Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: The Color of the Star in Your Heart
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Evening had fallen, and all trains except the night lines had ceased operation.
At the information desk of the Mimir Industrial High School ether train station.
Lina, a second-year student in charge of information, offered a cheerful farewell to the dwarven crew members heading home.
“Have a good evening!”
“You too, Lina. Thank you for your hard work.”
They hurried home, paying no mind to the still-bustling streets. The festival stalls and special attractions had little to do with their duties.
“Another busy day…”
“Let’s get home quickly.”
“Tomorrow will be busy too…”
Lina remained seated, burying her face in the desk.
*Thud.*
The heat that had been building up on her face, stuffy from the tight-fitting uniform and heavy makeup, seemed to be soothed by the coolness of the table.
“Huuuh.”
The silence of the lobby, now empty except for the information officer.
The sunlight filtering through the window was tinged with crimson.
The shadows of the pillars on the platform stretched far into the distance.
“…”
Lina lay there quietly, enjoying a very brief rest.
She had worked hard today, fulfilling her assigned duties.
Even in her own eyes, she had been cute and kind today.
She must have given the visitors a good first impression of Mimir Industrial High School.
Lina was very proud of that fact.
“…I should head to the central auditorium now.”
The student council president had given strict orders for the entire student body to attend a large-scale announcement this evening. As a mere second-year student, she had no idea what it was about. But an order from her seniors was an order she had to follow.
“Alright…”
Lina stood up without a second thought.
She intended to change into her school uniform and head back to the dormitory before attending the announcement.
“Ouch—?!”
*Stumble.*
A sharp pain shot through her calf.
She had been standing for a long time in unfamiliar heels.
The moment she tried to step away from the information desk, she lost her balance and nearly fell.
“Oof… I guess I worked too hard… What is this…”
Lina massaged her throbbing calf, then took off her heels and held them together in one hand.
The chill of the floor seeped through her stockings to the soles of her feet.
The exhaustion overriding the discomfort, she walked toward the locker room where her sneakers were.
*Trudge, trudge.*
As Lina walked barefoot down the silent station corridor, she could hear the cheerful voices of visitors.
-Self-moving mechanical devices… Amazing!
-Try this! It’s delicious!
“Hehe… It was fun.”
This year’s freshman welcoming party would be enjoyable.
Because last year was full of fun memories, just like this year…
‘Memories…’
Lina stopped dead in her tracks.
She tilted her head and muttered to herself.
‘Huh, wait… Why can’t I remember last year’s welcoming party…?’
Last year, she had definitely helped her seniors with paperwork.
And set up attractions to entertain the visitors.
And enhanced the school’s honor by…
“…”
Ah.
‘I just worked.’
Because of the chill from the soles of her feet.
And the slowly fading heat from her face.
Somehow, her spirits seemed to sink into a cold gloom.
Silence.
The laughter of students from other schools drifted in from outside.
-Hahaha!
-Wow!
“…”
It was a [Freshman Welcoming Party], yet Lina had never once been welcomed by her seniors. Before she knew it, she was just an ordinary second-year, working again.
Somehow…
…it felt empty.
“I’m going to be late.”
Lina rubbed her tired, heavy eyes, shaking off the sense of emptiness that had suddenly washed over her. She was about to take another weary step toward the locker room.
At that moment.
Amidst the gentle laughter from the streets, a sound of rapidly growing cheers reached her ears.
-Waaaaah~
-Waaaaah—!!
-What is that? It’s incredible!!
-Is something falling down?
-Let’s follow it—!!
“…?”
‘There shouldn’t be any events scheduled for the first evening, other than the announcement.’
With pure curiosity.
Lina walked toward the window.
“…!”
And what she saw was.
A spectacular and beautiful display of colorful fireworks, dyeing the station windows like stained glass.
*Fwoooosh—*
*Booooom—!!*
Beyond the gentle veil of darkness draped over the evening glow.
Stars made of gunpowder and flame had suddenly appeared.
Blessing the new beginning of the students gathered here.
Lina’s eyes slowly widened.
-Waaaaah—!
Stars of memory, fragrant with gunpowder, embroidered the sky. And from the loudspeakers installed here and there, lively parade music flowed.
The music resounded.
Countless students, smiling, ran toward the fireworks in the sky.
The fireworks and the city were dancing and singing to the music.
Right now, this city was a stage for a performance.
*Fwoooosh—*
*Booooom—!!*
Amidst another burst of fireworks, a conductor came into view.
Conducting the stage of brilliant stars was a massive airship, floating leisurely in the sky.
『To the freshmen of Mimir Industrial High School—! And to all the second-years working hard in your positions—! Congratulations on your admission—☆』
『To sincerely congratulate you on your admission~ the student council president has brought a special gift—☆ Be careful not to get bonked on the head☆ Be very, very careful—☆』
A city composed of numerous rectangular buildings.
The airship weaved between them, distributing flowers and candy.
The colorful fireworks rising into the sky dyed the gray buildings.
