“Phew... The Management Committee certainly keeps us busy~”
“It can't be helped. But they were flexible with our schedule, so we should be grateful this time.”
Amelia’s match had concluded without a hitch, and we were now attending to our duties as members of the Management Committee.
Clarice and I were primarily tasked with cleaning.
The arena was a square of stone paving, often shattered by magic during the matches. Faculty members used magic to gather the debris into piles, and we, as part of the Management Committee, took on the task of clearing it out and moving it to a room on the first basement floor.
In addition to that, we cleaned the participants' waiting rooms. While they didn't generate much trash, we performed this task after every match to ensure a good environment for the competitors.
It was surprisingly grueling work. Since it was the first time for both Clarice and me, we were quite flustered initially, but we were finally starting to get the hang of it.
“All right... that should do it.”
“Yeah. And it sounds like the next match has already started. We’ll clean this waiting room, and then we can go watch the match.”
“...Phew. Is it just me, or are we insanely busy?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, we were working as vendors this morning, right? Then we've got this committee work—even if it's mostly cleaning. And then we have to cheer for Amelia. It's quite a grueling schedule...”
“I suppose it is, now that you mention it... Are you finding it too difficult? If so, I can take on a larger share of the work...”
“No, I didn't mean it like that...! I was just... thinking out loud...”
We were currently making our way from the first basement floor to the upper levels, heading toward the players' waiting rooms.
Clarice spoke as we walked, and as I responded, I began to worry that I had placed too much of a burden on her.
Come to think of it, while the Management Committee work was her choice, I had more or less dragged her into the vendor job and the Amelia Cheer Squad.
I felt truly sorry if I was causing her undue strain, but it seemed that wasn't what Clarice was trying to say.
“U-Um... you see.”
“Is there something on your mind?”
“Well... I haven't told you... why I volunteered for the Management Committee, have I?”
“Now that you mention it... no, you haven't.”
I knew her reason for not participating as a player. She wanted to be a Hunter rather than a Magic Swordsman. However, I hadn't heard why she had specifically sought out the Management Committee. I hadn't pried back then, but it seemed she was ready to tell me the reason now.
“Well... I already told you this, Ray, but I’ve always had this kind of personality. Plus, House Cleveland is a fairly high-ranking noble family.”
“...I see.”
“And, well... I could never really make friends. Although, I’m sure it’s mostly because of my own personality... Even after I entered this academy, I was a bit of an outcast in class. That’s why I volunteered for the Management Committee; I wanted to interact with as many people as possible, even if only a little.”
“...”
“And well... thanks to you, I was able to meet you and everyone else... So, I’m usually too embarrassed to say it, but... I’m actually really, really grateful to you, Ray... So... th-thank you.”
She spoke with her head bowed slightly. Her cheeks were tinged with vermilion—not quite bright red, but her embarrassment was plain to see. So... that was it.
Clarice, too, had taken action on her own because she wished to change.
I didn't know the details of her past, but there must have been many inner conflicts. Despite that, she put on airs and acted tough so as not to show any weakness. Her usual prickly attitude was likely her own way of navigating the world.
By doing so, she tried to maintain a certain distance from others. But Clarice wanted to change; she wanted a catalyst, so she volunteered for the Management Committee and arrived at where she was now.
How... how incredibly noble of her...
Feeling a warm sensation welling up in my chest, I instinctively wiped my eyes.
“U... uuuuugh, Clarice... you, too, were an angel all along...”
“Hey!? Why are you crying!?”
“U... sniff... forgive me. Perhaps it is my age. I was simply moved by the beauty of your heart, and by the courage you showed in taking that first step, Clarice...”
“No, no, what do you mean, 'age'... we’re the same age! But anyway, I really am grateful to you, Ray... so! I just wanted to make sure I said that! O-Oh, but don't get the wrong idea! No... it’s not that you have the wrong idea, but...! Argh, geez, this is just embarrassing...”
Clarice pressed her hands to her cheeks, which remained a deep crimson.
Just like Elisa, Clarice had also moved forward... struggling to overcome her own inner conflicts and trying to make a change.
Presumably, it was the same for everyone.
Surely, every one of us is a work in progress. We all carry various worries and move forward while struggling. But we have friends now. Irreplaceable friends. That was why I felt, from the bottom of my heart, that I was truly glad I came to this academy.
“Here. A handkerchief and a tissue.”
“My apologies.”
