Ch.115115. What’s That?

The Academy’s lunch hour is quite bustling.

While meal times vary depending on each person’s lecture schedule, generally people eat “lunch” around the same time.

That’s why the student cafeteria during lunch hour is a place where you can encounter people from various grades.

Even in the game, to express this, they set it up so you could randomly meet characters coming to eat during that time period, have conversations with them, or experience events.

Since I had memorized all the characters who appear according to the time periods, I could be certain. This time slot was when the most students came and went.

So what was I doing during such a crowded time?

I was proudly heading to the student cafeteria with the Princess and the Student Council President on each arm.

“Hey, what’s that?”

“What?”

“That thing over there.”

“Wow. What is that?”

Though I had suddenly become “that thing,” I couldn’t help but empathize with their conversation.

If I saw people walking around like this, I’d probably say the same thing.

I decided not to listen too carefully. If someone said something truly problematic, Celia with her sharp hearing would catch it like a ghost and handle it herself.

The one fortunate thing was that, perhaps because our lineup was so outrageous, no one dared to approach us.

I could sense gazes filled with anger or jealousy, but no one was actually coming near us.

I wasn’t worried about these situations anymore.

Of course, until recently I had been a nobody compared to Celia and Alkine’s status, but things were different now.

I was the one who had crushed both the president of Celia’s fan club and the representative of Lilith’s followers.

Even those who prided themselves on being influential at the Academy were in awe of those two people. How could anyone mess with me?

So I decided to be confident. That seemed less embarrassing anyway.

“Wow… is what I’m seeing really happening?”

A familiar voice came from behind me as I was thinking this.

When I glanced back, there was a familiar person.

The Saint who, though unintentionally, had produced followers throughout the Academy. It was Lilith.

Lilith, whose eyes met mine, spoke first with an almost contemptuous gaze.

“Hey, Ludion. What’s going on here?”

“Oh, if it isn’t the great Saint herself.”

“What’s with that disgusting way of talking? It’s exactly like those people, it gives me the creeps.”

From what I heard, it seemed some of Lilith’s followers had already been praising her for some time.

Probably after I knocked down the representative of her followers, talk about insufficient faith or something spread around.

Since they were just students within the Academy, there wouldn’t be many genuine believers… but as they say, the parts that stick out get noticed more, so Lilith might have had quite a few genuine followers approaching her.

“I’m sorry to have troubled you.”

“Sigh… forget it. What’s the point of talking to you?”

As I maintained my teasing attitude, Lilith lost interest in me and turned her gaze to Celia who was clinging right next to me.

Receiving that gaze, Celia immediately said one thing.

“Please mind your own business and go on your way, Ms. Lilith.”

“Everyone is staring at you all, how can I not care about this?”

“What do you mean by ‘you all’ when addressing the Student Council President? You really have no manners.”

“But…”

Though she surely had a lot to say, Lilith was left speechless by Celia’s shamelessness and bulldozer logic. Seemingly giving up on further conversation, she now looked at Alkine on the opposite side.

Although Alkine avoided eye contact without saying anything, Lilith didn’t seem willing to accept that.

“Student Council President. How did you end up like this?”

“Well, Lilith. I understand you have a lot to say, but right now I’d appreciate it if you didn’t concern yourself, as Celia said.”

“Since I’ve already been labeled as someone with no manners, I’ll just say this… don’t you know how awkward you look saying that in your current position?”

Alkine, aware of her embarrassing behavior, couldn’t refute Lilith’s words and could only bow her head.

Eventually, Lilith’s gaze circled back to me.

With an expression that seemed both serious and not, I couldn’t joke around like before, and a quiet question came flying.

“I wondered where you went, skipping lectures… You’re not doing anything strange that others don’t know about, are you?”

That stung.

That one comment really hit home.

If we’re talking about strange things… well, I didn’t do anything, but… anyway, I was on the receiving end.

It was quite a sharp and embarrassing question. Enough to make even Celia show signs of agitation, let alone me and Alkine.

Even Celia was shaken, and Lilith wasn’t one to miss that.

“…What? Don’t tell me it’s true?”

“Shouldn’t we discuss this somewhere more private?”

Fortunately, it seemed no one around had heard, but if this conversation spread incorrectly, we could really be socially ruined.

