“Whoa! Look at you! You were incredible, Ro... Roger!”
Gazel greeted me the moment I landed.
Roger was, of course, a pseudonym. If he’d called me by my real name, I would have been exposed instantly.
“Yes, quite. I must say, I was surprised you were capable of such a feat, Rodeo.”
I had been careful to feed Noah the same story. Naturally, I’d done the same for everyone else watching.
“Man, that was something else! Both of you were firing off Great Magic like it was nothing, and yet neither of you has a scratch on you!”
“Indeed. You are both truly magnificent mages. The Student Council is proud to have you.”
Surrounded by the crowd, we were praised so heavily we were practically hoisted onto their shoulders.
“Still, a draw is a real letdown. If the fight had kept going, Ro... Roger would’ve definitely come out on top.”
“I can’t simply ignore a comment like that. No matter how you look at it, Rodeo had the upper hand.”
“Whaddya say?!”
“Is there a problem?”
“Now, now, calm down, you two.”
I stepped in between Noah and Gazel as sparks began to fly again. They really were on terrible terms. Regardless, neither of them seemed to have intended for us to kill each other, so I suppose I’d managed to scrape through this crisis.
As I let out a sigh of relief, Gazel reached out and placed a hand on the head of the Wooden Effigy that Grimo was controlling.
“But man, you two are so alike. Even your names are similar. Are you twins or something? Haha!”
The moment he playfully slapped the head, the Wooden Effigy’s neck snapped, and the head popped right off.
“Whaaa—?!”
Everyone on the scene cried out in shock.
Damn it, was it damaged from the fight earlier? Grimo must have pushed himself to the limit just to keep up with me.
“Woof!”
While the crowd stood there in bewilderment, Shiro came diving in. It skillfully hid the Wooden Effigy inside its thick fur.
Nice work, Shiro. Taking advantage of the distraction, I deployed the Illusion System Magic ‘Vision Canopy’ and immediately deactivated it. A split second of spatial distortion rippled through the air, an anomaly that everyone noticed immediately.
“This presence... Illusion System Magic?”
As expected of Noah, he was sharp.
The ‘Vision Canopy’ I’d just used allowed me to project illusions within a barrier. Essentially, I was trying to make everyone believe that the entire battle they’d just witnessed between Grimo and me had been a mere illusion. If I made it look like I had been the one performing the magic all along, I could cover for Grimo’s blunder.
Of course, this was a desperate measure. By doing this, I was effectively exposing my own ruse.
“...I see. So that battle was an illusion. It was magnificent Illusion Magic, but it seems you let your guard down at the very end. You allowed us to sense your power.”
“Well, I had a sneaking suspicion something was off. ...More importantly, that means you were acting as my underling while also being in the Student Council, doesn't it?”
The piercing gazes of Noah and Gazel felt like they were pinning me in place.
“It is true I never explicitly said you couldn't be a member of the Student Council and another club simultaneously... but I cannot say it is a particularly commendable act.”
“You know damn well how much we hate each other. To be a double agent despite that, you’ve got some real guts, don't ya?”
“Ehehe, well, I wouldn't go that far.”
“...I’m telling you, I’m not praising you!”
As I acted bashful, the two of them looked at me with cold, exasperated eyes.
“Even if I didn’t state it before, this foolish younger brother and I are like oil and water. I’ll have you quit that side immediately.”
“Yeah, you got that right. Lloyd, you’ve got potential, but it’s no fun if you’re in the same organization as this scumbag older brother. You’re gonna quit that side and come over here, right?”
Noah and Gazel glared at each other, sparks practically flying from their eyes.
Hmm, as I thought, it’s come to this. I managed to gloss over the incident with Grimo, but at this rate, I’ll be kicked out of both their organizations. That would be a major problem.
“What do you plan to do, Lloyd-kun?”
“You can’t talk your way out of this anymore.”
“Well?!”
“Well?!”
I backed away as the two of them pressed in on me.
Mghhh... what should I do?
“U-Um... could you give me just one week to decide? ...Please?”
The two of them looked at each other with dissatisfied expressions. After a moment of thought, they both nodded with apparent reluctance.
“Phew, I’m in a real bind.”
I let out another deep sigh. I’d managed to survive the moment, but there was no way a good idea would just pop into my head in a single week. Besides, I wasn’t exactly an expert at social interaction. Good grief, I was in trouble.
