I Became the Academy’s Pink Airhead

“…”

“…”

Urd and I looked at each other with dazed expressions

Due to our sudden reunion, she also seemed surprised, as if she hadn’t expected this.

Inside [Nameless Hawk]’s stomach… no, what was it called again?

Spring of Fate…?

Center of the World Tree…?

‘The name sounds really meaningful, but I’m not sure exactly what it means.’

Anyway… the space filled with falling stars still sparkled.

However, the condition of the girl living there didn’t look very good.

‘She looks… kind of tired…?’

Her complexion seemed to have become paler than before. And unlike before when she was constantly moving around and chattering, she was lying down on the connected chairs.

It looked unsightly like a drunk sleeping in front of a subway station.

But in other words, it meant she was that tired to not care about acting girlish anymore.

I felt somehow uneasy and carefully opened my mouth.

“Um… Are you okay?”

“Hmm…☆ Well…”

“…?”

Urd… trails off unlike the honest and straightforward ‘Clara’ from the original work.

Seeing that, an uneasiness starts creeping up from my chest.

“…”

But then.

I felt someone outside grabbing my buttocks and legs, trying to forcibly pull me out.

At the same time, the passage I was stuck in—[Nameless Hawk]’s throat—swayed and trembled.

-This damn bird!! Who are you swallowing—!!

-Spit out!! I said spit out—!!

-Ugh…! Cough…!

Then the hole around me shook, and hesitantly tried to send me back outside.

“Uwah—?! What’s this suddenly—?!”

“…Huhu, really… it’s really nice to hear those voices—☆ Looks like everyone was worried outside—☆”

“Is that…?! A-Anyway! Are you okay? You don’t look well!”

“Ahaha—☆ I’m fine♪ I’m now a capable star who can help others—☆ Yes. That’s right! I’ve recalled various things, so let’s talk leisurely next time you visit! Ah! I wonder if you can bring snacks from outside—☆ Girls’ tea time can’t be without snacks…☆”

“…”

Urd using ‘Clara’ speech trying to sound as energetic as possible.

She still had a positive and bright expression.

“…”

But the uneasiness didn’t go away.

So I carefully asked again.

“Are you really… okay…?”

“…”

I looked urgently at Urd while feeling my body slowly being pulled out, but.

She just nodded silently with her still pale complexion, answering ‘I’m fine.’

“…”

Honestly, she didn’t look fine at all no matter how I looked.

But Urd smiled and waved her hand as if telling me to go.

No matter how I looked, she didn’t seem to have any intention of answering right now.

“…”

Looking at that face pretending to be nonchalant, Senior Frida’s face somehow came to mind.

‘…Still, since I now have a means to talk to Urd again, I’ll have to ask for details later.’

Though it was a sudden reunion.

I was glad to reunite with someone who knew about this world.

Above all, I was worried about her who had conceded so many things to me.

I told Urd I would come visit again.

“…Yes♪”

She waved her hand with a bright smile. But maybe it was my imagination… her gesture also looked strangely weak.

“…”

Before I knew it, I could hear my juniors’ voices through the swaying passage.

They were shouting urgently, trying to pull me out of here.

“Senior—! Wait! We’ll get you out soon!”

“Senior comrade! Can you hear us?”

“Everyone! Let’s all grab together and pull on the count of three—!”

“One!”

“Two!”

“Three—!!”

The hands grabbing my legs applied force all at once.

With tremendous pressure, the space swallowing me squirmed.

-Cough hrk—?!

…And I started coming out along with [Nameless Hawk]’s retching sound.

Swoosh—!

The space of shining stars instantly receded, passing through the giant chick’s throat again.

When the moist and warm sensation passed, I returned to the familiar schoolyard.

Plop—

“…”

I sprawled on the schoolyard looking like a moist shrimp just before being battered. And my juniors also couldn’t control the force from suddenly bouncing back and plopped down on the ground.

“Cough! Hack! Urgh—!! Peep peep…”

[Nameless Hawk] was lowering its head and dry heaving from the aftermath of forcibly spitting me out.

“Puhah—?!”

“She’s out—!”

“Are you alright?!”

“Senior, are you okay?”

My juniors hurriedly approaching me.

Peepeep lifting its head and dry heaving.

It was a truly chaotic scene.

‘There’s too much sudden information to organize.’

I was dazed in the middle of that chaotic scene.

The awakened [Nameless Hawk].

The space universe inside its mouth.

The three chairs I had seen before.

Urd who somehow looked tired.

“…”

The story seemed like it would continue but didn’t connect well.

But there was nothing I could do thinking about things I couldn’t change right now.

First, telling my worried juniors that I was okay and thanking them would be the most important thing to do. I can sort out the rest of the issues step by step.

I looked at my juniors watching me with concern.

“…Yes♪ Thank you. I’m fine—☆”

“…I’m glad. When that thing suddenly swallowed you, we were so surprised.”

“We thought Senior comrade would get out quickly, so we were shocked when you stayed still.”

“Sorry, sorry—☆ I’m really fine♪ I was just surprised for a moment☆”

Then my juniors smiled with relief. And they quietly glared at [Nameless Hawk] who was still coughing with its head lowered in the distance.

“Cough… hack…! Peep! I almost suffocated—! Do you know how fragile this body is right now…! P-Peep peep—?”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Wh-What? Peep peep? Suddenly glaring and approaching… Peep! D-Don’t come!! Stay there!! I said don’t come near me—!”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Peep peep—!”

