217 – Shadow (2)
#3
“Uh, isn’t that Professor Abel?”
The festival has already started, and professors are also hanging around each class, serving as security guards.
“What is it? Is it real Why are you wearing an eyepatch?”
However, it seems that faculty members are not the only ones monitoring students.
“Looking at it, it looks like you’re playing a game where you close your eyes and destroy things with a sword. They seem to give prizes to the person who sets the highest record…. Oh, it started.”
Abel in a blue uniform is holding a wooden sword while wearing a black eyepatch. Students’ cheers gathered at the dignified appearance of the prosecutor.
─Kyaaak! You are handsome! Professor!
─Ooh! Cowardly! Is that what the students are playing with?
─It’s the back! Behind! Really! Not Gura!
─Professor, fighting!
In the midst of frontier students wearing different school uniforms gathered in twos and threes to see the art of the Imperial Three Swords.
─Then…….
A student who appeared to be a mini-game manager put a whistle in his mouth.
─Start!
And a powerful beep—
As soon as it blows.
“Pacheon Ilyun (破天一倫), Section (切).”
Abel muttered softly, wearing an eyepatch.
Kwaang—!
A very small water balloon burst and flew into the sky.
— ….
— ….
No one saw it.
Abel was just standing in the same spot from start to finish.
With one blink of an eye, the water balloon placed diagonally to the left exploded like a head. I don’t think I’ve ever swung a sword so sincerely during a lecture.
Is Professor Abel actually a person with a strong desire to win… ?
A drop of water splashed on the face of Rubia, who was watching with me from the side. Rubia pinched it with her hand and brushed it off her roughly.
“… Can a person like a professor do that over there while the students are playing? Maybe it’s a bit against fairness… ?”
I don’t know, me too.
“Mu.”
“Huh?”
“Can’t you do that too?”
“… Me?”
Myu, suffering from Yuri’s barrage of questions, pointed at herself with her finger. She looked bewildered because she didn’t understand for a moment.
“As long as Professor Abel participates, it may not be the best record, but what about the second place prize? There’s no one here who handles a knife as well as you.”
“Um… Well… You might have to do it….”
At that time, Yuri, who had been overhearing our conversation, interrupted.
“Right, I heard you are a swordsman genius? Let’s try it!”
“… Mmm.”
The worry was not long.
─What is this again! A beautiful woman has arrived! Even proudly declare the highest difficulty challenge! The target is a 10 cm water balloon just like the challenger!
In the end, Mew couldn’t win against Yuri and my recommendation, so she participated in the Blindfolded Blindfold mini-game.
… About 3 minutes later.
─Ohhhhh, ohhh?! Great! Succeed in defeating at an invisible speed! The record… 0.7 Seconds! Too bad! Currently in 2nd place! A big round of applause everyone for this beautiful woman who showed off her amazing skills!
─Whoaaa!
─Your sister is pretty! Give me your name and go!
─Where did you see that person? Where did you see… ?
Cheers seemed to burst out at the appearance of the new challenger Mu, but as soon as the whistle sounded, the water balloons were scattered again with pieces of rubber.
Hey, what kind of water is splashing all this way?
“I’m here, Ezio.”
“Good job. Nice to see you. After all, you’re a swordsman genius.”
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a new record, but she did get the second prize.
“I got this. Doll.”
Mu brought a rabbit doll he received as a mini game prize. White rabbit with red eyes. He had something like a carrot in his mouth.
“What about this?”
However, it is inconvenient to carry around because it is not big enough to fit in a bag. Mu looked around as if in trouble because there was nowhere to dispose of it.
“What do you put in your dorm room?”
“… No. I don’t have any hobbies like that.”
Mu shook her head.
“Do you want to have it? It is a gift.”
“I don’t need it either.”
“Um…… Then.”
Suddenly, Mu looked next to me.
“… ….”
There.
There was Yuri with a slightly expectant look.
“… ….”
Again, Mew wasn’t completely devoid of her social skills.
Sug-
“I’ll give it to you. This.”
“… ! Uh, really?”
