Chapter 1 “The Last School Festival”
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Part 1
“It’s finally over~”
In a classroom where an exhibit was being held at the school festival, [Noel Jill Lespinas] was sitting in a chair, looking up at the ceiling and letting out a deep sigh.
On display in the classroom are items and materials related to the Republic of Arzel.
Since Noel is from the Republic of Arzel, it was decided that this would be a good opportunity to learn about a foreign culture, and an exhibit was held as a part of the school festival.
When asked by Ange to join the executive committee, Noel reluctantly accepted.
And so today, the day of the exhibition, Noel was in charge of explaining the exhibit.
“I didn’t think anyone would be interested in a stiff exhibition. I didn’t expect visitors from this morning until now.”
There were a good number of visitors who came to learn about the culture of the Republic of Arzel.
Except for breaks, Noel was busy all the time.
Olivia —— [Livia], who is helping, is putting the items on the desk into boxes.
“Thank you for your hard work. It’s been a busy day.”
Livia, who was helping out, looks tired, though not as tired as Noel.
The reason Livia is cleaning up alone is because Noel is exhausted from the continuous barrage of questions.
Noel finally gets up from her seat to help clean up.
While working with her hands, she spills her dissatisfaction about the school festival.
“It was a school festival, you know. I went to check out Leon’s donut shop during the break, and to my surprise, they were in the middle of preparations. I was looking forward to it because I heard it had a good reputation.”
During a break, she visited Leon, but was unable to meet him.
It seems she was disappointed that she missed out in eating the donuts.
The same goes for Livia.
“In the end, our lunch was a skewer roasted by His Highness Julius.”
“It was good, but I’ve eaten it so many times that it just didn’t feel all that new.”
“The guests outside the school seemed to like it. It was the only time at the school festival that they could eat kushiyaki skewers grilled by Prince himself. The taste was also well received.”
At the school festival, Julius had a stall selling grilled skewers.
The same goes for the other four.
Noel counts on her fingers as she talks about the Five Idiots’ stall.
“Isn’t Chris-san’s sweet and salty noodle dish also popular?”
“Greg-san’s pancake-like food was also delicious. It was too eccentric for some customers, but there were a good number of people there.”
“But he wasn’t convinced, was he? He had a complicated look.”
“Actually, he wanted to sell roasted chicken. However, Leon-san forced him to change his mind because he was told that it would overlap with His Highness Julius.”
The reason why the five idiots hold stalls at the school festival is because they wish to do so.
And it’s also Leon’s order.
Noel looks complicated when she talks about the two remaining people.
“Brad-san’s program was somewhat unbearable to watch.”
“There weren’t many customers.”
With a wry smile, as Livia said, the freak show that Brad put on was a failure.
He was performing magic tricks, but he was clumsy and kept failing.
And when it comes to the last one —— Jilk, the two of them lose their expressions.
“Jilk’s cafe was the worst. I shouldn’t have stopped by for remaining break time since I was done eating.”
After finishing their lunch by eating, they stopped at Jilk’s cafe to spend the remaining break time.
They tried to rest for a while in a cafe that used an empty classroom.
That was all a mistake.
“In addition to the unique smell and taste of the tea and sweets, the interior of the store was so bizarre that I couldn’t rest. Some of the customers who came in gave up and left because of the smell”
The two, who knew him, ordered tea and pastries, without being able to turn back.
The results are disastrous.
Even though they had to work hard in the afternoon to explain the exhibit, it was very difficult because the cafe greatly reduced their motivation.
Noel shouts out her frustration about Leon not being here.
“Why did you let Jilk-san run the cafe? Wouldn’t it have been better if Leon had done it himself!”
If Leon had done it, it would have been a safe, if not critically acclaimed, cafe.
If Luxion had helped, surely it would have been a great success.
But for some reason, Leon himself said he was going to open a donut shop.
Livia also seems to think it’s unnatural.
“When he was first year, though, he spent a lot of money to open a cafe. I was sure he would do it again this year, so Ange and I were surprised.”
“He always says that tea is his hobby. ——Isn’t there something wrong with Leon these days?”
When Noel said there was something strange about Leon’s behavior, Livia seemed to sense it too.
“He’s kind of distressed, isn’t he? I wish he could talk to us about it, but Leon-san has a lot of things to hide from us.”
Noel raises her eyebrows at Livia, who looks sad.
Because she was angry at Leon for not being here.
“Leon is really secretive. —— Just what is he hiding this time?”
A dark atmosphere begins to envelop the room.
As they resumed cleaning up, [Angelica Rafa Redgrave] came into the classroom.
“You’re still cleaning up?”
Seeing the two of them cleaning up, Ange had a slightly troubled look on her face.
