NOVEL WEB 1 - Timid (1)
Murmur murmur—
‘…Hmm.’
Despite it being a language I’ve clearly never heard before, I can understand exactly what they’re saying.
Honestly, I don’t even need to understand the language. There’s no way I wouldn’t notice what these kids are thinking by looking at their eyes and expressions.
Being terrified, hesitant, feeling physiological disgust—truly a variety of negative emotions are rushing toward me.
Asking “why” would honestly be too stupid a question.
‘Honestly, I’d be the same if I were them.’
Lowering my head slightly, all I see are bare bones instead of a human body.
Hmm… I suppose even a skeleton could technically be considered a human body, so should I phrase it differently?
Anyway, it’s certainly not unreasonable for them to be surprised when seeing a body like this. Even after receiving so many such looks, rather than feeling hurt, I can understand it perfectly.
‘What a fantasy-like world. No, not fantasy-like, it’s just plain fantasy.’
I mean, here I am, a skeleton, walking around normally?
Honestly, the fact that I’m a skeleton feels more fantasy-like than the students using magic.
That’s not all. All sorts of knowledge about this world is naturally embedded in my mind as if it had been there from the beginning.
“Ah—”
“Eek!?”
“It, it spoke?”
‘…I really can speak.’
I thought I wouldn’t be able to speak normally since I have no organs to speak of, but it seems the knowledge of this world is more correct than common sense.
When I put a little effort into my throat, my voice comes out so naturally, as if it’s always been this way.
Of course, since speaking with this body would frighten these already startled kids even more, I refrain from speaking unnecessarily.
“…”
“Hey, it just made a sound, that’s all. What do you mean it spoke? Don’t scare me.”
“Ha, haha… I guess you’re right.”
If they react like this just from me going “ah,” what would happen if I actually spoke?
Honestly, wouldn’t I be hunted down immediately?
While I don’t want to unnecessarily pretend to be scary and frighten the kids, I also don’t want to be hunted, so it’s better to just stay quiet for now.
Pretending to be Ariel’s familiar, that is.
…Ariel.
“Hm, hmph…!”
Right after that beam of light flashed, I realized the name of the girl in front of me as if it were the most natural thing.
This girl, Ariel, unlike earlier when she was looking at me with fear, now stands proudly with her shoulders back as if she’s proud.
After being so scared and trembling earlier, now she’s acting like this—honestly, it’s kind of cute.
Like a Maltese barking at a large dog, trusting in its owner’s strength.
Though with her long bangs, she looks more like a Jindo dog than a Maltese.
“They said a skeleton was summoned, so I came to see… it really is a skeleton…”
“So undead can really be summoned through Incarnation?”
‘Anyway, this situation should definitely be strange, but somehow, I don’t feel that way.’
Setting aside suddenly being summoned, I should certainly feel shocked about having this kind of body, but I don’t feel that sensation at all.
I just feel completely calm.
As if I was born with this body from the beginning, I don’t feel any particular emotion about my body being just bones.
People don’t get surprised when they look at their own arms and legs, right? It’s exactly like that.
“…To summon an undead, what kind of mind does she have?”
“I didn’t like her appearance from the start… tsk.”
Just as I was bewildered, not knowing how to react to my own body, I hear voices that I can’t ignore.
And it’s not just one or two voices.
Everyone is whispering to each other, pouring out various negative comments about Ariel.
The voices are so quiet that Ariel doesn’t seem to hear them at all, but I can hear them very well. Even though I don’t have ears.
‘Is this reaction because she summoned me… or is it not that?’
Judging by everyone’s reactions, Ariel has probably been treated this way by the students even before I appeared.
I’m just a new reason for them to avoid Ariel.
Still, I guess it’s somewhat fortunate that they’re just avoiding her rather than openly bullying her?
No, that’s not right, this is bad in its own way, so I can’t call it fortunate.
“Fufu… everyone is afraid…”
And what is this girl saying now?
I was feeling a bit sorry for her since everyone was avoiding her, but when she suddenly says something strange, that feeling completely disappears.
“Even though it’s just a lowly skeleton, to summon an undead through Incarnation… as expected, I have the power to become the ruler of darkness—”
Seriously, what is she saying?
When she mutters such things with her head down, it evokes fear rather than disbelief.
