Black Summoner: Volume 17 E-Book

Doufu Mayoi

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Black Summoner
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 376

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

It’s finally time for Rion, DarkMel, and Bell to have their fill of school life! With many new and returning characters to make friends with, how will these meetings shape their time at school?

But the girls’ enrollment has come with several goals and caveats. When a Divine Pillar goes missing, it raises the question: whodunnit? And how do they prevent the Divine Pillar from wreaking too much havoc? Also, how will the girls handle fulfilling their principal’s request to forge a new road without discrimination for the school?

Meanwhile, Kelvin is regrettably stuck on the outside, having to prepare for a future match with the very school his daughter and little sister are attending. How will he deal with all that, to say nothing of his intense case of empty-nest syndrome? All this and more in volume 17!

Leseprobe

Chapter 1: School Life of Dreams

The day of Lumiest Academy’s entrance ceremony was a special day, one where the entire city would be whipped into a noisy celebration. Every gate set in each of the cardinal directions would see increased traffic, and security would be even more stringent than when Kelvin and the others had visited before.

Of course it would be; the entrance ceremony meant that leaders of various countries, their children, and their relatives would be gathering in one place. It was an event that rivaled the promotion ceremony of a Rank S adventurer, and to common people, it was a chance for them to lay eyes on future kings and other VIPs. It was a huge event, which was why everyone, from curious rubberneckers to people with ill intent and everything in between, were rushing into the city.

However, inspections at the gates had become stricter to compensate. It was common knowledge that during this time, everyone other than those directly affiliated with the city would have to be able to prove they were who they said they were and have a firm goal for coming, or they would be turned away. So why was it that commoners all traveled to Lumiest during this time despite that?

“Wow, so there will be stalls even outside the city.” Rion sounded interested as she looked out from the carriage they had taken from the inn.

“Yep. Naturally, inspections during this period are a lot stricter, so it’s really hard to get in. Back in the day, people would just go home, but look, there are a lot of big shots who want to stand out, right? Since they can’t dismiss the commoners who came all this way to see them out of hand, at some point those people started to camp out outside the walls. Once that started happening, stalls from various countries were set up, and now it’s basically a festival in its own right. Now most of the people who once wanted to see the big shots show up just to have fun,” explained their driver, Rudo.

“The festival seems really fun. If mama was here, she’d definitely try to go around all the stalls!” DarkMel exclaimed.

“Ha ha ha! There’s too many of them to be able to see in one day, I tell ya,” Rudo laughed. “After all, it goes all the way around the entire Academic City!”

“Aha ha, that might not be as impossible as you think...” Rion muttered.

“Huh?”

“Oh, nothing. Don’t worry about it. Still, doesn’t that mean they won’t be accomplishing their original goal of being able to see the new students? I mean, they might get lucky and see some of us passing through the gates, but almost all the new students, like us, come to Lumiest the day before,” Rion mused.

“Well, you see, that’s not what they’re here for anymore. You know Gaun’s coliseum has that magic item that can show images, right? Recently Gaun’s been lending it out for money, and it’s been placed in the middle of the camp. Thanks to that, people outside can watch the ceremony too, and I hear that every year, the festival only gets bigger,” Rudo explained.

“Wow, it’s sounding more exciting by the minute!” DarkMel exclaimed.

“Images, huh?” said Rion. “The fact that they’re doing it for money sounds a lot like the Beast King. It’s a cunning move.”

“It’s Leonhart-sama we’re talking about, after all,” Rudo reasoned. “I want to learn from his business acumen too.”

During their conversation, Rion and DarkMel’s carriage reached Lumiest’s academy district. They still had some time, but they could already see other carriages parked here and there. There was a lot of variety in the horses and the carriages they pulled.

“Wow, so this is what diversity of culture is like,” DarkMel remarked. “Just looking at the differences in the carriages is fun.”

“Yeah, it makes me want to sketch them all!” Rion agreed.

“Heh heh! That curiosity is a great mindset for people joining the academy. Okay then, this’ll be it for me. I hope you two enjoy your school life to the fullest!” Rudo said.

“We will! Thank you so much, Rudo-san!” Rion answered.

“Thank you very much. Please say hello to Tsubaki-sama for us,” DarkMel added.

With that, Rudo’s mission had been completed successfully. Now, it seemed he would move to the campsite outside the walls to try to find other work. After seeing him off, Rion and DarkMel made their way to where the entrance ceremony would be held.

“Whoa there, beautiful ladies. Are you two lost? Ha ha! I guess I’ve got no other choice. I, Vaccania’s third prince, Charles Vaccania, will show you the way. The way to love, that is!”

A wild, tanned boy suddenly appeared in front of them. Rion was confused by his words, and DarkMel immediately became shy in response to the sudden entrance.

“Uhhh...”

