
I should get to my duties.
Even if I had to be hated by Isabel, I couldn't be hated for being lazy.
* * *
Today, I successfully managed to annoy Isabel during the morning class.
Lately, the female students' gazes had grown increasingly fierce.
Perhaps because of the glares from the female students, the boys didn't really approach me either.
Thanks to that, I had a comfortable school life.
Since I was so busy anyway, my social life didn't matter.
'For now, it's enough to focus on the main characters.'
Whatever it was, I needed to put out the most urgent fires first.
I packed my things and left the classroom.
Just then, I saw students heading out for lunch.
I followed them to the cafeteria.
Normally, I would have picked something suitable for lunch and then gone to the student council to find Nikita.
But today, something came up, so I couldn't.
At the cafeteria, I bought a cream bread for Sharin and a red bean bun for myself.
And a tea and a drink, one of each.
Just as I was about to walk away, with everything neatly packed in a bag.
An familiar face appeared from the opposite direction.
There was a boy, surrounded by people, looking utterly exhausted.
Messy, short brown hair and large round glasses.
He was Poara Sylin, currently the most famous first-year and a spirit user who had contracted with a Spirit Lord.
"Poara, why don't you join our team? With you, the professor would recommend you, and you could get in specially."
"What are you talking about? Poara's joining *our* team! You latecomer, back off!"
"You guys, stop being so greedy! You all have a spirit user already! We don't have any!"
And this crowd was the Poara Scramble.
It was a pre-emptive move to secure talented individuals like Poara in preparation for the Magic Palace competition after the mock battle.
Team members were the most crucial factor in the Magic Palace competition.
The floor one could descend to depended on how capable the team members were.
That's why the mock battle originally felt strongly like self-promotion.
A pitch to strong teams, showing off one's skills and asking to be taken along.
Since the professors also tried their best to create as many strong and good teams as possible,
the results of this mock battle were extremely important.
However, there were some individuals whom all teams desired, even without participating in such mock battles.
The Poara standing there was one such case.
'First-years usually need to undergo about half a year of training before entering the Magic Palace.'
But sometimes, there were those who defied all expectations.
Jerion Academy had created a special class for such individuals.
Poara wasn't originally in the special class.
But he had succeeded in a provisional contract with a Spirit Lord.
So, whether by his own will or by circumstance, he was now part of the special class and was scheduled to enter the Magic Palace with his seniors.
Naturally, Poara hadn't yet been assigned to a team.
That's why the students were swarming him like that.
'Poor guy.'
No, was he really poor?
Thanks to contracting with a Spirit Lord, his life had become a smooth road.
Come to think of it, there wasn't really anything to pity.
If anything, I was the pitiful one, who worked so hard but never even saw a spirit's face.
"Oh, ah! Ha-Hanon Senior!"
At that moment, Poara looked my way and blurted out my name.
Why would he suddenly call my name at this timing?
When I looked at Poara with a bewildered expression, his eyes sparkled like an abandoned puppy.
There was a desperate plea in them, begging me to rescue him from this place.
Then, the gazes of the students surrounding Poara fixated on me.
Eyes that seemed to ask, 'Who are you?'
Oh, very arrogant gazes.
Among them were third-year seniors, but their glares didn't intimidate me at all.
That's because the glares from the girls in my department were even more stinging.
I approached Poara and grabbed his arm.
The students' eyes sharpened even more.
"I have student council business. I was thinking of taking Poara. Is that a problem?"
With that, I boldly displayed my student council badge.
The students flinched and backed away.
I felt the thrill of power.
Poara was currently a member of the student council anyway.
If I said I was taking him for student council business, they couldn't say anything.
The students looked at me with resentful eyes.
Eyes like someone whose captured prey had been stolen.
So what? Then you guys join the student council too.
You should shout, "Power is the best!"
"Let's go."
"Yes, Senior!"
I led Poara out.
Poara finally caught his breath and let out a sigh of relief.
Then, belatedly, he bowed his head deeply to me.
"Ha-Hanon Senior, thank you. You really saved me!"
"You've been through a lot too."
Come to think of it, Poara had that thing.
I decided to ask him about something while I had the chance.
"Poara, do you have any intention of boycotting the student council later?"
"Wh-what? Me? There's no way I'd do something like that!"
Poara flinched and waved his hands frantically.
He waved them so vigorously that his glasses became crooked.
'So he doesn't have any thoughts about it right now.'
Well, Poara's entire life had changed.
Still, I was worried.
It was already a world much changed from the original story, but if he didn't participate in the boycott, the influence of the boycott participants would be greatly weakened.
'It's not something that's going to happen right away.'
I'll think about this more later.
"Um, Hanon Senior."
Then Poara looked at me as if he had something to say.
A guy glancing around like that was somehow unappealing.
"What is it? If you have something to say, say it quickly."
"I'm sorry I couldn't be of much help during the Spirit Forest incident. Hiding and doing nothing..."
Poara said, his shoulders slumped.
I clearly remember telling him not to come.
It seemed to have bothered him quite a bit.
"You don't need to feel sorry."
"While you were fighting Shinbi, all I did was contract with a Spirit Lord. I only found out you had collapsed after the contract."
