“So to summarize… Nigel, you’re participating because you want to beat up one of the other participants? Did I hear that right?”

“I heard the same thing.”

Noah quickly answered.

“Nigel, you’re… not lying, are you?”

“Why would I lie about something like this?”

Nigel let out a hollow laugh.

“It would be more believable if you said you were participating to uphold the honor of the Magic Department in the Sword Tournament.”

…Nod nod. Noah hesitated before nodding his head.

“…Is that all?”

“Yeah, that’s all. So hurry up and tell me the real reason, or prove your words.”

Allen grabbed Nigel’s shoulders and shook him back and forth. Nigel let out a deep sigh as he was helplessly shaken.

They had just reconciled, and he didn’t want to break their relationship again so easily.

But he felt a pang of guilt about revealing anything related to Jayden, as it was supposed to be kept secret even from Zeronin, the person involved.

So the only option left was to make something up. Mix in some truth but leave room for interpretation.

Nigel, not feeling very dignified about his actions, opened his mouth while intently studying the floor pattern.

“Well… I can’t tell you the details, but the truth is I was deeply hurt by one of the Sword Tournament participants. You know how it is… they act like nothing happened but their actions end up hurting me.”

Nigel said, thinking of Zeronin and Jayden’s hands. Similar in shape but completely different in appearance. Thinking about those hands made him feel uncomfortable.

“Anyway, does my reason make sense now?”

Nigel, having painstakingly hidden his true feelings, confidently raised his head, believing he had successfully glossed over the issue.

“…?!”

Allen’s mouth was hanging open, frozen in shock. Noah was looking at him with such a pitying expression that it was hard to see anything else.

He wanted to ask how his words could be interpreted to result in those expressions, but he was afraid of how terrible the outcome might be, so he hesitated to speak.

Thump.

Allen slowly closed his mouth and suddenly placed his hand on Nigel’s shoulder.

Then he gently patted Nigel’s shoulder a few times.

“Nigel… It must have been hard for you to talk about, thank you for telling us. You’ve been through a lot.”

“Oh, uh…”

Nigel was rather flustered by the infinite generosity and sympathy etched on Allen’s face.

“I was being thoughtless. If you want to beat them up, of course that would be the only reason.”

“Oh… right. Of course.”

It would be strange to pry further at this point, so Nigel decided to take advantage of the situation.

…Of course, receiving pitying looks over a few words was not pleasant, but it was tolerable.

“Um… This might be rude of me to say, but would you mind going to the classroom first? I need to talk to Noah for a bit.”

On top of that, offering him an escape from this uncomfortable situation was like icing on the cake. Nigel quickly nodded and hurriedly left.

Only when Nigel was completely out of sight did Allen speak.

“…This is bad, Noah. I think Nigel was rejected by senior Jayden…!”

Thus began a great misunderstanding and a series of missteps.

Lunchtime.

‘Why is everyone making such a big deal about the Sword Tournament?’

Even more students than in the morning were constantly winking at him and patting him on the shoulder. As a result, Nigel’s meal was repeatedly interrupted, leaving him quite annoyed.

The reason was that rumors of Nigel participating in the Sword Tournament had spread like wildfire, doubling the number of eyes following him regardless of department.

“Oh, freshman! Popular, aren’t you?”

Among those doubled numbers were Oliver Welleader, and…

“I heard from Oliver that you’re also participating in the Sword Tournament, junior. I’m looking forward to it.”

Jayden Galloway, who was grinning foolishly, was also included.

Nigel, like a wary animal, quickly hid behind Noah’s back as a shield. However, Oliver’s hand swiftly pulled Nigel towards him.

“What, surprised to see me outside? I get it, suddenly talking to someone like me can have that effect. I fully understand your reaction, freshman.”

“Ah, yes.”

Nigel turned his head away with a grimace.

In doing so, he accidentally made eye contact with the smiling Jayden, and Nigel hurriedly looked down at the ground.

“…What? Freshman, are you embarrassed because you made eye contact with Jay?”

Oliver slyly approached Nigel and poked his arm.

“Shut up before I withdraw from participating.”

“So cold, so cold.”

As Nigel and Oliver bickered.

Poke.

“…Did you see that?”

Allen lightly poked Noah’s side with his elbow.

Noah’s eyes, which had refused to believe the absurd claim that Nigel had been rejected by Jayden Gallaway, wavered.