If she raised her head and spoke confidently, I would just think she’s putting on some eccentric concept, but when she mutters softly in a voice that others can’t hear… uh… um…
Honestly, it’s a bit… no, very embarrassing.
It’s exactly like that feeling when a character on screen does something embarrassing and you feel embarrassed too.
‘I don’t know.’
Do whatever you want.
Honestly, I don’t know why I’m here, and I don’t know why I became these bones.
Because of that light beam earlier, that is, the servant contract, I instinctively feel like I should protect Ariel or follow her orders, but if I were to live by instinct, what’s the point of having intelligence?
Thinking rationally, I just don’t want to get involved.
Maybe I’ll follow Ariel for a while and leave at an appropriate time.
……….
“Uh, umm… excuse me…”
But what’s this now?
Was it not just a matter of avoiding her?
“Disgustingly… pretending to be scared.”
“You’ve already summoned an undead and showed off your vessel, and now you’re trying to act?!”
As soon as the class ended, strange female students gathered around, completely surrounding Ariel.
Judging by the atmosphere and tone, this is definitely not a fan meeting.
Literally, they came here to harass Ariel.
Why?
Until now, they were just avoiding her. I never thought they would take action like this… well, I guess there’s no point in questioning that now.
Thud—!!
“Ugh…”
The female students roughly push Ariel’s chest.
Of course, “roughly” is still just a girl’s strength, so Ariel doesn’t fall down but merely staggers, but if you ask if this is better, the answer is obviously no.
When you get slapped, you feel bad, and the reason isn’t just because it hurts, right? Though it does hurt too.
“Ariel le Cielnoir, the youngest daughter of the Cielnoir Count family.”
“The Cielnoir family has been famous for having various family secrets regarding dark attribute magic since ancient times.”
“Family… secrets…?”
“Yes, so tell us quickly. What kind of trick did you use when using Incarnation?”
“Tr-trick…”
Aha.
I roughly understand what’s going on now.
So it’s because of me.
Because Ariel summoned me, a skeleton undead, the students’ attitude toward Ariel has changed.
“Someone saw you using a trick. Do you still intend to feign ignorance?”
“Uh… huh?”
“…I see you intend to. Still maintaining that stupid expression and tone… how stupid do you think we are to do such a thing?”
…Something seems off.
Listening to the conversation from the side, it seems they’ve misunderstood something quite badly.
Pretending to have a stupid expression and tone? Ariel doesn’t have the intelligence to do such a thing.
And what trick? She wouldn’t know such a thing. She couldn’t possibly do it either.
“…You’ll regret this. Everyone, let’s go.”
Suddenly, the students who were surrounding Ariel and saying various things disappear in an instant.
Since the area around Ariel was full of students just a moment ago, the contrast now that it’s deserted feels extremely stark.
“…”
After the students disappear, Ariel blinks with her breath held as if she had just had a bad dream.
Through her thick bangs, I can see the faint tears glistening in her eyes.
She seems to have been quite shocked.
It’s hard to believe she’s the same girl who was spouting all sorts of strong words at a volume that others couldn’t hear just a moment ago.
I guess using such strong words makes you look weak.
No, not look weak—she really is weak.
“Ugh… uugh…”
Ariel lightly clutches her chest where she was roughly pushed and lets out a faint groan.
Obviously, she’s not like this because it hurts.
As I said earlier, when you get slapped, what hurts more than the physical pain is the feeling of being degraded. It must be the same for Ariel who was pushed in the chest.
…Sigh.
“Fu, fufu… to think there are so many mortals who fear me, this life is truly interesting—”
Tap—
“—Eek!?”
When I place my hand on the head of Ariel, who had started muttering again, she flinches like a cat and lets out a short scream.
It’s natural to be surprised if someone suddenly appears, but Ariel seems more startled by the possibility that someone heard what she was saying.
If you’re that scared, please stop saying such things to yourself out loud.
“Ah, there’s still someone—… ah, ah… it’s you.”
Clatter—
“Ah… you want to hurry and go? Okay…”
When I silently point to the next classroom with my finger, Ariel immediately notices what I’m trying to say.
She’s so quick-witted in these aspects, yet why in daily life… sigh.
Originally, I was planning to follow Ariel for a while and leave at an appropriate time, but maybe I’ll watch over her until she can at least live normally. She’s pitiful after all.