“Yes.”
Mew handed over a stuffed rabbit naturally as if she had no reason not to. Then, with a bright smile, Yuri accepted it.
“Thank you! I’ll take care of it in my room!”
“… Do whatever you feel like.”
Yuri rubbed her cheek against her rabbit doll and hugged her dearly. Mew looked at it and shrugged her shoulders. She had a sweet face that didn’t make sense to like her so much.
‘It’s warm.’
I’m also looking at you with a smile.
Suddenly, Yuri’s eyes looked up at me.
“I feel bad.”
“… What dude Why me.”
“Looking at you makes me feel bad. I’m not happy at all when I receive a present from you. And you didn’t give it to me as a gift, so why did you laugh and fall asleep?”
This guy really makes me want to fuck him.
“… Mu, he’s such a guy. Don’t be friends with him.”
“Yeah, okay.”
“What, what?! No, why are you saying that you knew it meekly!”
In the end, Yuri shouted, “I’m going to go to the dormitory.” She was to leave the doll behind. It was so pitiful to see her back, whimpering and weaving through the crowded crowd. I don’t know if that’s why you’re using telekinesis.
While waiting for the glass, we bought a parfait from another booth. It was the food sold in the confectionery circle.
─Are you freshmen? I’ll give you another one for free so that you can eat and cheer up. Pick any one from the menu.
─Wow, really?! Thank you, senior!
But as if he knew us, the senior in charge of sales gave us another parfait as a special treat for students in the same class.
Since everyone was holding one by one, the only thing left was a parfait for Yuri, but she was thinking about what kind to give, and then just asked for anything.
And….
“Why are you so dead? Don’t you want to eat?”
“… ….”
After returning safely from the dormitory, Yuri was panting while sweating, then holding up the parfait I held out, she made an expression that said, “I lived for a while.”
“…… Who ordered this?”
A face that rots again.
I tilted my head.
“I asked for something, why?”
“… ….”
The toppings with fruits, cookies, chocolate, ice cream and syrup were the same, but in the end this… Most of them were made of mint chocolate.
Yes.
It was a mint chocolate parfait.
… Why is that?
“If you don’t like it, would you exchange it for mine? I already had a bite.”
“Mmm, what… ?! Does that make sense! That’s what you ate!”
Yuri exclaimed, frightened with her raised face.
That’s great. Not even a kid You don’t get sick just because you share food.
“… !”
At that time, Myu, who was silently giggling behind me, remembered something, and suddenly stabbed me in the back with his index finger. What’s up all of a sudden Tickled.
“Ezio.”
“… Yes?”
“I want to eat that. Let’s change it.”
What?
“Suddenly?”
“Yes. Suddenly. Then you know that.”
“Hey, hey. For a moment… !”
“Yum.”
He snatches the strawberry parfait from my hand. And put mine in my hand Mu was a melon parfait. It’s not that I hate melons… It doesn’t matter. Somehow, we exchanged food with each other.
“hehehe.”
Myu put the parfait in her mouth with a happy face. Coincidence or something, it was exactly the one I had just taken a bite of. White ice cream remained like dots on Mew’s mouth.
… Coincidence is bullshit.
Is that the purpose?
“Me too….”
As I was dribbling Mew’s parfait, I suddenly looked beside her and saw Rubia muttering something with her mouth open. Why is he like this again
“Mr. Rubia?”
“Let’s change our food too! I’ve always liked melons!”
At the same time as Stella carefully calls her Rubia, Rubia comes out with her hidden taste by clenching her fists.
“Yes, yes?”
“Swap Stella with Ezio! I switch to glass! After taking a bite, Stella and I switch again! Then Yuri and Ezio switch!”
“… No, Rubia. Is it necessary to go that far?”
“Yes! Come on!”
Ruvia took Yuri’s mint chocolate parfait and bit off the fruit and ice cream at once. And so, the parfait exchange, which I don’t know what the hell it was for, began.
“Ugh, why do I have to trade with you….”
“Mmm, mangoes are delicious. Try it too.”
“… Whew. You are real.”
