Reunion and Rumors
"Hey!!!"
Face flushing scarlet, Meilyn bellowed at the top of her lungs. Simon grinned and greeted her too.
"Hey there, Dick."
"Heya!"
Dick vaulted clean over the park bench and slapped Simon a high-five. Smack! The crisp sound rang out.
"How've you been, my roommate?"
"I'm not your roommate anymore, remember?"
Simon shook out his hand, still stinging from the blow.
"Heh heh! Who's to say? You might end up roommates again in second year."
The awkward air dissolved at once. Dick simply had a talent for turning any space around him loud and cheerful just by existing.
He arched his eyebrows slyly and turned to Meilyn.
"So why is our illustrious Rank 8 sulking all by herself this time?"
"......Grrr."
Meilyn ground her teeth in warning. Dick shook his head.
"A whole year together and you still don't get it? The timing just now wasn't the timing you think it was......"
"Shut your mouth!!"
Meilyn shrieked and raised a wall of ice, but Dick nimbly flared his own Jet-Black, stepping off a nearby tree in a flip to dodge it.
"Anyway."
Tap.
Dick hopped down from the bench and shrugged.
"Go on, Simon! What were you about to say?"
"......"
Sharp as ever, Dick had noticed everything.
Still, without any forewarning, he couldn't possibly guess what proposal was coming. Simon scratched his head.
"Seeing as it's turned out this way, I'll tell you later—once Kami gets here and we've settled into our lodging."
"Oh, right! So it's the kind of talk that needs a drink first, huh?"
Just then, Dick's head swiveled around.
"And speak of the devil—there she is now."
Simon and Meilyn's gazes turned as well.
In the distance, a girl with light violet hair was waving and running toward them.
"Simon~ everyone~!"
Fluffy, adorable frills and short shorts—and with her hair let down for the first time in ages, Camibarez was practically radiating youthful energy.
All three of them lit up. Meilyn in particular bounced on her toes with delight.
"Camiii!"
The two girls threw their arms around each other. Meilyn hugged Camibarez tight, as if determined never to let go, nuzzling against her.
"Sob! I thought I was going to die missing you all break, Kami! All I wanted was to squeeze these squishy little cheeks to my heart's content!"
"I-I missed you too, Meilyn."
Watching the girls' fervent reunion, Dick spread his arms wide.
"The gents' burning friendship is nothing to sneeze at either!"
"Go away."
Running on pure adrenaline now, Dick threw an arm around Simon's neck and laughed merrily. Camibarez, still weathering Meilyn's affection assault, looked over at Simon and giggled.
"Hi there~ Simon!"
"Long time no see, Kami."
Just then, Dick took a step back and looked Simon up and down.
"Huh, wait. The angle of your arm around his neck is off from usual. Have you gotten taller or something?"
"Have I?"
It wasn't as though he kept a record of his own height, so he had no idea.
Meilyn's interest seemed piqued too, and she sidled over with an interested "Hmmmm~."
"You have grown. Back in first semester of first year we were about even, but now I feel like I'm looking up at you a little?"
Blushing faintly, Meilyn held her palm flat over her own head and then Simon's, comparing them—then abruptly smacked his forearm.
"Congrats, I guess?"
Simon rubbed the spot where she'd hit him with an awkward laugh.
"......Why are you two so worked up about this?"
"Hey, hey! Simon! Let's measure right now! I refuse to accept that you're the only one who got taller!"
Dick spun around without warning and pressed his back against Simon's.
"Now, Meilyn! Check who's taller. Quick!"
"Dick, heels down."
"Wow, look at her pretending it's beneath her, then getting dead serious in two seconds!"
"I just don't like cheating."
Amid the electric, boyish-girlish bustle unique to teenagers, Camibarez watched the two of them while fidgeting with her hands.
"......I'm jealous of boys."
"Hm?"
"Since you just keep growing taller......"
Simon and Dick flinched hard and hastily broke apart.
"Y-you'll grow taller too, Kami!"
"Yeah! Of course you will! Everyone remembers your dad's build, right? Give it a few years and you'll be filling out in every direction—"
WHACK!
Smacked square on the back, Dick went tumbling forward with a theatrical yelp. Meilyn said icily:
"There are things you say and things you don't. Every single word out of your mouth is vulgar, honestly."
Dick smirked.
"Straight to violence the second we meet, huh? Hey, guys. Wanna see what I clipped from the Langerstein local paper? 'The Pride of the Langerstein Grand Theatre! A Voice from Heaven—Meilyn Villenne!'"
"Hey!!"
Watching the three of them roar with laughter and carry on, Simon felt his heart settle.
This—this was exactly the atmosphere he'd been missing.
The four of them boarded a huge cruise ship at the harbor and set off.
Their destination could only be reached by sea, and Dick said the trip would take about a day.
"We could just hang out in Langerstein a few days instead. Why bother getting on a boat?"
Meilyn grumbled.
