New Power: Story of Skill and Magic

Chapter 26: Secrets and Trust

My lesson for today is over. As promised yesterday, I must go to the student council room.

"Some of the members are already present. I want you to meet them," Imelda had said.

I was curious about the people Imelda had chosen for her members.

"I'm coming in," I said, pushing the door open. Alysha followed closely behind.

Inside the room, I saw some unfamiliar faces, and one seemed vaguely familiar. Were these the other members of the student council? There were four of them. From right to left, there was a guy with glasses, a normal-looking boy, a girl with an easygoing smile, and lastly, a girl in a white coat whom I seemed to have met yesterday when I carried Lulu to the infirmary.

Not long after Alysha and I entered, there was a knock at the door.

"Excuse me," Violet said as she stepped into the room.

According to what Imelda said, with this, all eight members should be gathered, right?

"Alright, since everyone is here, let's start the introductions. Sorry for the two other members. They still have work to handle," Imelda said.

Huh? I seemed to have misunderstood. So, when Imelda mentioned eight members, it didn't include Violet and me. At least our workload would be reduced with more members.

"Let's start from the right. Lucas," Imelda pointed to the boy with glasses.

"My name is Lucas. A Magician. I'm in charge of the organizational division. Class XII-A," he answered clearly and firmly.

He looked like a very disciplined person. His uniform was very neat, and the glasses added a studious impression. No matter how you looked at him, he seemed very suited to take charge of the organizational division.

"My name is Zane, and I am an Esper. I am part of the academic division. I'm in the same grade as you, Class XI-E," the next boy said. His voice wasn't too loud but also not too soft. He didn't look too muscular or too thin. My first impression of him remained unchanged. And for the last part, his voice seemed to drop a bit when he mentioned his class. Are you embarrassed by your class?

"Next, it's my turn. My name is Shirley. Magician. I'm the treasurer. I'm in the same class as Imelda. Ah, if you find it difficult to pronounce my name, you can call me Shishi, it's fine."

I guess there's no need to elaborate on this upperclassman. She's the easygoing type. Yup, she reminds me of Sister Lisa, who seemed very approachable to me. Being in the same class as Imelda means XII-S, one of the strong people in their grade.

"As for me... I think we've met before. My name is Helena Earnest. I'm in charge of health. Class XII-A," the girl in the white coat said.

She spoke in a flat tone, not showing much enthusiasm or indifference, or I could say that's just how she is. Her tone didn't indicate a lack of interest but rather a sense of laziness. Her voice suggested she was lazy, even though she wasn't like that. I think it's a bit unique. For now, let's move on. I don't want to talk about people's faults.

"Alright, let's move on to the new members. First, Vio," Imelda said.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Violet Edina, and I am excited to be joining as the new secretary. I have recently moved here from Lelore, so I'm still getting familiar with the surroundings. It's a pleasure to meet you all," Violet introduced herself formally as usual.

Now it was my turn.

"I'm Ishimaru Naozumi. My position is vice secretary. Like Edina, I also just moved from a school in Pillar 6. Nice to meet you."

Do I need to provide more information? Hmm... I guess not. This should be enough for now.

"Alright, everyone has introduced themselves. Now, if anyone has any questions, don't hesitate to ask. If I know the answer, I'll help, hehe," Imelda said with a smile.

Somehow, Imelda's joke made me feel a bit uneasy in case there were personal questions.

Helena suddenly pointed at me after Imelda spoke.

"Can I ask what your power is? I didn't get an answer from Alysha," Helena asked.

Without delay, the first troublesome question landed. It seemed my worry about personal questions had come true.

Was the time Alysha stayed behind to talk to Helena about this explanation? Yesterday Alysha also said that I would have some trouble today; is this what she meant? What should I answer now?

After a brief silence, I replied, "Electric Manipulation."

Since Alysha didn't answer her question, Helena likely guessed that I did it and only answered based on what she had seen before.

There was once a test for powers, and at that time, I only copied the powers of those around me. That was probably the only time I used my power in public, even though I ended up in pain in a deserted alley 30 minutes after the test. That's why I answered according to what had been publicly established.

Judging by Helena's face, she seemed unsatisfied with my answer.

I know why you're curious, but please don't push further. Probably because Chris was watching over Lulu, and she suddenly recovered after I had just transferred and helped her. Is Helena doubting me because my power isn't healing? Well, even though indirectly, I do have healing powers.

"Can you show your power?" Helena asked.

Okay. The second worst question had arrived. If there were no side effects, it wouldn't be a problem for me to show it to others easily.

Should I show it? Chris isn't here, and I'd probably end up on the floor afterward.

"I don't mind that. Is it okay to use my power?" I'm still trying to persuade her. It would be better if she gave up.

Like in Lelore, using powers freely is still restricted in Protea and cannot be used recklessly. Currently, government supervision isn't enough to handle such matters.

I looked at Alysha and Imelda. They should know my situation, so please help me change the topic.

"Of course. We're in the student council room, and you're supervised. There's also the disciplinary committee downstairs if you do something weird," Helena said stubbornly.

Helena convinced me to use my power. She's persistent. I guess I'll ask my last question.

"For what purpose do you need to know my power?"

Helena crossed her arms. She sighed a short sigh, a sign of disappointment. She seemed to know that I was diverting the topic rather than giving a straightforward answer.

