11-011-Lonely Genius Girl

"128 years of St. King's history, the 20th of the Blue Moon, the same night.

＜Emera City Inn.

That Sharon guy is more normal than I've heard from you, isn't he?　I mean, isn't Onii-chan much weirder than that?

As soon as we returned to the inn, Satsuki was bombarding us with questions.

Also, it's superfluous to say that I'm much more weird than you.

It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what's going on. It's a good thing that you're not the only one who's interested in this kind of thing, because it's very difficult to talk to them when they're adventuring with your party.

"We've been adventuring together for two years and this is the first time we've had a proper conversation?

It stinks.

"But, Sharon, you seemed to be very sad about it.

Yeah, I've seen that look sometimes when we're traveling together.

In fact, he didn't talk much even after he became a companion, and even the brave man he was supposed to have recruited hardly seemed to be talking to Sharon.

Well, when I talked to her, she was like, "You're wasting your time. I was getting absolute zero counters back like 'please don't talk to me'.

'I'll try to talk to Sharon-san again tomorrow.'

Why?

When Satsuki asked curiously, Elena replied with a slightly troubled face.

''Sharon-san, I think you actually don't like being alone. It is true that if you are alone for a long time, you will be surprisingly calm, but even so, what is lonely is lonely.

As expected of someone with experience, the words of a man of experience have a different weight...

Elena giggled as she looked at me as I muttered sullenly and shook me and Satsuki's hands.

''So I'm very happy right now,''

128 years in the life of the King, 21 days in the blue moon.

What, you want a tour of the school?　I mean, why are you telling me....

"Please, please!

The next morning, we left the inn and headed straight to school, and were lucky enough to run into Sharon, who was passing by, but Elena suddenly made a fierce approach.

It's a fate that you recognized me as a genie at first glance. By all means~!

What a coincidence!　.........Haha, if you're going to say that much, it can't be helped. For my part, it's a good opportunity to compile a research report on the ecology and behavior of spirits, and that's a good deal in exchange for that?

"Yay!

Sharon reluctantly agreed, but frankly, I don't think Elena is too irregular to be helpful at all if I summarize it in a report.

If I were to be honest about it, it would make things complicated, so I'll just keep it quiet.

"First of all, this school is divided into a schoolhouse and a research building, the former is mainly for students to learn the magic formula from their teachers, while the latter is for researchers, both inside and outside the university, to study and establish new magic theories every day.

Sharon showed me around the campus while carefully explaining things to me.

Her tone itself is mature, but the way she tries so hard to talk to Elena is like a child bragging about her skills, which makes me smile a little.

On the other hand, however, I was also concerned about the students and teachers who were passing by, who kept glancing at me.

When I first noticed this gaze, I was worried that someone else might have sensed Elena's true identity, but everyone's eyes were always on Sharon.

The person in question seems to be used to it, ignoring the people around him as if he were bored, but Elena, who has no way of knowing that....

"Um, why are you all staring at Sharon?

!

I said it!

Surrounded by students and teachers who had been hit by the first punch they didn't expect, they looked away and slipped away.

''What?''

Huh? Come over here for a minute.

Sharon, walking with a scowling Elena at her side, opened the door to a room in the research building and invited everyone inside.

The room's bookshelves were lined with many thick books, and the small items neatly arranged on the wooden desk seemed to show the owner's disciplined nature.

'This is my lab,'

Wow, you've got your own room at school!

Seeing an impressed Satsuki, Sharon stood in front of her, snickering.

''So, just a question for you, sister, how old are you?''

'Huh?　Let's see, I'm fourteen this year, but...

At Sharon's sudden question, Satsuki answered her age with a strange look on her face.

'By the way, I'm six years older than you, twenty.

''How old do I look?''

"Oh, that's a tough question!

When I couldn't resist tsking, Sharon gave me a jittery glare.

Sharon is even shorter than the originally petite Satsuki, and the gap between her mature tone of voice is amazing, but I honestly have no idea how old she is when she asks me how old she is.

However, Satsuki seriously checked Sharon's entire body and face before answering the question with trepidation.

''I'm going to answer at the risk of being rude, but.......about the same age?''

Too bad I'm ten.

Noooooooooo!

I yelled out and got a jittery glare from Sharon again.

'No, um ... really, you're ten or half my size below me?　Seriously?

Have I always been scared of that little guy?

Seeing me in shock, Sharon laughs with a dumbfounded look on her face.

I'm sure that's a normal reaction. The other students want to become great wizards and enter a wizarding school, only to be told that a child much younger than they are is the top student in the class, and they're given a lab like this. It must be very depressing to have that kind of thing wandering around in front of you.

Okay, I'm finally beginning to understand the nature of the problem Sharon had.

In other words, you're too much of a genius to be isolated, and you're suffering from that situation yourself.

Then Sharon asked Elena while lowering her gaze.

'From Elena-san's point of view as a spirit, what do you think of someone like me?'

She has a serious look on her face, a complete change from the tone of voice that seemed to be someone else's problem until just now.

Probably, everything up to a moment ago was a milestone, and this question is her true intention.

And Elena's answer to that question is........

'I'm amazed at how hard she works, even though she's tiny and cute!

"Guess what?

At Elena's overly direct answer, Sharon let out a strange groan and slammed her head on the top of the desk with a gun.

''Like the guide, even the explanation of the magic was very easy to understand, and you made a tremendous effort to understand it that well~!　The kids around you might get jealous, but that's the flip side of the fact that you've been working so hard all this time, Sharon!　And--!

Stop Stop-stop!　I can't go any further!

?

Although Elena tilted her head curiously at me as I hurriedly called for a referee stop, the actual Sharon herself was prostrate on the desk, red to her ears and shaking with a pouting shake.

''Could it be that I have offended Sharon-san?

No, no, I don't think he's mad at me... maybe.

I'm sure that Sharon has been praised for her talents and abilities by those around her, but perhaps she has never had the experience of being praised for her past efforts.

In other words, I was so happy to be praised that I felt embarrassed.

Fu.................!

After taking a few deep breaths, Sharon raised her head and turned away, her cheeks turning red.

"That's not at all the kind of flexibility a genie has!

"Ugh...

Although Sharon complained bitterly, the expression on her face didn't seem to be all that bad.

But if this is her true nature, then what is this "silent and cold-hearted Sharon" that I've been dealing with for the past two years?

Why would Sharon do something like that to stifle her own emotions...?

Just when I was thinking about that question...

bang-bang

As soon as a knock on the door echoed in the room, the girl's shy face changed to a blank expression as she blushed.

''Is Sharon-sama here?''

When Sharon silently opened the door to her room, a young female wizard was standing there.

From her appearance, this person seems to be a teacher at a magic school.

''There is a visitor coming to see you, please come to the headmaster's office as soon as possible.

I'm with a customer, too, right?

I am terribly sorry to hear that. But the person who is here is that brave Mr. Kanemitsu.

"'Huh!'

As expected, Sharon let out a sigh of dissatisfaction, as if she couldn't ignore the fact that she was nominated directly by a brave person.

''I'm sorry Elena-san. I have to go for a while.

"Ye-yeah. Um, thank you for teaching me so much........thank you!

When Sharon saw Elena bowing deeply, her expression relaxed again and she smiled, then turned on her heel and was taken away by the instructor.

As we walked out of Sharon's lab, we watched her back as she grew smaller and smaller, and thought about the future.

''I have a feeling that Sharon-san shouldn't go on a journey with the heroes like this!

Yeah, that's odd. I was just thinking about that.