Chapter 7.6

The great hall was cool and empty, as the students had receded like a tide. I was about to get up when I saw the rapidly emptying entrance.

Just then, a shadow fell over my face. Someone was looking down at me.

“My apologies for the late greeting, Miss Eloe. We attend the same Academy, but we haven’t had a chance to meet. Ah, my name is Reo Ponstana. I’m the student council president of the Academy.”

So his name was Reo, just as I had guessed. I’ve met plenty of guys like him. He got excited after landing the first blow and came running.

I jumped up and bowed at a 90-degree angle.

“Hello! My name is Eloered! I apologize for not recognizing you! Please take care of me, President!”

“There’s no need to be so formal. We’re just fellow students.”

I subtly raised my eyes and looked at the student council president. He said that, but it was so obvious that his eyes were sparkling with satisfaction.

I bowed a few more times and slowly straightened my posture. I now saw that a female student and a male student were standing behind the student council president like his knights.

He has subordinates, too. In that respect, he’s better than Jeras.

“You must have been very surprised today, weren’t you? Since you were selected as a representative even though you just enrolled.”

“Yes, yes! I was so surprised. My heart is still pounding. I don’t even know if I can do well…”

“Have confidence. I heard you’re the only student who has received private tutoring from the Headmistress. Even Professor Kieryk didn’t receive private tutoring, so you must be very talented to have accomplished such a difficult feat.”

His words sounded like he was acknowledging and cheering me on, but his tone and gaze were anything but. They were saying, ‘How dare a mere nobody like you receive private tutoring that even I couldn’t get? Let’s see how great you really are.’

I smiled innocently, pretending to be oblivious.

“Oh, really? I had no idea… I didn’t even know how to use magic before I came to the Academy. Though I can use a bit of divine magic.”

“Strictly speaking, divine magic isn’t elemental magic. It’s similar to how mana is used, but it’s completely different. It will only be of minimal help.”

The student council president was starting to bad-mouth me. I just listened to him, wondering what he was going to say.

“As far as I know, you got into the Academy through a special exam, right?”

“Yes. But why…”

“Even if you’re a special exam student, isn’t it a problem if you don’t even know the basic magic classifications as a proper student of the Haiola Academy? Light magic is a type of elemental magic, and divine magic is a concept that is contrasted with black magic, so it’s a completely different type of magic.”

“Oh, yes…”

“It’s a good thing you didn’t ask the Headmistress directly, or she would have been very disappointed. The ‘Night to Connect the Future’ event is in just ten days. Will you be okay?”

“I’ll… try my best.”

“Sigh. All right. If it gets too difficult, come to me. The VIPs will come with high expectations, so we can’t show them shoddy magic. It will also have a bad effect on your reputation, Miss Eloe. Understood?”

“…Yes.”

“The student council office is in the Wind District. It should be easy to find. Try your best, and if you can’t, come see me. I’ll be rooting for you.”

The president, who had simply spewed out what he wanted to say without listening to me, gave me a refreshing smile and walked past me.

Watching the backs of the three people as they walked away, I strengthened my resolve.

The results will show who is the shoddy one.

***

“Welcome. This is the Haiola Academy Underground Portal Terminal. The Night to Connect the Future… Oh, Senior Sion!”

“You know me?”

“I, I’m a student who attended the Academy with you, Senior! I’ve graduated now, though. We even took the same class! My name is Mariana… Do you perhaps remember me?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t remember people well.”

Sion shook his head. The employee named Mariana didn’t seem embarrassed at all and answered with a bright face. She seemed to have a naturally friendly personality.

“Hehe, it’s nothing. It’s good enough just to be able to see you up close, both back then and now. Oh, I’m sorry. I got so excited that I started rambling. May I check your invitation, please? It’s a set procedure, so please understand!”

Sion held out the invitation he had received. The employee quickly checked it and returned it to Sion.

“The event hall is the special stage set up in the Earth District, as always. Shall I guide you?”

“That’s all right. Excuse me.”

“Senior! I’m looking forward to the swordsmanship demonstration! I’ll be sure to watch! Good luck!”

Sion’s silent back as he walked away without a special reaction was still so cool. He had become even cooler than when he was the first love of many students, including her, in their school days.

If he was a fresh, dewy-eyed young man back then, he was now a dependable and elegant young gentleman.

Sion had returned to his duchy right after graduating from the Academy, so she hadn’t been able to see him much. It was worth pestering her boss to let her be in charge of guiding at the terminal today.

“What are you giggling about by yourself? Aren’t you going to guide me?”

“Gasp! My apologies! I didn’t know you had arrived, Lord Jeras!”

“You kept calling Sion ‘Senior,’ but I guess I’m not a senior to you.”

“Th-That’s not it!”

The employee’s face was a mixture of tears and a smile as she looked at Jeras. It felt like I was back in my school days.

Back then, the Academy had a duo of male students known as Light and Dark. If Sion, who had a kind heart despite his tough exterior, was Light, then Jeras, who always had a smile on his face but was rude to everyone regardless of age or gender, was Dark.

