Side Story 13: The Whereabouts of the Heart ①
For the next three days, I’ll be participating in the Adventure Department’s classes alongside Arena. There are three reasons for this: one, even though this is just a clone body, I still want to move around; two, I’m simply curious about what the classes are like; and lastly—
“Oh my, you two came♪ I’ve been waiting for you~♪”
“Hello~♪”
“Nice to meet you, Professor Paradox. I look forward to today’s lesson.”
“Oh, leave it to me♪”
I was also interested in this Brolya Paradox (male) + (maidenly) person. Or rather, Arena was. As for me, I ca— “Aah!?” …I came because I found her strong character amusing.
But Arena seems to have a different kind of interest in her. Lately, she’s been visiting her room every single day. When I asked what they were talking about, she just brushed me off. That had never happened before, so at first, I got flustered and even cried a little—definitely an embarrassing memory. Arena later reassured me that it wasn’t a bad thing at all, so I believed her, but still…
“By the way, the Adventure Department has a lot of first-years, doesn’t it?”
“Of course~♪ It’s the most sought-after profession in the world. Naturally, there are tons of people who want to become adventurers.”
As far as the eye could see, students had gathered in the courtyard. Well, the courtyard itself wasn’t that big, but there were at least 300 people. Most of them were male, though I spotted a few female students here and there. Ah… this kind of reminds me of Aguera from Galuania.
Then, a teacher stood on a platform and began explaining the details of the test.
“For this test, you will be forming five-person parties and hunting monsters. Your scores will be determined by the number and strength of the monsters you defeat, but an important part of the evaluation is how safely you complete the test. Be very careful. The location is the Testeve Forest beyond the plains. If you find yourselves in an unforeseen crisis, immediately launch a signal into the sky using magic. Do not throw away your lives for the sake of pride.”
Once the explanation was over, Professor Paradox stepped forward to address the students. Everyone straightened their postures and listened intently to… her? words.
“Now then, everyone, today is your final exam. Show us the fruits of your training, hunt monsters together with your comrades, and keep hunting and hunting until you can hunt no more! But—absolutely no reckless behavior. If you dare to neglect your comrades…”
Suddenly, her tone shifted.
“I’LL MAKE YOU REGRET EVER BEING BORN, YOU LITTLE SHITS!!!!”
“YES, MA’AM!!!”
Whoa… that’s some serious presence. And she can use rough speech when she wants to.
With Professor Paradox’s words echoing in their ears, the students began heading outside, keeping pace with their respective parties.
As for our role this time, we’re basically assisting the instructors—keeping an eye out for any parties that seem to be in danger and helping them if necessary. Kind of vague, huh…?
“It’s fine. In the end, all an adventurer truly needs is discipline and camaraderie. As long as you have those, most things can be forgiven. Now then, you two are free to wander the forest as you please. From what I hear, you’re far stronger than me anyway♪”
No, you’re plenty strong yourself.
Brolya Paradox (38) – Lv. 422
Race: Human
HP: 9,829 / 9,829
MP: 9,544 / 9,544
Attack (AK): 11,151
Defense (DF): 10,550
Magic Attack (MAK): 5,467
Magic Defense (MDF): 7,866
Intelligence (INT): 740
Speed (SPD): 11,200
[Unique Skill] Fortitude
Skills:
- Martial Arts (S+)
- Four-Element Magic (S-)
- Shukuchi (S-) (Flash Step/Instant Movement)
- Iron Wall (S+)
- Singing (C)
- Concealment (C+)
- Fortitude
“A skill possessed by those who never break and never bend. The higher the rank of ‘Iron Wall,’ the greater the bonus to DF and MDF.”
This skill must reflect the way Professor Paradox lives. She expresses herself so boldly and proudly—it’s not something that can be done with an ordinary mindset. Her strength is second only to Bandalba in this martial arts tournament.
“Well then, as the head of this department, I have to get going♪ You two, if anything happens, I’m counting on you~♪”
Leaving those words behind, the professor skipped off, following the students.
“Alright, shall we go too?”
“Y-Yeah! Let’s go!!”
“…”
Lately, Arena has been acting strange. Ever since she started spending time with Professor Paradox, she’s been fidgety and restless. Every time she looks at me, her face turns red. She’s smiling, but she’s also flustered, with exaggerated gestures.
She’s adorable. So adorable that I wouldn’t mind keeping her in my sight at all times. But at the same time, I can’t help but feel confused. Maybe it’s because this kind of cuteness feels different?
Even Arena herself seems puzzled by her own behavior—she keeps tilting her head in confusion, frequently calling Testanica or visiting Professor Paradox.
Still, she never strays from my side. Today as well, the two of us walked hand in hand.
“Hmm, it’s just an ordinary forest, huh?”
“Yeah, compared to the forests near Radaria or the Madalcos Forest in Galuania, this one feels really small.”
“Well, you can’t use those as a standard. The trees there are over 50 meters tall!”
It’s simply a difference in environment. This forest only has typical cedar trees, while those other forests had trees I couldn’t even begin to identify—definitely unique to another world.
Right now, we’re walking through the forest. If I listen closely, I can hear the sounds of battle here and there. For now, it seems like only weak monsters are in this area, so I haven’t heard any screams. I’m using Fairy Magic to detect everything within a one-kilometer radius, so if something happens, I can immediately rush in. Until then, I guess I’m just enjoying a walk with Arena.
