152 The Ball

It was the final morning of our trip.

I was out for a run along the coast. Pounding the sand to the sound of the ripples under the bright sun wasn't a bad way to build up some lower-body strength.

Last night had been a total ordeal. Honestly, it was a miracle I’d managed to get any sleep at all. Granted, spending the night with Synthia and Lilith meant I was still a bit sleep-deprived, but that’s a different kind of problem.

Just then, I spotted something emerging from the surf.

An illusion? Am I finally hallucinating?

No, those were definitely those two brats from the lower classes...

...You’ve got to be kidding me.

"W-we made it, Meryl..." Belk wheezed.

"Belk, I thought I was actually going to die..." Meryl gasped.

"Ugh, I just want to get in a bath—Weiss-senpai?! What are you doing here?! Wait, are you training this early in the morning?! Gah, that’s so cool!"

Give me a break. I finally managed to find a moment of peace and quiet. Please, don't ruin this for me...

◇

"This curry is incredible! Wait, did Weiss-senpai and the others actually make this themselves?! That's insane!"

"Synthia-senpai, you are as radiant as ever today!"

Meryl and Belk were practically inhaling the curry. Synthia maintained her gentle smile, but I could have sworn I saw a bead of sweat on her temple.

I see. Even her saintly patience has its limits.

Good grief, I should probably set them straight.

"Alright, you two, knock it off," I snapped.

"Huh?"

"Wait, what!?"

"Look, I appreciate you helping us out before, but we deserve some privacy. Besides, how did you two even survive that typhoon?"

"We just... toughed it out," Belk mumbled.

"We used Magic Resistance to scrape by..." Meryl added.

The two of them looked utterly dejected. Honestly, these geniuses. That said, they were still just brats. I’d just have to tell them so they understood.

Sigh.

"From now on, if you want to come along, ask properly. If it’s not a good time, I’ll tell you, but stop following us on your own."

"I-I understand! I'm sorry!"

"We're sorry..."

Seeing that, Synthia reached out and touched Meryl’s shoulder.

"It can't be helped. Let's just be more careful next time, shall we?"

"Yes, Synthia-senpai... I'm sorry. I was talking with Belk, saying that if something happened again, we might really regret not being there."

"I see. But both Weiss and I are truly grateful. We were worried, you know? If one thing had gone wrong, you two could have been the ones in danger."

""We're really sorry...""

Good grief. I can't tell if they're obedient or just stubborn.

Well, they probably didn't have many people to talk to. It was the same as before; when someone is too much of a genius, a wall naturally forms between them and everyone else.

"As long as you're here, you might as well participate."

"Eh?"

"Wait, really?"

Tens of minutes later, we were standing along the coast, wielding soft practice sticks. We’d changed back into our swimwear. Belk was in trunks, and Meryl was in a frilly pink swimsuit. These kids... they’re totally in the mood to play, aren't they?

"Coming through!"

Belk suddenly lunged, spinning through the air and swinging his stick. I caught it with one hand—and damn, it was heavy.

"Amazing! As expected of Senpai!"

"Hah! You’re just a damn monkey."

"Lilith, come at me."

"Yes—Synthia-san!"

"Allen, today's the day I finally win!"

"I won't lose either!"

In the end, since we’d all gathered anyway, we spent the time training. Even though we’d achieved Victory against the Demon Race, it had been a desperate struggle. We couldn't afford to waste a single second. In this regard, they really did feel like the Noblesse.

After I finished pulverizing Belk, Olynn stepped up to face me.

"It’s been a while since we sparred like this," I noted.

"I guess so! Hey—is it okay if I go all out?"

"Yeah. Bring it."

Just as Pippin took flight from the top of his head, Olynn launched an attack with the sun at his back. As expected, he doesn't pull his punches.

I reflexively averted my eyes from the glare, but since I was tracking the flow of his mana, I managed to parry Pippin’s strike with my stick.

—Hmph. He’s gotten considerably stronger.

A Subjugation monster inherits the abilities of its master. Apparently, during that last battle with the Demon Race, he’d been manipulating ten High-level Monsters before he even reached me. That was absurd. Just how many people’s worth of work was he doing?

But then—

"—Hah! Olynn, when did you...?"

"Ehehe. I’m going to work even harder. So I can protect everyone."

The low-level monsters from the island had suddenly pounced all at once—there must have been at least twenty of them. The damage from their attacks was negligible, but the talent required to coordinate them was staggering.

