As I exited the main school building with the training grounds and headed back toward the girls' dormitory, someone familiar came into view. Their attire was neat, but their hair, tied into a single knot at the nape of the neck, was slightly disheveled, and a cloth was wrapped around their face to hide both eyes. On their shoulders was a distinctive stole.

"Fua—"

I reflexively called out but barely managed to hold back.

There were many students around, having finished classes for the day. It was not a name I could call out loudly.

It was Miriola Scale, also known as "Intelligence Officer" Juanere.

She was standing all alone in the courtyard, doing nothing in particular. Students passing by after school kept their distance, glancing at her as they walked. I didn't see the two brats she usually had with her either.

I approached her. When I was about a dozen steps away, Miriola turned her gaze—no, her face—toward me.

Indeed, this was the "Intelligence Officer" as portrayed in the story. Despite being an intelligence operative, she was an excellent swordsman and an assassin as well.

"Miriola."

"Oh? That voice—is it Eremia?"

"Yeah, it's me. What are you doing here? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"No, I came to deliver the goods from that matter we discussed."

Weapons for every student in the Lehan Royal Knight Academy advanced division.

Under the blindfold, her mouth curved into a smile.

"You see, since I can't see, I'm not much help with the actual work. My job at the trading company is mainly negotiation and investment."

"So you're having the sellers handle the loading and unloading?"

"Nope. Since even our sellers have a lot of missing parts, we hired local contractors for that."

Ah, right.

Juanere Trading Company was composed of war wounded and war orphans. Well, according to Void Scale, it was something like an imitation orphanage.

"So, are you just standing around here waiting for it to finish?"

"The delivery is already done... but that idiot."

She looked clearly irritated, baring her teeth.

Just like in the story. Willful, free-spirited, utterly natural. Sharp-tongued and fearless. People unknowingly got drawn to her, and once that happened, she had them wrapped around her finger.

I hadn’t expected the real person to be exactly the same.

"By 'that idiot,' you mean Void?"

"That's right. He said he'd come pick me up after the delivery and told me to wait near the main gate. What the hell is he doing? How long is he going to make me wait? I want to punch him."

Ahh... so that's what happened.

I felt a bit sorry for Void Scale.

Because—

"This isn't the main gate. It's the delivery entrance."

"............Eh!?"

If she could see, she would have realized it immediately. It even said so on the gate pillars. At Lehan Royal Knight Academy, the front and back gates were vastly different in appearance.

"How long have you been waiting here?"

"Um, since around the time the bell rang to end classes for the advanced division."

That's quite a while. Pretty much since club activities started for us.

Miriola pointed to herself and nervously asked me,

"Um... So, does this mean it's my fault?"

"I don't think it's anyone's fault."

"Right!?"

She looked so happy. Her expressions changed just like in the story.

I continued,

"Well, knowing Void's personality, he'll probably pretend to get angry at first, but he won't be serious about it. So you don't need to worry too much."

"My, my! You sure know him well!"

I almost said, "Probably not as well as you do," but stopped myself.

Didn't seem right to tease them. Unlike that lecherous kappa.

"Miriola, give me your hand."

"Hm?"

"You should hurry, right? I'll pull you along to the main gate."

"Oh, that would be wonderful."

I grabbed the hand she offered.

When I started walking, she easily matched my pace.

"Is it far to the main gate?"

"It's on the opposite side. Lehan Royal Knight Academy is fairly big, so I wouldn't say it's close. But it's manageable."

"I see."

I was surprised.

Even while being led, she could sense almost everyone's location in this student-filled courtyard. Thanks to that, even if there was a crowd ahead, I hardly needed to pull her along; rather, she adjusted her path before I could react.

This must be the skill of an assassin. It felt like I caught a glimpse of the world Riona Belzhein could see.

"Maybe... I didn’t even need to lead you by the hand?"

Just walking ahead might have been enough for her to follow normally.

"Fufufu. I'd like to say that it's a perk for getting to hold a cute hand, but actually, I can only sense living beings. I can't tell where inanimate objects are placed, and I can't see the ground either. So you're helping me a lot."

"I see. That's good then."

Just as I thought that—

Shiver. I suddenly felt a gaze and looked toward the main school building, where I saw Lili Ituka staring at us wide-eyed from a faculty room window.

Oh no...

When she realized I had noticed, Lili quickly disappeared from the window.

It's not like... anything's wrong, really... but why does this pain in my chest feel so much like panic?

Could it be... my reflux esophagitis acting up again!?