Chapter 24
'Golden Apple' is a café that female students of Olympia frequently visit.
The main topics of conversation among students are sometimes assignments, sometimes friends.
But in the end, love talk is bound to be the main topic.
Penel and Berry were no exception.
"You're saying I should play hard to get?"
"That's right."
Berry asserts with a stern face.
Looking at her friend who is too gentle and only knows how to pour out affection.
She taught the love theory she had heard in her database.
"It's called 'push and pull'. Love is about pushing and pulling. But Penel, you're only pulling."
"Hmm. Is that so...? Isn't pulling good? Why do I have to push?"
"Of course!"
Her friend is still so naive.
Berry answered loudly and quickly recalled her memories.
The numerous romance novels she had devoured until now.
The female leads in those worlds were all women who knew how to play hard to get with the male leads.
You're the first woman to treat me like this!
Although this behavior often occurred at first meetings, but what does that matter!
The important thing is that a woman shouldn't appear too easy to a man!
"Penel. Think about it. Men don't like women who are too easy. There needs to be a taste of difficulty in conquering. That's what makes them pursue more actively."
"...Really?"
She still looks puzzled, but seems to be quite interested.
Let's draw Penel's attention more. Berry spoke more passionately.
"For example, when a man wants something from you, you subtly play hard to get. Even if you're going to give in eventually, you should refuse at first."
"That's mean-spirited. I don't like it."
"This is the basics! Aish. Penel, let's practice. Pretend I'm Herak."
This won't do.
For the sake of this innocent friend, Berry herself had to take on the villain role.
Although she looked reluctant, when Penel nodded.
Berry acted as Herak as she imagined him.
"Hey. Penel. Lend me some money."
"Huh? How much do you need? Would 10,000 gold be enough?"
What should I do with this girl?
She mentioned a five-digit amount when a man asked to borrow money...!
"......"
An embarrassed expression.
Penel also looks like she thinks this was a bit too much.
At this point, it's rather Berry who has a change of thought.
'...She really likes him.'
At first, she thought her friend had been caught by a bad man.
But Berry is gradually abandoning that thought.
Herak has recently changed completely and his status is rising.
Penel, on the contrary, has maintained her pure love since before Herak came into the spotlight.
'...Am I the strange one?'
In the end, that's what she thinks.
Berry sighs and stops.
"No. I said something unnecessary."
"Huh? Why do you say that?"
"I knew you were that kind of girl, Penel... Maybe that suits you better."
A virtuous wife and wise mother, is that what they call it?
If there's one woman who fits that term perfectly, it would be Penel.
In the end, Berry closed her mouth.
Deep contemplation is visible in her black eyes beyond her round glasses.
She has a lot to feel looking at Penel in her own way.
"...Are you lonely, Berry?"
"What?"
At Penel's question that hit the mark.
Berry almost spat out her drink.
"What are you talking about? Why would I be lonely?"
"Just. You looked like it."
"......"
They say a strong denial is a strong affirmation.
As Berry averts her eyes slightly, feeling guilty, Penel smiles brightly.
"It's okay. It can happen. You're not completely uninterested in men either."
"......"
"You'll meet a good man someday too, Berry. I believe that."
"...Hmph."
Berry pouts.
Who would have thought Penel, who always seemed younger than her, would act like an older sister like this.
"Ah, Berry. But I'll tell you one thing?"
"Hm? What is it?"
"Herak is off-limits, okay?"
"Pffft!"
Finally, this time Berry really spat out her drink.
"Cough, cough, cough......"
Berry urgently pats her chest as she chokes.
But Penel watched with a smiling face, completely unfazed.
"W-What are you saying. Cough."
"You seem to have changed a bit recently. In the past, you would have cursed at Herak, but now you're understanding my mindset. I feel like your attitude towards Herak has changed?"
"...That's..."
Flinch.
If you put it that way, Berry has nothing to say.
'When did I change?'
Looking back, it's been quite a while.
When Herak completed the [Introduction to Elementology] assignment?
When Herak said he would bet his life to win the Inter-year Exchange Competition?
Or...
'...When Herak helped me.'
When he protected me from the delinquents, didn't look down on my doll, and looked like a hero...
