Vol 6 Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Each Beginning

In a room where the moonlight of the late fall illuminated, Claudia deeply sank her body in a sofa.

Her long, rich blond hair had softly become wet and her body which was covered only with a bathrobe had become slightly flushed. A space window for voice communication floated at her side and transmitted a perplexed voice.

“──I’m sorry, but no matter how much you insist, I can’t yield there.”

After Claudia spoke in a calm voice, the person in the other side of the space window repeated the same thing with an irritated tone.

“Yes… Of course, I’m aware of all this. I thank you for the advice.”

Claudia revealed a light smile and casually closed the space window.

And she slowly spat out a breath; lengthily, deeply as if trying to spit out all the dregs which she had in the bottom of her stomach.

Of course, there was no way that what had filled Claudia on the inside would disappear with such a thing.

There was one and only way to deal with it.

“I have finally come this far. What is left is…”

After Claudia spoke and stood up, she headed to the window.

While being flooded with the moonlight which poured down over the thin lace, she hugged her body with both hands.

“Fufufu, like this, there is no turning back.”

She laughed in self-derision and whispered as if to persuade herself.

Claudia’s wish which she held since that day.

The sole hope given to her within her nightmare which continued every night.

There would probably not be a single person who would understand it. Even if it was laughed at for being foolish or discarded at being worthless when she revealed it, she was sure that there was no one who would seriously scramble for it.

After all, even Claudia herself thought so.

But precisely because she had clung to that helpless, foolish and worthless wish, Claudia could exist here like this now.

Whether it was her position of Seidoukan Academy Student Council President, her fame of being ranked #2, her objective of winning the <gryps>, or in the first place, the fact that she had come to this Asterisk, all of these were merely preparations in order to arrive at her wish.</gryps>

<gryps>Even so, it would probably be difficult for Claudia to fulfill her wish. In terms of likelihood, it was fine even if there was one chance in ten thousand.</gryps>

<gryps>However, it was not zero.</gryps>

<gryps>“──Now, I will have you follow this dance, Ayato. After all, the main stage for me starts here.”</gryps>

<gryps>As she said as if savoring it, Claudia quietly closed her eyes.</gryps>

<gryps>- ψ -</gryps>

<gryps>“By the way, do you guys already have plans for winter break?”</gryps>

<gryps>In the school cafeteria, Julis asked that when everyone had finished their lunch.</gryps>

<gryps>Since the same members gathered at these seats every day recently, it almost became like reserved seats; but it was not really like they had made the arrangement beforehand.</gryps>

<gryps>The school cafeteria where congestion had finally settled was wrapped up in a leisurely atmosphere and perhaps because there was a fine weather, the figures of students who had fallen asleep could be seen.</gryps>

<gryps>“…Winter break?”</gryps>

<gryps>“It’s still a matter for the future, so I have no plans in particular…”</gryps>

<gryps>Saya and Kirin, sitting side by side in front of Julis, tilted their heads to the side in thought.</gryps>

<gryps>It was October now.</gryps>

<gryps>They had finished the final exams last month and the short autumn break at the beginning of this month; the period following that had just begun. All the six academies of Asterisk had a semester system ── in other words, dividing one year into the first term and the final term, and acquiring credits in both ── and an entrance ceremony was also held in the final term. Therefore, recently in this academy, new student-like individuals could also be seen here and there.</gryps>

<gryps>“If possible, I want to relax this time…”</gryps>

<gryps>Saya said that and wearily put her face down on the desk.</gryps>

<gryps>“Haha, Saya had supplementary lessons all the time during the autumn break after all.”</gryps>

<gryps>“Muuh…”</gryps>

<gryps>Though Saya puffed her cheeks at Ayato’s words, she did not mean to argue.</gryps>

<gryps>“Well, on that point, there are no supplementary lessons in winter break, so relax.”</gryps>

<gryps>“Are you saying that to yourself, Yabuki?”</gryps>

<gryps>“Ugh…!”</gryps>

<gryps>At Julis’s words, Eishiro sitting next to Ayato unnaturally averted his eyes.</gryps>

