Chapter 29: As a Result

“Thank you for waiting.”

“Oh, I haven’t been waiting at all.”

“Oh, really? Christille-san is treating us to a meal?”

In addition to the previous members, Philip, the fourth son of the Duke of Gergios, also joined this dinner.

“It’s just a coincidence. Well then, shall we go?”

Considering the group, they should have moved to the destination by location, but the four of them were walking to get there.

“Philip, have you been waking up and attending your seated lessons properly lately?”

“Oh, well, not really… taking it easy, you know.”

“Absolutely… that’s not a proper answer.”

Philip Gergios.

With a facial handsomeness befitting a noble family’s son and a naturally curly-haired youth with blond hair.

Nobles typically fix their curly hair, but Philip, even when trying to fix it, couldn’t get rid of the curls. So, he gave up because it was troublesome and just let it be.

However, due to his laid-back personality, he has garnered many hidden fans.

“We often receive complaints from the teachers, you know.”

“Ugh, really? Why specifically to Christille-san, though?”

“It’s probably because of our ‘interesting’ connection. There are also some family ties. As someone like me, I would appreciate it if you could wake up even during seated lessons, but…”

“Well, whatever. It’s not like my academic results are bad or anything.”

Despite not being very serious about seated lessons and practical training, this guy consistently maintains top grades. 

His unconventional attitude for a noble, along with his lack of enthusiasm for things like practical training, doesn’t make him very popular among both teachers and classmates.

“Even Ishud sleeps through seated lessons, right?”

“Ishud-san, unlike Philip, actually stays awake during seated lessons.”

“Huh!?? Ishud, you… betrayed me!!!”

“No, what are you talking about? We didn’t form any kind of alliance to always sleep during seated lessons.”

“But, dude… your appearance screams that you always sleep during seated lessons!!!”

While Philip spoke, Christille didn’t show it on her face, but deep down, she agreed.

“Rude guy, huh? Well, I understand that’s how you feel. But, if you keep acting like that, those fools will start spouting off about frontier barbarians, or something like that.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Fools are really just fools, so all they can do is gossip behind your back.”

“Exactly. It’s supposed to be a ‘just don’t care’ situation, but when it feels like even my family is being mocked… If I could just punch anyone I find badmouthing like now, it’d be easier, but it’s not that simple.”

“As the student council president, I appreciate you taking that kind of approach.”

From Ishud’s perspective, he naturally has no interest in basic studies.

He wants to sleep deeply, but… he endures it every time, barely making it through.

Due to the situation of not wanting to panic a few weeks before the written exams for traditional studies, so far, he hasn’t failed in any of the classes.

“Here is the restaurant where we will have dinner tonight.”

“……….”

Gulf had been tense since the journey began.

Recently, he hasn’t been to any high-end restaurants, and on his days off, he spends his time hunting with Ishud and, later on, with Philip. They hunt, hunt, and hunt, and then they have dinner at a tavern, enjoying delicious dishes there.

In the midst of all this, he finds himself once again in front of a restaurant that he may never visit again in his life… and he feels like he might die from nervousness.

“Hey, hey, Gulf. What are you getting nervous about now? You ate heartily last time, didn’t you?”

“W-well, that’s true.”

“Today, let’s eat without holding back again!!!!”

As they enter the restaurant, they are promptly guided to a private room. Ishud shows the menu to the waiter and makes an unusual request.

“For now, please bring us one item at a time from one end to the other.”

““Wha…!?””

Even the seasoned Philip can’t hide his surprise at this order, completely forgetting what he was planning to order himself.

“By the way, Ishud-san, are you participating in the Fierce Battle Festival?”

The Fierce Battle Festival is a martial arts tournament in which students from various academies in the royal capital, including Flaveld Academy, participate. 

It’s a one-on-one tournament, and to ensure fairness, participants are divided into different brackets based on their year levels: first-year students, second-year students, and third-year students.

“Mmm… It’s probably better to stop. If I were to participate, I’d likely lose the opportunity to showcase my skills on a grand stage to the knight orders from our academy. And even if I did enter the tournament, it wouldn’t be an interesting match.”

“Can’t you just take it easy, Ishud? You’re surprisingly skilled, so you could do that, right?”

“If we’re talking about whether I can or can’t, I can. But doing that in several matches gets tiring, or rather… it’s damn boring.”

Boredom… that was the truth.

And the seemingly arrogant truth was that, in reality, if Ishud were to participate, the outcome would indeed be rather dull.

“…I understand your feelings, Ishud-san, but if you choose not to participate, you might still face various comments behind the scenes.”

“Ah~~~ Well, you see~~~. It’ll really just end up as a boring result.”

For Ishud, Gulf and Philip among his classmates are interesting individuals, but that’s a consideration for the future.

For now, the conversation revolves around the idea that there’s no point in fighting at this moment.

“However, the school principal who invited you to the school, Ishud-san, would definitely want you to participate in the Fierce Battle Festival.”

“Isn’t there a way to just be involved without actually participating?”

“Being involved, you say. That doesn’t mean you’re talking about the organization, right?”

“I don’t have that kind of know-how. Well… how about an exhibition match with a teacher who has undergone three job changes, from any academy?”

“…I see. Naturally, the academy would want you to participate in the tournament, but if it can be proven that Flaveld Academy is effectively the strongest through an exhibition match, it wouldn’t be a bad outcome for the academy either.”

While Ishud’s proposal was made somewhat casually, for Christille, who was being asked to handle things from above, it wasn’t a bad compromise.

(I’m not sure how it will turn out, but it seems like it won’t be a bad outcome for the academy… Once I return to the academy, I’ll have to report it promptly.)

During the various discussions, the dishes ordered by the four of them arrived.

For Christille, it wasn’t a scene she could openly rejoice in, but the taste was still delicious, just like when she had come to eat before.

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