Honestly, all I had to do was just introduce myself normally and move on. Yeah, there’s no need to do things that aren’t necessary, right?
But… that pure gaze from Aris felt like an irresistible violence.
Are you really not going to listen to me?
Even after all this? Seriously?
Caught in the sparkling gaze of Aris, as if she was shouting, I quietly closed my eyes.
“My name is… Misono Mika. The current owner of the Trinity T-party, the first involuntary re-elected host… In addition to holding the position of Vice President of the Gehenna Gourmet Research Club, I’m also the first student at Shalle, and the creator of the Blooming Buds. And I’m an idealist who cherishes the extravagant dream of everyone’s happiness. Yeah. In that sense… nice to meet you, Aris-chan☆”
Honestly, at first, I thought I’d die of embarrassment. But once I said it all out loud, it turned out to be somewhat bearable…
“Wooow…! Wishing for everyone’s happiness…! That means you’re a Saint!”
“…Huh?”
“Classes of clergy are a must-have priority recruit for a hero party! I learned that without them, the party won’t move! So this recruitment quest must be a mandatory quest to clear!”
“Ahaha, I see…”
Well, Saints are mainly healing or buff classes, right? So, Aris was saying I’m like a cleric class.
But how did I ever strike you as fitting that role…?
No, wait. The best defense is a good offense. If I can make it so there’s no need for healing at all, then that’s also a form of healing, as some wise person said.
So, does that mean my physical strength could also be interpreted as healing…?!
Honestly, what’s bothering me more than that is being called a cleric. I mean, I can figure that part from my position, but it feels a bit guilty to be called a cleric when I’m a non-believer.
And a Saint, too. The title Saint is something suited for kids like Mari.
Honestly, I think I’d fit a Saint in a slightly different way. I really don’t want to admit it, though.
Yep. That’s how the world works. It’s all because of Nagisa for bringing this mess. If only she hadn’t taught me all sorts of things back when I was somewhat innocent…
Especially since that got spread to other kids, my daily life has turned up to the level of 19+ rated adult films, and that’s totally Nagisa’s fault.
“Anyway… you can just call me casually. Mikaden, Mikka-san, whatever’s fine. There’s no need to call me senpai, especially someone from another academy.”
“Then I’ll call you Mikka!”
“Yup, sounds good. Nice to meet you.”
Well, even if today doesn’t yield the effects I wanted, at least I got something to feel comforted about. Just talking to Aris like this has lifted my spirits—what’s life if not this?
This is what I’d express as “yas”… but I’d probably get scolded by my girlfriends, right?
“Please take care of Aris. Mikka and Rion-senpai!”
“Alright… then shall we start with a simple question? First of all, let’s talk about the student whose name was added to the Millennium database without my permission.”
gulp.
As Rion spoke with a thoroughly businesslike demeanor, I could see Aris swallow hard, growing tense.
At times like this, Rion gives off a very stern teacher vibe… so of course, any student would feel scared.
The fact that she gives off such an authoritative and strict beauty teacher feeling yet is still just a student is honestly surprising.
“A-A-A-aris doesn’t know anything about it! Y-Yes! I believe it’s an unwritten rule not to dig into a hero’s past!”
“…I wasn’t exactly looking to interrogate you. But you’d better prepare for the exam coming at the end of this month. If you keep failing, it could lead to being held back, or even worse, expulsion.”
“…Ah.”
“Ahaha… talking about exams brings back some strange feelings.”
No, seriously. Back then, my entire life hinged on studying for exams. I later heard that it’s not like getting one thing wrong would lead to expulsion, but at that time, it was all so desperate.
“I-I’m not ready to accept such urgent quests…!”
“That’s too bad. This is a mandatory quest assigned to all students.”
GAAAAH?!
Yes, that’s it, Aris. Being weighed down by the burden of exams is a student’s duty…!
“This is a warning meant to make you prepare. And as I mentioned before, I don’t plan on interrogating you over that. I don’t intend to impose any disadvantages on you immediately either.”
But Rion, “immediately” is something you say when you mean there will be something later on.
With that implication, I gently tapped my fingertips on the table, and Rion glanced at me before speaking to Aris again.
“If damages were to be imposed, it would likely fall onto Veritas for acting independently on the academy’s database.”
“That’s…! I wouldn’t want the folks at Veritas to face any disadvantages because of Aris!”
“Right, then Aris. Are you willing to take the hit for Veritas?”