"Hmm? Berry, it's not like that, right?"
"O-Of course not! Don't misunderstand, Penel. It's simply that Herak asked me to alchemize an item for him..."
For a moment, her cheeks almost flushed.
Berry hurriedly composed her expression and took a deep breath.
To appease Penel who was looking at her with suspicious eyes, she was about to make an excuse of an objective request without personal feelings when.
"Huh?"
Ding─
The door opens and customers enter.
The protagonist of their conversation, Herak, and an unknown 1st year student beside him.
*
'What are they doing?'
The moment I entered the café, I suddenly see familiar faces.
Penel and Berry were sitting over there.
They look suspicious, slightly averting their gazes.
Could they have been talking behind my back?
'...Well, whatever.'
It doesn't matter what they were talking about.
From what I briefly heard of Berry's words, she was mentioning the request for the 【Werewolf's Lung】.
As long as she does that well, what does it matter?
"Senior. Senior. What shall we drink?"
"Choose whatever you want to drink."
"Wow! As expected of a champion!"
I'm her senior, and I've also received the prize money from winning the Inter-year Exchange Competition.
When I said I'd buy Ruby a drink, she jumped up and down while choosing from the menu.
Once again, it's a drink with strawberries in it.
Eventually, we sat in an empty seat and I briefly told Ruby my business.
"The Chairwoman?"
"Yes."
Sip─
Ruby, taking a sip of her strawberry latte, opens her eyes wide.
It's an expression that says an unexpected person came up.
"Just tell the school administration. That I want to meet the Chairwoman."
"Hmm. It's certainly a difficult request to make easily. Indeed."
She nods as if understanding why this is being specially entrusted to her.
Then she puts her hands on her waist and puffs out her chest.
"Ahem! Leave it to me. I'll tell them clearly. It should be no problem."
"Alright. Good job."
This should do it.
I'm not sure how seriously the Chairwoman will take my request.
But at least in terms of clearly guaranteeing an opportunity to meet, one task is solved.
Then now, it's time to listen to Ruby's request.
"Fufu. What should I ask first? There's not enough to write even several special articles about Senior Herak."
She seems very excited, pulling out paper and pen from her pocket.
She's already put aside the strawberry latte she was drinking, and Ruby hums while rolling her pen.
"The Inter-year Exchange Competition victory story, the Battle Mage story, the Senior Penel story... It's a gold mine. A gold mine."
"Your word choice is cheap."
"Hehe. Shall we start with the most ordinary one? Senior, please tell me about the Inter-year Exchange Competition first."
The Inter-year Exchange Competition, huh.
I'm not sure what she's planning to ask, but it doesn't matter how I answer.
Ruby will add flesh to it for the sake of sales anyway.
I gesture with my chin to tell her to speak, and Ruby immediately starts pouring out questions.
"First, your thoughts on defeating Senior Jackson. How did you feel after winning?"
"Nothing special, really."
"Ohoho. 'Jackson, who do you think you are?' I see. Understood..."
There's no reason to be overjoyed about beating one Jackson.
To be precise, I was happy to escape the crisis of expulsion, but that's too much to say so I kept my mouth shut.
"Then the next question. I heard you were called by the Princess after the duel. How did it feel to have a private audience with the Princess?"
"......"
This one's a bit sharp?
If I say it was burdensome, there's no way Helene will look at me favorably.
If I say it was fine, not bad, it will be reported and cause a stir in the academy.
Then there's only one appropriate answer.
"I'll leave it to your imagination."
"Kya! As expected of you, Senior. You know how to make a tasty statement."
"Don't exaggerate."
Ruby seems to be listening to my words with one ear, smiling broadly as she writes down sentences.
She makes ten sentences for every one thing I say, truly the makings of a reporter.
Is this girl in the Department of Journalism rather than Magic...?
"Ahem. This should be enough to fill most of it. This article should be sufficient with this much."
"Then is it over?"
"No. It still lacks a hook."
...What king?
"To make people buy the next newspaper, we need to make them curious about the next issue. Don't you have anything that sounds good, Senior?"
"Would I?"
Do you think I'm someone who can produce news material at the drop of a hat?
But Ruby seems unsatisfied with this, rolling the pen between her fingers as she continues speaking.
