Chapter 158: Hands That Remembered

"My hand?"

Haru stared at Seline.

’Wait. Did she notice me absorbing her mana or something?’

’Shit.’

Before he could come up with an excuse, Seline reached for his hand again.

Her fingers brushed against his palm, tracing the roughened skin with surprising care. Her touch was light, almost absent-minded, but her attention was entirely focused on the small details beneath her fingertips.

Haru felt a strange ticklish sensation.

Not because her touch hurt, but because he wasn’t used to someone examining his hand so closely.

Seline moved her thumb across the base of his fingers, then examined the calluses along his palm.

"Specific calluses..."

She turned his hand slightly, studying the distribution of the hardened skin.

"This is the wrist that hurts, isn’t it?"

"Yeah..."

"You practise swordsmanship."

It wasn’t a question.

Haru blinked.

’That’s it!?’

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, I do practise with a sword. Actually, ever since I arrived in this world, I’ve found myself picking one up whenever I get the chance."

He looked at her with renewed interest.

"You must be pretty skilled to figure that out just by holding someone’s hand."

After all, how was anyone supposed to determine that a guy practised swordsmanship simply by examining the distribution of calluses on his palm?

That seemed like an absurdly specific talent.

"It’s not quite like that," Seline explained. "You grip your sword too tightly. Your hand has developed more calluses than it should, and their distribution suggests you use a relatively long blade."

Haru stared at her.

"Seriously? How can you tell that much? I mean, seriously?"

"Oh, I suppose it’s a talent of mine."

Seline turned her own palm towards him.

"Here. Look."

She placed her hand beside his, showing him the differences between their palms. She pointed out the areas where pressure would typically accumulate during sword practice, explaining how different grips and fighting styles affected the skin.

Haru listened with genuine interest, then he noticed something. Her hand was completely smooth. Not a single visible callus.

He frowned.

’Wait a minute... Come to think of it, Isabela’s hands had been smooth, too.’

’And neither of them usually wore gloves.’

"How come you don’t have any calluses?"

Seline glanced at her palm.

"Because the first requirement for a woman who wishes to become a swordswoman is learning how not to develop them."

Haru stared at her.

"...What?"

She continued as though she’d just explained something perfectly ordinary.

"In our training, we learn to use mana in our hands. Even when the mana throughout the rest of our bodies is depleted, we must preserve the ability to channel it through our hands for as long as possible."

She flexed her fingers.

"The less callused a swordswoman’s hands are, the more formidable, and respectes, she tends to be."

Haru looked at her palm again.

Then at his own.

Then back at hers.

"That’s a lot of information."

"It’s a complicated subject."

"Apparently."

Seline gave him a small smile.

"But this is a woman’s secret."

Haru tilted his head.

"Uh... but I’m not a woman!"

"I don’t care."

’What is she, some kind of feminist?’

Silence.

Haru stared at her... Seline stared back.

’Wait. Do feminists even exist in this time and space?’

He had so many questions, and somehow, none of them seemed appropriate to ask.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

Then Seline tilted her head slightly.

"Hey..."

"Hm?"

"Have we met somewhere before?"

Haru froze, the question caught him off guard. Because, truthfully, he’d been wondering the exact same thing.

Ever since their first encounter, he’d experienced a strange sense of familiarity whenever he was around her. It wasn’t simply that she seemed familiar. There was something deeper, something that stirred the spirits within him and sent a peculiar shiver through his body.

His instincts were unusually sharp because of the countless spirits dwelling within him, and whenever Seline was near, they seemed to react. He’d initially dismissed the sensation as a consequence of his strange circumstances, but now she was asking the same question.

Had they met before?

Somewhere?

Somehow?

"No..." Haru began answering, then stopped halfway through.

He wasn’t sure.

"I don’t know."

Seline studied him for another moment.

"Neither do I."

High above them, Kaelthar watched in silence.

"I know."

Unfortunately, neither of them could hear him.

They eventually began walking. Neither Haru nor Seline seemed particularly interested in ending their conversation just yet, although neither would have admitted it.

"So, where do you think we’ve met?" Haru asked.

Seline considered the question. "Perhaps during a training session?"

"No, I don’t think so."

"A public event?"

"Unlikely."

"A town somewhere?"

"Which town?"

She glanced at him.

"I’m asking you."

