Saikyou Mahoushi no Inton Keikaku (LN) - Volume 9 - Chapter 50

Fiftieth Chapter 

Innocent Incarnation 

Shortly after Alus had left his post with a crowd of students in tow... 

The campus festival was even more crowded today, due to all the noise and commotion of the first day. Seeing how lively it was, Alus figured there was at least some value in playing along with Elise’s life-threatening little play. After all, despite what had happened, the festival hadn’t been canceled. 

But on closer look, he could see military personnel mixed in here and there. They had been given more Magicmasters for security, and there were also Magicmasters from other nations in disguise, scouting around the Institute. In that sense, it couldn’t be helped that the festival felt a little more imposing than the first day. Even so, doing anything that would ruin the festive mood was strictly forbidden. 

Still, the line was quite blurry, as there were some new Magicmasters visiting their alma mater, and scouts looking to recruit students with potential. In other words, there was a sort of dress code in place in order to not ruin the atmosphere. 

Among them, a certain person’s presence stood out. Or rather, they just didn’t fit in. 

Plenty of people noticed this person, but no one tried to call out to them. Perhaps it was more accurate to say they couldn’t call out to them. To put it nicely, they would’ve been presumptuous; to put it more baldly, they got cold feet. Anyone who noticed this person looked away, pretending that they hadn’t seen them. 

There were even some that were glad they hadn’t come dressed in military uniform. After all, if they were, they wouldn’t have been able to ignore this person who deserved the respect of the entire military. 

Anyway, the ones who encountered this individual prayed not to cause any commotion, and some hid their anxiety behind smiles on their faces. 

*** 

Looking at the campus festival from above, the Institute was so tightly packed with people that it was hard to identify them individually. The vast number of visitors barely left any unfilled gaps. 

Every time the person passed by someone, the fragrance made them glance back. Wearing a feminine fragrance, she gallantly made her way through the crowd. Mysteriously enough, despite there being so many people around her, she never bumped into anyone, not even touching shoulders. Her steps were so light, she seemed like she might start skipping at any moment. She was expressing her good mood with her entire body. 

The woman’s long skirt swayed as she walked along. Her braided hair was almost dancing as it bounced off her back. The sound of her footsteps clacking on the cobblestones kept up a beat, as if it was a hymn praising her beauty. 

She wore a woman’s clothes, not a girl’s clothes, and was in such high spirits that she might start humming at any moment. Together with her light dance-like steps, she attracted the eye of everyone around. 

But anyone who tried to get a closer look would only be able to see her for an instant. After all, once she found something she wanted to see, she quickly disappeared into the crowd. 

“It sure is lively. I think it might be even livelier than that time I won.” 

Lettie Kultunca, who had come to the event dressed as a civilian, was proud of her alma mater’s achievement for the first time in a couple of years. But most of all, knowing Alus was around made her feel light and happy. His presence was one of the reasons she’d decided to visit for the first time in a while. 

She walked around, comparing the sights to how they’d been in her memories of the past. Spotting the differences was enjoyable. The main building had seen renovations and expansions, so it was a far cry from how it had looked back then. 

Indeed, the Institute was only growing larger all the time. She didn’t particularly feel nostalgic, but it was refreshing, and reaffirmed once again that not everything crumbled to dust over the years. The research building, paved roads, and the many Circle Ports were all new, and she updated her memories upon seeing them. 

As a Single, Lettie was a very busy woman, and had almost no opportunities to go on a pleasure outing like this. Counting the days since she’d been called to the Friendship Magical Tournament, it had been more than a few months. And this was the first time she’d had the chance to visit the Institute in private since her graduation. 

“Thinking about it, it was pretty fun here.” Words of reminiscence suddenly came from her mouth. 

Just how many of her classmates were still alive...? That was a gloomy thought, but nevertheless, the fun memories she’d made here were irreplaceable. 

But as she thought of people’s daily lives in the Inner World, she couldn’t help but feel the Outer World was not a place for humans. After all, when she recalled her memories, she could no longer clearly remember the faces of the people she’d spent those times with. 

The Outer World, a place where you could die from a single mistake, was just too bleak. Every day spent there shaved away at one’s life, and it easily faded even the most precious memories. 

Lettie made a conscious effort to smile, shaking off the darkness that had come over her expression. “... Well, I guess that’s just not my character.” 

She stopped and purposefully sniffed the air. The next moment, she jogged over to the front of the main building to the stall she’d discovered. “I did skip breakfast...” Her stomach was empty, and she stared at the skewers laid out at the stall with a sparkle in her eye. Dipped in what smelled like a delicious sauce, they looked so good she almost began to drool. 

“Hey pops, I’ll take ten to start with!” she said to the male student, who most definitely wasn’t old enough to be called “pops,” startling him. Of course, it was just a cute line she wanted to say, having no idea she’d offended him. 

In a few minutes, Lettie’s hands were full of skewers pinched between her fingers. And hanging from her arms were bags packed with stall food. The fragrant smells mixed and blended to the point that it was hard to tell what she’d bought. All were spoils of her tour of the stalls, bought on impulse because of her appetite. 

Even now her mouth was full of one of the dishes, as she merrily enjoyed her day off. “I would love some alcohol, but I guess that’s asking for too much.” 

She still had the inside of the main building to see, so her expectations were high. She’d only gotten started on the major event that was the campus festival. Enjoying the stall food with such vigor that everyone around her was taken aback, Lettie enthusiastically made her way towards her next pleasure. 

However, just as she was bringing the last skewer to her mouth, the sunglasses she’d put on slipped off and fell. 

She hurriedly tried catching them in midair, but it was too late. 

Alarming whispers could be heard around her. 

Hey, isn’t that... 

It definitely looks like her... 

The atmosphere abruptly changed. Like a ripple, the buzzing of the crowd spread, growing larger and larger. 

“Uh oh, looks like I’ve been found out.” 

Pushing the skewer into her mouth and holding it sideways with her teeth, Lettie awkwardly glanced around, hoping to find somewhere out of the way. But her efforts were in vain, as her fun time looked to be coming to an end. 

Before long, she was surrounded by a throng of people. It was like a human cage, and even Lettie would struggle to escape it. 

“Aw geez.” She’d thought to disguise herself by wearing the shades, but in reality, she’d only dressed up to look more fashionable. She didn’t want to look suspicious by dressing too formally, and figured it would be fine since people had only really seen her in uniform. 

Even while she was thinking of a way out, more people gathered around her. But for some reason there were no military personnel. The only ones around her were Institute students... in other words, just the youths. 

The commotion grew bigger, making her escape more difficult. She thought about using her excellent leg strength to jump over the crowd, but she was wearing a skirt. Since she’d gone out of her way to dress up, she didn’t want to get stains or wrinkles. 

Her outfit was certainly intended to be a disguise. Not to mention she had a plan as well. If only there was some old geezer around that I knew. I could make use of him, but they’re never around when you need them... so useless! “Oh?” 

She took a step backwards. When she did, a small figure flew down from the sky and landed in front of her. Her beautiful silver hair glistened as it reflected the sunlight. 

Lettie greeted her little savior, who’d jumped over the surrounding crowd, with a big smile on her face. An urge to reach out and pat her head rose in her chest. “Lil Loki! Great timing.” 

Having come across the scene by chance, Loki had spotted Lettie at its center and hurriedly went over. She’d been dragged into mock battles by Felinella, but her desire to help Alus with his guard duty made her wrap things up as quickly as she could, and at that moment she’d been walking around the Institute in search of Alus. 

“Lady Lettie?! What are you doing here? And making such a scene...” Loki said in a quiet tone. 

“That’s a misunderstanding. I didn’t do anything. I was just surrounded by the time I noticed.” That said, it was a natural outcome when a Single was in a place like this. 

Loki gave Lettie a suspicious look, before noticing her appearance. “...? Still, those clothes look good on you, Lady Lettie. You are attractive in your military uniform, but you look very beautiful right now.” As she spoke, Loki seemed to get a little excited as her cheeks turned red. 

The gap between how Lettie was on the battlefield and how she was now only made her charms stand out more. She even entertained the thought that the commotion around her was caused by a natural reaction to her beauty instead of her identity being exposed. “Oh? You know how to make a gal happy. Let’s get married!” 

“I think I will pass.” 

“Then at least let me give you a reward,” Lettie said, and pulled a candied apple out from somewhere. 

“Not right now,” Loki refused. She straightened her posture. “Actually, Sir Alus is in charge of security, so it would be best not to make a scene...” 

Lettie’s shoulders trembled, and she looked awkward. She’d gone out of her way to dress up, so this wasn’t welcome news. After pondering a moment, she handed one of the bags hanging off of her arm to Loki. Inside was a lot of the stall food she’d been eating. “Here, give this to Allie.” 

“... Why?” 

“It’s the top five of the foods I tried here.” 

“Ah,” Loki said in understanding. She respected Lettie as a fellow Magicmaster, and after the battle against Demi Azur their relationship had evolved to the point where they could enjoy a conversation. 

Of course, that was in large part due to Lettie’s good nature, just like Alus had once said. Her positive personality made it easy for people to let their guard down. 

Still, considering both Lettie and Jean Rumbulls, Loki couldn’t help but think that Alus’ friends were likable people who didn’t abuse their status. Thanks to that, even Loki—who wasn’t very good at socializing—was able to keep up with her. From her point of view, they were very human and didn’t seem like famous Magicmasters. 

When she saw Loki smiling so naturally, Lettie also broke into a smile. “Now then, lil Loki’s here, but what do we do next?” Her tone was optimistic though, and she didn’t look as troubled as her words suggested, making Loki feel a little exasperated. 

There were indeed many ways to get out of this if they weren’t picky. However, magic was out of the question, and she’d prefer not to jump over the crowd. Like Lettie, Loki was wearing a skirt. She’d only been able to jump in because all the attention was on Lettie. Her skirt was even shorter than Lettie’s. 

She thought about just forcing their way through the crowd, but that likely wouldn’t calm the commotion. I want to get to Sir Alus as soon as possible, but I can’t just leave Lady Lettie here... 

Meanwhile, Lettie suddenly looked away from her and waved her hand over the crowd. “Ah! There you are! ALLIEEEE—!” 

