*
The next day at the Magic Club’s room.
“Whoa, Licht is here too?”
“Hello, Helmet!”
All the club members I hadn’t seen yesterday were gathered together: Kainel and Ariel.
“Licht. Hello.”
“..Greetings.”
And even Mardol. The glass armor she wore sparkled in the sunlight, almost like a giant crystal.
“So, are we really going with the festival booth…?”
They continued chatting while rifling through the snacks. I missed the beginning since I was late, but it was about the festival.
“..Are we going to do a maid café?”
“Kai, I’m against it! Who would like that!”
“Why, I just think you’d look great in a maid outfit…. Ariel, could you move the Fire Ball a bit?”
Were they really discussing a maid café, a common topic? Well, it is a classic cliché in romance fantasy academy stories.
The guys in butler outfits and the girls in maid outfits. Standard fare for limited event game character outfits. If this were reality, I’d be getting hit with ads demanding cash right away.
“…”
Suddenly, I imagined Mardol in a maid outfit.
No, this can’t happen. I was fine even after seeing the Apostle of Lust. Why does this keep flickering in my head?
“Why, Licht?”
“..It’s nothing.”
She really had a terrifying body. How could she be in better shape than a succubus? Maybe that’s why she’s become a masterpiece in heavy armor.
But she still couldn’t compare to our Saintess. Get your head straight. I shook my head vigorously to clear my thoughts.
“Mardol, do you have any other good ideas?”
Ariel, having just put out a Fire Ball right in front of Kainel’s face, asked the princess. Then her low voice rumbled as she uttered a single word.
“..Hell.”
“Huh..? Mardol?”
Her characteristic short speech was the problem. Mardol, you can’t say it like that. I need to intervene before any misunderstandings arise.
“Since it’s summer, let’s make it a horror experience booth. Something like ‘Mini Hell Experience!’ What do you think?”
“Right.”
Once I corrected it properly, Mardol crossed her arms and took on a proud demeanor. Hey, I’m the one who said it; why are you acting like that?
“Oh, that’s not bad.”
“Licht, how exactly are we going to do this? We need to decide how to scare people.”
“We’re going to combine all three of your magic.”
The hero couple’s eyes sparkled as they showed interest in me. Luckily, it seemed to have worked. Mardol in a maid outfit… no way, that’s a hard pass.
“First, Mardol’s glass magic.”
“Uh-huh, Licht. I know.”
The knight in white heavy armor nodded at my call. Could it be she’s just prolonging her reply with me? I felt a bit creeped out. I turned my gaze to the golden retriever sitting next to me.
“..And Kainel’s Holy Sword or light magic will create the maze.”
“He should know how to handle it to some extent. Is it to create an optical illusion?”
“Yes, exactly.”
He’s a hero of light, after all. Although not to the extent of applying it in battle like a magic swordsman, this was the basic level.
“Then what about me? Helmet? My magic won’t work!”
“Ariel can create non-burning hellfire to cover the ground.”
“Aha, so it’s kind of like making a concept shift like in a fireworks display.”
“That’s right.”
As expected, they were all magic experts. It was convenient that they understood with just a little hint from me. Everyone in this world can use magic; well, everyone except me.
“Then what will Helmet do?”
“I will….”
“Licht will set problems.”
“Problems?”
You don’t have to answer that, Mardol. I saw Ariel look puzzled and continued speaking.
“..I’ll set simple questions.”
Just some dad jokes that our Saintess loves. I could vividly picture her laughing.
“If you answer correctly at a fork in the road, I’ll show you the right path…”
“If you get it wrong, you’ll fall into a trap!”
“Yes, that’s correct, Mardol.”
Was she always like this? I felt increasingly scared of how she was changing. I swallowed hard as I pondered what to do if an invitation arrived from the royal palace.
“Any objections?”
“Nope. Licht, let’s do it right away.”
When I sought agreement from those around me, Mardol responded quickly. Yet, we should hear everyone’s thoughts before moving ahead.
Her golden eyes kept locking onto mine. Please look somewhere else.
“I’m in favor! I don’t want a maid café!”
“Then I’m in favor too; it can’t be helped. I wanted to see Ariel in a maid outfit.”
“W-What?! Kai, do you really want to get scolded?!”
Kainel nodded begrudgingly, while the red-haired mage charged up Fire Balls in both hands, cheeks flushed.
This guy really has no awareness. Honestly, I think they should just go out already.
Thinking about it, my Affection Level is still at 34%. It’ll probably rise to 50% before they officially start dating.
“Now, let’s talk about the costumes.”
I walked over to the blackboard to jot down names. It was to note down what to dress up as. Since Kainel is a golden retriever, what about some animal-themed costume?
“How about Kainel as Cerberus?”
“Oh, the one with three heads? Then we just need to buy two extra heads and stick them on!”
“That sounds good. You’ll probably want one made from Hound Dog leather.”
“With its fluffy fur, it’ll look so realistic. A Cerberus walking on two legs would be cool.”
Is he planning to tease Ariel? The blonde hero beside me is already stifling giggles as he glances at her. You’ll have a tough time after marriage.
“Ariel, would you like something specific?”
I quickly asked the fire mage for her opinion. To raise the Affection Level easily, it seems best to coordinate with Kainel on animal themes.
“I want to be the Cheshire Cat!”