“By the way, what did you bring today, Arena?”
“Huh? Uh… A lunchbox, I guess.”
“Oh, I see. You prepared one?”
“I made one for you too, Idle! Let’s eat together later, okay?”
“O-Oh, got it.”
An angel turning into a goddess—what comes after that?
She’s holding the bag with both hands, looking so proud, with the cutest, most bashful smile.
Honestly, I don’t know what’s going on anymore. Lately, she’s been avoiding eye contact and running away flustered, but now she’s like this? I never expected to experience gap moe with Arena. Though, to be fair, she’s always been affectionate.
Ever since I watched Oikawa and Fernora’s interaction, something strange has been happening inside me.
Normally, seeing a happy scene like that would just make me smile, but this time, something in my chest throbbed. It was a sweet kind of pain.
And when I looked at Idle in that state, the feeling intensified. My face grew hot, and my chest tightened even more. It wasn’t like this all the time, but in certain moments, my heart would clench so hard I didn’t know what to do.
So, I decided to ask Testanica about it.
『It’s rare for you to call me like this. What’s wrong?』
“Um… I wanted to ask you about something…”
When I explained my situation, she let out a thoughtful hum. It was different from the frustrated noises she usually made when talking to Idle.
『…Hmmm, I see. Arena, you’re amazing, you know that?』
“Huh?”
『You see, that feeling you’re experiencing… It’s something Norn and I wished we could have. But in the end, we stayed as just best friends. Our relationship was always like a game, right? Our emotions were all just part of our acting. I loved Norn, but I could never love her that way. It was frustrating.』
“Wait, what do you mean—?”
『Ah, sorry, sorry. Hmm, how should I put this…? There’s a term for this in human stories. What you’re feeling is probably something close to love. Though, since we aren’t human, I can’t say for sure.』
“Lo…ve?”
Hearing that word made my heart pound even harder. Ahhh… why does this pain feel so good?
“But… Norn once said that fairies don’t experience things like that.”
『That’s because Norn couldn’t feel it, and she was frustrated about it. It’s true that fairies almost never experience emotions like that. Unlike living creatures, we don’t have physical instincts or biological urges.』
That’s right. Fairies are beings born from something—we don’t create new fairies ourselves.
But still…
“I don’t understand. It is the feeling of liking someone, but it’s a different kind of liking… What’s happening to me?”
『You won’t find the answer by asking me, Arena. You have to figure it out for yourself. No one has ever experienced what you’re going through. Only you can understand it.』
“That’s not helpful…”
『Well, if you really want advice, you should ask a human. They’re far more experienced with love than us. I’m sure they can help you.』
“Oh… That makes sense! So I just have to ask someone who knows a lot about love! Got it—thanks, Testanica!”
『Yes, yes. Good luck~♪』
As soon as the call ended, I took off running.
Right now, there was only one person nearby who seemed knowledgeable about this kind of thing.
“So, that’s why you came to me~♪”
“Yes. I heard that you often give advice about ‘love,’ Professor.”
Even among the students passing by, I had heard Paradox’s name mentioned many times.
She? He?—never once betrayed their own heart. Though born in a man’s body, they walked the path of a woman with unwavering conviction. Precisely because they understood both sides, they were considered the best person to talk to about matters of the heart.
That’s why I decided to consult them, but when I explained my situation, Professor Paradox simply shook their head.
“Listen, Arena-chan. You’re misunderstanding what ‘love’ is.”
“Huh? But isn’t love just about liking someone? I just don’t understand how it’s different from the way I like my friends. If I can figure that out, I’ll know whether or not I’m in love.”
“Friendship is about the person, but love is a concept. It’s not something you can analyze or understand—it just is. Thinking about it is pointless. The only way forward is to accept what you feel.”
As the professor spoke, they gracefully lifted an intricately patterned teacup with their thick fingers, taking a sip. Their expression was gentle—like someone watching a child learning something for the first time.
“Let me put it simply. What you’re feeling is, without a doubt, love. And not just any love—it’s pure, beautiful… almost too perfect to be human~♪”
“But precisely because of that, you must not overthink it. Just let yourself move forward, uncertain and all. Do what you want to do, and live beside the person you love, even if you’re confused along the way.”
“Even if I’m confused… just stay by their side…”
Those words sank straight into my heart, seeping deep inside me.
The truth was, both Idle and I already knew how much we cared for each other. But we were afraid—afraid that if this ‘liking’ changed into something else, it might break what we had.
But…
But I know Idle will accept me.
So, I will stop thinking. I’ll leave everything to the real ‘me.’
“Professor… Can I come talk to you again?”
“Of course~♪ Next time, bring along that person you love too~♪”
“Okay!!”
“Arena, are you going to Professor Paradox again today? You’ve been really into it lately—what are you two talking about?”
“Uh, um… It’s a secret from you, Idle!!”
“…Eh……?”
“Wahh!? Idle, I-I’m sorry! N-no, it’s not what you think!! I swear it’s nothing bad!! I’m sorry, okay? I’m really sorry!!”
“O-okay….” (D-damn it… I ended up crying…)
That entire day, Arena held me in her arms.
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