As I walked out of the café, I found myself in front of the student council building before I knew it.
When I entered, I saw the empty interior and Alkine sitting alone at the large table.
Curious about what she was doing, I realized she was reviewing test questions, just like Lilith.
Although her physical strength was overwhelming and somewhat overshadowed by it, she actually had a pretty high score in theory.
Of course, she wasn’t particularly strong in theory.
The warrior blood flowing through her, being from the north, wasn’t particularly suited for sitting still and studying.
However, maintaining a high rank was her personal pride, which is why she covered up her weaknesses with effort.
And she was indeed maintaining a high rank… unlike some muscle-brained saintess from some village, she actually reaped the rewards of her hard work.
As soon as Alkine saw me and Seria enter, she let out a small sigh.
“Ha… right. You two aren’t the type to listen to advice, are you?”
She said this while the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, as if she didn’t completely mind.
No, it actually seemed like she was happy.
After all, she was the type to enjoy a bustling atmosphere.
To be more precise, she didn’t like mingling with many people, but she enjoyed the chaotic vibe that came with a large crowd.
Anyway, it was clear she didn’t see the current situation as bad.
Knowing this, I approached her first and asked.
“What are you looking at?”
“Evolution theories of monsters and methods for analyzing ambient magic.”
“Monsters, huh, that’s my specialty.”
“I’m more interested in magic.”
“I know you two are good at studying… but still, I wish you’d show some respect to your senior. At least let me maintain some face…”
Since Alkine had said that much, I didn’t feel like offering any advice.
Wow, but what is this ambient magic analysis method? I glanced over it, and it looked incredibly complicated.
When it’s time to choose classes, I should probably avoid anything related to magic. I’m glad I’m not a wizard, really.
A little later, after finishing her review, Alkine began to organize the books and papers in front of her.
Then, she rolled her red eyes between me and Seria, before subtly pointing at me.
“Your hair needs some work.”
She was referring specifically to my hair as she said that.
She sounds just like Seria. Does it look that messy?
“Don’t you think so, Alkine? I have to go to the royal palace tomorrow, and I don’t know what to do about my hair.”
“If you want, I could tidy it up for you.”
“Alkine, can you also trim men’s hair?”
“My father’s hair has always been my responsibility. I’m used to it.”
She said this while sweeping her black, straight hair aside.
Now that I look closely, her style hasn’t changed since our first meeting. Seems like she’s also a strict manager like Seria…
“Still, maybe it’s better to leave it to an expert…”
“It’s an honor for the president to do it herself.”
Seria hesitated a little, but for me, who knew her skill, it was a great offer.
After all, she’s the academy’s strongest, making mana swords and fighting with them.
Even without the title of academy champion, just her ability to create mana swords made me trust her.
Shaping mana requires great skill.
Of course, not everyone with skill can shape mana, but if you can do it, your handcrafting skills must be exceptional.
She even fixes her favorite stuffed toys herself when they tear!
With someone like her, I could trust her with my hair. So, I accepted her offer without hesitation.
Alkine seemed a little surprised at my sudden trust, but soon smiled and pushed a chair toward me.
“Well then, since we’re at it, let’s do it right now. Sit here.”
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
I sat down, ignoring Seria, who still couldn’t quite believe it.
Alkine, who had stepped up behind me, created a small mana sword and began trimming my hair with it.
The experience of having my hair cut with a mana sword was surprisingly new.
The cutting ability was so precise that I couldn’t even feel the hair being cut.
I could have easily pierced my scalp if I wasn’t careful… but then I thought, I trust her. President! No mistakes, please!
Fortunately, her skill didn’t disappoint me, and the result was impressive.
“Hmm, I guess the base is good, so it turned out even better than expected.”
“Oh, wow…”
For them to react like this, even though they normally wouldn’t flinch at the slightest, it really says a lot.
Now that it’s my body, it’s a bit awkward to say this, but I guess it’s just that when a handsome guy gets his hair done, it turns out amazing.
I thought she’d do a good job, but I didn’t expect it to turn out like this. There’s definitely a big difference between knowing the setting and actually experiencing it.
…But how long are they going to keep staring? It’s starting to feel a bit uncomfortable.
“I’m admiring the work I created. What’s the problem?”
