Bell decided to have a cozy chat with the seven minor noble girls Freya had captured. So, we entered the outpost next to the main gate of <Mimir Industrial High School>.
By now, we were accustomed to entering the <United Student Council>’s outpost area.
They had converted one of the spare lodgings into a space for the members dispatched from the <United Student Council> to stay. The location was on the edge of the site, but it was a straight path to the student council building.
‘It feels like a US military base in a foreign country… From the perspective of Skadi, the student council president of <Mimir Industrial High School>, it must feel like she’s being watched all the time...’
Whatever the situation or choice... The independence of <Mimir Industrial High School> is impossible.
For Skadi, an independence advocate, this would have been a heartbreaking situation. In the original story, it was a vassal state of the Eastern Alliance, and here, it’s a vassal state of the <United Student Council>… She seemed to have a rather unfortunate fate.
Alvit looked around and spoke.
"Every time I come here, I feel it, but <Mimir Industrial High School> has so many buildings. The student council building is like a huge tower." "Ha-ha-ha―☆ They even generously gave Bell an entire building that could easily accommodate dozens of people♪" "Since they excel in architectural skills among the schools in the academy city, and they have many visitors from outside..."
Kara trailed off, looking around. Hundreds of dwarves and external students had gathered there, looking worried.
Murmur murmur
I came to place an order for weapons and equipment production, but what is this mess... I was finally able to get a bunch of low-grade ether conductive ores cheaply… sigh… Damn Carpet and those eared brats, they’ve been noisy lately, centering around the aristocratic faction of <Public Vana Dormitory>, and now they’ve caused trouble. Ugh… they’ve been messing with the telephone base stations since yesterday, so I can’t even contact the school… What a mess. They were reading the news about the Eastern Alliance's activities on the bulletin board of <Mimir Industrial High School>’s student council. Due to the incident, <Mimir Industrial High School> had also stopped its factory operations, leaving them stranded.
“...”
I looked at the guests gathered at <Mimir Industrial High School> and thought that the sudden production halt declaration by <Svart Industrial High School> was also related to this.
‘Thanks to that, Maya and the Facility Engineering Department students, who had fled during the strike, managed to escape from the school before the blockade started…’
The move to threaten <Mimir Industrial High School> to prevent them from focusing on external matters was clearly intentional. The Eastern Alliance’s uprising seemed less impulsive and more calculated.
‘In the original story, they had already secured the northeast, so they didn’t apply this much pressure from various angles...’
Similar but more meticulous moves compared to the original. Could it be that the altered <Ratatosk> was behind this...?
“...”
Leaving that scene behind, we entered the outpost office.
“I’ll open it for you.” “Uu―☆ I’m not such an invalid anymore☆” “Oh… okay…”
Alvit, leading the way, opened the door to the outpost office.
Creak―
The inside was clean and sophisticated, befitting a building in <Mimir Industrial High School>, renowned for its architecture and mechanical engineering. Inside, members of the security team <Gjallarhorn>, who followed Sigrun, were either resting or working.
I recognized the faces of the security team members, who also appeared as supporters in the original story.
‘The unique ones who follow the justice fool, Sigrun.’
In the game, they were NPC mob characters with shared models, but here, they were individual girls with distinctive appearances.
"Wait a moment~!"
The youngest member of the security team, a first-year silver-haired vampire girl, blocked our way out of obligation. But upon seeing our faces, her eyes widened.
"This area is off-limits to outsiders… huh? Alvit? Rota and Kara too… And Clara Senior? What brings you here?" “Hello, Greta.” “Hello, hello―☆ Greta! Your fangs are cute today too~♪” “Hehe! You noticed! My fangs are considered the most stylish among the new students at <Haze Girls’ High School>… Oh, right, what brings you here?”
I answered the slightly clueless Greta.
“Bell told us to wait here for a bit―☆ We’ll be quiet~♪ and calm~♪ if you allow us to stay―☆” “Oh… yes. Of course! You are guests of Captain Sigrun and Secretary Bell, after all.” “Hmm―☆ Can’t we be your guests too, Greta? That would be sad… I was going to tell you how to make your teeth whiter…☆” “Huh…?! Is there really a way to do that―?! The secret to fang whitening that the senior members never told me, right here―?!”
Greta, with clenched fists and sparkling eyes, approached us with a purity that seemed to make stars shine in her eyes.
‘It’s always refreshing to see characters with their own uniqueness, even if they aren't playable.’
Would it feel like discovering that one of the minor characters in a Romance of the Three Kingdoms game is actually a scholar with a backstory?
I gently pressed Greta’s nose and answered.
“…Actually, I don’t really know―☆” “No way―?! Were you making a fool of me?!” “Sniff…☆ But Greta, if I didn’t do this♪ you wouldn’t pay attention to me―☆” “No way―?! Were you trying to get my attention?!” “Well… I thought we could be good friends, Greta―♪” “No way―?! Did you want to be friends with me?!”
A conversation that could cause brain damage just by listening to it. Alvit and Rota watched with wry smiles, while Freya hid behind the tall Kara, pretending to be a stranger.
Hearing our conversation, other members of the security team began to gather.
“What’s going on?” “Oh, it’s the <Central Prism Academy> kids.” “Are they here to help us again?”
Approaching us with welcoming expressions, the security team members had gotten to know us during the northern incident.
A cheerful member of the security team spoke to us.
“I heard the path to here was blocked by the Eastern Alliance. How did you make it?” “Yes♪ This lovely street cat lady here cleared the way for us all―☆” “A street cat? A beastkin?” “That’s right~♪ It’s this lady here―☆”
I pointed to Freya. Hiding behind Kara, Freya flinched in surprise. Seeing her, the security team members were also shocked.