"Ah, so impatient! Just sit back and trust me, will you?"
Dick said.
"Have I ever let you down on venue scouting? I've lined us up a genuinely great destination."
"That's right! I trust you, Dick!"
"Heh heh! So Cami's the only one who takes my side!"
It was a full day at sea, but even so, it was fun. The three of them had mountains of stories saved up from the break.
As soon as the four dropped their bags in their assigned cabins, they piled into one room and chattered the hours away.
They traded tales of what they'd done over the break, reminisced about first year, and speculated about the second-year schedule ahead—and while the other three were happily caught up in anticipation, only Simon fidgeted anxiously, watching their every expression.
When would be a good moment to bring up the student council offer?
The conversation was so dense and fast-moving that he simply couldn't find an opening to change the subject.
And the current topic was second-year major selection.
"The Curses, Summoning, and Jet-Black Mechanics departments—that's seven departments total, sixty slots each."
Dick counted off the information on his fingers.
"Everyone picks their major in order, from final rank 1 all the way down to 400. The popular ones—Curse Magic and Jet-Black Mechanics—fill up fastest."
Camibarez tilted her head.
"What happens if all the slots fill up?"
"What can you do? You pick a different department, obviously!"
"Ah......"
Frightened, Camibarez's pupils began to tremble violently. Meilyn smiled and gently swept her bangs aside.
"With your rank at 95, I don't think you need to worry about that?"
"Y-you really think so?"
"Oh! Absolutely!"
Dick chimed in.
"Anyone in the top 200 can pretty much count on getting into the department they want. And it's not like Hemomancy is that popular in the first place. The ones who really need to sweat are the mid-to-lower ranks gunning for Curses or Jet-Black Mechanics."
"Nuh-uh~"
Meilyn cut in.
"Wouldn't the person who should worry the most be the poor soul ranked 400th, with no options left at all?"
Dick made a wounded face, and Simon and Camibarez burst out laughing.
Dick tipped his head back with a resigned grin.
"Eh, whatever. It'll work out somehow. It's not like Toxicology's going to fill up."
"Dick."
"Hm?"
Simon smiled slyly.
"The Summoning department's always open."
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
Everyone roared with laughter.
For the record, according to Dick, Summoning was the least popular department at Kizen—it hadn't filled its quota in years. Anyone who wanted in could walk right through the door.
"Fine, whatever! Like I care."
Dick flopped backward onto the floor.
"If Toxicology fills up, I'll just follow Simon into Summoning!"
Camibarez smiled sweetly.
"Come to Hemomancy, Dick! I'll take good care of you!"
"Gahk! Even Cami, my last ally, has betrayed me......"
"If it stings, work harder like we did in first year."
Meilyn was thoroughly trouncing Dick with her tongue, the way she hadn't in ages.
Sensing the conversation had turned against him, Dick hastily swerved it.
"Oh! By the way, who do you think the new student council president's actually going to be? What's everyone's take?"
Simon's heart lurched.
He'd let his guard down for one moment, and the swerved topic had landed right on this!
"Isn't it obvious? Senior Eisel, the strongest of the third years, of course."
Meilyn crossed her legs as she spoke.
"I heard at my club that the runner-up, Senior Balak, is supposed to be incredible too!"
Camibarez added.
Simon kept a close eye on the other three. Unsurprisingly, his own name never once came up among the candidates.
Still, now that the student council is the topic—this is my chance.
Before making the formal proposal at their lodging tomorrow, he wanted to gauge how the three of them really felt. Simon spoke up.
"Hey, what if."
Three pairs of eyes turned to Simon.
"What if you got an offer to join the student council as an executive? How would you feel?"
"......"
The sudden silence that fell over all three made Simon regret it immediately.
Was that question way too obvious?
"I-I'd probably turn it down."
At Camibarez's words, Simon's heart plummeted.
"I mean, of course I'd be grateful and terribly honored! Bu-ut...... I don't know if I could handle such an important role, and my skills aren't really up to it, and......"
Inside Simon's pupils, an earthquake was underway.
"They could offer me a spot and I'd still say no."
Meilyn said.
'......You'd say no even if they gave it to you?'
Simon felt like coughing up blood.
"Second year is when real major coursework starts, you know? As majors, we're stepping into genuinely professional territory—and more than anything, second year is when you learn more than any other year at Kizen. The student council would just be dead weight when we should be burying ourselves in our studies."
Trembling, Simon slowly turned his head and gazed, desperate, at his last hope: Dick.
"Hmm."
Dick scratched his head.
"Honestly? I'd say I'm the type who obviously belongs not on the student council, but in the role of the sneaky little villain who gets dragged in and yelled at by them."
Meilyn and Camibarez burst into giggles.
Encouraged by the girls' reaction, Dick got carried away.
"Besides, all of this is pure fantasy anyway! Why would the third-year student council president reach out to second-years instead of just surrounding himself with his own people?"
