Chapter 287

Time flew by, and graduation day arrived.

It was my second graduation ceremony.

Graduation ceremonies always evoked a strange mix of emotions.

Perhaps it was the bittersweet feeling of parting ways with those you had formed bonds with in the same space.

A crowd of students surrounded two figures, showering them with congratulations.

Their popularity was evident from the sheer number of well-wishers.

I waited patiently for the crowd to disperse.

After a while, the space around them cleared up.

I slowly approached them.

I could feel the gazes of the students on me, their eyes filled with various emotions.

There was no scorn in their eyes, unlike before.

It was a testament to how much I had improved my image.

However,

There was jealousy.

From the male students, of course.

I understood.

A guy who was too good-looking and popular with girls was bound to attract jealousy.

I grinned and nodded, acknowledging their gazes.

Their glares intensified.

I ignored them and approached my seniors.

“Why are you crying like a baby?”

“S-Shut up! You heartless bastard!”

Amy shouted, her face flushed.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she was still clutching a baguette in her hand, which was kind of funny.

“Hey, I’m not heartless. I’m feeling bittersweet about your graduation.”

“What’s so sweet about it?!”

Amy tried to stab me with her signature (?) baguette.

But I had anticipated it and easily caught it.

“I’m just kidding.”

I chuckled.

“Don’t joke around at a time like this!”

Amy retorted.

She was fun to tease because of her exaggerated reactions.

I grinned and said, “But at least your tears stopped, right?”

“I-If you don’t stop talking…”

Amy stammered, her face red with embarrassment.

She had finally realized why I had been teasing her.

“Alright, alright, that’s enough, popular junior. You’re embarrassing Amy.”

Diana intervened.

“W-Who’s embarrassed?!”

“You.”

“N-No, I’m not!”

Diana chuckled, enjoying her friend’s flustered reaction.

If it had been a drinking party, I would have continued teasing them, but it was a graduation ceremony, so I decided to restrain myself.

There were other people waiting.

“Here, take this.”

I took out a long object from the bag I had brought and handed it to Amy.

Amy’s eyes widened in surprise.

“W-What’s this?”

“It’s a baguette I baked this morning. It’s a graduation gift for you. Think of me while you devour it.”

It was an unconventional graduation gift, to say the least.

But there was no more fitting gift for Amy.

Because Amy was a baguette, and a baguette was Amy.

“Th-Thank you…”

As expected, it struck a chord with her. Amy stammered, her face flushed, but she accepted the gift gratefully.

She couldn’t resist taking a bite, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

And her reaction was,

“D-Delicious.”

Amy’s eyes widened in surprise.

“I’m glad you like it.”

I smiled.

Hero’s Growth.

Surprisingly, it also had an effect on cooking.

And this baguette was the result.

“U-Um…”

Amy was staring at me with a strange expression.

…It was a look of admiration.

It seemed like she had a natural respect for people who could bake good baguettes.

So this was how you had to approach her?

I hadn’t realized it before because I wasn’t interested in her romantically.

But it was kind of embarrassing…

I discreetly shifted my gaze to Diana.

Diana, quick-witted as always, came to my rescue.

“Oh my, what a wonderful graduation gift. You’re so thoughtful. But don’t I get anything, junior?”

“Of course you do.”

I grinned and took out another gift.

A pen.

A luxurious pen made with a duke’s feather.

Diana’s eyes sparkled.

“Oh my… This?”

“I heard you got a job at a newspaper company. A pen is essential for a journalist.”

“No wonder you’re so popular with girls.”

Diana smiled and took off her glasses.

Her beauty suddenly became even more radiant.

It seemed like her way of thanking me.

“Thank you, handsome junior.”

Ah, this senior was dangerous.

…I wanted to applaud myself for enduring her advances as a senior.

Well, I didn’t have the time anyway.

I chuckled and bowed my head.

“Congratulations on your graduation once again, seniors. I hope this isn’t the end, and that we’ll meet again someday.”

I knew.

The importance of connections in this game.

That’s why I was managing my relationships until the very end.

Because graduation wasn’t necessarily the end.

The relationships I had built would snowball into various outcomes.

If I had messed up, it would have been the end.

If it had been average, we would have just remained acquaintances.

But at this level,

“There’s no way this is the end.”

Diana smiled.

“Hmph, n-not that I want to see you again or anything…”

Amy said tsundere-ly.

I chuckled.

Diana had gotten a job at the biggest newspaper company in Holy City, as she had said she would.

Amy was planning to travel around the continent, visiting various bakeries and indulging in her love of bread.

I had a feeling that our relationships wouldn’t end here.

Their help would be useful someday.

I believed that.

“Yes, I believe so too.”

I said my final goodbyes to my two seniors and walked away.

* * *

“Wow, this place is even more crowded.”

