Eris has left for the land of the beastmen, and everyday life has returned to peace.
“Did you hear? They say there’s a ghost.”
“In the 4th-year dormitory? I heard Seria-senpai saw it!”
“But that senpai at that time…”
The voices of the female students in Class E drift into my ears, unwanted. The rumor is that a female ghost appeared in the 4th-year dormitory.
‘Seriously, kids at this age love those kinds of rumors.’
Sure, there’s magic, and magical beasts in this world, but no ghosts. Even if there were, ghosts can’t harm people.
Why am I so sure of that, you ask?
‘If ghosts existed, Rin wouldn’t have been able to roam around freely in her past life.’
She wiped out humanity on the continent. If there were ghosts, they would have flocked to curse Rin.
I was thinking of catching a quick nap during the break, but the classroom was too noisy, so I got up. Tana and Eve had wandered off somewhere, leaving me a bit bored, when I noticed Hayun passing by our classroom.
“Where are you going?”
Recent times, aside from Eve and Tana, the one I felt most comfortable around was Hayun. Especially since she was something like a mentor and collaborator in love.
“Hmm? I’m just going to take measurements for a request.”
“What do you mean?”
Did Hayun somehow sense my boredom with just a few words? She shrugged her shoulders and told me to follow her if I was curious, so I trailed after her like a dog picking up bones.
Hayun headed to the music room.
She started striding towards the piano, but her goal wasn’t the piano.
She picked up a dust cover for the piano and handed it to me.
“Spread it out, let’s measure it.”
“So you called me out just to do this?”
I said that while stretching my arms to spread the cover. It was slightly longer than my outstretched arms, so the ends drooped, but Hayun grabbed that part and measured the length.
“Hmm, this much? Since the piano is 150 by 35… Okay, thank you.”
I wondered if it was really okay to estimate like this, but Hayun began writing something in the notebook she brought with her.
“Still working, huh?”
“Of course. Just because I get a scholarship doesn’t mean that covers my living expenses.”
Wow, she works hard.
Hayun has a pretty good appearance but also has a surprisingly mature side, so if she had been unfortunate, she could have fallen into a bad place like a bar. But seeing her make the most of her abilities, I felt proud.
“If you ever run out of things to do, come to me. I’ll teach you how to live in the forest.”
“Huh? Why the forest?”
“There’s something like that. It’s quite lucrative.”
Honestly, the gold coins I had collected at the time were probably more than those of wealthy noble families.
It was just a limited place to spend money, and since I didn’t have a strong desire for possessions, it just took up space in my storage.
Anyway, go flower beggar!
I cheered for Hayun in my mind. She works hard even at dawn, and unlike me, I knew she was doing well on the written tests in demonology.
If she keeps this up, she’d definitely get a scholarship.
“Ah, by the way, it’s only two months until vacation. Are you going to Yggdrasil again?”
“Is it vacation already?”
Huh, what is this sound?
I feel like I didn’t really study, and yet vacation is already here.
“There are still two months left, you know? And before that, there are tests and competitions, so you’ll be really busy.”
“What’s this competition?”
Hayun looked at me as if to say, “You don’t know?” Then, remembering that I transferred in the 3rd year, she put away her notebook and began explaining.
“Do you know which academy is our rival?”
“Pales, right? It’s the complete opposite of Aios.”
Aios Academy is located in Elgrid, which is the hub of maritime trade, allowing for active exchanges, while Pales Academy is completely different.
I heard it was deep in a remote mountain, and students who entered would struggle to return home even during vacation, just remaining behind to study.
Actually, I’ve heard that in the five years attending the academy, it’s rare to find students who return to their families.
“Pales and Aios hold competitions at the end of the year. It’s quite an old and traditional event.”
“Hmm?”
To be honest, I wasn’t very interested.
Having gone through various incidents in the academy, I didn’t want any additional events, but Hayun was eager about it.
“If we do well there, it could be a plus factor for winning a scholarship.”
“I doubt they’d really give something just for standing out in something so trivial.”
“No, right now Aios Academy is dying for a victory.”
“……?”
Hayun glanced around to see if anyone would overhear and then said with a sigh.
“We’ve had 13 consecutive losses until last year.”
“We lost 13 times?”
“We’ve lost for 13 years straight.”
I can’t believe it, this academy is useless. I wonder if they’re that miserable even outside. To think they call themselves the best academy on the continent, yet they’ve been pounded by Pales so much.
“Although they’re claiming it was just a small slip due to past fame, they’re actually saying that Pales is considering stopping the competition since last year.”
“Because of us?”
Based on the results so far, it seemed like we would be the ones saying “Let’s just stop this.”
“They said it wasn’t helpful for the Pales students. But our professors insisted that we must continue the competition just to take revenge.”
“This place is just ridiculous.”
It may look prestigious on the surface, but inside, it’s as rotten as a decayed apple. Once it used to be a place where only the elite among nobles gathered to explore learning, but it’s not like that anymore.
Can we even call them rivals?