“Wait a minute…!” “Oh?! [Purple Spindle]―?!” “Greta―!! Go call the captain―!!” “Why is the strongest student from <Public Vana Dormitory> here?!”
The security team members started murmuring as soon as they saw Freya.
Currently, the forces of <Mimir Industrial High School>, including the outpost, were in a sharp standoff with the Eastern Alliance of <Public Vana Dormitory>, so the security team members looked around the office in a panic.
“Captain~! What should we do―?!”
Sigrun, the captain of the security team, who was on the phone in the back of the office, turned to us and spoke. Her brown ears twitched continuously as she dealt with frantic reports.
“Ah! That person is fine! It's already been discussed with Secretary Bell, so everyone get back to your duties!” “Huh? Really? That person… is a beastkin wizard from <Public Vana Dormitory>?” “She’s fine! She’s from the ‘research faction,’ unrelated to this issue! And besides, I’m a dark elf myself! No racial discrimination in the <Gjallarhorn> security team!” “Oh… well, that’s true…”
I let out a chuckle at the sight.
'They’re like American police...'
Tap tap
“...?”
I felt a small impact on my side and turned to look. Tap tap Tap tap Tap tap
Freya was poking my side with her wand like a woodpecker. She seemed dissatisfied with being the center of such an incident.
Freya, in a disgruntled tone, quietly scolded me.
“Q-Quiet… Talking to strangers… Don’t include me… you brute…” “Aww☆ I’m sorry―☆” “R-Really… If this wasn’t an emergency… I wouldn’t be with… a brute like you…” “I’m sorryyy…☆”
Until recently, our conversations usually ended around here. But since our chat in the shopping district, Freya had always been nagging me with these bossy remarks.
“Hmph… Saying sorry all the time… What’s the point of rules… and the disciplinary committee… You should show sincerity… shouldn’t you…?” “Uuu… that’s harsh―☆ Then would you like to share my macarons? They’re very sweet and tasty―♪” “I’m not a beggar… Hmph… G-Give it… I’ll taste it…”
Having vented her anger on the train, she seemed hungry. Nom nom...
Freya took the macarons from my coat pocket and started eating. They were high-end macarons included in the relief supplies Hilde had sent, so she seemed to like them.
After the brief commotion, The office returned to its tense atmosphere. We sat in Bell’s somewhat messy office.
“Excuse me.”
Clink
A second-year student with gentle eyes and sleek red hair brought tea. Placing the tray of refreshments before us, she spoke.
“Please enjoy before it gets cold. You must be tired from your long journey.” “Oh―☆ Thank you♪ Such luxurious hospitality―☆” “Hehe, it’s nothing.”
The girl bowed and left Bell’s office with the tray.
Sip…
Everyone lifted their cups and sipped the tea.
“Pheew~”
Rota, unable to drink the hot tea, blew on it to cool it down. As usual, she couldn’t handle hot drinks.
A moment of silence.
As the fragrant aroma of tea filled the office, A presence confidently approached us from outside. Bell entered the office boldly, pushing the door open.
Bang―!
The remaining fur on one side of the captured girls' ears, It was ruthlessly shaved and clung to Bell’s clothes. The amount could have filled a small pillow.
Bell, her face covered in fur, smiled broadly and shouted.
“I found out! The beasts’ schemes! They’re trying to tie us down. The Carpet and Eared Alliance aren’t targeting the northeast!”
“They’re not targeting the northeast? Then why are they occupying the dungeon gates...? Especially those with the Blessing of Recovery...”
“Hohoho… Our cute secretary knows that too! It seems they needed blessings to replenish the magical puppets of <Svart Industrial High School>, their main force in the northeast! They didn’t have enough on their own!”
Hearing this, Rota grabbed my sleeve and looked at me with anxious eyes. They had occupied the dungeon gate with the blessing we were heading to for my treatment.
‘Well… it couldn’t be helped, I didn’t expect the armor puppets of <Svart Industrial High School> to appear so soon.’
I held her hand and signaled that it was okay. Rota, still dejected, lowered her head.
Thud thud
Bell hurriedly walked inside the office. With a lively gesture, she pointed to the center of the map of <Academy City Yggdrasil>.
“The main target of the <Public Vana Dormitory> is... the barrier leading to the World Tree, specifically the <United Student Council> building connected to the outside!!”
Freya, understanding something, murmured.
“F-Frau and the aristocratic faction… Their age-old ambition… to regain control of <Academy City Yggdrasil>… They haven't stopped their foolish plans...”
“Hmph! The forces of <Aesir Girls’ High School> and the Aesir Military have protected <Academy City Yggdrasil> for over 1000 years! How dare those beasts try to interfere―!”
Ignoring Bell’s words, Freya pondered aloud.
“B-But with the aristocratic faction's poor magical skills, such a plan is unthinkable… Why are they executing it so urgently...?”
“Hmm… I don’t know that either. Maybe the research faction has some clue?”
“N-Not at all… T-The student council of <Public Vana Dormitory> has always been managed by the aristocratic faction… It’s a tradition...”
“This is why aristocratic schools...”
Bell compared what she had found out with what Freya knew. She seemed to consider our presence a golden opportunity to help.
‘If <Ratatosk>’s real target isn’t the northeast but the <United Student Council>...’
For some reason, A face flashed in my mind, making my heart flutter.
“...”
The first person who came to mind was Hilde.