“Stay still. I still want to look at it some more.”
It seemed like they had no intention of letting me go anytime soon.
“Rudion. Could you tilt your head like this a bit?”
“Sitting like that, your posture looks off. Try sitting up straighter.”
Instead of letting go, she started adjusting my posture, asking for everything from my head angle to my sitting position.
I mean, I was somewhat handsome, but is it really worth all this attention? Maybe I just don’t understand because I’m a guy?
In any case, I didn’t manage to escape those eyes until much later, when it was almost time for dinner.
The academy was vast, but there was only one entrance.
You didn’t have to leave through the entrance to exit the academy since the surroundings weren’t exactly blocked off. However, if you did choose the entrance, you’d have to walk quite a bit to leave. And aside from the entrance, the academy was surrounded by undeveloped areas, so there was no real need to exit through any other way.
Because of this, the entrance would inevitably be crowded at the beginning of a holiday.
“Aren’t they supposed to send a carriage from your house?”
“It seems like it hasn’t come yet.”
“That one over there?”
“Where? That? Damn, it doesn’t even have our family crest.”
It was like watching people rush to catch a subway during rush hour, each trying to find their respective carriage.
Of course, there weren’t that many people, but it still felt chaotic.
However, there was no reason for Seria—and by extension, me—to feel chaotic.
“There it is. Let’s go.”
Compared to the other carriages, the one standing there was large and extravagant.
It was obvious that this was the royal carriage, with the quality of the horses and the royal guards around it making it unmistakable.
“Is this the royal carriage?” I thought to myself while admiring it.
As I stood there, Seria had already hopped up into the carriage and called for me.
“What are you doing? Hurry up, there’s a lot to do.”
“A lot to do? Can’t we just go straight there?”
“What are you talking about? We’re going to the royal palace.”
She started explaining the plan, as if bewildered by my calmness.
“I’m just going home, but you, Rudion, are meeting royalty. You have to make a good impression. First, we need to buy new clothes, change, do some grooming, and there’s a nice café nearby that we need to visit… Oh, and there’s that restaurant Alkine recommended, should we check that out too?”
“You don’t need all that after the halfway point.”
“Well, maybe, but still, hurry up.”
She reached out to me impatiently, and as if on cue, I grabbed her hand and allowed her to pull me into the carriage.
Though Seria’s strength wasn’t that great, given her lack of physical prowess outside of mana, I decided to go along with it.
Inside the carriage, everything was as extravagant as the outside.
I remembered riding a pretty high-class carriage with Professor Reina once, but this one was on a whole different level.
It wasn’t just neat—it was enhanced by magic to create a comfortable environment. Even the seats were soft and plush, made from materials that clearly required careful maintenance.
And yet, Seria sat down as if it were nothing… Truly, royalty was royalty.
“Sit down.”
“Why sit next to you? There’s so much space.”
“You know why.”
She was getting bolder by the minute.
Of course, I didn’t mind at all. If I had turned her down even in jest, I knew she’d throw a tantrum, so I simply sat down next to her.
As soon as I sat, I noticed the gazes on me. I turned my head slightly, and saw students outside the window, staring at us.
“Life really isn’t fair. Some people are crammed into a small carriage with a bunch of other guys, sweating all over, while some people get to cozy up with a princess in a comfortable one.”
“If you’re so upset, try being more handsome, or better yet, useful.”
There were some murmurs from outside, but thanks to the excellent soundproofing, I couldn’t hear clearly what they were saying.
“We’re about to leave.”
The coachman, who appeared to be one of the royal guards, called out, and the carriage started moving.
The royal guards on horseback followed, creating a majestic scene.
…When I noticed someone glaring at me, I pulled the curtains shut. Then a voice from outside shouted urgently.
“Eek! That guy just pulled the curtains shut!”
“What insolent behavior! Stop the carriage immediately!”
Even with the soundproofing, I could still hear them clearly, which meant they were shouting pretty loudly.
“Ugh! It’s so noisy! I’m not doing anything, so stop making a fuss!”
Thanks to Seria’s intervention, the carriage didn’t stop, and we continued on our way.
I hadn’t even reached the royal palace yet, but I was already feeling tired.
Maybe I’ll just get off here and go home…