That said, I still hadn't seen the full extent of their capabilities as mages. Whenever those two clashed, it always ended as a minor skirmish. The magic they used seemed to be under a powerful protection; I couldn't see any detailed data even with ‘Appraisal’. They didn't seem to be hiding any unusual Magic Books either, so it was likely a type of Bloodline Magic engraved in their very blood... It was truly enticing.
I couldn't give up now. I needed to gain more of their trust, but then this had to happen.
As I was pondering my next move, a knock came at the door.
“Hi, Lloyd. Are you in?”
“Albert-niisan!”
The one who entered was Albert. He was carrying two teacups.
“You’ve had such a long face since dinner. I came to see how you were doing. Sylpha has been worried sick the whole time, you know?”
“Haha...”
I could easily imagine her fussing. Albert set the teacups on my desk and sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Is something bothering you? You can tell me. I might be able to help.”
Hmm, consulting Albert might actually be a good move. Whenever Albert saw the Chancellors bickering, he would listen to both sides before the conflict could escalate and make them reach an agreement. I had always been impressed by how skillfully he handled people. If anyone could think of a way to make Noah and Gazel get along, it would be him.
“Well... actually, two of my schoolmates are on very bad terms, and I want to find a way to make them get along...”
“Hmm, could that perhaps be the William brothers?”
“! How did you know that?”
“Hahaha, I see, now it all makes sense. Lloyd, you were a member of both their organizations at once, weren't you? And then you were found out and interrogated. So now you’re trying to improve their relationship to save your own skin.”
How could this be? He’d grasped the situation perfectly.
“It shouldn’t be that surprising, right? If you combine my information network with Lloyd’s personality, it’s a simple deduction.”
“...I’m impressed. It’s exactly as you said. Do you have any suggestions?”
At my words, Albert said, “Hmm,” and tapped his chin.
“Let’s see... If it were me, I would first listen carefully to what both have to say and let them vent their feelings about each other. After that, I would twist those emotions just a little bit for the better and relay them to the other person. After repeating that a few times, I would hold a tea party.”
“! I see, a tea party!”
Come to think of it, Albert often invited people over for tea. High-quality tea leaves have a relaxing effect on the mind. While drinking such tea, they might be able to talk calmly without bickering.
“As expected of Albert-niisan. Thank you for the great idea!”
“Sure, it’s no trouble at all. ...But Lloyd, a tea party is just a means to an end. The important thing is to listen to them first, okay? The bad blood between those brothers is famous enough to be heard about in other departments. If you hold a tea party directly in that situation, a decent conversation would... No, you’re a clever boy, Lloyd. I’m sure you’re well aware of that. You probably have some plan in mind. Even so, to think that Lloyd, who I thought was only interested in magic, would volunteer to mediate a fight... As your older brother, I should watch over your growth without interfering too much. Hehehe.”
Albert was laughing while muttering something to himself, but my mind was already racing with thoughts of the tea party. I’ll do this, and then that... Hehe, I think this will actually work.
“Hey, Majin.”
In the dead of night, while Lloyd and the others were fast asleep, Jiriel suddenly spoke.
“Hah? What is it, you shitty angel?”
“That fight during the day—you intended to kill Master Lloyd, didn't you? You took advantage of Master Lloyd’s personality and created a situation where he couldn't fight seriously. On top of that, you set elaborate traps. Don't tell me you didn't have that intention.”
To Jiriel’s serious tone, Grimo thought for a moment before answering.
“...So what if I did? I’ve been looking for a chance to take over that guy’s body this whole time. Surely you have too, haven't you?”
“T-True, I did at first. But I am different now! I have been enamored by Master Lloyd’s power and feel honored by my duty as his servant! I thought you were the same. I thought you had some potential for a Majin...”
“Quiet. You’ll wake up your precious master.”
Jiriel fell silent at Grimo’s sharp tone.
“Nnh... mumble mumble...”
Seeing Lloyd roll over in his sleep, Jiriel shut his mouth. Even so, he didn't take his accusing gaze off the demon.
“Don't worry, I won't change. Ever. Kukuku.”
Which meaning did he intend? Jiriel wanted to ask, but he knew there was no way he would learn Grimo’s true intentions just by asking.
“You shitty Majin...”
Jiriel’s mutter vanished, dissolving into the darkness of the night.