Side: Poppuri Lancer
"Hic... sob..."
Sniffling between sobs, I worked through the mountain of documents Eris had demanded to make up for this disastrous blunder.
Damn it... What the heck was with her!?
She was one of the women who sat there during the lecture yesterday, looking at me with pity! And yet, when I spoke to her today, she turned out to be completely rotten on the inside!
Why on earth did she see right through me using my real crying at the inn as a strategy? I mean, have a little sympathy, will you!?
Even if I complained like this, the situation wasn't going to change... If anything, I felt like things wouldn't have gotten this terrible if I had just apologized honestly right from the start.
"Headmaster, I understand how you feel, but if you stain the documents regarding the apology and compensation assistance, Eris-san will once again..."
"I know!! That damn mediocre-chested woman... Samantha-chan's is way bigger anyway!!"
"No, Eris-san's is plenty large as well."
"Shut up, Anyone with big breasts is my enemy! But man, she really forced a set of awful conditions onto us..."
I sighed deeply.
"But this is almost entirely your own fault. You should have just apologized honestly from the beginning."
"No organization admits full fault from the start. You know that perfectly well, Lara."
"Yes. In these cases, burying it internally is the usual way. Normally both sides have things they don't want investigated."
"Exactly! Even if we didn't have leverage, if we had just fabricated a blunder on their side and smoothed things over, that would've been fine..."
"And yet, every single attempt was effortlessly avoided. Then they hit us with an even more painful counterattack. Looking at the situation objectively... you simply underestimated your opponent."
"Tch."
Crying wouldn't solve anything, nor would it end this nightmare. Plus, if there was any flaw in these documents, there was no telling what that Eris-san would say.
For now, I drafted the treaty text as instructed, making sure it was properly prepared, and had Lara check it.
"...Yes. Everything appears to be in order. All that's left is deciding what gifts we'll send to Jilva and Enaria as compensation."
"Irritatingly enough, Eris-san said that tomorrow she'd pick out items that would please their side without hurting our pockets too much."
"Those people truly are extraordinary..."
"Yeah. In negotiations, they're the top as far as I know. Honestly, if only I could use force with magic..."
"Please do not, under any circumstances, try that. While it is true that overwhelming them with force would be easy, it would guarantee the destruction of the Academy."
"Which way do you mean—by my magic, or politically?"
"Both."
Well, just as Lara said, if I went all out, that's exactly what would happen.
Damn it, but I still want to give those guys a taste of their own medicine just once!
"...Hmm?"
At that moment...
My eyes landed on the personal agreement I'd signed with Eris-san.
* Do not interfere with actions toward us, the transfer students.
* Disclose magic research contents upon request.
* Exempt transfer students from basic classes upon request.
* The Headmaster will personally cover all living expenses during their six-month stay.
Yeah, that is ridiculously unreasonable.
At that time I was completely swept up in the momentum and had no choice but to sign.
Well, even though the terms are pretty awful, if this keeps us from declaring our massive blunder to every nation...
Is it worth it?
As I stared blankly at the contract while recalling that moment, I noticed something unnatural.
"...What does this mean?"
"What's wrong?"
"There's something strange in the personal request contract I concluded with Eris-san..."
"Did Eris-san make a mistake?"
Lara leaned over to examine the contract.
"It's this first line. 'Do not interfere with actions toward us, the transfer students.' Doesn't that sound strange?"
"Indeed... Instead of 'Do not interfere with the transfer students' actions,' phrasing it as 'Do not interfere with the actions TOWARD us, the transfer students' is odd."
The two of us pondered for a moment.
We were thinking about whether we could exploit this mistake. Even though it was a personal contract, since a mistake was made, pointing it out would force them to rewrite it, causing them trouble. At the very least, it might give us a tiny opening during future negotiations.
While I viewed this phrasing as a simple typo...
"No way..."
Lara's eyes widened in shock.
Her expression wasn't one of surprise anymore.
It was dread.
"Lara, what's wrong? Is there another meaning behind this sentence?"
I asked casually.
"No... this sentence means exactly what it says..."
"Huh? Exactly what it says? 'Do not interfere with actions TOWARD us, transfer students' means that even if people mess with them, we aren't allowed to step in? Wouldn't that be a hassle for them?"