Isn’t that the purple cat from storybooks? Here, she’d be using fire while hiding her body.
“..You’ll end up being a red cat.”
“Yep! I’ll pretend to disappear in flames and then reappear!”
Just like the nickname that came out in the community. In a way, it’s a fitting costume for her.
“Ariel, if you do that, it’d definitely look like we’re a couple. Can’t you pick something else?”
“Hmph, I’ve always wanted to try this! If you don’t like it, Kai, you can pick something else!”
“Cerberus would be so cool…. I can’t give up on my dream.”
This must be the right answer. The conversation feels refreshingly innocent and good. To lock this in, I confirmed the costumes on the blackboard.
“Then Kainel will be Cerberus. Ariel will be a red Cheshire Cat.”
“…”
Where are you trying to run off to? Just stay as the lovestruck character. Kainel. I acted boldly, and neither seemed to resist. They both clearly enjoy it.
Looking at the last person remaining beside me, I faced the twinkling knight.
“Mardol, how about….”
If she takes off that glass armor, every guy in the academy will come rushing in. Even looking like that, she’s the main heroine of this story.
‘Even I, who’s been rather stubborn about the Saintess, would be tempted, so she must be quite popular.’
But I don’t want to force her into doing something she dislikes. No matter how low the Affection Level has to be, that’d just be a nuisance.
‘Can I add something to that masterpiece?’
Ah, there is something. The mid-boss type monster that appears as a forest keeper in [Night Heart]. Kuer. I think we could recreate that giant oak monster look.
“Do you know the wood monster Kuer? How about we try attaching branches to that armor?”
I walked forward and compared my body to hers. She was about the same height as me. I had been misled by the large knight figure at first.
“If it’s Licht’s opinion, I’ll follow it.”
“..Understood.”
I thought she wouldn’t readily accept it since she loves cute things. The princess nodded immediately, facing me directly.
“Then it looks like I’m the last one left. I choose to be a Sphinx…”
I glanced at Mardol and continued speaking. At that moment,
“..Dullahan.”
“Excuse me? Dullahan?”
A unique, rumbling voice made itself known. I planned a costume that mixed the King of Hell and a Sphinx. But Mardol in front of me was expressing her opinion strongly.
“Let’s go with Dullahan. Licht. Just cover the head part with my glass magic, and I’ll just have to hold the helmet.”
After hearing her lengthy proposal, a flash of memory struck me in the brain. The dialog I failed to get Kainel to say at first.
Route-confirming line.
‘If something this meaningful comes up in the game, I shouldn’t have rejected it.’
Of all the moments shared together, this was the longest line I ever heard from her. If I refuse this, I’ll regret it. Plus, it’s a confirmed line for a route I don’t even know about, so I had no idea how it might turn out.
“Mardol, you could speak so much!”
“Uh, um.. I think this is better. Sphinx is cat-themed, so it overlaps with Ariel.”
Even the hero couple sitting right next to her were beginning to be thrown off. The atmosphere was eating them alive. I needed to come up with a strategy.
“Everyone knows I can’t take off my helmet.”
“Licht, is that so..?”
“Yes, I can’t take it off. It’s not that I won’t.”
I sighed. Did Mardol not know? She probably wanted to see my face.
‘If the face is the issue, I could just lift the mask, but then everyone would see the burn scars.’
While I was pondering the Dullahan costume,
“Just buy another helmet and hold it, right?”
“Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.”
Kainel offered a simple solution. It was so simple it felt empty, really.
I felt relieved about missing that part and noticed the princess turning away, as if feeling regret.
“If you add Ariel’s magic, it’ll be even more atmospheric when it’s on fire, right?”
“..Would blue look pretty? Yeah, that’d be nice!”
The Imperial Guard could approach and say, ‘How dare you upset the princess! Immediate execution!’
“Do you think people will get scared if I throw the helmet at them? Ariel?”
“HYAH! Kai, what are you saying right now!!”
“Haha. It’s just a helmet anyway.”
Whether he knew or not. The blonde hero was busy chatting with the magic user beside her. Two young adults were laughing and joking around.
Watching them brought a smile to my face. Thank goodness my expression didn’t give it away.
“..Then let’s go buy the costume materials now. Kainel and Ariel, you two move together. You both are going for animal-themed costumes, right?”
If I wanted to raise their Affection Level, I had to give room for their date course. Just as I was about to finish my sentence.
“What about Helmet? Are you going alone?”
Ariel, with her red hair flying about, asked as if curious.
“Yes, I’ll probably just drop by the blacksmith.”
I just need to buy armor that matches the Dullahan and grab a helmet, so it’s a straightforward task. No strings attached….
“Go together. Licht.”
“..Mardol?”
The glass knight was already holding onto my arm and not letting go. I forgot that the Dullahan costume had a confirmed line. If I detoured from here, I had no idea what would happen.
“..Alright. Then let’s meet back at the club room after we get suited up. We need to see if it’s truly scary.”
“Licht, don’t be surprised when you see me!”
“I’ll be looking forward to it.”
At least it’s better than getting interrupted by the hero couple. It’s a simple task, so I figured the Affection Level wouldn’t rise much anyway.
“Then let’s head out. We should check out the place selling wood first.”
“..Okay, Licht.”
And just like that, Mardol, Kainel, Ariel, and I split into separate teams to get moving.