Naturally, Sion was far, far more popular, to a degree that it wasn’t even comparable.

The two had been paired together only because Jeras doggedly followed him around, pestering him. Sion had never raised his voice at anyone but Jeras. In a way, they were the perfect duo.

“Where did Sion go?”

“He went towards the event hall. Lord Jeras! You can’t just go! You have to show me your invitation!”

“My very existence is my invitation. Don’t be a bother and get lost.”

“I’m supposed to be guiding here, so where can I get lost? I can’t even if I wanted to!”

Jeras completely ignored the employee’s wailing and walked toward the Earth District where the special stage was. He was in a very bad mood from coming up empty-handed early in the morning.

‘Disappear without a word, will you? If you did it just to be with Sion, squirrel, I won’t forgive you.’

***

The venue was designed in a circular shape to most effectively showcase the swordsmanship and magic demonstrations to the attendees. The short intermission was ending, and the seats around the stage were almost all filled.

“You’re attending an Academy event. What a rare sight. Is the sun out, or is it the moon?”

Jeras remarked sarcastically as he sat down in the VIP section in the front row. Sion, seated next to him, didn’t reply and simply reread the pamphlet he had been given.

Eloe’s magic demonstration was the very last performance. Sion’s gaze lingered for an unusually long time on the simple phrase, “Magic Demonstration – Eloe Shu Le Kilmaria.” Jeras wouldn’t miss a detail like that. His eyes curved into a crescent moon.

“The Lady’s quite something. She must have been struggling with her exam studies, but she never complained once.”

“How do you know that, Your Highness?”

“Huh? Didn’t she tell you? I was her tutor. I even picked out the questions she should focus on.”

“Tutor…?”

“Thanks to that, I even got to see the study room you and I used to share. It felt strange. Being there with the Lady instead of you.”

Jeras smiled broadly at Sion. It was a provocation. A cheap taunt from Jeras, who knew Sion had a weakness for Eloe.

Sion took a deep breath, trying to calm his boiling emotions.

“Don’t be disheartened, Sion. No matter how much the Lady likes you, it’s natural for her to have one or two secrets. Don’t you think?”

I can’t take this anymore.

Exploding at the word “secrets,” Sion grabbed Jeras by the collar. He could have easily dodged it, as he had expected it, but Jeras obediently let Sion grab him. Sion’s green eyes blazed with fury.

“I told you to stay away from Eloe.”

“I was just helping her out because she was struggling with her exam. If you’re so suspicious, just ask her yourself.”

“Eloe hates putting others in a difficult position. She would say she didn’t just to protect you, even if you had been mean to her.”

“I agree that the Lady is kind. But Sion, she’s not as soft as you think. You were the one who said she changed a lot after she collapsed.”

Sion’s hand, gripping Jeras’s collar, lost a little bit of its strength.

Jeras was right. After she recovered her energy, Eloe changed like a completely different person. Her good nature remained, but she learned to express her thoughts, feelings, and intentions clearly.

What Sion remembered, and what he had just said, was the old Eloe. Maybe Jeras was the one who knew the post-change Eloe the best. The thought suddenly occurred to Sion.

“You two are still so close. It’s just like when you were kids.”

Kieryk appeared with a gentle, laughing voice. Kieryk sat down next to Jeras and said to Sion, “You’re in charge of the swordsmanship demonstration, right? Professor Vark was looking for you. Don’t you think you should go?”

“Yes. Thank you for telling me, First Prince. Second Prince, shouldn’t you be going too?”

“Sion, it would be nice if you called me ‘brother’ like Jeras does.”

“I’ll stay with my brother for a little longer.”

“Don’t be late. Then, I’ll be going now.”

Sion shot a quick glare at Jeras, who was waving his hand, and left. Jeras meticulously scanned Kieryk, who was sitting with a calm expression.

After hearing Eloe’s words, he had put people on him and even observed him directly, but he couldn’t find any significant evidence. Kieryk’s health, which had not been good for a while, had also noticeably improved. Nothing like the day he had yelled at him had happened again.

“They’re very similar, those two.”

“Pardon?”

“Sion and the Lady. I met the Lady on the way here. She was so nervous she kept pacing back and forth. I understand now why you call her a squirrel. She can’t stay still.”

Kieryk seemed to enjoy talking about Eloe. No, he was definitely enjoying it.

He had never shown this much interest in anything other than magic.

Jeras had a bad feeling.

“…Brother, are you interested in the Lady?”

Kieryk’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected question. He tilted his head slightly. Then he answered with a gentle smile.

“If you’re asking me that, it’s hard to just deny it. Yes. You’re right. I’m interested in her in many ways.”

“Thank you for waiting, distinguished guests and students. The swordsmanship demonstration by the Duchy’s successor, Lord Sion Shu Ben Kilmaria, and student representative Cliff Dendas will begin shortly. Everyone, please take your seats!”

A booming announcement broke the silence.

Jeras turned his head to the stage without a word. The side of his face was cold and hard.