A C-Rank Magic Student Who Deludes Himself into Thinking He Is SSS-Rank - Chapter 38.1: Two Heroes 〈2〉

“…Well then, I’ll be going.”

After checking on Alphonse, who seemed calm, Shion stood up, holding a tray with empty dishes.

“Y-Yeah…”

Alphonse, somewhat bashfully, responded to Shion and then glanced around timidly.

“Um, that was… quite uncomfortable, wasn’t it? Sorry…”

“It didn’t bother me.”

Shion replied coolly, wryly, to Alphonse, who apologized with a sense of guilt.

Still, Alphonse couldn’t shake off his feeling of guilt.

…It was understandable, as he had been sitting next to him, crying all the while.

He suddenly started crying in the somewhat crowded cafeteria’s second floor, undoubtedly drawing strange looks from those around them.

“…It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Though Alphonse hadn’t said anything, Shion seemed to read his mind and spoke up.

“Sorry… No. …Thank you.”

“Ah, that’s better.”

Trying to apologize again out of concern, Alphonse directly expressed his gratitude, in line with Shion’s intention not to worry him.

“Well then, I’m off. Ensure to eat before your food gets cold… though it’s probably already cold. …Well, eating it before the oil solidifies and it tastes awful is better.”

“Understood.”

“See you,” Shion said, leaving his seat and walking towards the dish return area.

“Ah, wait, wait a minute!”

“?”

Shion turned around upon being called back by Alphonse.

“Um, if it’s okay with you, I mean…”

Having stopped him, Alphonse struggled to find the right words due to his nervousness, prompting Shion to ask.

“…What’s up?”

“Uh, I mean, if you don’t mind, that is, um…”

After hesitating and looking down momentarily, Alphonse finally gathered his courage and spoke his mind.

“Could we have lunch together again sometime? Not like today’s after-the-fact thing, but, you know, have a nice chat together…!”

“…”

“How about it…?” Alphonse asked tentatively.

Shion, slightly surprised by the proposal, opened his eyes wide but smiled thinly.

“Sure, that’s fine. …Most of what you said today was pretty incomprehensible to me. Next time, let’s have a different conversation while we eat.”

“Incomprehensible… But that’s great. I’m really happy, thank you…!”

Alphonse grinned sheepishly, though with a wry smile.

“You’re making a big deal out of it. I usually eat lunch on the second floor, so feel free to join me whenever it works for you. If you’re alone first, I’ll come over to you.”

“Got it, I’ll take you up on that! …Then, until next time…!”

“Yeah, see you.”

After a slightly awkward wave from Alphonse, Shion nodded in response, turned around, and walked away with the tray in hand.

Watching his back for a moment, Alphonse sat down and started eating his now completely cold meal.

Even as he ate his cold, flavorless meal alone, Alphonse’s heart was warm.

“(I was really nervous, but I’m glad I mustered the courage…)”

However, “Let’s have a fun talk,” he had said, yet having virtually no experience in dining with friends, he pondered what kind of conversation he should have.

“(…Hmm, I’m not sure about entertainment, and I don’t have any interesting stories. Well, first, I’d like to know what he likes, and asking about that seems best.)”

While mulling over this, Alphonse was suddenly addressed from behind.

“Alphonse.”

“Ah, Shion-kun. What’s up?”

Turning around, he saw Shion, who had just parted ways.

Shion was now empty-handed, presumably having returned the dishes and tray.

“Sorry, there were two things I forgot to tell you.”

“?”

With a question mark over his head, Alphonse asked, “What is it?”

“The first is about us eating lunch together… Sometimes, I eat with someone else, but don’t hesitate to join us.”

“Ah, right, of course… People usually eat with others, right…! But is it okay for me to join?”

“Uh? Oh, yeah… He’s an old acquaintance of mine. I think it’ll be fine. He’s not much of a talker, but he’s a kind person.”

Shion momentarily appeared as if he hadn’t thought that far but then casually reassured Alphonse.

“That’s good. If he’s your friend, I’d like to get along with him too. I’m looking forward to meeting him.”

