I Possessed The Villain’s Childhood Friend

84 – Introducing yourself

“Dean Ender.”

Before leaving for the southern frontline, I went to Dean Ender alone and talked to him.

“What is it, Mr. Ike?”

“I’m not sure, but I think Avatar is involved in this.”

“… Is that so too?”

At my words, Dean Ender sighed as if he had already anticipated it to some extent.

“I wouldn’t know if it was one or two, but it would be absurd for a person to work a large number of demons, but after learning their purpose and actions, I wondered if it was possible.”

“If Avatar is involved in this, at least one officer will appear.”

“Are you sure?”

“Unconditionally.”

In the original work, most of Avatar’s executives had special abilities.

For example, Rex’s body regenerates in an instant if he does not die no matter what wounds he receives.

Even if he had a physical defect that couldn’t be repaired even with healing magic, there was no problem with him in the original.

It grows back so quickly that it can be described as gross.

The reason why Leon and Sophia lost to Rex in the first place in the original story was also caused by these things.

But originally, they shouldn’t exist at this time.

Because they, too, had acquired these abilities, not innate ones.

However, the current situation has flocked to the southern frontline as if demon beasts are joining forces.

It didn’t exist in the original work, and it made no sense even from common sense, so I had no choice but to doubt it.

I wonder if Avatar is involved in this situation as well.

“Hmm. If so….”

“I want to steer towards capture as much as possible.”

To be honest, it was impossible.

Sophia was no longer a saint, and above all, she did not have a holy sword.

If you fight, you probably won’t be able to finish without killing the opponent.

But I didn’t want to give up on the best way.

“Okay. Then, Ike-kun, take this.”

“This is… ?”

“You don’t know how things will turn out when you go to the field, so make sure to keep it with you. How to use….”

After hearing how to use the item given to me by Dean Ender, I quietly got on the carriage.

The sky was literally tinted with a bright blue color.

But why?

Even though the warm sun was shining down on me, my back felt strangely cold.

★

It was the four of us who volunteered and five professors, including Dean Ender, who headed to the southern front line.

In other words, it meant that 15 people were Arcana’s reinforcements, including Sophia’s party who went to the front line first.

“My name is Andrew Davis. As I heard earlier, I am an aspiring knight.”

As the carriage departed for the front line, senior Andrew was the first to break the silence among the six students.

I’ve been aware of this since I talked to Dean Ender earlier, but he has a very sociable personality.

Just before saying hello, he even said that he would talk comfortably because he is a junior.

Of course, it didn’t matter because I was a senior, but when I think about the situation we were in, including Reina’s family and Michelle, it felt quite strange.

Anyway, let’s go ahead and introduce ourselves.

“My name is….”

“Oh, I know your name. Aren’t all three of them famous in the first and second years?”

Senior Andrew said that and cut off Reina.

“… Yes, because there was a lot of fuss.”

Then Reina’s expression cooled.

Of course, Reina hates hearing about the events of the past year from other people.

To bring up that story in front of us was meant to be sarcastic.

As if feeling the change in Reina’s mood, Andrew shook his head while shaking both of her hands.

“Ah, I never meant that in a bad way. I’m really sorry if that sounded like that.”

Thankfully for the strong denial and immediate apology, Raina’s expression returned to normal a little.

Though Michelle and Andrew-senpai didn’t seem to notice.

“… Then can you tell me why you brought up the story that way?”

Ah, isn’t it solved?

Anyway, senior Andrew sighed quietly at Raina’s permission and continued his words.

“Hmm. It may sound a bit strange to say this, but I was yearning for you guys.”

“… East longitude?”

For a moment, I couldn’t even understand what this meant.

That might have been the case with Reina as well, tilting her head slightly.

“Yes. It’s not a lie. I thought you were great from the start.”

Senior Andrew tapped the scabbard on his waist and drew his attention.

“I am the son of a rising noble family who was recognized as a knight in my father’s generation and became a baron in the outskirts. So, the family wants me to make more achievements and make my name known.”

“I see.”

Michelle opened her eyes wide and focused, as if she was interested in Andrew’s story.

“After she entered Arcana, it was hard every day. There are countless people who are better than me. The family wants us to stand out from more people. But I don’t know if it’s true that my skills are improving…. I tried to hold on somehow, but in the end, my mind and body were breaking down little by little.”

Senior Andrew quietly clenched his fist with his right hand, as if recalling his feelings at the time.

I didn’t feel any sarcastic remarks towards us in the way he spoke.

His eyes were also sincere without a single lie.

“But in the midst of that, I saw you guys. To be precise, a duel between you and Her Highness Leon.”

“I guess that duel left a lot of impression on you?”

“Oh, Miss Michelle wasn’t at Arcana last year, so I guess I didn’t see her.”

“Yes. I know what the story is about, but I don’t know exactly.”

“Hmm. It would be too long to talk about social life, so to put it simply, it was that we worked really hard to protect each other’s precious things.”

“Hey.”

Michelle smiled unexpectedly and glanced at me.

What kind of image am I in her mind?

