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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Milia. Why are you wearing a maid outfit?”
“What do you think? Does it suit me?”
“It does, but…”
She certainly made a cute and adorable maid, her natural beauty shining through. However, the sudden shift in genre almost made me question my sanity.
Milia’s cheerful presence had a way of making this grim, dark fantasy world feel like a slice-of-life anime.
It was a subtly hopeless and bleak world, after all.
“Hee hee.”
“Milia, you look adorable.”
“Hee hee, thanks, Karina! I mean, Saintess!”
Look at her breaking character after receiving a compliment.
Was praise that rewarding? Renny and I chuckled at the sight.
“Alright, adorable maid. Lead us to this cafe.”
“Okay! I mean, right this way.”
Milia, mimicking the actions of a graceful maid, led us into the cafe. Inside, we saw a mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces.
Second and third-year students, perhaps?
“S-Saintess!”
“W-Welcome, Saintess!”
This was…intense.
I sighed, observing the students, dressed in maid and butler outfits, bowing in unison.
I felt like I had been transported to another world. Was this world always this cheerful and lively?
Well, it was cheerful and lively, both in good ways and bad.
…Whatever.
Just go with the flow.
It was unlikely assassins would attack here. Anyone who could maintain their composure in this cheerful atmosphere deserved an award.
We made our way to the center of the cafe, which had been set up in an empty lecture hall, to prepare for Karina’s speech.
The preparation mostly involved Karina composing herself and adopting a reverent posture, but it was still preparation.
“Don’t be too nervous. It’s just a short speech for the students.”
“That makes it more nerve-wracking.”
“Just relax, Karina.”
“Yeah, yeah. They’ll be too busy staring at your face to listen anyway.”
Milia had a point.
Karina wasn’t wearing her veil today, her beauty on full display. The male students were already mesmerized, their gazes fixated on her face.
“Ow! Why did you pinch me?!”
“You’re insane!”
“That’s not fair! You saw it too!”
…A couple, apparently.
I looked away from the male student, who was being berated by his partner, and scanned the cafe, checking for any unusual contraptions, like the weakened floor at the tournament.
I also checked the escape tunnel I had prepared.
Good. It was intact.
That secured our escape route.
If the ceiling collapsed, we would escape through the tunnel.
Even if a chandelier or debris fell on Karina, Renny could easily deflect it, so there was no risk of injury.
“I’ll begin my address.”
Karina cleared her throat.
All eyes turned to her. With slightly flushed cheeks, she began her speech.
The content was different from her speech at the martial arts tournament, but it was equally uplifting, earning her a round of applause.
This peaceful atmosphere was nice.
And no annoying prince to ruin the mood.
Speaking of which, where was the First Prince? I didn’t particularly enjoy his company, but as the First Prince, I couldn’t completely ignore him.
I couldn’t be certain Karina was their only target.
If they were planning to eliminate multiple targets, the First Prince would be a valuable addition to their list.
Their goal was to sow chaos, after all.
Especially if the culprits were the Halphas Cult, as in the original story.
I needed to deal with them quickly to lift Karina’s curse. Since they were the ones who cursed her, eliminating them should remove the curse.
The problem was, that wouldn’t happen for a while.
They wouldn’t become active until the beginning of the second year.
“Saintess! Please, come this way! We’ll provide you with the best service!”
“What about the others?”
“Do you want to be served by a different maid…?”
“No, it’s just that no one else has approached us.”
I was a bit curious.
“I’ll take care of Karina! We’re friends!”
Ah, so Milia stepped in to alleviate the awkwardness. That was probably the wisest course of action.
As friends, any mistakes wouldn’t be a big deal, and Karina would be more comfortable with Milia than with a nervous maid.
“I see. Thank you, Milia.”
Milia and Karina exchanged smiles.
I noticed the fondness in Karina’s eyes. She practically treated Milia like a younger sister. Considering how Milia usually acted, it wasn’t surprising.
We followed Milia to a table by the window, bathed in sunlight.
Milia, after seating us, asked excitedly,
“What would you like to drink? We have coffee, tea, and milk tea!”
…Only three options?
Well, this wasn’t a professional cafe. Iced Americano probably wasn’t on the menu.
I missed Iced Americano.
Maybe I should try making some later.
“I’ll have tea.”
“Me too.”
“Tea for me as well.”
To keep things simple, we all ordered the same drink. We watched Milia scurry off, then resumed our conversation.
We had plenty to discuss, from future schedules to our impressions of the cafe. The conversation continued until Milia returned with our drinks.