There was only one place I could go to now.

Where Hiresia was.

The place was still packed with people.

They were there to say their final goodbyes to my high elf senior, someone they might never see again.

I waited patiently, as always.

I was determined to wait until the very end.

Until I was the only one left.

But,

Someone approached me as I sat on a bench.

It was a familiar face.

Wayne Raimundo, the dual-wielding swordsman who had succeeded Regina as the student council president.

He was also the senior who had openly expressed his love for Hiresia.

He looked incredibly dejected.

Anyone would feel the same way if they had to part ways with the person they had been in love with for so long.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the president. Congratulations on your graduation.”

I greeted him warmly.

We weren’t close, but we weren’t on bad terms either, so there was no reason not to be polite on graduation day.

“…Thank you.”

Wayne replied, his voice low and subdued.

I thought that would be the end of our conversation, but he surprisingly sat down next to me.

What was this? This awkward situation when we had nothing to talk about?

As I was wondering, Wayne spoke again, his voice serious.

“There’s something I want to say.”

“Go ahead.”

“Please take care of her.”

“Take care of who?”

“Lady Hiresia.”

“…”

I stared at him, taken aback by his unexpected words.

Wayne continued, “Honestly, I’m not happy about it, but you’re a good man. You’re worthy of her.”

“You flatter me.”

“Please make her happy.”

“I will.”

“That puts my mind at ease.”

Wayne stood up.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

“Ah, and please take care of our beloved alma mater as well.”

“I’ll leave that to you.”

“Hmm?”

“This academy is our school. Whether we’re current students or alumni.”

“…”

Wayne seemed to ponder my words.

But he was a smart man.

He seemed to have grasped the underlying meaning.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Thank you, President.”

Wayne walked away.

Even though our connection was weak, I had planted a seed, and that was enough.

There was nothing more I could do anyway.

And,

The crowd around my elf senior had finally dispersed.

I approached her.

“Hiresia.”

“You came.”

She greeted me with a bright smile, as refreshing as a spring breeze.

It was an expression I had never seen before.

An expression she only showed to me.

A strange emotion welled up inside me, making my heart flutter.

“Congratulations on your graduation.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m not letting you go today.”

She was leaving tomorrow.

It was decided.

I had one thing to do.

To give her the best last night ever.

So I could ease the pain of parting until we met again.

“Heh, I’m looking forward to it.”

She chuckled.

I gathered the numerous bouquets she had received and stuffed them into a bag.

“Then let’s go.”

I offered her my hand.

“Alright.”

*Grab.*

She took my hand.

Her hand was still warm.

We walked away together.

* * *

That night, I cooked a hearty meat dish for her in my mansion, where we were alone.

It was also to erase the unpleasant memory of our first dinner, which had been all vegetables.

We spent a pleasant and enjoyable time together.

Perhaps that’s why we were able to part ways with smiles the next day.

‘We’ll meet again anyway.’

I sent my elf senior back to her homeland.

* * *

The new semester began, and I was now a fourth-year student.

The biggest problem looming over us was the Imperial Civil War, of course, but there was something I had to take care of before that.

‘They’ll take advantage of the chaos caused by the civil war to rise to power.’

I was talking about the Dark God Cultists.

One of the factions that would plunge the world into chaos and bloodshed.

I knew now.

The true nature of the Dark God they worshipped.

God’s Arbiter, the destroyer of worlds.

I couldn’t just ignore these fanatics who worshipped such an evil being.

It was only natural.

They were one of the cancerous elements that would lead to the bad ending.

‘I have to weaken them here.’

I couldn’t prevent their rise.

We weren’t strong enough yet.

But I could weaken them.

That alone would make a difference, preventing them from spreading like a plague.

“I’ll have to use them, of course.”

I scribbled a word on a piece of paper.

The Church.

That was the answer.

But I also knew now.

That the Church was divided.

One faction was helpful, and the other was harmful.

So what should I do?

“Let them fight each other.”

I grinned, my teeth glinting.

I would pit the Pope faction against the Dark God Cult.

It would be a delightful spectacle.

Two factions I disliked, tearing each other apart.

Perfect.

And the finishing blow?

“The Saint faction and I will deliver it.”

I smirked.

We would finish off the black wolf, weakened and bloodied from its fight with the white wolf.

And we would reap the rewards without any casualties.

Our influence would naturally increase.

We might even be able to seize control of the Church.

If the Saint faction gained control of the Church, it would definitely be beneficial for our future plans.

They were much more trustworthy than the Pope faction, who had already shown their true colors.

‘The Saint told me her secret.’

And we shared the same goal: to prevent the Dark God’s resurrection.

That was enough for me to trust her.

“Then let’s cast the bait.”

I stood up, a sinister smile on my lips.