Poara mumbled, repeatedly apologizing.
For me, it was actually better that he didn't intervene at all.
But it seemed Poara didn't feel that way.
Looking at him like this, he wasn't a bad kid.
"It's fine. Don't worry about it."
"B-but isn't there something I can do?
Just being a nuisance like this would bring shame to my family. I want to do something for you!"
"Not really..."
I was about to say I didn't need anything, but I stopped.
I paused, resting my chin on my hand, then turned back to Poara.
"Then, can I ask for your help when I need it next time?"
"Yes, of course!"
Poara's face brightened considerably as he answered.
He looked like a brown retriever.
'I've gained a decent card.'
A Spirit Lord contractor.
There would be many opportunities to use him in the future.
And as I thought about it, it occurred to me that the boycott issue could also be resolved at the same time.
'I'll make good use of him.'
Somehow, I ended up creating a Spirit Lord contractor.
I should make full use of him.
After parting ways with Poara, I arrived at the Magic Department building.
From time to time, Magic Department students looked at me curiously.
"She's really tiny."
"Is she a first-year?"
"Her name tag was blue. Isn't she a new face?"
"Oh, then could she be a transfer student from the Martial Arts Department?"
Among them, some recognized me.
Anyway, the speed at which rumors spread was frightening.
How could they be so fast?
I casually ignored the students' gazes and kept walking.
As I did, I looked around the Magic Department hallway with curious eyes.
Unlike the bleak Martial Arts Department hallway, the Magic Department had all sorts of things.
'It certainly is pleasant to look at.'
Various magic artifacts were displayed like works of art.
Walking while looking at them with interest, I quickly arrived at the second-year classroom.
Most of the students had gone to eat, so the classroom was empty.
The problem was, Sharin wasn't there either.
'She's not here.'
She asked me to bring it to the Magic Department classroom, so I thought she'd be here.
I guess I'll just leave it on her desk.
Just as I thought that and was about to step inside, I sensed a presence behind me.
As I turned my head, I realized too late that someone's forehead was right in front of my nose.
Ah, I'm going to hit.
Thwack!
With a cheerful sound, both the other person and I simultaneously fell backward.
"Ugh, ugh, ugh."
Clutching my forehead, I turned my head, and there was Sharin, curled up, clutching her own forehead.
She looked at me with a tearful face and protested.
"Why'd you turn around thennn?"
"It's the fault of the person who came up behind me first."
As the pain subsided a little, I approached Sharin.
I held out my hand, and Sharin grabbed my arm, swaying as she stood up.
The after-effects of the headbutt seemed quite strong.
"...The bread?"
It was impressive how she asked for the bread first.
"I brought it. So where did you appear from?"
"I went to pick flowers."
"Where are the flowers?"
Sharin's hands were, of course, empty.
Then she raised her languid eyes.
"You're so insensitive."
"No, I have plenty of sense. Why are you beating around the bush about going to the bathroom?"
Of course, I said that knowing full well.
A slight look of displeasure appeared in Sharin's eyes.
"You're prickly."
"Because of what you put me through today."
How could I not be prickly after being made to run a bread errand?
Sharin looked at me for a moment, then didn't reply further and entered the classroom.
I followed her in and placed the bread bag on her desk.
"So, you're not going to tell anyone about what happened earlier, right?"
When I asked, Sharin rummaged around for the bread bag.
Then, seeing the bread inside, she immediately started unwrapping the red bean bun.
"Hey, hold it right there."
Seeing Sharin about to put the red bean bun into her mouth, I covered her mouth with my hand.
Sharin looked at me with an expression that asked why.
"You asked for cream bread, so why are you eating the red bean bun? That's mine."
"Cream bread is greasy."
"You said you liked it this morning."
"It changed."
Should I punch her?
Sharin suddenly licked my hand, which was covering her mouth.
When I recoiled in disgust and pulled my hand away, she took a big bite of the red bean bun.
Her small cheeks were full of red bean bun as she chewed and swallowed.
I watched her, dumbfounded, then pulled out a chair on the opposite side and sat down.
"It's delicious. Thank you."
"You don't look grateful at all."
"Yeah, Bel told me to say thank you when I receive something, so I did."
A sigh escaped me.
It would have been best not to get involved with this whimsical girl. I've been had.
I had no choice but to take out the cream bread and bite into it.
Sure enough, a greasy taste spread through my mouth.
I definitely preferred red bean.
Then Sharin stared intently at my cream bread.
"You said you weren't going to eat it."
"Other people's food always looks tastier."
Sharin leaned forward and opened her mouth.
"Ah."
As her dainty mouth opened, I could clearly see her uvula.
I gazed at it for a moment, then held up my finger instead of the cream bread.
Snap!
Sharin's mouth closed.
It was clear she'd bite my finger off if I put it in.
I had no choice but to offer the cream bread to save my finger.
This time, Sharin took another big bite.
Cream was smeared around her mouth, but she didn't seem to care.
She chewed diligently, swallowed the bread, then looked at me belatedly and tilted her head.
"So why did you buy this for meee?"
I should punch her.