Whenever Nigel’s gaze met Jayden’s even for a moment, he clenched his fists tightly as if trying to suppress his emotions.

That small fist trembling behind his back, finally able to let loose, looked so pitiful that Noah’s heart ached with a dull pain.

“Noah, I told you. Now’s not the time to just stare at Nigel like that.”

Allen’s seductive whisper reached Noah’s ears.

‘Where on earth did they disappear to?’

Nigel wandered around the academy with a sandwich in hand.

Even though dinner time was about to end, there was no sign of Allen or Noah.

He searched everywhere he could think of – the cafeteria, classrooms, lounges, the library, etc… but couldn’t find even the hem of their sleeves.

“…Nigel, Nigel!”

Then a nightingale-like sweet voice whispered Nigel’s name.

Rustle.

Following that lovely voice down a forest path, a small cabin that seemed to be used as a storage shed appeared.

And at the very corner of the cabin, a glimpse of sweet honey-colored blonde hair peeked out.

None other than ‘the’ Charlotte Primrose was hiding behind the wall.

“Charlotte? What are you doing here?”

Tok.

Charlotte’s index finger quickly touched Nigel’s lips.

“Shh.”

Charlotte removed her finger and pointed to the right.

At the tip of Charlotte’s finger, between the trees and bushes, were Allen and Noah, whom Nigel had been searching high and low for.

“You came at a good time. They were just talking about something interesting.”

Charlotte mumbled and patted the spot next to her.

Nigel, who had taken a seat in a fluster, held his breath and focused on Allen and Noah’s voices.

“…That’s what I’m saying!! Noah, are you saying you’re fine with just watching from afar? Is that what you’re trying to say?”

An excited voice he had never heard before.

Allen, who always wore a silly smile, had never been so heated, so Nigel’s eyes grew wide.

“…Well? I’m right, aren’t I?”

Charlotte showed a bright smile that resembled a yellow flower shining in the sunlight.

…Nod.

Nigel shyly nodded his head, settled into his spot properly, and began eavesdropping in earnest.

“…Just look at that face! Who could leave them alone with a face like that?”

Allen’s voice was so frustrated that the sound of him pounding his chest could be heard all the way over here.

‘Are they talking about Meriel?’

Nigel tilted his head.

Charlotte secretly gave a mischievous smile without Nigel noticing.

“…And on top of that, they’re skilled at magic too! I personally know of four people interested in them, four!”

It’s Meriel.

Nigel was convinced.

With a pretty face and exceptional magic skills, Meriel was always popular. And crucially, the only person Noah Beselion would be interested in this world was Meriel.

“Noah. Are you going to let them slip away by just watching like this? You said you’ve liked them since you were young.”

The perfect final blow.

Hehe.

Nigel couldn’t hold back his laughter and chuckled.

“Nigel, does that make you happy?”

“Yeah.”

Charlotte brushed back Nigel’s chuckling hair behind his ear as if he was being cute.

Well, it made sense. Even if Nigel seemed to have no interest in anything other than studying, he was only 17 years old. Like all 17-year-olds, there was no way he hadn’t dreamed of a romantic love at least once.

And it wasn’t just anyone, but Noah Beselion. Good family, good looks, and on top of that, a person with a great personality likes you – anyone who refused would be the strange one.

…Meanwhile, Nigel, unaware of Charlotte’s intentions – and by extension, Noah and Allen’s intentions – was solely fixated on the idea that Noah liked Meriel.

‘…Yes, Noah, it would be harder for you not to fall in love with Meriel.’

No matter how much his existence as an outsider changed the original story, some things couldn’t be changed even if you tried. Like Noah and Meriel’s solid relationship that continued from the original.

‘I don’t need to listen anymore.’

Nigel abruptly stood up from his spot.

“Huh? You’re leaving already without hearing everything?”

“Yeah, I need to study now.”

“As expected, Nigel knows what he’s doing. It’s cool that you don’t get swept up in emotions.”

His mind captivated by Charlotte’s smile, Nigel returned to the dormitory in a daze without even thinking to ask what Charlotte’s words meant.

“…Nigel.”

Not hearing Noah’s soft whisper that truly sealed the deal.

And that night, in the boys’ dormitory.

An emergency meeting was held in a certain room where a crumpled postcard and a blue amulet were prominently displayed on each desk.