Before the New Semester, It Was Always Chaos #2
Victorica had been completely out of her mind lately.
The first day of a new school year had always been a time of overwhelming work for the Student Council. Days that felt like absolute chaos were practically a tradition for them. But in Victorica’s case, the level of mental strain was several times worse than what the other officers experienced.
In truth, having a heavy workload was never an issue for Victorica, who handled tasks with crisp efficiency. What was truly scrambling her mind was something else entirely.
Flutter.
“…I keep telling you, I wasn’t the one who got dumped! I was the one who ended it! With Victor! Those Newspaper Club brats are just churning out this trashy gossip because they’ve got budget to burn, aren’t they? Once the new semester starts, I’ll have to launch an audit right away!”
The article in the Ludens Daily about Victorica and Victor’s broken engagement was filled with claims that Victor had been the one to demand the split. Hadn’t she clearly explained the facts to Daily Rumor, the second-year vice president of the Newspaper Club? The fact that such baseless nonsense had made it into print made her blood boil.
Whisper whisper.
“Shouldn’t someone calm Victorica down?”
“Milone, why don’t you do it then?”
While every officer in the Student Council room was carefully watching the vice president’s mood, her best friend and Student Council secretary, Shady France, patted Victorica on the shoulder.
“Victorica. Stop making that adorable little scowl and come shopping with me. You must have received a pretty generous allowance from the new ship that docked at the port, right? It’s the last weekend of break—you should buy some new clothes.”
“Shady, I don’t have the luxury for that. You know how my father, the head of House Arclight, refuses to provide support for anything beyond essential supplies.”
“Ah, right. That’s how your family has always been. Fine then. I’ll buy you one outfit from the new spring collection. We’ll get you dressed up nicely, and while we’re at it, you can find yourself a new boyfriend. Then you can finally try all those naughty things you’ve never—”
“Shady!”
“Okay, okay.”
The second-year with wavy brown hair, Shady, laughed as she watched the fuming Victorica. “Our princess really is entertaining.”
In the end, Shady and Victorica headed into town. It wouldn’t hurt to stock up on supplies before the new semester began.
That was when they ran into him.
“Hey, Victor. What are you doing over there?”
Victor was quite tall. The last time he had been measured, he stood at 183cm and weighed roughly 77kg. His tall, muscular frame radiated considerable pressure when he wore the red armband of a disciplinary officer. He was hard to miss no matter where he stood.
“Don’t tell me you’re actually trying to hide?”
Yet there he was, attempting to conceal his body behind a distant streetlamp. Even so, his broad shoulders were clearly visible, making the whole thing rather comical.
In response, Victor said, “I am not a criminal. Why would I need to hide? I simply noticed an unusual pattern drawn behind this streetlamp and was examining it.”
“……”
It must be true. Victor never lied. Though he looked somewhat uncomfortable, she decided to let it slide for now.
What had truly seized Victorica’s full attention wasn’t Victor himself, but the woman standing beside him.
Is that even a woman…?
It was a figure wearing a ragged hood pulled low over their face. They appeared to be around 160cm tall. The only clue to their identity as a student was the tattered Ludens girls’ uniform.
Who on earth is this person with Victor…? She looks more like a vagrant than a student.
Could this shabby-looking girl be the “new woman” Victor had mentioned? The thought crossed her mind.
Did he really break things off with me just to be with someone like her?
She gave the girl a quick scan from head to toe.
“…Ah, h-hello, Victorica… I mean, Miss Arclight. Nice to m-meet you. My name is… Nike Mokemoke…”
The girl was trembling like a squirrel in front of a predator. At first glance, she was clearly just an ordinary, unremarkable student. The kind who couldn’t even get into the dorms and bounced between cheap inns on the outskirts.
I win.
Victorica normally disliked people who looked down on others the way Enio did. Yet strangely, this time she felt rather pleased.
That feeling lasted only a moment.
He broke up with me… No, I wasn’t dumped, but still—for someone like her? Does this mean I’m worse than her? What will people say if they find out?
In fact, Victorica’s other childhood friend, Shady France, was currently fighting so hard to hold back her laughter that she looked on the verge of passing out.
“Pfft— you two look perfect together. Pffft—! Victorica totally deserved to get d—pfft—!”
There was no way the proud Victorica Arclight could tolerate this. No, she shouldn’t tolerate it.
But all of this was still just Victorica’s speculation. She decided to ask directly.
“Victor. Is this the woman you were talking about?”
“That is…”
“No, I don’t want to hear it from you. I’ll ask her myself. Hey, you.”
“Y-yes? My name is Nike Mokemoke…”
Nike Mokemoke. What a strange name. Where had she heard it before?
I’m certain I’ve heard that name somewhere… What was it? Where did I see it? In some document…? Nike Mokemoke. It’s such an odd name, I should remember it.
Never mind. It didn’t matter right now.
“Miss Mokemoke. What exactly is your relationship with Victor here?”
“Me? W-well, our relationship is…”
That was when Victor spoke.
“We share meals from the same pot. And we have even stamped documents together for the sake of each other’s futures.”
“What? Stamped documents?”
At Victor’s words, Victorica felt the world spin before her eyes!
* * *
Nike, standing before Victorica, could barely keep her thoughts straight. Had she been completely overwhelmed by the elegant, golden-spooned beauty?
