Civil Servant in Romance Fantasy - Chapter 295

Chapter 295: This is the Pastry Club (3)

Since most of the Empire’s nobility attended the Academy and were active in its clubs, the club fair had become more than just an Academy event—it was essentially a grand affair of the Empire. It was a social gathering where graduated nobles returned, connecting with the current students under the pretext of being ‘senior club members.’ That was what the club fair had come to mean.

And now, the fair has evolved from a domestic event into an international one.

“Yes, that’s correct. I received the news yesterday as well.”

“I see.”

I went straight to the Principal the day after the Minister told me that foreign guests would be attending. His calm reply confirmed it. So, even the Principal heard about it only yesterday.

It was no longer just a possibility but a certainty if the news had reached the Principal, the highest authority at the Academy. The Minister’s words to me might have been mere rumors, but that meant that the Department of Education had officially said, ‘We’re expecting guests’ if even the Principal had heard about it.

Ridiculous. What could possibly be so interesting about a student-run fair that people would cross borders for it? Did they all have too much time on their hands? Some of us didn’t even have the luxury of taking breaks even if we wanted to.

Though they’d probably have come even without the fair.

Of course, it was obvious, to me, to the Principal, and even to Sir Villar who was passing by that their main goal was visiting the Academy itself and not the fair. They had been waiting for any excuse to get in, and now that the fair allowed outsiders to enter, I wouldn’t be surprised if they practically somersaulted through the gates.

Moreover, while the Minister mentioned that those from Ernesto Academy were particularly enthusiastic, it wasn’t just them. Mages from all over the continent would be rushing in. High-ranking mages could easily use teleportation, so crossing borders was no problem for them.

“I’m concerned we might be overwhelmed by too many guests. This could place undue stress on you, Principal.”

I hesitantly asked after imagining a flood of ‘lifelong learners’ who had failed to get into the Academy swarming in. After all, this commotion, which was caused by the Mage Duchess’s visit, was obviously because of me.

If I had any sense of guilt, I’d be apologizing to the Principal. After all, he took the hit for something that wasn’t even his fault.

“It’s quite alright. After all, the purpose of the fair is for everyone to enjoy themselves, isn’t it? Besides, the more guests, the merrier.”

However, the Principal responded with a calm smile. How strange. His expression and tone didn’t suggest sarcasm or resignation, either.

Is he really okay with this?

But why? From his perspective, a routine event had suddenly escalated to something that demanded special attention. If it were me, I’d want to strangle whoever disrupted my schedule.

If I wanted to be optimistic, I could say that it was the Principal’s experience and patience shining through. However, the burden of administrative work didn’t get lighter with age. In fact, having more to do as you get older was just more depressing. At some point, wouldn’t he wonder whether dying from overwork or retirement would be the better option?

Sensing my confusion, the Principal’s smile deepened as he continued.

“Ernesto Academy has expressed a desire to model their educational system after ours. They wish to attend not as guests, but as students, and hope to learn from us.”

“Oh, really?”

The moment he said that, I understood why the Principal looked so calm—and, on closer inspection, perhaps even quietly pleased.

He won.

It seemed that the Principal had come out victorious in the long-standing battle of pride between the two academies.

The Imperial Academy was the continent’s premier institution, known for its all-encompassing curriculum. Meanwhile, Ernesto Academy was the magical powerhouse specializing in magic. By tradition, both academies were headed by great mages, resulting in a subtle rivalry between them.

When considering the overall educational system, the Imperial Academy clearly came out on top. However, since the Principals were mages before they were educators, the rivalry played out solely in the magical field. Given that the United Kingdom of Yuben’s magical prowess was nothing to scoff at, the rivalry was as intense as a fierce sports match.

However, that balance was shattered when the Mage Duchess made the Imperial Academy her base. It was like having Einstein, who had lived for 120 years, pick a side—it was game over.

I guess Erich interpreted my earlier question about going back inside as a sign of fatigue because he was now guiding me toward a nearby bench.

Of course, I wasn’t really tired. We were just strolling around the pathway near the building—if that was enough to exhaust me, I wouldn’t have made it into the Academy in the first place. But if Erich misunderstood, then I was more than willing to pretend to be tired.

...Just leaning on his shoulder should be fine, right?

Would it be okay if I leaned on his shoulder for a bit? I doubt he’d push me away if I leaned against him. I’d honestly love to rest my head on his lap, but that would be a bit too much since we were outside and not in a carriage.

Alright, I should settle for his shoulder for now. After all, sharing a moment in the spring breeze like this was romantic in its own way.

“Hmm? Were you nearby?”

A voice interrupted my daydreams just as I was lost in my happy thoughts.

Turning my gaze toward the sound, I saw Prince Rutis bouncing a ball as he approached. And, as if that wasn’t enough, he was accompanied by Prince Ainter, Prince Lather, and Lord Tannian—all of them.

This was odd. Weren’t they all supposed to be busy debating the shape of cookies and candies? They had been so absorbed in it to the point of being unapproachable that I thought they’d be at it for several more days.

“What’s going on? Why are you all out here?”

Even Erich seemed puzzled by their sudden appearance. It wasn’t surprising given that he had been part of the debate as well. He had likely felt the intensity of it even more than I did, so he must be even more confused.

“I’m tired of using my head. We have to move our bodies as much as our brain to stay healthy, you know.”

It was a bit of a strange logic. But if royalty said that, then I guess it must be true.

***

The club members, having been absorbed in their largely unproductive debate, all decided to take a break and headed outside together.

Took them long enough.

I wasn’t particularly surprised. After all, these were the same people who turned a pastry club into a foot volleyball club. Spring in this world wasn’t plagued by dust or yellow sand, so it was the perfect season to play outside.

My only concern was that Sarah happened to be near the field where they liked to play. Was it a good idea to expose her to their impromptu foot volleyball match when she was already picking up their bad habits?

After staring out the window for a while, I reassured myself and turned away. Not only was Sarah there, but Erich was with her, too. I trusted him to handle the situation before any strange misunderstandings arose.

“Am I doing this right?”

“Yes! Wow, you picked it up so fast!”

“Fufu, I suppose it’s because I have such a good teacher.”

Left behind in the clubroom were Louise and the Mage Duchess, the two of them chatting away. Listening to their conversation, as always, left me with mixed feelings.

The entire club might have run off, but here was the Mage Duchess, who wasn’t even an official member, lingering around like a permanent fixture in the clubroom. In fact, she’d been more diligent than most of the actual members since the year started. Despite being the hero who ended the great rivalry, she didn’t seem to care much for the attention.

...Maybe I should just hand over the advisor position.

Honestly, the Mage Duchess had probably baked more bread than I had at this point. She was already more suited to the role of the pastry club’s advisor than I was.

They say that picking up a hobby late in life could be intense, but it turned out that she wasn’t just the Mage Duchess—she was also the Duchess of Baking.