Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: The President is Swamped with Duties
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"Hmm..."
Philia stared intently at Undine as she poured warm water to brew the tea.
Her emerald eyes flicked toward her in a way that made it impossible to guess what she was thinking, and it set me on edge.
When you think of elves, don't you picture ones who love nature and get along well with spirits?
It might be a stereotype, but every elf I'd encountered so far fit that mold.
...Of course, those were all from beyond the screen or in books— this was my first time seeing one in person.
Sure, there were occasional stories that broke the cliché with buff elves or ones portrayed as near-barbarians.
But... Philia didn't strike me as that type.
For starters, if she were, she wouldn't be at the academy, let alone serving as Student Council President.
I didn't know her all that well due to some rough circumstances, but from the reasons given for retiring her character, nothing felt forced.
She had a benevolent, nurturing body and face, yet she was a terrifying stickler for the rules.
...I couldn't think of anyone more perfectly suited to reining in these somewhat free-spirited cadets.
So how could I not be scared when such a person was staring so intently at my precious partner, Undine?
She might even get mad at me for making a spirit do such menial chores.
...Come to think of it, both of them shared this odd commonality: things I'd never encountered in the game.
Anyway.
Maybe sensing my furtive glances born of such anxiety, her emerald eyes turned toward me.
I flinched, and she tilted her head. Her lovely lips parted.
"Is something wrong?"
"Ah, um... I just wondered if there was a problem or something."
She cleared her throat and gently took the teapot from my hands to start brewing the tea.
"She certainly looks like an Undine, but... she draws the eye in such a strange way that I... Sorry. I came to discuss matters and got distracted."
"That can happen."
It's fine. I sometimes feel an odd sense of dissonance around her too.
Anyway, it seems elves really are close to spirits, as expected.
Relieved that she didn't seem about to scold me for using a spirit as a water shuttle, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
With my mind at ease, I gratefully accepted the tea the elf had brewed for me.
...Not that she handed it over in some fancy way; it was just in a normal teacup.
Honestly, how often do you get to drink tea brewed by an elf?
Some people derogatorily call them "eroffs," but my image of elves wasn't... that bad.
If she hadn't been so closely tied to Game Over— no, not a person, an elf— I might have tried pursuing Philia.
But she was too connected to Game Over, and Freesia Academy had plenty of other appealing characters.
So I closed my eyes to savor the tea she'd made, wetting my lips with it.
The warm liquid moistened my lips and cautiously touched my tongue.
The taste wasn't all that different. I'd figured as much ever since I prepared the tea leaves myself, but...
You never know.
"Hm?"
Concentrating, I caught a faint scent like sunshine. How curious.
I sniffed, then opened my eyes to find Philia leaning in close, her face right in front of mine.
"Eek!?"
What the? Am I fired? Why this all of a sudden?
I startled and shrank back into my chair. Philia, her eyes somewhat glazed, quickly pulled away and cleared her throat.
"Ahem, ahem... S-sorry."
"Wh-what was that about...?"
I was so flustered I could barely speak.
She twitched nervously, clearly thrown off balance.
Watching her benevolent composure shake made me feel oddly calmer.
It'd be quite a sight if Charlotte were pinned there in between.
Tough luck, though?
As I entertained such idle fantasies, Philia composed herself and spoke in a tone like she was making excuses.
"It, it seems Teacher is... quite beloved by spirits."
"Oh... really?"
"Yes. I can feel a strong spirit aura around you. The reason your Undine feels a bit special might be because of that."
"Oh..."
I'd half-expected her to barge in, wipe my mouth clean, and toss some trashy book at me...
But apparently, she'd given me a decent ability.
Endorsed by an elf: friend of spirits?
I can't resist that.
...Of course, Philia hadn't said quite that much, but my brain, running on full yuri mode, had plenty of imagination to fill in the gaps.
My lips curled into a dopey grin.
Then the serious discussion began.
And what came from Philia's mouth plunged me into shock and horror.
"So... um... one cadet grew 'that' toward another cadet..."
"It seems they... had a bit of mutual affection."