"Oh. Right."

Haru scratched his cheek.

’I’m new to this world. How many towns am I even supposed to know?’

He tried listing the places he’d visited since arriving in this world.

’The academy, naturally.’

’The village where he’d encountered Vandris.’

A few other locations associated with his increasingly troublesome adventures.

He mentioned them one after another.

Seline shook her head each time.

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"Not even Vandris’s village?"

"Never heard of it."

Haru nodded thoughtfully.

"Fair enough."

They continued walking.

Seline began suggesting places of her own, mentioning towns, regions, and locations that Haru had never visited.

Sometimes, he shook his head.

Other times, he simply nodded, pretending he knew what she was talking about before asking for clarification.

The conversation went nowhere.

Eventually, Haru decided to broaden the search.

"What about Japan? Tokyo, perhaps?"

Seline’s head turned towards him so quickly that he nearly stopped walking.

’Japan? Tokyo? Is he a Gamer?’

Haru noticed her reaction.

"Uh... I thought you were a noble. Nobles don’t exactly travel to Japan, do they?"

Seline blinked. ’Wait. There’s a Japan here, too?’

Haru stared at her.

Apparently, geography wasn’t her strongest subject.

"I’ve never been to Japan," she said. "Why would I have gone there?"

Haru looked at her.

"Because you asked where we’d met."

"That doesn’t answer my question."

"Fair point."

Seline crossed her arms.

"What were you doing in Tokyo?"

Haru hesitated for a moment, then he answered naturally.

"Ah, I’m from there."

Seline stopped walking.

"...What?"

"I’m from Japan."

"Wait. You’re Japanese?"

"Yeah."

She examined his face as though she’d just discovered something particularly unexpected.

"But you don’t look Japanese."

Haru sighed.

"I’m used to hearing that."

He’d heard variations of that comment often enough that it barely registered anymore.

"But seriously," he continued, "where did you think the name Haru Mizuki came from?"

Seline looked away.

"I don’t speak Japanese. How am I supposed to know?"

"Fair enough."

And just like that, the conversation moved on.

By the time they reached the women’s dormitory, Haru had exhausted practically every possibility he could think of. They hadn’t discovered where they’d supposedly met, they hadn’t uncovered any hidden connection. And, as far as he could tell, neither had recognised anything concrete.

Perhaps the strange familiarity was simply a coincidence. Or perhaps his instincts were reacting to something he didn’t yet understand.

Either way, he had other things to do.

"Well, this is where we part ways," Haru said.

Seline glanced towards the entrance.

"Yes. I suppose so."

He handed her the canteen.

"There. Returned in perfect condition."

She accepted it.

"Thank you."

"No problem."

For a moment, they stood facing each other. Neither seemed particularly eager to leave first, although neither had anything else to say. Eventually, Haru raised a hand.

"See you around, Seline."

"See you around, Haru."

He turned towards the men’s dormitory while she headed inside the women’s quarters.

And just like that, their paths separated.

’What a strange woman.’

Haru shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked.

’Still, at least I got some mana out of it.’

That was something. He’d take it.

By the time Haru returned to his room, he was finally ready to do what he’d intended to do earlier.

Fortunately, Golden wasn’t there.

’Even better.’

Haru shut the door behind him, pulled off his orange jumpsuit, and tossed it aside, leaving himself in his underwear.

"Ahh..."

He stretched before collapsing onto his bed.

’Finally. Peace.’

No academy duties, no beautiful elves, no mysterious sensations. And, most importantly, nobody around to interrupt him.

Haru settled comfortably against his pillow and summoned the System interface. A familiar notification appeared before his eyes.

[Awaiting Gamer’s decision.]

Haru nodded.

"All right."

He accepted.

The notification changed immediately.

[Connecting user to the new update.]

A brief pause followed.

Then another message appeared.

[Initializing...

Haru stared at the notification, waiting for something to happen.

Nothing.

"...That’s it?"

He waited a little longer... Still nothing.

"Don’t tell me the update is going to take forever."

He shifted on his bed, wondering whether he should have accepted it earlier. Perhaps he could have finished everything else before returning to his room.

Too late now.

Haru sighed and folded his arms behind his head.

"Fine. I’ll wait."

The moment he finished speaking, the interface flickered.

"...Oh?"

Something was finally happening.