Chapter 91

<090. The Lady of Rebellion Returns>

The next day, Ayla, Nephty, Rudyka, and Milady gathered at the convenience store, a rare occurrence.

Among them, Milady made a rather shocking announcement with a serious expression.

"Did you challenge the top student exam?"

"Yes."

"It's not an easy exam. You had to take both written and practical tests, right?"

"Yes, senpai."

"If you need any help, just let me know. I'll do my best to assist you."

The top student exam.

Since Kelthers was the top student from the moment he enrolled, he didn't take the exam in the first semester of his first year.

However, starting from the second semester, Gale Strike would apply for the exam based on the route, and Kelthers would have to take the mutual exam.

"Is that really okay?"

"Are you talking about getting help?"

"Yes... It feels like it's not fair."

"That's a misconception."

"..."

The exam is divided into written and practical sections, and how well one can use their primary weapon is also a criterion.

However, by the time it comes to the top student exam, the help one receives from their network is also part of the exam.

To be precise, the equipment and accessories one wears, as well as any other magical items, are not questioned about their origin.

Of course, if your specs are poor, the equipment won't make a huge difference, but here, Jeffrin, or more accurately, the malicious nature of D/Z SAGA, is revealed.

【This magic sword contains the bond with my senpai!】

It's as if they're genuinely saying this.

For example, if you make Isolde, the gem sword, your companion, raise her affection to a certain level, and take the top student exam in your second year, Isolde will lend you a magic sword, which is no joke.

And this is shown through the criticism of 'Gale Strike, who surprisingly speaks normally, calling the sword a cheat,' and 'Kelthers, the main character who, despite being called out, insists it's a symbol of his bond with his senpai, thanks to the power of his equipment.'

Why the villain is shouting for fairness and the main character is waving a magic sword while shouting about bonds is a mystery, but that's part of the charm of D/Z SAGA.

Anyway,

"Bonds are also your weapons."

"..."

"Yes!"

If you're going to do it, you should go all out.

"I've never heard of it, but it's a rebellion!"

"Yes! I'll do my best!"

Encouraged by Ayla's cheers, Milady steeled herself and resolved to do her best.

And the next announcement was from Nephty.

"Ah, I also applied for the Royal Guard course. I'm going to start learning secretarial duties from tomorrow."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, senpai. I'm sorry, but I should have asked for a recommendation letter, thinking I was going to walk the path of a Royal Guard."

"Don't worry about it. I know everything. Focus on learning first, Nephty. It suits you."

"..."

"Yes!"

Nephty smiled brightly at my words.

"..."

"Nephty, are you going to become a Royal Guard? I've never heard of it, but good luck!"

"Yes! I'll do my best!"

Encouraged by Ayla's somewhat awkward but sincere cheers, Nephty steeled herself and resolved to do her best.

"Wolfram, I really appreciate what you said to me at the beach last time."

"Hmm. Is that so?"

"Rudyka also decided to get a bit closer to her sister. ...Thanks to that, I think our relationship will improve a bit."

"Hmm. It seems to have helped."

"..."

"Rudyka, did you go to the beach with Wolfram?"

"The beach was truly thrilling. Thanks to what Wolfram said, Rudyka was able to take one step forward."

"..."

"..."

"Thanks to Wolfram, Rudyka can move forward a bit more."

"..."

"..."

"That's good. Good luck...?"

"I'll do my best!"

Rudyka nodded and smiled at Ayla's rather subtle expression of encouragement.

"I'll definitely become the top student!"

"I'll try to become a Royal Guard... I've never heard of it, but I'll give it a shot!"

"Rudyka will also walk forward with a smile!"

"Hmm. Good luck."

We all smiled warmly.

"None of this I've ever heard of..."

Except for Ayla's quiet muttering.

***

That day, Ayla seemed off.

She just sat there, lost in thought, muttering to herself from time to time, so I left her alone.

"Ayla, is it okay to go home now?"

"..."

"Oh. It's already this late."

