Chapter 142

CHAPTER 7 Duel and Hunt “Magic battle this, magic battle that. You all speak of them so easily. It’s very difficult to set up and maintain the barrier for them, you know. And when the combatants have this much mana capacity, the barrier needs to be even stronger, or it will simply be too dangerous. What? You want people to be able to watch as well? Wait, wait. Do you have any idea how long that will take to set up? …I can call in help, but it’ll be three days. I wish you’d be a little more considerate toward an old man like me.” At these words from Professor William Macragan, the duel over Monica Norton was set to take place in three days’ time. And while she waited, Monica sank into a pit of depression. She was so exhausted, she could barely eat. Despite Bernie’s warning, Huberd had still found her. And now he was dueling people over her. Plus, if Cyril and Glenn lost, Monica would have to leave the student council. She’d fall completely into Huberd’s clutches. Monica knew precisely what fate awaited her if that happened. Huberd would force her to battle him at length, over and over, until he was satisfied. Oh, how did it come to this? she wondered. If I’d just managed something… But what else could I have done in that situation? And no matter how much she whined and sobbed, her usual conversation partner, Nero, was still asleep for the winter. Ryn hadn’t paid her attic room a visit in some time, either. Maybe she was busy. This time, even Isabelle was unable to help. “I’m a failure of a collaborator… A failure of a villainess…,” she’d said. Now she was depressed, too, which only made Monica feel worse. On the day of the duel, during afternoon break, Monica was once again sitting slumped over her desk with her head facedown. She didn’t even have the energy to go to the cafeteria. She’d caused so much trouble for Cyril. She’d even gotten Glenn involved. Her whole mission was in jeopardy. Why did she always mess up like this? As she sat, mentally reprimanding herself, she heard someone murmuring above her. “You look like a dried fish, so black it’s about to be thrown out.” “Lady Claudia…” As Monica sluggishly looked up, Claudia grabbed her by the back of the neck and forced her to stand. When Monica began to wobble, Lana reached out and supported her from the side. Claudia took her other side, and the two of them practically dragged her out of the classroom. When they got out into the hall, they headed not toward the cafeteria but away from it. Because it was lunchtime, there were very few people around. “Lana? Lady Claudia?” asked Monica. “Where are we going?” “The duel is after school today, isn’t it?” replied Claudia. “We can’t have the prize all shriveled up. You’d be a laughingstock.” “Prize… Shriveled…” “You at least need to hydrate.” Claudia stopped in front of an empty classroom, opened the door, and tossed Monica inside. Though Monica was still wobbly, she managed to get her footing—and then her sunken eyes went wide. “We’ve been waiting for you, Monica!” Glenn waved to her energetically. Neil was next to him. They’d set up a rug on the empty classroom’s floor and covered it with snacks and drinks. It was like they were having a picnic. Monica stood there, mouth agape. Glenn beckoned to her. “Come on, over here!” Lana prodded her in the back, and Monica quickly took a seat on the rug. “Um, what is…this…?” “Heh-heh-heh. This is my special class-cutting spread!” said Glenn, looking very proud. He reached into a bag near the rug’s edge and pulled out some dried fruit and a card game. Monica paled. She couldn’t just sit here and skip all her afternoon classes. Then Neil, an honors student, said gently, “We have a blanket and a cushion, too, so you can rest if you’d like. It seems you haven’t slept lately, Miss Norton, so maybe you should nap until classes are over.” “But I… I…,” she stammered. Lana pushed a cup of hot tea into Monica’s hands. “Whatever has come over me?” she said, “For some reason, I really feel like skipping classes today!” “Lana, um…” “Please join me, Monica. You will, won’t you?” A big tear rolled down Monica’s cheek and landed in her tea, making ripples. And once the tears started coming, they didn’t stop. Monica sat there, teacup in her hands, sniffling and sobbing. Her face was an utter mess. “I’m, I’m sorry… I… It’s my fault… I’m causing…so much trouble…” As she rubbed her eyes, Lana and Glenn clenched their fists. “You’re such an idiot!” exclaimed Lana. “The only one causing trouble here is that transfer student! He’s the one who set up this stupid duel!” “That’s right!” agreed Glenn. “You’ve done nothing wrong, Monica!” Monica sniffled, then bowed to Glenn. “I’m, I’m sorry. It’s my fault that now…now you have to duel…” “I mean it, don’t worry about that!” he assured her. “I was already planning on challenging him!” Glenn’s smile shone like the sun. Claudia joined in with a thin smile of her own, quiet like the moon. “As the prize, you’re allowed to be shameless. Just throw out a line like, No, stop, don’t fight over me! and be done with it.” “But they’re not fighting over me… They’re fighting because of me!” Monica burst into tears again. Neil cut in, flustered. “L-Lady Claudia, you’re having the opposite effect! Um, Miss Norton, that’s just her way of cheering you up. She was the one who put all this together in the first place, so…” “My, Neil,” said Claudia. “You’re truly the only one who understands me.” Even now, Claudia was acting just as she always did. Lana shot her an exasperated glare from the side, then handed some food to Monica. It was a piece of thinly sliced bread wrapped around boiled, deboned meat and vegetables. Glenn immediately chimed in. “I made that!” He normally preferred thick cuts of meat, but he’d sliced everything here into small pieces to make it easier to eat, and had even boiled and deboned it all. Monica thanked him and began nibbling the bread. Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t had any real food since the day the duel was declared. The bread’s filling was held together with sauce made by simmering the vegetables. It was chunky but had a gentle flavor, bringing out the natural sweetness of the greens. “This is really, really good… Heh-heh.” Realizing now how hungry she was, Monica began chomping away at the bread. Then, all of a sudden, the door to the classroom flew open. “Claudia! What is the meaning of this?!” “You even brought food in? This seems like quite the party.” The one shouting, eyebrows arched in anger, was Cyril. Next to him was Felix, a wry grin on his face. Claudia elegantly took a sip of her black tea, then savored it for a long moment. It was only once she was done that she took notice of Cyril. “Oh, hello, Brother,” she said. “What are you doing, having a tea party in an empty classroom?!” he demanded. “You should have requested a tea salon!” “That wouldn’t count as cutting classes…” “I can’t believe you’d talk about such behavior right in front of the prince!” Claudia didn’t smile, but she brought her fan to her lips, as if to conceal one. “Oh? Then would you overlook it if we were more discreet?” “…Argh!” Cyril clammed up. Glenn immediately stepped forward and offered Cyril and Felix each a piece of bread covered with a thick spread of rillettes. Then he whispered to them like some dishonest merchant striking a back-alley deal. “Prez, VP… I hope this will convince you to stay quiet.” “I refuse!” shouted Cyril. Next to him, Felix reached out and took the piece of bread, then put it in his mouth. Cyril turned to the prince, eyes wide with shock. “Sir! P-please, wait! I need to test it for poison!” “That’s quite all right,” said Felix, gulping down the last bite and smiling mischievously. “And now that I’ve taken the bribe, I have no choice but to stay quiet.” “…If you say so, sir.” Cyril backed down, disappointed. “Oh, another thing,” said Felix. “Regarding the duel after school today. The first-year Robert Winkel has announced that he will be participating.” “Huh?” said Monica. Felix was talking about the boy who had transferred to Serendia just to play chess with her. The one who kept his sleeves rolled all the way up even in the middle of winter. Apparently, upon hearing about the duel, he’d gone all the way to the student council room to say he’d take part. “N-now I… I’ve gotten yet another person involved…,” she stammered. “There’s no need to worry,” said Felix. “He just wants you to join the chess club.” His voice was calm, intended to soothe her. But then he added icily, “I’ll turn him down, of course.” According to the prince, Robert had come to him and said, “If I win, I’ll earn the right to play chess with Monica, right?” As always, he had chess and chess alone on the brain. But in this situation, his dedication was rather refreshing. Everyone’s the same as always… Yes, exactly the same… Behind that consistency, Monica realized, was the kindness and consideration of all the people around her. Not one of them had asked what had happened between her and Huberd, even though it must have been obvious to the sharper ones among them that the two of them were acquainted. I’ve caused them so much trouble, and yet they’re all acting exactly the same as always. Monica was dreadfully familiar with how the people around her could turn against her at a moment’s notice. When her father had been taken away by a government official, all of the neighbors who used to be so nice to them had changed instantly. They’d thrown stones at her father without hesitation. When Monica learned unchanted magecraft, her classmates and teachers all began treating her differently, and Bernie grew distant. So when Lana and the others stayed the same, it made Monica so happy, she could cry. I have to… I have to tell them how I feel. Monica clenched her fists and opened her mouth. “Thank… Thank you, everyone.” Lana and Glenn smiled, as if assuring her she didn’t have to worry. Claudia remained impassive, and Neil offered her a wry grin. Felix smiled gently, and Cyril looked at her with a complicated expression. She bowed to each of them and said, “Um, I’m, um, sorry about all the trouble I’ve caused. I… I don’t want to quit the student council.” “And I don’t want to let go of an important student council member,” said Felix. “And you don’t, either, right, Cyril?” “Naturally,” said Cyril with a nod, folding his arms haughtily. “In fact, we wouldn’t let you go even if you wanted to. I’m going to keep working you to the bone until we graduate. You had better be prepared.” This line was very much like Cyril. Monica gave him a lopsided smile. “You’re just the same as always, Lord Cyril.” “What is that supposed to mean?!” He scowled at her, but right now, that only made her happier.