CH 80

「Here are your three people’s servings of Bolognese Pasta, Gratin, and Paella! Sorry for the wait!」 「「Thank you very much!」」

With smiles almost reaching their ears, Inglis and Rafinha received their food. This was the Knight Academy’s cafeteria. The both of them who had already devoured military rations waltzed to the cafeteria’s aunty to get seconds.

「Honestly, what good appetites you two have. I can make more, so eat more and get stronger!」 「「Yes!」」

After they raised a cheerful reply, they walked back to their table.

「A-, as always, the amount of food you eat is ridiculous… and it’s still morning.」

Commented Leone who sat at the same table half in daze.

「I-, it’s hard to believe all of those foods going into their stomachs.」

Liselotte was as wide-eyed. She must’ve been quite surprised.

「And they don’t get fat at all even when they eat that much.」 「It’s very enviable, in a sense……」

Lahti and Pullum were as amazed as the other two.

「Tell me about it. And then there’s me who’ll easily gain extra meat if I eat even for just another spoonful——」

Apparently, Leone easily got fat, and she was very envious of Inglis and Rafinha for it.

「Is that so? Rather, I’d like to have more meat myself, you know? Especially here——」

Responded Rafinha as she patted her own chest.

「Just how did you make them so big, Leone? Heey?」 「I-, I wish to know that too……!」

Pullum whose body line was not all that different from Rafinha’s also bit into the topic. Liselotte’s assets rested between the two factions, so they watched from the sideline.

「H-, how would I know that. They were already like this before I realized it……」

On the bosom of the embarrassed Leone, Rene was burying herself in solemnity.

「How envious~ I wish we could swap places.」 「You’ll get fat in no time if you eat like that with my body, you know?」 「So, the one who won’t get fat but still has an incredible bust, Inglis, is the strongest?」 「Hyau!? D-, don’t grope my chest like it’s natural……!」 「I’m jealous, so isn’t it fine!」 「Geez. At least limit it to only when taking bath——」 「Oh! So that means it’s okay to rub Glis’ chest as much as I want during bath?」 「No, it’s not!」 「Ahaha…… Still, is it okay to be eating now? Aren’t we going to meet Sir Raphael after this?」

Just as Leone said, as the Academy’s classes were canceled today, they had a plan to go to the city and meet up with Raphael. A few days passed since the incident during the presentation of tributes to the Highland, and Raphael had already returned to the Royal Capital.

His mission to transport the corpse of Prisma to a town bordering the neighboring country had succeeded without seeing many hitches. If they were going to meet up with him, he would surely treat them to food later.

「「Yeah. That’s why it’s only three servings, why do you ask?」」

Their speech implied that it was just common sense.

「Y-, you said it’s only three servings, huh——」 「Your spending on food must be high if you eat that much.」 「That is the truth. We once ran out of traveling expenses from overeating in the middle of our journey from our hometown to here.」

Rafinha nodded at Lahti’s remark.

「Aah. We did, didn’t we?」 「Thanks to Principal Miliera, we can eat in the cafeteria as much as we want now, but——it’s not permanent. Once the ticket is due, do we go to big brother Rafa and ask for food expenses from him?」 「That isn’t a bad idea either.」 「A~ah. If only we could get some awesome reward from the incident from before.」 「There’s no helping it. To the public, nothing actually happened that day, right?」 「Yeah. So it seemed.」

Inglis affirmed Leone’s words. Apparently, the incident that happened during the absence of Raphael and most of the Knights was treated as though “nothing happened” in the public’s eye.

Prime Minister Althea’s subordinate Knights went against the order and attempted to assassinate the Special Envoy Myynti, and Myynti himself ordered a Rune Eater to hunt innocent Knights in the capital night after night for his research purposes. Either ‌of those could worsen the already muddled political weather, with the fear of armed conflicts rising throughout the Kingdom lest they were made public.

Neither the Highland nor the Kingdom wished that to happen. It would be hard to blame everything on the Ironblood Chain Brigade like what they did in Rahal’s case this time around. With the death of the Special Envoy Myynti, Prime Minister Althea and the Knights that accompanied him would be condemned for not protecting him despite being the responsible party.

Treating the incident as nothing of note would be best for all parties involved. As a result, Inglis and the others’ involvement in the whole ordeal couldn’t be made public either. However, that didn’t mean their contributions could be swept under the rag; Inglis and her group were to be invited to a ball party in the royal castle.

Today they were going out to choose the dress to attend that party. Inglis and her friends didn’t have the money for that, so Raphael would pay for them.

「Okay. It’s time to go, Glis, Leone. Since it’s the Royal Capital, I’m sure they would have bigger selections in their shops. I can’t wait.」 「Yeah. I look forward to it too.」

Inglis liked to dress up, as she always did.

「It sure is surprising. Inglis, you’re not interested in romance, but you really like to dress up, huh?」 「It’s enjoyable to see myself and feel content. It’s nothing but self-satisfaction.」 「I-, I see now……」 「Glis looks good in anything, so dolling her up is fun! Now, let’s go.」

Inglis and her group left the campus grounds and waited for Raphael to pick them up in front of the gate. However, the ones who appeared were——

「Oh! Hey girls~!」 「Long time no see.」

They were Ripple and Eris, the two Hyrule Menaces.