“…Ah… Uh…”

Faced with Alphonse’s bashful response, Shion seemed about to say something but then held back.

“…Yeah, look forward to it.”

“…? Oh, right, you said there were ‘two things you forgot to mention.’ What’s the second thing?”

Curious about the “second thing” and intrigued by Shion’s slightly suggestive smile, Alphonse asked him.

“Ah, right.”

Suddenly approaching, Shion touched Alphonse’s right shoulder and leaned in as if to whisper a secret.

“Alphonse. I’m really glad I could help you.”

“…Eh, …eh?”

Startled by the unexpected remark, Alphonse looked at Shion with wide eyes.

“…Just kidding.”

However, Shion flashed a mischievous smile, said, “See you later, Alphonse,” and walked away, still bewildered.

“…”

After staring blankly for a while, Alphonse finally said, “…(After acting all nonchalant like that…).”

“(…Come to think of it, the last thing I heard in my fading consciousness was his voice, sounding just like that…)”

“You fought well. Leave the rest to me.”

What came to mind was a voice that was warm, strong, and very kind.

───…So, you were the one who saved me then.

He hadn’t seen it with his own eyes.

Yet, there was not the slightest doubt in his mind.

───”When someone stands up to save another or protect something, that person is always a hero,” you said…

If that’s the case, my “hero” is…

◆

On the day Alphonse Freed discussed the aftermath of the tumult caused by Schwaldius, the Black Dragon of Demise, with Shion, the students of Class 2A at Crawford Magic Academy were engaged in a mock battle lesson that afternoon.

“Thank you very much,” Alphonse said, exchanging bows with a female student after their mock battle.

“Ah, thank you so much…!” she replied, her voice filled with gratitude.

“Ah, um! Freed-kun!” another student called out to him.

“…? What’s up?” Alphonse, who was about to leave the field, was stopped by a female student.

“Um, that… Freed-kun, thank you for saving me the other day…!”

She spoke with nervous courage, recalling a recent event.

“The other day…? Ah, now that you mention it…”

Alphonse naturally remembered the day of the dragon incident, realizing he had protected the students, including the girl before him, from Schwaldius’s attack.

“I should have thanked you right then, but I was so scared, I ran away without saying anything… I’m sorry!”

“No, no! Don’t worry about it at all! I’m very happy that you’re thanking me now!”

Alphonse desperately urged the deeply bowing girl to lift her face.

“I was really scared, thinking, ‘This is it,’ ‘I’m going to die’… But then, Freed-kun saved me… Thank you so much…!”

Seeing the girl’s tearful eyes and trembling voice, Alphonse realized the gravity of the situation.

“If I hadn’t been there to save her at that moment…”

He contemplated the worst-case scenario and felt deeply relieved and validated that he had indeed been able to save someone.

“Here, please take this,” Alphonse offered an unused handkerchief to the girl, whose eyes were moist with tears.

“No, I’m okay!” She waved him off lightly but thanked him while wiping her eyes with her fingers.

“Freed-kun, you’re kind… Before, I used to think that you were…”

“Cold-hearted?” Alphonse gently completed her hesitant sentence.

“Wha? No, that’s not what I…!”

“It’s okay. I understand why you might have thought that,” Alphonse said, accepting her feelings.

“I’m sorry… But now, I realize just how kind Freed-kun is… Really!”

“Ha ha, thank you. It makes me happy to hear that.”

Though Alphonse felt lonely, knowing his actions had positively changed how others saw him was gratifying.

The change in perception wasn’t limited to her; many students who had been directly saved by Alphonse during the dragon incident or heard of his solo battle against the fearsome dragon began to see him differently.

However, not everyone’s opinion has improved.

Alphonse noticed a group of four male students arguing outside the mock battlefield.

“Sorry, I’ll be right back. Thank you for taking the time to thank me. It meant a lot.”

“Ah, no, thank you, Freed-kun…!”

With a smile, Alphonse hurried towards the quarreling boys, leaving behind a heartfelt exchange and moving on to resolve another conflict.