Chapter 450
"......."
Simon let out a small sigh, closed his eyes, and brought the wine glass to his lips.
A clean body, not too stimulating, with a subtle fruit flavor. It was white wine.
"Thanks for helping me out, but."
Simon set the glass down.
"If you keep controlling people like that again, won’t Loraine scold you?"
"Eyy~ What’s the big deal at this level? No one saw it, and they won’t even remember it themselves."
Serne snapped her fingers.
The male students who had just been attending to her blended into the crowd, glancing around as if they had just come to their senses.
But.
"Ook! Ook-ook!"
"What’s wrong with her all of a sudden?"
The female students who had surrounded Simon earlier were still imitating monkeys.
"That’s the punishment for touching what’s ‘mine’ without knowing their place."
Serne, waving her arm like a queen, lifted her red wine and took a sip.
Simon’s eyes half-opened.
"Who said you could decide that I’m......."
"It’s just because I haven’t seen you in a long time, Simon."
Suddenly, a strong perfume scent rushed in. When he came to his senses, Serne had already pushed her face close.
"Feels like you’ve become even more dashing?"
"!"
Simon’s body froze like a statue. As he sat in his chair, her knee slid between his legs. Her body lines pressed forward, and her thick, heated breath touched his nape.
Her eyes, feigning innocence as they wandered over Simon’s face as if she knew nothing, curved like a crescent moon.
"Hehe, I’m kidding~"
Serne leaned back again into her seat. Her ivory hair swayed, brushing against Simon’s cheek before falling away.
‘Tch.’
Simon steadied himself, thinking that this woman was utterly uncontrollable.
"Don’t tease me. If you do this, how are you any different from those girls earlier?"
"There’s a decisive difference, isn’t there?"
Resting both hands on her white knees, she winked.
"Those monkeys would flirt with anyone for power and pleasure, but I’m not like that. In the first place, the number of people who can look me in the eyes and have a normal conversation like this is very few."
Her jade eyes gleamed strangely.
"I don’t talk to monkeys. That’s why I turn monkeys into dolls. But you’re different. You’re worth keeping as you are, without turning into a doll. A person I acknowledge as my equal."
Placing her hand on her chest, she lowered her voice as if fragile.
"Actually, even facing you like this, and talking with you, I’ve had to brace myself a lot, you know?"
"Haa."
Simon rubbed his forehead.
"Other than the fact you’re totally out of this world, I can’t understand a single thing you’re saying."
"Don’t rush. You’ll come to understand gradually. Because—"
Her voice dropped lower, soft enough for only Simon to hear.
"I’m going to follow Simon, and enter the Department of Summonology."
"!!"
Simon’s eyes widened in surprise.
"Not Darkness Dynamics?"
"There’s nothing new to learn there, it’s all predictable, isn’t it? My one criterion when making value judgments is simple."
Her lazily drooping gaze turned back to Simon.
"Do I want it, or not. That’s all."
"......."
It suddenly felt hot. Avoiding her eyes, Simon grabbed his glass and took a sip.
Sweet, yet sharp acidity, and the dense body of red wine filled his mouth.
‘Huh?’
Wait, this was red wine.
But earlier he had definitely been drinking white wine.
"!!"
Simon quickly turned his head. Serne was holding his white wine glass, swirling it in her hand.
‘No way! When she leaned close earlier, it was to switch the glasses......!’
"Simon, you really are sneakier than you look."
With a faint blush, she bashfully brought Simon’s glass to her lips, and with a smack, pressed her pink lips against the rim in a kiss.
Simon’s face flushed crimson.
"Serne!!"
"Hohohohoho!"
Her shoulders shook as she laughed. Hehe. Fufufu. She bent her waist, laughing endlessly.
"Ah~ ah~ Simon really is so worth teasing."
Wiping the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes, she looked at Simon, who still glared at her with a burning red face.
"I’m leaving."
"Before you do."
Serne spoke.
"Since I revealed one of my secrets, you should tell me one too. That’s fair, right?"
"......What secret?"
"For example."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Information about the next Student Council President?"
Simon, who had been about to rise from his seat, let out a small sigh.
"Your information is quick."
"Of course. Ah! And I noticed there’s still one vacant student council position......."
"You want me to put you in as an officer?"