"For example, who's your next target? Like saying you're aiming for so-and-so from the Knight Department."
"I'm not particularly interested."
"How about the top student?"
"Why bother?"
I have no intention of deliberately messing with Apollon.
He's not exactly a great person personality-wise, but he's not someone I'd go out of my way to pick a fight with either.
I don't have any particular grudge against him.
"That's disappointing. Hmm. It's a shame to end like this..."
As Ruby was pondering, drawing out her words.
"Penel!"
Bang, the door opens and someone enters.
A man with long slicked-back hair.
Apollon has arrived.
*
"......"
Silence falls over 'Golden Apple'.
The café that has gone quiet due to his rough entrance.
As if not caring about that at all, Apollon strode forward.
There was only one person he was targeting.
Penel Moira.
"Penel. Explain yourself. What's going on here?"
There's no hesitation in his gait that doesn't even observe etiquette.
Without any consideration for other students or the café.
Apollon approached Penel and asked.
About the details of the rumor.
"...What are you doing?"
Penel's frowning eyes.
In the past, he might have recited cheesy lines about even that being beautiful.
But Apollon didn't hesitate.
"Is that important right now? More than what I asked you?"
"Please be quiet. What are you doing in a place with people─"
"I'm asking if it's true that you touched that guy's arm."
"......"
Penel closes her mouth.
There's no need to confirm who 'that guy' is.
Herak.
He's inquiring about what happened in [Theoretical Magic Studies].
"Answer me, Penel. What were you thinking? Why would a noble woman like you do such a thing?"
"...I don't know how you found out about that. But what does that have to do with you?"
"What...?"
Compared to the excited Apollon, Penel is calm.
There's contempt in her calmness.
Apollon hated that to death.
'Why do you.'
Always look at me like that since we were young?
Me, who should be a fitting match for you as fellow nobles.
Why do you reject me so much?
"Penel. Think carefully. You─"
"Stop bothering Penel!"
A hand separates Apollon and Penel who were giving in to passion.
Berry, who was sitting with Penel, intervenes.
"Why do you keep doing this? Penel has no interest in you!"
Berry stood proudly on her two feet as if protecting Penel.
But in the end, she couldn't hide her trembling body.
Compared to herself, who doesn't have a very high rank in the Magic Department.
Apollon, the top student of the Knight Department.
It's natural that her body trembles.
But Berry didn't back down.
For her friend Penel, she could do this much.
"Don't touch Penel. A man like you─ Hik!"
Grab!
Berry's mouth closes and her body lifts into the air simultaneously.
"...You don't know your place."
Apollon's hand grabs Berry's collar and lifts her up.
A commoner who dared to speak up in front of a noble.
He gritted his teeth and growled.
"Do I look easy to you? Enough for a mere commoner like you to talk back?"
"Ha, ugh─"
"This is a conversation between nobles. It's not a place for a lowly woman like you to interfere...!"
Apollon raises his hand, unable to contain his anger.
He intends to slap Berry.
If he uses violence here, he'll be disciplined.
But Apollon is the top student of the Knight Department and the son of a marquis family.
It wouldn't be difficult to sweep it under the rug.
"...!"
Apollon's face twisted like an evil spirit.
The hand gripping the collar choking her breath, and the other hand roughly extending.
Seeing this, tears welled up in Berry's eyes.
'I'm scared...!'
Is standing up to a villain such a terrifying thing?
As if about to trample an extra who doesn't know their place, seeing the hand approaching to slap her.
Just as Berry was about to tightly close her eyes.
"...!"
Grab!
Apollon's hand stops midway.
The arm that contained too much strength for something meant to be swung at a mere girl.
It was caught by someone, unable to move.
"Take your hand off."
The voice color is that of a man.
And also, a voice Berry had heard before.
"...Ah?"
The corners of Berry's tear-filled eyes lift.
Her black pupils take in the scene before her.
A man with dull golden hair.
Boasting an exceptionally excellent physique compared to the skinny classmates.
Herak Leonhardt was gripping Apollon's wrist.
He, in a posture as if protecting Berry, intervened.
So that everyone in this place could hear, he spoke clearly.
"If you don't want to die."