Launching the Intercultural Exchange Club!
Launching the Intercultural Exchange Club!
"What? You're telling me Miss Biruna is really joining the Intercultural Exchange Club?"
The next morning.
After finishing first period and moving to the next classroom, Princess Lydia's eyes went wide at Noel's report.
"That's right."
Noel nodded proudly as if to say she hadn't misheard.
"Good heavens...."
Lydia, who had naturally expected failure or at least a long time before success, expressed surprise at Noel's words that she had succeeded in recruiting in one go.
"Wow, that's great."
Beside her, Saintess Irina smiled brightly, praising Noel's efforts, saying that the first step toward racial harmony had truly been achieved.
"How exactly did you seduce... ahem, succeed in recruiting her?"
Considering the stories circulating about Biruna, she had thought it wouldn't be easy, but Noel went to see her late at night with Rosalyn and came back having succeeded in one shot.
There was no way that wouldn't pique her interest.
"It wasn't as difficult as I thought. I promised to help Miss Biruna achieve what she wanted, and that aligns with what our club does anyway."
"Hmm?"
Noel explained the situation, saying she had inferred what Biruna wanted based on the rumors about her, and it turned out to be correct.
She couldn't exactly say she knew from playing the game.
And perhaps because she was writing 「Magic Investigation Team」,
"You're just like Holmes!"
"That's an amazing deduction, sister."
The two accepted Noel's words without any suspicion, just as Rosalyn had the night before.
"Anyway, since Miss Biruna's reason for enrolling at the academy and our Intercultural Exchange Club's activity goals align, recruiting her wasn't hard."
"I see. So now that you've recruited Miss Biruna as you wanted, does that mean the real activities begin?"
"Yes, let's have our first commemorative club activity after school today."
And during that activity, I'll make sure Theodore and Evelin get all lovey-dovey with each other.
Fulfilling ulterior motives while getting work done.
Noel smiled happily, thinking this would truly be the perfect club activity.
Whether things would go according to her plan remained to be seen.
But first, she needed to focus on meeting Biruna at their appointed place during lunchtime.
'I'm sure Evelin was attending the academy while working part-time to earn tuition, right? Maybe there's a method in that....'
Thinking these thoughts, Noel visited the Knight Department.
Ignoring the murmurs from the knight cadets who recognized her, Noel walked toward the fountain plaza in the Knight Department garden, lost in thought.
After visiting the Knight Department so often to find Biruna, finding her way was simple.
Carrying in one hand a lunch basket packed by Anna, she arrived at the garden with light steps.
Worried slightly that she might have been stood up, she looked toward the fountain,
There was a girl with striking fox ears and a tail.
『I don't know about cat-eared beauties, but full furries are a bit...』
After all, the furry attribute wasn't very mainstream, and taking that into account, the production team of 「Spring of Grand Arc Academy」 had prepared a more universally appealing human form for Biruna Basil, anticipating that the heroine wouldn't sell well.
The setting was that she used her human form when moving among humans normally, and relaxed in her beastkin form when alone or with trusted companions.
Thanks to that, like Lucia who satisfied both the god-path and the soft-path factions, Biruna also satisfied both furry and cat-eared lovers at the same time.
'In other words, a heroine you can enjoy in two flavors. That is Biruna Basil.'
Like a high monk who had achieved enlightenment, Noel nodded and approached Biruna sitting on the fountain bench.
Biruna's gaze, which had been killing time with a bored expression, turned to Noel.
"You're late."
She said it as if scolding, but Biruna wasn't particularly offended.
Being hungry and becoming a spectacle was annoying, but waiting for Noel had been secretly enjoyable.
She wasn't the type to enjoy waiting, but this time was different.
Thinking about what kind of story this human named Noel would bring to win her favor, and how much practical help club activities with the Intercultural Exchange Club would provide.
Things like that made the time quite enjoyable.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting. I brought lunch instead."
For Biruna, who didn't eat in the cafeteria to avoid people's gazes, that was a welcome sound.
Finding a secluded spot near the forest, the two sat on a bench, unpacked the lunch Anna had prepared, and began talking.
Mostly about how the club activities would proceed and such.
At the same time, they also talked about what needed to be done for early graduation.
The conclusion of that conversation was one thing.
"Actually participate in your studies."
She didn't fit in and was slacking off precisely because she hated that, but doing so only pushed graduation further away.
To Noel's advice that it would be better to do it short and intense, Biruna gobbled down a hamburger with two patties and said,
"So sometimes the detour is the fastest path. You sound just like the Great Chieftain."
Biruna looked at Noel with amusement, washing down the food with lemon tea mixed with carbonated water.
"You feel different from those giggling noble ladies. It's interesting."
"Uh... Thank you for the compliment?"
You're not like a young lady.
Considering the meaning behind those words, she wondered if it was really a compliment, but Noel decided to take it as one.