Hmph. Olynn... out of everyone, you might be the one with the most terrifying growth rate.

At first glance, he was just a cute kid, but underneath that exterior, he was overflowing with a sense of justice that rivaled Allen's.

"—But you’re still not strong enough to beat me."

I blew all the monsters back in one go. Instead of being surprised, Olynn just laughed.

In a weird way, you might be the person most similar to me.

Once Belk and Meryl joined in, the air was—frustratingly—filled with even more laughter. Well, that bottomless energy certainly suited the Noblesse.

---

"Weiss, I’m coming in."

"Yeah. —It looks good on you, Synthia."

"Ufufu, thank you."

Night fell. Once I’d finished getting ready, I opened the door at Synthia's call. She was wearing the same pure white dress she had on when we first met. She looked so breathtakingly beautiful that I found myself staring, completely captivated.

I slowly walked up to her and dropped to one knee. Then, I kissed the back of her hand.

"Shall we go, Synthia?"

"Yes, Weiss."

"Weiss-sama! Synthia-san! Everyone's already gathered!"

As I stood up, Lilith grabbed my hand and pulled. She was also wearing a beautiful dress, much like Synthia's.

"Lilith, it suits you."

"Ehehe! It’s my first time ever wearing a dress!"

We crossed several corridors until we finally reached the ballroom. Well, "ballroom" was a strong word, and there wasn't even any music. But we had the space, so we’d decided to enjoy it to our heart's content.

"Yo, Weiss! Looking sharp," Duke called out.

"True, but don't you think we look pretty good too?" Allen chimed in.

Hmph. Talk about "fine feathers make fine birds."

Allen and Duke were both in black tailcoats, and they actually looked the part, damn them. Shari was in a crisp white dress that looked elegant and expensive. As expected of a high noble, she looked perfectly at home. Tura was unexpectedly wearing a black dress, and her bearing was impressively dignified.

"W-Weiss-kun, please, have a drink."

"Thanks, Carta. That color looks good on you."

"Eh?! Ehehe... that makes me happy."

Carta was in a red dress with a nice bit of translucency to it.

Soon, Synthia started dancing with Lilith. This wasn't a formal social event, so there was no need to worry about the distinction between men and women.

Cecil was dancing with Allen. Hah. It’s like a scene from the final stages of the Original Story. Not bad.

Duke was with Shari. Huh, they actually make a pretty good pair.

And then...

"Carta, I'm not very good at this, but would you like to dance?"

"E-eh?! Is it... is it really okay!?"

Carta looked shocked, her cheeks flushing deep red as she cast a nervous glance toward Synthia. I reached out and took her hand firmly.

"Don't worry about it. She wouldn't get angry over something like this."

"Wa, wawa!?"

As we moved, I leaned in to speak to her.

"Thanks, Carta."

"Eh?"

"Thanks to you, I've been saved in more ways than one."

"...Me too."

Everything had started with Carta. Without her, I wouldn't have been able to fight on equal footing with Eva, nor could I have defeated the dragon. I was growing, sure, but I knew I couldn't clear this "game" with my strength alone. I didn't intend to engage in useless fraternizing, but I had to keep that reality in mind.

"Olynn-san, watch your footing! You've still got a long way to go."

"Whoa! W-waah!"

Beside us, I could hear Olynn and Cecil's voices. But I didn't turn to look. Whether Olynn was wearing a dress or a tailcoat... if I saw it, it would be "confirmed." It was like Schrödinger's cat. Better to let it remain a mystery.

"Belk. You're stepping on my toes."

"Wait, gah! Sorry!?"

"—But you have gotten better."

"Really? Thanks!"

"The way you said that was a little condescending, though."

"W-why?! How!?"

If those two lowerclassmen could just end up together, that would be one less thing for me to worry about.

Well, the "candy" portion of this trip was coming to an end. Once exams started, things were going to get incredibly busy again. I needed to decide which attribute I was going to master next.

"Weiss, your hand."

"Yeah."

And finally, of course, I danced with Synthia. For some reason, Duke started singing, and Allen joined in. Then Shari joined the chorus too.

Good grief. What a ridiculous trio.

"Synthia, I will protect you. So, please... keep staying by my side."

"Yes, anywhere. If it is for your sake, I will go to the ends of the earth."

Good grief. I guess I don't really hate the "rewards" that come with this Noblesse Oblige life after all.