“Oh, I see you’re trying to get to the introductions already. That makes me happy! But wait a second, allow me to guess. Let’s see... It looks like you two’ve been the center of attention for a while now, judging by your carriage. It has a novel shape but excellent functionality and boasts higher performance than any other carriage here...so it must be from a very large and prominent country! And it seems like fate; both of you have black hair just like I do. People with this hair color are rare, after all. Someone as learned as I am could guess where you come from just based on that. Putting together all of my information on you two... Right, you must be part of the Fujiwara clan, the royalty of Toraj!”

“Nope!” Rion replied.

“Heh, too bad. Fate is a fickle mistress. I guess it won’t be so easy to get her blessing.”

“Urgh...” DarkMel shivered. She was hiding behind Rion’s back. It seemed the prince’s nonsensical words had scared her.

“Now that you mention it, you’re right,” Charles went on. “You girls have white skin; it seems I’ve made a careless mistake. Man, Charles, when will you learn?” he jokingly rebuked himself, absolutely refusing to read the room. He pulled right up to the hidden DarkMel to get a look at her face and come to his own conclusion.

“Sorry, DarkMel is scared, so could you give her some space, please?” Rion tried to be polite.

“Okay, I get what you’re trying to leave unsaid. You mean she’s so in love with me that she’s scared of how deep her feelings are, right?” Charles asked.

“Umm...that’s not quite right...”

It was surprising to them how little effect their words seemed to have. It wasn’t just DarkMel—this also went for Rion, who could normally get along with anyone. It was her first time meeting someone of his type; he was somewhat like Sinjeel, only much more egotistical and relentlessly positive.

“I understand. I don’t want to be scaring people with how utterly charming I am either!” Charles barreled onwards. “That’s right! As a sign of our friendship, how about I teach you about the new students to watch out for!”

“Watch out for?” Rion repeated.

“Huh?” DarkMel only grew more wary as she thought, Isn’t such a person already in front of us?

“That’s right, the people that call for caution. Not everyone in school is as friendly as I am, you see. Can you spot that carriage decorated in blue and white over there? The one with a pompous man getting out of it right now. He even made sure to use white horses; how thorough of him! It’s truly unpleasant. His ulterior motives are clear as day!” Charles managed to sound genuinely disgusted.

DarkMel was a little confused, thinking, Is this some sort of maximum effort bit or something?

“His name is Edgar Lauzer, and he’s the prince of Leigant, the ice country. He’s your typical ambitious type who thinks power and authority are everything. Originally, Leigant was the most powerful country on the Western Continent after the Rizean Empire, but their forces were split due to a need to monitor the Dragon King within their own territory, so they couldn’t maneuver as they pleased. Recently, though, it seems like the Dragon King has moved. So now, Leigant can shuffle around their armies as they please, and they’re applying pressure to other countries. And now, during this time, they’re sending their blackhearted prince Edgar to Lumiest. There’s got to be some plot behind it, I’m sure of it!” Charles asserted.

“I see. You’re really knowledgeable, Char-kun. Wow!” Rion always tried to see the best in people.

“Ch-Char-kun?! Uh, erm...of course!” Charles stammered, surprised. “I am Charles Vaccania, after all! You can ask me anything!”

He must have been shocked that Rion was honestly happy with the information, as Charles was now flying high. It seemed Rion had already taken hold of his reins.

“Wow, Rion! So this is what people mean by ‘a woman’s touch’!” DarkMel exclaimed, impressed. The wonderful way Rion had handled the situation greatly relieved her.

“Hey, Char-kun, what country is that carriage from?”

“Heh heh heh! Allow me, the carriage expert, to tell you! That carriage is... It’s...”

However, Charles, with his uptrending mood, was quickly rendered speechless. The carriage that passed across his vision had a terribly devilish design, pulled by headless horses wreathed in strange purple flames. It could very accurately be described as a stygian carriage.

The entrance of this unusual carriage saw Charles falling flat on his ass. It seemed not even his extremely polished brand of positivity could hide his surprise at the unexpected sight. As if to laugh at the prince, the two headless horses neighed.

“Oh? Well, if it isn’t Rion-sama and DarkMel-sama. It’s been too lo— Well, actually, it hasn’t, but this is still a coincidence. Keh heh heh.” Someone in a formal uniform disembarked from the driver’s seat. It seemed he knew Rion and DarkMel.

“Ah! It’s you, Victor-san!” Rion exclaimed.

“So, you were the one driving this thing. You’re very good at controlling horses!” DarkMel was impressed.

“Keh heh heh, I haven’t lived this long for nothing. There’s no need to worry. My driving abilities don’t come from a skill, but from years of experience. I haven’t eaten anyone for it,” Victor assured them.

“Aha ha! You’re so funny, Victor-san!” Rion laughed.

“Hee hee, your jokes are really good,” DarkMel agreed.

The girls immediately identified the driver as Victor by his unique laugh, and now they were having a friendly chat.

“Huh?” Charles sputtered, dumbfounded. “Ah, uh...do you two...know that man?”

