Most people would be nervous under the gaze of such a large crowd, but Misha spoke into the microphone without a hint of hesitation, her words flowing smoothly.
The students gathered in the cafeteria were captivated by her dignified demeanor and clear voice, hanging on to her every word. Before we knew it, time had flown by, and finally, she paused for a breath and smiled.
“Lastly, everyone, in this academy, I am not a princess of the country, but merely a fellow student. Please, underclassmen, feel free to approach me as your senior in the academy.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a storm of applause erupted from the students in the cafeteria. Some new students were even moved to tears.
Me? I was clapping so hard my hands were stinging.
“Now, it would be boring to keep listening to me talk, so let’s move on to the discussion session. Second-year students, we’ll now distribute papers with alphabets written on them. Please sit at the table marked with the alphabet on your paper.”
As Misha explained, a bird spirit delivered a piece of paper to me. I received it and saw the letter ‘F’ written on it.
“Rourke, where are you?”
“F, apparently.”
“Too bad, we’re one off.”
Looking at Gareth’s paper, I saw the letter ‘E’ written on it. It seems he’ll be in the group next to mine. Honestly, it would have been reassuring to have Gareth, who knows the situation, in the same group, but oh well.
“Rourke, be careful what you say, okay?”
“Are you my guardian or something?”
Exchanging such casual banter with Gareth on the way to my seat, I found the table with my alphabet and headed there after saying goodbye to him.
“…Ah.”
“…Ugh.”
There, as if by some devilish prank, sat the priestess of the Flame Dragon I had defeated in the welcome match earlier, and Leia Valhart on the new students’ side. I’m getting a bad feeling about this already.
As the discussion session began and conversations between new students and current students started at each table, our Table F remained silent.
There are probably various reasons for this, but I’m likely at the center of it. I regret not going home when I had the chance.
“W-Well then, let’s start with self-introductions. I’m Celia Rufflair. New students, feel free to ask me anything you’re curious about!”
Trying to break the heavy atmosphere at our table, a cute girl with short brown hair introduced herself with a cheerful smile.
Her name is Celia Rufflair, the heir to the prestigious Rufflair family of spirit users. She’s one of the top spirit users in the academy, and if I remember correctly, her grades are among the top ten in our year.
She’s using all of her natural cheerfulness and communication skills to liven up the atmosphere, but the funeral-like mood doesn’t seem to be lifting. However, inspired by her bright demeanor, the new students slowly begin to introduce themselves.
“U-Um, I’m Maylie North. N-Nice to meet you!”
The first to introduce herself was a girl with blue bangs covering her eyes. Although I couldn’t see her expression, I could tell from her high-pitched voice that she was nervous.
She has a cute, rookie-like charm that’s quite endearing.
“Tsukikage Akari.”
The next to introduce herself was a girl with glossy long black hair and sharp eyes. Judging by her name, she must be a spirit user from the East. She’s come a long way. Like Gareth, she’s carrying a sword, so she probably prefers close combat. Maybe we could become friends talking about swordsmanship. A glimmer of hope in this gloomy welcome party.
“…Leia Valhart.”
And finally, the young lady of the Valhart family. One of the factors making the atmosphere at this table heavy, she’s glaring at me with her golden eyes while swaying her silver braid that looks like a tail.
Despite her well-proportioned features, her intense gaze makes it impossible to find her cute at all.
Wait, why is she here? Didn’t she say she wasn’t going to participate in the dinner party? Am I imagining things?
“Maylie-chan, Akari-chan, and Leia-chan! Nice to meet you all! Come on, you two introduce yourselves too!!”
Celia encourages us current students to introduce ourselves as well. Impressed by her excellent communication skills, I try to create a calm atmosphere as I slowly open my mouth.
“I’m Rourke Areas. Nice to meet you.”
As I finish my introduction, I feel like Leia’s gaze has become a bit sharper. I hope it’s just my imagination…
“I’m Ogun, Ogun Godwin! If you need anything, you’d better rely on me rather than that commoner over there! I’ll teach you everything you need to know!”
The one who introduced himself while picking a fight with me is Ogun Godwin, the second reason for the heavy atmosphere at this table.
With his school uniform worn sloppily and decorated with unnecessary silver necklaces, bracelets, and other expensive accessories, this guy looks like a nouveau riche delinquent, but he’s actually a member of a noble family.
In terms of family background alone, he’s on par with Gareth and Celia as a powerful noble, and in terms of ability, while he may be a step behind those two, he’s still in the highly capable category.
Well, as for his dignity, that’s another story…
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“H-Hey! Ogun-kun, don’t say things like that! Today is the new student welcome party, so let’s try to have fun!”
