Everyone Except Me Is Hiding Their Power-Chapter 79 : Turning Point (6)

Chapter 79: Turning Point (6)
Cecilia headed toward the library.
Because she was still far too inexperienced.
That was why she came here—to obtain the knowledge that would fill that immaturity.
The easiest way to gain knowledge was either to ask those around her to teach her or to refine herself through effort.
But this time, she wanted to do it on her own, without letting anyone know, and that was how she ended up at the library.
‘This is hard.’
Flipping through a book, Cecilia frowned slightly as if dissatisfied.
She had looked through several volumes, but it was difficult to find anything truly helpful.
Even the things that seemed decent among what she found were things she had already read before and knew well.
‘To think that finding a way to communicate smoothly with many people at once would be this difficult.’
In the end, Cecilia couldn’t help but let out a long sigh.
She had gone over it in her head countless times, tried various approaches, but no clear solution came to mind.
‘When I talked with Lian, I never had to worry about things like this….’
She realized anew that it wasn’t her ability that had grown, but rather his consideration that had made things easy, and she couldn’t shake off the heavy mood that followed.
If she asked for his help, he would surely give it without showing even the slightest displeasure.
But that wasn’t something she should do.
‘If I rely too much, he might find it bothersome.’
If she wanted to remain a good friend to Lian, then this much she had to accomplish on her own.
Yes, she had to stay strong.
Even though she made that resolution, her drained confidence showed no signs of returning.
Very soon, she had a scheduled meeting to prepare for the supplementary class session, yet nothing had changed, had it?
Should she go find Lian even now and ask for advice? Such thoughts began to creep up when—
“…Hm?”
― ……!!! ……!!!
“Is that true? Lian is here?”
― ……!!!!!!
At the spirits’ words, Cecilia brightened without realizing it and immediately followed the directions they gave her.
She had hurried so much that she had absentmindedly brought along the book she had been reading.
And when she arrived at the place where the spirits told her Lian was…
“…Oh?”
She saw Lian together with someone else.
And they were close.
Yes, as if they were close friends.
……Let’s admit it.
When Yuran told me to lie down beside her so she could clean my ears, the first thought that popped into my head was an embarrassing one.
But then again, having someone clean your ears wasn’t exactly something people did unless they were very close, was it?
Of course, from the very first time we met and through all the incidents that followed, I knew Yuran had shown me a favorable gaze.
But I had only ever thought of it as a good relationship between people, never as something between a man and a woman.
That was why—even though it had lasted for only the briefest moment…
When I heard her words, I couldn’t help but think, ‘Could it be?’ and I didn’t think I was wrong for that.
“There’s no need to be so embarrassed.”
Looking down at my ear, Yuran spoke.
“The first time is always like this, learned through experience. I also learned this way.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you for your consideration.”
Silence.
After a moment, her voice came again, sounding apologetic, as if checking my reaction.
“…Come to think of it, perhaps I was thoughtless. Since you serve God, what if I am being disrespectful?”
“No, the Holy Sun Church isn’t such a strict religion… Besides, I doubt they would say anything about something like this.”
I was sitting in a chair, half-leaning over with one ear pressed against the desk.
From behind, it might have looked as though I had come to the library just to nap.
At my side, Yuran stood while preparing an ear pick and several tools.
“It’s not like I’m resting on your lap or anything.”
“I heard that only those with very close ties—like family or lovers—do that sort of thing.”
Yuran answered with a shrug of her shoulders.
“But this isn’t a game or a joke. It must be done solemnly.”
“I see.”
“Were you perhaps disappointed?”
“Haha, of course not.”
Speaking in a playful tone, Yuran chuckled when she heard my laughter.
Then, as if suddenly remembering, she tied her hair into a bundle and swept it behind her back before asking me:
“Do you clean your ears separately?”
“Just a little with a cotton swab after bathing.”
“That is actually very bad. Better to only clean the outside, not the inside.”
“Yes.”
“Hm….”
As soon as her hand touched my ear, my body flinched without me realizing it.
In a whisper meant to reassure me, Yuran spoke.
“Relax. If I touch your ear for a while, the muscles will loosen.”
“…Yes.”
“It’s also good for recovery.”
After kneading my ear for a short time, Yuran then took something out.
“I’ll put a little oil inside, so don’t be alarmed.”
“Wait, you’re putting oil inside?”
“Just a little. It’s what is used in times like this. I use it too.”
Cold and slick liquid entered my ear canal, and my body trembled involuntarily.
Yuran patted my shoulder twice to reassure me before picking up the ear pick.
“If it hurts at all, tell me.”
With those words, she carefully slid the ear pick inside.
The scratching sound that echoed in my ear.
That faint, peculiar freshness one felt when cleaning the ear canal.