“Yep! We know him well!” Rion answered.

“We’ve been to his house too,” DarkMel added.

“I... I see...”

“DarkMel-sama, that phrasing is somewhat misleading. The castle is not my house, but my workplace,” Victor clarified.

Regardless of this detail, Charles’s reaction would have been the same. The students around them, having noticed Victor, gradually began to cause a commotion.

“Uh, hey, isn’t that a demon?”

“So, the rumors that a student from a demon country would be coming this year were true...”

“Demons can speak? I thought I heard somewhere that they were strong but not very intelligent?”

“Idiot, that’s just lesser demons! That guy—no, that demon is way higher in rank, obviously!”

“But even a lesser demon is threatening enough that it needs an entire order of knights to be dispatched, right? If the new student is even higher in rank, how strong will they actually be?!”

“Well, that’s...”

“Whoa there, it seems I really do have too much of an impact on people. I’ve messed up! Keh heh heh,” Victor chuckled.

“You do affect people, Victor-san, but those horses aren’t much better in that department, you know?” Rion said.

“Wow, if you look closer, the purple flames around them are shaped like faces!” DarkMel exclaimed.

The horses neighed questioningly.

“Oho, as expected, you have good eyes to have noticed that,” Victor said, impressed. “Among the mid-ranking demons, they are especially fleet of foot—”

A lovely and somewhat unhappy female voice came from inside the devilish carriage. “Victor, chatting is fine, but how long are you going to make me wait? Since when did you become so great that you could ignore me?”

“Oh no! My apologies,” Victory replied immediately. He opened the door in a huge rush before kneeling. “Please, Bell-sama.”

“Hmph!” Bell huffed. “I left this to you because I thought you’d be better for the job than Sebasdel. I wish you’d live up to my expectations. I’ll still give you passing marks, though.”

“Your words give me the greatest joy.”

The figure to emerge from the carriage was, of course, Bell. Just like Rion and DarkMel, she was wearing Lumiest Academy’s uniform, and was currently the center of attention of all the students. After all, the horns, wings, and tail she’d kept hidden during the entrance exam were now out for everyone to see. She had taken off her Clip of Camouflage, which would normally have disguised her features, so she stood out all the more.

There was a reason for this, however. She had worn the clip to avoid negatively influencing the other exam takers. It had been her way of showing consideration to others on their exam days. But it was no longer necessary, so Bell had decided to enter Lumiest boldly, as royalty of a demon country. The principal, Art, had already given the decision his stamp of approval. In fact, he had outright said that he wanted her to come to school without disguising herself.

“You look so cute in your uniform, Bell-chan!” Rion gushed.

“It really suits you,” DarkMel agreed.

“Aren’t you two wearing the same thing?” Bell muttered, embarrassed. “Thanks, Victor. This is far enough.”

“Are you sure?”

“You staying for any longer will make everyone more flustered,” Bell asserted. “Just give a decent excuse to papa. If he gets even a little worried, he’ll try to come here himself. I’m serious about that, by the way.”

“I understand,” Victor answered. “We had quite a tough time even trying to leave the country, after all. I’m being rather serious about that too. Keh heh heh heh heh...” With that, he bowed once and got back into the driver’s seat. “Sorry for causing so much fuss. Well then, everyone, please take good care of Bell-sama. I’m off!”

The flaming, headless horses neighed again and broke into a run as Victor drove the demonic carriage off in a dashing exit. Rion and DarkMel energetically waved their hands in farewell while the rest of the crowd, except for a rather prickly Bell, remained there with their mouths agape in shock.

Among them, a certain someone regained his wits faster than anyone else. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Bell! It must be fate for us to see each other at this moment. Can’t you feel it?” Charles asked, having recovered from his confusion after being knocked on his ass faster than anyone could imagine.

Bell did not deign to answer. She did, however, finally notice his existence, which immediately made her mood hit rock bottom. “You two must have the worst luck, to meet this guy, of all people... Okay, let’s head out for the ceremony. His idiocy is infectious.”

“Heh heh! Idiocy? That’s quite bold,” Charles said. “It may not be obvious, but I had a pretty good score on the written tests. But I’m sure you knew that, Bell, as smart as you are. I can hear the screaming of your heart, so I won’t be deceived! You’re as coy about your feelings as ever— Huhhh?! She’s already gooone?! But...come on, you don’t have to be that embarrassed!”

Charles chased after Bell and the others, thus heading for the venue as well. The moment he started to run, though, he tripped and fell flat on his face. Even so, he wasn’t disheartened as he continued to chase after the three girls.

There was one new student who had watched this exchange from beginning to end.

“Hmm, so that is Bell Baal, the student who stole the top seat from my personage. True, I can somewhat sense the temperament of a ruler like me, but...no, I suppose the more pressing thing is that the rumors of her being a demon were true,” a white-haired boy muttered from his hiding place behind a conveniently placed pillar.

