Chapter 58

A few days have passed since the Undead incident. Currently, the old school building has completed the dismantling of the magic circle, and the ghostly disturbances have come to an end. Alice-senpai, who was involved in the incident, is currently on suspension, stripped of her Class Master position. Due to the suddenness of the situation, Magilka is now serving as the acting Class Master. No one in Areyos has complained about this, and everyone continues their usual school life.

As for me...

"Then, Lady Mary stepped forward, her figure both dignified and delicate, standing up to the Undead."

"「Kyaaaaa!」"

In the quiet second floor of the old school building, in a relatively spacious lounge, the young ladies sitting at the white table and chairs let out a chorus of high-pitched squeals in response to Safina's dreamy narration. I listened to it with a dry laugh and sipped the tea that Tütte had prepared for me.

(Hahaha... Please, enough already.)

This is the umpteenth time I've seen Safina recount the Undead incident. There's a reason she's become so talkative. It's because I, at that time, took the exact same actions as the silver knight she admires.

"Then, Lady Mary, with a demeanor reminiscent of the silver knight, said nobly, 'Thou shalt be embraced by this light and turn to ashes!'"

"「Kyaaaaa!」"

As Safina mimicked my actions from that day, another chorus of high-pitched squeals rose.

(Hahaha... Please, enough already.)

"And while calmly watching the Undead fade away, she said, 'Those are the silver knight's famous last words...'"

"「Kyaaaaa!」"

Imagining the scene, Safina and the young ladies gazed at the ceiling, entranced.

"Amazing, just as expected of Lady Mary. She won the competition in Solos without a doubt, and after transferring to Areyos, she mastered most of the magic in a short time."

"Moreover, to master sacred magic in such a short time, and by self-study, it's no wonder she's rumored to be one of the top geniuses in the school."

"To naturally take actions reminiscent of the silver knight, should we call her the White Princess, no, the Silver Princess?"

The young ladies, excited, showered me with praise, and I forced a smile, giving vague responses.

(Not good... Very not good. I thought the story wouldn't spread so much even if the teachers saw it, but I didn't expect there would be someone so close who would spread it.)

Safina's talkativeness has not only spread throughout the lounge but also to the students of Solos. Worse yet, Magilka, who is now spreading the story with excitement, has made it impossible to control.

(Come to think of it, Magilka was also a secret fan of the silver knight.)

With a deep sigh, I gazed at the modern wooden window, where the afternoon sunlight filtered through, with a look of resignation or perhaps resignation to something.

The bell signaling the end of lunch rang, and the young ladies, looking reluctant, said their goodbyes and stood up. I saw them off with a smile, and once Safina was the only one left, I sighed deeply again.

(They say rumors last 75 days, so it will calm down eventually, right? I just need to endure until then. I need to stay low and not draw attention to myself.)

This isn't a new situation for me. I switched my mindset, tried to motivate myself, and looked around the space I had won for myself.

After resolving the incident in the old school building, the prince pointed out the lax management by the teachers and requested improvements. As a result, half of the old school building's management is now handled by the students. After discussions involving the Class Masters, the prince took on this role, and in the adjacent room, the prince, Magilka, Zaha, and the Class Masters are currently evaluating the users and purposes of the old school building. The room I'm in and the room where everyone is are connected by a door. One is a reception room, and the other is a lounge.

(I won't do anything. I'll finish my classes, enjoy tea and snacks with everyone here, and savor my school life. No events, good life! No thanks to incidents.)

I pouted to myself, though not to anyone in particular.

"There's a problem."

Magilka entered from the adjacent room with a weary expression, and her words made me feel like my resolve was crumbling.

"What's wrong?"

I didn't really want to know, but I couldn't ignore a friend in trouble. I hoped it wasn't another strange incident.

"The students who have been using the old school building for a long time are refusing to submit new applications and undergo evaluations, claiming it's unfair."

"Because the management was lax, we couldn't keep track of who was using it for what, so we decided to start over. But it's not going well."

