On a scorching summer afternoon, unlike the usual visitors like Eir or Maya, the guest at <Central Prism Academy> today was an elegant young lady.
"My name is Erda, working with the <Union Student Council>."
Erda, the treasurer of the <Union Student Council>, was an elf girl with impressive lemon-colored straight hair, wearing long sleeves even in the middle of summer without sweating a drop. It was unnerving.
In the game, her personality was stiff, but seeing her in person, she felt overwhelmingly intimidating. She radiated the aura of a perfect young lady.
“….”
‘Unlike the casual Anna from the agriculture and children’s department, the theology students truly fit the stereotypical elf maiden image.’
She looked like a drawn picture of an elf maiden. She was drinking the cheap tea we served.
‘I’m sorry. You probably only drink good stuff in the central district, but we’re a poor school, so this is all we have.’
But Erda didn’t seem to mind.
“…”
Sharak—
With her slender white fingers, she lightly turned the teacup, holding it with her thumb and index finger, and stabilizing it with her middle finger before bringing it quietly to her lips to drink.
Complete silence. Listening closely, it seemed like she was just pretending to drink, but upon closer inspection, you could see the slight movements of her cheek and neck muscles.
“…”
Even removing the cup from her lips was done in complete silence. Despite drinking tea, her pink lips remained untainted, set perfectly straight. Her slightly lowered lemon-colored eyebrows remained unshaken in their calm demeanor.
‘She’s really drinking it without making a sound… she’s not displeased, right?’
I couldn’t tell.
Even Hilde, who’s often described as stoic, shows some subtle expressions or vocal cues that hint at her feelings. Erda, on the other hand, made no sound or visible expression at all.
‘I’d rather deal with someone as straightforward as Eir or Freya, even if they’re headstrong…’
This business-like demeanor was rare in the direct atmosphere of the academy city. It was stirring up PTSD from the pressure interviews I experienced in my past life.
Dalgrak—
Although we were just hosting a guest and serving tea, the inexplicable pressure made us all feel uneasy.
“...” “...” “...” “...”
It was chilling. Despite being a guest bringing news from the <Union Student Council>...
‘I want to start the conversation, but if I bring up the main topic right away, will she think I’m dismissive?’
We were hesitant, barely touching our teacups, overwhelmed by her elegant aura.
“Aah?!”
Finally, Kara, who usually chugged her drinks like beer, dropped her teacup.
Clang
The cheap teacup shattered on the quiet student council room floor.
Kara scratched her head awkwardly and hurried to get a broom.
“Oh…! I-I’m sorry!” “...”
Erda watched the scene and put her teacup down. Then, still seated, she clasped her hands and spoke quietly.
“I seem to have disturbed your peace, visiting like an untimely wind.”
“No…? Ah, no! That’s not it! It’s just…!”
Albite hastily waved her hands in protest, but Erda nodded in understanding.
“I wished to be like a passing leaf, but it seems I underestimated the ominous connotations of a leaf falling in the summer breeze.”
“Well, that’s…”
Hmm. I didn’t quite understand the sentence, but I could feel the sentiment behind it.
‘Heart of a maiden, catch her intentions…!’
Not with my head, But with the heart of a girl, the meaning I grasped was this:
[Interpretation: Sorry for coming suddenly, don’t worry about it. I’m just here to inform you of something, not to bother you.]
“...!”
I subtly looked at Erda’s teacup.
‘And she really finished the tea we served… even though it probably didn’t suit her taste.’
Except for a few drops left where she had sipped, it was completely empty. She had only started speaking after finishing the tea we served.
‘Did she finish it to avoid embarrassing us, given our apparent poverty?’
Suddenly, I felt sorry.
Seeing the consideration hidden behind her seemingly cold exterior, I felt a sense of internal closeness stirring up, reminiscent of how I felt in the game.
‘In times like this, you need to break the ice, right?’
I spoke cheerfully to Erda, standing next to the flustered Albite.
“Hehehe—☆ Sorry, sorry—☆ I got startled because a lady much more elegant than I had heard about came to visit~☆ Well, you’re not cuter than me, the cutest in the academy city though~☆”
“Beautiful flowers do not overlap with others; they hold their heads high to receive the sunlight alone. Therefore, it’s challenging to ensure they do not cast shadows... Even the passing leaves in the wind must be considered.”
Once again, my heart pounded, Quickly deciphering the hidden sentiment. It felt like a rainbow passing before my eyes.
Deep learning, begin, heart of a maiden.
Thump—☆ Thump—☆
[Interpretation: I acknowledge your confidence in your appearance, but it’s rude to compare yourself to a guest right in front of them.]
‘I can hear it…! The language of a lady…!’
It felt like an AI with a pretty filter was whispering next to me.
Normally, such roundabout talk wouldn’t register with me, but strangely, Erda’s intentions came through clearly.
Come to think of it, Clara in the original story also quickly read the inner thoughts of characters often misunderstood for their aloofness…
Was it something like this?
‘Or is it because I’m familiar with her style from the game…?’
Anyway. It wasn’t a bad thing.
Now I could move on to hospitality talk that could resolve the internal closeness.
“…”
As I prepared my next line, I looked at Erda.
