The Queen's Teasing and the Opening Ceremony
“……”
Simon let out a small sigh, closed his eyes, and brought the wineglass to his lips. A smooth, clean body with a subtle fruit undertone. It was white wine.
“I appreciate the help and all.”
Simon set down his glass.
“But if you keep controlling people like that, won't Lorraine chew you out?”
“Oh, come on~ What's the harm in a little fun? Nobody saw a thing, and they won't remember it themselves.”
Serne snapped her fingers with a crisp click. The male students who had been attending her just moments ago melted into the crowd, blinking around in confusion as if they'd just come to their senses.
But—
“Ook! Ook ook!”
“What's gotten into her?”
The girls who had surrounded Simon earlier were still busy imitating monkeys.
“That's the price of touching what's mine without knowing your place.”
Waving her arm with queenly grandeur, Serne took a sip of her red wine.
Simon narrowed his eyes.
“Who gave you the right to call me—”
“I just missed seeing Simon, that's all.”
Suddenly a wave of perfume washed over him. By the time he came to his senses, Serne had already leaned in close, her face thrust right up to his.
“You've gotten even more dashing, haven't you?”
“!”
Simon's body froze like a statue. Her knee slid up between his legs as he sat, her curves pressing close, her rich breath grazing the back of his neck. She ran her gaze down his face with wide, guileless eyes that seemed to understand nothing at all—then those eyes curved into crescent moons.
“Fufufu, just kidding~”
Serne pulled back and settled into her seat again. Her pale ivory hair swayed, brushing Simon's cheek before slipping away.
Ugh.
She was a human being beyond all control, Simon thought, forcing his scattered mind back together.
“Don't toy with me. If you do that, how are you any different from those girls back there?”
“Oh, we're completely different.”
She placed both hands on her snow-white knees and winked.
“Those monkeys will cling to anyone for power or pleasure. Not me. The number of people who can meet my eyes and hold a normal conversation like this is small enough to count on one hand.”
Her jade-green eyes took on an unusual gleam.
“I don't converse with monkeys. That's why I turn them into puppets instead. But you—you're worth leaving as you are. You're the one person I've acknowledged as my equal.”
Pressing a hand to her chest, she lowered her voice in feigned fragility.
“Honestly, just sitting face to face with you like this takes me an enormous amount of courage, you know?”
“Haah.”
Simon pressed a hand to his forehead.
“Other than the fact that you live in another dimension entirely, I have no idea what you're talking about.”
“No need to rush. We have plenty of time to get to know each other. Because—”
Her voice dropped, until she was whispering just softly enough for Simon alone to hear.
“I'm following you into the Summoning Department.”
“!!”
Simon's face went slack with shock.
“Not Jet-Black Mechanics?”
“What would I even learn there? It's all predictable. When I make a value judgment, I have exactly one standard.”
Her languid, heavy-lidded eyes turned toward Simon.
“Is there something I want, or isn't there. That's all it comes down to.”
“……”
It had suddenly gotten hot in here. Avoiding her gaze, Simon picked up his wineglass and took a sip. Sweet yet sharply acidic, with the dense body of a fine vintage.
Huh?
Wait. This was red wine.
The one he'd been drinking just before had definitely been white.
“!!”
Simon's head whipped around. Serne was holding his white wine glass, swirling it gently.
No way! That's why she got so close earlier—to swap our drinks!
“My my, Simon~ You're naughtier than you look.”
Blushing faintly, she murmured it bashfully—then pressed her pink lips to the rim of his glass and gave it a soft kiss.
Simon's face burned crimson.
“Serne!!”
“Hohohohoho!”
Her shoulders shook with laughter. Heh heh heh. Hoo hoo hoo. She doubled over at the waist, laughing without end.
“Ah~ Simon really is so much fun to tease.”
She dabbed at the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. Still flushed scarlet, Simon glared at her with an expression of pure indignation.
“I'm leaving.”
“Before you do.”
Serne said.
“I told you a secret, so Simon has to tell me one too. That's only fair, isn't it?”
“……What secret?”
“For example—”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Information about the next Student Council President?”
Simon, halfway out of his chair, let out a small sigh.
“Your information network is fast.”
“Of course it is. Oh! And I heard there's still one open seat on the council…….”
“You want me to put you on as an officer?”
Serne shook her head.