Lettie shouted Alus’ name without reserve, to the worst person she could ask for help from. After all, it would expose their relationship to the public. 

“Lady Lettie?!” Loki managed to grab and pull her arm back down, but it was already too late. 

Alus, who was walking by with Tesfia in tow, came to a complete stop. 

I just told her not to make a scene too. With a shiver running down her spine, Loki followed Lettie’s stare. There she saw Alus’ pained expression. I’m so sorry, Sir Alus... Tears welled up in her eyes. 

Faced with Loki’s wordless gaze, Lettie looked at her with a confused expression. 

Loki’s frustration grew rapidly as she wondered if her feelings had reached her or not. If Lettie’s identity was fully exposed here, her relationship with Alus would also be revealed. 

“Great! We can just leave this to Allie,” Lettie said with a carefree smile. 

This increased Loki’s despair and made her realize, Ah, this person just doesn’t get it. 

Naturally, Alus recognized how bad the situation was, and he made no move. 

Seeing his discouraged expression, Loki just wanted to disappear. However, she’d forgotten something. Though Alus walked by as if nothing had happened, the person behind him didn’t. Like Lettie, she didn’t mean anything bad by it, but... 

Loki was shocked as she stared in Alus and Tesfia’s direction. Alus had decided to ignore Lettie, but what about the redhead? 

Tesfia stopped, gazing in their direction with a curious expression, as if not particularly thinking about anything. 

Loki’s tension reached its peak. If Tesfia reacted in a way that would lead to exposing Lettie’s identity, it would be too late. She pleaded with Tesfia in her mind. Please, just please don’t do anything unnecessary... 

However. “H-Huh...? Is that you, Lady Lettie?!” A look of astonishment appeared on Tesfia’s face, as she said the worst thing Loki could have imagined. 

Her face drained of blood. Her mind went blank. At the same time Loki could feel anger welling up as her heart went wild. Yes, I already knew you would betray any expectations. 

A vein bulged in her temple as she glared at Tesfia. But Tesfia happily smiled and waved. Loki’s glare had completely missed the mark. 

Adding on to Loki’s confusion, the crowd around them began getting excited. Her plans to calm their surroundings had been ruined. 

But there was a saving grace. As of now, the rumor going around was that one of the Single Digit Magicmasters, Lettie Kultunca, was here. The core of the disturbance was that a Single was here at the Institute. 

That being the case, she couldn’t afford to miss this chance. Indeed, it could still be turned around. The tumult that was expected to follow would transform the crowd into a mob. The commotion would spread and the number of onlookers would increase. If that happened, the stalls would get caught up in the madness, and it would expand beyond what security could handle. 

Naturally, Alus’ workload would increase like crazy...so Loki steeled herself and spoke to Lettie. “Lady Lettie, there’s no repairing this situation. Let’s escape before it gets out of control.” 

“Huh? More importantly, where did Allie go?” Showing no concern for Loki’s fears, Lettie put her hand over her forehead and searched for Alus. 

Loki didn’t need to use her detection abilities to know that Alus wasn’t going to stick around here, let alone intervene. A single look at his face was enough. 

His security job was important, but coming in contact with Lettie was far more of a problem. And so Loki’s worth was being put to the test. At the very least she was convinced of that. This was something only she could do, with her knowledge of Alus’ position and his relationship to Lettie. 

Loki needed to take action to protect his peace and daily life. Moment by moment, the opportunities to escape were slipping away. 

However, there was still a chance. Right now the information that Single Digit Magicmaster Lettie had come to visit was only hearsay. It wasn’t fully confirmed. 

Loki tightly pressed her lips together. She was a little embarrassed and squirmed over what she’d decided to do. Her cheeks turned pink as she pulled at Lettie’s sleeve. 

“G-Geez, Sis...! H-How could you get lost at the Institute. It’s embarrassing. I-If you’re going to come visit then at least let me know...” Blushing even more, Loki began her third-rate acting job. “P-Please play along,” she whispered to Lettie. 

However, despite Lettie supposedly playing along, her expression looked excited, which concerned Loki. Even so... “T-This is why...everyone always calls you sloppy.” Being unused to acting, she stumbled over her words, but Lettie didn’t even seem to mind as she stared at Loki with an ecstatic expression. 

Loki was startled by the passion in her stare, but it was too late to back down now. So for the time being, she desperately tried to signal with her eyes. 

“Aw, shucks. If my so very cute little sister says so, I have no choice but to listen. Yeah. Your big sis is sorry. Would you mind if this sloppy sister of yours monopolized you for the day to deepen our bond? We’ll even bathe and sleep together!” Flushed with excitement, Lettie opened her arms wide and hugged Loki’s head. 

“Lady—Sis?!” Loki’s face ended up buried in Lettie’s breasts, and immersed in the fragrant smell of stall food. 

“Yeah, I’ll properly reflect on my actions! I swear. See!” For some reason Lettie was getting even more into it, and all Loki could do was try to mumble in protest. Even in this situation, she looked around to confirm their surroundings. Everyone seemed stunned and dumbfounded. 

She had hoped to get them to believe that her ordinary sister came to see the campus festival, but had they bought it? It was a crude plan made in the heat of the moment, but they’d just have to pull through with their momentum and make everything vague. 

Loki gave it one more push, using her thin arms to escape from Lettie’s grasp. “G-Geez, it’s embarrassing, Sis. Everyone’s watching... I-I know. I’ll show you around the Institute... first?” Her confusion and impatience made the last bit come out in question form. It seemed it was impossible for her to completely play her role when acting towards Lettie, whom she respected. That aside, guiding her around the campus was a good excuse to escape from the crowd. 

“Yeah! Let’s go around together.” 

She didn’t know how much Lettie seemed to understand, but at least she was motivated. The surrounding crowd wasn’t reacting exactly like Loki had hoped, but they watched over them with warm expressions. As if to say that the sight of the two sisters was heartwarming. 

Loki was well aware she and Lettie looked nothing alike, and that the sister setting was pushing it. She’d only tried it as a means to escape from their situation, but having gone this far, she’d have to see it through. Grabbing Lettie’s wrist, she began to walk. “This way!” 

Lettie happily followed her lead. She no longer saw anything but Loki. 

If they could escape without giving the crowd a chance to question it, her play would have been worth it. She felt like praising herself for keeping it up, though it might turn into a memory she wouldn’t want to remember. 

However, Loki’s once-in-a-lifetime performance was stopped by a comment from the sidelines. 

“The principal is calling for you, Lady Kultunca.” 

“Huh?” 

Loki was left speechless. She could feel her scenario crumble to pieces. Everything she’d built up went down the drain, and she was certain she’d be left with nothing but a humiliating memory. Her cheek twitched as she glared at the person who was the source of all of that. 

“It’s over already? Things were just getting good too,” Lettie blurted out in an easygoing tone, having enjoyed everything. But her eyes soon narrowed as she recognized the female student that had called out to her. “Ah, so that’s how it is.” 

“I’m not sure what you mean... I just spotted a strange commotion and came over. Though in a sense, it was good timing.” 

The girl with an elegant smile and blonde hair was most likely the collar that Berwick had talked about. Moreover, Lettie had seen through part of his intentions. There was no way the mission entrusted to her was as simple as being a collar. Although it was going too far to imply anything intimate about it. 

Upon closer look, the girl had a graceful face, and even the atmosphere around her had an unwavering nobility to it. Lettie couldn’t help but feel a gap between the girl and someone of common birth like herself. There were a ton of people like that in the upper echelons of the military, and they were a crafty bunch that anyone would get sick of. 

That’s who the group of people known as nobles were. The girl gave Lettie the impression of arrogance and haughtiness that she was so used to. 

There were, of course, exceptions to those nobles. However, as a Magicmaster with a commoner background, she knew the arrogance of nobility firsthand. 

Lettie quickly pulled back the blatant disgust she had let slip. That was because she knew that the girl before her was from a famous lineage. Not many knew the details of the bloodline, but a Single Digit Magicmaster had access to national secrets. 

“You’re...” Loki said with a sharp stare. But her cheeks were red with embarrassment from her little act from before, so it didn’t have much impact. “Lilisha, if I recall...” she continued, mentioning the name Tesfia had said before. 

“... My, I’m happy to hear that. I still haven’t properly greeted you yet. Please feel free to refer to me so directly in the future, Ms. Loki. I was hoping that we would be able to get along.” Lilisha, who had a noble-like, long, and complex set of names following her given name, gave Loki a soft smile. However, it was that of an older sister dealing with a younger sister. It felt similar to an adult bending down to the same eye level of a child when speaking to them. 

Lilisha then took her gaze off of Loki. “At any rate, the campus festival will be impacted if this commotion grows any larger.” She curtsied to Lettie only, before glancing around. She then asked the students blocking the path to the main building to move aside. Perhaps overwhelmed by her elegance, the crowd parted and made way. “Now, let’s go. The principal is waiting.” 

Ultimately, the moment Lilisha showed up, the situation was easily defused. Loki was relieved, but also a little disappointed in herself. But she pulled herself together for the time being. “Just...who are you?” she cautiously asked, as she stared at Lilisha who was walking ahead of her. She had heard about her lineage at the same time she was told her name. 

“I’m nobody suspicious. Well, here at the Institute you can think of me as support personnel for Sir Alus. One who has the principal’s approval.” 

“...!” When she heard that, Loki’s expression turned grim. She wasn’t trying to be pretentious, but she strongly believed that no one else could be Alus’ partner. 

In order to rein her in, Lilisha gave her a disarming smile. “You don’t have to worry. This is actually a surveillance mission given to me by the Governor-General, but it’s not something that includes his daily life.” 

“... Is that so.” However, Loki couldn’t help but get caught on the word “surveillance.” 

“You can relax. You technically came to this school for surveillance too. I’m the same, I’m simply here for support. It’s just the bare minimum to satisfy those who don’t think fondly of Sir Alus temporarily leaving the frontlines.” 

Loki fell silent. Her position as Alus’ partner was something she’d acquired due to personal feelings. True, she’d come to the Institute on a surveillance mission, but that was just for appearances. She’d only really observed and reported on Alus in the beginning... 

