016 The Natural Course of Events
“Now, I’m going to get angry. Is that alright?”
“Y-yes, ma’am.”
“…Yes.”
Right now, Higaki and I were sitting in seiza, side-by-side, in the same reflection room we were forced into on our first day, facing the downloadable content’s additional heroine, Iris Niflheim.
Iris, with her arms crossed and standing imposingly, was making it abundantly clear that she was “angry,” even audibly huffing and puffing to emphasize the extent of her displeasure.
Honestly, while I thought she was kind of cute, I was also deeply apprehensive, wondering if she might be as different from her original character as Higaki was.
Like, is there any chance she’s turned into a sadistic, justice-obsessed monster who loves to take the moral high ground? Or maybe she’s become someone who abuses her position as a Guardian to deliver excessive punishments? Given the precedent (Higaki), I can’t help but feel uneasy.
“Don’t think about unnecessary things and look at me!”
I got scolded. It was kind of hot.
“I’ve heard about your circumstances. You’re challenging the ‘Tower’ with the goal of resurrection… There’s nothing wrong with that. Even recklessly charging in without any preparation can be considered your own responsibility. I don’t mind that… However! To start fighting each other for such selfish reasons and not even feel bad about it is outrageous!! Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused everyone?!”
“I am truly sorry…”
“Haa, I’m sorr—Ouch!?”
I tried to apologize, but Iris whacked me with her stick.
As a small shock and a throbbing pain spread through my head, I looked at her. She was tapping the stick she held in her right hand against her left palm, staring at me with cold eyes as if threatening me.
“Sakurai-san. You were thinking that you could just apologize and be done with it, weren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“It’s good that you’re honest, but this isn’t the time to show it. You’re too self-centered overall. I don’t sense any respect for others. You have difficulty with interpersonal skills. Haven’t your classmates ever pointed this out to you?”
“I didn’t have any classmates.”
“That’s… well… wait, could it be that you prioritized your training and intentionally distanced yourself from others?”
“Eh, how did you know?”
“You idiot!!”
Thwack! Another impact hit my head.
The pain that had subsided returned, and I couldn’t help but groan, clutching my head.
“It’s wonderful to have something you love and be passionate about it, but neglecting everything else only creates unnecessary enemies and is utterly pointless! The reason why seekers of the truth aren’t hindered in their pursuits is because they don’t exclude the world, but rather respect and acknowledge each other, finding a balance with society!”
“Ugh… that’s a pain…”
“There’s no way that childish logic of ‘I’ll do what I want, so don’t get involved, and if something happens, it’s your fault for getting involved’ will work!! Everyone, including your master, the ‘Sword Saint,’ has been doing these ‘troublesome things’ as a matter of course! The reason you’re not ostracized from society is because those around you are forgiving your mistakes, and you’re just taking advantage of that!”
“I see…”
It was an irrefutable, righteous argument.
Looking back, I do realize that I’ve been selfish until now.
I thought I was being considerate so as not to bother others, but after I was able to enter the academy dungeon, that awareness gradually faded.
But, whether I can honestly accept that is another matter. Even though I understand it in my head, there’s a vague feeling of dissatisfaction in my heart, and I can’t quite accept it.
“It seems like you’re not convinced. In that case, let’s change the way I put it and point out your flaws according to your values. I can’t say I fully understand the concept of ‘Level’ that you use, so I might be misusing it, but I’m sure I’m not using it incorrectly.”
Iris, seeing my reaction, cleared her throat with a small cough.
She then pointed the tip of the stick she was holding at my face, making me focus my attention, and said,
“Your interpersonal skills are at a low Level. A baby is better than you.”
“――――,――――.”
Her words were so critical that I wanted to reject them, but at the same time, I had too many things to reflect on, and I had to acknowledge the truth.
For a while, I was stunned, frozen in place.