“I'm not the type to serve under anyone. Especially since the Vice President will be our dear Meilin, no? That would make Meilin my superior. I refuse to witness such a sight.”
……Yeah, figured as much.
“Ufufu.”
Serne rested her chin on her hand, a sly smile spreading across her face.
“I bet our Meilin's mouth is just itching right about now? Dying to come brag to me, twisting herself into knots holding it in…….”
Shink.
Serne's words cut off. Her eyes alone slid sideways—and there, a sharp piece of cutlery was pointed at her throat.
“You really do have awful habits.”
Serne said.
A girl with glossy black hair like a slab of night sky and eyes red as rubies was glaring daggers at her.
Simon's eyes went wide.
“Lorraine!”
“Make them stop.”
Lorraine repeated. Serne tilted her head with a foxlike smile.
“Whatever do you mean?”
“Those girls. Make them stop.”
Ook-ee! Ook-eek!
The female students still performing their monkey impressions were nearly exhausted, drenched in sweat with tears welling at the corners of their eyes.
“I was being quite merciful, you know~”
Serne smiled with her eyes.
“I could have quietly killed them all. But instead I merely let them have their embarrassing history immortalized in front of the entire student body and get buried in the girls' social circles…….”
“Say another word.”
A dangerous light flickered in Lorraine's red pupils.
“Stop it.”
“……Haah.”
Reluctantly, Serne snapped her fingers twice.
Only then did the girls collapse into their seats like puppets with cut strings, every inch of them soaked in sweat.
Lorraine lowered the cutlery and spoke.
“You're getting disciplined for this, Serne Aindark.”
Serne laughed.
“How amusing. Do you have any proof I did it?”
Serne hadn't moved those girls with her feathers. She had used a feather to brainwash a Curse Magic major, and that student's curse had driven the girls into their monkey act. Naturally, the memories of the student who cast the curse had already been erased. Even if Lorraine examined those girls' bodies, she would find no trace of a feather's touch.
“……A full physical inspection of the entire student body would turn it up, I imagine.”
Of course, Lorraine had guessed as much herself.
“Go ahead. Try it.”
Serne didn't so much as blink.
“To punish one person, you'd cancel the opening ceremony and the Department Selection Ceremony, throw the whole schedule into chaos, kick up an endless fuss over inspections and whatnot? All that sordid mess—”
Serne's eyes narrowed like a fox's.
“That's not how things are done at Kizen, is it?”
Watching Serne and Lorraine lock eyes in a murderous staring contest, Simon broke out in a cold sweat.
So this is how those two have been fighting all through first year.
“Well, the mood's gone sour, so I'll be off.”
Rising from her seat, Serne flashed Simon an adorably sweet smile.
“See you in Summoning class, Simon.”
“Huh? Ah—yeah, sure.”
Click-clack. Click-clack.
As Serne walked past Simon, her gaze fell on Lorraine's necklace. The choker around her throat bore a tiny silver padlock.
“That look suits you.”
With those parting words, Serne walked away, and her faction swarmed up behind her in a rush to follow.
“……”
“……”
Once Serne vanished, a brief silence settled over the table.
“Ah—hey, Lorraine.”
Simon greeted her first.
“Hey, Simon.”
Lorraine let her hostility drain away and finally showed a soft, faint smile. Simon watched her click the padlock shut at her throat once more.
“The department welcome reception starts soon. You should get ready.”
“Thanks for the heads-up.”
“I've got busy business of my own, so I'll go ahead.”
Lorraine didn't seem ready to give up her chance to catch Serne just yet. But as she turned to leave, she went ah, stopped mid-stride, and looked back at Simon.
“And—me too.”
“?”
“……I'm going into the Summoning Department as well. Looking forward to it.”
With that, she spun on her heel and hurried off. Simon scratched the side of his head.
Somehow I have a feeling second year is going to be absolutely exhausting.
Once the opening party wound down, the TAs entered the banquet hall.
“Alright, line up in two rows. Two rows!”
The TAs herded the students into formation and led them to the next venue. The rowdy chatter died down one voice at a time as the students moved along with tense expressions. Past the party hall and down a long corridor, they arrived at an auditorium even larger and grander than the one before.
“Hey, you guys see that? Did you see it?”
While everyone else was too nervous to look anywhere but straight ahead, Dick alone was blabbering away.
“The Class D girls going around doing monkey impressions! That was hilarious, honestly.”
“Shh, quiet.”