Of course, she’d been able to stay with Alus to this day because the Governor-General had taken her personal feelings into account. That was one of Loki’s major flaws. Moreover, it was also meant to keep the people who wanted Alus’ swift return to the battlefield in check, so Loki had had no choice but to accept it. 

Besides, it was at Berwick’s behest that Alus had enrolled at the Institute in the first place. That was why he bore part of the responsibility, and he couldn’t just let him go unchecked. Alus was a bird in a cage because of his status as the greatest Magicmaster and his unique power. 

“In other words, I was sent over to continue your mission. That’s why I’d like to nip any chances in the bud of Sir Alus’ identity being exposed, Lady Kultunca.” 

Having been called out so politely, Lettie awkwardly averted her gaze. “Well, I wouldn’t wanna upset Allie myself...so I got it. I appreciate your consideration. Well, please continue to cover for me.” 

Looking at the two of them, Loki felt something odd. Lettie’s attitude towards Lilisha was a little different from the Lettie she knew. It was strangely cold, or rather, psychologically distant. 

It wasn’t only Lettie’s attitude making her feel that way. Lilisha was rather unreserved towards a Single Digit Magicmaster. For a noble, she should be a bit more careful when dealing with one of the nation’s two Singles. And Lilisha didn’t seem foolish enough to not understand that, which made her behavior even more questionable. She didn’t even react to Lettie asking her to cover for her. 

“Still, Frusevan, huh. Now that I think about it, you look a little like your brother,” Lettie casually said. She might be cheerful and friendly, but she wasn’t someone who opened her heart to just anyone. She had a tendency to intuitively judge whether she liked or disliked a person. 

However, the reason she followed her intuition was because it had never failed her before. Her bad hunches were usually right on the mark when it came to first impressions. 

“Brother...you say. Who might you be talking about?” The way Lilisha put a finger against her chin looked adorable. 

“Well, the one I know, I guess.” Lettie wasn’t particularly well versed in Lilisha’s relationship to her siblings, so she responded with a disinterested shrug. 

“Well, that aside... I will cover for you if need be, Lady Kultunca.” After saying that, Lilisha turned her back on Lettie and Loki, and led the way as if to hurry them along. “For the time being, the situation’s moved on to the next phase.” 

“You’re talking about Sir Alus,” Loki said. She didn’t miss Lilisha’s inference. Due to yesterday’s incident, a portion of Alus’ power had been revealed. She increased her caution towards Lilisha even more. 

Lettie said, “Allie’s position, huh? Is that also at the Governor-General’s orders, or is it the head of state’s instruction?” 

“—!!” Lilisha was very slightly shaken, but only the most perceptive would have picked up on it. 

Sensing that from staring at her back, Loki then glanced at Lettie, who was happily skipping along next to her. So there are orders passed down to her that not even Sir Alus knows about...? Or maybe she has another role apart from surveillance? 

But as to be expected, Lilisha immediately collected herself. And the time to feel each other out had come to an end. “... Lady Kultunca, we’ve arrived.” 

They stood in front of a room with a plate next to it that said Principal’s Office. After stopping for a beat, Lilisha spun around. “Having you say such strange things is troubling, Lady Kultunca. This is a mission from the Governor-General, so try not to make any unnecessary assumptions... This is why Single Digit Magicmasters are such a problem.” 

“Should I not have said that? My allergy to nobles isn’t as bad as Allie’s, but I guess I just can’t get used to them. Oh, I mean the old-fashioned ones.” 

“Now, please don’t say that,” Lilisha smiled tightly, with a dark look in her eyes. Lettie appeared carefree on the surface, but she could sense the antagonism underneath. 

Loki didn’t know the reason for Lettie’s attitude. For a simple hatred of nobility she was being a little immature. Perhaps there was something smoldering within her that Loki didn’t know about. 

But for now, she pulled on Lettie’s sleeve to stop the conflict. “Lady Lettie, I believe she will be of assistance to Sir Alus at the Institute. Especially since she’s here under the Governor-General’s orders.” 

“You tend to lose sight of things when it comes to Allie. You should take in a broader perspective. Trusting and having faith in someone are different things. But I guess it would be strange for me to meddle that much.” 

Lettie put her hand on the doorknob, but before opening it she gave Loki one more piece of advice. “I don’t know about the Governor-General’s orders or approval, but a relationship won’t properly start until that lady reveals everything. So good luck, lil Loki! And once he’s done with his job, can you call him over to me? Just mention our promise and he’ll get it.” 

“Understood.” 

Lettie waved her hand to say goodbye, and disappeared into the principal’s office. 

After hearing all of that, Loki was convinced there was something about Lilisha that was worthy of Lettie’s concern. 

“Did you really have to say that much...” Lilisha grumbled with a frown. 

Loki grabbed hold of her arm. She had a lot of things she wanted to ask. “Now then, can I hear what you have to say?” 

“Hmm, so I got caught. Just know that I’ve already gotten Alus’ consent.” Her reserved style of speech she’d used around Lettie was gone without a trace, and even as she tried to excuse herself, Loki stared straight at her with an unchanging expression. 

“It’s rude to refer to Alus so directly.” 

“Even though I’ve received Alus’ permission for it?” 

“I understand. In that case, I don’t mind. I don’t see you as someone to be as cautious of as Lady Lettie said, but I can’t trust you.” 

“You mean I’m not worthy of your trust?” 

“That will be up to you.” Loki’s gaze didn’t waver. The intensity of her stare was in no small part because she had neglected her own role. 

However, that had nothing to do with the problem with Lilisha. Moreover, since the military was intervening, she couldn’t be careless. And since she was in touch with them, Loki believed Lilisha had her uses for protecting Alus’ peaceful life. “So, what exactly is the next phase?” 

Lilisha sighed. “I guess I can tell you that much. My duty is to monitor Alus. But I also have another objective...” 

“Which is?” 

“I need to gradually reveal Alus’ position. Of course, that’s the Governor-General’s intention as well... Annoying as it might be, it’s no longer possible to hide everything. You get that too, don’t you?” 

Loki saw nothing wrong with Lilisha speaking with her so informally. If anything, she felt this was closer to her true self. 

She reluctantly nodded. She wanted to protect Alus’ peace, but yesterday’s incident left enough of an impact to fully shatter it. It might be possible to play it off for the time being, but if Alus was going to remain a Single, it would eventually reach its limit. 

As Loki began to understand, Lilisha continued on, wearing an expression that made the other party think she was being frank while hiding the things she didn’t want them to know. “At some point, Alus being the ranked No. 1 will become widely known in the Institute and throughout the world. So I’m sure we’ll be able to cooperate.” She reached out her hand for a handshake. 

“But that’s not all, is it?” Loki said, not taking her up on the gesture. 

As if she’d predicted that response, Lilisha quickly pulled her hand back. “Well, I didn’t think it would be that simple either. Like Lady Kultunca said, it’s not like I’m unconditionally your ally. Not to mention that my personal situation might end up causing trouble for you.” 

That’s why Lilisha decided to compromise by revealing what she could. And so she began speaking of the military’s intentions, though mainly the Governor-General’s, prefacing it by saying that it was her interpretation. 

*** 

Meanwhile, inside the principal’s office... 

“Coming in... Oh?! It’s been a while, Sisty,” Lettie said in a cheerful tone, smiling at the principal. 

She then put down the souvenirs she’d gotten on Sisty’s desk, and abruptly pulled out a baked good. “Would you like one?” she asked, holding one out to the former Single who did not look to be in a good mood. 

After that, Lettie got back on track. “So, what business did you have with me? Well, I was in a bit of trouble, so you calling me over did help me.” 

“I’m the one who wants to ask that. I had you come over to keep you from causing a commotion. But what business do you have here?” 

“Hmm, well...” Lettie’s gaze wandered, as if looking for an idea. Then she brought over a guest chair from the corner to sit in front of the desk. 

“That aside... that sure is a cute outfit you’re wearing. Are you here on a date? Not that I can recall you being that close to anyone.” 

“Wow, it’s the first time we’ve met in a while, and this is what I get. Well, I am a woman, so there are times I want to dress up too. I’m always in uniform, so I really enjoy the change.” 

“And who would this be for?” 

“You want me to say it out loud?” Lettie flashed a mischievous expression, perhaps to hide her embarrassment, before putting her chair up on a single leg and spinning it around. She stopped the spin with the chair back towards Sisty, boldly rolled up the hem of her dress, and then straddled the chair, resting her arms on top of the backrest. 

She was sitting like a child, her slender legs wide open. Pretty dress or not, it wouldn’t change her personality. Not even Sisty could pull off acting that innocent and defenseless. 

Sisty looked a little dumbfounded, but chose to continue their talk rather than point out the issue. “Both you and that girl are so fond of him. Is the ranked No. 1 really that attractive?” 

“Now now, you don’t mean that. It’s attractive because it’s Allie!” Lettie said with passion, prompting Sisty to stare at her with a cold gaze. 

She let out an exasperated sigh. “Who knows just how serious you are.” 

“You sure have become ill-mannered to ask that, Sisty,” Lettie said cheerfully, as if recalling a distant, fading memory. 

Sisty did not oblige her. “That’s enough idle chatter. So let’s get on to the main topic. Frankly put, why are you here? A Single’s not that free, is she?” she asked in a stiff tone, completely dispelling the casual atmosphere. 

After Alus told her to keep quiet, she’d been sure she wouldn’t get off scot-free, so this much had been expected. With a Single showing up at the Institute after yesterday’s incident, she couldn’t help but want some insight into the military’s intentions. 

The fact that the principal of the Institute under the control of the military had failed to report the matter could be taken as a sign of disloyalty. The chances were low, but in the worst-case scenario the military could even take her into custody and remove her from office. Which was why she proceeded very carefully. 

She knew Lettie well. The girl might look naive, but she could be formidable when it was called for. As a Single Digit Magicmaster tied down by politics, she’d learned to make good use of her natural friendliness to not let people know what she was really thinking. 

If Sisty tried to figure it out, she might be seen through instead. Even if she did have the Governor-General’s backing, if the top brass reached a consensus to remove her, it was definitely possible. 