"Yeah, exactly."
The three chatted and laughed, but somehow Simon couldn't bring himself to join them.
I-I shouldn't have asked.
How was he supposed to bring up the proposal tomorrow? He only grew more and more confused.
Well, none of them would get an offer anyway.
Of course, Simon had absolutely no idea that none of them had meant a word of it.
The next morning, they finally arrived at their destination: the Parona Peninsula.
When the murmur of the crowds below grew steadily louder, Simon and Camibarez—both early risers—went up onto the deck to look.
"Whoa......!"
"It's beautiful!"
Beyond the endless sea, land had finally come into view.
Blue flowers bloomed in every direction. Each time the wind stirred, petals went whirling up on the breeze and blanketed everything around them—a sight of almost unbearable beauty.
Simon and Camibarez stared at the view as if entranced.
"And there it is—the Parona Peninsula."
Just then, Dick walked over, mid-yawn.
"The moonflowers that bloom in riotous abundance here—and only here—this season are lovely and all, but the real spectacle is something else entirely."
"The real spectacle?"
"Yep. I'll explain once we get off the ship."
Dick pointed ahead with a fingertip.
"Anyway, we'll be docking soon. Let's go change."
The Parona Peninsula jutted sharply out from the continent into the sea, and it belonged to the territory of the Baldwin Kingdom.
Travel between kingdoms was largely free under the Dark Alliance treaties, but owing to regional interests, the Parona Peninsula maintained strict identity checks at its borders.
Naturally, Simon's group traveled with free-passage privileges.
Been a while since I wore this, too.
Simon pulled on black trousers and cinched his belt. He draped an overcoat over his white shirt and straightened his tie.
Lastly, he made sure the red badge that marked a second-year was fastened properly, then gathered his things.
"Let's go!"
Simon and Dick filed out of the room, and Meilyn and Camibarez soon joined them.
Murmurs rose from every direction.
"It's Kizen!"
Within the Dark Alliance, a single crisp black uniform carried staggering weight.
It felt like being an overnight celebrity. Everywhere they walked, eyes and ears turned toward them, and people parted of their own accord to clear a path.
"Ohhh, THIS is the good stuff!"
Walking off the gangplank toward the harbor's immigration gate, Dick wore an expression of pure rapture.
"Behold these gazes, brimming with envy and awe! Power, might, glory—all mine! I am Kizen!"
Dick turned around.
"Am I righ...... hm?"
Simon, Meilyn, and Camibarez had long since put distance between themselves and him, and were walking ahead.
"Hey, you're embarrassing us. Hurry up."
Meilyn scowled.
At last they reached the immigration gate. The people in line started to step aside for them, but Simon smiled, told them it was fine, and took his place at the back like everyone else.
Before long, it was their turn.
"Hello."
Simon greeted him pleasantly.
"Huuuaaam."
The only reply was a yawn.
Perhaps worn down by the work, the harbor clerk didn't even glance at the four of them as he scrawled on his paperwork.
"Ticket, name, nationality."
"Sorry?"
"What, you got cotton in your ears? Ship ticket! Name! Nationality! And something to prove your ident—huh?"
Only then did the clerk look at what Simon and his friends were wearing. And he caught the strange, murmuring stir among the crowd.
"K-Kizen...... for real?!"
"This guy still hasn't read the room."
Dick swaggered forward as if to say leave this to me, plucked the papers right out of the man's hands, and said:
"This immigration gate is an absolute mess, wouldn't you say?"
They hadn't yet attended the opening ceremony, so they weren't official second-years yet—but even first-years at Kizen carried investigative authority. As second-years, they would gain wartime command authority as well.
The harbor clerk went rigid, snapping to attention.
"I'll correct it at once!"
"I won't be doing the correcting. Your supervisor will."
"G-gahk!"
"Maybe if we turn this whole desk inside out, you'll come to your sen—AAAGH! AAAAH!"
In the end, Meilyn—her face crimson with embarrassment—suppressed the rebellion by seizing Dick by the ear and dragging him off.
Beside her, Camibarez bowed her head over and over.
"We're so sorry! So sorry! Our friend was terribly rude......"
"A K-Kizen student, apologizing to me?! The fault is entirely mine!"
Once they were clear of the immigration gate, Meilyn let go of Dick's ear with an exasperated laugh.
"Did you enroll just to bully civilians? Honestly."
"Ah, come on, I was just messing around!"
Dick said, rubbing his ear.
"Look, the guy was being rude to us just because we're kids, right? He changed his attitude based on who we were, so I figured I'd change mine right back."
"Mm-hm. And since it was satisfying, we'll let it go at that."
After Camibarez, Simon came out last.
"So, Dick. Where to now?"
"Well, first......"
Dick looked around. The sightseeing crowds were gathering thicker and thicker, eager to gawk at the Kizen students.
"Should we change out of the uniforms first?"
Meilyn and Camibarez nodded quickly.