Serne shook her head.
"I’m not the type to go under someone else. Especially since the vice president will be our Maelyn, right? That would make Maelyn my superior. I couldn’t bear that."
‘......That figures.’
"Ufufu."
Resting her chin in her palm, Serne smiled slyly.
"By now, our Maelyn’s probably itching so badly to brag, she must be twisting her body all over to hold it in......."
Clink.
Serne stopped speaking. Her eyes shifted, and she saw the sharp edge of a utensil pressed against her throat.
"You really have such bad habits."
Serne muttered.
A girl with hair black and taut like the night sky, and ruby-red eyes, was glaring at her.
Simon’s eyes widened.
"Loraine!"
"Stop that."
Loraine repeated. Serne tilted her head with a fox-like grin.
"What do you mean?"
"Stop those girls."
Ook! Ook-ook!
The girls who were still imitating monkeys were nearly collapsing. Their bodies drenched in sweat, tears forming at their eyes.
"I was even being generous, you know~"
Serne smiled with her eyes.
"I thought about killing them quietly. But instead, I settled for giving them an eternal humiliation in front of the whole school, and burying them in the social circle of girls......."
"I won’t repeat myself again."
A gleam flared in Loraine’s crimson pupils.
"Stop it."
"......Haa."
Serne reluctantly snapped her fingers twice.
Finally, the girls imitating monkeys collapsed onto their seats as if falling apart. Their bodies were drenched with sweat.
Lowering the utensil, Loraine spoke.
"You’re facing punishment. Serne Eindark."
Serne laughed.
"Ridiculous. Do you have any proof that I did it?"
She hadn’t controlled the girls with feathers directly.
She had brainwashed a student majoring in Katarology using feathers, and with that curse, forced the girls into acting like monkeys.
Naturally, the student who cast the curse already had their memory erased.
Even if Loraine investigated their bodies, there would be no trace of feather influence.
"......If we conduct a full-body examination of every student right now, we’ll find it."
Of course, Loraine could guess the truth.
"Go ahead and try."
Serne didn’t even blink.
"Just to punish me, you’d cancel both the school opening ceremony and the department placement ceremony, and make a whole fuss over body inspections and whatever else? Such a dirty move~"
Her eyes narrowed like a fox’s.
"That’s not the Keyzen way, is it?"
Watching Serne and Loraine locked in a deadly stare, Simon broke into a cold sweat.
‘So these two have been fighting like this the entire first year.’
"Since the mood has gone cold, I’ll take my leave."
Serne rose from her seat, and flashed Simon a charming smile.
"See you later in Summonology class, Simon."
"Huh? Ah, sure."
Tok-tok—tok-tok—
As Serne passed by Simon, she caught sight of the necklace around Loraine’s neck.
On the choker she wore, a padlock hung.
"That look, suits you well."
With those words, Serne walked off. Immediately, her faction members swarmed and followed after her.
"......."
"......."
After Serne disappeared, a brief silence settled.
"Ah, hi, Loraine."
Simon was the first to greet.
"Hello, Simon."
Dropping her hostility, Loraine finally showed a faint, serene smile. Simon saw her click the lock on her choker shut again with a snap!
"Soon the department welcoming ceremony will start. You should get ready."
"Thanks for letting me know."
"Well, I’ve got pressing matters, so, I’ll be off first."
It seemed Loraine hadn’t given up on catching Serne yet.
As she turned to walk away, she suddenly stopped with an ‘Ah’, and glanced back at Simon.
"And me too."
"?"
"......I’ll be coming to Summonology. Take care of me."
With that said, she quickly spun around and rushed off in a hurry. Simon scratched the side of his head.
‘Somehow, this second-year department life, feels like it’s going to be exhausting.’
* * *
The opening party ended, and the teaching assistants entered the banquet hall.
"Alright, form two lines. Two lines."
They lined the students up, and led them to the next location. The students, who had been chatting noisily, one by one closed their mouths and walked on with nervous expressions.
Past the party hall, through a long corridor, they arrived at a hall even bigger and wider than before.
"Hey, did you guys see that? Did you see?"
While everyone else was tense and staring straight ahead, Dick alone was chattering away.
"Those girls from Class D, running around imitating monkeys! That was hilarious."
"Shh, be quiet."