Sisty wasn’t power-hungry or desperate to protect her position no matter what, but she did have feelings for the Institute. Not to mention that it would be bad for her to lose her position with Alus around. She was firmly determined that she would be the one to protect this place. 

However, Lettie showed a nonchalant attitude. “Why did I come here? Uhm...a secret rendezvous?” she said, scratching her cheek. 

“...” To see her casual appearance, it sounded like a convincing answer. Sisty was nonplussed for a moment, before she let out another heavy sigh as if exhausted. “Fine. Just honestly answer me one thing. Did you come here on the Governor-General’s orders, or the top brass’s orders?” 

“—! Oh, is that what you’re worried about? Which means you’ve done something again? But don’t worry. I came here to meet with Allie, out of love!” 

“‘Again’? Stop it with the baseless accusations, please. I’m a former Single, you know. Before he showed up there were no problems I couldn’t handle myself. Things were peaceful after you graduated, too...” 

“How rude. You make it sound like I was some kind of problem child.” 

Sisty rested her cheek on her hand, and gave Lettie a cold stare as if wondering what she was talking about. “You collapsed the old main building and destroyed the damage exchange system who knows how many times. Aside from that, there’s no counting how much equipment and other items you damaged. And it wasn’t just lifeless objects either, you sent several students to the hospital... Shall I go on?” 

“You sure do remember all the small things.” 

Annoyed by her frivolous attitude, Sisty began counting up all of Lettie’s wrongdoings from when she was a student. “Not even Alus is that bad. Though the scale is on a different level.” 

All of the troubles Alus brought with him could threaten Sisty’s position. Moreover, his mere presence seemed to invite them. The fact that he wasn’t causing it himself made it worse. “Well, what’s done is done. But having you strut around like you’re a flawless, model Single Digit Magicmaster just doesn’t sit right with me.” 

“Urk... Ah, uhm, anyways, that messenger you sent over. Lilisha or something. She’s pretty tricky. I’m surprised you’d let someone as troublesome as that into the Institute.” 

“Hey! Don’t go changing the topic just because it’s inconvenient for you!” 

“It’s just a strategic retreat from a losing battle.” 

Sisty cradled her head in her hands, as she felt a headache coming on. But she continued to observe Lettie. Her attitude had been normal so far, but Sisty’s concerns hadn’t been fully put to rest. 

That was when she suddenly realized. Oh dear, maybe his tenseness is rubbing off on me. To think I’d suspect Lettie... 

Sisty had the feeling that Lettie would side with her, even if she was here at the will of the military. The principal wasn’t in a position where she could blindly believe everything, but she was open towards Lettie in her own way. It was a form of faith. 

But that aside, Sisty did have an interest in the topic Lettie was trying to divert her to. She’d picked up something strange in Lettie’s expression and attitude. “Lilisha...from the Frusevan family. Well, I was the one who told her to bring you here.” 

Lilisha was actually a mystery to Sisty as well. She was awfully suspicious for someone that the Governor-General had only sent over as a replacement for surveillance on Alus. 

Sisty had her own plans when she’d had Lilisha make contact with Lettie. If Lettie had been here on a secret military mission, then her meeting with Lilisha, who was likely here for the same reason, would hopefully give her some kind of reaction or clue. 

However, it seemed that had been a needless worry. If Sisty had been right, it was hard to imagine that Lettie would’ve brought up Lilisha on her own. 

“I’m sure you already know, but I don’t really like the Frusevans. The fact that I can’t do anything about it when it bothers me makes it even worse. So what was the big deal with that? It’s not like you forgot about it, right?” 

“... What are you talking about?” 

Hearing Sisty’s answer, Lettie frowned. “You only lost your position as a Single because of the old aristocrat faction pulling the strings behind the scenes. I still haven’t accepted that. But they’ve still got lots of influence in the military even now.” 

“Why bring up something from so long ago? Well, I guess something like that happened... Still, thank you,” Sisty muttered. From Lettie’s tone of voice, she must have used her spare time to look into it. 

At the same time, she was happy that Lettie was angry for her, and her expression was much gentler than her words had been. “But it is true that I wasn’t suited to be a Single.” 

“That’s not even funny as a joke. You even had your own misgivings about it. You evaded it before with a flippant attitude, but it’s about time you told me.” 

“About what?” 

“About backing a Single from the old aristocrat faction. You get what I’m saying, right? From their point of view, Governor-General Berwick, who’s in the opposing faction, got hold of two Singles in Allie and me. They don’t like the look of that. Even you had to back a Single of their choosing because they had a slight political advantage.” 

With Berwick steadily gaining a foothold, there were naturally some who were concerned. There was an air of confrontation secretly growing inside the military. It was also true that eliminating the Devourer had given Berwick’s side a boost, but not all was well. 

“You’re still hung up on that?” 

“Normally it would be crazy to drag a Single Digit Magicmaster into an internal conflict and boot them out. You know how a member of the Frusevan family was mentioned as a candidate to be a Single, right?” 

“Yes, I might have heard something like that.” 

“They’re the same people who forced you out of your position. You and the Governor-General even acknowledged it... Why did you even leave your position back then? We’re just lucky Allie picked up after you.” With no other way to manage her resentment, Lettie asked the question that had always bothered her. 

Sisty understood her anger. That’s why she was both happy and somewhat abashed. Not to mention that she was a little hesitant to speak since it would expose the side of her that she didn’t show to others. “Putting the Frusevans and Lilisha aside, I left my seat as a Single because I felt it was about time. I made way for Alus.” 

“What a grand finale that would make, if that was enough to convince anyone. And with the punchline that the military is a fun workplace.” 

“But it’s a happy end for my story. It connects to the first page of the next generation’s story.” 

This might have been the first time Sisty was that honest about it. She once had the honor of being a Single Digit Magicmaster serving Alpha, even if she was only the ranked No. 9. Ultimately she’d soon ended up making way for Alus and Lettie, and then Alus had made use of his overwhelming power to climb up to his current position. 

She had no regrets. She had laid a foundation and passed the baton to the next generation of brilliant talents. “Thinking of how exceptional you Singles are, I’m glad someone like me didn’t stay long. Besides, that was also laying down the groundwork.” 

“For what?” 

“For now. This job as principal of the Institute. I’m sure that it’s my calling to train the younger generation. And I needed some achievements for that. That’s why I became a Single for a moment and then left my position... You could say I placed my bets on Berwick’s prediction.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean? Did the Governor-General have some scheme in the works?” 

That didn’t sit right with Lettie, but Sisty softly smiled at her. “You could call it foresight. Just look at the present. Alpha has become a top class nation... and we have both the ranked No. 1, and you at No. 7.” She raised a finger and pointed it at Lettie. 

Lettie’s eyes widened slightly, and she realized Sisty’s true meaning. In other words, Berwick and Sisty had predicted that she and Alus would become the Single Digit Magicmasters representing them even back then. “You mean you knew the old aristocrat faction wouldn’t produce any Singles from the start...?” 

Seeing Lettie with an unusually serious expression, Sisty smiled wryly and shook her head. “Not at all. We just knew Magicmasters who were better.” 

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that those skilled enough to become Singles already had the foundation of magic in place at birth. Although it was difficult to find them that early, there were those who were born with outstanding talent to become Magicmasters. 

Some of those were in a league of their own even among the outstanding talent. They were truly excellent, geniuses that went beyond human capacity. From the moment they were first exposed to magic, they acquired a monstrous understanding and disposition towards it. They were living divine blades for use against Fiends. 

“I think that’s enough of this topic. In short, I left to entrust everything to the future generations. Berwick accepted that and arranged another role for me after I stepped down. As insurance for me once I left.” Remembering her past, Sisty had an amused smile. 

Lettie stared at her and thought to herself, Which means...Sisty becoming principal after retiring was part of the Governor-General’s plan. If it’s like that with Allie too... 

It actually hadn’t been that long since Berwick became Governor-General. But based on what Sisty said... “Just how long has that plan been in the works?” 

“That’s a secret.” There were three reasons why Sisty had become the principal. The first was to secure excellent talent for the military. The second was to identify the next Single Digit Magicmasters, to prepare for the coming days in advance. 

The third reason was creating a second home for Alus. That was the insurance Sisty had spoken of. 

And that wasn’t all. Countless novice Magicmasters would be trained here. And by growing and developing under Sisty’s influence, she would be able to separate them from the old aristocrat faction as much as possible, allowing them to face their futures as clean slates. 

They’d worked hard for humanity’s future, building up their strength...all the way up to today. With Alpha leading the way, they were finally about to launch their counterattack against the Fiends threatening humanity. 

If all the pieces had been set up in anticipation of that...it was practically on the level of being able to see the future. 

The thought made a chill run down Lettie’s spine. “...” And she pouted. She felt like she’d been dancing on top of Berwick’s and Sisty’s palms this whole time. This went beyond scheming. This kind of meticulous planning was almost demonic. The plan had been in the making long before Berwick was even Governor-General. 

Of course, Lettie wasn’t amused by it. Besides, she still had her concerns. Berwick’s plan was making rapid progress, but how much of the backlash had he foreseen? At present, the aristocrat faction was making some strange moves. An internal conflict was already on the verge of igniting. 

“Sheesh, I’m no match for you two behind the scenes types. But that’s all the more reason to ask... Why now, and why Frusevan?” 

“Is that discontent because Alus is involved?” 

“Of course. Still, I can’t figure out why he’d send a lit fuse over.” 

“The truth is...I don’t know either,” Sisty replied with a troubled expression. Berwick had practically forced Lilisha upon her. She didn’t have the option to refuse. His intentions were unknown, but it was the Institute’s job to train the next generation of Magicmasters. So no matter who they were or what their background was, she couldn’t deny the admission of a skilled novice Magicmaster without a good reason. Especially not if they came with Berwick’s recommendation. 

That said, Sisty understood Lettie’s misgivings. The Frusevans did indeed have a dark side. Lettie was probably just considering the dangers of that. 

“This is just my prediction, but... Berwick might be thinking Lilisha’s existence itself could become key at some point. Well, I don’t really know all the workings inside the military, so I suppose not even the Governor-General has it easy.” 

“So it’s like a gamble that you know the risks of, holding hands with your old enemy? What a joke. They’re still in the middle of sabotaging each other,” Lettie sharply pointed out. 

