104 Cancellation

After the garden, I was ushered into the cafeteria.

It wasn't exactly more spacious than Noblesse, and given the wood-heavy aesthetic, it didn't look particularly new. However, I was incredibly envious of their menu—they had traditional Japanese-style treats like anmitsu and dango.

Wait, scratch that. I wasn’t just envious; I was obsessed.

"Damn, these dango are delicious..."

"They’re my favorite. After this, I suppose the only things left to show you are the student dorms?"

Tura had told me they were available for immediate consumption, so I’d helped myself to a few. They were perfectly chewy with a fantastic texture. Maybe I can put in a request to have these stocked at Noblesse?

The Training Room in the basement hadn't been anything special. I suppose when a room's only purpose is for people to hit each other, there isn't much room for stylistic variation.

Just as I finished my snack, Tura brought over some warm tea. Naturally, it was served in a traditional teacup.

"Here. I recommend this as well."

"Thank you."

I took a sip. The pleasant warmth slid down my throat and settled comfortably in my stomach.

"It was a fine brew. Thank you for the hospitality."

"Haha! I didn't make it myself, but I’m glad you enjoyed it."

Tura beamed at me with a radiant smile. Seriously, what happened to the girl who was calling me a 'ruffian' earlier? Is she actually... one of those 'easy heroines'?

"I-Is there something on my face?" she asked, her smile faltering.

"...It’s nothing. More importantly, I wanted to ask—is your attribute Wind, by any chance? You don't have to answer if you'd rather not."

There were many characters in the Original Story whose attributes were never officially revealed. The author probably figured that keeping things vague would encourage fan speculation. But I had seen her in action with my own eyes. That technique, that magic circle... I could tell it was the result of blood, sweat, and untiring effort.

"That's right. And you, Lord Weiss... is yours Darkness? No, it almost looked like Light back there..."

"Yeah. Those are the ones I use most often, but I can use Light too. Well, and the other four attributes."

"...Huh? By 'four attributes,' do you mean Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth? Along with Darkness and Light?"

"That’s the one."

Tura just stared at me, her mouth slightly agape. She really was a beauty. But then, she suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. Eventually, she spoke while wiping a stray tear from her eye.

"Ahahaha! You really are a freak of nature, aren't you? No wonder you managed to land a hit on me."

In the Original Story, her character was the literal embodiment of the philosophy that "the best defense is a relentless offense." Sierra used Light and Wind, which was a great combo for covering her weakness at long-range combat.

Hmm. As I thought, is Wind the best choice for me to focus on next?

Seeing that I’d finished, Tura deftly picked up my plate.

"Excuse me."

She walked over to the cafeteria lady and bowed her head earnestly. "Thank you for the meal!"

...She’s a good kid. I remembered the source material describing her as "diligent." It certainly felt that way in person.

"Yeah. And hey, thanks for the treat. I feel bad for making you pay for everything."

The moment I thanked her, Tura’s ears turned bright red, though she kept her eyes fixed straight ahead.

"D-Don't worry about it! N-Next stop!"

"Right."

Wait, where are we actually going?

"This way. Please watch your step."

We crossed a corridor and passed through several doors. It was still winter and the air was chilly, but at least it had stopped snowing. By the time I regained my bearings, we had crossed through several different buildings.

She stopped in front of a door and pushed it open.

"H-Here we are. I don’t think it’s too messy, but..."

"Eh?"

I stepped inside and was immediately hit by the faint, delicate scent of a woman. The room contained a modest but cheerful futon, a pair of pink pajamas, and... a goblin plushie.

Wait, what? Is this what I think it is?

"This is my room. W-What do you think? It's not exactly palatial, but..."

Now that I thought about it, she had mentioned showing me the "student rooms." But even if she asked what I thought...

"It’s very clean."

"Fufufu... I-I see! Y-You're actually the first gentleman I’ve ever invited inside! I-It’s a bit embarrassing, honestly!"

As she spoke, Tura began to fluster and fidget so much that she managed to trip over her own feet. I reflexively reached out to catch her hand, but my momentum carried us both forward. We dived onto the futon together.

"Are you oka—"

"I-I... I wouldn't mind... even if it was a polygamous marriage..."

With her cheeks flushed, her ears scarlet, and her eyes squeezed shut, she was practically inviting a confession.

"Well, time for me to head back."

