Girl Seria's Day
The origins of Girl Seria's Day stretch back to a time before the Empire had even been formed.
Terakan, who would one day become the First Emperor, was a wise man — and, thanks to those extraordinary gifts, a fiercely proud one as well.
Born a prince of a tiny kingdom, he conquered the nations around him with brilliant tactics, steadily expanding the lands that would later become the Empire.
But as he marched from victory to victory, Terakan suffered the greatest defeat of his life. He lost more than half the army he had so ambitiously assembled, and three of the great generals who had stood at his side. He had known setbacks before — advances and retreats, the ordinary pendulum of war — but never a blow like this. His pride was shattered. He was crushed.
And as if that weren't enough, on the journey home after the defeat, enemy forces ambushed him. Terakan was separated from his troops and left entirely alone. The hundreds of royal guards who had protected him gave their lives holding the enemy at bay, and Terakan fled by himself, without even a horse, wandering the forest on foot.
The armor that had once shone with splendid light had become a lump of scrap iron. The divine sword he had always worn at his side was broken, no longer fit for use. The fine clothes that had cost a fortune in gold were stiff with dust and sweat, torn to rags. Not a soul looking at him would have seen a king.
Reduced to a beggar's state, Terakan wandered the forest alone for four days before he surrendered and sank to the ground. The kingdom's main forces had been annihilated. The great generals who had been as his own limbs were all gone. Even if he returned home in one piece, a kingdom stripped of nearly all its strength had no path left but to be absorbed by another nation.
His heart broken by a defeat that could never be undone, Terakan was holding back the tears that threatened to burst forth when someone approached him.
It was the meeting of Seria and Terakan — the meeting from which Girl Seria's Day would one day be born.
Girl Seria's Day is unusual in taking the word girl as its namesake. That a holiday named not for a saint or a hero — nothing grand at all, just an ordinary word — should be so beloved throughout the Empire is because Seria, though an utterly ordinary girl, was the wellspring from which the Empire itself was born.
A simple village girl, Seria mistook Terakan for a hungry beggar and offered him food. Terakan, who had eaten nothing but the finest cuisine his entire life, tasted what she gave him and finally let the tears he had been holding back fall. No detailed record remains of what the food actually was, and opinions on the matter differ wildly — but Terakan said it was the sweetest thing he had ever eaten.
Warmed back to life by a little girl's kindness, Terakan returned to his kingdom, raised an army, and seized victory. Then he became the First Emperor, and founded the vast nation known as the Empire.
There are even stories that his wives grew jealous, because Terakan always went around saying he dedicated his victories to Seria. That so many of his descendants bear the name Ria is also said to be in her honor.
Later, Terakan sought the girl out and asked what she wished for. With an expression of pure innocence, she told him she wanted to dance.
This would become the origin of the Ball that follows Girl Seria's Day.
The Empire is said to have been built on systematic tactics and a proud, unyielding spirit. But in the end, what gave them their strength was the sweet kindness of an ordinary girl.
Class B's Unpopular Guy No. 1, Cuthbert, declared it with a dead-serious face.
"...You're awfully comfortable saying things that'll get you hanged."
Unpopular Guy No. 2, Vollin, gave an awkward little laugh as he said it — and Cuthbert slammed his palm down on the desk in a fury.
"It doesn't make any sense! Sugar's only been properly supplied for a hundred years! In the early days of the Empire the class gap was so brutal people were dirt poor. How would a commoner girl from some rural village have sugar that even the First Emperor considered precious?!"
"Nobody said it was sugar. Just that it was sweet. Could've been a honey dessert, or fruit, or something."
"Honey makes even less sense! How would a country girl have a dessert like that?! And if it was fruit, he would've said fruit — would the First Emperor have called it 'something sweet'?! Well?!"
As Cuthbert slammed the desk again and again, pressing the point, Vollin turned his eyes away and dodged the question.
"It's all a marketing scheme! We're being played by the merchants! Why do we have to gift jewelry in return for Gammi?! It doesn't make any sense!"
"Well... that's because the First Emperor bestowed a hairpin upon Seria."
At Vollin's words, Cuthbert found himself at a loss. He could scream fraud all he wanted, but he couldn't call something the First Emperor had done a lie. If that left his mouth, his own neck — and his family's — could end up on the gallows.
Cuthbert, who had clamped his mouth shut, cheerfully called out to Zeroa, who was just then walking into the classroom.
"Zeroa, get over here. You've got the qualifications to sit in on this."
"What were you talking about?"
"A scholarly inquiry into the fact that Seria's Day is a scam."
Zeroa's smile froze on his face. In other words, a gathering of unpopular guys. And being told he had the qualifications to join left a bitter taste.