There were two other students who seemed like lackeys on either side of him, each on one knee and waiting. “Yes,” one of them, a boy, answered. “We have no idea how, but she didn’t have horns or wings during the exam. I was in the same exam hall as her for the first exam, so I’m certain of that.”

“I see...so not only do we not know what kind of weapon she uses, but she also has an unknown power that can disguise her appearance. How interesting. I would love for her to offer that power to support the future of Leigant,” muttered their leader in response.

“You’re being too hasty, Edgar-sama. The entrance ceremony hasn’t even happened yet. We know you are looking for a powerful wife, but it’s a little concerning that your thoughts are matching that idiot prince from Vaccania,” cautioned his other companion, a girl.

“Heh! Are you saying that my illustrious self is thinking on the same level as Charles? That is far too disrespectful, Perona. Still, that was a funny enough joke. I will forgive you.” The white-haired boy clearly felt he was being magnanimous.

“Thanks!”

Axe, the boy with glasses and precisely parted hair, and Perona, the girl with a very lax and careless manner of speech, were the white-haired boy’s subordinates, though they were all new students. The leader was Edgar Lauzer, first prince of Leigant.

“Ah, but Edgar-sama...” the girl started.

“What is it, Perona?”

“According to my research, you didn’t just lose to that Bell girl in the exams. You lost to the girls next to her as well: Rion and DarkMel. Also, a large man named Graham and Rami, a flashy and easygoing girl who seems to be on my wavelength, both beat you too. And Rami was asleep for the entire first exam. You just barely scraped fifth place in total scores, Edgar-sama.”

The prince didn’t respond.

“Wha— Hey! Perona!” Axe chided. “You’re being far too disrespectful!”

“Whaaat?”

Axe seemed panicked, but Perona seemed as flippant as ever. As for Edgar...

“Heh... Heh heh... Heh ha ha ha ha ha! I see, so there are four girls who have surpassed my talent to become marriage material! This will take some work, then! But that just makes the future of our country even brighter!”

Neither of his attendants had any words. Just like Charles, Edgar was more optimistic than anyone would have expected.

◇ ◇ ◇

Every year, Lumiest’s entrance ceremony was held in the main auditorium. This year was no exception, and new students were steadily gathering at the venue. Rion and the others had entered and were currently being verified by a receptionist.

“Good morning. Your name and notice of acceptance, please.”

“Yes! I’m Rion Celsius!”

“DarkMel Celsius.”

“Bell Baal.”

“Charles Vaccania!” An extra who came rolling in after them joined the girls.

“Okay, I’ve confirmed all of your names. Right, everyone, here are your student ID’s. From now on, you will be proving your identity with these, so be careful not to lose them.”

The receptionist handed the four their student ID’s, which were somewhat thick cards with nothing on them, not even their names or pictures of their faces. All that was on the card were characters that looked like the school emblem. None of the girls understood what the characters meant.

“Um...what’s this written on the ID?” Rion asked.

“It is emblem writing, developed by the school. You will be taught more about it later, so please go to your seats for now.”

“Okaaay,” both Rion and DarkMel answered in unison.

“This is the seating chart for the event.” The receptionist handed them papers printed with the layout.

“Hmm...we’re all separated from each other,” Rion noted.

“That’s too bad...” DarkMel lamented.

“Whoa, there! Rion-kun and I are seated pretty close. Should I take that to mean the instructors are rooting for us too?” Charles mused.

“Huh?” Rion was dumbfounded.

“Just ignore him, Rion. It’s a waste of time and effort,” Bell told her.

“Huh? Unlike everyone else, Bell-san’s seat seems to be a lot closer to the teachers...” DarkMel noted.

“It’s just your imagination,” the demon replied with a note of finality. “Come on, let’s go.”

The auditorium was huge and already filled with scores of new students. Many were making light conversation with those seated next to them. Students who were already enrolled didn’t participate in the ceremony, but those who were interested could obtain permission from the school to watch. Rion and DarkMel glanced up at the second floor, where they could see people who looked like upperclassmen here and there. One student whose uniform was entirely gold stood out significantly, but they decided to say nothing and pretend they didn’t see him.

“Bye!” Rion said energetically.

“See you,” DarkMel replied.

“Adieu!” Charles butted in.

Bell sighed.

Since their seats were all over the place, the group of three plus their hanger-on separated for the moment to go to their designated places.

“My seat’s there, I think?” Rion wondered out loud.

There was another new girl in the seat next to hers. She had chestnut-colored hair and seemed calm and gentle. However, it was immediately obvious that she was feeling really nervous from the way she was turning every which way, her eyes constantly darting to and fro.

“Hey! My seat’s right next to yours,” Rion said in greeting.

“Huh? Ah, ha ha...right! Please, go ahead!”

“Thanks! Man, the entrance ceremony is nerve-racking, isn’t it? I’m Rion. Nice to meet you!”

“Oh! Uh, yeah...right, my name is Dorothy. Um...pleased to meet you too!”

