360: Bouncy Maids

“Senior Weiss! How is it? What do you think?!”

I was currently racking my brain, trying to figure out what to do for Teacher Milk’s outfit in the second half of our event. To clear my head, I decided to exercise my School Festival Representative Privilege and take a stroll through the Lowerclassmen Building.

It looked like the lowerclassmen were putting on a play. For some reason, Belk was decked out in a full-blown Goblin costume. Normally, being forced into a getup like that would be a total mood-killer, but he looked inexplicably thrilled.

“A Goblin, huh?” I noted.

“Close, but no cigar! I’m the Goblin King, Senior!”

............

I see. Looking closer, he was indeed wearing a tiny crown on his head. The Goblin King—the sovereign species that rules over all goblin-kind. I mean, sure, they’re strong as far as monsters go, but is it really something to be that happy about?

“Belk, let’s get to group practice!”

“Yeah! We can’t start without the Goblin King!”

“Hurry up, hurry up!”

“Sorry, I’ve got practice! Please excuse me!” Belk shouted as he went sprinting back to his classmates.

A moment later, they all started shouting and swinging their clubs around in a display that looked remarkably like a traditional Haka. It was… an indescribable sight, to say the least, but they seemed to be bonding over it.

Apparently, over forty percent of the lowerclassmen have already been expelled. That’s a significantly higher casualty rate than our year had at this stage. Still, it’s nice to see the survivors enjoying themselves with smiles on their faces.

“Senior Weiss, you’re here.”

Meryl appeared before me. She was apparently playing a human rather than a monster; she was dressed in a magician’s robe. I see, she hasn’t changed a bit.

“A magician, right?”

“Eh? I’m a priestess, you know?”

............

Right. It wasn’t like I’d come here to play a game of ‘Guess the Cosplay.’ I was just looking for a spark of inspiration to get my own imagination going.

Then, for some reason, Meryl started fidgeting nervously.

“What is it?” I asked.

“U-Um… is there any way I could get priority for a Cheki with Senior Cynthia…?”

The word ‘Cheki’ caught me off guard. Typical Noblesse. Even a one-year gap was enough to make me feel the weight of a generation gap. Is this what getting old feels like?

Our Cosplay Cafe was indeed going to allow photography. While the specific costumes for Cynthia and Lilith had been decided, we hadn’t made the details public yet. Nevertheless, it seemed like our event was already the talk of the town.

But even so, would it be enough to topple the upperclassmen’s Maid Cafe?

While I was lost in thought, Meryl looked increasingly anxious.

“I’ll let her know,” I said. “If I use my Representative Privilege, I can make it happen somehow.”

“Yay! Thank you so much! I can’t wait!”

Meryl was still holding the top rank among the lowerclassmen, refusing to surrender that seat to Belk. Like me, she must be constantly honing her skills. Noblesse is a school of the candy and the Whip, after all. She had earned her reward.

However, I’d heard that she once went to Cynthia for advice. Apparently, her heart had nearly broken after being forced to personally expel her own classmates. I suppose I can understand the feeling. But if she had remained half-hearted about it, the ones she defeated would have only felt more resentful. It looked like she’d recovered since then, though.

I took a peek into a few more classrooms, but nothing really gave me that "aha!" moment of inspiration. Next stop: the Upperclassmen Building.

“...Phew.”

I didn't have much reason to visit the upperclassmen’s wing under normal circumstances. The hallways didn't look much different, but I could practically feel the Mana radiating through the walls.

Suddenly, Priscilla appeared before me, dressed in a maid outfit. It looked like she was in the middle of a costume fitting. I’d heard she was still busy and hadn't been at the Academy much lately, but things must have settled down enough for her to participate in the festival.

“If it isn’t Weiss-san. Is something the matter?”

Her Slave Crest had completely vanished, and she wore a natural, easy smile. Also, that maid outfit suited her remarkably well. Well, I suppose that makes sense. Just like Lilith, she’s the real deal. She’s even wearing a linen cap; seeing her in that classic style perfectly matches my interpretation of the role.

“Just here for an inspection of Senior Priscilla and the others,” I replied.

“Fufufu, what’s this? You weren’t nearly this polite before, were you? When we fought previously, you didn’t even bother with an honorific.”

“We’re not in a match right now, so I’ll show proper respect. To you, and of course, to Senior Neil.”

“I think he would be very happy to hear those words himself. Unfortunately, he’s a bit busy at the moment.”

Following the signal of her eyes, I peered into the classroom. Neil was standing in the center, talking. He’d always been popular with the students, but I’d heard his charisma and magnetic pull had only increased lately.

“He looks like he’s having fun,” Priscilla whispered. “From where I’m standing, he looks very happy.”

To my eyes, however, Priscilla looked even happier as she watched him. I caught the glint of an engagement ring on her finger.

Hmph. Well, it’s none of my business. Still, if her heart is stable, it’ll be easier to get her help if something goes sideways.

However, Eva was nowhere to be found. Instead, I found something truly unbelievable.

“B-Big sister!? I-It’s too tight!”

“It’ll fit, it’ll fit! This is how we win, Eleanor! We’re going to give Vai a run for his money, act like we own the place, and then make him do whatever we say!”

Sierra was currently trying to force Eleanor into a maid outfit. It looked like she was trying to pull it over a shirt, but Eleanor’s… tayun… were simply too bouncy and voluminous to fit into the fabric. Incidentally, because of the height difference, Sierra was actually standing on a chair just to reach.

Of course, no one dared to point that out.

I excused myself from Priscilla and quietly approached the pair. When Eleanor noticed me, her cheeks turned a bright, embarrassed red.