"Headmaster, that is the true intent of this clause. Anyone is free to mess with them. In other words, if some foolish student who doesn't know better tries to pick a fight with them, it all becomes our responsibility. On top of that, it says we don't have the right to stop that foolish student's actions."
"Huh...?"
No way...
Clinging to a faint shred of hope, I let the words spill out to Lara as I voiced whatever possibility came to mind.
"W-Well... Maybe it's referring to outsiders? People unrelated to the academy causing trouble? L-Look, maybe it's just to prevent us from stepping into their troubles to cancel out our past blunders?"
"That possibility exists. However... This is a contract signed with the academy's headmaster. Why would it concern unrelated outsiders? That interpretation has almost no value. The meaning is obvious. They're going to investigate how this academy operates. And if they discover any flaws..."
"...And things will get even worse!?"
"Most likely..."
We can't interfere at all, and they've already factored all of this in!?
Eek! What is up with that woman?! She's scary, seriously scary!!
"S-Sniff..."
"Headmaster, please calm down! Crying won't solve anything. Right now we need to find a way to revise that clause. Otherwise, the academy will completely lose what little standing it has left. Although... To be honest, we've already lost most of it. Students who believe in meritocracy will almost certainly challenge the transfer students otherwise."
"T-The merit-based system is causing interference at a time like this... W-What should we do!?"
"Calm down. First, we will give a stern warning to all teachers and students not to be rude to the transfer students. That should act as a deterrent to some extent. After all, no one wants to be glared at by us."
"R-Right! Ah, tomorrow, we can call an emergency student assembly in the hall, introduce the transfer students, and tell everyone never to touch them!"
"No. You must absolutely NOT say that!"
"Eh? But if we don't tell them not to touch them..."
"If you say that, the merit-focused students will definitely target them! Getting an endorsement from the Headmaster—who advocates meritocracy—telling them 'don't fight them' is practically asking them to make those transfer students their targets."
"Ah."
"That's why we shouldn't frame it like that. Instead, we should state that the transfer students came here to promote the greatness of the Academy. If we do that, they shouldn't commit the impoliteness of picking mindless fights."
"Fumufumu... But hey, that's still not absolute, right?"
"Of course. It's merely a measure to prevent further damage. Unless we find a way to alter the contract itself, we can only react defensively."
Umu, that's the problem... Hm?
Merit-based system... Ah, that's it!
And then, a brilliant idea struck me. My mind cleared up entirely.
This was a great chance to give those guys a taste of their own medicine!
"Lara, what if I challenge one of them to a duel? If I stake a modification of the contract on it, saying if I lose I'll accept extra conditions, they'll surely bite! Under the guise of teaching them a duel... yeah, we can do it in front of the entire student body!"
As I said that, Lara opened her eyes wide and sank into thought.
"...That may actually work. The duel itself would discourage students from causing trouble. If you win, we can revise the contract. Furthermore, if they witness your overwhelming strength firsthand, they'll stop making unreasonable demands. Their tongues may be sharp, but power speaks louder."
"Right!?"
"Though it would be worst-case scenario if you were to lose, Headmaster."
"Well, sure, but could things really get any worse than this? Besides, do you actually think I'm going to lose?"
"No. The only people capable of defeating you would be the legendary Hero or one of the Holy Sword wielders."
"Ah, yeah. Exactly. So, can I leave the preparations to you?"
"Of course. I'll reserve the arena and gather the students."
Watching Lara leave, I relaxed for a moment.
...This won't do. There's no way I'll lose a duel, so let's finish up these documents!
I can't wait for tomorrow~!
* * *
Side: Eris
"Fufufu..."
"...Eris. You're getting scary."
Only after hearing that did I realize I was smiling.
Oh? That won't do.
If I can't control my emotions, I might make an unexpected misstep during negotiations.
"Still—they actually noticed that clause, huh."
"Yes. They're smarter than I gave them credit for."
"Eris-neechan is warm~"
"So fluffy~"
Right now, I was sitting on Yuki-san's lap, while Aslin and Filia were sitting on top of me.
This is my rightful compensation for yesterday.
"...Sheila. You be held by me." (Labyris)
"Eh?"
"I'm upset that those two were taken away."
"Ah—fine, I suppose."
Sorry, both of you.
Yuki alone isn't enough to fully heal me.
