Chapter 1444: Flying Board ⑧

Chapter 1444: Flying Board ⑧

We were surprised in a way by Yellow Pipe’s loss, but for the time being, we decided to just get our heads back on straight and watch the next race.

But as it turned out, there really were quite a few participants, and although they weren’t on the level of the Yellow Pipe, there seemed to be a lot of people in this race with quite the deep personality in them.

[Fufu, you sure are composed. However, I’d say it’s quite naive of you to think that you’ve won this tournament just because those muscleheads didn’t make it through.]

[……Eh?]

When I turned around, hearing someone suddenly calling towards us, there was that trio made up of women with uselessly curled hair…… the members of Scarlet Blue.

This is strange. Putting aside Yellow Pipe earlier, why is Scarlet Blue calling out to us now……

[Hey, Aoi-senpai, with us being tangled up with all these strange people earlier, do you think it’s because of Kaito-senpai?]

[I’m 99% sure it is.]

Then, there’s this merciless reputational damage inflicted by my kouhais. Seriously, I want to get this straight with them what kind of person these two think I am.

Putting that aside, while I was puzzled because I didn’t understand why Scarlet Blue was calling out to us, the woman who seemed to be their leader spoke with a fearless smile.

[……I happened to watch your race. It was rough, but the elegance with which you soared through the air at the front of the pack was remarkable. We were going to call you out after the race, as you seem to be a formidable opponent, but we saw those unpleasant muscleheads nearby.]

[I- I see…… By the way, can I ask you a question?]

[Yes, I don’t mind.]

[……Aren’t you all dressed differently than you were a little while ago?]

If I’m not mistaken, these Scarlet Blue members should have been dressed in noble-like dresses. Putting elegance aside, well, they had the atmosphere of noble ladies.

But now, they’re wearing something that looks like it’s easy to move in…… clothing that looks like jerseys. The first time they approached, I had no clue who they were for a moment, as they instantly felt more like commoners, making me think that outfit really is important in making an impression.

That’s why, I decided to try asking them about it for the time being, but the reason is probably that it’s better to wear clothes that are easy to move around with in a race. There was quite a bit of wind when I rode it myself, and since they’re veterans, I’m sure they’re also paying attention to this matter as well.

[……Ahh, those dresses are rentals, so we don’t want them to get dirty……]

[……Unnn?]

[If we get it dirty, there’s an additional charge…… so we wanted to avoid that at all costs.]

[……Ah, errr…… Dress…… rentals?]

I got an unexpected reply. Hearing that those dresses are rentals, it’s possible that these three aren’t actually nobles, and were just commoners who liked to dress like nobles.

The fact that they are dressed in jersey-like clothes and are concerned about the additional charges is also a sudden sign that they’re becoming more like commoners.

[Fuu, if you don’t have the connections, it’s understandable that you wouldn’t understand…… but these dresses…… They’re expensive.]

[I- I see.]

[Those dresses would probably cost more than 2 silver coins each if we actually bought it. As expected, we can’t afford to spend that much money on a single piece of clothing.]

[……What about that ring and your other accessories?]

[They’re imitations. Even so, if you add everything together, those are worth more than 3 silver coins, so they’re luxury items. Fufufu, are you surprised?]

……How much of a commoner can you be!? Also, I like the fact that they aren’t trying to hide it. They’re probably just normal good people.

This is just my imagination, but they usually live quite frugally and probably rent their dresses for this yearly competition. They may be commoners who yearn for the life of nobles.

While I was thinking like that, Hina-chan suddenly muttered something I didn’t expect.

[……Kaito-senpai is super rich though. He has a mansion in a prime location in Symphonia’s royal capital, and he has more white gold coins than he can count.]

[ [ [ ! ? ] ] ]

[Hina-chan, what are you doing all of a sudden……]

[No, it’s just that we’re talking about money, so I kinda wanted to brag about Senpai……]

After looking back at Hina-chan and sighing with a wry smile, I looked back at the women we were talking to…… and felt a chill run down my back. If I had to describe it, it was as if a predator had locked on to me.

[……Are you, by any chance, a noble?]

[Ahh, no, I’m not a noble. I just happen to have a good amount of money……]

[I see…… Excuse me. Going back to our previous topic, we felt elegance in your board handling. You hold qualities enough to contend for the championship…… We have high expectations for you. Also, since our schedule is free, we welcome invitations such as afterparty events to deepen friendship after the tournament. Well then, we will see you in the finals.]

For a moment, I thought “R” symbols appeared in their eyes, but they seemed to be good people at heart, as they suppressed such thoughts and left with only a declaration for battle.

Watching their backs as they left, I called out to Hina-chan and Aoi-chan.

[……You think it’s that pattern again, where they’d end up losing in the qualifying rounds?]

[That happening would also be interesting.]

How should I say this…… I was worried that the development would be the same as that time with Yellow Pipe…… In conclusion, Scarlet Blue, just as to be expected from veterans, finished 1st and was decided to participate in the final race.

Well, when they won the race, they let out an “ALRIIIIIIIIIGHT!” shout without a shred of elegance…… As I thought, it’s amazing how much of a commoner they are.

<Afterword>

Serious-senpai : [Feels like just about everyone there had really deep personalities. With them like this, I’m curious about that Black Muscat……]