Biruna, who had spoken, didn't seem to care whether it was taken as praise or insult, licking the juice and sauce off her fingers.
"So club activities start after school from today? I'm actually looking forward to it a bit. Learning about different species and different cultures...."
It felt like she was finally finding her place.
Honestly, since coming to the academy following her father's—no, the Great Chieftain's—orders to learn about the world and humans, Biruna had felt lost.
Because she didn't understand exactly what she was supposed to do to learn about the world and humans.
Should she learn about human lifestyles?
Or about class systems and social policies?
She was full of questions, but after meeting Noel, she felt she could see a path.
She waited for after school with slight anticipation, and so arrived the commemorative first activity of the Intercultural Exchange Club.
Gathered together, Noel took the lead in introducing the members.
"This is Her Highness Lydia, the 7th Imperial Princess."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Lydia. Please call me comfortably."
"This is Saintess Irina from the Holy Kingdom."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Irina, as introduced. Well met, brothers and sisters."
"And this is Lady Clara, the eldest daughter of the Viscount Vance family."
"Hmph. I'm Clara. Noel's close friend. By the way, I didn't expect to see you here, Miss Perry."
"Y-yes...."
The introductions continued smoothly under Noel's lead.
Clara looked at Evelin Perry with interest.
They say birds of a feather flock together.
Being from the same Art Department, Clara seemed to already be aware of Evelin.
It wasn't a situation where Evelin had yet distinguished herself enough for Clara to feel inferior, but they were already conscious of each other, creating a subtle atmosphere.
However, the atmosphere wasn't a bad one.
Quite surprisingly,
"You rejected my offer but have time for club activities?"
"Th-that is...."
Evelin made an awkward expression, looking between Theodore and Noel alternately.
As Noel was about to introduce Theodore and Evelin next, she looked at Clara as if asking what was going on.
Clara shrugged at Noel.
"She has considerable skill, so I thought I could entrust her with assistant illustrator work. I asked if she was interested. But she said she's never drawn comics and isn't interested right now, so I was rejected. She said something about being already overwhelmed with one thing and wanting to focus on that...?"
But now she has time for club activities? Clara glanced at Evelin.
Evelin flinched awkwardly under that gaze.
Clara had said she'd pay handsomely for assistant illustrator work.
She proposed it would be good since Evelin could draw and earn money at the same time compared to regular part-time jobs, but being busy and lacking time was the excuse for rejection—yet now she's doing club activities. That was a bit much.
'Ugh, I didn't expect Clara to be here. When I think about it, it's obvious....'
She had joined the club without much thought to support her childhood friend, and now this happened.
She had no other intentions; she really didn't plan on doing club activities, but somehow it ended up this way.
And as a result, it somehow turned into a situation where she seemed to have deceived Clara.
Even if it was different with Noel, in places without Noel, Clara was still that arrogant, sharp-tongued noble young lady.
Evelin broke into a cold sweat at the fact that she seemed to have fallen out of Clara's favor.
She was definitely going to be marked.
Academy life was going to get tough.
Just as that sense of crisis hit.
"I forced her to join. I didn't want people joining the club for other purposes, so I decided to recruit someone who seemed sincere like Miss Evelin."
Noel stepped in to defend her.
"It's a fun club activity, but it wouldn't be great if people came just to network or seek personal gain."
"That is true."
Many wanted to join the Intercultural Exchange Club that Noel had created.
But it wasn't for the club activities themselves—most wanted to network because it was a massive connection hub including Author Homeros, royalty, a saintess, and a count's daughter.
Because of that, to purely enjoy the activities, they weren't accepting new members, saying they needed to carefully select people.
Although the reality was that Noel was fulfilling her selfish desires, Clara's sharp gaze softened slightly at Noel's words that she had forced Evelin in anyway because she seemed suitable for the club given those reasons.
Seeing that, Evelin relaxed, and Noel also felt relieved.
At the same time, she felt anew that it was fortunate she had decided to keep the original characters within her sight.
'I need to make sure they don't fall into death or corruption.'
The Intercultural Exchange Club was important even just to manage things so that no problems arose between Clara and Evelin.
"So what's today's activity topic?"
Just then, Biruna spoke with a bored expression, as if to say the introductions were enough and to get to the point quickly.
The rest didn't need introductions—they were familiar faces.
Theodore, from the same Knight Department.
And Evelin, who always sought out Theodore whenever she had free time.
Having seen them pass by, Biruna also knew them.
So with introductions done,
"Before starting the real activities──."
Noel rummaged around and pulled out something stored in one corner of the clubroom, holding it out in front of Biruna.
It was,
"Look at this and tell me your thoughts. I want to know how this appears from a beastkin's perspective, and what differences there are from actual beastkin culture."
"What's this? ......A book?"
It was the manga 「Letter Expedition」.