Chapter 62 ─ Preparation

"So, what shall we do for the cultural festival?"

The break came and the capture targets sat at the same table to eat.

Bellange had food on his plate that was meant to enhance his muscle mass. Oscar ate healthy and balanced food.

Jake possessed sweets and soda while Regulux and Lambert had the same type of lunch which was chicken croquettes with sweet and sour sauce and black noodles.

They were at first talking about trifles, then Oscar came up with something he had forgotten.

The other four shared his opinion.

"That's right, I heard that the other classes are already preparing."

Replied Regulux as he chewed.

The dining hall was bustling with all the students and teachers enjoying their meals.

Bellange was shoveling large amounts of food containing thousands of calories into his mouth, but to his body that was nothing.

He commented as he spit his food at Lambert.

"Does it really matter if we do something?"

He swallowed and kept talking.

"We're getting ready for the real show and not wasting time on nonsense."

Jake refuted that.

"That's why a muscle brain will always be one."

"Thank you."

"It's not flattery!"

After that rant where Jake almost hit Bellange, he corrected him.

"We're the only ones who still don't have anything prepared according to our classmates who don't know what to do."

"That's bad, we'll be the only useless ones."

"Don't lump His Highness in with you."

"We're all in the same bag too!"

"Don't compare me to you."

"Idiooooooot!"

The oddly comical number of capture targets was natural to the game, so their jerkish behavior was normal.

Regulux commented.

"I think we should do something, after all, it would be nice to make good times memories of the academy."

(Besides, in my previous life I was never able to attend one and I'd like to know what it feels like to walk around with friends.)

It was Oscar who was replying to Regulux that said.

"In that case, we should go talk to the class delegate."

Regulux showed a very idiotic face when he heard that.

"We have a class delegate?"

"Yes. It's Elize from Rosenberg Household."

Regulux's calm expression distorted like a slowly deflated blow-up doll.

(I don't want to see Elize after what she told me!)

(Besides, Lily is always with her. I've tried to fix our situation, but she either ignores me or tries to pretend to be called by someone. At this rate, I'm really afraid the bad end will come.)

Regulux knew he messed up his relationship with Elize and Lily. If he hadn't been a jerk, right now the villainess and the protagonist would be his women. But that never happened and never will.

The fate of the world is in danger. That's what Regulux believes.

But Razel also thinks Regulux and the other targets are important for the final battle.

Both are caught in a loop of danger that will not be resolved.

Oscar kept saying. "Jake and I already apologized to her, so she seems to be talking to us, but for you guys I don't know."

Bellange said.

"I said she was a hideous woman in what I saw, I base that on her actions to say that."

"But those actions were only conjecture by Prince Regulux and Lambert, Bellange, you have no reason to be upset with her."

"That is for me to decide."

He crossed his arms in protest, Lambert shared Bellange's sentiment.

"I was only defending His Highness, it's only natural that I continue to do so. I asked for forgiveness, but that doesn't mean anything special to me."

"Hey, stop saying it's all because of His highness, have some personality of your own."

Lambert ignored Jake and then Regulux said.

"I-In any case let's go ask her. I'd like to get ready now, we'll soon get to next month and the dungeon practices will start."

One of the competitions at the sports festival involved fighting dungeon monsters captured by the students.

It was a sure way to prepare against enemies they already knew how to defeat so they wouldn't lose anyone. This happens due to the fact that in the past that was not done and there were many casualties.

The five of them stood up and went to find Eli.

◇

Once they found her, they saw that she wasn't alone, Lily and Razel were with her, they approached anyway.

"H-Hello, E-Elize!"

Regulux greeted Eli, who was happily eating lobster dipped in butter.

Lily was also smiling as she ate from the same plate.

Razel on the other hand had a plate of fried chicken wings.

The three of them turned to look at the five of them.

Razel's expression turned nasty when he saw them, while Lily's became like an empty shell.

Only Eli acted polite in front of them.

"Good morning Your Highness and other important young men from prestigious families."

Jake commented on Eli's greeting.

"Rosenberg, that sounded so fake."

Eli for a moment darkened her gaze, but the light in her eyes returned instantly and her tone of voice was polite as always.

"Ohoho, I'm so sorry if that seems the case. But we were enjoying our meal. So your visit is unexpected. Very unexpected."

