“If we’re talking safety, we’ll need to avoid rocky areas.”
“You’re right. Rocks tend to be slippery.”
“Then the only possible spots are...”
The other fish maniacs on Saint-Noel Island had gathered, and Santeri Bandler led a lively discussion that consumed the student council room in a passionate whirlwind.
“We’ve found our spot. On another note, won’t the noble ladies have a hard time putting their bait on their hooks themselves?”
“You’re right. I’m sure they’ll have trouble taking the fish off their hooks too. We’ll have to arrange our compatriots in posts around the lake.”
Mia watched them work out all the details with a satisfied nod. It really is best to leave things to the professionals! I’m glad they know so much about fishing. It’s probably fine to leave the rest to them, right? Mia glanced over at Rafina, who offered a nod in response. Now that she had her permission, Mia left the room in order to accomplish her real goal—winning over Princess Orania.
Even if we hold this tournament, it would all be pointless if Orania doesn’t participate, or if she grumbles and complains about what we did wrong. I need to make sure I get rid of all the obstacles standing in my way!
But as Mia was headed for Orania’s room, she came across two children in the hallway—Patty and Yanna.
“Oh, Miss Mia!” exclaimed Yanna as she ran over to her. “Greetings!” she said, offering a slight bow.
Mia flashed her a kind smile. “Oho ho! I’m glad to see you’ve cheered up, Yanna.” She patted her on the head, earning a bashful grin.
“Um, thank you for the other day.”
“There’s no need to thank me! I’m just glad you’re back to your usual self. Has Orania said anything to you since?” asked Mia, trying to gather some intel on anything that could be used against the princess before their meeting.
However, Yanna just shook her head and began playing with her bangs. “I’ve been hiding my mark behind my hair so Princess Orania can’t see, and I’ve put a bandana on Kiryl to hide his.”
“I see. So you’re trying to preemptively prevent any unnecessary trouble...”
The Visalians suffered persecution in Ganudos, but the forehead tattoo that marked them could be concealed with a little effort. Still...
“Are you really all right with that?”
“I don’t really mind. I don’t like this tattoo much anyways.” There was something noncommittal about her words.
I’m sure the tattoo must be sentimental for her. It probably reminds her of her parents... But at the same time, Mia felt that as long as Yanna had been the one to make this decision, it wasn’t her place to say otherwise. Hiding it really would save her some trouble.
“Miss Mia?”
Mia pulled herself out of her thoughts to find Yanna staring up at her. “Oh, it’s nothing. That reminds me. You’re from Ganudos, right? Do you know how to fish?”
Very few noble children had ever gone fishing before, and while Mia had some basic knowledge of the matter, she had never tried her hand at it herself, as she was nervous to hook her own bait.
Thus, holding a school-wide fishing tournament required posting experienced fishermen around the lake who could offer their assistance. Maybe they could group students together and assign a helper to each of them.
Well, I’m sure the fish maniacs will work out all the details for me.
Mia was hoping that if Yanna knew how to fish, she could help Julius lead the SEEC class. But unfortunately, Yanna’s answer was no. “Oh, no... I’ve never gone fishing before...” She looked awfully apologetic.
“My, that’s surprising.”
Mia was convinced that the people of Ganudos were all fish maniacs the same way the people of the Equestrian Kingdom were all skilled riders, but she had apparently been mistaken.
Yanna’s expression grew cloudy. “I’m sorry, Miss Mia. We Visalians are supposed to be pirates, but I don’t know how to do any of that stuff. I can’t even swim...” she said, dejectedly slumping her shoulders.
Mia shook her head. “It’s nothing to apologize for!” As things were, it felt like Mia was bullying the poor girl, so she decided to be clear. It couldn’t be good for Patty if Mia failed to pluck out any possible seeds of danger.
“I was just asking. What you can or can’t do doesn’t change your value as a person. And as a child, you’re still in the position to learn.” Suddenly, Mia giggled. “That’s right. I’ll teach you how to swim soon, okay?”
“Huh? You can swim?” asked Patty, her eyes wide.
Mia put on a proud grin. “Oho ho! It’s easy! They say my figure as it moves through the water is as beautiful as the moonlight reflected on its surface. Isn’t that right, Anne?” Mia glanced behind her.
“Yes, milady. You’re a wonderful swimmer.” Her loyal vassal gave an enthusiastic nod. There seemed to be a bit of falsification in her memories, but...it was just human nature to rewrite those to confirm biases.
Anyways, the master of the floating aurelia technique of swimming smiled. “Well, it’s too cold to go swimming this time of year anyways. This tournament will strictly be for fishing! I do hope everyone in the SEEC program will enjoy themselves.”