“Anyway, after watching that duel, I thought of many things. What are my efforts really for? What is really precious to me? Honor? Merit? Have I trained for them without rest? Did you dream of becoming a knight to gain honor and achievement?”

Senior Andrew smiled dejectedly and continued his words.

“No, it wasn’t like that. What I wanted was not the position of an honorable knight, but the power to protect the precious people around me. Okay. Fight and win against an unbeatable opponent for the sake of someone important to you. Giving up a lot for friends. You guys, who suffered the most from the scandal and knew what really mattered, were my ideals.”

“… It’s overrated.”

Reina’s expression was cold when she said that, but a slight red aura lingered on her cheeks.

“Once I realized that, my heart was refreshed, and I began to see things that I had been blocked from seeing until now. So on vacation, I went back to my parents’ house and told her father everything I felt. At first, I thought it would be a big scolding. Because my father, as the founder of the family, was carrying a lot of things. But instead, he apologized. Rather, he said that he was the one who hadn’t seen the important things.”

That’s why, senior Andrew continued.

“It’s such an honor to be able to fight alongside you this time. Please take good care of me.”

“Please take good care of me too.”

“Please take care of me too.”

There was no way Reina or I could ignore such a sincere greeting.

But only one person.

Only Michelle refused to accept his greeting.

“… Weird. Senior Andrew obviously included me in the story at the beginning, but when the story was over, there was no mention of me at all!”

She was frowning as if she was serious, and Andrew continued her words with an awkward smile as if embarrassed.

“Sorry, sorry. It happened because I was talking. But I didn’t lie. I think Miss Michelle is very great. Sincerely.”

“… In which part?”

Michelle glanced at Andrew and asked.

Obviously, it was totally disrespectful as a junior, but he didn’t care at all.

“Hmm. I don’t mind talking about it, but Miss Michelle, would you mind if I tell you everything in front of the two of you?”

“Muh, what does that mean?”

“I know exactly. Miss Michelle, why are you hanging out with Her Highness Leon’s clique?”

“Ugh…. That, how can you seniorize that?”

“There are no absolute secrets among nobles, so it would be good to know, Miss Michel.”

Michelle made an expression of genuine disgust at Andrew’s words.

Well, by the way, we’re not gathering as a faction of nobles, but there’s no need to correct that.

It’s natural for us to be seen as a clique from the outside.

“Well, what are you talking about?”

Reina looked up at Andrew with her ears perked up, as if she was full of interest, and Michelle hung her head down, her face flushed red, as if she was ashamed of her.

“Ugh.”

“May I speak to you, Ms. Michelle?”

“Anyway, there is no answer other than talking!”

Senior Andrew burst into laughter as Michelle screamed at her.

She certainly can’t help but laugh when she sees her shuddering with her head down.

Reina was also smiling a little, though.

“Hmm. It’s a sad story in a way, but right now Michelle is isolated in her first year, isn’t she? The cause was Ike-kun, I had a conversation with you.”

“Yes.”

The Crown Prince, the second son of the Duke of Axus, and the eldest daughter of the Duke of Roselia.

From the name alone, it seems that no one can touch the group they are gathered in, but the world of nobles is not so easy that everything is solved by position.

It’s more complex than you think, and according to that, it’s the faction of the nobility that can exert influence beyond the visible class.

Our actions upset the balance of the faction, and the other nobles were also at stake, so they could have used this as an excuse to stand up.

If that happened, of course the situation would have escalated to the worst.

It was to the point that Leon said that if Leon’s father, Emperor Raphael, hadn’t personally intervened, we would all have been ruined.

Anyway, even after more than half a year, the chaos in factions and social circles has not been completely sorted out.

Some say that the crown prince and the 2nd duke’s family are the setting sun.

Wouldn’t it be impossible for me and Reina to attend balls or banquets for a while?

It was only natural that the scandal surrounding us would intensify.

In that situation, Michelle had a conversation with me.

And there was no way the first year students, who had just entered Arcana and were more influenced by the social world than the inner situation of Arcana, could not have looked at it favorably.

That’s why Michelle was isolated, and she went with us to take her responsibility.

Does that mean there is more to it than that?

“If you think about it, isn’t there something strange?”

“… Anything strange?”

I don’t think there’s anything that doesn’t match.

“It’s only natural that Her Highness Leon’s faction was stamped out by the existing noble factions. But does that mean you are isolating yourself simply by having a conversation? That’s also Ike-kun, did you talk to me first? Even though Miss Michel is from a merchant family, she is always from a commoner background. You probably know very little about the faction of nobles, but isn’t it too harsh to alienate them?”

“Certainly, yes.”

“The answer is simple. Miss Michelle, she chose to be with you.”

At Andrew-senpai’s words, Rayna and I looked at Michelle at the same time.

She still had her head down, covering her fresh red face with her hands.

“Really, Ms. Michel?”

“….”

“I asked if what Andrew said was true, Michelle.”

At Reina’s continued questioning, Michelle sighed heavily at the end, and she slowly opened her mouth.

“Yes, everything is true.”

And at the words of Michelle, who meekly agreed, Reina and I quietly swallowed our saliva.