Because of it, I had to take a few deep breaths to manage my expression.
“Hm, quite a lot.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“It’s not blame. How could one clean the deep inside of the ear alone? It’s only natural.”
Saying so, Yuran fiddled with the inside of my ear with the ear pick for quite a while.
At first I was tense, but after a little time, I felt myself unconsciously relaxing.
“…Good, it’s done. I’ll do the other side too.”
Only after finishing the other side in one go did Yuran let out a small sigh.
While I was absentmindedly touching my ear at the odd sensation, she wiped the ear pick clean with a cloth and said,
“This is the foundation. After cleaning the eyes, ears, and tongue, do not forget to train your body’s flow of energy in a silent place, together with the environment. Until you sense a new perception.”
“Should I begin right away today?”
“Do so. And… hm?”
“Ah.”
At the sudden sense of someone’s presence, Yuran and I turned our heads almost at the same time toward the sound.
There stood Cecilia, clutching a book in her hand, frozen awkwardly in place.
“Cecilia?”
“Uh. Um. Hello… Lian.”
Cecilia greeted me in a hesitant tone, unlike her usual self.
Then, turning toward Yuran, she showed an uncharacteristic attitude of guardedness.
At her expression, Yuran glanced at me as if asking for an explanation.
Come to think of it, was this the first time the two of them were meeting face to face?
I quickly rose from my seat and began introducing them to each other.
“Cecilia, this is Yuran. You may know already, but she is also Professor Shagas’ assistant. She and I are acquainted from before, and we share advice with one another.”
“…I am Cecilia Everglenn. Please, just call me Everglenn.”
Cecilia bowed her head slightly, clearly showing reluctance.
“Yuran, this is Cecilia. She’s my friend, and… we’re studying under the same teacher.”
“I am Yuran. Call me freely.”
Yuran gave her greeting more softly than Cecilia, yet objectively it was still terribly stiff.
Even though it was their first meeting, Cecilia seemed accustomed to such treatment. That made me realize Yuran was having a small misunderstanding.
“…Yuran. I don’t know why Cecilia is acting like this right now, but at the very least, she is not the kind of person who would discriminate or look down on you just because you’re from Garusol. I vouch for that.”
At those words, Yuran’s expression softened slightly.
She then tilted her head at me.
“Vouch?”
“I mean, I’m asking you to trust me.”
“Understood. I will trust.”
She nodded gently.
Then, after pondering for a moment, she made an “ah” sound, as if she had realized something, and asked me in a relaxed voice,
“Is she also a Sky Guide?”
“I don’t know. But I don’t think so.”
“Then you said you study under the same teacher. Is that teacher the one who bestowed knowledge of the Sky Guide upon you?”
For a very brief moment, I hesitated whether it was fine to tell her the truth.
But only for a moment.
“Yes.”
“Then the problem is easily solved. No need to worry.”
With a confident look, Yuran said so and turned her gaze to Cecilia.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Everglenn. As I said before, I am Yuran.”
“…Yes. Hello.”
“From what I saw just now, you seem to have misunderstood. I wish to correct your mistaken thought.”
“……”
Cecilia stared silently at Yuran.
Her guarded gaze had shifted into one of suspicion instead.
“What I was doing just now was assisting Lian Gwendil’s training.”
“…That was training?”
“Yes. I swear it on my name and on the honor of my teacher.”
“……”
“And further, I dare to assure you—ask your teacher about today’s matter. I am certain your teacher will give you the same answer I do.”
Cecilia looked at me as if to ask if this was true.
I nodded.
“It’s true. Professor told me to seek guidance from others, and Yuran was the only one I knew who was qualified. So I asked for her help.”
“Ah, then…!”
Immediately, Cecilia bowed her head deeply to Yuran.
“…I apologize. I misunderstood.”
“I understand. Perfectly understandable.”
Yuran then let out a small laugh.
Her voice was utterly different from when she spoke the Imperial language.
“I’ll be going now. It’s about time I take care of the task my teacher assigned.”
With that, Yuran bid us farewell and left abruptly.
Unlike at first, Cecilia also gave her a polite farewell in return.
“Phew…”
After Yuran left, Cecilia let out a soft sigh, turned to me, and murmured in a gloomy voice,
“I’m sorry. Because I acted thoughtlessly, I troubled you.”
“It’s fine. It was just a small misunderstanding. And it cleared up quickly.”
“…I’ll be careful not to let something like this happen again.”
Looking at the book Cecilia held in her hand as she murmured in a gloomy voice, I threw a question instead of an answer, hoping to shift the mood.
“What book is that?”
“Ah, this is…”
Cecilia reflexively moved her hand behind her back as if to hide the book, but then quickly adjusted it so I could see the title.
On the cover was written, ‘The Principles of Human Relations – Group Edition.’ I nodded, roughly understanding the situation.