I accepted them and wiped my pathetic face. Lately, it felt like my tear ducts were quite loose, but since I lacked a heart that wouldn't be moved in the face of such sincerity, it couldn't be helped.
“By the way, I’ve been thinking about this for a while.”
“Yes.”
“...Is Amelia going to be okay?”
“In which sense?”
“Ah... so you noticed too, Ray.”
Clarice asked with a slightly serious expression.
“Physically and magically speaking, she is in peak condition. Surviving the Ainsworth-style Boot Camp was no small feat.”
“...That was miserable. Seeing Amelia that terrified and running away... it was seriously scary to watch from the sidelines...”
“I believe she’ll be fine because she overcame that... but that isn't what you meant, is it, Clarice?”
“Yeah. Amelia... well, sometimes it feels like she’s pushing herself, or like she suddenly becomes a different person, you know?”
“I agree.”
It seemed I wasn't the only one who had noticed Amelia’s situation; Clarice had sensed it as well. She continued speaking, her twin-tails drooping slightly.
“You see, I’ve known Amelia since we were little. Of course, I know everyone from the Three Great Noble Families well. Rebecca, Ariane, and Amelia too. The three of them were often compared. Like which house was the most superior. Nobles are obsessed with that kind of thing. And, well, Amelia had all sorts of things said about her by other nobles... that even though she’s the eldest daughter of House Rose, the Head of the Three Great Noble Families, she’s inferior to Rebecca or Ariane. Personally, I think Amelia is amazing compared to other nobles. But the truth is, those two really are on another level.”
“I see... so that's what it was like...”
“Yes. I used to watch Amelia from a distance at parties. I didn't have the courage to talk to her, but... she’s so beautiful and cute that I couldn't help but look. But you know, Amelia looks like she’s smiling, but she isn't. That hasn't changed... not since we were little.”
“However, I feel... that the current Amelia is beginning to reclaim herself, even if just a little...”
There were times when Amelia seemed to smile truly from her heart. I could tell immediately by looking at that dazzling expression.
But a shadow would inevitably fall over it.
As if realizing that she shouldn't be this way, Amelia would immediately retreat behind her walls.
“Yeah. I think so too. Especially when Amelia is training with you, Ray, she seems a bit more like herself, and there are times when she seems to be smiling from her heart. Of course, it’s like that when she’s with us, too. But still... when she’s with you, Ray, I feel like she has this look in her eyes, like she’s searching for something, or seeking something.”
“...I see. That is how it appeared to you, Clarice.”
“Yeah... I understand the pressure of being a noble. To prove your lineage, people around you say all sorts of things, true or not. Fortunately for me, my family didn't care much about that, and with my personality, I don't really mind what people say... but I know Amelia has lived under a level of pressure I can't even imagine since she was little, so...”
“You’re worried about her, aren't you?”
“Yeah...”
I was sure it wasn't just me or Clarice.
Evi and Elisa, too, had watched our training with bated breath. They were all worried about Amelia.
And when we formed the Amelia Cheer Squad, everyone in the Environmental Research Club created those outfits with her in mind.
The path Amelia was walking might be truly harsh and painful. But we were the ones who wished to be her strength. I had come this far hoping to give her a push...
Have I truly been able to help Amelia?
I still hesitated. I wondered if this was really for the best.
I sometimes found myself wondering if I was making another mistake, just like in the past.
But... even so, I had decided to move forward. Just as my Master once did.
“Clarice. Only Amelia herself knows what is truly in her heart. She might hit a massive wall during this tournament. But let’s support her. We will support her as she fights all alone in front of that massive crowd.”
“Y-Yeah! You’re right! Ray, you really are a good guy!”
“Am I...?”
“Yeah! You’re a bit weird, but you’re kind to everyone! So let’s cheer for her together! I’m going to give it my all, too!”
“Yeah. Let's do that.”
We smiled at each other and continued our work.
Kind... huh.
I was surely projecting my own self onto her. It was as if I were looking at my lonely self from the past. It was precisely because I felt that way that I had come this far, wanting to be of help to Amelia.
I had acted on the thought that if I could give Amelia what my past self had once desired...
If that was what kindness was, did it mean that I, too, was reclaiming a human heart?
Could I, too, become a support for someone, just like Master and everyone else back then?
Could I... truly stand by someone’s side, rather than just acting out of self-satisfaction?
Contemplating such things, I moved forward alongside Clarice.