<gryps>There was only a considerable difference between Saya’s strong subjects and weak subjects, but for Eishiro, almost all the subjects had a failing mark or one close to it. He seemed to dislike study very much.</gryps>

<gryps>Among the members in this place, Julis was the highest ranking, and though not to the extent of Julis, Kirin also left some good results. Ayato was slightly above average.</gryps>

<gryps>Although there were not too many things which attention was paid to, the “academic ability” of each academy also influenced the overall results of the <festa>. All the test results of the season became targets and highly regarded above all else were the results of the <festa>’s participants. In other words, by restricting the act of attempting to raise the overall results by only letting students with excellent academic ability enroll, it was a measure to make them learn both the literary and military arts.</festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa>However, as a matter of fact, the points obtained by academic ability were not so numerous. Each academy was respectively ranked from the first to the sixth place and points were given with it, but even if the regulations placed utmost emphasis towards academic ability in the past, the points that the #1 ranked academy was able to obtain would not reach that of the people who advanced to the best four of the <festa>.</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>And above all else, that was the biggest reason why the rank that had mostly remained unchanged in recent years did not attract attention.</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>The higher positions of first and second places which were St. Garrardsworth Academy and Allekant Academy, the medium positions of third and fourth places which were Seidoukan Academy and World Dragon Seventh Institute, and the lower positions of the fifth and sixth place which were Queen Veil Girl’s Academy and Le Wolfe Black Institute respectively assumed their fixed positions. At least for these past ten years there were no academies which jumped up or down in this ranking.</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>Even so, there was little difference in academic ability in each position; and for the sake of changing, even if only a little, the amount of points obtained between the third and fourth places, each academy could not also afford to ease up too much in educational guidance.</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>“So, is there something happening in the winter break?”</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>When Ayato got back on topic they had strayed from, Julis replied with a complicated expression while looking at the faces of all the members present.</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>“Actually… due to the matter of Flora the other day, my big brother began to say that he wants to invite you to the country by all means.”</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>“By country… you mean in Lieseltania?”</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>“Well, yes. He wants you to come together with me when I’ll return home.”</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>As Julis nodded, she looked around at each other’s faces.</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>“It’s ── a very great honor, but…”</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>“If it’s Julis’s big brother, then this means that it’s an invitation from the King of Lieseltania, right?”</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>It was no wonder that Kirin did not commit herself. Being suddenly invited by his Majesty the King was not something which happened so often in one’s life.</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>“No, you don’t need to be so nervous. I’ve also told him not to do something formal. It’s just so to give you his words of thanks”</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>“…For only that, you also make quite a difficult expression, Julis. Aren’t you actually eager about it?”</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>“Ugh…! N-No, it’s not really that…”</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>Julis faltered for a moment at Saya’s point, but she slightly shook her head and before long took a breath.</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>“My big brother… um, how to put it, he isn’t a bad person, but… he’s a little eccentric. I’m a little worried about whether or not he is plotting something bad again.”</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>Now that she mentioned it, whether it be about Flora’s maid outfits or about the question that he entrusted her with, it looked like Julis’s big brother was certainly quite a peculiar one.</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>“But, for having saved Flora, not only my brother, but the sisters of the orphanage have said that they want to directly thank you. For that reason, I’m also not reluctant to invite you guys to our country, but…”</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>When Julis spoke, she smiled wryly and shrugged her shoulders.</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>“Well, you guys also have your own circumstances, so I won’t force you.”</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>Having been told that, Ayato pondered.</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>In reality, he thought about returning to his home at least for the New Year’s Eve, but to be frank, the relation between Ayato and his father was not that good. This was because after his big sister disappeared, although it was not to the extent to be called serious, they often argued. Since it was his big sister who skillfully mediated his relationship with his father who was a taciturn person and Ayato did not know what he was thinking about, there was probably no helping it in a sense.</festa></festa></festa></gryps>

<gryps><festa><festa><festa>Just as a note, he got in touch with him when he won the