That’s what I was thinking when I said that… but she suddenly let out a deep sigh.

“Forget it. Why should I care about something that doesn’t concern me? Good luck. Just looking at you now, it seems like you’re already trapped. I’ll be cheering for you.”

And with that, she turned around and started heading back the way she came.

…What? Wasn’t she on her way to eat? If she goes back like that, what about lunch?

“Hey, what about food?”

“I don’t know. I’m not eating.”

I would have dragged her along and made her eat if I could, but in this situation where I was already attracting attention with women on both sides, doing that would surely brand me as a real jerk.

Well, knowing Lilith, she probably lost her appetite seeing this sight. I decided to think of it that way.

“…Celia?”

“This was really a situation I wanted to avoid…”

They started whispering after seeing Lilith leave, but for some reason, they didn’t share it with me.

Since we were originally on our way to eat, we continued moving to the front of the student cafeteria.

I couldn’t help but be amazed at how we were constantly being stared at, even though people weren’t following us around to watch.

How eye-catching must we be to attract so much attention?

Anyway, we entered the student cafeteria while receiving plenty of stares from around us.

People inside didn’t know what was happening outside, so it was quiet at first.

But that didn’t last long. Soon, murmurs began and attention started focusing on us again.

Just when you think you’re getting used to it, the stimulus renews with a slight gap.

As new gazes flew our way, I felt self-conscious and wondered how these women clinging to me felt.

With that thought, I glanced to the side…

“Hmph.”

Surprisingly, Celia showed no signs of shame whatsoever, just letting out a nasal sound.

She’s really amazing. To be so shameless in this situation. Is this what it takes to be a princess?

“Ugh, I expected it, but I didn’t think we’d attract this much attention…”

On the contrary, Alkine was normally embarrassed.

So far… yes, so far she seemed to be staying within the bounds of a normal person.

Though she was trying to manage her expression and pretend otherwise, I could clearly see her face flushing with heat, which was rather pitiful.

If she’s that embarrassed, why not just stop? Why is she so desperate?

“Ms. Alkine? If you’re that embarrassed, you can walk separately from now on.”

“It’s too late for that now. I’ll just stay like this.”

“You don’t have to force yourself.”

Celia said that, but Alkine seemed to have already made up her mind and only hugged my arm tighter.

Oh, Madam President… the blood isn’t flowing in that arm…

She seemed to be gripping harder to overcome her embarrassment… I guess that can’t be helped?

Honestly, Celia is the impressive one. Normally, doing something like this would make anyone embarrassed.

With one arm being squeezed quite tightly, we decided on our menu, received our food, and sat down.

“We should eat comfortably.”

I was worried they might cling to me even while eating, but since Celia was serious about her meals, that wasn’t the case.

Throughout the meal, I could feel the cafeteria manager glaring at us intensely… but I decided to ignore it and pretend not to notice.

Thanks to eating comfortably, it didn’t take long to empty our plates, and we were able to get up soon.

Celia passed over the food from her plate, and seeing that, Alkine, after some hesitation, also passed over her food, which made me overeat a bit, but it was enough to say I felt sufficiently full.

“Now let’s go back and write the report…”

Somehow I already feel tired even though I haven’t really done anything properly all day.

Is this what it feels like to have your energy drained?

Still, now I really need to write the report, so I can’t just wing it like I’ve been doing so far.

That’s what I was thinking.

“We just ate, so how about having some dessert to help with digestion?”

Until Celia suggested that.

So ‘aiding digestion’ and ‘eating dessert’ can coexist in the same sentence.

As I was marveling at this, Alkine asked incredulously.

“…Celia. The report is just an excuse, you just came to have fun, didn’t you?”

“You just figured that out? So, do you want to eat or not? For your information, Ludion will be buying everything we choose.”

“I’ll eat.”

“Who decided I’m paying?”

I tried to protest, but it didn’t work at all.

If anything, it backfired, as Celia who had been walking beside me started clinging to me again.

“Then, shall we cling again?”

“You’re going to walk around like that again?”

“Yes. Why?”

“…Then I want to as well.”

My arms, which I thought had finally been freed, were sealed off once more.

And I was dragged toward a nearby cafe.

‘I never had a choice from the beginning.’

Lilith’s words about me looking trapped kept echoing in my mind at that moment.