Melanie the Reincarnator

Arrival at the Academy - Part 2

《Heh... A mini map, huh. I didn't expect such a game-like element...》

Melanie, on the other hand, accepted it as natural, and Hepha didn't have any particular comments. Freia looked at Melanie with a confused look on her face.

《You know what this is, Miss Melanie?》

《Just Melanie is fine, and yeah, more or less.》

It was a live overhead map being displayed in the corner of their peripheral vision. Even if any of them were to try to look at it, it would always just be in their peripheral, never to come into focus. On the map, there was just greenery all around, with the exception of the faces of Melanie, Hepha, and Freia appearing as small icons displaying their locations, and on the rims were the four cardinal directions.

《I'm guessing this means we're being monitored, huh. Can't blame 'em, some Aeges can be dangerous, after all.》

Melanie tried experimenting with the map with her head silently, but after seeing that she could only zoom in or out, without opening the map in full view, she resigned.

《For now, let's head to the academy.》

The three of them started walking to the facility in the horizon.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

《Say, Melanie...》

《Hm?》

This time, it was Freia behind Melanie and Hepha, as Melanie was leading. During their trek to the academy, Freia opened her mouth to ask something.

《You're... uh, Duke Theilinheart's only daughter, right?》

《The same one, yeah.》

Freia gulped quietly as she spoke anxiously.

《...Have I been disrespectful in any way?》

《Frankly speaking, Freia, I appreciate how you spoke to me before knowing I was the duke's daughter. I don't really like it when people stray away from me just cuz of my titles.》

《I see!》

Freia sighed in relief as she heard Melanie speak honestly. She quickly walked faster and moved beside Melanie.

《Then let's be good friends from now on, Melanie!》

《Sure thing.》

Melanie smiled as she looked at Freia beside her. Hepha also grinned slightly as she walked behind the two of them.

Pretty flowers budding together... How blissful... This is great, Melanie!

But her thoughts seem to be leaking out. Putting that aside, as the three were walking towards the academy, they noticed something appear on the mini map, it was an icon with an unfamiliar face on it, just like their's, surrounded by little red dots.

《Who's that?》

《Only one way to find out.》

Melanie rushed to the direction of the icon on the map, and Freia followed after a few seconds. Hepha was riding in Melanie's shadow since she can't run as fast as her.

When they arrived, they saw the person the icon on their map showed them. It was a young man with short golden hair and bright blue eyes, looking uncannily similar to Freia, though he was wearing the same uniform as Melanie and Freia instead of the male uniform like you'd expect. He was surrounded by small blue blobs with little black dots looking like eyes.

《...Are you crossdressing again, Lei?》

Freia moved to the young man... girl's? side in an instant, and pinched her cheeks in a playful manner. From how Freia said it, it seems that this young man was actually Freia's sister crossdressing.