Stella’s mango parfait came to me, Rubia’s vanilla parfait went to Yuri, my mango parfait went to Yuri, and the melon parfait Stella received from me went to Rubia.
“Ehehehehe. Just don’t eat this….”
“… Do you like melons that much, Ms. Rubia?”
My melon parfait, which I barely took a bite of, turned and landed in Rubia’s hand. Conversely, the vanilla parfait Rubia was eating was in my hand.
What is this?
Anyway, thanks to Rubia, I was able to taste various flavors. Stella, who accidentally received the mint chocolate parfait in the end, was staring at the parfait with strange eyes.
“…… Mmm.”
After sniffing, he had no choice but to take a bite. After lingering around for about 5 seconds in that state, it became even more mysterious.
“Is it delicious?”
“… How to say, it tastes like the truth of the stars.”
I asked if it was delicious, and the answer came back.
‘Everyone is satisfied.’
Well, even so, it was a good exchange in the end.
#4
When we felt like we had a decent look around, we got on the tram and headed for District 3, breaking through the crowds.
The destination is a mysterious dessert shop that sells “Golden Macaroons”. The snack that Yuri said he died and couldn’t live in before is correct.
I wonder how crazy it was because it was so delicious. Did she say that Yuri had found it herself before and went to buy it? I heard that it is a very difficult food to find because very few people know the recipe.
Because of this, we should be curious and be patient. I must have had an opportunity, so I decided to visit the store while going to see a festival in another school district.
“Wow, look at the performance over there! Are you singing too?”
However, Yuri said that 「Golden Macaron」Is neither golden nor macaron. It’s just a name given to it. Then why the hell is it a “Golden macaron”… You’ll have to go there to find out.
─♩~♬~♪♩~♬
Anyway, a modest stage was set up where Rubia looked towards her with her eyes shining.
A female student stands on top of it and she sings. It was a song as sweet as the melody of a bard.
“Wow….”
“Sing well… What song is it?”
“That’s a song I’ve never heard before. Is it your own song?”
The only instruments used for accompaniment are the violin and piano.
Although the lyrics were tragic, the song sung with a raised voice had sorrow and hope at the same time.
Even though the surroundings were noisy, that student’s voice came through. It sings pretty well. It was a good sound to hear even from my point of view, which is not well versed in music.
“… Ezio, I’m going to drool.”
After watching that for a while, Rubia poked me in the side next to her.
I must have lost my mind before I knew it. The suction power was so great. People passing by also stopped their feet before they knew it and became the spectators of that female student, exclaiming as if they were bewitched.
“Do you like the song?”
Ruvia asked again, looking toward the stage.
“I’m not the type to hate it.”
“I didn’t seem to like it that much in the past.”
“I still have nothing else.”
“So, do you like people who sing well?”
“Good night….”
If you sing well, it could be a plus, but if you sing poorly, it doesn’t become a minus. Because not many people sing well.
“You know.”
“Huh?”
“Do you want me to sing you a song later?”
“… Do you know how to call?”
“A little?”
Ruvia smiled embarrassingly.
Was it, was it? Did he sing well? She certainly felt that her vocalization was good from before… He was a kid who didn’t make a lot of noise, so I couldn’t imagine him singing energetically. It’s closer to the soft beauty side, so I thought it would be good to listen to it in moderation.
“What, what are you two talking about?”
Similarly, Yuri, who was standing in her seat and watching the stage, burst in between us and asked.
“I didn’t say much. That’s right, Yuri you.”
“Huh? What. What am I?”
“Can you sing?”
“… Under? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“Because I am a member of the royal family, I wondered if I would have learned to sing as well as a cultural training. I was going to ask you to call me over there if you call me well.”
“What kind of prejudice is that… No, it’s not entirely wrong. Not this. Even if you learned and sang well, you would never sing here. There is nothing to be publicly humiliated for….”
“What is it? Would you like to call me?”
“Enough! Is that so! Sing it to your heart’s content!”
Sorry, I’m tone deaf.
“Ezio, let’s go now. The show is over.”
