Quest for Hikari - Episode 8

[ ~ Chapter • Start ~ ]

[ Sometime at noon - several moments after the previous chapter's end ]

Sill Plain sat at one of the benches inside the Paris Academy's walls, clearly waiting for someone for a while

'Sarma-san said she'll be here after a while, I wonder what she's been doing out there?' She thought, before remembering what her master said several days ago.

( "Whatever you do, if someone befriends you, doubt them." )

She thought about what he said, and then thought about her recent friend, Sarma Lilismary.

".... Why should I doubt her? She's a very social, friendly person. She doesn't even hold any I'll intents to me, though what would Master think about her?" Sill wondered, just before someone approached her.

The girl had dark green hair and eyes, and she was wearing a dress similar to Sill's own. It was clear she is an upperclassman, or a senpai in another dialect.

"Ah! Sarma-senpai! What took you so long?" Sill couldn't help but ask, as her upperclassman simply gave her a gentle smile.

"Sorry, I have a lot of work to do as the Student Council's secretary back inside."

Sill nodded, understanding the events that happened earlier before Sarma sat down with her.

"Sill Plain, was it? Did you have any friends outside this academy, you know, someone close to you?" Sarma asked, as Sill immediately thought about Rance and was about to answer her, yet for some reason she shouldn't.

It's as if she should begin doubting her right now. She was trustworthy of course, but maybe she was a "little" too "trustworthy".

"Uhh.... ehh... Yes, there is. Though I can't tell anything else other than the fact that he's powerful, handsome, and somebody would stop at nothing to finish a quest. He's somewhere here in the Castle Town, though I still wonder what was happening to him."

To be honest, she's worried about Rance, and due to that, she left the information about him vague.

Sarma looked at her with silence, before looking at her curiously.

"Say, who is this man you're talking about?"

Sill looked hesitant, but a few moment of Sarma trying to convince her was the moment where Sill was forced to regretfully give out his name to Sarma.

"He's Rance Roswell, my ma- ahem... close friend that has been with me for a long while now. Sorry, but everything else you might find out about him is a secret between me and him." Sill reluctantly spoke out in an honest manner before sighing.

Sarma was silent for a long moment as she stared somewhere away from Sill, deep in thought.

"Is that so? That name sounded familiar all of a sudden, but when?"

Sarma shook her head, just before the bells rang. It was just 1:00 PM at this moment, and without time to lose, both of them immediately rushed towards the building.

Sill definitely needs to question her sometime soon.

[ Meanwhile... ]

[ PoV: Rance ]

"Hachoo~! Ahchoo~!?" I sneezed hard, as the movement I made somehow toppled over a trashcan.

Pretty sure two people are talking about me due to me having a coughing fit, though....

Looking down at the trashcan I accidentally toppled over, I found a several used syringes beside it that had rolled over near a pile of rubbish.

With keen eyes, I noticed a tiny bit of green liquid on them. Due to that alone, I became curious.

"Item inspection." I said in a low tone before the syringes gained a small, gentle glow that disappeared just as it appeared.

I sighed.

"Two syringes are all to keep someone awake, and the other was to stimulate the senses, increasing the sensitivity in the process."

It's a clue, though I had to take them back to the trashcan and cover them up using magic before anybody could see me.

"Can't waste time here and gain attention to myself doing strange stuff near the trashcan, I need to leave."

I visited the Bistro Bar Flanders to buy myself a meal, and probably interact with Pulptenks there

Sadly, she was still at school, so I was a little disappointed.

Anyways, what are my current goals?

One was to gain the coliseum pass from Menad, two was to fu- ahem! Make her explore the pleasure of being a woman, three was to attract the attention of several people by rising through the ranks once a day until I defeat Yulang Mirage and reign as the champion..... though being a long-running champion would be boring, you know.

I might gain more clues regarding my investigation.

And then, dusk came by and it was time for me to move to the Cemetery at south of Paris Academy.

It also seems like Menad had not yet arrived here because I was here early, so I should wait for a few more minutes.

[ ~ Chapter • End ~ ]