If you count the losses, it sounds more like a bullying situation than having a rivalry.
“Daniel! There you are!”
Look at that.
As soon as I mention those bullies, one shows up with candy in her mouth.
“Isn’t this why we keep losing?”
“That could be one way to look at it.”
“What is it? Why am I being dissed right as I get here?”
Mei gives us a glare, crossing her arms as she listens to Hayun and me. She picks up on anything that’s bad about her immediately.
Instead of confronting us, Mei pulls the candy from her mouth and points to the end of the corridor.
“I came from the Mayas family. Have you seen anyone?”
“The Mayas…? Ah! Tana’s family?”
Tana’s family, the Mayas family.
One of the prestigious families rivaling the Duratan family, known for their swordsmanship. While Duratan leans towards swordplay, the Mayas family is well-balanced overall.
In short, they’re all-rounders.
I remembered Belin Mayas, the 5th-year senior who got utterly rejected when he confessed to my sister. I recall that he had quite the physique too.
“But why?”
While Tana’s family being involved bothers me, what does it have to do with me? Then Mei adds on.
“My friends told me they were looking for Tana.”
“Huh?”
What’s that supposed to mean?
They’re not from Krista, but the Mayas family came looking for Tana, who is a branch family member?
“Ah, what now.”
I haven’t even wrapped up the first prince and Elise incident yet. I wanted to make sure to finish it by the end of this year if possible.
I felt a heavy sense of dread as another incident seemed to be looming over me.
*
“They’re taking Tana away!”
As Mei and Hayun head back to their class, I step into Class E, and Eve rushes towards me, shouting.
“Yeah, I heard they came from the Mayas family. Do you know why they’re taking her?”
“Yes! I happened to be eating snacks with Tana when their servants barged in and heard everything!”
“Wait a minute, you were eating snacks? Didn’t you say you were on a diet?”
“……”
Eve turns her head, as if slipping on ice.
So that’s why they left me behind to go snack during break!
Filled with betrayal, I immediately pinch Eve’s cheek.
“What did you say when you guys got caught snacking?”
“Haehaha heheh…”
(We called you a dog…)
“Now you’re dogs? Your little sisters must be really disappointed. Their eldest sister has turned into a dog. Isn’t that why they want to take Tana? Because they want to raise a puppy at the Mayas house?”
I was mad that all my dietary plans went down the drain because of these guys, but Tana’s situation took priority, so I released her cheek.
“Ugh.”
Eve rubbed her cheek, looking pitiful.
“So why are they taking her?”
“……Woof.”
Suddenly, Eve lets out a bark.
“Hey.”
“Woof, woof.”
Sigh.
“Alright, if you’re going to humor me, just tell me.”
“Um, they said they’re taking Tana to raise her as one of the 3rd princess’s maids!”
“A maid? Wait, hold on a minute.”
Usually, maids for a royal princess are mostly the daughters of nobles.
Bertia, who served as the leader of the royal family’s secret troops, was a special case, whereas usually, nameless noble children take care of royalty.
No matter how much of a branch family they are, it’s still the Mayas family. They wouldn’t want to treat Tana like that.
More than that…
“The 3rd princess?”
Elise?
“Yes! Isn’t it amazing? The 3rd princess, who has been shrouded in mystery, suddenly wants to get a maid.”
If Eve, who doesn’t know Elise’s true nature, is imagining the 3rd princess as a noble and elegant woman, she’d feel shocked if she found out about the crazy girl begging for a leash and obeying like a dog.
“Anyway! We have to save Tana!”
“First, when Tana gets here…”
“Did you call me?”
Tana appeared as if summoned by us talking about her.
We were taken aback but immediately asked her.
“What’s going on? They’re taking you away? Want me to punch someone?”
“Tana! If you want to escape, early morning is best! First, let’s get out of Elgrid…!”
“No, wait. Calm down a bit.”
Tana pushed us back with her hand, quietly telling us to calm down. There was something strangely reminiscent of a breakup in the air, and Eve and I exchanged looks, steeling ourselves, but…
“Right, they’re telling me to quit the academy to prepare to become Princess Elise’s maid.”
That feeling of longing was just an illusion; it didn’t take long for us to realize that.
Our friend was bolder and more daring than we thought.
“That’s why I told them to scram. Who do they think they are? Do they want to be a sacrificial offering or something?”
“……Wow?”
Had she always been this tough? Tana winked at us.
“While you all are growing, I can’t just stand still.”
Is this really Tana, who was bullied by Mei? My heart swells.
If the current Tana got bullied, she’d immediately go for Mei’s hair and fight.
Well, that’s that.
“Was that you sneaking snacks? Do you know how hard I worked yesterday on your diet plan?”
“Ah! Ah! Aha!”
(It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!)
Tana, who didn’t flinch at Mei’s lackeys, turns into a puppy, crying out as I pinch her cheek.
I said I’d let it go, but now that I think about it, I’m feeling hot-headed and glare at Eve.
“Woof!”
She instantly turns back into a dog.
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