“Dorothy? Dorothy... Dorothy... Dorothy... Okay then, you’ll be Thee-chan!”

“Huh?! Thee-chan?!”

“That’s right, Thee-chan. You can call me whatever you want too!”

With that, Rion got the girl to calm her maxed-out nerves, and the two quickly became friends. It took less than a minute from their meeting for conversation to bloom.

Heh heh, I am a man who can read the room, after all. Getting in the way of two lovely girls and their budding friendship isn’t stylish or something I would ever do! Charles thought to himself. For now, I’ll just burn this sight into my memory and love them visually! Heh heh heh heh...

He was having this internal monologue from two rows behind Rion, his eyes shining. The male student next to him was totally creeped out, but the prince didn’t pay him any mind.

Meanwhile, DarkMel, who was a ways away, had safely reached her seat as well. However, that was when a problem occurred.

Uhhh...hrrrnggghhh! I... I can’t see what’s going on in front of me... she thought.

A male student with glasses was sitting in front of her. His hair was in a precise 7:3 part, and he looked extremely intellectual. However, there was something about him that stood out even more than that: his incredible height.

He’s so big. I wonder if he’s as big as Gerard-san, Sera-san, or papa? DarkMel thought to herself.

His sitting back was basically a wall to DarkMel, who was appropriately small for her age. There was no way for the girl to see past him, even if she were to stand up on her tiptoes and stretch as high as she could.

“Oh, if it isn’t DarkMel-san. Is something the matter?”

“Huh? Ah, Instructor Milky!” DarkMel exclaimed.

Someone had come up behind DarkMel in her time of distress. When the figure called out to her, causing the girl to turn around, she found a woman wearing a teacher’s uniform. The woman’s name was Milky Crespella, the one who had been assigned to DarkMel for her interview.

“Um...I’m too short, and I can’t see the front...”

“You can’t? Ah, you’re seated behind Graham Nakatomiuzi-kun. He’s huge, so you’re not tall enough to see over him, huh? Sorry, it seems the one in charge of seating had a fatal flaw in their head. What a hopeless person, to make someone as cute as you make that face. In fact, he’s trash. Absolute trash. But don’t worry, I will make sure to chastise the person responsible and put him in his place later. I’ll make sure to cut him down to size.”

“I’m not that troubled by it!”

Milky’s smile was lovely but also somehow scary, and it put a lot of pressure on DarkMel.

“Excuse me. Am I to assume that I am being an obstruction? My apologies for being so needlessly large.” The large male student, Graham, turned around, seeming to have realized that DarkMel and Milky were talking about him.

The impact of his movement was incredible, but more than that, the way he spoke went above and beyond being polite, so DarkMel was doubly surprised and doubly pressured.

“O... Obstru— Whaaa?!”

“Oh no, I seem to have surprised you further. This style of speech comes from ancient Toraj, so it is understandable that you do not recognize it. Or...doth not understand it?” Graham repeated.

Milky let out a confused noise. “Um...are you perhaps not used to speaking so casually?”

“Splendid! That is exactly correct,” Graham replied.

“Instructor Milky...” DarkMel muttered nervously.

“Please calm down, DarkMel-san,” Milky replied. “He may have an overwhelming build and strange style of speech, but on the inside he’s very earnest and brilliant. If you can believe it, Graham-kun is here on recommendation from Toraj’s ruler, Tsubaki-sama.”

“Really?! That’s amazing!” DarkMel gushed. “But...huh? You don’t really seem like someone from Toraj, Graham-san...”

DarkMel took another look at the boy. His hair was blue, his skin was white, and by any metric, he looked nothing like those from Toraj, who could trace their stock back to the Japanese.

“Yes, well, there are a lot of complicated reasons for that,” Milky started to explain. “As you’ve noted, Graham-kun was not born or raised in Toraj. As a result of some extenuating circumstances, he is currently learning ancient Torajian dialect. If you listen carefully, it’s not impossible to figure out what he’s saying, so please don’t mind his way of speech, and treat him normally.”

“I am truly grateful for your concise explanation, miss instructor. In short, that’s how things are. Well met,” said Graham.

“I...see?” DarkMel was still somewhat confused. “Um...pleased to meet you too.”

Thus, she made a strange new acquaintance with Milky’s introduction. At least she was able to switch seats with Graham, so she could now see what was going on.

“It’s about time for the ceremony to start, so your teacher here needs to get back to her seat. See you two!” Milky called as she left.

“Thank you very much, Instructor Milky!” DarkMel said.

“It wasn’t much—I mean, I am indebted to you?” Graham tried to puzzle out.

A while after Milky left, the announcement that the ceremony was about to begin rang through the venue.

“The entrance ceremony will begin shortly. New students, please take your designated seats quickly and wait. I repeat, the entrance...”

