"Teacher, Aias is too strong."
"...."
Frondier wondered what had happened when his student came to his office with a serious expression, but it was nothing special.
"What are you talking about? You sound like you're talking about a monster, not a classmate."
"I'm serious, senior, no, teacher."
Pielott's expression was so serious that it didn't seem like he was joking.
But Frondier didn't believe it. He had said things like "I think I'm going to throw up" with that same face. It wasn't a face to be trusted.
"What's wrong with Aias being strong?"
"....It's not that it's a problem, but..."
Pielott averted his gaze.
He mumbled,
"When someone grows at such a rapid pace, it's natural to feel a sense of injustice."
"Hmm."
Only then did Frondier become a little serious.
'Hero Aias.'
There was no doubt that Aias's motif was the hero Aias. He used a spear and shield, a master of defense.
Aias originally used a sword and was more offensive than defensive, so he wondered if he was a different person, but it seemed that the spear suited him better.
'Well, even if it's a weapon that suits your hand, it's ridiculous to be able to use it well as soon as you hold it.'
Perhaps the injustice Pielott felt stemmed from that.
Aias originally used a sword. He had hardly ever held a spear.
But his proficiency had increased ridiculously after just one fight in Palma. Even if he had an epiphany.
If a person maintained that growth rate, they would surpass Paladins and Zodiacs in less than a year.
It was only natural to feel jealous when a competitor of the same age was growing at such a tremendous rate.
But that was something other students would feel.
'You shouldn't be saying that, Pielott.'
Frondier tried to understand Pielott, but in the end, he couldn't help but close his mouth.
It seemed Pielott had completely forgotten what kind of performance he had put on in Palma.
Frondier said,
"Are you saying you think you're going to lose to Aias?"
"I think it's possible."
"Be honest."
"....I still think I'm ahead, but at Aias's rate of growth, I'm sure..."
"Be more honest."
"I won't lose."
There you go.
Frondier sighed.
"Stop thinking useless thoughts and just do what you've been doing. Aias started late, that's all. He's just now getting a proper start."
"To have that level of skill from the starting point, it's an unbelievable talent."
"That's rich coming from the guy who used Aura from the starting line."
Pielott averted his gaze. It was hard to tell if he was being praised or scolded.
Unlike Pielott, Frondier roughly understood Aias' rapid growth.
It was because he himself used multiple weapons at once.
'Proficiency that applies to all weapons. An understanding of weapons themselves. It was the same with Monty and Lebett. Aias must have gained an understanding of weapons themselves while learning the sword.'
And since he had been using a weapon that didn't suit him, doubt must have blossomed in his heart.
For Aias, the 'sword' was a kind of safe path. A weapon he chose as if led by a destiny that would work itself out. However, it didn't change the fact that it was the wrong weapon. There must have been doubts about it, and those doubts had now become skill.
'The current Aias is handling the talent he's feeling for the first time. Of course, his skills will improve rapidly.'
Pielott might have forgotten, but he must have been the same way.
When he awakened to Aura much earlier than others, before he perfected his current swordsmanship, when he realized he could 'double attack'.
Pielott's wariness of Aias was like a frog being surprised by a tadpole.
'...I forgot.'
Frondier, who remembered something at that keyword, said,
"Speaking of which, Pielott."
"Yes."
"That dream you saw at the hospital that day. You still don't remember it?"
Pielott had a strange dream after being affected by the demonic energy in the demon world.
He had been meaning to tell Frondier about it, but he had forgotten the content of the dream. He must have been affected by some strange magic from Athena.
He hoped that maybe the magic had worn off.
"....Um, no. I don't remember. I'm sure I had a dream..."
Pielott said with a troubled expression. He himself seemed frustrated.
"Hmm, I see. If you remember later, be sure to..."
As Frondier was saying that.
Iaijutsu!
Something in Frondier's arms glowed.
'Don't tell me, again?'
Frondier couldn't help but recognize what it was.
As he took out the golden apple from his arms, it was emitting light as expected.
"Wh-what?"
And then, black smoke-like something escaped from Pielott's body and was sucked into the ring of the golden apple.
'Don't just do things on your own...!'
Frondier, now feeling a kind of annoyance, looked at the ring of the circle. It was operating on its own, even though he wasn't doing anything. From his point of view, it was very unpleasant.
"....Ah!"
And when all the black smoke was sucked in, as if timed perfectly, Pielott shouted.
"Teacher! I remember! The dream from back then!!"
"I get it, so lower your voice. This is the faculty office."
All eyes were already on them because of the light and the black smoke.
Frondier looked around and laughed awkwardly. It was a desperate appeal that there was no problem.
Then he looked back at Pielott.
"....So, you remembered?"
The reason Pielott remembered the content of his dream was obvious.
The golden apple had absorbed the magic that Athena had cast.
'It's not just absorbing diseases. What's the standard? This ring of the circle?'
Frondier naturally frowned. Pielott said to him,
"Senior, you look really scary sometimes. Your expression."
"Call me teacher."
"Anyway, in the dream I saw, Satan appeared, and..."
When Pielott said that.
Frondier didn't do anything, but Pielott stopped talking.
Or rather, it was only Frondier himself who thought he wasn't doing anything.
Thump—
Silence fell over the faculty office. Everyone inside looked at Frondier. They were all tense, or scared, and like Pielott, all their movements had stopped as they looked at Frondier.
Pielott blinked a few times and said,
"....Can I, keep talking?"
Frondier tilted his head.
"Huh? What kind of question is that?"
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