Transforming them into countless gift boxes for the girls gathered here.
-Waaaaaaaaah—!!
-Waaaaaaaaah—!!
The many girls gathered in the streets.
Like the children following the Pied Piper in the old tale.
Driven by pure curiosity, they ran toward the stage conducted by the airship.
*Thump.*
*Thump.*
Within her eyes, into which the celestial fireworks poured.
The pages of memory, set in motion after a year’s time.
Began to glitter like a galaxy embracing the stars.
*Thump.*
*Thump.*
“Wow…!”
Lina, forgetting even to change her shoes, ran out toward the street.
***
The student council room of Mimir Industrial High School was in chaos.
At a critical juncture when the entire student body was supposed to gather in the main auditorium to declare independence from the United Student Council and all-out war against the alliance of Public Vana Boarding School and Svart Industrial High School, an unprecedented pandemonium had erupted.
Dozens of third-year student council executives were clutching the telephones connected to their respective districts.
“I told you to investigate who set them off!!”
[W-well… we can’t find any signs of a forced launch…]
Beyond the flustered voice, a multitude of other voices merged.
-Senior! Thank you! Were you hiding this all this time to show us?
-Wow! Look! Over there!
-Senior! Let’s go have fun together—!!
[W-wait!! Girls, that’s not it…!]
*Click…*
“…”
To grasp the situation on the ground.
Even when they frantically picked up the receivers, proper communication was impossible or cut off, swept away by the festival’s fervor.
This was happening in more than just one or two districts.
“Connection with the is lost. My apologies.”
“Could it be… Director Maya of the <infrastructure engineering="" department="">…?”
“No, I just confirmed. She is said to be still in her office.”
“Then who on earth…!”
“We need to find the ‘moderates’ who agreed with Director Maya’s opinion…!”
“Could it be a spy sent by Svart Industrial High School…!”
“Those pointy-ears, you think…?!”
*Murmur, murmur.*
As chaos shook the city, the confusion among the student council executives grew as well.
*Fwoooosh—*
*Booooom—!!*
“…”
“…”
The light and sound of the fireworks glittering outside the window unsettled the executives’ minds.
The city was lost in chaos, intoxicated by the simultaneously exploding fireworks and music.
Worse, students from other schools were swept up in the streets, leaving the disciplinary committee members running around in confusion, unable to find the main culprit.
The dark sky, where the sunset had vanished.
The rally, which was supposed to begin as twilight settled, should have already started. But it was being delayed for hours amidst the chaos.
-Thank you!
-I’m so glad I came to this school!
-This is the best!!
-Come play with us, senior~
-W-wait a minute, you guys…!
To make matters worse, the underclassmen and external students, who perceived this situation as some kind of performance, were dragging the third-year seniors into it, plunging the situation further into a crucible of chaos.
The hardline third-years had secretly prepared everything to ensure the success of a surprise rally. That very secrecy was now backfiring on them in this unforeseen situation.
In the first place, the fact that the airship, still floating leisurely overhead, had been hijacked was also unforeseen. It was impossible to hold a rally with the entire student body under these circumstances.
With no solution in sight, the third-year executives muttered in somber tones.
“…”
“What do we do.”
And at the very center of the student council room.
In the seat that only the student council president could occupy.
The voice of a female student with a resolute expression rang out.
“It’s probably Maya’s doing. And that problem child from the first year must be involved too. I don’t know who else she instigated, but before the United Student Council intervenes, we must rally the students again.”
“President Skadi…!”
“First, let’s get the situation under control. Gather personnel from the to identify the airship’s possible routes, then send the disciplinary committee to the roof of a building with direct access to that altitude…”
The announcement time could be delayed.
Mimir Industrial High School had always moved with a single will.
Even if a brief moment of confusion befell them, they would unite as one again.
Just as the executives were rising to their feet with this resolve.
A strange student, who had somehow entered the student council room, spoke in a leisurely voice.
“Alright, alright, that’s enough.”
“…?!”
“When did you?!”
“Aaalright—stretch!”
A petite female student stood up, stretching her short arms and legs.
She wore the black coat of the United Student Council over her shoulders.
With a lollipop in her mouth, she looked around with a bored expression.
The executives of the Mimir Industrial High School student council stared at the student in astonishment.
“Y-you’re…!”
“The secretary of the United Student Council…!”
“Yep, yep~ That’s me, the United Student Council’s cute little Vel~”
“Weren’t you all busy with the kidnapping incident in the western region…?”
“Yep, yep~ The boss went *pow!* and solved it in a flash, you see~”
Vel spoke, proudly showing off her black United Student Council uniform, which she had extensively customized with red lace and ribbons. Every time she shook her head, her black hair, tied in a side-tail, swayed gently.
Student Council President Skadi watched her with displeasure and said.
“No matter if you’re from the United Student Council, this is an outrageous breach of courtesy. This is our territory. We never gave you permission to enter.”