Once they heard the announcement, the new students followed the instructions and filed into their seats. A glance up at the ceiling revealed an owl-type monster flying around with a magic item that looked like a camera hanging from its neck. It seemed to be filming footage to stream to the outside, and in spite of its large size, the flapping of its wings was almost inaudible.

“Hmm...I wonder if it has the Covert Action skill,” Rion mused.

“Why are you looking up like that, Rion-sa— Muh... Muhmuhmuh-monsuhmmm?!” After Dorothy followed Rion’s gaze up, she seemed about to scream, so Rion had to hurriedly cover her mouth, answering in a whisper.

“You shouldn’t shout here, Thee-chan! You’ll cause trouble for everyone else. Look closely—that owl is the same one that delivered your admittance letter.”

“Mfwhuh? Y... Yfwhwaaiee! Huh? You... You’re right!”

“I am, so there’s no need to worry!”

Dorothy calmed back down, and soon the entire venue settled into a state where everyone was simply waiting for the ceremony to start.

Once it did, the announcement was broadcast again, this time announcing the start of the proceedings. This was followed by a congratulatory address and explanation of the program. According to the schedule, it would start with greetings from the principal.

Umm...“greetings” means the principal will come out and talk to us or something, right? Rion thought. I wonder if it’ll be super long like in manga?! Some theories say those speeches have a special effect that causes sleep or otherwise makes the listener’s consciousness hazy, thus rendering them unable to fight!

Was this tendency for her mind to immediately turn to battle a side effect of being around her big brother, Kelvin? Rion was completely dyed in his battle-loving colors, as she got excited over the strangest things.

Art, Lumiest’s principal, warmly watched over Rion and her shining eyes as he stepped up to the podium. “First, allow me to give you my heartfelt congratulations. Well done on being admitted to Lumiest, new students. I am sure that all of you, having overcome the most difficult of tests founded on strict standards, will be able to shape the world. That’s right...just like me and my beauty on the level of art!”

His greeting, which he was being extremely serious about, was followed by a sudden strange pose. The venue was instantly filled with a burst of laughter, and the serious mood that had been present abruptly softened.

Dorothy giggled. “The principal is really funny, isn’t he?”

“Uh, yeah...he is, isn’t he? I think he’s being serious, though...” Rion replied.

Art’s eccentricities continued for a while more, after which the new students were wrapped in a congenial mood. Meanwhile, Rion, who had known about the principal’s personality beforehand, had fun too even though the speech was different from what she was expecting.

“Thank you, Principal Art. Next, the representative of your class will speak.”

“It... It’s finally happening,” Dorothy muttered.

Rion was confused. “Hm? What do you mean, ‘finally’?”

“This speech happens every year and is given by the most excellent new student who scored highest on the exams. In other words, the one who passed with the highest marks. Not only that, but they have a really high chance of becoming the future student council president and continuing to hold the top spot until graduation. This student will become an exemplar of the academy, the object of adoration all across the school, and a symbol of the institution itself! There’s no way someone like me, a commoner who basically got in by a stroke of luck or mistake, could afford to not pay attention to them.”

Dorothy gave that explanation with a self-deprecating smile. From Rion’s point of view, it was actually more amazing to get in without any connections or financial help, but it seemed the girl had a habit of putting herself down.

“Well then, Bell Baal-san, please take the floor.”

“Ah, here comes the top student now.” Dorothy perked up.

“Lemme s— Huh? Bell-chan?” Rion said, surprised.

The person who approached the podium after the announcer was none other than Bell.

Now that I think about it, Bell was the only one of us who seemed super separated... Rion realized. Oh yeah, of course Bell-chan would be up there if it’s given to the student who scored at the top.

“Wow, she’s so pretty and elegant,” Dorothy gushed. “Just the way she stands and walks makes it seem like she comes from a different world. Huh? But...those horns and wings...”

Dorothy was totally captivated, but by the time Bell got to the center of the stage, she had realized Bell wasn’t human, now able to see the unique features that no beastfolk, elf, or other demihuman had. The other new students were the same, and a commotion spread throughout the venue.

“Quiet! Please, be quiet!”

The announcer’s voice rang out, attempting to quell the fuss. However, Bell put up her hand to stop the announcer.

“This is fine,” she stated.

“Huh?”

Bell walked up to the podium. “As you’ve heard, I am Bell Baal. You might have noticed that I am from the demon country located on the Northern Continent. Nevertheless, I would like to start by expressing my gratitude to this academy’s teachers, who evaluated my grades fairly and impartially and gave me this prestigious opportunity. That being said, I am sure there are some of you who believe that demons are to be rejected or feared. That is a truly saddening opinion to me. As the princess of the sovereign nation of Grelbarelka, I desire to be a mediator between humans and demons...”