Since I can't bring my daughter here, hugging Aslin and Filia is the only way I can be healed.
"So... We're sticking to the plan?"
"Yes. My mood will be fully refreshed after the upcoming duel. And once we thoroughly defeat the Headmaster. Neither the teachers nor students will complain about our special treatment."
"Right. Once the headmaster gets completely crushed, only an idiot would dare mess with us afterward. Though, before that, someone would probably crush them for disrespecting the defeated headmaster."
"Well, it does feel a bit like we went overboard, so make sure to reconcile properly, okay? You're friends, right?"
"Yes, of course. Her opponent in the duel will likely be me, so I will clash with her properly and deepen our friendship."
"I think you're going to flatten her rather than clash..."
"Oh, no. I won't overwhelm her with incomprehensible power that no one around us could understand. I'll fight at exactly her level, then surpass everything she does."
"...That's even worse."
"But it should provide valuable information for the Holy Sword wielders who are still spying on us."
Indeed. We came to the Academy to investigate, but that wasn't all. Nina-san, one of the members of the Holy Sword Wielders who attacked Enaria, was following us to gather intelligence.
The remaining support member, after gathering information on Rurua, Milly, and Ratz who stayed behind in Enaria, seemed to be sneaking around near Betan.
"Yeah. Since they'll get to see Eris's combat power, they might start moving in earnest now. Haah... guess we can't just focus on one thing at a time."
"Our preparations are flawless, so there's no problem. Right, Tori, Riel, Kaya?"
I asked the three who were looking at us enviously with their fingers in their mouths.
"A-Ah, yes! Over at the fortress, we can handle monsters of that scale whenever they come."
"Yup, the defenses over at Betan are perfect! It's not just me; Asr=kin and the others are there too!"
"Leave it to us~!"
"Yes, leave it to us!"
"Things are fine back in my town. Mist's subordinates are capable, and Britt and the others are there as well."
Those Holy Sword Wielders seem to have their own circumstances, but they shouldn't expect to achieve their goals in a town where we are present.
Well, more importantly...
"As per Yuki's plan, the defense preparations on that side are complete. What matters is tomorrow's duel with the Headmaster. The question is how to make her cry."
"Give her a break already..."
No. She still hadn't realized the most important thing.
Tomorrow's duel would be the last step. I'd make sure she remembered what she'd forgotten.
* * *
The next day.
Just as the Headmaster and we planned, we were introduced to all the students, and afterward a demonstration duel was held.
Of course, the other side proposed a wager, so I happily accepted.
"Now, Eris-san, are you ready?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
The Headmaster and I walked to the center of the duel arena.
"Since this is likely Eris-san's first time dueling, it might sound repetitive, but I will explain the rules once more."
"No, I think your mindset of eliminating accidents through thorough explanation is wonderful."
"I am honored by your praise. Now then..."
Vice Headmaster Lara began explaining the rules of the duel, ensuring the audience of gathered students could hear clearly.
1. The duel shall be conducted using magic. The use of weapons is forbidden; only bare-handed magic combat is permitted.
2. Attacks to vital areas are strictly prohibited.
3. The standard match duration shall be 20 minutes.
4. Magic that poses a threat to the spectators is forbidden.
5. Falling off the dueling ring results in immediate defeat.
6. Victory or defeat shall be decided by surrender, the referee's judgment of inability to fight, the final ruling after time expires, or the discovery of a foul.
7. If resolving various issues through the duel, the agreed terms must never be broken. However, the terms must be declared to the referee for review, and the agreement is invalid without official approval.
8. Fight with all your strength until the very end using magic—that is the path to supreme mastery.
Well, that about covers it.
Lara-san finished speaking, looked at both of our faces in turn, and opened her mouth.
"Do both parties swear to abide by the rules of the duel?"
""We swear.""
Upon hearing those words, Lara-san stepped back away from us, retreating to the very edge of the stage to avoid getting caught up, and raised one hand...
"Begin the duel between Headmaster Poppuri Lancer and Jilva Transfer Student Eris! ...START!!"
She brought her hand down.
"""WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"""
The cheers of the audience echoed.
If you listened closely, almost everyone held no doubt about the Headmaster's victory, feeling sorry for me instead.
Well, I suppose that was natural.