But Sisty could only shrug and smile wryly, implying it was no longer something the principal could decide. Not even a Single could interfere with the Governor-General’s decision on principle. So this was not much more than complaining. It wasn’t completely pointless, but it was hardly productive. 

Lettie also understood the Governor-General’s decision couldn’t be overturned. Yet her grim expression remained unchanged. It was as if she wanted to get an expert’s point of view from Sisty. She then muttered a few disturbing words. “... The executive unit reporting directly to the ruler.” 

“I’m surprised you know about that ghost organization.” 

“You can’t expect a corpse with its head long gone to be able to think rationally,” Lettie said, ruffling her hair. She had an exasperated look, like a child who wasn’t getting her way. 

It was clear Sisty could tell what Lettie wanted to say. But her demeanor remained unchanged. 

Lettie concluded that she’d been worrying needlessly, so she swallowed her next words with a bitter expression. True, she was feeling something close to a personal grudge. She felt like clicking her tongue at herself for being childish. Maybe just leaving Loki with a warning about Lilisha was the right call. It might have all been in her mind after all. “... A gamble, huh,” she muttered. 

That was enough for both parties to realize the discussion was over. However— 

“Then, next it’s my turn.” Without pause, Sisty returned to the topic that had been left unsettled. 

“Whatcha mean?” 

“Now, now. You said you came here for personal reasons, but what exactly do you want?” 

“You’re still thinking about that? Fine, I guess I should be a little embarrassed?” 

“Embarrassment won’t get you anywhere with me.” 

Being faced with Sisty’s serious expression, Lettie gave up on playing it off. But her tone was blunt as if she was trying to hide how she truly felt. “It’s about Vanalis. The reclamation was put on hold because of the incident with Balmes and the Devourer, so I’m gonna get Allie to help me out. We made a promise at the Friendship Magical Tournament,” she said in an oddly heavy tone. 

This seemed to come as a surprise to Sisty, who gave her a look. “I’m amazed he made a promise. He hates all kinds of troublesome matters like that, doesn’t he? How did you make a deal with him? Don’t tell me you...” 

Despite her suspicions, Lettie was unperturbed. “That’s right, he was no match for my seductive techniques. Allie has a good eye for these things. And most of all, he’s a boy.” 

“... Lies. How plain a woman’s life can be when she doesn’t know true love.” Shooing away the air of youth Lettie had been casting around, Sisty flashed her a composed smile full of the wisdom of age. “How about you get some more experience with men? Only someone truly naive would be fooled by that,” she said, immediately seeing through Lettie’s bluff and breaking it to pieces. 

“... I’m not old enough to have built up any experience.” What Sisty had pointed out was true, so Lettie quickly decided to give up on that and change the topic. “Still, why did Allie grow up to be so straight-laced? Well, it’s not like I can’t understand. It’d be so much easier though if he’d just fall for my honeytrap. Dontcha think so, Sisty?” she said, though a certain suspicion about her was coming to mind. 

“Can you not look to me for agreement?” 

“How can you say that when you dress yourself up to look younger?” 

Now it was Sisty’s turn to fall silent. She had things she wanted to say, but when taking her actual age into account, Lettie couldn’t be blamed for what she’d said. “Just so you know, it’s a lot of work to maintain your beauty. And I’m not making myself look younger. I am young!” 

No doubt an empty excuse. Claiming she needed to maintain her beauty was already proof that she’d lost. Besides, no matter what she might say to Lettie, who was in her twenties, she had no way to compete against natural youth. Her resistance had been pointless from the start. 

“That’s enough of that. I only dig a deeper hole for myself the more I speak.” Sisty sighed. “Well, there’s no way that seduction would work on him...” Of course, she wasn’t referring to her own use of Bewitching Garden cologne that time. She couldn’t deny she’d gotten caught up in Lettie’s idea of seducing men, but if that was enough to get the better of Alus, things would have been easier. 

She didn’t really believe it, but seeing as Lettie didn’t seem to have tried seduction, then she must’ve been that way in the Outer World as she’d said. 

That aside, Sisty actually had an idea as to why Alus was so obstinate when it came to all things sensual. Having been in harsh fights on the battlefield since childhood, it was very possible that he never had the room for any unnecessary lust to grow. 

She then recalled what happened in the past. Back when Alus was racking up achievements and making a name for himself, dark rumors had begun to circulate in the military. As a result, nobody was eccentric enough to want to team up with him, and he was pushed around the battlefields like a machine to clean up Fiends. 

He’d also been under Vizaist’s command for a short time, but it was only temporary for various reasons. Which meant that back then...he’d been completely isolated. 

But as a boy with a unique talent and innocent face, who lived in the shadow of harsh duties he was pushed to perform, he had sympathizers. Be it pity, curiosity, or maternal instincts, he was popular among a number of single women then. 

There had been no public outcry, and Sisty only found out about all this later. She didn’t know if it was true or not, but judging from Lettie’s passionate look, she had the feeling it might not be a lie. 

And while she didn’t want to cast aspersions...her long experience in the military told her that unmarried women tended to become very bold when out in the field where death was common. 

That being the case...it might be her crude imagination, but it wasn’t impossible that something may have happened. She couldn’t imagine Alus falling for a seduction, but maybe that was because he was overly familiar with it? 

Conversely, he might just have written such women off as being those kinds of creatures, completely dismissing them as targets of interest. 

However, Sisty wasn’t going to speak of such vague rumors, and steered the conversation towards something more productive. “I-I see. So preparations to continue the mission in Vanalis are finally finished, then.” 

“Yeah, something like that.” 

“But couldn’t you have just made a call instead of coming here? It’s obvious you would cause a commotion.” 

“That’s why I came in disguise. Besides, this is my alma mater, y’know. What’s wrong with visiting for a breather? Well, I guess it was because it would be harder for Allie to turn me down in person, too... but we did make a promise.” 

“Okay, okay, I’ll leave it at that.” Lettie’s forcefulness, or rather her negotiating ability hidden beneath her innocence, was probably natural. And Sisty could imagine Alus getting talked into it. 

From that point on, their conversation turned into something like girl talk. Some bits of information were exchanged as they noisily enjoyed themselves. Their discussion only turned livelier as they snacked on the stall foods Lettie had gathered from the surrounding stalls. 

Before anyone knew it, Sisty’s treasured liquor and antique wines were brought out from her secret shelves. 

Their little party continued until the end of the second day of the campus festival. The two were completely wasted by the time evening set in, and Alus arrived at the principal’s office with Loki. 

The stink of alcohol stung his nose even before entering the room. If any of the teachers were to see her like this, Sisty would lose all authority. As Alus stared at them coldly, Loki set to work ventilating the room. 

“... How easy the principal must have it if she can drink in the middle of the campus festival. I had a lot of work on my hands with security, myself.” Alus began with a sarcastic remark as he stepped into the reeking room. 

However, Sisty and Lettie didn’t seem to pay any attention to that. They were having the time of their lives, after all. Any sarcasm wasn’t going to reach them. 

“Geez, you know it would be a lot easier for me if you worked harder,” Sisty weakly objected. 

From the looks of it, Sisty wasn’t keeping up with Lettie, who’d done her rounds in the military. Redness had spread from her face down to her collarbone. It was a sensual sight, but she sure was getting lax during the campus festival. 

Perhaps she was really stressed out. He had gotten her involved during the incident with Elise, so Alus couldn’t blame her too much. 

If he couldn’t get them to say why they’d called him over, the visit would be in vain. But when he looked at the other person in the room... “Well, I can more or less guess... Are preparations already finished, Lettie?” 

“They’re perfect. That’s why I came to get you, Allie.” Lettie staggered to her feet, her speech slurred. 

She wrapped an arm around his neck and brought her face closer. She was nothing more than a pestering drunk, but aside from the weight on his shoulder, Alus didn’t find her too much of a bother. He knew she was a girl who got touchy-feely, and there’d be no end to it if he reacted to every little thing. 

Loki was staring at them from the other side of the room, but he couldn’t get a read on what she was thinking. He figured she’d be unhappy at seeing Lettie draped all over him, but apparently not, because she was giving him a meaningful look. 

It appeared to have something to do with Lettie’s outfit, and when he looked her over again, he realized she wasn’t in her usual uniform. But that was all. 

Unable to bear it, Loki spoke up. “Lady Lettie, come here for a moment. I believe you will be able to better show Sir Alus that way.” She peeled Lettie off of Alus. As she did, he wondered what exactly it was she was supposed to show him. 

“Oh, yeah,” Lettie said, as if she’d forgotten all about it. Grabbing hold of her skirt, she twirled around. “... How does it look?” With a somewhat flirtatious posture, she innocently smiled at him. Her red cheeks might be due to the alcohol, but without a doubt, she did look lovely. 

“...” Alus quietly observed her. He could tell the difference between men’s and women’s clothing at least. And she was definitely wearing a fashionable outfit. Meaning... 

Even he knew the right answer immediately. It was simple when you understood it. Glancing back to Lettie’s face, he saw that her eyes were full of expectation. 

But why was it that women practically forced people by their silence to give them the answer they wanted at times like these? Giving her that answer would peacefully settle everything, but since he knew what Lettie was normally like, any honest words got caught in his throat. 

“... Y-Yeah, i-it suits you... Also...” 

He glanced at Loki. He wondered if it was okay to say the same difficult words he’d been forced to say to her, to Lettie as well. 

Loki simply closed her eyes and nodded. She’d given her approval. 

“Yeah. I think you look very beautiful?” 

“My...?!” It wasn’t Loki or Lettie who reacted, but Sisty. She was still as drunk as ever, but her eyes opened wide in surprise. The next moment, she looked moved, as if rejoicing at the growth of her own child. 

As for Lettie herself... “Haha, I might have been the one asking, but this is juuust a tiny bit embarrassing.” The joy was apparent in her whole body though, and she squeezed the fabric of her skirt. She’d taken advantage of her drunken state to ask, but she’d actually been a little nervous. Indeed, she was only outwardly drunk. In reality, she was unable to get fully drunk. 

From Sisty’s point of view, these childish kind of gestures were a privilege of the young. 

