CH 15

The day was very cloudy. I opened the door to the magic tool production lab, imagining many of the students and their friends scurrying around in the rain on Finnigan Street.

Illestia was sitting with his back against the window sill. He was looking outside, then stood up when I gave him a gesture of acknowledgement. It was the first time I had seen Ilestia not in his uniform. He was wearing a sweater that I would only wear in the ugliest sweater competition, but he managed to overcome it with his face.

“Illestia, that sweater is so funny. Where did you get it?”

“My mother made it.”

“It’s so perfect that it makes me laugh. The Great Emperor has an excellent aesthetic sense.”

For Illestia, mother meant Kaitlyn the Great, the emperor of the Holy Illestia Empire. I gasped, feeling the sweat seeping down my back.

“Thank you. I will tell my mother.”

“No, you don’t have to.”

Even in the Viscounty on the outskirts of Milua, rumors spread that Kaitlyn the Great, with her tremendous charisma and ruthless divine power, was ruling Illestia with an iron fist. I wondered what would happen if I died during the graduation banquet, but I did not feel like experimenting.

Anyway, it seems Kaitlyn the Great also knits her son’s sweaters. I imagine a scene of her knitting ugly sweaters while watching the execution of her political opponents. It felt very powerful just from the thought of it.

“By the way, where is that someone ripped up. Who the hell tore it, and why? Whatever written there must have been very important. It would be nice if we could find it.

***

When I returned, holding Illestia’s hand again, the magic tool production lab was full of the glow of the setting sun. It must have rained for a while. The wind that came in through the half-open window and blew the curtains smelled of dampness.

“I heard you haven’t found a partner for the banquet at the beginning of the month.”

On the way down the spiral staircase of the annex building, Illestia spoke up suddenly.

“If you’re trying to make fun of me, can’t you just do the first verse? Kyle Villard already did up to 32 verses.”

I was somewhat determined to attend the beginning of the month banquet without a partner. I was complacent in finding a partner when the banquet was only a week away.

Ramos, who accepted the bet, was actually weird. Usually, finding a partner at this time was literally picking stars out of the sky. Being alone with the banquet just around the corner means you have no intention of attending at all, have a reason to attend alone, or have defects in personality or social skills.

The odious Kyle Villard has formed a network of people wide enough that he could easily find a familiar face anywhere in the academy, but he did nott even think of helping his poor childhood friend. If I don’t have any choice, he should at least lend Layla to me.

To be honest, it seemed like it would be pretty cool to ride a griffon to the banquet hall. However, if Professor Monaghan misunderstood that he and I had similar sexual preferences, it would be a big problem, so I did not dare do it.

“You seem really close with Kyle.”

“We’re like family.”

I deliberately emphasized ‘family’.

“If you can go to a bath together, I guess you really are family.”

Illestia, who only listened to what he wanted to hear, meticulously filtered out the sarcastic remarks from my twisted words and answered with useless fascination. I couldn’t help but marvel at how far the rumors circulated, which must have come from Briana Mosley.

“Anyway, I’m not kidding. I think I can help.”

“You? Aren’t you supposed to escort Madame Bartlett?”

As the student council president, Illestia had to accompany Madame Bartlett, the head of the academy, to every banquet. She had always been impatient to show off the fact that she was standing side by side with the good-looking, outstanding, and virtuous crown prince of Illestia, so it was impossible for her to suddenly give up her partner.

“I am.”

“Then?”

When I asked, puzzled, Illestia told me in the tone of a child who came up with a very ingenious prank that I would find out soon.