“I just overheard something about not being able to use the classroom without permission. So I thought it best to inquire first.”
I was the very model of a junior respecting his upperclassman, grasping at my sense of self-preservation. I deserve a pat on the back for this. Yet for some reason, both of them were creasing their brows.
“That’s after we begin our preparations. What’s your name?”
“Pardon me for not mentioning it earlier. I am Ricardo Weinder, a second year.”
“Weinder? Have you heard that name before?”
“A copper. I can’t fault you for not knowing it.”
The two of them mentioned my all-powerful title — for making most students drop their guard — and quickly looked at me with contempt. Yeah, that’s good. That’s how it should be.
“Wait a sec, Weinder, what are you planning? Mia, you too...”
“Oh my, are you Lilka’s acquaintance?”
“I am at least acquainted with her. We attended the same tea party. But that’s about it.”
If pressed, I’d say that I feel like she hates me, though.
“Oh, could that perhaps be the tea party Lilka was talking about before the summer break? Teehee, I thought so. My, how swimmingly insignificant companies like yours get along. I shall give you a fair warning. The Kendalls and Carlests are both deputy representatives to the guild, but there’s a clear gap between us. A tiny company like yours really should reconsider its attitude towards us.”
I know. I got stuck with having to crush the Dreyfans because of that. But thanks to me doing that, you can set your sights on that guild representative seat that you want so badly, right? You could at least show a bit of gratitude.
“Hang on, the one who invited this guy is... No, never mind. You’re not participating in the Academy Festival, right, Weinder? Get your bags and get going already. This is between us.”
For a moment, I thought she was absolutely going to bring up Alfina and Louisa’s names. I don’t hate the stance she’s taking here at all.
“What, so you’re not here to beg to be allowed to participate? But that’s the correct decision. A company below Lilka’s couldn’t participate even if they wanted to.”
“Exactly. The weak must specialize in running away if they hope to survive, you know?”
The two siblings broke into laughter. I couldn’t have agreed more with them. However, the strong also need to be careful so that they avoid making too many enemies for no reason. Don’t blame me if someone pulls the carpet out from underneath your feet. You do know about another company that was crushed recently for that exact reason, don’t you?
“So I can’t participate, even if I’d hoped to? How very interesting. Could you perhaps inform me as to why? For future reference, of course, umm... Carlest, was it?”
I bowed my head, basically asking them for a sample I could use to analyze them with. I’ll at least show some courtesy for having them give me valuable information free of charge.
“It’s Theodore Carlest. Well, fine. I’ll provide some manner of guidance to my dense junior here.”
The senior student shrugged his shoulders in a burly manner, and went on to explain the mechanisms behind the acquisition of space for the Academy Festival.
“...I see. How very interesting.”
How outspoken of him. In short, there was a change of rules for the Academy Festival. The restriction on capital that participating companies could use had been removed. Limited property and excess capital... It’s the exact mechanism behind the inflation of real-estate prices.
What’s more, they were even buying up all the classrooms, just like apartments they didn’t plan to invest in or inhabit. So what should have been leftover space after the first round of bidding ended up getting snatched up. Lilka came here for the secondary round of bidding, and only learned of all this after the fact.
So basically, they’re clamping down on medium-sized companies that didn’t possess enough capital. Why are they going so far? What do they get out of so brazenly injecting such a capitalistic nature into a school festival? What is this, the Chicago School of Economics?
“Do you understand? At most, we are only making use of the official rules,” the younger Carlest chimed in.
“Those rules changed this year out of nowhere, right? I bet you two made some kinda deal behind the scenes,” Lilka complained.
“Oh my, do you plan on raising an objection to what the student council... to what Lady Hilda and Lord Leonardo decided on?”
“Ugh... I don’t... But...”
Lilka cast her eyes to the floor in frustration the moment those two names were brought up.
“...Who?” I whispered to Mia.
“They’re both fourth-year students. The president and vice-president of the student council. President Hilda is Archduke Kurtheight’s eldest daughter, and the second prince’s fiancée. Vice-President Leonardo is, if I’m not mistaken, the prime minister’s grandson.”
Hilda... that’s a name Alfina mentioned just the other day. I suppose we’ve gotten ourselves into another fine mess again. Things keep jumping out and threatening my poor self-preservation. This time, they even came in a pair.
“Anyway, we’re three weeks away from the Academy Festival. In short, the classrooms are reserved starting next week so that we can prepare.”
“Exactly. You can do as you like today. So you have no complaints, right?”
Wait a second. You still haven’t told me the all-important reason as to why the rules were changed... Well, I guess I’ll have Mia ask about the rest from her friend instead. And just as I was about to let the conversation come to an end...
“Ricardo, and Mia too. Thank goodness, we really did get the opportunity to meet.”
A cheerful voice, completely incapable of reading the perilous atmosphere we created, called out to us. A beautiful girl with shining platinum hair was walking towards us from the other side of the corridor with Claudia at her side. It seemed that her aide had made her return.
A female guard capable of attending the Academy was quite valuable, after all. But why was she not stopping Alfina from getting closer to me, despite her being reinstated? Wasn’t that her very purpose for existing?
“Your Highness. Um, are you acquainted with this man?”
The Carlest siblings, who were ever so overbearing with us, were panicking and took a step back.
“Yes. I am greatly obliged to both Ricardo and Mia,” Alfina replied, as if boasting about her friends.
The two upperclassmen’s faces were now dyed with fright. If they knew that she was obliged to us for our guidance in making her clean the floors and such, my self-preservation would probably fly out the window.
“And you are Lilka, correct? You were with us at the tea party the other day.”
“Wh-What did you say?”
The little sister, I think her name was Zeldia, jumped with a start. I guess even the heir of a giant company is scared of royalty.
“I was just invited as an accessory to these two.”
“Then next time, you must join us as well. By the way... What are you all doing in the corridor?”
Alfina looked at Lilka anxiously. It reminded me of the first time I got involved with her. At that time, she tried to stick up for me despite us never having talked before. And right now, Lilka was clearly far more...