“Ta-da! Here’s your tea~”
“…Oh. This smells nice.”
“Indeed. The temperature is perfect, and it’s brewed well.”
“Good job.”
I wasn’t a tea connoisseur, so beyond “smells nice,” I couldn’t offer much commentary.
“Hee hee. I brewed it myself.”
“Oh, really? We’ll have to leave the tea-making to you from now on, Milia.”
“And mine too.”
“Hee hee, I’ll make it for you anytime! I mean, I’ll brew it for you anytime!”
“Thank you.”
The atmosphere was cheerful and relaxed, as if the earlier assassination threat had been a bad dream.
I wished it could stay this way, but with the mission and the practically guaranteed assassination attempt, I couldn’t let my guard down.
Pretending to admire the view from the window, I scanned the outside for anything unusual.
…It was so peaceful, it was almost unnerving.
Despite my vigilance, our peaceful break in the cafe concluded without incident.
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“The Magic department is next.”
The Magic department was hosting a magic demonstration, so we could just relax and enjoy the show.
Elisa had mentioned there would be demonstrations of original magic.
…I hadn’t realized students could create their own magic.
There was nothing like that in the game, and I hadn’t considered it a possibility in reality.
“The Magic department is…straightforward.”
“They’re practical people.”
“But just writing ‘Magic Department Demonstration Hall’ above the door is a bit too simple.”
The General Studies department had at least decorated the area around the door. This felt more like, “You know what we are. Just come in.” Were there no guides? I looked around and spotted a familiar figure.
“Elisa.”
“H-hello…”
Elisa, dressed in her usual school uniform, approached hesitantly. Her timid demeanor confirmed her identity.
No one else could pull off that level of awkwardness.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m, uh…greeting guests…”
“You’re a bit too far in the corner for that.”
“I-I’m…scared of talking to people…”
Perhaps greeting guests was a bit too much for Elisa. I sighed and patted her shoulder.
“Elisa, you can do it. Don’t be discouraged.”
“That’s right, Elisa. Take your time. Don’t be afraid.”
“Yeah. Just imagine everyone is a walking ear of corn.”
“Corn?”
Where did corn come from?
I looked at Renny, puzzled by her strange analogy. Renny avoided my gaze, scratching her cheek.
“Well, you know…just…imagine that.”
“Th-thank you…”
“Could you guide us inside?”
“Y-yes…”
We followed Elisa, who, unlike Milia, led us inside with nervous, hesitant steps.
As we entered the Magic Department Demonstration Hall, the students’ gazes immediately focused on us.
“The Saintess is here…”
“She must be here to deliver the address.”
“…”
“Saintess, you look beautiful.”
“Martina.”
The ever-affable Martina approached us with a warm smile.
As a first-year representative of the Magic department and a friend of Karina, she had probably volunteered to greet us in place of the second and third-year students.
Even for fellow students, the title of “Saintess” could be intimidating.
“The magic demonstration will begin in thirty minutes. Perhaps you would like to relax over there until then?”
“Thank you, Martina.”
“Elisa, could you assist over there?”
“Y-yes!”
At Martina’s request, Elisa hurried off to join the group of students preparing for the demonstration.
I was slightly concerned about her precarious demeanor, but she wasn’t a child. She would be fine.
“Allow me to escort you.”
We followed Martina to a table tucked away in a corner. It seemed to be a VIP table, more luxurious than the others.
“Such a lovely spot… You didn’t have to do this.”
“Don’t mention it. It’s no trouble at all to provide a comfortable seat for the Saintess.”
Martina smiled, then excused herself, saying she needed to return to her duties.
We were alone.
“The Magic department has a very different atmosphere.”
“Mages have their own…unique sensibilities.”
“They seem very practical.”
It was true.
Their tools and equipment were clearly designed for functionality, with little regard for aesthetics. Even the decorative items displayed a certain…unconventional charm.
For instance, a teapot with two spouts, one on top and one on the bottom.
Two plates, stacked vertically with a slight gap between them. And mugs without handles, designed to mold to the user’s grip.
…So many strange things.
“How does one use this teapot?”
“Perhaps you put different liquids in the top and bottom?”
“That seems plausible.”
We were so engrossed in examining the peculiar objects that thirty minutes passed by quickly.
When the time came, we made our way to the stage and prepared for Karina’s address.
This time, Karina seemed more relaxed as she cleared her throat.
“…I’ll begin my address.”
Karina’s beautiful voice filled the hall.
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