“Hah, it’s the truth, isn’t it!? A loner, an introvert, poor, and on top of that, he never summons his contracted spirit in any battle. Who would want to rely on such a creepy guy!?”
Ogun shouts, brushing off Celia’s desperate attempt to smooth things over.
He really hates me, probably because I’ve beaten him up a few times in the past. He picks fights with me all the time – when I’m eating in the cafeteria, reading in the library, even during class… basically whenever he sees me.
And today, ending up in the same group was the last straw. He had been glaring at me like I was his mortal enemy even before the discussion session started, but it seems he finally couldn’t hold back anymore and his insults towards me just won’t stop.
Well, I can understand how he feels to some extent.
There’s an ancient dueling custom among spirit users where they summon their contracted spirits and introduce themselves before fighting. Because of this, fighting without summoning a contracted spirit can be seen as an insult to the opponent.
It’s an outdated custom now, and most people don’t care about it, but some people, especially among the nobility, are oddly particular about such etiquette. Like Ogun.
So, knowing that the root cause lies with me, I’m irritated but I never complain and maintain a non-reactive stance.
After grumbling about me for a while, Ogun clicks his tongue in boredom at my lack of reaction and shifts his target from me to the new students.
“You lot, if you want to get ahead in this academy, you’d better start currying favor with me now.”
Saying this, Ogun starts boasting about his achievements without anyone asking. Celia desperately tries to change the subject, but all her attempts are hijacked by Ogun’s self-praise. Maylie looks at us with a troubled expression, fidgeting nervously. Tsukikage completely ignores Ogun’s boasting, showing not even a shred of interest. And Leia, also ignoring every word Ogun says, is staring intently at me for some reason.
In the midst of the chaotic discussion at Table F, where everything had spiraled out of control, I gave up and picked up the teacup that had been placed on the table, taking a sip to calm my nerves.
Mmm, delicious. They must’ve used some really good tea leaves.
No matter how painful, boring, or unbearable these discussions were, the tea and sweets served were always top-notch and delicious. It was the only solace I could find during these meetings.
Just like last time, I quietly escaped into the world of tea and sweets when Leia suddenly raised her hand.
“Um, may I ask a question?”
“Oh, yes! Of course, ask anything!”
“Leave it to me; I’ll answer whatever you need!”
Celia’s eyes sparkled as she eagerly awaited the first question from the new students, and Ogun crossed his arms, ready for anything.
Watching the two of them out of the corner of my eye, I tilted my teacup, waiting for Leia’s next words.
“Rourke-senpai, why don’t you summon your contracted spirit?”
“…Hngh… cough cough!”
The question wasn’t directed at the two of them, but at me. Moreover, it was the same question I’d already answered before, and in my surprise, I choked on my tea.
…Couldn’t you ask something else? Celia aside, Ogun is giving me a terrifying glare right now…
“I thought I answered that after the match,”
“I’m not convinced. Even if you prefer to fight on your own, summoning your contracted spirit to supply you with spiritual energy would have made things easier, right?”
Yeah, I think so too.
“Yet, despite that, you stubbornly refused to summon your contracted spirit and kept fighting me with just the minor spirits from your temporary contracts. In the end, I lost. It felt like you were mocking me.”
“…”
I’m not mocking you; in fact, I actually respect you!
“If there’s another reason, could you please tell me now? I couldn’t accept your previous answer.”
“…”
After listening to Leia’s question, I slowly placed the teacup back on the saucer.
The clinking of the porcelain sounded unusually loud, and I realized that other groups around us had sensed the tension and were now focused on our conversation.
Please, everyone, just mind your own discussions…
“…A reason, huh,”
I muttered, crossing my arms.
If she’s not satisfied with the answer I gave before, what kind of reason would make Leia accept it…?
I closed my eyes, trying to buy time by appearing deep in thought, but I knew this wouldn’t last long. With everyone’s eyes on me, I couldn’t just run away.
Alright, what should I do? I can’t think of any good reason.
There are countless disadvantages to not summoning your contracted spirit, but I can’t think of a single benefit. Well, I guess that’s why Leia is questioning me…
Should I just go all out and admit, “Actually, I don’t have a contracted spirit!” while making a funny face and throwing up a peace sign? I’d lose everything I’ve built up until now, but in a way, it might feel liberating.
As I was pondering this absurd idea, a loud voice echoed through the dining hall.
“It’s obvious! He doesn’t summon his contracted spirit because he doesn’t have one!”
For a moment, I almost forgot to breathe.
I turned to see Ogun standing with an irritated expression.
“Right, Rourke!?”
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