Loki, standing behind Lettie, directed an admiring smile towards Alus. Perhaps she was in a similar state of mind as Sisty, though she seemed a little unsure of herself. 

Alus thought about things, as he watched all of this. People’s faces used to look stern whenever he said anything, but lately that had been happening less. 

The Institute was different from the military, which had a much bleaker atmosphere to it. It was where those who wished to protect the nation gathered. But in reality, that world was all about survival of the fittest. There was also an ugly side of it where people would hold each other back and kick one another down if there was an opening. 

Alus had thought that was the natural order, but his impression changed after coming to the Institute. It made him realize that being in a state of peace was a blessing. It was a world made up of only beautiful things. He couldn’t forget about the Outer World, but a part of him was getting used to things like idle gossip. 

That realization was probably not unique to him. Lettie and Sisty getting drunk wasn’t something they could do in the military or the Outer World. It was a form of relaxation. 

It was like he was looking down at himself from above, watching himself as he enjoyed this peaceful daily life. Like seeing himself in a mirror... who was real, and who was fake? He wanted to ask himself who he was. 

He was aware that there was no perfect place for him in the small world of happiness, but still, he wished he could immerse himself in it with all of his heart. He felt contradicting parts of himself pulling him apart. 

Alus’ consciousness, which was trapped in these thoughts, was suddenly brought to the surface as Loki’s words reached his ears. “By the way, Lady Lettie... Sir Alus is still living the life of a normal student at the Institute. So I would like you to avoid causing that kind of trouble.” 

Then Alus suddenly remembered he had something to complain about. “That reminds me. Fia not thinking things through is one thing, but Lettie, you should have known there’d be confusion if you showed up here. And most of all, you took my precious time from me.” 

Sisty gave Alus a protesting look, though she knew his life was already starting to come apart. “Just so you know, this school is a place of learning, not some kind of health resort,” she said with a pouting look. She smacked her desk. As expected she was still drunk, but since nothing good would come from carelessly interacting with her, everyone ignored her. 

“Yeah, I’m sorry for causing a little bit of a commotion. That’s why, uhm, I don’t really have anything to offer as an apology, but you can take one of the things I bought.” 

Alus glanced at the stall food and snacks on top of the desk, but most of it had already been eaten, leaving only leftovers. 

Once she realized that, Lettie quickly backstepped. “T-Then how about taking me instead? Strike now and you’ll even get a bonus.” 

“Don’t need it.” He didn’t know how much of this was the alcohol speaking, but nevertheless he immediately rejected her. 

Having been brushed off, Lettie clung to Alus with a slightly hurt expression and tried again in a pleading voice. “Oh, you...uhm...seriously?” 

“I’m going to stop you right there, you are not going to engage in obscene acts in front of the principal!” Though drunk, it seemed Sisty still had her common sense and wasn’t going to let things go on like this. 

However, her following words betrayed those hopes. “Do those kinds of things in secret, please!!” 

Loki’s shoulders twitched. Oh, so that’s fine, she thought to herself, making a mental note of it. 

At any rate, it seemed this was an old trick of Lettie’s when teasing those younger than her. Her expression quickly changed to a serious one. “That aside, is there really any need to hide Allie’s rank or abilities anymore? Wouldn’t it be easier to just reveal it to the public?” 

Alus could understand where Lettie was going. He hadn’t really given much thought to how difficult it would be to conceal his identity, or what the consequences might be. However, it had been Berwick’s suggestion and there weren’t any other good options at the time. He wouldn’t deny that he’d had dreams of blending in with the other students while keeping his identity a secret. 

Meanwhile, Loki wanted to agree with Lettie. She thought the world should know of Alus’ hidden power and his achievements. It was because those were hidden that people like that Fillic she’d fought at the tournament got conceited. 

But even though they were now on the verge of collapse, the peaceful days she’d spent with Alus had been full of joy... 

Loki racked her brain thinking about it, but soon reconsidered and raised her head. She already had her answer. She’d leave everything to Alus’ own desire. All she had to do was support him in whatever decision he made. 

Finally, Sisty spoke. “I object. The Institute doesn’t treat students differently based on their rank or status in the first place. It goes against policy to announce that Alus is actually a Single and the current ranked No. 1. Not to mention that it would cause a lot of confusion. It was the Governor-General’s order to begin with, and I can’t well go against that. Alus is already getting plenty of preferential treatment too...aren’t you?” 

“Who’s to say? I don’t really have any memories of that.” There’d been the Elise incident yesterday and his special credits, but he still felt he was getting far more trouble than it was worth pushed onto him. “If I were to say, although the document you gave Lilisha helped settle the commotion down for a moment, I’m in awe that you would give me a suspension. I’ll admit it’s convenient...but that document was signed by you, wasn’t it?” Alus stared at Sisty, and Loki, who knew about the incident, also gave her an accusing look. 

“Ahh... Well, yes. I did prepare it, but that incident was a little bit of trouble, you know? I had to at least do that much to conceal your position.” 

“After that mock battle, you sounded so motivated when you said to leave the rest up to you. And the result is this lousy cover-up?” 

Sisty looked a little awkward at that. He’d practically saved the campus festival from massive turmoil, yet he was being punished, even if it was just a formality. 

“Well, as it so happens, I’ll be gone from the Institute for a while... I believe you’ve heard that from Lettie already.” 

“Vanalis, yes,” Sisty said, as if exasperated at his being in high demand, but at the same time she was relieved he’d changed the topic. She’d been a little concerned actually. 

“Yes. So in the meantime, I want you to do me a favor when it comes to the classes and credits I’ll be missing. I’ve already talked to the Governor-General about the exemption as well,” Alus said sarcastically, in the same tone Lilisha had used when she told him what the document was about. 

Sisty had no choice but to smile bitterly and nod. 

Alus then pushed the point further. “Also, instead of calling it a suspension, I’d like you to make it a voluntary short-term absence from the Institute. Well, I’m sure Fia and others will come and appeal for the same thing.” 

Sisty silently nodded to that as well. She knew how important reclaiming Vanalis was. Not only would it be a great achievement, but it would also serve to further strengthen Berwick’s position, which would keep any dissenters in check. 

“And if it drags on for longer than expected, you can extend the absence. By the way, what will you do, Loki?” 

“I will accompany you, of course!” 

An expected answer. At the Friendship Magical Tournament, he made a promise with Loki to take her on any future missions. She was perfectly capable, and since spotters were basically useful in any situation, Alus had no objections. “All right, so do that for both of us.” 

“Oh, what a cute extra!” Lettie exclaimed. 

Sisty looked troubled as she was asked to abuse her authority twice over, but Lettie happily hugged Loki from behind, which seemed to tickle her a little. 

“Yes. May I accompany you too, Lady Lettie?” 

“Of course. You’ll be more reliable than the guys in my squad!” 

Lettie was probably flattering her. After all, when it came to each unit’s achievements, her squad was the best in Alpha. Not only were they skilled, but their techniques honed through real combat set them apart from ordinary military personnel. Loki’s actual battle experience probably didn’t compare. 

Sisty topped up her glass with a pout, trying to escape reality, as Alus pressed the point further. “Then it’s decided. So take care of everything if you will, Principal.” 

“... But after what happened yesterday, I’m still a little worried about security.” 

“You might have forgotten this, but I’m just a student. You should try not to overly rely on me.” 

“... How about using not only the military reinforcements, but your personal connections?” Loki had a suggestion, implying that Sisty should take responsibility for it herself. 

Alus said, “I might have said this before, but don’t take the principal at her word. Especially when it comes to fighting power. If it comes down to it, she’ll just have to fight herself.” 

“He’s right, lil Loki. This old bat is still strong enough to be an active-duty Magicmaster.” 

“Huh? O-Of course, I suppose she is a former Single...” Loki had seen the principal’s capabilities for herself during the incident with Godma and the Dolls’ attack. Despite that, she couldn’t help but worry. After all, even between people who once shared the same rank, there was a large gap between those in the past and those in the present. 

Research on magic was seeing progress every year, and with practice methods and know-how constantly improving, the Magicmasters’ powers were elevated in all ranks. As a result, Single Digit Magicmasters from half a century ago would only be around a Double’s level by today’s standards. 

Loki had been quick to assume that Sisty was no exception to that rule. But Alus called out to her with a somewhat stern look, wanting to correct that shallow understanding. “That’s where you’re wrong. Even if she returned to active duty, she still has enough power to be considered a Single.” And inside the Institute grounds, he knew her power was further enhanced due to a unique barrier system. “So her security concerns are just an excuse for her to have fun.” 

“I-Is that so... Please excuse me.” 

“I’m not sure if I should be happy or angry. If I were to say just one thing... Lettie! Who are you calling an old bat?!” 

Lettie averted her gaze, and tried to play it off to avoid the brunt of Sisty’s anger. 

“You’re just as bad as when you were still here!” Sisty loudly sighed, feeling like she was getting pushed around by a mischievous child. She wanted to tell her to grow up, but held it in. She reconsidered after thinking that Lettie’s childish side was a result of all the things she’d seen in the Outer World. 

Former or not, Lettie was once her pupil. So she could still think of her as cute. The more difficult a child was, the more one could enjoy their growth. 

Even now, Sisty could vividly remember the hardships she’d been put through back then. Ever since she became the principal, there hadn’t been a student as troublesome as Lettie, excluding Alus. As a prestigious school, the Second Magical Institute had a lot of students from good families. To be frank, they were spoiled. Lettie, as something different from that, remained in her memories. 

“Go on, get working for the nation.” Sisty shooed them away, prompting Alus and Loki to turn their backs to her. 

It was already dark outside, but they could still hear students’ voices. That was when, suddenly, Sisty said, “Ms. Loki, do you have a moment?” to the slightly surprised silver-haired girl. “Don’t worry too much about it. That woman might be physically mature, but she doesn’t have as much guts as she makes it sound.” 

She hadn’t missed the pall of gloom that came over the young girl’s adolescent feelings. When Alus complimented Lettie’s outfit, whether he’d said it reluctantly or not, Loki’s heart hadn’t remained calm. Even if it was the result of her own actions, her heart was unsteady. 

