Chapter 13 - A Tea Party is Not an Academic Conference
A Tea Party is Not an Academic Conference
Translator : Elizabeth
“W-What? You went to take Professor Snake’s Introduction to Dark Magic Basic Theory class, and just in time, Iris went to take that class too, but since you, the Saintess, knew Dark Magic too well, everyone badmouthed you, but suddenly Iris, who got really pissed off, launched a sudden outburst against the noble children, casting ‘Those kids are totally bad kids!!’ to Professor Snake, and while doing so, it turned out Iris is not Darkness but Light attribute like you, so you just became friends?”
Clara spoke like a rapid-fire gun without resting.
Of course, Louise, who possesses unrivaled memory and mental processing speed, didn't miss those words.
If it were a field she had no interest in, she would have blocked the information before it even reached her brain.
But now, it was a conversation she was quite interested in.
“Yep! So Iris decided to help me as my assistant in my research~! Making lasers!!”
“Haa…….”
Clara pressed her temples firmly.
Because something impossible had happened.
And not just one or two things, but several.
“Beyond you and Iris becoming close, to think that Iris would [defend] Dark Magic…… In the first place, Professor Snake is also an existence that blocks the Main Heroine similarly to you……!!”
Clara was beyond not understanding the reason; her head was about to explode.
It was exactly as she said.
First of all, it made no sense for the Main Heroine Iris and the Saintess, who plays the role of the Semi-Final Boss, to become close,
“Ugh…… O-Of course, I didn't know much about Dark Magic and had no interest…… But still, according to Lady Louise, it seems there isn't such a big difference between Darkness and Light…….”
And it was also shocking beyond belief that Iris didn't have enough antipathy towards Dark Magic to defend the Saintess like that.
In the first place, the fact that the two became close in such a bizarre way was unbelievable.
Beyond dumbfounded, it was astonishing.
“Louise, you really……! If you commit something like this from the first day of the entrance ceremony, what do you expect us to do?!”
“I just acted as usual though?”
“That’s why it’s a problem……! Ughhh, waaaah! It’s completely twisted from the beginning, what am I supposed to do……!!”
Clara collapsed on the table and suddenly started wailing.
After all, she possessed the extra 『Clara von Hermain』 in 『Saint-Royal』 when she was ten years old.
Since it is normal to enter the Academy after becoming an adult.
In reality, Clara has waited nearly 10 years for the first day of the entrance ceremony, the start of the game’s first main story.
But what can she do, what should she do?
Because of a fellow reincarnator, a Saintess who knows absolutely nothing about the game, this smash-up happened from the beginning of the story.
“…….”
No matter how sorrowfully Clara cried, it was a situation where no one comforted her.
“……Ughhh! Fine!! Do you think I’ll give up just because of this……!!”
Clara resurrected in an instant, clenched her fist tightly! And shouted Aja! Aja! alone.
“You there! Iris!”
“Hiek?! Y-Yes?”
Clara pointed a finger at Iris and declared as if she had become a drill instructor.
“Since it’s come to this, you join us too! Understand?!”
“Yes…… If Lady Louise is here, I naturally will too…… But join in what?”
“It’s obvious! The first day of the entrance ceremony, the event that comes after that!”
Clara wiped her teary eyes before she knew it, put her hands on both waists, and puffed out her chest proudly.
Although both Iris and Louise only paid a silent tribute in their hearts to her regrettable size.
Anyway, as one of the only two reincarnators and the only ‘veteran’ who had played this game world countless times, Clara,
“That is precisely the Tea Party!”
Presented the next goal.
“Tea…… Party……?”
“Ooh! Tea! Party?”
“Right, a Tea Party!”
One of the clichés always present in female-oriented Romance Fantasy novels, comics, and games.
The very Tea Party.
Although there are differences depending on the work.
Originally, a Tea Party is an event that gives awkward men and women who have just entered the Academy a chance to get close to each other for the first time.
Especially in this Academy where most are children of noble families and young ladies, it was practically the only opportunity to get close.
First of all, as long as everyone is from a noble background, they cannot just become close carelessly saying ‘Let’s be friends!’ like commoners.
What is important to nobles, whether in the past or now or at any time, was always the cause, the very justification.
“That…… Since earlier, you’ve been saying event, or scene…… Romance Fantasy……? There are many words I’m hearing for the first time and can’t understand…….”
Only then did Clara realize, ‘Ah’.
Come to think of it, the Main Heroine wasn't a reincarnator unlike the Saintess or herself.
“Oops…… Since the Main Heroine was always playable, I unwittingly misunderstood…….”
Despite Clara muttering that she made a mistake, Iris only made a face saying she didn't understand the reason.
Clara pondered for a moment, then soon seemed to make up her mind.
She spoke to Iris seriously.
“Iris, listen well.”
“Yes? Yes…….”
“We, meaning me and Louise…… the Saintess, heard an oracle.”
“Yes……? Oracle…… you say…?”
“Right, oracle. Louise! No, Saintess! Saintess, you try saying it properly once too!”
“Hm? What?”
“You know, that! That whatchamacallit, oracle…… Main Heroine, something like that.”
“Aha~”
Louise roughly grasped what Clara was saying and summarized it appropriately to organize.
“You will overtake me later and become the real Saintess! Because you are the Main Heroine of this world, the protagonist!”
The problem was that she summarized it too much though.
“I-I am the protagonist of this world……? Ma-Main Heroine…… Wh-What on earth does that…….”
Since it came to this, Clara also intended to go roughly shamelessly.
“Anyway, it’s such an oracle. You like the Saintess a lot, right? Or Iris, do you intend to treat the Saintess’s oracle as nonsense?”
