I had no idea what to expect from my work on the Magics Chevalier management committee. I’d never been involved in anything like it before.
The Magics Chevalier was a massive event within the Kingdom—so huge, in fact, that spectators traveled from other countries just to witness it. I’d heard the excitement within the borders reached a fever pitch during the tournament.
Because of that, the work of the management committee was vital. Professional staff members handled the bulk of it, but they recruited student volunteers to fill in the gaps where they were shorthanded.
With that knowledge tucked away, I made my way toward the classroom that served as our meeting place.
"Ukya!"
Suddenly, something collided with my back with a dull thud. It wasn't a particularly heavy impact, but I certainly felt the weight of someone hitting me.
And was that... "ukya"? It sounded a bit like a monkey, but I assumed it was a person.
I turned around to find a female student splayed on the ground.
Her beautiful, silk-like golden hair was tied up high on both sides—the style known as twin-tails. Her eyes were the same golden hue. She wasn't particularly curvaceous, nor was she very tall.
Guessing that she was a fellow first-year, I reached out to her.
"Are you all right?"
"O-Oww..."
"Can you stand?"
I offered her my hand, but she swatted it aside.
"You! Watch where you're going! That was dangerous!"
"Hmm... My apologies. However, I was merely walking normally."
"Well, I was running because I’m almost late! So you should have gotten out of the way!"
"I see..."
To be honest, her logic was utterly unreasonable, but I figured it was better to apologize immediately than to get bogged down in a strange argument.
"I am sorry. I shall strive to be more mindful in the future."
"...Are you making fun of me?"
"No, not at all. I am responding with the utmost sincerity."
"Hmm? I feel like I’ve seen your face somewhere before..."
She stared intently at me for a moment before her expression shifted to one of sudden realization.
"Ah! Don’t tell me—are you the Ordinary?!"
"That is correct. My name is Ray White. I look forward to working with you."
"Hmph! I am Clarice Cleveland. The eldest daughter of the proud House Cleveland, you know!"
She puffed out her chest with a triumphant look. Her attitude wasn't grating; if anything, I found it strangely charming—perhaps even nostalgic.
However, being ill-informed of such matters, I was unfamiliar with the "proud House Cleveland." I decided it was best to be honest.
"I see. I am not familiar with House Cleveland, but I would be happy if we could get along, Miss Cleveland."
"Eh... You don't know my family?"
"Ah, yes. My apologies. I am quite ignorant regarding noble affairs."
"I see... Yeah, well, that's fine... I mean, it’s a relatively famous noble house, but... okay. You don't know it..."
For some reason, she looked stunned, her eyes going dull like those of a dead fish. I immediately tried to salvage the situation.
"I may not know the name of your house, but I can tell your lineage must be full of beautiful people."
"What?! You can tell?!"
"Yes. It is obvious just by looking at you. Your features are dignified, and your eyes are striking. Personally, I find those twin-tails of yours especially charming and wonderful."
"You!"
She grabbed my shoulders firmly. Since she was quite a bit shorter than me, she had to reach up to manage it.
"To think you actually understand the magnificence of twin-tails... You really get it, don't you?!"
"Is that so?"
"Yes! I’ll allow you to call me Clarice as a special exception. I’ll call you Ray in return!"
"Oh! That is a delightful proposal. I look forward to working with you, Clarice."
"Heheh. You should. Ehehe."
The way she laughed with such an innocent expression reminded me of my younger sister. I see... I must have felt a sense of sympathy for her because she resembled that girl.
Having reached an understanding, the two of us headed toward the conference room. It turned out that Clarice, like me, had been selected as a committee member to represent her class.
Gulp...
"What is the matter, Clarice?"
"Eh?! N-Nothing! It’s not like I’m nervous because I don’t know anyone here... because I’m not!"
"Is that so? Well, shall we head inside?"
"Ah... Wait...!"
Without hesitation, I pushed open the door to the conference room. A large group of students was already gathered inside.
Among them, I spotted some familiar faces—the President of the Environmental Research Club and Sera-senpai from the Gardening Club were both present. They noticed me at the same time and gave a light nod; in return, they each raised an arm as a sign of recognition. I turned to nudge the girl beside me, who had frozen at the sight of the crowd.
"Let’s find a seat for now."
"Y-Yeah..."
"What’s wrong? You’ve lost the energy you had a moment ago."
"I-It’s not like I’m nervous just because I’m surrounded by strangers, okay?"
"Really? It certainly seems that way."
"If I say I’m not, I’m not!"
"Hmm... well, meeting today was a stroke of fate. May I sit next to you?"
When I made the suggestion, Clarice’s face broke into a vibrant smile, like a sunflower in full bloom. But the expression was fleeting; she quickly turned her head away, hiding her face.
"I-If you insist, I suppose it’s fine."
"Yes, I insist."
"Fine then! You should feel honored to sit next to me!"
"Indeed. It is a great honor to meet a new schoolmate."
"F... Friend? Are we... friends?"
"Mm... My apologies. Perhaps I was moving too fast. I felt like conversation flowed quite naturally with you, Clarice, so I assumed as much on my own. Was I being presumptuous?"
She looked down, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Did I say something wrong after all? Just as the thought crossed my mind, she snapped her head back up.
"I-It’s not like I mind...!"
"Hmm? Sorry, your voice was a bit low. I couldn't quite hear you."
"I said it’s fine! To be... friends!"
"I see. I am glad."
I gave Clarice a wide smile, mirroring her earlier expression. As she looked down again, I thought I heard her whisper, "Yes! My first friend... I did it...!" but I assumed it was just my imagination.
There was no way someone as charming and talkative as Clarice didn't already have friends.
The other students were chatting amongst themselves, but when someone tapped on the podium, the room fell silent instantly.
"Everyone is here. I will be overseeing Arnold Magic Academy's side of the Magics Chevalier this year. For those who don't know me, I'm Dina Sera, a third-year. Nice to meet you."
It seemed fate was at work again; Sera-senpai was the one leading the management committee. That was a relief. Since a certain incident, I felt like we had built a very good rapport.
We had even gone into the city together recently to buy flower seedlings. From my perspective, we’d had a very lively conversation, and Sera-senpai had laughed quite a bit.
"Now then, I want the committee members to work in pairs. It’s easier to support one another that way. You’re free to pair up however you like."
As soon as Sera-senpai gave the word, the students began pairing off. The upperclassmen, having spent at least a year at the academy already, quickly found people they knew.
Hmm... What should I do?
"Awawa... Waaaa... Awawa..."
I glanced to my side and saw Clarice looking utterly flustered and overwhelmed. Our meeting earlier must have meant something. Besides, a student can never have too many friends. I decided to ask her.
"Clarice. Would you like to pair up with me?"
"Eh?! I-Is that okay?! I mean, you... you surprisingly seem to know a lot of people, and your communication skills are weirdly high... so..."
"Of course it is okay. In fact, I would prefer it."
"T-That's right! Then, I'll give you special permission! You'd better be grateful! I'm actually incredibly popular, you know!"
"I see. Then, with the utmost gratitude, I shall pair up with you."
"H-Hmph! It’s not like I’m grateful or anything!"
And so, I paired up with Clarice and officially began my work for the Magics Chevalier.