* * *

[Nameless Hawk] ended up being beaten by the juniors in retaliation.

Due to the grown juniors’ careful control, it was only beaten to the extent of not getting injured. And it made pitiful cries beside us as we ate dinner.

“Peep peep… Peep peep… Not believing my words… How cruel…”

“Who would believe the words of a crazy chick that suddenly swallows people?”

“Peep peep… But… To prove that I am a beast god… Shouldn’t I show the sacred space connected to the World Tree… Peep peep…!”

“…”

Twitch—

The orange cat ears moved.

Rota put down her soup bowl and looked this way. Her orange jewel-like eyes were sparkling with curiosity.

“Senior, was there really something inside that thing’s stomach?”

“…”

“Actually, concepts like the ‘Spring of Fate’ that thing talks about are things Senior Freya mentioned too… So maybe that thing really is an ancient beast god.”

“Like the giant ‘snake’ we saw last time?”

“Right?”

“Then wouldn’t it be better to deal with it now? I say no to such commotions.”

“Peep peep—?!”

[Nameless Hawk], who had been picking up fallen bread crumbs bit by bit, looked up startled.

“…”

What should I do…

Should I just show them?

“Hmm—☆”

Actually, forget the original work or whatever… It was time we all united our opinions and did something.

Wouldn’t now be the appropriate time to introduce our hidden helper—’Urd’?

‘If Urd is the ‘Clara’ from the original work, she’d be happy to meet the juniors again.’

When the juniors see Urd residing in the Spring of Fate and are surprised like

『What?! There are two Clara seniors?!…』

『Huhu—☆ Actually, we are the Claras of the academy city—☆ We belong to an organization working in secret to save the World Tree (solemnly). At last we reveal that we [Saintesss of Sacrifice] know the truth of the academy city!』

…We can push it through with roughly this kind of feeling.

Now all the basis for telling the truth is not in my head, but carried by the World Tree instead.

…

…

…

It wasn’t bad.

We could add something like this to the juniors dazed by the double Clara attack.

‘Pretending to be [Faded Spiral] was actually because actions taken to follow the World Tree’s prophecy went wrong… Anyway, knowing about future events and was thanks to the World Tree.’

Clearing up all perception distortions so far, the shortest path we can take in the direction we need to go.

“…”

I completely finished preparing the operation.

From now on, all actions will be as a Saintess following the great World Tree’s prophecy.

Before starting the operation, I fully released the pretty filter and raised all cells responsible for empathetic emotional intelligence throughout my body.

‘Roar, pretty filter.’

-Anyway World Tree is amazing, incredible—☆

-It knows everything and can even do forest bathing—☆

-Hilde is pretty and cute, I want to kiss her every day—☆

‘Hmm… very good.’

My reason had lowered appropriately.

Now I felt like I could say any nonsense.

Before answering Kara and Rota’s words, I looked at Alvit who should get the next legendary weapon according to the flow.

“…”

Alvit was throwing small bread pieces bit by bit towards [Nameless Hawk] who had been beaten to a pulp. She had already reacted to our conversation.

“Oh, I was curious about that too. Did you really see something?”

“Hmm—☆ Something… sacred something was felt—♪”

“Huh? Really?”

“Y-You mean that chicken trifle really showed you something?!”

“Wh-What kind of scene was it?!”

I am a girl who witnessed the truth.

I am a girl who discovered the truth.

“The truth and verity of this world—☆”

“…!”

“…!”

“…!”

As soon as they heard my words, my juniors looked at [Nameless Hawk] who was pitifully picking up bread crumbs.

[Nameless Hawk] felt that gaze and tried to hop away anxiously, but was soon caught.

“Open your mouth—!”

“Kuaaak—!”

* * *

Actually, Alvit had started it half-jokingly.

No matter what her senior said, the claim that the world’s truth was contained in a chick’s stomach felt a bit far-fetched.

But…

[Watch how the spiral advances—!]

[I’m your senior after all—☆]

[Ahaha…☆ In the past I was a bit…☆]

[Oh my—♪ T-To find a dungeon ‘coincidentally’ in such a place…!]

“…”

Clara always seemed to be preparing ‘something’ while pretending it was a mistake or joke…

So Alvit was always curious about what exactly this person called ‘Clara’ was preparing.

“…”

And…

Now.

Here Alvit saw one of ‘Clara’s’ truths for the first time.

“Sen… ior…?”

“Ahaha—☆ What, what? Is this a group face stamp?”

“Wh-Why is Senior here…? Senior is now, outside…?”

“Yes♪ Are you surprised?”

‘Clara’ patted the bewildered Alvit’s head. That touch was affectionate, but somehow also seemed languid.

“Don’t worry. ‘Your senior’ is still waiting outside—☆”

“Th-Then who are you?”

“Hmm…☆ Actually I wanted to tell ‘Clara’ first, but earlier seemed urgent…♪”

The current ‘me’ has given up being ‘Clara’.

The one who sacrificed her time to turn back time that was destined to perish.

The pink-haired girl spoke while gently patting Alvit’s head:

“Let’s say… Yes…☆ Call me ‘Goddess of Fate’, past Urd—☆”

“G-Goddess…?”

“Yes! ‘Clara’ is like… my proxy? Upgraded version? Ahaha—☆ Anyway she’s like a friend—☆”

Friend of a goddess.

Proxy of a goddess.

People of the world called such a person a priest, or apostle.