I barely registered the rest about the cadets coming to their senses or one fainting in agony and something or other.
Good lord.
Something that should never happen had happened.
A shocking incident where a dick had invaded the lilies.
...I'd had cadets coming to the infirmary nonstop, but I never imagined this would happen.
Thinking of the flower I'd failed to protect, now broken, filled me with sorrow.
"Um... Teacher?"
Lost in such thoughts, my expression must have darkened, because Philia looked at me with concern.
"Ah, it's nothing."
I dabbed at my slightly moist eyes with my sleeve and murmured a quiet reply. Philia smiled warmly.
"I can see how much Teacher cares for the cadets."
It was a bit off the mark, but since it was a favorable misunderstanding, I went along with it.
And the payoff was...
"So... according to academy rules, it might be good to have them go to the infirmary when 'that' grows. I can't think of anyone but you to comfort the cadets, Teacher. Just like you've been doing."
I didn't really mind...
It was what I'd been doing before she showed up, so nothing new there.
"And... it might be best to run separate sex ed sessions."
According to her, those with such knowledge were rare.
"Not for everyone, but limited to those who've grown 'that,' since we don't know the conditions... You could teach them why they shouldn't mate, and how to resolve it? I'll handle all the procedures."
For some reason, it felt like my workload was steadily increasing.
I'd started out just sitting alone in the infirmary, then 'that' patients trickled in, and now... sex ed too?
But ironically...
I couldn't help thinking I was the only one suited for the job.
The sole impurity infiltrating this perfect garden of Freesia Academy.
The only... one with knowledge of 'that.'
Regrettable as it was that a male symbol had intruded into an all-girls space.
Preventing incidents like today's felt like my duty.
...Surely they hadn't stuck me here for this reason?
My sense of mission deflated like I'd been doused with cold water, but I brushed it off.
What could I do? I was already here.
A man has to boldly move past what's done.
Anyway.
The main points: Go to the infirmary if 'that' grows.
Forbid 'acts' between cadets.
And me handling sex ed.
...I worried briefly if the second would hold, but I decided to trust the cadets.
They'd swarmed me just this morning, so I figured it was a good thing such rules were coming now.
The original sin of 'that'— I'd shoulder it as the bee that slipped between the lily petals.
...I was a bit concerned about planting the seeds for the ending, though.
But judging from those who'd already done 'that' with each other, maybe I could blow my nose without using my hands.
If only 'that' weren't involved.
Who knows. The number of cadets is finite anyway, so I wouldn't be doing sex ed forever.
I was a little puzzled why it hadn't existed before, but better late than never, right?
This faint sense of misalignment... I could ask Michelle about it later.
Munching on the cookies I'd laid out, I nodded along when Philia continued in a somewhat glazed tone.
"For now, that's it... Oh, and... you'll need to join the external field trip soon too, Te... ach... er!?"
Clatter!
Something suddenly heaved the table up.
We avoided it tipping over since it shifted aside, but the abruptly spilled cold tea was enough to startle me.
"Uh, President?"
"Ngh... Uh... Ah?"
I looked at Philia, her lower body soaked through.
The cheeks that had brimmed with benevolence had lost their milky pallor, flushed red instead. Damp hair strands clung messily to her face amid her panting.
...She'd probably gotten doused when something bumped the table.
She clutched her lower abdomen like it ached.
And at the hem of her fluttering skirt...
Something massive— worthy of the word "huge"— stood rigidly erect.
Honestly, it was intimidatingly large.
The pointed tips of her long elven ears trembled, swollen like ripe apples.
"Hic...!"
Philia gasped raggedly, then panted out her words.
"Te... Teacher... It, it's not official yet, but... will you... he... help me...?"
Breathing in the wet scent of sunshine...
I had no choice but to nod.
Not because that monstrously huge thing was twitching like it would do whatever it wanted otherwise.
Simply because we'd agreed to it.
That was all.
...Well, Undine would handle it, right?
"Y-you're going to use a spirit for... something this shameless!?"
Not here... of all places?