Bell spun her words smoothly even though she did not have a script to read from. Not only that, but she was doing more than talking; the eloquent, heartfelt speech that she was making seemed to be aimed directly at the hearts of every individual student. Her phrasing and breathing, and the way she used pauses, all served to convey her emotions. Everything was perfect. With Bell’s words, which seemed to draw everyone’s attention to her, the beginnings of the great tumult that had been swirling around disappeared completely. Rion and DarkMel, who were already close to Bell, were even more surprised and lost for words. Since they couldn’t speak, they instead opted to exchange messages telepathically.

::Hey, Rion-san...doesn’t Bell-san seem different from usual? It... It sounds rude, but for a moment I wondered who was really up there,:: said DarkMel.

::Uh, yeah. I’m surprised too. But I think I might have heard of something like this from gramps,:: Rion replied.

::What did you hear?::

::Before I was summoned to this world, I heard that they had an audience with Tsubaki-sama in Toraj. Back then, Sera-nee was just as amazing and pretty, and from what I hear, it was what made Kel-nii fall in love or something.::

::J-Jeez, papa... But that does make sense. Bell-san had the same gifted education, so she should be able to act the same as Sera-san did.::

::I see! But wow, seeing Bell-chan like this is a breath of fresh air! I wonder if she would consider acting like this normally?::

Rion imagined Bell acting like this and smiling all the time. At present, such a thing was incredibly rare.

::Don’t wanna. Sounds dead tiring,:: Bell replied through the Network.

::Bell-san?!:: DarkMel messaged, surprised.

::You... You even have the leeway to use telepathy while giving a speech?:: Rion commented, as Bell’s public address was continuing even now.

“I have heard that out of all those who have graduated from Lumiest, there is one so excellent that they skipped multiple years to finish at the top of the class in an incredible single year of schooling. It may be beyond my standing to talk about it with my lack of ability, but I would like to swear to leave a similarly magnificent record now, as we start our lives here. Thank you for listening.”

The instant Bell bowed to signal the end of her address, the entire venue erupted into thunderous applause. Almost no one present would continue to view Bell through prejudiced eyes just for being a demon. The applause was enough to make anyone certain of that.

But...Bell-chan sounded serious when she said that last part... Rion mused worriedly.

Her friends knew all too well what truly lay in her heart.

◇ ◇ ◇

After the ceremony was over, a task awaited the new students: moving into the dorms they had been so frivolously assigned to. Luggage had to be moved from the carriages into their rooms, which provided opportunities for students to meet the classmates with whom they’d be spending their school lives. Time was also needed to put their rooms in order, and out of consideration for the exhaustion they must be feeling after such work and the prospect of new living arrangements, this was all that was scheduled for today.

Afterwards, the students would be free to deepen their bonds with their dorm mates, tour the school’s facilities, or do anything else they might desire. But it was likely that nearly everyone would start with the same thing: checking out the dorm rooms.

Rion had been assigned to Volcann, the dorm led by Arche Desire, who had also been the one to interview her for the third exam. A total of twenty-five new students, including Rion, had been assigned to this dorm, which had fire on its crest. The only faces Rion recognized were Dorothy and Charles. In front of the students stood Arche, the sunlight glinting off her glasses as she energetically went through roll call.

“One, two, three, four... Okay, everyone, listen up! Congrats to all of you on being admitted to this dorm! I am filled with emotion over the fact that I am able to welcome you all on this momentous day! Health really is the most important thing!” Arche pushed up her glasses as she said that last line, but her pose and words didn’t really match, so neither did they land. “I believe all of you already know, but rooms here will have two or three people assigned to each of them. In other words, you will be cohabitating! Don’t waste this chance to get along with the people you will be living with!”

“Instructor Arche, do students have any say in the room assignments? If we do, I would of course love to live with girls—” Charles started but was swiftly interrupted.

“Of course, the living arrangements will be separated by gender. Furthermore, the school has already decided on room assignments, and I will be announcing them now!”

“So that’s how I am to be thwarted. But the tale of my epic romance is just beginning. There’s no need to rush. That’s the lesson here, isn’t it?!” Charles exclaimed.

“Hmm...in a sense, you’re actually pretty amazing to cause me, Arche, so much trouble. I gotta give it up to you!”

“Heh, no need to compliment me that much.”

No one could muster a response to that. Charles had immediately bought the ire of all the girls in the dorm.

“Okay, let’s get back to the room placements. First, Rami-san and—”

“Ah! It’s already time for Rami-chan?! Here, heeereee!” The student named Rami, who had been called on first, immediately interrupted Arche with just as much enthusiasm as the teacher usually mustered, her loud voice accompanied by the raising of both her hands. The girl had flashy blonde hair and was wearing her uniform loosely and casually. In general, she stood out a lot. Also, the looseness of her dress exposed that much more of her skin, which drew the eyes of the boys, including, of course, Charles.

Rion had her own thoughts on this. Hmmm? Don’t I recognize that Rami girl from somewhere? Not during the exams... Before that... Rion tilted her head left and right as she pondered the feeling of déjà vu.

But before Rion could figure it out, her name was announced.