“Y-Yes? Th-That is absolutely not it……!”
“Right? Then don’t question it and just believe for now. And listen first. Understand?”
“Yes…… Ah, understood…….”
“First, you and me, and even the Saintess, we will hold a Tea Party.”
Clara added at length.
“We will invite the Crown Prince’s close friends to the Tea Party, and naturally, then we will end up inviting the Crown Prince too, right?”
Clara looked at Louise along with Iris.
Iris nodded her head several times, and Louise tilted her head going Hm?
Clara let out a small sigh inwardly, but believing she roughly understood, she continued.
“First, the Subs…… I mean, I’ll invite Lord Leon, Lord Calix, Lord Sigmund…… and up to Lord Edri.”
—Tap!
Immediately after, Clara put her hand on Iris’s shoulder.
Then, with an expression as if she were about to tell the most important secret and truth in the world.
She requested of Iris.
“So Iris, the Crown Prince, you invite the Crown Prince personally.”
“Y-Yes…… Yes?”
“I mean, go give the Tea Party invitation to the Crown Prince.”
At Clara’s words like a bolt from the blue, Louise whistled “Woo-hoo~♪”.
“Y-Yeeeeeeeh?!!”
The Main Heroine and commoner, Iris, screamed in panic.
Tea Party.
That is the second Main Event encountered in the female-oriented Romance Fantasy game 『Saint Royal Academy』.
As such, its status in the game is high and thus important.
Because it is determined in this very Tea Party event which Male Leads will be targeted (romanced).
However, just giving a Tea Party invitation doesn't mean you can unconditionally target those Male Leads.
If you fail to build up initial affinity in the first place, the Tea Party invitation itself gets rejected.
For example,
—Wh-Why must I give a Tea Party invitation to the Crown Prince……!
There would be the case where Iris hands the invitation to the Crown Prince right now.
For the Main Heroine to be rejected by the Main Male Lead.
Something that usually doesn't happen in the game.
But it happened in reality.
Because she skipped the first Main Event the Main Heroine undergoes, the Crown Prince Slap Scene, tremendously.
If the Main Heroine gets slapped instead here, later you can confirm that the Crown Prince’s figure appearing in the affinity window has risen.
In other words,
It means the game is designed so that even a player playing for the first time who is terrible at games,
Will not be rejected even if she gives an invitation to the Main Male Lead, the Crown Prince.
—I-In the first place, for a commoner like me to do that alone would be a tremendous rudeness……!
But now it wasn't so.
Currently, the Main Heroine skipped that first Main Event.
Beyond simply skipping, she had it snatched away completely by the Saintess.
Effectively, it’s like the Semi-Final Boss Saintess took the Main Heroine’s spot instead.
If someone who had originally played Saint-Royal saw this, it would inevitably be a situation that is simply headache-inducing.
Still,
The fortunate thing among the misfortunes was,
—I told you it’s fine! Since it’s a Tea Party hosted by the Saintess anyway, he won’t be able to refuse even if he hates it.
Saintess Louise is also a reincarnator, so is it that she is on this side for now?
Clara was watching the first Main Event scene from start to finish back then.
Of course, even when the Saintess suddenly intruded in the middle, all the way through.
The Crown Prince has already harbored good feelings for the Saintess.
It was certain.
Of course, since his tiresome fiancée Anastasia was at that place, it might be that he showed interest in the Saintess more deliberately,
But still, Clara, who had read and played numerous female-oriented Romance Fantasy works, could tell.
Yes, Clara thought like this.
—When inviting, invite in the name of the Saintess, but when the Tea Party actually ends, it just needs to be that Iris becomes closer to the Crown Prince than Louise……!
—……AKA! She helps the friend of the person she likes to get together with her own friend, but in that process, rather than the person she liked at first, she ends up with her friend……! That strategy!
—So, Iris, you! You sit unconditionally in the seat facing the Crown Prince! Understand?
Naturally, Iris couldn't understand.
—Y-Yes?! S-Such an undeserved……! N-No, in the first place, I haven't even said I’d give the invitation yet?!
She was already half in panic from being told she was the real Saintess earlier,
But suddenly now telling her to try seducing the Crown Prince.
It was to the point of going beyond flustered to turning pale.
—I told you not to worry! I’ll tell you everything about what the Crown Prince likes and hates, what lines work well, and what words you absolutely must not say!
—Besides, in the first place, there is no other Male Lead who falls in love as easily and is as easy as the Crown Prince! Game…… no, even a total dating novice can easily target the totally sloppy Crown Prince!
—Kyaaaak?! Wh-What such reckless remarks?! To-Totally sloppy…… you say…… I-I didn't hear it, I didn't hear it, I didn't hear it……!!
—A.Ny.Way! From today until the day the Tea Party is held, Iris, you’re in special training with me!
—I-I’ve never even heard of such special training……!
Roughly with this feeling,
The tasks for the Main Heroine Iris and the extra Clara were decided.
And,
—And next is you……!
—……Saintess, you will prepare the Tea Party in our stead during that time…… You can really prepare it properly, right……? Hmm?
—Fufu~ Leave it to me! Despite how I look, I’ve chaired academic conferences and seminars countless times! Tea preparation is nothing~
—Ch-Chaired? Anyway, you mean you’re used to it……?
—(……I don’t know well, but it seems she was older than me in her past life for now…….)
—……A-Anyway, that, you know, I trust you……? Tea Party preparation?
—Yep~!!
In Louise’s case, she naturally took charge of the remaining work.
None other than the preparation and hosting of the Tea Party, the entirety of it.