Fantasy Libary 31

Title: You Should Be More Confident

Half an hour later, the meal Julis had prepared was finished.

During the meal, the princess spent most of her time talking to Kirin. This was in stark contrast to her reputation as the Brilliant Flame Witch, who was notoriously difficult to approach. Ayato, who had seen her more dominant side, found himself amazed by her unusually friendly demeanor.

Ark observed the scene, also convinced—Julis had specifically arranged this meeting for Kirin’s sake.

It had to be admitted, the way girls bonded with each other was always baffling. Even someone like Julis, who was rumored to be hard to get along with, managed to ease Kirin’s nervousness after just a bit of casual chatting.

By the end of the meal, Kirin was already laughing and chatting comfortably with Julis, to the point where they even fed each other. Ark couldn’t help but stare in disbelief at how quickly their relationship had developed.

Thanks to Julis’s guidance, Kirin’s previously tense expression had become much brighter.

“The timing is just right.”

As the group left the restaurant, Julis glanced at the sky before turning to speak to them.

“Next, I plan to take this guy for a little stroll. Want to join?” she asked, pointing at Ayato while addressing Ark and Kirin.

It seemed the princess hadn’t forgotten her earlier promise to Ayato.

Without a second thought, Ark immediately declined.

“I’ll pass. You two go ahead.”

What for? To be the third wheel? Ark had no interest in being that infamous “lightbulb.”

“I-I won’t go either.” Kirin murmured softly. “I still have homework to finish...”

Of course, that was just an excuse. The young girl hadn’t thought much about it—she just felt she’d been out long enough. If she stayed out any longer, her uncle would surely scold her again.

“Not a single one of you?”

Julis muttered her disappointment, looking somewhat dissatisfied.

It was rare for her to have the chance to gather with friends like this. Although she didn’t want to get too carried away, the rare opportunity tempted her to spend more time with her friends.

Still, she quickly suppressed the thought.

She wasn’t the type to force things without reason. If it weren’t for Kirin, she wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to arrange something like this in the first place.

“Alright, we’ll head off. You two be careful.” Julis said, then turned specifically to Ark. “As her senior, it’s your responsibility to escort Kirin safely back to Seidoukan Academy. Understood?”

Hearing this, Ark rolled his eyes.

“Kirin is ranked first in our academy.” He replied.

The implication was clear: even without his help, it would be hard for anything to happen to her.

“That’s a separate matter.” Julis answered earnestly.

“Sure.” Ark shrugged. “I’ll make sure Kirin gets back. Now, you two enjoy your date.”

“This isn’t a date!” Julis shouted, her face red with anger.

“Ahaha...” Ayato could only laugh awkwardly, unsure how to defuse the situation. His response only made Julis more flustered.

Soon after, the two left, bickering all the way. Or rather, Julis was the one complaining while Ayato followed with a helpless smile.

Watching the two disappear into the distance, Ark turned to Kirin.

“Shall we head back too?”

“Y-Yes!” Kirin replied nervously. With Julis gone, her shy nature seemed to resurface.

“Relax.” Ark said, annoyed. “I’m not going to eat you.”

“Right...”

Kirin tried to calm herself, but no matter how many times she told herself that, she couldn’t quite manage it.

“Forget it.” Ark grumbled, deciding not to push her. As he started walking, he added, “Let’s just head back now.”

“Yes!” Kirin hurried to follow him. Along the way, she occasionally glanced at his face, looking somewhat gloomy.

“Are you mad at me, Senpai?” She asked hesitantly.

“No.” Ark replied calmly. He wasn’t the type to get angry over trivial matters. Seeing Kirin’s despondent expression, he couldn’t help but add, “Don’t overthink it. Everyone has different personalities. You... Well, you’re still young. Being a little shy is normal, so don’t let it get to you.”

Shy and quiet girls like Kirin were, in fact, quite beloved by many. Ark certainly didn’t want to be the one to crush her confidence and make her withdraw even more. That would be a terrible thing to do.

Unfortunately, Kirin didn’t seem to share that sentiment.

“I know I’m useless. My uncle always says the same thing.” She muttered self-deprecatingly. “You don’t need to comfort me, Senpai.”

“You think I’m just comforting you?” Ark stopped walking and looked at her. “I think you’re underestimating yourself.”

“Let’s set aside the fact that you’re ranked first in our academy for a moment. Think about this: at your age, how many people in the world can achieve what you have?”

Although Ark often joked in his mind about how Kirin’s physique seemed underdeveloped for her age, the fact remained that she was only thirteen years old.

Thirteen years old—a first-year in middle school. In Ark’s previous world, that would be equivalent to a junior high student who had just graduated from elementary school.

In fact, the age requirement to participate in the Festa tournament started at thirteen and went up to twenty-two. Kirin had just met the minimum age requirement, and she still had a decade to continue honing her skills.

But even now, at such a young age, she had risen to the top rank of Seidoukan Academy.

First place!

In Asterisk City, an achievement like that was truly remarkable.

There were students who spent their entire school years—from enrollment to graduation—without ever reaching the top. Yet, Kirin had done it from the very beginning!

This was precisely why her participation in official rank battles attracted so much attention.

She might not yet be the strongest among the students of the Six Academies, but she was undoubtedly one of the most promising.

Given ten years to grow, who could predict the heights she might reach?

It was beyond imagination.

What made it even more remarkable was that Kirin had achieved all this entirely on her own. Her success wasn’t due to using an Orga Lux or being a Witch. Even her physical abilities and Prana weren’t the most extraordinary—certainly not on the level of Ayato after he unlocked his seal.

Yet Kirin relied solely on her swordsmanship to reach the top of Seidoukan Academy.

In the original story, Kirin even defeated Ayato in battle, handing him his first loss since arriving at the academy.

And this wasn’t Ayato in his usual state. This was Ayato wielding Ser-Veresta—a level of power that placed him at the very top of the academy. Even Julis, who was ranked fifth, admitted that she stood no chance against Ayato and estimated she would lose ten out of ten matches if they fought.

Even Ark himself couldn’t defeat Ayato in that condition without relying on Ser-Veresta.

Yet Kirin managed to defeat Ayato in just five minutes!

If Kirin were to use an Orga Lux, like Ser-Veresta, how strong would she become?

It was that potential that drew so much attention to her.

With such extraordinary abilities, how could Kirin not feel confident? What more did she need—to ascend to heaven?

“You should be more confident.” Ark said, looking directly into her eyes. “You’re amazing. Without a doubt.”

His words made Kirin look up at him, her eyes meeting his. This time, she didn’t look away.

For a moment, she stared at Ark, who was gazing back at her with unwavering sincerity.

Finally, Kirin gathered her courage.

“Why did you challenge me specifically, Senpai?”

She had asked the question.