“Tomorrow is a holiday weekend. Why don’t you clean up tomorrow and get out of here? The executive committee has finished their patrols and left.”
Hearing Ange’s words, Noel replies with a glance around the classroom.
“It won’t take that long, and we’ll be finished quickly.”
“I see. Then I’ll help you.”
Livia was apologetic as Ange began to help clean up.
“Ange, a member of the committee, must have been busier than us, right? I’m sure you didn’t have time to take a break.”
The concerned Ange smiles wryly.
“I’d be bored if I went back alone.”
With that said, Angel carried a heavy load, but since she had been busy moving around all morning and had not eaten properly, her stomach grumbled with a “kuuuuu” sound.
Ange who looks awkward, says with a slight blush on her face.
“L-Let’s finish this quickly so we can have dinner.”
Livia smiled at Ange’s situation.
“That’s right.”
“Ah!”
Noel is also hungry and agrees to clean up quickly.
“With three of us, it won’t take long.”
As the cleanup resumed, they heard footsteps approaching the classroom.
The three of them turned their heads quickly to the entrance of the classroom, not only because of the sound of footsteps, but also because of the smell that was wafting through the air.
Bringing a delicious smell with him into the classroom is Leon.
“Good job~, and how about a donut?”
In a brown paper bag, it appears to be donuts that the three had missed out on.
Noel tries to complain to Leon, who smiles, but her stomach growls before the delicious smell.
Leon smiled when he saw Noel holding her stomach.
“I guess it was just in time. Well, why don’t we eat together then? I’ve prepared some drinks.”
Seeing Leon lift up the water bottles and show them, Ange shrugged her shoulders.
“You are very well prepared. Now, is it the wisdom of Luxion?”
The three gazes turned to Luxion, who was floating near Leon’s right shoulder.
Luxion was unfazed by Ange’s reaction.
[Angelica’s guess is correct. This must have been due to Master’s daily bad behavior, and she must have seen that it was me who gave him the idea to be so attentive.]
Leon, when told, acts as if he is sulking.
“I’m an inattentive guy anyway.”
Noel approaches Leon and hugs the hand holding the paper bag.
“Don’t be mad. Let’s just eat donuts instead. I went to peek at them at lunch and I couldn’t eat them because they were being prepared.”
“——I’m sorry.”
Judging by his apologetic attitude, Leon must have been concerned about it.
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Part 2
“Haa~, this donut is really delicious!”
After taking a bite of a simple donut, Livia is relaxed and in good mood.
Sweet foods soothe hunger and fatigue.
Noel was a bit surprised as she ate her donut.
“It’s a little warm. Did you go out of your way to prepare it for us?”
It seems she figured out that it hadn’t been that long since it was made.
Leon told her about the situation while sipping his tea, but he didn’t touch the donuts.
Apparently, he ended up with leftover donuts for his lunch.
Maybe he made too much and doesn’t want to eat, or maybe he just wants to drink tea.
“I had extra ingredients, so I made this the last. And Luxion, too, said the three of you were hungry.”
Noel and Ange were giving Luxion a sharp look.
“Were you peeking?”
“You’re never let your guard down.”
He didn’t have to inform their fiancée things like they were hungry —— Luxion didn’t sense their anger.
[Hungry was the fact and it was not wrong for Master to prepare food. Thanks to this, Master reduces food loss and the three of you can fill your bellies. What is the problem?]
Ange’s voice gets slightly louder as Luxion does not understand women’s hearts.
“We’re maidens, too, you know. We have a sense of shame.”
[Even if you are no longer a maiden, Master will take care of the three of you, so no problem.]
Leon, who had been taking “nothing to do with me” attitude, coughed.
“Don’t bring me into the conversation.”
It was a bit of a noisy break.
However, only Livia takes a step back and watches Luxion somewhat warily.
(Am I being too worried? But sometimes Luc-kun gives off a kind of scary vibe——)
It reminds her of a nightmare she once had.
It is a dream of Luxion turning the royal capital into a sea of fire.
Although Livia understands that it was just a dream, it was too vivid and felt too real.
It’s as if it’s telling her something.
Livia is not certain, either, and hopes it is just an overthought.
But she can’t help but be wary of Luxion.
Luxion, who had turned the royal capital into a sea of fire in a dream, made her realize that he was truly a fearsome being.
He is joking around with Leon, but perhaps he can destroy the world if he gets serious.
Livia was so conscious of the fact that they were so close to a terrifying existence —— even if she didn’t want to.
As Livia ponders, Ange takes the last donut and bites into it, smiling like a child.
The sight of her eating the donut with obvious satisfaction gives Livia a warm feeling.
Suddenly, Livia wonders.
“Did Ange like donuts that much? You didn’t look like that before.”
When they ate out on the town, she didn’t smile so much.