“Rion-san will be in a room with Dorothy-san. Get along well, you two!”

“Ah, yes!” Rion responded hurriedly.

“Oh, thank goodness!” Dorothy said in response. “I’m glad I’m paired with someone I know. Rion-san, I hope we have a good time together.”

Dorothy seemed especially happy to be paired with Rion, indicated by the smile that bloomed on her face. She stuck out her right hand, initiating a handshake to start their new relationship.

Rion was about to take the girl’s hand and respond to her excitement, but... “I’m glad to have been paired with you too, Th—”

“RIIIIII-CHAAAAAANNN! IT’S BEEN TOO LOOONGGG!”

“Awagh?!” Rion yelped.

“Wha— Rion-san?!” Dorothy shouted, concerned.

Just as the two girls were about to shake, someone came flying in from the side to tackle Rion. Since it was a lightning-quick surprise attack made at incredible speed, she wasn’t able to avoid it. Even so, she managed to react and change her posture to try and catch the tackle.

Swtsssccchhh!

Rion and her attacker slid back what seemed like a few meters before Rion fell on her butt. The female student who attacked her had buried her face in Rion’s chest while also sitting on top of her. Except for Arche, who was all smiles, everyone else’s expressions were blank with shock and surprise. Electricity crackled along the ground they had passed through, making audible noise as it did so.

“Oh, maybe I really did put in a little too much oomph? Hey, hey! You good, Ri-chan?” the girl, Rami, asked, her face popping up from Rion’s chest.

It seemed she was worried about her victim’s safety, at least, but for some reason both her hands were creeping towards Rion’s cheeks. Then, she started squishing.

“Owwwiiieee... Gah, jeez! You can’t just suddenly do that to people, Rai-chan!” Rion protested.

“Wow, this is hella moving! So you recognized me even though I look like this. I knew it, our hearts are always connected! But you didn’t seem like you knew who I was before, so I was really worried, you know?” Rami shot back.

“I just noticed now,” Rion replied. “Also, I told you already to stop doing as you please to other people’s cheeks.”

“But I’m just so happy! Come on, squishy squishy!” Rami said in a singsong voice.

“Rai-chaaan!”

The girl Rion referred to as “Rai-chan” (Rami) seemed to improve in mood even more at that, as she continued playing with Rion’s cheeks with a broad smile on her face. It seemed she had no intention of letting the girl go.

“Also, my current name is Rami Ryuuoh, so make sure you get it right!” she corrected her brightly.

“If you want me to do that, then I’m begging you, listen to me!” Though Rion tried to shake Rami off, the girl didn’t budge an inch. And since Rion’s current posture was bad, she couldn’t slip out of the hell of having her cheeks pinched and squeezed either.

“Hmm? You two know each other?” Arche asked. “Oh yeah, aren’t both of you from the Eastern Continent?”

Arche was the only one who seemed to be having fun, as everyone else was too busy staring at these events, dumbfounded. However, even she felt like things couldn’t continue this way, so she stepped in to save her poor student.

“Huh? Uh...yeah, that’s right. We’re friends,” Rion replied. “But she looks really different from when we last saw each other, so I was just a little confused...”

“We’re more than just friends. It’s more like...best friends? Something like that?” Rami corrected her. “We haven’t seen each other in so long, so I just got so excited! Soz!”

“Ha ha! So such coincidences really do happen. Still, you should save your excitement over your reunion for after you’ve moved in. All right now, go on. Go dye those bland dorm rooms your own special colors!”

“Hey, wait—” Rami’s protest was interrupted as she was picked up by the nape of her neck by Arche and tossed into the dorm. It seemed that if students acted like students, then sometimes teachers would act like teachers.

“Rion-san, you and Dorothy-san should go together to see your assigned room first. It’ll help with moving in if you have a magic item with storage capabilities. If so, please help Dorothy-san as well. After all, I’m fairly sure she will be moving her luggage into the room by hand.”

“Uh, okay, I understand...” Having been released from her cheek-pinching hell, Rion went with Dorothy to their room.

“Are you okay, Rion-san?” Dorothy asked.

“It still stings a little, that’s all. She messed with my cheeks a lot back there, but it looks like they’ll retain their shape, at least.”

“Um, thank goodness it didn’t turn into anything more serious. Still, do you really know that Rami girl? You seemed pretty surprised.”

“Yeah, we’re friends. As I said before, she looks really different now.”

“Really? Is she that different? Hmm...like she used to be a lot quieter and had a calm air about her or something?” Dorothy started imagining what Rami had been like in the past. However, her imagination ran counter to the change Rion was actually referring to.

Rami Ryuuoh... Rai Ryuuoh... Ryuuoh is a way to say Dragon King, so Lightning Dragon King... Come on, Rai-chan, that name’s way too on the nose...

◇ ◇ ◇

“Wow! So this is our room!” Rion exclaimed in wonderment.

“Yeah, oh woooooowww!” Dorothy agreed.