“Hey Reina. You’re glad you left it to me right?”
“…Yes. Choosing Ouga-kun as my teammate was the right decision.”
“If anything comes up in the future, rely on me again. I’ll do anything for Reina’s sake.”
“…Understood. I’ll impose on you without holding back.”
Her expression seemed like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
Phew…looks like I can breathe easy for now.
When she’s pressed to make a choice, she’ll consult me now.
That’ll make dealing with things much easier.
“Ougaaa~! You were so cool~!”
“You were all wonderful~!!”
“President! Look this way please~!”
“…Well, it’s the victor’s privilege. Shall we oblige the cheers?”
“You’re right. I’m in quite a good mood after all.”
“Much appreciated~!”
We wave and bow back at the praise thrown our way, then leave the hall.
“Cheers for making it past the first round~ Kanpai!!”
“Cheers.”
“Fufu, cheers.”
At Mashiro’s call, our glasses clink together.
After the match against Misosona Magic Academy ended, we gathered in my room following dinner.
Ideally I wanted to have Karen join too and celebrate as the student council members, but the lodging facilities were off-limits to non-contestants.
When I tried to hold it outside so Karen could participate too, she herself stopped me.
[I believe Ouga and the others can win. I’ll book a restaurant we can reserve. Let’s save the fun for the end?] were her words.
Can’t disappoint my fiancée who saw me off like that.
Gave me another reason we have to win the championship.
“Mm~. The cold black tea tastes good too.”
“Yeah, Reina’s tea really does taste different.”
I had Reina brew iced tea using tea leaves from Ramdarb that I bought, and was challenging it again.
The lingering smell the store couldn’t get rid of mellowed out, letting the fragrance be properly enjoyed.
“There’s a trick to it. Gently kneading it with warm, wet hands softens it up.”
“Did you get that memo, Alice?”
“Flawlessly.”
“Fufu. Though the downside is it makes your hands smell… “
“True. …But, I don’t mind this scent for some reason. I wonder why.”
I take Reina’s outstretched hand and sniff at the scent.
The tea leaf smell has seeped in, but I can also detect a faint, sweet scent mixed in.
It’s like…Reina’s history. Yeah, a nice smell I like.
“…Um, Ouga-kun?”
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
“Even I…find it a little embarrassing so…”
Looking up reveals Reina uncharacteristically mumbling with her mouth.
Taking in her words, I reconsider my current actions objectively.
A guy holding a female senior’s hand, sniffing at the scent…Hmm.
That’s a no good!
“O-U-G-A-ku~n…?”
“…Sorry about that.”
I meekly accept Mashiro’s angry pinch, apologizing to Reina while enduring the pain.
“Oh no, you just surprised me a little. …But it does make me want to drink it when it smells so good.”
Saying that, Reina happily made glug glug noises as she drank.
“You really like it after all.”
“Yes…it’s a nostalgic taste for me.”
It’s a regional specialty from her homeland. For her, it must be a deeply familiar flavor.
Come to think of it, because of driving off hordes of magical beasts, Flone has deep ties with the Ramdarb Kingdom right?
In that case, Reina meeting Flone was probably here in Ramdarb…I guess?
The points connect in my brain, sparking realizations.
…Wait. A worst case scenario comes to mind.
If the harsh labor she’s burdened with started not from when she became student council president, but an unthinkably younger age…
The negative emotions built up deep inside could have grown to far exceed my imagination.
“Hey…when did you become Professor Flone’s disciple?”
“…Now when was it again…”
“Tell me.”
“…I suppose it can’t be helped. It’s a maiden’s secret though…Five years ago.”
Intuitively I knew it was a lie.
Because her eyes wavered between hope and despair.
She’s trying to tell me the information she just uttered is mistaken.
I see…so this is how you ask for help, Reina.
Testing whether or not I’ll pick up on it after all.
“Honestly, what’s the matter Ouga-kun? Your face is all tense.”
My cheeks get flicked lightly like before.
“Really, Ouga-kun. We just won, making a face like that is a waste you know?”
“…You’re right. Sorry for ruining the mood.”
“Oh no, I don’t mind at all. It’s a question I get a lot.”
“Hmph. Then it’s not really a maiden’s secret huh.”
“You shouldn’t say things like that.”
“Mmph…sorry.”
