Naoki, Manaka, and Artoria went through a full school day under the subtle stares of their classmates and even the entire school.
Though midway through, Naoki and Artoria felt something off about the atmosphere around them and wanted to investigate, no matter how much they observed, they found no clues at school. In the end, they gave up and waited until dismissal.
"Finally free…"
"School's that exhausting?"
Outside the school, on the way to the supermarket, Naoki and Artoria wore tired expressions, sighing as if they'd just finished a fierce battle.
Beside them, Manaka asked curiously, "What's with you two? You look so exhausted. Were today's lessons hard to understand?"
"It's not that, it's more about the atmosphere."
"Atmosphere?"
"For some reason, the vibe at school felt weird today. Like walking into a forest full of hunters. Manaka, didn't you feel it?"
(Because my attention was entirely on you, I didn't notice the school's atmosphere at all.)
Manaka didn't voice her thoughts to Naoki, only shaking her head. "No, nothing. Wasn't it the same as usual? Maybe you and Pendragon-san are just too sensitive?"
"Maybe… Anyway, as promised, we're heading to the supermarket to buy clothes for Pendragon, right?"
"Yeah, and ingredients for dinner tonight—" Mid-sentence, Manaka hesitated before continuing, "By the way… do we need to buy an extra mattress? Is Pendragon-san going to keep sleeping on the floor? Should we clean out your parents' room so there's an empty bed for her?"
"No need, I'm fine sleeping on the floor." Artoria shook her head. "I can sleep anywhere. Besides, it saves time and effort not having to clean a room."
"No, that's not what I meant…"
(If you two sleep in the same room, for some reason, my heart feels uneasy.)
Manaka really wanted to say that but was too shy to speak so openly…
Seeing Manaka wanting to say something but holding back, Naoki suddenly spoke up. "Cleaning a room doesn't take long. Letting you sleep on the floor all the time isn't good… How about this: you two go to the supermarket to buy clothes and ingredients, and I'll head home to clean a room?"
"Naoki?" Manaka's tone instantly carried a hint of excitement.
"Is that okay? Won't it trouble your parents?" Artoria asked.
"Don't worry about them. They only come back for New Year's, so you can stay without issue—alright, it's settled. I'll head home. You two go to the supermarket."
With that, Naoki quickened his pace, walking to the intersection and turning in the opposite direction of the supermarket.
Once his figure was out of sight, Manaka pulled her gaze back. "Alright, let's head to the supermarket, Pendragon-san."
"Okay."
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
(I hope those two can get along.)
Arriving home, Naoki tossed his bag into his room before entering his parents' room, which he hadn't been in for a while.
Parting with Manaka on the way home was a first in ten years. Normally, Naoki would've gone to the supermarket with her. But today, he felt it was better to give Manaka and Artoria some space.
He could tell something was off with his childhood friend's mood. Though Manaka hid it well, after ten years together, Naoki noticed any change. Even if she switched shampoos, he'd catch the scent.
Thus, he'd noticed slight shifts in Manaka's behavior since Artoria's arrival.
So, he gave them space. The changes caused by Artoria could only be resolved by Artoria—though Naoki felt it probably wasn't too serious an issue.
However, compared to their issue, a more pressing problem stood before him now.
"This is going to take a lot of time to clean…"
The last time Naoki entered his parents' room was when Manaka helped clean, about two weeks ago. That was enough time for dust to accumulate. Not to mention, the room was filled with holy artifacts sent from England. The space was cramped, and cleaning it would require significant effort just to move things.
"Let's see… This, I remember, is a fragment of King Arthur's Round Table. This is an antique vase, supposedly from King Arthur's era, excavated in Rome… What's this?"
The holy artifacts, occupying nearly half the room, were mostly related to King Arthur. The rest could also be loosely tied to King Arthur or the Knights of the Round Table.
In the past, Naoki didn't care about King Arthur-related things, as legends were usually fake, not real. But after yesterday's events, even he couldn't help but question the authenticity of King Arthur.
Maybe he was a real historical figure.
"If that's true, all the stuff in this room must be incredibly valuable… Well, Mom and Dad would never think of selling them."
They were a pair of obsessive researchers who valued their King Arthur studies more than their own son. These holy artifacts were painstakingly discovered or excavated. They'd never sell them.
"I'll talk to them when they come back… Huh? What's this?"
His attention was drawn to a stone in the room's corner. Naoki bent down and picked it up to examine it—an orange crystal, seemingly uncarved, encased in a white shell with wing-like decorations.
"This… is from King Arthur's era too? Let's see, the label… [Found in Italy, Holy Angel Artifact]."
"Angel?"
Naoki frowned. Something completely unrelated to King Arthur—why was it among his parents' collection?
Accidentally brought along and shipped?
After thinking for a moment, Naoki tossed the stone back into the pile of artifacts.
"Whatever, keep cleaning. Gotta finish before they get back. This is a huge job."