Eli placed her hand over her mouth when she spoke, but in certain words she emphasized very much that they came to interrupt them.

Oscar spoke instead of Regulux who was sweating.

"Rosenberg, we came to ask you about the festival culture."

"What about it?"

"We'll do something or everyone on their own will do something."

Eli looked at Oscar seriously as it seemed the business was not about nonsense.

"If that's what you're worried about. I told the girls in the classroom if they would like to do a restaurant cafe. They would all agree for some reason."

Regulux replied to Eli in his head.

(That's because the day Lily arrived after being declared your family, you threatened them all with your eyes! No one would dare go against you when you threaten them with that villainous look.)

"That's why only the boys are missing in asking them."

Oscar understood the idea.

"I see. No doubt a restaurant cafe is a good idea since we can show off our good manners and etiquette."

Eli clapped her hands at Oscar's deduction.

"I'm surprised that you're the most reasonable and at the same time an idiot─ I mean, that you're fickle. That's good for a future court magician."

Oscar at first didn't know whether he felt flattered or insulted.

Eli's tongue was sharp from time to time.

This time it was Bellange who complained.

"Do we really have to participate in that thing? I don't like wearing a suit."

"You were appointed as an honorary knight, weren't you? Bellange-kun."

"Yes, I was. Why?"

"You must know knight etiquette very well. It doesn't matter if your armor changes to a suit, a knight will always be one when he behaves as his oath dictates."

Bellange's eyes widened at Eli's revelation.

"I-I see! I suppose you're right. In that case I'll gladly partake of that coffee something or other."

Eli looked at Bellange with a smile. But her smile was fake as the corners of her mouth twitched due to how forced she was smiling.

Before leaving, Bellange asked again.

"By the way. what are you guys participating in at the sports festival?"

Eli put her finger to her chin before answering.

"I don't know yet. There are a lot of activities I'd like to participate in, like swimming or dance, but I'm a little embarrassed."

"Why?"

Eli felt a shiver at that innocent question.

In her mind she answered him.

(It's because my breasts are so big that they would make me lose my balance or slow me down in the water! If it wasn't because Razel likes them, I will find a way to make them very small!)

"I-It's a girl stuff."

"Oh, I see."

Bellange's gaze shifted to Razel, he flashed a confident smile when she asked him the same question.

"How about you, Bartlet, what will you be participating in?"

Razel replied half-heartedly to Bellange.

"I'm not really interested, I'll wait until I'm appointed to any group or missing participants."

Bellange reached over and slapped the table hard with his hand.

"In that case, compete with me in the tug-of-war event."

"Huh?"

"Everyone has seen the change in your body. I want to test your strength that they say you showed in the Lautreamont War."

Razel stood up and smiled sinisterly.

"Sure, why not? Anyway, there's something I want to check."

Seeing Razel agree to a competition with Bellange, Oscar and Jake felt it was their chance to prove themselves.

"In that case, Razel competes with me."

"And with me."

"I'm not interested in men."

"You idiot!"

"But... if you want me to kick your asses again, I'll gladly do it."

With those words, the competition between Razel and three of the capture targets took place, not before Razel spoke his reasons in his thoughts.

(Truth be told, this is a good opportunity to see how much you have grown since our duel.)

(The boss to defeat this year was Squall, but I killed him.)

(So, Eli was the final boss of the prologue, unless you take the reverse harem route or Jake's route where a sub-boss came out, but that's of no interest.)

◇◇◇

"Yakiniku?"

When the girls talked to the idiots about the cultural festival, I realized that in our classroom we didn't have anything prepared either.

For that reason, I came up with something that was normal in Japanese schools. And that thanks to Yukihime's knowledge I can replicate.

"Yes. According to one of my girlfriends who is a foreigner from a destroyed oriental country. She told me that the typical foods there would be a good idea."

Actually, I'm lying, Yukihime never said that. I'm just using it as an excuse so you don't think I'm crazy to make things up.

All my classmates were present.

I was telling them that we could earn money by setting up food stalls and serving snacks typical of my former life.

At the same time I want to eat takoyaki, my stomach wants to try it. It's not the same to eat an octopus in a broth as one covered in fat and mayonnaise.

I got hungry.

