Volume 1 - CH 24

After an hour or so, Caesar finished the confirmation of their abilities.

As a result, it could be said that only Julis put up a good fight.

But────

“Uwaa……I lost………”

A large cafeteria in the academy.

It was immeasurably large, as students from all grades had meals there.

In such a place, Julis propped up on his desk without even taking a bite of the lunch on his tray.

“I’m a useless person……. I couldn’t win. …… I couldn’t break that arrogant snout…….”

“W, well…… cheer up, Julis-kun! That was an amazing battle, Julis-kun!”

Julis groaned in frustration, but Mirabelle, sitting next to him, encouraged him.

“She’s right! And, Julis wasn’t even at his best yet!”

“Idiot… if I use Ira and Gula there, I’ll be in big trouble……. Those are too powerful and I will definitely end up killing him…….”

Cecilia, who was sitting across from Mirabelle, also encouraged him, but there was no sign that Julis was getting better.

Really, what a difficult man he is.

“What will happen to us if you’re so depressed? We’re over in an instant, aren’t we?”

“Precisely, Julis! You’re strong enough, you know!”

This time, Richard and Anastasia, sitting opposite each other, called out to Julis.

But unlike Cecilia and Mirabelle, they were quietly bringing their lunch to their mouths.

“I’ll show you my treasured collections (*photobooks) next time!”

“Shall we eat our lunches quickly, the break will be over after all!”

He changed his mood so quickly.

Julis’ frustration was so puny that it was outdone by the photobooks.

For your information, this photobook was the one that Richard showed Julis before they went to the entrance ceremony, showing the dancers in their risqué outfits.

“”……Haa~.””

They didn’t have any idea about what those photobooks were, but they both sighed when they saw how energetic Julis became.

So, they had a pretty good idea of what those were.

“Speaking of which, why is Anastasia here? Aren’t you going to eat with the other ladies elsewhere? I mean, having lunch.”

“My? That’s a terrible thing to say. It’s not like I’m causing any trouble with you, ain’t I?”

“Can you repeat that after you look at the surrounding?”

Julis pointed to the surroundings.

There, regardless of gender or grade, there was an unusual amount of attention.

There were various students────students who were curious, students who looked at them with interest, students who seemed to be about to lash out in anger, and so on.

“The Duke’s daughter is having lunch with the son of a Count and a Viscount. From the point of view of the people around, it’s probably not very interesting, right.”

“This academy is a good opportunity to make connections with various nobles────So, shall we make connections while we can, Richard?”

“That’s too bad! I’ve already made one!”

“You guys…… How can you say that in front of them……?”

Anastasia held her head against the words of Julis and Richard.

The academy was supposed to be a place to improve one’s skills and acquire education.

However, there were a lot of other noblemen here that had never even had contact with each other before.

Of course, there’s no harm in getting close to a nobleman with a higher rank. Or rather, there’s only gain.

This’s why everyone wants to get close to Anastasia, who is attractive, kind to everyone, and the daughter of a duke.

If it was a count like Richard, or a viscount like Julis, the people around would not be interested.

This is the reason why everyone was looking at the table where Julis was sitting with various gazes.

“I, indeed…… those gazes are a bit of quandary…….”

“Fuee? Is that so?”

Unlike Mirabelle, who was sequestered in the elven territory, Cecilia was a saintess who was in the spotlight every day. It might be inevitable that she would not get it.

“Well, I don’t care about the aristocracy, so that’s fine! Don’t you, Anastasia?”

“Fufu, as expected of Richard. I think you and I are going to get along just nicely.”

It seemed that the two of them had become friends.

Julis, a timid man, earnestly wished he could share that refreshing feeling.

“……Haaa.”

“What’s wrong, Julis? Sighing will make your happiness go away, so you shouldn’t do it, okay? If you like, I can give you an ‘aaahh’.”

“What the heck do you say amid these gazes?”

What kind of shame play is this, Julis tightened his face.

