Chapter 10: Sierra gets introduced.
The next day, Sierra returned to the headmaster’s office.
“Ufufu, the uniform suits you perfectly.”
“…Thanks.”
She was now wearing the academy’s standard white shirt and green blazer.
A faint, happy smile tugged at her lips at the compliment.
Usually the only person who ever praised her was Ainz after a job, and she had almost no experience being complimented on clothes.
Skirts, especially, were completely new to her.
She experimentally lifted the hem a little, watching it flutter.
“You mustn’t do that on school grounds, okay?”
“Why not?”
“It would ‘disturb public morals,’ I suppose.”
“…Public… morals?”
“Ufufu, that’s exactly the sort of thing you can learn here.”
Awenda answered with her usual smile.
After a brief chat, Sierra was handed off to an instructor who guided her to the classroom.
The school building was vast; Sierra glanced out windows as they walked, instinctively mapping the layout.
Understanding structures like this was one of her strengths.
Eventually she was told to wait outside a certain classroom.
“Feber-sensei, I brought her.”
“Oh, thanks! I’ll take it from here.”
The woman who emerged from the classroom gave an immediate impression of generous curves.
Reddish hair fell to her shoulders, and her slightly upturned eyes paired with a lively voice.
“You’re Sierra-san, right? I’m Kou Feber, your homeroom teacher.”
“Kou… got it.”
“Ahaha, you’re supposed to add ‘-sensei’ there.”
Kou ruffled Sierra’s hair vigorously, making her vision shake.
“Kou-sensei?”
“Good girl, very obedient. All right, time for introductions. Come on in.”
Urged forward, Sierra stepped into the classroom.
About twenty boys and girls were inside.
Every single gaze snapped to her at once.
The room instantly buzzed with whispers.
“Eh, that’s the girl who beat Instructor Magnis…!?”
“I thought it’d be some huge brute…”
“She’s insanely pretty…”
“Okay, okay, I know everyone has opinions, but save them for later and tell her directly.”
At Kou’s words, the room fell silent.
The fact that Sierra had defeated Instructor House Magnis and earned her admission had already spread throughout the class.
A few students had peeked into the training field and spread the story.
Sierra had noticed eyes on her from places other than the official stands, but right now something else caught her attention.
In the corner of the room, her eyes met those of a certain girl.
It was Arna, the girl from the rooftop last night.
For some reason, Arna was staring at her with a tense, almost burdened expression.
(…? She feels different from yesterday.)
Sierra was sensitive to subtle changes like that.
It didn’t feel like hostility, though; more like nervousness.
“Anyway, starting today, Sierra Alcnys will be joining our class. I know the rumors are flying, but she’s a country girl who only just arrived in the capital, so look after her even when I’m not around. Sierra-san, go ahead and introduce yourself.”
“Introduce myself?”
“Yeah, just say whatever.”
“…I’m Sierra Alcnys?”
“Ahaha, I already said that part!”
Even if you tell me that… Sierra thought, troubled.
She genuinely had nothing to say, until she remembered something written in the Normie Notebook for exactly this situation.
“Um… I used to go on lots of adventures? with my dad, so I can talk about that stuff if you want.”
She had rephrased her mercenary days as “adventures.”
Surprisingly, the class took it well.
“Adventures, huh.”
“She’s our age and already did that? Amazing.”
“All right, your seat will be… next to Arna-san. Take good care of her, okay?”
“! Y-yes, ma’am.”
Arna’s reply sounded oddly stiff again.
When Sierra sat down,
“…I didn’t expect us to be in the same class. I’ve heard about you. Nice to meet you, Sierra-san.”
“Yeah, nice to meet you.”
Talking to her normally, she seemed no different than last night.
Maybe I was overthinking it, Sierra thought.
“Okay, with our new transfer student here, let’s start class! Sierra-san, ask anything you don’t understand.”
“Got it.”
The first lesson was about world history.
Naturally, Sierra understood none of it.