"We can cash in five silver coins per plate. Being in an academy of nobles, that price is the same as a handout. Besides, if we get important people to try it, the others will give in to try it. That's why I'm counting on you Cid."

I looked at Cid who was hesitant.

"Razel, I don't want to lie to anyone if it tastes horrible."

"Don't worry, it will be a delight."

"The way you say it, it sounds like commoner's food."

Said one of my classmates who felt a food stall was something a commoner would put up.

He's right, a food stall is something commoners would put up.

But we are a class of poor barons or knights from small families or poor nobles.

It's perfect for us!

"It may seem so, but at the weekend I'll bring you a sample so you can try it."

"In that case, we'll give our opinion after we try it."

"Sounds good to me."

I walked out of the room to express my happiness.

(With this I will be able to eat Japanese food that is not supposed to exist!)

Since it was the second break of the day, we could do whatever we wanted.

As I was enjoying my victory, a girl came running up. I didn't know her and she grabbed my shirt sleeve, I became alert.

"Let's go fast!"

"Who are you and what do you want from me?"

I have no idea who she is, what do you want me to come with you for?

She looked exalted by her breathing.

"The commoner girl─ the scholarship student is your mistress isn't she?"

"Why are you mentioning Lily!!!?"

"Come with me quickly, she's in danger!"

"... !?"

I don't know if it's a trap, but I won't let anything bad happen to Lily.

◇

"I... I don't want to."

"... Are you really refusing what a noble says?"

"I'm sorry, but no."

"Insignificant commoner!"

When I arrived at the place indicated by the mysterious girl.

I found that there were two people in the center of a garden in the eastern part of the academy.

Some boys and girls were looking at the situation with panicked looks. It was because Lily was being bullied by a boy.

He was very tall, looked to have a good physique, his hair was combed all the way back and reached to the nape of his neck, a rugged look gave his orange hair and his brown eyes a menacing look.

To make him more stereotypical of a juvenile delinquent, his ears were pierced and his skin had a light tan.

As I approached the guy, I acted in Lily's defense.

"What's going on here!!?"

"Razel-kun, help!"

Lily looked glad to see me as tears streamed down her cheeks.

I pulled her behind me and faced the guy.

But he was really tall, taller than Bellange, about two meters was his height.

Normally I would cower in front of someone like that, but I said I would stop being a background character.

The guy looked at me with a face like "Who the hell are you?".

And that's what he asked.

"And who the hell are you?"

"I'm Razel Bartlet, freshman in the class─"

"With a shit I asked you. It was a rhetorical question."

(Huh, but did you ask me my identity?)

(Is this guy stupid?)

But never mind, let's get to the point.

"What was it that you were trying to do with Lily?"

"Razel-kun, this guy said that─!"

"I want to do it with her."

When I heard that, immediately a killer desire ran through my body.

"She's the rumored commoner student isn't she? I was never aware of her existence until I saw her lightly strolling around here."

His face made an overly unpleasant expression.

"Her breasts are very large and firm, her ass looks the type that should be soft to the touch and that sweet voice of hers is good for squealing like the pig she is."

More and more my desire to kill him grew.

I turned slightly to look at Lily and she wanted to cry.

(I won't let you bully my girlfriend, you son of a bitch!)

I was about to throw a punch at this asshole until a sweet voice stopped me.

"Ara~ ara~?"

"Ara~ ara~, but what do we have here?"

A short girl with hip-length red hair and close-set eyes approached.

She walked in such an innocent manner that you'd think she was a glass doll.

"I was told there was commotion here and when I came to see, I find Hugo-kun being a bad boy~."

(She said Hugo!)

(So he is─)

The girl brought her hand that wore white gloves to her mouth.

It seemed like a special touch of some nobles since this guy had it too.

"Tch. What the hell are you doing here Laura-san?"

"Ara. Hugo-kun misbehaved and I came to tell you not to do bad things."

"What's wrong with what I'm doing! It's normal for commoners to serve nobles!"

"Hugo-kun... don't make me lecture you."

Immediately Hugo started sweating and then sent a glare at me and Lily.

"I'll remember your faces, you scum."

He walked off leaving us alone.

The girl turned to Lily after reaching over and taking her hands.

"I'm so sorry, did it hurt you?"