“Pfft, ahaha!! O-Ouga-kun…your f-face…!!”
This time my lips get powerfully clamped, contorting my face.
Seeing that, Mashiro bursts out laughing, changing the atmosphere, so I’ll leave it at that.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
“Well then Ouga-kun, see you tomorrow!”
“Have a good rest tonight.”
“Yeah, good work you two. Good night.”
After that, nothing in particular happened and we had a lively chat for a few tens of minutes before dispersing.
…Now then.
“Alice. Paper and pen.”
“Here they are, prepared already.”
“As expected. Having a capable you, I’m a lucky man.”
“You honor me.”
Saying that, Alice matter-of-factly took pictures of my side profile with her magic camera.
Getting annoyed would mean losing. She won’t use them for anything weird.
More importantly, Reina right now.
Thinking my father might know something, I start jotting down the details.
“Come to think of it Alice, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“If it’s something I can answer, anything at all.”
“What was that cheer squad I saw during the match?”
“They proclaimed themselves to be Ouga-sama’s fan club.”
…So they really were a fan club.
There are people who are into that sort of thing huh. Just like in my past life there were people who cheered on villains over heroes, they’re likely a similar sort.
But a fan club…kukuku, nice ring to it.
“However, I judged it unworthy of Ouga-sama, so I couldn’t help but guide them.”
“…I see.”
So that’s why they were doing such an embarrassing cheer…
“Since they said they’ll be coming to watch all Ouga-sama’s matches, I plan to continue instructing them.”
“…Keep it moderate.”
“Understood.”
…While chatting, I finished writing.
“Alice. Sorry, but take this to the post office guild. Spare no expense getting it delivered. The sooner the better.”
“At once. I will be off right away.”
The moment she received the envelope, Alice immediately left the room.
Now all that’s left is waiting for a reply from my father.
Getting it as fast as possible is ideal, but he’s a busy man. Can’t make selfish demands.
I’ll keep doing what I can like always.
“…Hope nothing happens.”
Determined, I entered the shower room to wash off the sweat and impatience.
A night draped in darkness, where pitch-black words would be fitting.
Despite the curfew at the Misosona Magic Academy’s accommodation facility, there were students wandering outside.
“Damn it… Reina-Milfonti…!”
Shuelba, wearing glasses with a different shade from before, uttered the name of the student council president of Rishberg Magic Academy, their rival school, with hatred.
“This doesn’t make sense… me losing…? And to a first-year duo at that.”
If you just list the facts, there’s no element indicating a loss.
However, the remaining truth was his own defeat.
Shuelba couldn’t accept that, and he had been in turmoil since waking up.
If he had put up a better fight, perhaps he could have swallowed his pride a bit more. But what he experienced was a spectacular shutout loss.
There was no moment of glory. As a third-year student, he left no achievements behind.
“If only she… if that ‘dropout’ weren’t there…!”
The next target of his seething anger was Ouga Vellet. The son of Duke Vellet who defeated him.
He had envisioned a rematch with Reina Milfonti. There he would defeat her and become Professor Flone Milfonti’s disciple, envisioning a bright future.
But in reality, Reina Milfonti didn’t even have interest in him, and to top it off, lost to a guy who couldn’t use magic.
With this, Shuelba Anthem’s value as a mage fell to the ground. The previous year’s championship would be seen as a mere fluke by most, and the path forward after graduating also closed in an instant.
“I’ll kill him…I want to kill him so bad…”
The intense humiliation unlike any he had known as a mage tormented his heart.
–Misfortune piles on misfortune.
Surely if this stage hadn’t been the Ramdarb Kingdom, he would not have fallen further into the abyss like this.
However, the dice were mercilessly cast, and the devil smiled.
[Do you want power?]
“Huh…?”
What appeared before Shuelba was a black-robed figure of ambiguous gender wearing a strange mask.
Transfixed by the mask’s gaze, for some reason his legs wouldn’t move from that spot.
[Do you want the power to kill Ouga Vellet?]
“…Heh…hahaha…! Is that really possible…?”
[If you desire it.]
“I want it! The power to kill him! If I can prove I’m stronger than him, then I still…!”
Shuelba couldn’t even judge anymore whether those words were his own will.
Overriding his mind was the thirst for power and intense murderous impulse toward Ouga Vellet.
[Very well. Go wild to your heart’s content.]
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