Magilka slumped into a chair, and the prince, looking troubled, followed her into the room.

"Since we're changing the school system, some conflict is inevitable. I hope we can resolve it through discussion."

I said this as if it were someone else's problem and sipped my tea.

"Right, I'll do my best."

The prince smiled at me and said something reassuring, which made me feel like I should do something too.

(No, no. I need to stay low. Calm down, calm down.)

I averted my gaze from the prince and looked at the exhausted Magilka, which made me feel like I should help her. My gaze was all over the place.

The next day, the situation had changed dramatically. The students who had objected had banded together, occupied the old school building, and barricaded themselves inside.

(Damn it! My place of relaxation!)

I stared at the group that had set up a barricade at the entrance to the old school building and screamed in my head.

"We are the members of the club that many seniors have built up! Why do we have to submit applications again? Why do we have to undergo evaluations? This is an insult to us and our seniors!"

"Right, right! We firmly oppose it!"

(They're saying meaningless things... It's just a matter of resubmitting the application, so why are they causing such a fuss? They could just submit the application.)

I sighed, pressing my forehead. I feel like I've been sighing a lot lately. On the scene, Magilka and the other Class Masters were trying to persuade them, but the conversation wasn't going well. The other side was just repeating, "We oppose it, we oppose it."

"Perhaps I should join the discussion."

"Sir Reiforce, you should not involve yourself with such people. This is terrorism, terrorism. We must not yield to terrorism."

Listening to their unproductive conversation, I felt a growing sense of injustice, and my irritation was boiling over.

"This is the will of all the students in the school! We will not yield, and we will fight to the end."

"Right! Right!"

Snap!

Seeing Magilka, my friend, trying so hard to talk things out, and ignoring her efforts, I couldn't take their baseless claims anymore. My irritation reached its peak, and my head suddenly turned cold. That's it, my patience has run out.

"Miss Mary?"

The prince, noticing my change, looked at me with concern.

"Sir Reiforce, please wait here. I will deal with those terrorists immediately."

I said this calmly and looked at Zaha and Safina nearby.

"Let's go, both of you. Tütte, stay with Sir Reiforce."

"Yes, Miss, be careful."

"O-Okay... What are you going to do?"

"Lady Mary, you're scary."

Tütte, who had been standing behind me, bowed deeply, while the two others, intimidated by my aura, followed me hesitantly. I gave them a bright smile and said:

"Use of force♪"

Thus, a violent confrontation between the barricaded group and us, the administrators, was about to begin.

...or so it seemed...

"First, let's talk."

Crossing the path of the mature and adult Magilka, who was trying to calm the situation with a forced smile despite the veins popping in her temples, I stepped forward, and the noisy group fell silent instantly.

"I will say this only once. Stop this ridiculous behavior immediately and come out of the old school building."

As I said this coldly, I could hear whispers from the crowd: "That's the White Princess," "She might be a descendant of the silver knight," "Is it wise to make an enemy of the genius magician who defeated the Undead monster with one strike?"

(What kind of rumors are these? Descendant? The Legaria family has nothing to do with the silver knight.)

I couldn't help but comment in my head, which was rather pointless.

"What will happen if we don't comply...?"

The leader of the barricaded group, who had been so confident earlier, now spoke in a respectful tone. I gave him a bright smile and said:

"Use of force♪"

"「We're sorry!」"

As soon as I said this, the group let out a loud cry and started to move frantically.

(What's with that reaction? It's not right to be so scared in front of a girl.)

As they frantically dismantled the barricade, I stood there with a forced bright smile, trembling. I could hear comments from the crowd: "As expected of the White Princess," "She's the prince's right-hand woman," "There's nothing good about making her an enemy."

I was so shocked by the girls' reaction that I didn't even hear these comments. Thus, the foolish commotion was quickly resolved by my intervention, and instead of calming down, my reputation only grew with more awe and respect.

(Why does this happen when I do nothing? God, tell me why.)

Thank you for reading.