“Th-This is... definitely the dark dragon’s emblem! It’s impeccable!” he exclaimed with astonishment.
“I can’t believe you actually managed this,” said Alicia. “There’s so much detail.”
“...Not to sound mean, but the one from the other girl looks like child’s play in comparison,” added Marni.
The sheer quality of Melia’s latte art elicited comments of earnest admiration from the other two girls.
“I can make stuff like this too, you know,” said Melia as she shot Sain a sullen gaze.
“Uh, right.”
Her gaze darkened into a glower and she leaned over him.
“I can make stuff like this too, you know .”
“Okay! Okay! I get it! I’ll ask you to do it next time! I’m sorry for what I said!”
He raised his hands in submission and begged forgiveness. His prior comment about how professional maids lacked skills with the kind of charm that could bring joy to others had clearly rubbed her the wrong way. Now that Melia had demonstrated the same skill, but with an artistic proficiency that outstripped the other waitress by leaps and bounds, he made a sincere apology and retracted the offending statement. The gesture seemed to satisfy Melia, who nodded with satisfaction at his forehead-on-table pose of apology, and she returned to her seat.
“Mmm... You know what? I think I still feel most comfortable in this outfit,” she said as she gave her maid uniform a pat.
Evidently feeling more at ease in familiar attire, she leaned back and took a sip of her own latte.
“By the way, where did you get that cappuccino from?” asked Alicia.
“I went to the back counter and told them I’m a professional maid and that I’d like to bring the drinks over myself. They were okay with it.”
That was definitely classic Melia; even during a bout of sullen displeasure, she never failed to follow proper protocol and ask permission.
“Huh. That reminds me. Maid, you know what the dark dragon’s emblem looks like?”
“Of course I do.” She took another sip for effect before answering. “Because I do my homework. No self-respecting maid would allow herself to be ignorant of her master’s tastes and interests.”
That was exactly the kind of thing that no maid cafe waitress could ever manage. It was a feat possible for Melia alone, because she attended to him and him only. She had no other master, and had served him with all her heart for as long as they’d known each other. The maids from the cafe had pleasant smiles and were eager to please, but they had no idea what his hobbies or talents were; they knew nothing about him as a person. That was what set Melia apart from all the other maids here, and it was what made their relationship unique — she was his maid. Having realized that vital distinction, he smiled.
“You are indeed the one and only maid for me.”
“...Good, because I’m all you need.”
She brought her cup to her lips again. This time, it was to hide the smile that had crept across them.
Two hours later, after leaving the cafe and finishing their tour of the stalls, they decided to call it a day.
“See you tomorrow.”
“...We’ll still be cheering for you.”
At the main school gate, Alicia and Marni waved goodbye and headed off toward their dorm rooms. Jenifa Royal Magic Academy had multiple student dormitories, and the two of them lived in a separate building.
“Shall we head back too?” asked Melia.
“Yeah. It’s still early, but it’ll be good to get some rest so I can be in tip-top shape for tomorrow,” answered Sain.
They started walking toward their dorm as well. The boisterous atmosphere of the festival had calmed under the orange hues of the evening sun, and the crowds had thinned considerably. There were two more days of the magic battle expo, after all, and many visitors probably figured it would be unwise to run themselves ragged on the first day.
“Maid, tell me something... What are your chances, actually? Do you think you can win against Cain?”
“I’m not quite sure. He’s the kind of person who has taken down Chaos single-handedly, after all. That puts him on a completely different level.”
“Yeah, he has, hasn’t he? During the field exercises...”
Chaos were far stronger than normal monsters, and yet the student council president had been able to defeat them, not only by himself but apparently with ease. It seemed likely that none of his regular classmates would even stand a chance against him. Melia, however, was not regular; she was also exceptionally powerful compared to her peers. What would happen when the two butted heads? Sain, for one, was eager to find out.
“Hm? Hey, isn’t that...”
Looking ahead, he discovered the sight of a girl he recognized.
“...The vice-president?”
The student council vice-president, Emilia, stood at the side of the road, her expression troubled. Her purple hair fluttered occasionally in the breeze, but she was otherwise motionless. Recalling that she’d stepped in to deescalate the situation when Roxas had been harassing him during tournament registration, he approached her. If she was dealing with some sort of problem, then this would be a good chance to repay the debt.
“Hey, Emilia. What’re you doing standing around in a place like this?”
His voice seemed to snap her out of her thoughts, and she turned around with surprise.
“Who’s th— Oh, it’s Sain and Melia. I... wasn’t doing anything, really.”
“I see. So... the ‘staring out into the distance with a troubled expression on your face’ thing is just something you do for fun?”
“...I was doing some thinking,” she replied with intentional terseness. “I see you both made it through the first day of the tournament.”
“Hah. Of course we did,” he said proudly. “On that note, are you here by yourself? Where’s Cain?”
He looked around, but the president was nowhere to be found.
“He’s...” Concern clouded Emilia’s expression. She opened her mouth to speak, paused, and reconsidered. “I’m sorry, but do you have some time? I need to talk to you about something.”
Her tone suggested whatever she needed to talk about, it was not to be taken lightly.
Having met each other only a handful of times, Sain was, at best, only mildly acquainted with Emilia. Nevertheless, there was something almost desperate about the way she asked to speak with him, and he figured it would be wise to listen. A glance at Melia revealed that she agreed.
“I won’t take too long.”
She evidently meant what she said, as rather than a cafe where they could sit down, she instead led them into a nearby alleyway, where she proceeded to get right to the point.
“I just want to know what he’s up to. That’s all.”