Whenever the boys got together to talk about girls, Cuthbert and Vollin were always in the mix. And seeing the other regular members already seated, Zeroa's expression grew steadily more rigid.
"We came to the Academy to become a pillar of this great Empire. Getting worked up over a day like this is unacceptable. We must always maintain our composure."
"He's right. Letting yourself get distracted by the opposite sex is the kind of thing only idiots do."
Vollin chimed in after Cuthbert, and the other members nodded along. Zeroa, awkwardly reading the room, was giving a stiff little nod of his own when a girl from the class wandered over and spoke to Cuthbert.
"Ah, there you are. What are you up to?"
"A deep discussion on the spirit of the Imperial Army."
"Pfft, you're always talking about weird stuff. Here, take this. A thank-you for helping me out last time. I really appreciated it."
The girl student beamed and handed Cuthbert a small wrapped pouch of cookies before heading off. Anyone could see it was the kind of modest Gammi you handed out to people in general — but Cuthbert just stared at the pouch he'd received with both hands, looking faintly dazed.
The entire unpopular group watched in silence. Then Cuthbert slowly rose to his feet.
"Ha, you worms. Don't go denying reality just because you're unpopular. It's pathetic. Ahahahahaha!"
He sauntered off, waving the pouch for all to see. The members stared after him, then looked at one another.
"Should we kill him?"
"Let's kill him."
Of one mind and one heart, the members took off after Cuthbert. And just like that, the unpopular group was disbanded.
"Alright, everyone, hang in there!"
Cesset appeared with a basket in her arms, handing out wrapped tarts as she went. There was only one per package, but the tarts were piled with all kinds of fruit, as if to boast that they were homemade. The quality was high enough to pass for a professional dessert, and the boys who received them looked at Cesset with genuine, moved expressions.
"I made them myself."
Cesset leaned in and whispered it to each boy like she was slipping him contraband, then threw in a cute little wink that melted the hearts of everyone who received one. The ulterior motive was obvious — but on a day like this, being thought of was enough to pull at anyone's heart.
She made her way over to the group of guys who'd been in the middle of torturing Cuthbert and handed them out one by one. The mob of rioters turned into gentle lambs, cradling the tarts in both hands. Cuthbert, who had been tortured for no good reason, glared at them — and the guys, looking thoroughly sheepish, let him go and brushed the dust off his clothes.
"Here, Zeroa, you too."
"Thank you. You saved my life."
"Hm? Saved your life?"
Zeroa, who'd been thanking her with a blissful smile, mumbled that it was a long story. Cesset, dying of curiosity, pestered him until she had the whole thing — the story of his little sister, minus the part about the dirty books. She burst out laughing.
"I wanna meet your little sister too. Introduce me sometime."
"She's really shy around strangers... but she's close with Instructor Rai, so it might be nice if we all met together."
"Oho— so Raikkang's been dropping by your house a lot? Playing with your little sister and everything."
"No, he only came once... I think he and Kara only saw each other for about thirty minutes."
"Hmm... yeah, that's so like him."
Cesset nodded, as if to say that with Rai's terrifying social magnetism, it checked out.
Having made the rounds of every boy in the class, Cesset turned to the girls. The more she handed out, the bigger the haul she'd collect in return — and Cesset's profit calculator was spinning at full, blissful speed.
"Ariaaa~"
"Hello."
Cesset plopped down in front of Aria, who was sitting quietly, paying no mind to the commotion, and held out her basket with a bright greeting.
"I made one for you too, Aria... but handing it over now just makes mine look pathetic."
Dozens of Gammi were already piled at Aria's side. Girl Seria's Day made no distinction between men and women when it came to who could give — and the many girls who adored her had been by since early morning. Every last one of them was expensive: fine chocolates, desserts brought in from other countries, every delicacy imaginable stacked into a mountain. Even Cesset was overwhelmed.
The girls who didn't have the courage to actually talk had all but thrown their gifts at her and fled, and Aria had been left staring blankly at their retreating backs, unable to even react.
"Did I do something wrong...? People I don't even know just throw them and run..."
"No... they worked up all the courage they could, so just accept them gratefully. What do you like, Aria? Strawberry? Grape?"
Cesset rummaged through her basket and pulled out tarts of every kind. When she suggested they unwrap a few and eat together, Aria gave a small smile and nodded, looking genuinely pleased.
"Who are you giving yours to, Aria?"
"Ah, I..."
Aria tensed at Cesset's question and was about to answer when Unpopular Guy No. 3, Mizir, approached the two of them.
He was wound so tight it looked like someone had put a blade to his throat. The moment Aria looked up at him, his face went white, as if the air had been punched from his lungs — and then, summoning superhuman courage, he held out an enormous basket.