“I-I’ll do it if necessary…”
“…Hmm. Veritas is a club that is, after all, unauthorized from the start. So if we were to hold someone accountable from this side, the penalties would be quite severe. At the very least, it would lead to suspension. Are you really saying you’d take it instead of Veritas?”
“…If needed, Aris is ready to take responsibility! Taking responsibility is one of the important virtues of a hero.”
“…”
Rion’s gaze returned to me, looking clearly bewildered.
Yeah, just keep going like this. Let’s break Rion down, Aris!
Right now, in a game-like analogy, it’s like Aris is selecting the right answers in a visual novel one after the other. If things keep going this way…!
“Alright, then it wouldn’t be strange to impose a week’s suspension with the additional ban from the clubroom—”
GAAAAH?! A week is way too long! No, more than that, I absolutely can’t stand the ban from the clubroom! Just give me another disadvantage instead!
“It wouldn’t be surprising to impose things, but doing so to you would be a ridiculous thing. I’m not that emotional to hold you accountable for something minor.”
The expression on Aris’s face shifted violently—going from heaven to hell. In contrast, Rion’s expression was unreadable.
I figured I had some skills in this area, but Rion was certainly not easy to deal with.
“Aris, how do you view Millennium?”
“…”
Aris, who had been questioned by Rion, closed her eyes. It seemed she was contemplating her answer.
“A serious answer is fine, and a nonsensical one is okay too. You just need to tell me what you see and feel.”
“Millennium… actually, I don’t know well yet. I’ve not yet finished mapping it, and the events I’ve experienced are fewer than those I haven’t. So, I cannot provide a proper answer to Rion-senpai.”
“…I see. Then after you observe and experience more about Millennium with your own eyes, I can expect a proper answer from you, right?”
“Yes, I’m sure that it will be so.”
“I understand. I’ll put this question on hold. Next, about the club you’re currently part of. Regarding the future after the Game Development Club is disbanded…”
“…The Game Development Club won’t be disbanded. If we accumulate results worthy of the Millennium Price! Then, as Yuuka said, we can avoid disbandment!”
“Yes, if you acquire results, you could indeed avoid disbandment. But based on the external evaluation of the last results the Game Development Club presented, your chances of winning are extremely low.”
Pointing out the endless criticisms that Tales Saga Chronicle received, and the fact it got the “Worst Game of the Year” award, Rion said that.
Even if I thought about it logically for a moment, I couldn’t find any faults in what Rion said.
However…
“I believe in the potential of what Aris, Momoi, Midori, Yuzu, Miyu, and the teacher have created together. Most importantly, the user evaluations of the web version of T.S.C 2 have been quite favorable. So the possibility of winning certainly exists! In fact, you could say it’s very high!”
In Millennium, the center of reason and logic, these guys were leaning heavily on emotions. Kids who prioritized friendship over rationality—that was the Game Development Club.
“That’s certainly surprising news. Yuuka would be thrilled.”
“Y-Yuuka, you say? But I’m sure Yuuka wants the Game Development Club disbanded…”
“Yuuka? That’s absolutely nonsensical. The Game Development Club should have originally disbanded before this semester even started. The only reason that such a club managed to survive this long was because Yuuka provided maximum convenience within the limits permitted by regulations.”
“T-That can’t be! So Yuuka was actually a hidden recruitable character…!”
…Hmm.
What should I say, these two seem to hit it off quite well? Or is it just my feeling?
“Then, does that mean Rion-senpai also…”
“No, stop dreaming.”
“U-Uh.”
…It’s not just a feeling; they seem to really fit together.
“Hey, Mika.”
“Yeah, Aris-chan. What’s up?”
“Don’t you have anything you want to ask Aris?”
Heueng. “What I’m curious about… Hmm. Aris-chan, if to see the ending of the game you’re currently playing, you had to sacrifice one of your companions, what would you do?”
“…W-What, are there games like that?!”
“Ahaha, this is just a hypothetical situation, so don’t be too shocked.”
“Ah… Aris wouldn’t want to see the ending if it meant having to make such a choice.”
“Yup, we’re similar in that. In this regard, you could say Aris-chan is like me.”
“Ah! The favorability condition for the companion recruitment quest is increasing!”
“O-Oh, similar… huh?”
With an awkward smile, I glanced at Rion.
There was someone watching Aris with an inscrutable gaze.
I wonder if this conversation will change Rion’s mind? But still, I hope it’s worthwhile to have made them talk like this despite all the blatant attempts.