Sisty knew it was the kind of advice you’d expect from an old woman, but she still did it for the sake of consideration. 

But the next moment, a figure forced her way in between them. That figure, Lettie, grabbed hold of Loki’s shoulders and spun her around. Then she turned her head and stuck her tongue out at Sisty. “We’re off now, granny,” she called out in a cheerful tone. 

A fierce wind blew over their backs. It was a literal storm, blowing them away. 

“Oh?” Alus said. 

“Eeek!” Loki said. 

“Ahahaha!” Lettie said. 

After being blown away, Alus glanced over to see Sisty smiling eerily, pointing the index finger she was using to control the wind to send them on their way. 

As they were blown out into the corridor, the two girls fell on top of him... From an outsider’s perspective, nobody could imagine them being high-ranking Magicmasters. And especially not that two of them were Singles. 

“Hey, don’t get us caught up in it, Lettie.” 

“Sisty’s the same as always.” Lettie was giggling like a child who’d found a new toy, clearly enjoying the experience. She was in high spirits. 

That said, her outfit was now horribly wrinkled. After Loki helped her off of Alus’ back, she dusted her clothes off. 

Finally, Alus stood up with a surly look. “To think she’d so brazenly use magic inside the Institute...” 

“You don’t do that nowadays?” 

“It’s typically forbidden.” 

Sensing a generational gap from Lettie’s words, Loki asked, “Was it not like that before?” 

As her senior, Lettie casually spoke of the old days. “Well, it was pretty lax. Back then she would beat me up a lot. Like going for the face, even though I’m a girl.” 

“—!! Ah, I see she had a rather extreme educational policy in the past. She doesn’t seem that way now,” Loki said. 

“I bet it was just her doing something stupid again like this time,” Alus noted. “Going out of her way to piss off the principal.” 

“Ah, ya got me,” Lettie joked. She looked a little happy. In the end, it seemed she hadn’t come all the way over to the Institute just for the mission. 

In any case, they couldn’t keep talking in front of the witch’s abode, so Alus took the initiative to start walking. His body would get wrecked if he stayed here with someone who poked sleeping bears for fun. “We’ll get the details on our way there. When are you leaving?” 

“Well, I’d leave that to your convenience, but I had a few troops head out ahead of us, so I’d prefer it if we left sooner rather than later.” Meaning that the preparations were all but done, and all that was left was waiting for Alus to join in. 

Tomorrow was a day off, so the timing was just right. That said, it was pretty much always used to clean up the mess caused by the campus festival. Because of that, there were plenty of classes looking to clean everything up today, so they could enjoy the entire day off tomorrow. 

Fortunately for Alus and Loki, their class only needed to return some tools and deal with leftover prizes, which wouldn’t take much time. In fact, he hoped they were already done by now. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow before sunrise at the headquarters.” 

“Gotcha.” 

Alus turned to Loki. “Are you fine with that too, Loki?” 

“Yes,” Loki answered briefly and energetically. 

“Now then, I guess we should get back to our class...things sure have been busy.” Frankly, Alus wanted to skip out on cleaning, but he couldn’t have both of them do that. So he muttered this to himself, as he reflected on the ups and downs of the campus festival. 

*** 

Two hours had passed after Alus and Loki saw Lettie off. 

Alus ignored his house arrest and continued with his security job, with Loki assisting him. 

Despite the bustling activity in the distance, Lilisha was alone in a building in a corner of the Institute. This building featured an auditorium as well as several multipurpose halls. During the festival it was primarily used as a place for lectures for the guardians of prospective students. 

Those lectures were over, so the auditorium was nearly deserted. A quiet, serene atmosphere prevailed in the building. 

Lilisha was loitering in a self-study room in a far corner of the building. The room had a No Trespassing sign on the door, and there were no lights on inside. 

A few moments later, the faint light of a virtual screen lit up a portion of the room. 

Lilisha, who’d secretly entered the room and hidden from sight, tapped the virtual keys. Before long, a Sending message appeared on the screen. It would take less than a second for the transmission to finish. 

But she didn’t bother to confirm this, as she stood from her chair and leaned against the wall. She pulled out a card-type device similar to a license from her chest pocket, and after pressing something on it, she put it against her ear. 

Lilisha’s breathing was ragged, and even the ringtone made her heart jump. As she cleared her throat, the ringtone ended and she could hear some noise on the other end of the call. It was a private channel, but the other side was using jamming signals in case of wiretapping. 

The momentary pause made her tremble. Beads of sweat ran down her back, and if she wasn’t bracing herself her legs would be shaking. During the silence, Lilisha bit her lip to steel herself. “Brother... Yes, I’ve managed to blend in. I made contact with the No. 1... Yes.” Her passive response showed not only her strong respect towards the other party, but also a hint of fear. Considering the way she’d spoken to Alus, it was hard to believe that she could get so tense. 

Eventually the other party seemed to blame her for something. “No...that’s not...” she said, desperately making excuses. Her focus was entirely on the other side of the call. She was so anxious to prove that she was valuable to the other party. 

She’d called him Brother, but her way of speaking wasn’t how one would speak to a family member but to their absolute master. 

Lilisha put her other hand over the one that held the card-type device. Each time she heard his cold, emotionless voice, her hand and voice trembled. At some point, she slumped down to the floor, her back sliding against the wall. 

This was a regular check-in regarding her mission she’d been given by her family. It included gathering information on Alus. To unveil the power that put him at No. 1. 

Lilisha had joined the military a few months ago, and had received the mission to monitor Alus by the Governor-General, thanks to her family’s backing and working behind the scenes. Part of why she’d been picked was also because she was close to Alus in age. She would be able to naturally blend in with the students at the Institute. 

Being able to perform a secret mission for her family alongside her military one was very convenient to boot. The mission her family gave her was to gather information on the mock battle incident, or rather, the intruder that attacked the Institute. 

However, all Lilisha had to report was the name of Minalis and nothing else. After all, Alus wasn’t going to slip up. 

Once she told her brother everything, she heard a sigh of disappointment, as if he’d figured it all out already. 

Lilisha’s shoulders stiffened, but she quickly snapped back to reality and hastily tried to cover for her blunder. She mentioned another piece of information she hoped would be worth something. “The theft that happened at the exhibition hall has come to light. I have already sent over the material.” 

Alus had been the one to arrest the thieves, but Lilisha had information that Alpha’s nobility was involved with those corporate spies. Although they were a branch of the Rimfuge family, the Frusevans worked in the shadows to maintain the order within the human domain. That duty included purging nobles that strayed too far from the ruler’s intentions. Meaning that the collection of information regarding nobles should be somewhat appreciated... At least Lilisha believed it would contribute to her family. There was an issue of jurisdiction with the local army, but if nobility was involved... 

However, no praise came from the other side. If anything... “What a stupid, useless sister. That matter has already been dealt with.” 

All Lilisha could do was let out a surprised gasp. 

“I never expected anything from you to begin with. Dumping you on the military for a mission was the right thing to do. They’ll gladly take in a failure if they can use some magic.” 

“Brother, w-what do you...” Lilisha asked with a trembling voice, her eyes opened wide. 

However, in spite of her desperation, the cold voice mercilessly said, “I’m not listening to this,” and hung up. 

*** 

Once they parted ways with Lettie, Alus and Loki headed for their class. But by the time they arrived, the clean-up was already finished. It was hard to tell if it was good or bad timing. 

None of their classmates in the classroom looked particularly exhausted. But their eyes glancing at Alus were full of curiosity. They must have already heard about his house arrest. The fact that Alus and Loki had been called to the principal’s office only further spurred their imagination. But with Lilisha’s aid and the matter of house arrest being delicate, they probably felt too uncomfortable to ask directly about it. So despite the carefree atmosphere, nobody called out to Alus and Loki. 

In the midst of this atmosphere, a familiar face stepped up, looking a little embarrassed. It was Alice. She’d mainly been involved in the mock battles, but she was the elected class representative as well. 

Alus and Loki moved to the back of the classroom, and sitting there was a girl with characteristic red hair. 

“Good work.” 

“Yeah... you too,” Alus answered, and Tesfia asked in a whisper, “Was everything okay?” 

“It’s fine. There weren’t any problems.” 

Tesfia was concerned after hearing about Alus’ house arrest, and then his being called to the principal’s office. At this rate, she might actually go and appeal to the principal like Alus had told Sisty. 

“I was a little surprised too, but we’ve already talked it through. That’s why you don’t have to do anything. In fact, it’s like I owe her. The house arrest was convenient for me... Anyways, don’t try to do anything stupid, okay?” 

She looked questioningly at Alus. 

“G-Good work, everyone.” That was when Alice nervously spoke up and bowed deeply at the podium. They were all classmates here, so she didn’t need to go that far, but that was the kind of girl Alice was. It was their first campus festival, and the first time the class had come together as one. Anyone would feel more humble than necessary. “Uhm, with this, the campus festival has come to an end. There were some problems along the way, but we were able to overcome them with everyone’s cooperation. I thank you very much.” 

Alice struggled with her speech, despite the notes in her hand. One would think she’d be able to speak a little more fluidly. But seeing her with flushed cheeks and stuttering speech was somehow relaxing in a way. 

“What a strange sight,” Alus whispered to Loki, who agreed. She didn’t need to give a speech to the students. She could have just let them go for the day, and then used the contact network to send out individual messages to their licenses. 

Even so, nobody complained as they listened to Alice speak. They likely wanted to enjoy their feeling of accomplishment and sense of unity a little longer. 

However, this kind of unity that the students felt was something Alus and Loki didn’t fully understand. It was a confusing sensation, like they’d suddenly been thrown into a different world they knew nothing about. 

Once Alice was done with her speech, the classroom was enveloped in a peaceful mood as the students relaxed after their hard work. The feeling of liberation led to a high-spirited atmosphere. 

Unable to keep up with the change in mood, Alice gazed at the students with a vague smile and scratched her cheek. 

That was when a new figure, Ciel, appeared at the podium. She was gripping a small piece of paper, a note of some sort. She took the stage with great vigor, puffing up her chest, and followed Alice’s speech with a joyful look on her face. “It has already been announced, so some of you might already know...but our stall was the number one student attraction in terms of the greatest number of customers! Well, if you include the survey evaluations we’re in overall third place...” 