Maelyn pressed a finger to her lips, then jerked her chin toward the front.
"Those are the 3rd-years."
As the doors opened, they immediately saw students seated at seven large conference tables.
And the golden badges pinned to their collars, symbolizing the pinnacle of the school—the ‘3rd-years’.
The badge color for 3rd-years changes at a certain year, and this time, it was golden.
‘The atmosphere’s intense.’
‘S-scary.’
The 3rd-years seated at the square tables stared at the entering 2nd-years with expressionless faces.
"They’re seated by department. From the left table it’s Dark Flare, Haematology, Wild Fang, Magical Combat."
Dick whispered in a hushed voice.
"All the famous seniors are here. Senior Hailey, Senior Benya, Senior Ballot too! Huh, but I don’t see the strongest, Senior Aizel."
"Didn’t they say Senior Aizel was on a mission?"
"You there, no chatter. 2nd-years, come this way."
Under the assistants’ guidance, the 2nd-years passed by the seven tables.
Between the 3rd-years’ tables, the stage up ahead, and the small seats arranged in the middle, those were the seats for the 2nd-years.
"Ugh, the pressure."
"Don’t look back. Don’t make eye contact and get marked."
The 2nd-years took their seats.
Soon, footsteps echoed from the stage. All eyes turned forward.
"Nice to see you, brats!!"
Everyone stiffened with tension, then their eyes widened.
A woman with wild-textured ash-brown hair tied in a ponytail, somewhat eccentric clothing, a refreshing grin, and jagged triangular shark teeth that stood out.
"Professor Belya!"
Waaaaaah!
An explosive cheer erupted among the 2nd-years. The 3rd-years, unfamiliar with Belya, reacted somewhat blankly.
"You brats! Did you have fun over break?!"
"Yeees!!"
"Good, good. Loud voices, I like that. Only the smart little punks made it this far!"
A broadcasting assistant came running, out of breath, handing her a loudspeaker crystal and the event schedule.
Her voice had been so loud that, up until then, she had been shouting without any amplification, and everyone could hear her clearly.
"Hey, how do you even read this?"
The assistant sweated buckets as he hurriedly taught her the continental language.
"All this fuss, just for an opening ceremony, damn complicated. Tch!"
At Belya’s frown, faint laughter rippled through the crowd. Even the 3rd-years chuckled quietly, easing the harsh mood a little.
"Professor Belya hasn’t changed at all."
Maelyn chuckled, and the other three nodded.
"Okay, okay. Now I get it perfectly."
Grinning, she raised her head.
"From this moment, the school opening ceremony and department placement ceremony begins! Are you all ready?!"
"Yeeees!!"
"Then we’re supposed to start with some kind of opening address."
She glanced back.
"Come on in."
Clunk!
The curtains at the back drew open, and an old man stepped onto the stage. His forehead wrinkled with age, but his back unbent, he walked proudly in a suit.
That man—they had seen him at the opening, and at the end-of-term ceremony too.
"Nice to meet you. Keyzen 2nd-years, and 3rd-years."
One of the elders from Keyzen headquarters.
At once, Dick yawned and shut his eyes, while Maelyn and Kami whispered small talk.
"You are the ones who will lead the future of the Dark Alliance......."
You are the future.
Everyone is expecting your achievements.
His technique of dragging such lines out was remarkable.
The atmosphere Belya had grabbed by the collar was gone in ten minutes.
"That is all."
The elder seemed extremely satisfied with his speech. A thunderous applause burst out, urging him to leave quickly.
Convinced the young ones had been deeply moved, he waved cheerfully as he left.
"Yaaawn."
Belya was already slumped in her chair like a cat. As soon as the elder left the stage, she muttered in her raw voice.
"You kids worked hard to make it up here, and then the old geezers shove in to hog the spotlight, don’t you hate that shit?"
The students kept straight faces, but faint smiles here and there showed their agreement.
Belya picked up the loudspeaker crystal again.
"Next up. Oh, now we’re finally getting to something real."
Reading through the papers, she raised her head seriously.
"Prospective Student Council President, step forward."
Murmur murmur murmur!
All the 2nd-years turned their heads toward the 3rd-years’ side.
But.
Screeech!
The sound of a chair sliding came not from the back, but from the front.
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