However, I'm afraid I won't be able to meet their expectations.
"Now then, Eris-san, since the duel has started, I'll be taking this seriously. No matter how much you are transfer students or how much trouble we caused, I won't hold back."
"Yes, that is precisely what I desire."
"Heh, good answer. But ending this in an instant would defeat the point, so I'll gauge your strength as we go."
Saying so, the Headmaster instantly unleashed a chantless Fireball.
"Come on, handle at least this much!"
Confidently testing my strength with room to spare, was she?
In that case, I shall do the same.
—Snap.
With that sound, the Fireball vanished.
"Huh... you can use chantless magic too. Did you nullify it by hitting it with a Fireball of your own? In that case..."
Satisfied with absolute confidence and curiosity, the Headmaster gradually showcased increasingly powerful and diverse magic.
Well, I nullified all of it.
"N-No way... What on earth are you...?"
"That doesn’t matter. It is almost time. What will you do?"
I spoke while looking at the clock installed in the dueling arena.
16 minutes had already passed since the start of the match.
4 minutes remaining.
I was honestly getting quite bored of doing nothing but nullifying attacks.
"Haa... haa... Ugh... Firestorm!!"
Perhaps reaching her limit, the Headmaster was out of breath and resorting to short chants.
I thought she could do a little better than this...
I launched the exact same spell at her to nullify it once again.
Sigh, shall I bring this to an end?
But when the smoke cleared, the Headmaster was no longer standing before me.
"Hah!!"
And then, I heard that breath right beside me.
WHOOSH!!
"Kyaa!?"
Such a cute voice echoed, followed by a thud as something fell onto the ground.
Without even glancing down at the source of the sound, I turned my eyes toward Lara-san and called out.
"""......"""
"Lara-san, time is up."
"...H-Headmaster?"
"Lara-san, please snap out of it. If you haven't recognized the end of the battle yet, I will have to launch a follow-up attack on the one rolling on the ground."
"Y-Yes!! Headmaster Poppuri Lancer is deemed unable to fight! The winner: Jilva Transfer Student, ERIS!!"
"""WWWWWWAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!"""
After a brief silence, the arena erupted in cheers.
Well, matching her in a magic battle paid off.
If I had ended it in a split second, they would have suspected it was rigged.
"Waaaaaaah!! T-That's unfair!! Why are you so absurdly strong!?"
Oh, she didn't hold the title of Headmaster for nothing.
I had deployed a considerable barrier of fire, yet she only suffered a minor concussion.
Now then, I held out my palm toward the Headmaster.
"Hieee!? S-Stop it!!"
"Eris-san, the duel is already over!! Please stop!!"
However, I had no intention of stopping.
After all, at this continent's level of medical care, burns would leave scars.
"Eh, is this... recovery magic?"
"No way... Y-You can use ALL elements!?"
What on earth were they talking about? On this continent, the understanding of magic was so limited—fire, water, earth, wind, lightning, and healing.
That is why someone of my level is considered a "master of all elements" in this land.
"That doesn't matter. Since I won, please fulfill your promise properly."
Yes, that was the most important part.
"Eh? Um... I'm sorry."
"That won't do. There's no heart in it."
"I-I'm sorry!"
There was no sincerity in a Headmaster who merely bowed her head and churned out words.
All she felt was confusion.
"...Headmaster, you don't even understand what you ought to be apologizing for, do you?"
"Eh? Isn't it because we caused trouble and inconvenienced you with our oversights?"
"I have already received your words of apology for that."
Yes. The apology I wanted her to promise was a personal apology to me.
"...?"
The Headmaster cute-ishly tilted her head, but at that gesture, my patience finally snapped.
"Because of you, I lost precious time flirting with my husband!! You should be apologizing with every ounce of your heart for that!! At least understand something that obvious!! Sob..."
I'm the one who should be crying!!
Hearing that answer, the Headmaster finally adopted a serious expression, dropped into a perfect dogeza, and...
"I AM TRULY, DEEPLY SORRYYYYYY!!"
She finally offered an apology that satisfied me.
Afterward, for some reason, rather than the defeated Headmaster, I—the winner—was consoled by everyone in the Academy in a strange turn of events.
But such things were trivial.
Yuki-san was exceptionally sweet and gentle to me that day, which made me immensely happy.