"Please accept this!"
"Ah... yes... thank you."
Aria stood, received the basket with both hands, and bowed her head in thanks.
"I'm Mizir! Thank you!"
The person who had just gifted the Gammi shouted his thanks, then turned and left without waiting for a reply. It was all the courage he could muster, and his legs were shaking so hard they could barely hold him.
Girl Seria's Day was a day when girls gifted Gammi to boys, so Aria, unable to make sense of what had just happened, looked at Cesset. Cesset nodded with a thoroughly pleased smile and told her to take it.
The guys slunk over and gathered around Mizir, who had so bravely offered his Gammi. Without the Academy badges or coats, the way they moved would have been enough to pass them off as a pack of delinquents.
Cuthbert, speaking for the group, cocked his head and glared at Mizir.
"What do you think you're doing? Are you a man or not?"
"Hmph. Jealousy is an ugly look on you, my friend."
Having already succeeded in making Aria learn his name, Mizir had shed every trace of the trembling wreck he'd been moments before. Confidence poured off him. With a victor's smile, he looked the surrounding guys up and down with open arrogance, then sneered.
"I am one step ahead of you all."
"You bastard.... You dare ignore the pact? That's betrayal!"
Cesset scooted over in a hurry, delighted that a fun show had broken out — but Aria, who was a little afraid to find out what this "pact" actually was, stayed in her seat and watched quietly.
"A pact? I haven't violated a thing."
"Listen to the traitor talk. A man, gifting Gammi? This is treason against His Majesty the Emperor."
"There's one thing you all have overlooked."
Looking thoroughly pleased with himself, Mizir raised a finger, lifted his chin, and declared it with total conviction.
"Well, obviously."
"Do gods have a gender? A god's form is nothing but the image people project. No scripture has ever written down that a god has a specific sex."
Having said it with total conviction, Mizir pointed a finger at Cuthbert.
"I offered tribute to a god. No one has the right to condemn me!"
"Kh...!!"
Faced with an argument he couldn't refute, Cuthbert's face crumpled and a groan escaped him. The guys who had been radiating murderous intent started murmuring, looking thoroughly flustered — and Mizir, riding the momentum, raised his voice.
"I've done nothing wrong. If anything, you're the blasphemers for showing up without tribute!"
"Hmmm..."
Cesset, who had been watching this idiotic debate from the sidelines while eating the tarts she'd made too many of, raised a hand.
"So what you're saying is, Mizir doesn't see Aria as a woman?"
"Isn't that obvious? The Goddess is a deity!"
"Then if Aria asked you out, you couldn't date her, huh?"
Cesset said it around a mouthful of tart, and Mizir's face went rigid.
The odds converged on zero — but a man is a creature that lives on the off chance of what if. In a single instant, Mizir dreamed of dating Aria, marrying her, having grandchildren, and living happily ever after. Then he dropped to his knees with a look of utter despair.
"I... I'd date her..."
His argument demolished, Mizir said it without any strength at all. Cesset patted him on the back, offering comfort.
"It's okay. Your courage was splendid. Who would laugh at a brave man?"
"Th-thank you..."
"Here, say aah— eat another one. You ate two, so you owe me double in return."
Without understanding a word of those predatory terms, Mizir let Cesset feed him the tart herself and wept with gratitude. Cuthbert and the guys, taking in the good-natured smile on Cesset's face, made a silent vow: women were terrifying, and they would be careful.
Once the commotion had settled, Aria — who had been watching from a distance — turned Cesset's words over in her mind. That no one laughs at the courageous. She hesitated, then drew a deep breath.
Giving it in front of this many people was embarrassing. But ever since this semester, they'd been in separate lectures so often that if she didn't do it today — right now — she wouldn't get another chance.
Aria took a small breath, worked up her courage, pulled a prettily wrapped pouch from her bag, and sprang to her feet.
"..."
Every eye in the room snapped toward her. Aria quietly sat back down. Wound tight under far too much attention, she just blinked for a moment — then found her courage again, stood, and walked toward someone.
Aria was too nervous to finish the sentence — but Zeroa, standing in front of her, had frozen solid.
Not just him. Everyone around them had frozen solid.
Thud.
Starting with Cuthbert, the group of guys collapsed where they stood. A few of the girls started going down too, until barely anyone in the classroom was still on their feet.
Aria, oblivious to the cauldron of shock the classroom had become, kept her head down in embarrassment, holding the Gammi out with both hands and nothing more.
"Uh, what. Why's everyone dead?"
Rai, who'd come in late, tried striking up a conversation — but there was no one left to answer him.