"N-No, but it scared me."

"I see. I apologize on behalf of Mercury Household for my cousin's behavior. He sometimes does things like that since our family gives a lot of liberties."

(Mercury Household, one of the seven ducal houses of the empire. So she must be if I'm not mistaken─)

"You are Laura, Duke Mercury's only daughter, aren't you?"

"That's right. Nice to meet you Count Razel."

(How did she know my name if she wasn't present when Lily called me?)

"Was it you who sent that girl to find me?"

She laughed in a funny way when she answered me.

"Fufufu, no. She did it of her own free will, another follower of mine was the one who told me to come."

Then I think I understand the reason for this.

"You intervened because you knew that Lily is part of the Rosenberg Household, right?"

She answered in all sincerity, but the way she did it gave a slightly uncomfortable feeling to me.

"That's right, it would be bad if over a silly matter like this, a war between the two ducal houses occurs. The empire already lost one family of dukes, it can't lose another one or two, over a silly thing."

(If Hugo had hurt Lily, neither Eli, Barbara or I, we would not have stood idly by. Mercury Household was labeled as a cell in the game.)

(Meaning. They move under orders, if one cell doesn't work, they get rid of it, or if it's attacked, the other cells step in.)

(For that reason the ducal houses destroyed at the end of the game were four. The Granvilles who had the lawless city, the Rosenbergs who had the villainess, the Luinbergs for trying to destroy the black crows, and the Mercuries for trying to destroy Lily when they found out Lambert or Jake was engaged to a saint.)

Laura was Lambert's fiancé in the game. Her face never came up, but her name did. Also, that Hugo only appeared in the reverse harem route or Jake's route, being in both routes the sub boss to defeat because he was trying to kidnap Lily.

I can't believe that even after altering the plot, the game tries to get Lily involved in the problematic events.

I certainly did well to have her by my side to protect her.

I thanked Laura.

"Thank you for caring about your family and mine at this point."

"It's nothing at all. My father wishes not to be on bad terms with the Rosenbergs, after all─"

Laura's smile turned a little dark despite smiling.

"We are grateful to you for giving us such a gift."

"Gift?"

"It's not something they should know about. So goodbye, please take good care of her."

Laura left the same way she came.

When she left, I looked at Lily to tell her everything was fine.

But the moment we made contact.

She jumped on top of me and kissed me deeply.

Our tongues met and intertwined.

She moved her head on my chest and hugged me tightly.

"Razel-kun! I was afraid, so afraid! But you came to rescue me, just like you said you would since that time."

She refers to when I went to rescue her from Squall.

"I was scared, but when you stood up for me, it calmed me down, you really made me fall more in love with you."

Again she kissed me again, I stroked her head to reassure her.

"It's okay, nothing bad will happen to you. I swore, that I would protect all of you, I won't let anything bad happen."

Lily looked up into my face and the gleam in her beautiful bright eyes and the blush on her cheeks made me get in the mood.

I said I didn't want this to happen at the academy, but Lily noticed and took my hand and led me to a remote area.

In that area were the women's bathrooms, as there is no reason to come so far away, they were free.

Lily pushed me into one of them and then sat on top of me.

"Sorry, I know you said you didn't want us to do this here. But... my body is hot to see Razel-kun so masculine, really my happiness is to be born as a woman and live next to you."

We kissed again and really Lily wanted me to give her love.

It couldn't be helped, anyway, there's no one around, so we'll be a little quiet.

◇◇◇

Razel and Lily went into the bathroom.

They started making noises and things they weren't supposed to.

No one was supposed to hear them since they were alone.

Or so they thought...

They didn't check that one door, precisely the one on their right side, was closed.

There was Clarice.

She came to the east side to make a report since the teachers' lounge is close to the garden where most of the students gather.

As she couldn't stand it any longer, she went to the bathroom.

Then she heard someone come in and make obscene sounds.

She was shocked, she placed her ear close to the wall to hear better what those sounds that sounded like moaning were.

But she was startled when a female voice shouted.

(Huhhh!)

(Is this what my classmates were saying?)

Clarice listened all the way to the end of the noises where after a long while, they stopped and she listened as they happily walked out.

When she came out, for some reason she changed her pantyhose and didn't go to class all day.