"Fueh?! W-Weiss-dono?!"

Look, I’m Weiss Fancent. I’m sorry, but I’m not looking to star in a rom-com. I’ll admit, my heart might have skipped a beat for a split second, but...

I made a hasty exit. When I reached the courtyard, I found a large crowd gathered. Sierra and Eva were among them.

"Vai! Where on earth have you been?!"

"Just on a tour. Is the greeting ceremony over?"

"It looks like we've got a bit of a problem," Sierra said, her expression grim.

"A problem?"

Eva, who was standing nearby twirling a lock of her hair, chimed in.

"It seems like Aria Magic Academy is the only school we can't get a hold of. And now there's talk that Pseudo-Demons were spotted nearby~."

"Pseudo-Demons?"

Just then, Teacher Milk pushed her way through the crowd toward us.

"The Goodwill Event is canceled. The students from the other schools are being sent home immediately."

That's impossible. No, in the Original Story, the event went off without a hitch. This was a massive alteration.

"What about Aria Magic Academy?" I asked.

"No word from the Messenger Birds. However, the students they're sending are the top tier of their year. They have faculty escorts, so I don't think we need to panic just yet, but..."

The fact that Pseudo-Demons were becoming active suggested that the actual Demon Race was plotting something somewhere in the shadows.

Damn it. The story might be progressing much faster than I anticipated.

"I’m sorry, but you three need to head back to Noblesse. I’ll arrange a carriage. I don't think you'll need them, but I’ll provide guards just in case."

"What are you talking about?"

"I’m an adventurer too, you know. Subjugating Pseudo-Demons is a top priority."

"So you're going to hunt them down?"

"I'm going to investigate if they're actually there."

There was no mistake. In the Original Story, Pseudo-Demons didn't become a priority subjugation target until the summer after Allen became an Intermediate-year Student. This was happening six months—maybe even a full year—too early.

Seriously, this world loves to spit in the face of my expectations.

But I wasn't about to sit this out.

"Teacher Milk, I'm coming with you."

"...No. You're a student. If something happens to you, it’s my head on the block."

"I'm an adventurer too, believe it or not. From this point on, I’m acting as an individual. Even if you try to stop me, I’m just going to follow you anyway."

Teacher Milk glared at me. However, seeing that I wasn't going to budge, her expression softened slightly. There was too much I didn't know about these Pseudo-Demons. If there was even a shred of a chance to gather information, I had to take it.

"I won't save you if you get in over your head."

"I'll be fine."

Of course, it was only natural that Sierra and Eva wouldn't be left behind either.

"I’m going too, Teacher," Eva chirped. "I've developed a bit of a hobby for spotting Pseudo-Demons lately."

"I'm going as well," Sierra added. "I have my adventurer's license. Besides, Vai, you want me there, don't you?"

"Eh? Oh, right. Yeah."

"Fufufu, well, I suppose I have no choice then."

Eva always put her own whims first, but apparently, she found Pseudo-Demons "interesting" enough to go chasing after every sighting report. Still, I was grateful for the backup. With Sierra there too, we should be able to handle whatever came our way.

"I am going as well."

A firm, unwavering voice rang out from behind us. I turned around to find Tura standing there. Teacher Milk immediately tried to shut her down, telling her it was too dangerous.

"Purging those who bring harm to others is the natural duty of a human being," Tura replied, her gaze steady.

Ah, I see. She really was just like Allen. She loved peace and loathed conflict. That was exactly why she had fallen for him and chased after him in the original timeline. Even if we said no, she’d probably just head out on her own.

In that case...

"Tura is an adventurer too. She knows the risks."

Tura looked at me, her eyes wide with surprise. Well, yeah, I only know that because I read the book.

Teacher Milk let out a long, weary sigh.

"...Fine. But don't you dare push yourselves. Especially you, Eva—I know how strong you are, but try to actually work with the group."

"Yeees, I understand~."

Between the four of us, this was an absurdly overpowered lineup. Even so, I wasn't going to let my guard down. There was no record of Aria Magic Academy being attacked in the Original Story, which meant anything could happen.

But I didn't care who the enemy was. I would win.

"We’ll follow the route Aria Magic Academy should have taken," Teacher Milk commanded. "To conserve mana, we're running, not flying. Don't fall behind!"

And just like that, our school trip took a sharp turn into a high-stakes adventurer mission.