While Yuri was lowering her jaw, Myu and Stella, who had been watching her stage, approached her before she knew it.
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes…. And you. Too close to him away.”
“Uh, huh? Hey, what are you doing… !”
Myu strode forward and forcibly squeezed between Rubia and me. Then my shoulder was pressed against Mu’s shoulder.
… Looking at it like this, it was a small and slender shoulder again. I still don’t understand how such strong power comes from such a body. Is it really a human like me, kid?
“Whoops. It’s a good time.”
Stella just laughs while watching Luvia and Mew start arguing again. He seems to be having fun with this whole situation. Anyway, it’s not the time to be like this, but I need to move quickly…….
“Hey, you two go away. Now all you see here is—”
It was then.
—Ah, ah ah.
A female student received applause from the audience after the song was over.
─It was good… Uh?
─Isn’t it over?
Her voice came from the stage again.
“…… ?”
“What, are you doing an encore?”
When Rubia and I were tilting our heads.
—Ah, ah ah ah.
She suddenly began to sing even though the violin and piano had already stopped playing.
─aaa….
At first, in a low and small voice as if crawling on the ground, but gradually increasing in volume, he resumed singing.
Unlike before, a song without lyrics.
Something that has already become awkward to call a song.
Sometimes he mumbles with his eyes closed as if he were whispering, then he shouts again in a loud voice, and sometimes he makes a certain sound that gives goosebumps without a pitch.
─aaa!
As the bewildered audience watched, a female student stood on stage, singing unaccompanied, stretching out her hand as if making her gesture.
“!”
Aww!
Grabbing my neck.
─Ah, ah… Ah! AA AA AA! aaa!!!
He let out a tearing scream like scraping iron.
“What, what… ?”
Instantly, chicken skin grew on her arm. My steps naturally turned backwards. Mew and Stella also hardened their complexion.
“Hey, hey. Me, that what is that… ?”
Yuri wrapped her arms around my shoulders and turned to Rubia and me. It was a frightened expression in an incomprehensible situation.
The students who were playing the accompaniment, such as the piano and violin, were also looking at the female student and her audience in confusion.
─aaa!!
The female student is screaming. Scream
The song was already over, and all that remained was a scream. The hustle and bustle of the surroundings became chilly in an instant. In the empty silence, only the tearing screams of the female students hit the ears loudly.
─Me, my, my voice, voice! More! More! Listen more! Listen to me! aaagh! Kaaagh! Aagh!!!
The girl with her eyes wide open strangled herself with both hands. Soon, her entire face turned red.
Even though her vocal cords were compressed and she couldn’t raise her voice properly, the female student continued to speak out.
Hard and louder.
I couldn’t believe it was a singer who had been singing sweet songs until just now. It was such a horror sight.
— … Hey! Somebody go and stun them! Quickly!
It was a sudden situation that I couldn’t understand at all, and it was already too late when someone reacted and ran to the stage to stop the female student.
─Keah, huck, ah, ah… ….
The female student threw her eyes open and passed out. As she stood, her legs gave out and she fell over on her back. She luckily took it in before her head hit the floor, but things didn’t look very good.
“… ….”
“… ….”
“…… What was it just now?”
The murmur around me intensified. It was only natural that everyone would be in an uproar when a loud scream was heard from somewhere.
My heart was pounding just for me. It wasn’t enough to pour cold water on the festive atmosphere, so it created the atmosphere of a house of mourning.
Yuri held on tightly to the hem of her dress until the girl’s screams stopped, and she seemed so frightened that she didn’t even realize it.
It was such a grotesque sight that it was understandable. To be honest, I was scared too. My back was a bit damp with a cold sweat.
“Seizure, is it… ?”
Suddenly, Rubia murmured.
“… ….”
It would have been nice if it was just a chronic seizure disorder, but as I watched the fainting female student being dragged somewhere… At some point, he was fiddling with one of her wrists.
‘… She hoped there would be no use at the festival.’
A holy relic, the shield of Aegis.
Maybe…….
The time to write this may come soon.