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431 p2. Noble Faction and New School Year [4]

「Um, can I share the news from my side too?」

「What is it?」

「Yesterday, I was summoned to a noble’s mansion. He was called “Patriot Bornard”.」

「Wow, Duke Bornard’s mansion… Wait, Bornard!!!?」

The president suddenly spat the tea in her mouth.

「P-President, you just made a mess.」

「S-Sorry… No! Why did you go to Duke Bornard’s mansion!? So the noble faction contacted you as expected!? No, more importantly, what did you talk about!?」

「We didn’t talk about anything that important. However, I was solicited to join the Noble faction.」

「That is! Them trying to lure you! This is what the royal faction is most afraid of!」

The president raised her voice while breathing heavily.

「Well, well, please calm down. Come on, have some tea.」

「Muu…」

Even though she had a dissatisfied expression on her face, she took a sip of her tea.

「So? How did you respond to the noble faction’s solicitation?」

「I said it was out of the question.」

「O-Out of the question?…You refused quite decisively.」

The president’s eyes widened as if it was an unexpected result.

「Yes, as a result of discussing various things, I learned that our perspectives and goals were different.」

「Somehow, that sounds like a reason given by music bands when they break up…」

「Ahaha, I suppose it does sound similar. Well, at any rate, if I were to be asked, “Do you support the royal faction or the noble faction?”, I would say my perspective is much closer to the royal faction’s perspective.」

The noble faction’s core principle is the policy of discarding the weak.

The society envisioned by the noble faction is very different from my ideal.

「R-Really? Allen-kun isn’t on the noble faction’s side, but closer to the royal faction―Isn’t it fine to say that you’re basically on our side!?」

「Yes. And most importantly, president, you are part of the royal faction.」

I have been indebted to the president for many things.

It’s the same for my daily life at the student council, and speaking of something recent, even during the Christmas party…

(Wait……)

As I was thinking about it, something felt out-of-place.

(I am indebted to her… right?)

Looking back, I never wanted to join the student council in the first place.

The president was being selfish and unreasonable, so I had no choice but to go with the flow.

It was the same during the Christmas party.

Didn’t she take advantage of the nonsensical coupling event and suddenly launched an attack on me?

(Am I really indebted to her…?)

No, I don’t think I should think about it any further.

I am indebted to the president.

That’s fine. Let’s just keep it that way.

There are things in the world that should not be revealed.

While I was thinking about that,

「…」

The president’s cheeks were slightly red for some reason.

「H-Hey, Allen-kun… What did you mean earlier by saying it’s because I am part of the royal faction?」

「Hmm? It means that I am indebted to you and that’s why.」

It literally means what it says. Is there something unclear about it?

「Haa… right. Allen-kun is that kind of person…」

「…Huh?」

Thus, the secret night meeting with the president ended with an air of confusion.

■

After harsh classes in the morning and afternoon, exhausting duties at the student council after school, I self-train after returning home.

In the midst of such busy days, the recruiting period for new students, the so-called “New Recruitment,” began in no time.

Every year, the New Recruitment of the Five Academies are extremely fierce, and of course Thousand Blade Academy is no exception.

「New students, congratulations on your admission! So why don’t you join the Mountaineering Club!」

「The Swordsmanship Club is doing a trial club experience! Come to the gym after school today!」

「The tea made by the Tea Ceremony Club is the best in the world! It would be a loss if you don’t give it a try, come!」

During the time before classes in the morning, the time when moving between classes, and the lunch break, every club was working hard to solicit new members without missing even the slightest gap.

After school, all the student council members, except Claude-san, gathered in the student council room.

She seems to have received a summon from His Majesty Gris, and so she is scheduled to stay in Vesteria Kingdom for the next ten days.

「As ever, they’re doing it flashily again this year.」

The president let out a sigh as she looked down at the intense solicitation activities unfolding beyond the window.

「New Recruitment is like a festival, after all! I’m sure this time too there will be a heated controversy popping up somewhere!」

「We need a hero of justice to bring down punishment!」

As Lilim-senpai and Ferris-senpai said so, they put on a sash that read “Hero of Justice”.

As they said, we, the student council, need to crack down on excessive solicitation activities.

「As you all know, excessive solicitation activities have become a problem at our academy! From now on, we will patrol the academy and arrest the bad guys who are making radical solicitations!」

As the president said so, she put on a sash that read “Justice Execution” 　

Our senpais are in high spirits as ever.

「We’re going to start patrolling right after this, but it would be very inefficient for everyone to move together. On the other hand, if we move alone, it might be dangerous. That’s why I prepared “Lottery”!」

While saying so, the president held up a hand-made ghost leg lottery drawn on paper.

「This time, we will divide into a group of two, a group of three, and one person remaining behind in the student council room. ―Well then, everyone, please write your name in the place where you think you want to be!」

The president said so and wrote her name on the line at the end.

As usual, she’s a person who loves this kind of game.

After everyone had finished writing their names, each person added a line to the ladder in order to maintain fairness in the lottery.

「Fufu, I am going to open it now, okay? Three, two, one… Here!」

With an expression like that of a child, the president unfolded the folded part of the lottery.

As a result of an impartial lottery, today’s group assignments have been decided.

The two-person team is Lilim-senpai and Ferris-senpai.

The three-person team is Ria, Rose, and I.

And the one who had to stay back in the room was… the president of our student council.

「W-Why do I have to stay back…」

「Don’t feel down, Sie! These things happen!」

「I’m sure tomorrow’s group division will go well, though.」

Today’s patrol business began smoothly with Lilim-senpai and Ferris-senpai’s follow up.

As soon as we left the student council room, we split into a group of three to the right, and the senpais in a group of two to the left.

「In the end, we ended up with the usual teams.」

「Fufu, yes.」

「Well, it does feel comfortable.」

While making such small talk, we went outside the school building for the time being.

「Now then… where should we start looking around?」

「Right… Why don’t we go to the nearest place from here?」

「In that case, it would be the Cheerleading Club.」

On a side note… During this patrol, the two teams didn’t set a patrol route.

According to the president, the reason for this is “to increase randomness”.

If we decide on a route that goes clockwise or counterclockwise, it seems that some cunning students will predict it and slip through the security.

「Oh, they seem to be in routine.」

We arrived right in front of the main school building, where the cheerleading club was active.

「Go! Go! Let’s Go! Thousand・Blade・Academy! We are the best! Number one!」

It seems that they were just performing for the new members. And I got to watch a perfectly flawless dance.

「As usual, they look so cool.」

A dignified and powerful voice that resonates deep inside.

A movement that blends slow and fast tempo, perfectly executed down to the tip of their fingers.

I’m sure this wonderful performance is the result of their tireless efforts.

「I saw it last year, but this year’s is also amazing.」

Rose let out a breath of admiration.

「It’s certainly cool, but I personally think it’s a bit too exposed…」

Ria had a somewhat complicated expression on her face.

「From a quick look, the Cheerleading Club doesn’t seem to be a problem.」

According to the president, many of the clubs that weren’t very popular in the first place were running radical solicitation activities.

It is said that groups that are popular with students like the Cheerleading Club attract many applicants to join the club even if they do not solicit against the rules.