At that time────

“Hey! Anastasia!”

From behind Anastasia and Richard, such an angry voice could be heard.

When he moved his gaze, he saw Byrne and two male students he didn’t recognize.

(There’s the pain in the a*s person here ……)

Julis quietly shed tears of sadness.

It was surely going to be troublesome.

“……what’s it?”

Anastasia instantly recognized the owner of the voice and looked back at Byrne with a look of disgust on her face.

“You’re my fiancée, so why are you eating with these people?”

“”Fi, fiancée!””

The two pure-hearted maidens reacted to the word “fiancée”.

It seemed that these maidens were very interested in love affairs.

And on the other hand────

“Congratulations, Anna! You finally have a fiancé!”

“Ooooh! As a friend, I honestly congratulate you, Anastasia!”

The boys congratulated Anastasia on her engagement.

The two usually talked about how they wanted to be popular, but if their friend was walking down the flowery passage, they wanted to congratulate her honestly.

Their feelings were far from jealousy to Anastasia.

“Maann~, I think you’re going to miss the chance to marry because of your personality, your flat chest, and your quick refusal of marriage proposals~! Yep yep, I’m glad you got engaged before you missed the age, I honestly congratulate you, before that, my joint is going beeEEEEENNNTTTTTT!?”

In the middle of Julis’ words, Anastasia used her body strengthening magic to twist Julis’ arm joint as much as she could.

Julis’s scream echoed through the cafeteria.

“…… So I’ve told you many times, you are just a fiancé candidate. You’re not my fiancé.”

As She bent Julis’ joint, Anastasia faced Byrne with disgust.

“Hmph! It may be so now, but eventually will, sooner or later!”

“……Huuh.”

Anastasia let out a big sigh to Byrne, who didn’t listen at all.

Anastasia had no actual fiancé, but she had several potential fiancés.

This was due to her parents’ decision to respect Anastasia’s wishes to the maximum extent possible.

Originally, for aristocrats of high rank, marriage is an inseparable part of their life.

There is little regard for the will of the individual, and it is treated as a matter of survival and status of the house.

However, Anastasia’s parents were not happy about it.

But even so, Anastasia had to marry someone────So they thought, “I’ll give her potential fiancés, and at least let her choose someone she likes from among them”.

“I haven’t given an answer yet ……, so please don’t make assumptions on your own. And it’s up to me to decide who I want to have lunch with.”

“Hmph! Like h*ll I care about it! All you have to do is what I tell you to do!”

“That’s right! Just do what Byrne-sama says!”

“Don’t you dare argue with him, woman!”

His entourages were raised their voices in follow to the selfishly Byrne.

They were so rude that it was hard to believe they were talking to a duke’s daughter, despite being in the academy.

At those words, a blue streak appeared on Anastasia’s forehead.

(Aaah…… Anna is getting pissed off.)

Rubbing his sore joint, Julis read that Anastasia was already on her limit.

Even Julis, who usually didn’t want to be conspicuous, thought that it’s not good to leave her like this, and tried to intervene.

Then────

“The saintess over there, come with me! There’s no need for you to have lunch with these inept and hillbilly subhuman!”

(…… Aaah!?)

A blue streak also appeared on Julis’ forehead.

The term “hillbilly subhuman” is a term of contempt used by those who dislike elves.

It’s a term that’s not used much nowadays, but it’s often heard in towns where human supremacy prevails.

Furthermore, the words that he used to try to force Cecilia to go with him without confirming her wish offended Julis greatly.

So Julis tried to grab onto Byrne.

“Oi…… What did you say just────”

“Stop it!”

────At that moment, a new voice intervened.

A girl with silky silver hair, was approaching with a slow gait.

She was so mysterious that it’s almost unbearable that no one was standing in her way────

“Your Royal Highness, The Third Princess!”

“So much for arguing, both of you.”

The third princess herself appeared in front of Julis and the others.