“…”
Her face remained calm. However, she seemed to silently disapprove of my open comparison in front of a guest.
Sharak—
Her hair fluttered in a gesture of dissatisfaction. And under her neatly arranged lemon-colored hair, her glass-like skin… Indeed, elves, whether dark or light, had an undeniable beauty buff.
‘A direct compliment won’t work… I need to twist the compliment a bit.’
Thinking that, I delivered my next line to ease Erda’s mood.
“Yes♪ That’s right~☆ Sorry, sorry~ I thought you were asking to be seen as a leaf, but I realized Erda is like a flower tree high up~♪ So, could you kindly look at the flowers striving below with affection—☆”
“...” “Flowers cannot converse with trees unless they hold their heads high~☆ So please, tree lady, be comfortable—♪”
“…”
I am a flower. You are a tree.
Setting aside various nuances and hidden intentions, there was no better line to momentarily win over the hearts of white elves.
Using the metaphor of ‘leaf’ to address her as a ‘tree,’ while subtly asking her to relax to avoid making us nervous.
‘This is… the language the heart of a maiden can speak…?’
My heart swelled with pride.
The pretty filter had finally evolved into a deep-learning AI.
“...” “…”
Sure enough, Erda looked at me with slightly surprised eyes.
Then she quietly raised her hand. She precisely covered her elegant lower face and closed her eyes. From that state, a faint laugh escaped.
“...Pfft.”
“...!”
“I honestly thought it was rude. Huhu… This was unexpected.”
Success in hospitality.
Originally, such lines needed a twist to make an impact.
With Erda’s shoulders shaking slightly in laughter, The previously uncomfortable atmosphere melted away instantly.
As the conversation began to flow, We maintained the pleasant mood with laughter.
“Hahaha…♪” “Huhu…”
I could feel the juniors, including Albite, staring at me with wide eyes.
‘Hmph… Why so surprised, everyone…’
Hadn’t I always relied more on skillful strategies than brute force?
‘This is the talk of a lady.’
Proudly receiving their gazes, I puffed out my chest as much as I could. My shoulders, of course, shrugged.
Shrug Shrug
‘Juniors, remember this…! The key is catching the feeling within something…!’
“…Therefore, we invite you all as members of the upcoming ‘Union Conference.’ We apologize for the hasty notice due to the somewhat unusual circumstances.”
Swoosh—
The invitation Erda handed over mentioned the ‘Union Conference’ to be held a week later… summoning representatives of schools affiliated with <Academy City Yord>.
Each school was to send one representative. However, unusually, <Central Prism Academy> had two names listed.
[<Central Prism Academy> Representatives: Student Council President Albite, Clara.]
“…?”
Albite accepted it and looked back and forth between me and Erda, then cautiously spoke.
“Well… I understand having Clara-senpai, a [Unique Ether] user, participate, but won’t other schools protest this unusual arrangement? Wouldn’t it be better to have each school bring a second representative?”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. While Clara’s status as [Pink Spiral] is significant, this invitation serves another purpose… Once you hear the reason, everyone will understand.”
Both Albite and I had to ask simultaneously.
“Another purpose?” “What other purpose…☆”
Erda opened another envelope from her bag and took out a letter.
Flick—
A very ordinary-looking letter. However… an inexplicable sense of foreboding emanated from it. At the same time, my neck and stomach, where Hilde had touched, tingled.
Feeling an unknown anxiety, I stared intently at the letter.
‘What is this…? It feels like waiting for a sudden inappropriate image to be dropped in a group chat…?’
Erda began reading the letter in a voice as refreshing as a summer breeze.
“…Before the Union Conference, there is something I wish to share with all in the academy city. The world fundamentally consists of two types of energy, and the balance of all things always stabilizes through these dual forces. The relationships between people are no different.”
“…No way.”
“I, Brynhild, representative of the <Union Student Council> and student council president of <Aesir Girls’ High School>, have deeply explored these principles. As a student, I have finally arrived at a personal understanding of this topic. Therefore, to the distinguished guests attending this conference…”
I couldn’t listen any longer and threw myself onto the sofa in the student council room, covering my ears.
“Waaaa—☆ Ababababa—☆ Ahlohlolo~!! Not listening♪ Not listening~ Waaaaa—☆”
“…I wish to announce my relationship with Clara of <Central Prism Academy>. As a student and a woman, I have formed a relationship with the aforementioned individual…”
“Aaaaaa—☆ Allelele~☆ Ohlololo—!! [Red Flower Darjeeling]~ [Blue Sweet Macaron]~ [Pink Lemon Sorbet]~!!”
“…Therefore, I sincerely ask the attendees to offer their congratulations.”
“…”
…
“…” “…” “…” “…That is all.”
…
Goodbye, Clara. I liked you from the moment I first saw you. I wanted to confess before summer vacation, but I was too cowardly back then…
…
“...” “...” “…”
I jumped out of the student council room window.
“Waaaaa—☆”
Crash—☆
“Senpai!!” “Senpai!” “Senpai, come back—!!” “Oh dear…”
Even as I fell to the first floor, I could faintly hear the murmurs behind me.
“…Who will go with her now?” “...” “...”
Ah. I want to die.
<Ratatoskr>, if I catch you, you’re dead.