Ciel added that the valuable prizes might have been a minus, but the students didn’t seem to care, as they all cheered. An air of excitement filled the room and they all started applauding. It grew in intensity until it became like a storm that could be heard from outside the classroom. 

Alus’ cheek twitched, as the noise grew so loud he worried his eardrums might burst. Yet even though he struggled to get used to the mood in the Institute, he didn’t feel too displeased right now. 

“Well, it was all thanks to Sir Alus’ prizes,” Loki muttered to herself. 

“Don’t say that. The point is that they all came together and accomplished something,” Alus replied with a wry smile. It wasn’t like he didn’t understand what she wanted to say, but he couldn’t have run the stall himself. Some things could only be done as a class. “Besides, my prizes didn’t amount to much. Yours, Alice’s, and Fia’s prizes contributed to attracting customers, too.” If anything, they were the main prizes among the men, but he kept that to himself. 

“I see. Yes, I understand,” Loki replied in a somewhat happy tone. 

Just then, Alus happened to recall the unidentified mysterious stuffed animal that Tesfia had made. 

“Is something the matter?” Loki curiously asked, when she saw Alus smile. 

“I wish I could have shown you her stuffed animal,” he said, indicating Tesfia with his eyes. 

In turn, Tesfia averted her gaze with a glum expression, and sighed. “So you saw it. It’s fine, because someone took it.” 

“... I bet it was an accident. They probably were aiming for something else and happened to hit yours.” Alus couldn’t help but be amused when he recalled it. It was creepy and he’d even mistaken it for a Fiend at first, but Tesfia insisting it was a dog just made it even funnier. “Then again, perhaps that’s another part of the festival to enjoy.” It was a student-run festival, after all. It’d be rather tasteless to have a line-up of nothing but commercial prizes. 

“If you’re going to go that far, do you want me to make you one too?” 

“I wouldn’t need it, even if it was only meant to be a sample model of a Fiend. But if it had been left over, maybe I could have hung it up in my room.” 

Of course, the prizes made by the three girls were the stall’s main attractions, and they’d all been taken, but if any had been left over it would’ve been pretty sad in its own right. Alus wasn’t actually making fun of the quality of the stuffed animal. In fact, he felt the way it looked showed that Tesfia had put a lot of effort and hard work into making it. 

“Fine. I know it was ugly... I can’t make something as well as Loki or Alice.” Admirably enough, the person herself was self-aware about her work. 

Well, it looks like she spent more time and effort than anyone usually would, so I’m sure the guy who got it won’t discard it. For some reason, Alus felt like it concerned him too, so he reflected on the ugly stuffed animal one more time. With some pity in his heart, he wished the best for the stuffed animal. Just the fact that someone had taken it was praiseworthy. 

And in fact, all of the prizes in the corner of the classroom had been left unclaimed. Some of what Alus had submitted remained as well, but that was partly because he’d submitted many items and assumed that some would be returned. 

When he looked at Tesfia, he saw she was nodding off. She must have been quite exhausted. With a slight smile, in the noisy surroundings, he thought back on the campus festival. He’d mostly been busy working behind the scenes, so he hadn’t really been able to fully enjoy it as a student. In fact, one could say he hadn’t even been able to completely handle the security work left to him. But now that it was over, he realized it really had been a busy time. To Alus, it had been a long two days. 

In the midst of his thoughts, Ciel climbed up to the podium again. Someone noticed and turned their attention to her, which spread to the other students, and the class naturally fell silent. 

With all attention on her, Ciel proudly thrust her hand forward in an exaggerated pose. “Heh, silence please... I have new information. Our class might have missed being the overall number one in the survey...” She paused for effect. “But in terms of profit, we’re at the top! So it’s time for what you’ve been waiting for! Let’s distribute the profits!” 

For the campus festival, the stalls were allowed to distribute profits within the classes. As Ciel reported, they’d made the most profit...and so all of the students (Alus excluded) waited with high expectations. 

But as one would expect from the well-behaved students of the Second Magical Institute, nobody wore a vulgar expression. Some even played it off by feigning looks of indifference. 

However—“Hey, you’re drooling,” Alus blurted out, seeing how Tesfia was reacting to the idea. 

An astonished Loki followed up. “Talk about greedy...” 

Tesfia’s cheeks turned as red as an apple, and she instinctively wiped her mouth with her sleeve. “N-Nothing’s coming out?!” Realizing she was being teased, she glared at Alus. 

“Hm, maybe I was just seeing things. But it looks like that woke you up.” 

Tesfia had looked sleepy, but when Ciel started talking about splitting up the profits, she’d snapped wide awake. She might be the daughter of the Fable family, but for various reasons she had to work to support herself, so she absolutely wanted some pocket money. 

“You really are straightforward, aren’t you?” 

“...” Tesfia didn’t deny it or object. Instead she hid her red cheeks by turning away. It was a fair reward for the work she’d put in, so it was really nothing to complain about. It was just very like her. 

But those trivial matters aside, a small safe-like device was brought up to the podium. It was used to collect and manage money used for loans, but it also had the function of paying out sums. When the students pressed their licenses against it, money was transferred to them. 

In the blink of an eye, a line formed. It was just a student event so it wasn’t much money, but they were still happy about it. 

Alus was looking at the line with a smile, when he noticed Tesfia holding her license in her hand and glancing his way. “How annoying. I won’t say anything, so just get in line already.” 

“I know that! Come on, you two—” Taking Alus’ hand in her own, Tesfia tried to get him to line up as well. It seemed she wanted to avoid looking shallow by having Alus accompany her, instead of lining up alone. 

“I don’t need that small change.” 

“Me neither. Si—Alus and I don’t really...” 

Having expected Loki to react like that, Tesfia let out a sigh. “That’s not what this is about. This was an event, and it’s not a small amount of money... There’s meaning for the class as a whole to receive this money. Both you and Loki contributed to the class.” 

“... Is that how it is?” 

“That’s how it is.” 

From Alus and Loki’s point of view, they couldn’t really agree, but there was certainly a sense of solidarity among the students. That kind of atmosphere and camaraderie might look meaningless, but it did have a meaning. Ultimately, the two of them were pushed to the back of the line by Tesfia. 

Humming to herself in high spirits, Tesfia took her place in line in front of them. She’d meant what she said, but at the same time, she looked a little relieved to be able to get paid without any worries. 

When it was finally his turn, Alus casually reached into his pocket and pulled out his license to press against the card reader. 

Meanwhile, Tesfia, who’d just done the same, was gazing at the numbers on her license with sparkles in her eyes, probably hearing the sound of money clinking in her head. At the same time, she was muttering to herself about what she would have for dinner today. 

Well, whatever, Alus thought with a wry smile. 

Before long, they were dismissed for the day, but it didn’t take long for talk of having a party on their day off to come up. 

“That’s why I want you to keep tomorrow open,” Ciel said, stopping Alus and Loki from joining the flood of students leaving the classroom. “To be more specific, there will be a buffet for all the students in the multipurpose hall, but we decided to gather in the classroom first. And those who can cook will bring food with them,” she continued happily. 

Alice seemed to agree with her. “I was thinking this kind of thing would be nice for a change. So why don’t you two come too, Al, Loki dear?” It wasn’t compulsory, but with her being so motivated she wasn’t going to let them escape, as she grabbed Loki’s hand. “Let’s cook something together,” she urged. 

However, Alus just shrugged. “That would be difficult. Sorry, but I have an important errand tomorrow.” 

Alice looked a little puzzled, then timidly turned to Loki. “Don’t tell me... You too?” 

“Yes, I am sorry, but I won’t attend tomorrow.” 

“It’s something we can’t miss.” 

Alice’s shoulders drooped in disappointment. Alus felt a little bad for her, but he’d made the promise with Lettie a while ago, and he’d also talked with the Governor-General and Sisty, so it was all set. He couldn’t enjoy the aftermath of the festival forever. 

“Hey, is that...” Tesfia asked, coming over, but she quickly fell silent when she saw Alus’ face. As someone who understood his circumstances, she had a dim idea of what was going on. 

As if to dispel the mood, Ciel stepped in and brightly said, “I see, that’s too bad. But if you find the time, let’s have a party with everyone.” She didn’t know about his circumstances, but she could sense the strange atmosphere. 

“Well, our hands were full with security and mock battles, so maybe that would be good for us,” Loki suggested as a kind of compromise. Alus also understood that, and added on an “Eventually.” 

That’s when he noticed that his voice sounded so clear because the five of them were the only ones left in the classroom. He thought he could finally take his leave, but... 

Then Ciel raised her voice as if she’d come up with a brilliant idea. “Ah! Then let’s have an after-party with the five of us. That said, all we can really do is eat some food,” she finished with an embarrassed smile. 

Alus could tell that ever since yesterday’s incident, the other classmates were keeping their distance from him. Ciel, on the other hand, showed no such unnecessary consideration, and nor did she change how she behaved around him. Then again, he felt like it had backfired on him on this occasion. 

While he was looking for an excuse to refuse, Alice clapped her hands. “That’s a good idea. That way I can prepare food with Loki, and it is our first campus festival, after all. So let’s do it!” 

“That’s true. I’m tired, so let’s hurry up and finish the preparations,” Tesfia said. Despite looking tired, she was surprisingly motivated. 

This happened just as Alus was about to point out how tired everyone was as a way to get out of it, so it was horrible timing. The girls’ dorm curfew was pushed back for today as well, so he couldn’t use that as an excuse either. It seemed the outcome was decided the moment Alice clapped her hands. 

From then on, the conversation proceeded so quickly that Alus had no room to object. There was no longer any way to escape, so he smiled wryly to himself, and signaled Loki with his eyes. 

Tesfia’s words became the deciding factor, and Ciel took the initiative to arrange for shopping and the other things they would need. Finally... “I forgot to ask, but where are we doing this?” she said, having forgotten about the first thing they should have decided. 

Tesfia and Alice immediately answered, making Alus’ bad hunch a reality, “Al’s room.” 

“Huh... That sounds good to me!” 

Alus and Loki tried their best to resist, but there were three girls against them, and so they ended up giving in.