“Ugh…”
In front of the refined Victorica, the dirt-poor Nike was weaker than a hamster!
The problem was that Victorica’s gaze as she looked at the two of them seemed… off. Maybe it was time for him to step in.
“That is the nature of our relationship. Understood?”
“The nature of your relationship… sharing a pot for meals… and stamping documents… Then does that mean…”
It was a bit different from the misunderstanding Victorica seemed to be forming, but it wasn’t a lie that they ate together and had stamped loan documents. Because of that, Victor’s stomach—which could not tolerate lies—remained perfectly fine.
Alright, Victor. So that’s how it works? As long as it’s not an outright lie, it’s acceptable?
Victorica asked again, as if she couldn’t believe it.
“Is that really true? Mokemoke? Tell me honestly.”
“Y-yes, it’s true. Victor also promised to feed me delicious meals every day. I even swore an oath to the God of Order…”
“S-swore to the God of Order…”
Victorica staggered. The model-like woman with wavy brown hair standing beside her quickly supported her. The beauty mark beneath her left lip confirmed it—Shady. Shady France, the secretary. Seeing her in person like this was rather moving.
“Hey, Victorica. Are you okay?”
“Shady… am I dreaming right now? Huh? I must have fallen asleep from overwork and this is a nap…”
“Snap out of it. This is reality.”
“Why do I have to go through something like this…”
Victorica regained her composure.
“Hey, Victor. Are you out of your mind? You broke off our engagement just to be with this filthy, shabby girl? That’s why you ended things with me?”
“You think she looks shabby?”
“Yes. She’s dirty and unkempt. Honestly, there’s nothing about her that’s better than me.”
“……”
At Victorica’s refined but cutting criticism, Nike’s shoulders visibly drooped. Had Victorica always had this side to her in the game, where she would belittle others like this? No—right now, there were more important things to address.
“Apologize, Victorica. It is true that she currently looks dirty and unkempt. But that doesn’t mean there is nothing about her that surpasses you. In a certain sense, she has just as much potential as you do.”
Like Victorica and Enio, Nike was a main character designed as a heroine. She was the flagship character of the DLC that came with the remaster after the game’s ten-year anniversary. Her potential was limitless. Even someone like him, a veteran of D&A, couldn’t fully predict it.
“Potential…?”
At the word “potential,” Victorica’s golden eyes seemed to waver. Was there something about it that bothered her?
“Potential. Yes. Let’s see what kind of potential you both have. You, and that strangely named girl, Mokemoke.”
That was when it happened.
“It’s not strange.”
The girl who had been trembling like a small animal just moments ago spoke in a calm, serious voice.
“Mokemoke is a precious name my father gave me. It is absolutely not strange. I used to admire you, Miss Victorica. So why are you mocking my name? I’m a little disappointed.”
“Uh… um…?”
It was an oddly powerful response. Victorica—who rarely showed any sign of being flustered even in the main story—actually took a step back. So “Mokemoke” was something of a reverse scale for Nike?
Hmm… Good thing I never teased her about it. I was planning to a few times.
He made a mental note. Everyone had a reverse scale that should never be touched.
“…Now I look like the one-sided villain here. Am I the bully? When you think about it, I also…”
Victorica seemed genuinely aggrieved. But she soon let out a long sigh and composed her expression into something cool and calm.
“I apologize, Miss Mokemoke. Everyone has the right to take pride in their own name. I was clearly being foolish. However…”
Swipe.
But just as she was about to continue, Victorica closed her mouth. Then she abruptly turned her head and started walking away.
“Let’s go, Shady.”
“Huh? O-okay. Let’s go.”
She was gone. Completely gone. It felt like a storm had just swept through.
If Victor’s personality had been even slightly more carefree, his legs probably would have given out and he would have collapsed on the spot.
“Hiiiieee, my legs are shaking… I can’t believe I got angry at Miss Victorica. What if she hates me now? But I had to say what I said…!”
Nike flopped down onto the ground. It seemed the encounter had been incredibly difficult for her too.
“…Still, I couldn’t deny that I look shabby.”
“That part is true. You’re an earth mage, after all.”
“…It’s not earth! Hah, whatever. Let’s just say it is. More importantly, what did you mean earlier? That I have as much potential as Miss Victorica?”
“Did I say something like that?”
He endured the mild pain in his stomach and held out a hand to Nike. No matter what, he couldn’t just tell her the truth: “You’re a flagship heroine just like her.” Right?
Fortunately, Nike didn’t press the matter any further.
She took his hand and stood up, then opened her mouth again as if something had just occurred to her.
“By the way. What was that story about you breaking off the engagement because of me?”
“Ah. That’s…”
This wasn’t something he could just brush off. If he played it right, he might even be able to get Nike’s help.
He explained the situation to her in simple terms.
“In that sense, would you be willing to play along with my acting?”
Nike looked shocked.
“A lie…? Victor, you’re going to lie—mmph!?”
“Shh. Keep your voice down.”
The fact that Victor was lying was not something that should spread. The premise that “Victor can be trusted because he never lies” was actually quite useful.
Anyway.
Because of this unexpected event, their schedule had been slightly delayed. Time was money.
“We will proceed with the plan and buy the clothes.”
“That’s… understood.”
He had expected Nike to complain a bit more, but she surprisingly accepted it easily. Had her encounter with Victorica caused some kind of change in her mindset?
“But before that, it would be best if you washed up first.”