“Well done. Filling the enclosed space with gas is a highly effective method. Blocking the door and incapacitating them with the paralysis poison without unnecessary conflicts was a good call.”
“Ugh.”
Pastel staggered up from the sewer floor, shivering a bit and rubbing her arms.
“They were totally bad people.”
Indiscriminate poison terror, how dreadful.
“Uwaa.”
She looked at the tightly shut iron door with fear in her eyes.
“What kind of criminals are they?”
“It’s highly likely they belong to a radical group of demons. Not all demons are like this, but some express their hatred and grudges on innocent targets, like poisoning human students’ water supplies.”
“Ugh!”
Though she was scared, she felt a sense of duty as a student council member. She had to protect her friends from such vile criminals.
With a sword in hand, Pastel cautiously opened the iron door. Yellow paralysis gas seeped out through the crack, and she coughed as she inhaled it.
“Whoa!”
Gas, gas!
“Pastel, help!”
Panicking, she quickly shut the door again.
She hurriedly gulped in the not-so-fresh sewer air.
“Whoo! Whoo!”
The demon looked incredulous.
“You don’t get it. Why do you keep thinking you’re an ordinary human when you sprinkle gem powder on your meals every day?”
“Ah! That’s right!”
I’m totally fine!
So it should be okay to conveniently use glass vials of paralysis poison that are highly likely to cause accidents.
Feeling a surge of confidence, Pastel slowly opened the door again, boldly inhaling the escaping yellow gas.
“It doesn’t—cough!”
Cough! Cough!
It’s not fresh air, it’s a coughing fit!
It’s like trying to breathe during a sandstorm!
“That doesn’t mean you should deliberately inhale it…”
“Ugh, yeah.”
Covering her nose with her white sleeve, she opened the door. The demon leaning against the door collapsed, making a noise.
“Whoa!”
Pastel jumped back and looked at the demon. It seemed completely paralyzed, not even moving.
“Um, did it… die?”
She poked the demon with the edge of her sword. There was no response.
“Oh no?”
Did I just commit murder?
“Since you inhaled gas in an enclosed space, the paralysis was strong enough to put it into a coma.”
“Really?”
While poking the demon, she turned her gaze into the room. Though the yellow gas was escaping, the interior was still enveloped in a hazy yellow.
She gulped hard.
“Is everyone out cold?”
The fallen furniture and the silhouettes of people lying on the ground showed no signs of moving.
Phew.
Pastel wiped her forehead unnecessarily and puffed up her chest, looking down at the vile criminals.
“Bad criminals! Do you understand now? You, one of the worst criminals planning heinous acts like poison terror, will never win!”
She firmly tapped her chest.
“Knowing that, Pastel of the student council confronted you without a moment’s hesitation! Because I knew justice was on my side!”
Feeling proud.
So many friends! I’m going through all this for you.
So quit being all weird about Craft and treating me like an idol! I don’t know why you think this pink Pastel is different inside and out!
In her victorious mood, Pastel scanned the gas-filled room.
“Is there a serious side effect if I inhale this gas for too long?”
“Not to that degree. It’s made considering situations where you accidentally break a glass vial and neighbors get caught in your sleep.”
Huh.
Feeling suddenly like a troublemaker.
Just as she was about to protest, Pastel recalled spilling frying flour while watching the demon’s cooking this morning and getting a slight scolding.
Maybe I am a bit of a troublemaker…?
She casually changed the subject.
“Well, since it’s okay for a while, let’s leave these people here.”
She pushed the demon by the door, and it lightly fell into the room. She locked the door tightly, completing the gas chamber.
“Now we need to call the guards to throw them in jail.”
Shaking off her hands, she grabbed the gem lantern left in a corner of the sewer. Turning on the light, the sewer brightened up.
Suddenly, the other end of the sewer corridor became noisy. A huge swarm of giant rats filled the passage.
“Oh?”
Pastel’s eyes widened.
“It’s the demons! Squeaky Friends…!”
They’re coming to avenge me, feeding off my blood and flesh!
“Ugh!”
“If you want to call the guards, it seems you’ll need to clean up the area first. Adjust their numbers.”
Ah.
Pastel calmed down at the cool voice. Looking around the terrain, she leapt against the corridor wall. She stabbed her sword into a height the rats couldn’t reach and spun around to land on it.
Looking down at the approaching rat horde.
“Come on, Squeaky Friends.”
It’s time to greet Knife Friend.
From her pocket, the knife dashed out.
The silvery blade swept through the sewer.
#
Visited Elshire Bellamont’s personal dormitory.
It was a dorm guarded by servants and soldiers. Soldiers stood firmly around the dorm like bars in jail.
“After interrogating the captured demons, they said they were a vanguard and more reinforcements are on the way.”
Pastel sat with crossed arms at the terrace tea table.
“Since we’ve caught their plan, we can prevent indiscriminate terror like contaminating the water supply, but it’s quite difficult to completely stop an assassination attempt on you.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
The silver-haired girl across from her scooped sugar with a teaspoon. White powder sprinkled into her black tea, swirling together.