"Hmm. If it gets too late, you might fall asleep. Take the regular Partasch shuttle and go home. I'll order it to take you to the dormitory entrance."

"..."

"Thanks, Wolfram. I have a question."

"What is it?"

"..."

"Does everyone seem to be working incredibly hard in places I don't know about?"

"Hmm."

Milady is challenging the top student position. That's a clear challenge.

Nephty is aiming for the Royal Guard... or rather, she's not limiting her future and is aiming for a broader range of options. That's a challenge, too.

Rudyka is... growing internally? I'm not sure. Does she have anything else to challenge externally? Like facing off with Eve?

"Rudyka is... not really..."

"Yes, that's right. All three are facing big challenges."

"..."

"No."

"That's a challenge to break one's own limits and move towards the future. I saw that future in all three of their eyes!"

"..."

"And I also felt my own inadequacies."

Wrong.

No matter what I say, it doesn't seem to sink in.

"Is that so. Inadequacies."

"Yes! My inadequacies... I should be grateful to the three of them."

"..."

"..."

"Right. Gratitude."

"Yes! Great gratitude. I also think I can't lose."

"Is that so. Can't lose."

"Yes! Of course! If I lose here, the name Ayla Triestar of the Five-Star House will cry! From now on, I have to challenge myself!"

"..."

"Challenge. Challenge, indeed. A challenge passed down through the ages. That challenge, indeed..."

"Yes! As expected, Wolfram understands! I was holding back. Yes!"

"..."

"..."

"Right."

"So... I'm inadequate. Wolfram, do you understand what I'm lacking?"

When Ayla says things like this, the best thing to do is to echo the end of her sentences and add some filler words, because it's impossible to figure out what triggers her or why she reacts this way.

The problem is that she ended with a question.

What is she lacking? If I answer wrong, will a black crystal pierce her belly?

Ah.

But compared to usual, a specific word didn't come out directly.

It shouldn't happen.

Hmm.

So...

"The key is... rebellion, right?"

"Yes!!!"

Wow, that's a surprise.

"As expected, Wolfram. The brightest star of the Five-Star House, the one who understands me best, the center of our rebellion! I'm lacking in rebellion!"

"Is that so. Rebelling again."

"Yes! I'll find something to rebel against by tomorrow! Wolfram! See you tomorrow!"

With that, Ayla got on the last regular Partasch shuttle and went home.

"..."

"It's not homework, and she says she'll think about it until tomorrow?"

***

On the way home, riding the regular Partasch shuttle driven by Partasch.

Ayla Triestar slapped her cheeks several times with both hands to focus her mind.

"I was holding back. I thought I had nothing to rebel against."

Ayla Triestar recognized all the talents who came to Wolfram's side.

Milady von Sabre, who always looked at her efforts with serious eyes to surpass her own limits.

Nephty, a talented top student who was cheerful and lively but had a serious passion hidden inside.

Rudyka Shadow, whom she honestly thought had a fifty-fifty chance of winning in a one-on-one match.

And the friends of the squeaky one, as well as Eve von Loewen, Wolfram's younger sister.

To her, the people who gathered around Wolfram all had a 'spark,' which she called the 'heart of rebellion.'

Ayla can gauge the 'rebellion index' of people she meets with 'Rebellion Check' and can evaluate the decrease in rebellion of anyone with 'Rebellion Kid'! She prides herself on this.

She is that sincere about rebellion.

To her, rebellion means not repeating the same thing, not staying in one place, and breaking down the old system to move forward, outward, and towards the future.

"But... I've already reached the sky."

She defeated the detestable Regina Siella. The position of top student belongs to Ayla Triestar.

So, there's no more ladder to climb in Jeffrin.

She had already reached the peak too early...

This is already at a world level!

"But this is just the narrow... perspective of a bird in a cage! I had forgotten that there's another sky beyond the sky!"

Wolfram is aiming for the world beyond.

She swore to stand right next to the protagonist of this rebellion.

But how about