Chapter 80

Orange lamps placed at equal intervals on the ground. Decorations resembling spider webs and dust fluttering in the breeze. Black flags hang from the buildings, and at the edge of the road, there are skull-shaped ornaments.

People are all dressed in black dresses or patched-up vintage clothing, with their faces deliberately smeared with soot and other substances. Among the children playing at their feet, some wear masks made of wood.

October 23rd. The first day of the Spirit Summoning Festival, the Week of Ash. It's a version of Halloween, though somewhat different from the modern one.

"Of course, this is what happens..."

Leaning against the archway at the entrance of Vruhel Academy, Lean dropped her shoulders. In front of her was a roofless, pure white, ornate carriage. Her attire was also a heavy, pure white, nun-like costume, symbolizing her role as a priestess. Standing beside her was Cecilia, dressed in a uniform resembling a black military outfit.

Incidentally, the driver, who had tied the horses, was not there, as he was checking documents.

Cecilia patted Lean's shoulder, trying to encourage her.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it."

"You, you think it's just someone else's problem..."

"I don't think it's someone else's problem. But this is just how the game's scenario unfolds, right? What can we do?"

Cecilia said this with a troubled look, and Lean pouted and turned away, as if to say, "I know that already."

During the Spirit Summoning Festival, it was customary for the priestess to tour the capital of the Prosperate Kingdom, Argaram, with the Holy Knights in a carriage. However, this time, due to the priestess's reported illness, the priestess candidate, Lean, had to take on this role.

"You should do it, Cecilia! I haven't even received a single treasure and haven't wasted any effort on increasing my popularity!!"

"There's nothing we can do. I'm a knight now, not a priestess..."

"But according to the rules, shouldn't Cecilia be chosen? This is so unfair!"

Lean, who clearly didn't want to do it, puffed out her cheeks in a rare display of unhappiness. Cecilia could only smile wryly at her.

In the game, the Spirit Summoning Festival was a mid-term event. This meant that the priestess candidate who had gathered the most popularity among the knights up to this point would tour the city with a knight as a proxy for the priestess. The knights took turns, with one knight accompanying the priestess candidate each day during the seven days of the Week of Ash and the seven days of the Week of Light. Although it was a significant responsibility, the actual time commitment was only about two to three hours, and the rest of the time, the academy was on break, providing complete free time. In the game, if the knight accompanying the priestess candidate had high popularity, they could invite the candidate on a date, and if accepted, a date event would occur. On the first day of the Week of Ash, the knight chosen was Cecil.

"And this outfit! It's not the one I made! It's the costume Gilbert wore in the game!! What happened to the vampire costume? It would definitely suit Cecil better!"

"There's nothing we can do. It was the one we were given to wear..."

"But I worked hard on it!"

"Well, I'm sorry about that?"

Cecilia bowed her head to the unusually irritable Lean, but she was still pouting.

"This is a knight-only event, so Huay isn't involved, and I never really liked this event. It's all because Cecilia is in a male disguise that this happened..."

"So, I'm sorry. ...What can I do to make it up to you?"

When Cecilia leaned in to look at Lean, she blushed and fidgeted, pressing her fingertips together.

"Well, if you wear that outfit again and let me draw a romantic scene with the prince, I'll forgive you."

"I don't want to do that."

"Why did you answer so quickly!"

"Lean, you were just being difficult because you wanted me to do that! I really felt bad about it!"

For Cecilia, "dressing as a man" meant "protecting her life." However, she truly felt guilty that it had caused wrinkles in Lean's fate...

"Of course! Choosing means for the sake of a goal is something a third-rate person does! I will go all out to achieve my goal!"

"Is it worth making your best friend suffer for it?"

"I don't really want to do this either? But you, a noble, can't understand the feelings of having your best friend as your 'ideal top,' can you?"

Cecilia didn't understand and didn't want to understand. Sighing and shaking her head at the somewhat melancholic Lean,

"Anyway, I really don't like it. I won't do anything like that in the future."

"..."

"I really won't!"

Lean glared at Cecilia with half-lidded eyes for a while but eventually shrugged, as if giving up.

"Fine! I'll see a more exciting development later, anyway."

"...What are you planning?"

"Secret."

Saying this, she placed her index finger on her lips, still the cute heroine she always was.

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