Meilin pressed a finger to her lips and gestured ahead with her chin.
“Third-year seniors.”
The moment they filed through the open doors, seven enormous conference tables came into view, all occupied by students. And pinned to each collar—a golden badge. The badge that marked the very summit of the school: the third years.
The third-year badge color changed on a rotating basis each year, and this time it was gold.
The atmosphere here is insane.
S-scary.
The third-years seated at the square tables stared silently at the second-years filing in, their faces utterly blank.
“They're seated by department. Left table's Command, then Curses, Blood……”
Dick whispered, breath held.
“All the famous seniors are here. There's Hayley-senpai, Benya-senpai, even Balak-senpai! Huh, but where's Eisel-senpai? The strongest of them all.”
“Eisel-senpai is on a mission, remember?”
“No talking over there. All second-years, this way, please.”
Under the TAs' direction, the second-years filed past the seven tables. The space between the third-years' tables and the podium ahead—furnished with small chairs—was where the second-years were to sit.
“Oof, this is intense.”
“Don't look back. Don't make eye contact and get marked for no reason.”
The second-years took their seats.
A short while later, heavy footsteps echoed from the podium. Every head turned.
“Good to see you, you rascals!!”
Every eye frozen with tension snapped wide open.
A wild mane of gray-brown hair tied in a ponytail, a slightly eccentric outfit, and a brisk, easygoing smile set off by rows of jagged triangular shark teeth—a woman impossible to forget.
“Professor Byeolya!”
WHOOOOAAA!
An explosive cheer erupted from among the second-years. The third-years, who barely knew Byeolya, responded with a more puzzled sort of reaction.
“You rascals! Did you have a good break?!”
“YES, MA'AM!”
“Good, good. I like a loud voice. Only the sharp ones are left among you lot now!”
A broadcast henchman came sprinting out, breathless, and handed her an amplification crystal and a schedule list. Her voice was so powerful that she'd been addressing the entire hall without any amplification at all.
“Now, how the hell do you read this?”
The henchman, sweating buckets, gave her a crash course in continental script.
“It's just an opening ceremony and it's this damn complicated. Whew!”
At the sight of Byeolya scrunching up her face, chuckles broke out here and there. Even the third-years let out small laughs, and the stifling atmosphere loosened a little.
“Professor Byeolya hasn't changed one bit.”
Meilin said, snickering. The other three nodded in agreement.
“Okay, okay. Now I've got it down perfectly.”
She lifted her head, baring her teeth in a grin.
“Starting now, we begin the opening ceremony and Department Selection Ceremony! Are you all ready?!”
“YESSS!!”
“Right, so first there's supposed to be some opening address or whatever.”
She turned and looked behind her.
“Come on in.”
Clunk!
The back curtains swept aside, and an old man ascended the podium. His forehead was lined with deep wrinkles, but he walked with his back perfectly straight, impeccably dressed in a suit.
They'd seen him at the opening ceremony. And at the closing one, too.
“It is a pleasure to see you all, second and third years of Kizen.”
One of the elders attached to Kizen's headquarters.
Dick immediately yawned and closed his eyes, while Meilin and Camibarez started whispering to each other.
“You students will play a pivotal role in leading the future of the Dark Alliance……”
You are the future.
Everyone has high hopes for you.
He had a truly remarkable talent for stretching platitudes like these into a very long speech.
The atmosphere Byeolya had dragged up by the collar went completely cold in ten minutes flat.
“That concludes my remarks.”
The elder looked deeply satisfied with his own speech. A torrent of huge, thunderous applause—meaning please, just go—came pouring down. Waving graciously at the young audience members who must surely have been moved to awe by his oratory, the elder departed.
“Haaam.”
Byeolya was already sprawled in her chair like a lazy cat. The moment the elder stepped off the podium, she murmured, without amplification, just loudly enough to carry.
“You kids clawed your way up here yourselves, and then these old geezers butt in to hog the credit. You hate that shit too, don't you?”
The students kept their expressions in check, but knowing smiles flickered here and there across the rows.
Byeolya picked the amplification crystal back up.
“Next item. Oh—now this is finally something proper.”
She read down the document, then raised her head and spoke with sudden gravity.
“A word to the incoming Student Council President.”
Murmur, murmur, murmur!
Every second-year turned to look back toward the third-years.
However—
Screech!
The sound of a chair dragging across the floor came not from behind them, but from the front.