“My, my… don’t be so cranky. The boss told me to come on ahead and ‘have a chat’ for a bit. We can’t have the ‘strongest in the Academy City’ running herself ragged just to get here, can we~”
“…What? P-President Brynhildr is coming herself…?!”
“Huh? You didn’t know? Anyway, the boss will be here soon to mediate, so…”
Vel spoke with a chilling smile.
Somehow, within that smile, there was the composure of an overwhelmingly powerful individual.
“…If you guys can’t even stop me from waltzing in here, don’t you dare go around talking about starting a war, okay?”
***
On the deck of the leisurely cruising airship.
The grounds of Mimir Industrial High School, viewed from above, were filled with the fervor of the festival.
-Waaaaah—!
A spectacle of countless students pouring into the streets, singing and dancing under the bursting fireworks.
I opened my mouth to add one last word.
“Now then—☆ Everyo… huh? Oh dear… looks like all the loudspeaker connections have been cut—☆”
“Hahaha! It seems our friends in the disciplinary committee have finally managed something, have they?”
Kara, who was holding the airship’s controls, let out a hearty laugh as if it were someone else’s problem. Behind us, Alvitt and Lotha were sitting on the floor, clutching their heads.
“We did it.”
“We got carried away and really did it.”
“Right—☆ It was fun—☆”
“Yes, more than I thought…”
“Doing something reckless without thinking about the consequences… it’s exhilarating.”
“Though I won’t be doing it a second time…”
A conference of delinquents.
The faint sound of cheers.
The excitement and shouts of a new beginning.
The numerous searchlights turned on to find us.
A scene where all these things were entangled amidst light and sound.
It was the complete opposite of the controlled image Mimir Industrial High School had shown during the day.
But that chaos, free from all stubbornness and control, was somehow so lovely that one couldn't tear their eyes away… it was that kind of spectacle.
As we were talking amongst ourselves, Kara suddenly spoke in a solemn voice.
“Thank you.”
“Hm?”
“Huh?”
“To be honest, even as I said it myself, I knew that ‘revolution’ is an overreach that even I cannot precisely define. I sincerely thank you for following me.”
Kara took off the goggles she had been wearing while piloting the airship and gave us a bright smile. There wasn't a single trace of regret in that smile.
“From now on, those who remember today’s spectacle will think of the ‘special’ before the ‘ordinary.’ The revolution is truly complete.”
The Kara in the game had laughed grandly and boasted, but the Kara here declared her success in a calm voice.
“And I will probably be expelled and become a wanted person. But I will testify that I did all of this alone. So do not worry.”
“…Kara.”
“…You.”
Alvitt and Lotha wore apologetic expressions at the resolve of the girl who had been so annoying just moments before. But I couldn't help but suppress a chuckle that was about to escape.
‘What should I do… should I tell her it doesn’t matter since Maya will cover for her?’
Hmm.
I’ll just keep it to myself.
Amidst the subtle silence, I stood up and said.
“Well then, since the girls’ ball is over—☆ Shall we make our exit now☆”
“Heh, very well.”
Kara took out a small ether conductor cube from her pocket and used her summoning skill, [Revolutionary Comrade].
“Comrade, I trust you to fly the airship safely to the end!”
The conductor cube grew to the size of a human head. Thin mechanical arms and legs sprouted from its sides, and it sat down in the pilot’s seat, beginning to carry out Kara’s command.
*Beep-boop—!*
Then Kara approached me.
“Pardon me, Comrade Senior.”
“Ahaha, what’s that about—☆”
She gently lifted me into a princess carry.
A faint smell still lingered from her, but I pretended not to notice so as not to embarrass my junior.
“Here, you go.”
“Ugh… this is a little scary.”
At the same time, Alvitt picked up Lotha.
Kara reached out and, with all her strength, opened the airship’s emergency escape hatch.
*Fwoosh—!!*
*Whoooosh—*
Towards the rushing wind.
And the building passing right in front of us.
Alvitt and Kara, cloaking themselves in ether, leaped out.
*Fwaaat—!*
The wind slapped my face.
“Waaaaah—☆”
“Aaaaaaah!!”
My shout was from fun.
Lotha’s was from fear.
*Thud!*
With a light recoil, we successfully landed on the roof of the building we had approached.
At the same time, I dashed forward with all my might.
“Alright—☆ Let’s run—!!”
“Whoa?! Senior!! Wait up!!”
“Hehehehe…!! Hahahaha!!”
“Pant…! W-why are we suddenly running!?”
*Thump.*
*Thump.*
Like pranksters who had succeeded in their mischief.
Amidst the laughter and dazzling lights from the streets below.
We ran across the dark rooftops, our hearts pounding in our chests.
***
And in the darkness of the streets.
Amidst the vast chaos, only one person could see the delinquents’ sprint.
“Lara?”
Why.
‘Why are you there…?’
Why.
‘Why are you with ‘people like them’…?’
Why.
Why…
Why… are you…
smiling over there…?
On a night whipped by countless lights and sounds.
A dark star began to rise in a certain silver-white sky.