When Livia said it, Ange must have noticed it too.
Looking embarrassed, she held a donut in both hands and hid her mouth.
“I wasn’t really aware of it, but it seems to be my favorite. It’s kind of soothing or calming to eat.”
She does not seem to know the cause herself.
After hearing Ange’s words, Leon suggested.
“If you like, I can have Luxion prepare it for you. I’m sure he’ll make it better than me.”
When the topic is brought up, Luxion moves her one red eye to nod.
[I’ll have it mass-produced and delivered right away.]
If mass-produced by machine, the taste and quality would be better than the donuts prepared by the amateur Leon.
But Ange shakes her head.
“It’s a matter of feeling. Leon prepared it for us, didn’t he? Maybe I’m glad for his feeling——or so I think.”
Ange said shyly, and Noel gave a mean smile.
“That’s surprising, Angelica. I thought you only accept dishes prepared by top chefs.”
“Is that what you’ve been looking at me like? I think we need to have a heart-to-heart talk for once, Noel.”
Ange was smiling, but her eyes weren’t smiling.
Noel senses that it is bad and forcibly diverts the conversation.
“More importantly! What are you going to do for the holidays starting tomorrow? Why don’t we all go out together?”
Realizing that Noel has diverted the topic, Livia gets on the subject of the holiday.
“Right. Sometimes we——”
Before she could finish saying that they might as well all go out together, a large number of people crowded into the classroom.
As they came in noisily, Leon, Livia and the rest looked annoyed.
However, they are unapologetic and don’t seem to notice.
“Leon, I’m begging you, let clear this up!”
Brad said so as soon as he came in, and Leon, who thought he had brought in some trouble, looked sincerely displeased.
“What are you talking about?”
Jilk, who enters the room next, explains the situation with a slight air of impatience.
“Actually, we were talking about ranking our exhibits. Unfortunately, Brad-kun and I did not have good sales. But no matter how much I told them that I was better than Brad-kun, they wouldn’t listen to me.”
Apparently, Brad and Jilk are fighting for the bottom spot.
Leon seemed wholeheartedly unconcerned.
“You guys were the ones who ignored me when I told you what a stall should be, weren’t you? Well, never mind. Luxion, how did their sales turn out?”
[In terms of sales, Jilk is ahead by a narrow margin, but when claims and other factors are taken into account, Brad is probably the winner.]
What a sad battle for last place.
Livia was astonished in her mind, but felt a strange connection.
(Did they come to seek the judgment of Leon-san and Luc-kun for just this one thing? Come to think of it, I remember competing with them in the school festival when we were a first-year students —— although back then, I never imagined that we would have this kind of relationship with His Highness and the others.)
Back in the first year, Leon was competing against five idiots at a school festival.
Not knowing how to decide who won and who lost, the result was a mess.
Two years have passed since then, and now, for some reason, Leon is taking care of the five idiots.
(Life is a mystery, isn’t it?)
When Brad heard the results, he raised his hands in joy, while Jilk was stunned.
“Look at that! I’m not at the bottom after all!”
“I-It’s impossible. I can’t believe I lost to a shitty magic trick——”
“S-Shitty?!?! Did you think like that!”
The people around them, looking at the two of them, happy and sad over the battle for the bottom spot, had indescribable looks on their faces.
Behind the despairing Jilk are Chris, Greg, and Julius.
Chris is smiling, as if to say, ‘I worked up a nice sweat’.
“Aside from the two, the rest of us were doing well. I also set up a stall wearing my favorite happi coat, and it fit in better than I thought it would. I didn’t know what they were making, but it wasn’t bad.”
Greg, on the other hand, is downcast, his shoulders slumped.
“I’m not so sure. I mean, how could I build muscle with that thing? After all, I wanted to sell meat.”
Behind a frustrated Greg, Julius, the most prosperous of the five, stands confidently.
“You guys weren’t bad, but I guess you couldn’t beat me. If you want to compete with me, you’ll have to improve your skills. I’m ready to accept your challenge.”
He was happy to be first among the five, but then Luxion discourage him.
[It was Master who won the final sales. If you want to be proud of your victory, let’s wait until you make more sales, shall we?]
Julius suddenly looks frustrated and points a finger at Leon.
“Leon! Next year I’m going to get my revenge, so be prepared!”
Leon, who was challenged, looks stunned.
It can’t be helped.
After all——.
“Our school festival ends this year, idiot, and if you want to repeat the year, do it alone.”
——For Leon and his friends, this is their last school festival.
When Leon says that this is their last school festival this year, everyone looks sad.
Only one person——Julius was whispering, as if the momentum from earlier was a lie.
“You’re not seriously asking me to repeat the year, right? Right?”
The cold shoulder from Leon made him uneasy.
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