“Now that I think about it, things could get awkward during the supplementary class. You said one of your teammates abandoned the others and ran away, right?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right. That’s why he didn’t even show up the last time we had a temporary gathering.”
“Well, it would be rarer to find someone who could walk in there as if nothing had happened.”
Cecilia had often told me many things.
Because of that, I knew well what had happened in her group during the dungeon class.
‘It’s a bit cruel to say, but it actually worked out for Cecilia.’
Because they had a common enemy, the rest of her team had supposedly become more united.
And from what she had told me, they even looked out for her and treated her kindly.
“Actually, we’re supposed to meet again today. But last time, I felt like I wasn’t able to hold a proper conversation because of my lack of skill.”
Here, Cecilia glanced between the book’s title and me.
“…So, Lian. I hate to ask, but could you give me a little advice?”
“Well, it’s not difficult, but… my advice would just be clichéd words.”
“That’s fine.”
Cecilia answered with sparkling eyes.
“Among the people I know, no one is as considerate while leading conversations as you are, Lian.”
I always felt that she had a tendency to overestimate me.
As I pondered what to say, I also felt a sense of relief at the current situation.
‘She used to seem a little too dependent on me… fortunately, it seems to be easing.’
Besides, once she made more friends, her relationships would naturally become healthier, and she would grow more mature mentally.
From what I had looked into, her other teammates weren’t bad kids either. That connection would surely become a great support for Cecilia.
“To lighten the mood, it’s good to start with something simple. Talking about the weather, or current trends…”
“The weather or current trends.”
“Or everyone could briefly introduce themselves. Naturally, of course. Talking about birthdays, or about pets, for example.”
“Birthdays and pets.”
Cecilia nodded firmly, as if determined not to forget.
Then she suddenly turned to me and said,
“Isn’t today’s weather nice, Lian?”
“…Huh? Ah, yes. It’s a fine day.”
What?
Before I could think any further, Cecilia continued to speak smoothly.
It was as if she was reviewing the very examples I had just given.
“I heard that these days in the city, a play by a merchants’ troupe of demons is popular. It’s about the romance between a Vampire Prince and a Troll Princess.”
“Ah-ha…”
“My birthday already passed. To be exact, it was four days before the academy entrance ceremony.”
“…Mine is in about two months and fifteen days.”
“Two months and fifteen days.”
Again, Cecilia nodded, as if intent on never forgetting.
“Pets… hm, pets. Ah.”
Then Cecilia’s eyes sparkled, as though a good idea had struck her.
“I don’t have any pets.”
“Neither do I.”
“But I do keep something else wonderful. Look.”
Saying so, she cupped her hands together as if to hold something.
Then she waved her arm, motioning me to come closer.
When I leaned closer to peer between her hands, I saw something glowing faintly inside.
“It’s a Glow Spirit.”
With that, she looked at me with eyes sparkling as brightly as the spirit glowing in her hands.
It was clear she was expecting some kind of reaction.
“My goodness, when did you manage to form a contract with this one?”
I asked, genuinely surprised, and she gave me a shy smile.
It seemed she was pleased with my reaction.
“I didn’t make a contract.”
She opened her hands as she spoke.
The little spirit, like a firefly, began to lazily float around us.
“After I made contracts with the spirits I first met with you, I suddenly realized there were more of them wandering near me. So I tried speaking to them, and for simple requests, they gladly obliged.”
At that, I nodded again in admiration.
It was a gesture that escaped me unconsciously, seeing how she had taken another big step closer to the Cecilia Everglenn I knew.
“Congratulations, Cecilia. My knowledge is narrow, but I know enough to say that what you just described is an incredible thing.”
“It’s all thanks to you, Lian.”
Cecilia lowered her head shyly, as if embarrassed.
Perhaps it was my imagination, but her face looked slightly red.
Sparkle, sparkle.
Even then, the spirit Cecilia had summoned continued to float leisurely around us.
That was when it happened.
“Eh.”
“Ah.”
With a hiss, like air escaping, a sudden sound rang out.
At the same time, the glowing spirit was struck by something invisible and went flying, crashing onto the desk.
Startled, I looked and was relieved to see it wasn’t injured, though the spirit seemed shaken and disappeared at once.
When I turned my head toward the source, there was a black spider.
“Was that you?”
At my question, the spider lowered the foreleg it had lifted as if nothing had happened.
Then it quickly scurried toward me, climbed up my shoulder, and began gesturing as if urging me to follow.
‘Wait.’
I looked at the spider, wondering if it could be.
And instead of rebuking it for what it had just done, other words slipped out of my mouth first.
“…Don’t tell me something happened?”
Nod.
The creature nodded.
The next thing I knew, I was already sprinting at full speed toward somewhere.