“It’s something I anticipated since my transfer. I just didn’t expect they’d mobilize demons.”
“An assassination? Did you have some kind of grudge?”
Pastel tilted her head.
Elshire smiled faintly but didn’t elaborate.
The answer came instead from the side table.
“It’s probably about the heir dispute.”
Melissa took a sip of tea. The teacup silently and elegantly rested on its saucer.
Somehow, Melissa had stealthily followed them and was sitting alone at another table. Why is she doing that?
Pastel pointed to the seat beside her.
“How about sitting at the same table?”
Melissa shook her head.
“Don’t take it to heart. I like it here.”
“Really?”
That’s quite a peculiar taste.
Elshire narrowed her eyes. Her silver pupils drilled into the blonde girl.
“You’re a child who sways to her mother’s words.”
Oh wow.
Pastel’s eyes widened.
Sudden provocation.
Melissa frowned.
“I’m not swayed; I follow what my mother, who deserves to be respected, says. Sharing a table with you, Bellamont, is just a waste of time.”
Elshire silently lowered her head, then glanced at Pastel’s shadow. Noticing that Camarot’s shoe was stepping on Craft’s shadow, she smirked deviously.
“You’re a child who can’t even keep a promise with your beloved mother.”
Oh wow.
Pastel’s mouth dropped open.
I thought they said their relationship was bad, but it really seems like they just have a very tense rivalry.
Or is it? Maybe it’s a friendly sort of rivalry?
Curious about their reactions, she glanced back.
Melissa’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
“Pastel received her mother’s approval. Unlike you, who got chased to the academy by your older brother, I have a good line of communication with my mother, so I can resolve any misunderstandings with words.”
Elshire curled the corner of her lips.
“In the end, you’re still a child swayed by your mother’s words.”
Oh wow.
Melissa was working so hard, but Elshire was just frivolously shooting her jabs.
Melissa’s breathing became ragged. She couldn’t hide her excitement, her voice slightly trembling.
“I’m not swayed! I’m following what she rightfully says! How many times do I have to repeat myself for you to understand? Asking someone like you, with a vulgar tongue and impudent attitude, for understanding may be too much to ask.”
Wow, intense choice of words.
Feeling like she was munching popcorn, Pastel looked back at Elshire. Isn’t this a bit much?
Elshire pointed at Melissa’s shoe that’s stepping on Craft’s shadow.
“You’re a child who doesn’t listen to her mother.”
Such a half-hearted comeback.
But it seemed effective, as Melissa was starting to huff softly. Her face was turning red, and she couldn’t catch her breath.
“So, saying you received permission—”
Elshire shrugged her shoulders.
“In the end, you’re just a child swayed by what your mother says.”
Melissa’s whole body began to tremble. Angry and prideful, she exhaled heavily and turned her head away sharply.
“Fine! I can’t have a conversation with a vulgar person like you.”
Then she majestically took a sip of her tea as if to ignore her. Watching that, Elshire also scoffed and sipped her tea in the same manner.
Silence fell.
As an observer, Pastel could only gape.
Wow, wow.
Is this some advanced psychological warfare between the southern and northern factions over imperial political power?
It’s so advanced that pure-hearted Pastel can’t even keep up~.
Glancing back and forth between the two, she imitated them and took a sip of tea.
Gulp, gulp.
“Whooo.”
Maybe because she added a ton of sugar, this is sweet.
She finished her cup in one go and set it down.
Clunk.
All eyes turned to her.
Pastel sprinkled gem powder on her appetizer plate and munched on a cookie. Then she alternated her gaze between the two with a sulking expression.
“Hey guys! Don’t fight over me!”
Clenching her small fists, she earnestly yelled.
“Pastel is, Pastel is! Everyone’s friend! You can’t monopolize me!”
A heartfelt declaration.
“Huh?”
Melissa was taken aback by the sudden outburst.
Elshire blinked in surprise as well.
Yes, yes!
The fight atmosphere pretty much dissipated!
As expected, I’m a level 100 friend-making pro!
Pastel popped another cookie in her mouth.
Munch munch.
“Elshire, even if you say the assassination is fine, it’s not appropriate for the student council to sit idly by, so I’ll be strengthening security around the academy for a while. At least until the one-on-one tournament is over.”
Wow, but this cookie is really delicious!
With her eyes sparkling, Pastel looked back and forth between the two, her mouth still dusted with cookie crumbs.
“And, and! If you’re going to fight over me, a delicious gift will do! Like this cookie! In that meaning!”
She pointed her finger at Elshire.
“Elshire 1 win!”
She clapped her hands together.
“Congratulations! You’ve gotten closer to me! Yay!”
Elshire looked a bit dazed.
Then she glanced at Melissa.
“Is she always like this?”
Melissa thought for a moment, then nodded.
“Yes.”
Huh?
Pastel glanced between the two.
Then, as the cookie smell tantalized her senses, she just grabbed two cookies and popped them whole into her mouth.
Greedy, yay!
Munch munch, munch munch.
The dry and plain outer part crumbled. The moist inside burst with sweetness.
Her pink eyes sparkled.
“Wow, this is really delicious!”
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