"Just to make sure. Previously, Lulu was sick and under Chris's supervision. But after you came, she somehow recovered. That's the short story. Can you explain that?" Helena asked.

Of course. I know that because I was the one who healed her. But it's impossible to answer like that, and if I give an unreasonable answer, it will only confirm that I did heal her. What should I do?

"Should I call Chris?" Alysha asked.

After Alysha said that, I immediately turned to her.

Are you serious about saying that here? If you call Chris, everyone will know about it. Chris will definitely talk about it. It's not that I don't trust him, but... he has a bit of trouble keeping secrets. And because I'm here, he probably thinks I'll allow him to talk about it.

Even if he doesn't answer, Helena will be able to narrow down her predictions, indirectly leading only to me. Like when making up stories and reasons, when I used Crystal on Violet yesterday, I must also be quite bad at making up stories about this.

I'm overthinking this. Seeing Alysha, I know she doesn't mind this. I don't know these people very well, but I Very much okay if Alysha trusts them. From childhood till now, Alysha has been the number one who can help me the most. They are also Imelda's chosen people. Imelda wouldn't expect anything bad from her subordinates.

"Do you want me to tell them everything?" I looked into Alysha's eyes and confirmed. Judging by the situation, maybe she wants me to have someone I can trust or something like that. "I can't force you, Brother. It's your own choice," Alysha said.

Helena was waiting for my answer. Meanwhile, the others who didn't understand my conversation with Helena just stayed silent and watched. My discussion with Alysha now made the others even more confused.

"Alright. I understand. Please call Chris for me."

In this matter, I cast aside the trust or distrust of everyone in my mind. I know it is without a risk but I believe in Alysha. I chose what Alysha suggested because I knew she wouldn't bring me any harm. That's how much I trust Alysha.

School dismissal time wasn't too long ago, so if we look for Chris immediately, he should still be at school. Chris also had cleaning duty today, so he should still be in the school area.

Alysha then went out to start looking.

I guess this time I will talk a bit about my secret here. Although I won't talk about the most important part.

"First, even though this is Alysha's wish, I will still talk about it. I hope you can keep it a secret and not spread it."

They were silent for a moment because of my words, which seemed threatening and indicated a heavy conversation.

"Do we have to hear your secret?" Zane started to speak. He seemed to want to avoid trouble. That's good..., but it's up to you.

"Not necessarily. If you don't want to, that's fine by me," I answered honestly. "Maybe it's better not to hear it if you don't want to know."

They seemed to think for a moment, while Helena continued to stare at me without turning away. Are you the type of person who is very curious and ignores others?

"I'll listen." "I guess I'll listen too," Lucas and Shirley answered in unison.

Meanwhile, as Zane was still thinking, I turned to Violet to ensure her decision.

"May I also listen?" she seemed uncertain about herself.

"Of course."

"I'd be happy to listen," Violet answered quickly. Although she seemed hesitant, she also appeared eager to hear what would be discussed.

After all, it would be better if Violet could rely on me. That would make things easier for me.

Zane, who seemed like he didn't want to be left out, also agreed to listen.

While ensuring their participation, suddenly the door opened. Alysha and Chris entered the room.

Wasn't that too quick? Even if you ran to the classroom, you wouldn't be that fast. Alysha also didn't seem like she had been running just now.

"I found Chris while he was walking towards the gate."

Chris already had his bag with him. Ah, that's why he was so quick. After all, this building is indeed closer to the gate than the Classroom Building.

"Sorry to disturb you, Chris."

"Sure, it's okay. I didn't have anything to do after this and would just go back to my room," Chris replied quite casually. He's someone who wouldn't be burdened by this. That's why I feel bad asking too much of him.

"I want you to answer Helena's question. Just answer honestly, I don't mind. Just answer what she asks, okay?"

I emphasized to answer only what was asked. I didn't want him to explain everything; that would be troublesome and make things worse. If all my weaknesses were revealed, it would also be bad for the future.

"Of course. What does Senior Helena want to ask?" Chris nodded and spoke to Helena calmly.

Helena, who had been staring at me, finally turned her gaze to Chris, approached him, and asked with a serious expression.

"Tell me, Chris, who healed Lulu?"

"Naozumi healed Lulu," Chris answered quickly without hesitation.

The opening question that became the root of the conversation was widely asked by Helena. I just wanted to listen to whatever they talked about. For now, I wouldn't comment on anything unless it concerned something that could cause problems.

"How did Naozumi heal Lulu?"

"With his power," Chris still answered calmly.

"What is Naozumi's power?"

Now we're entering the main questions. From here, it would be an exposition of my power... I think so.

For a moment, Chris looked at me as if seeking confirmation. It seems I underestimated Chris too much. I think now he can read the situation depending on the weight of the conversation. He tried to stay silent to avoid causing trouble. I'm sorry for doubting you too much, Chris.

I nodded to reassure him.

". More precisely, he used my power for that."

As soon as I gave the confirmation, Chris answered Helena's question without hesitation.

The room was quiet as the weight of the statement settled. I observed their reactions carefully. This was the first time I had shared this much about myself with people outside my close circle, except Putri. Trust was a fragile thing, but for now, it seemed intact.