1.29.

"Wow, so the person in the rumors was you?"

"Rumors?"

"Yeah. I heard yesterday that someone tried to enter the academy by trading in stolen items.. I don't mean you stole them alright?! But seriously, where did you get those horns? Isn't that supposed to be some kind of national treasure?"

"..."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry into it so much." Nynim lowered her head in apology.

"By logic, the demon horns should be his. There's no way that's a stolen item."

"Wow, I just got to see that dark side of the academy, even before class starts."

"I'm sorry that happened to you.." Leticia barely took a bite from her meal.

'So Schwii saved him?'

Her hands trembled.

'If she wasn't there Sequencee might've..'

"It's alright Leticia, Sequencee is safe," Lilian tried to console her.

"I know.."

"What is your decision Leticia? Sequencee has spoken, the decision is in your hands," Schwii took the last bite out of her bento and covered the box.

"Leticia, are you seriously going to drop out? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity you know?"

"Seriously, please consider for yourself here?"

"No. No. The problem is the boyfriend. He's the one that's holding her in his hands."

"Is there really no other way for him to enter the academy?"

"How about doing other courses? It doesn't necessarily have to be the enforcer course right?"

"Leticia, you have to make the hard decision and choose which you want. Will you join us, or will you remain?" Schwii's reminder silenced the table.

"..."

Why did she come to Riestallia Academy? Actually, she didn't come here to attend Riestallia Academy, did she now? What she did was follow Sequencee. The fact that she won the scholarship and he lost was merely a side outcome of her goal.

With this clarity it's obvious which option Leticia should choose here but..

What did Sequencee think of her?

Since their meeting today, he had only made one statement, telling Leticia to choose. He hadn't tried to comfort her, or lead her to a decision by giving his opinion, as if it would be fine if she just stayed. This sense of distance, as if a wall had just been put up between the two.

If Sequencee didn't think of her the way she thought of him.. the best option here was to cut ties and move on with her life. That was the current direction of thought Leticia had but..

What did Sequencee think of Schwii?

All of a sudden this succubus appeared out of nowhere and was now someone dear to him. Not only does her beauty transcend the norm, she's also incredibly poised and erudite, like a high noble from some faraway land.

What if Sequencee was being tricked? What if Sequencee did hold feelings for her? What if he was testing her? What if Sequencee was the kind of guy who'd like to have many wives?

Too many what ifs that Leticia couldn't come to terms with.

Would she just give up on him?

Would she just let that newly sprouted seedling inside her wither and die?

Leticia lips quivered. She ever so painful raised her head to meet Sequencee's gaze.

'What should I do?'

She didn't know if her thoughts would reach, but she was at her wits end.

What was she after? What did she want?

"Hold it, wasn't there a clause that said there would be a penalty for pulling out?" Nynim snapped a finger.

"Eh? Really?" Quora voice in stupor.

"Oh yeah, come to think of it.." Daizo's expression became conflicted.

'Penalty?'

The word brought Leticia to the present.

"Ai.. doesn't that mean she can't pull out even if she wants to?" Nynim sighed.

"What? Is there such a thing?" Ro asked, dismayed.

"How much was the penalty?" Daizo asked.

"I don't remember, but it's quite a lot."

"Has it to do with the 3 year bond with the academy?"

"Oh, so it's that one." Quora seemed to have remembered.

As their conversation progressed, Leticia could feel her hope sinking into despair. The choice she thought she had never exited, she remembered right then the terms in the legal document she signed– that the penalty cost for pulling out was..

'A million G..'

"But isn't that bad? Leticia has no choice but to stay?"

"I wouldn't say so. That's just how things work, a 3 year bond is like a blink of the eye."

"Yeah, that's because you're an elf."

"How much is the penalty?" Schwii's voice silenced the table once more.

She posed the question straight at Leticia.

'What.. is she trying to do?'

There was no reason for her to ask something like this.. it should be clear to everyone that no one here could afford to pay..

"A million.." Leticia croaked.

"Sequencee, do you still intend to pursue your ideals?"

Sequencee stared at Schwii blankly.

"I'm asking you, do you want to join the academy?"

'W-What is she saying?' a bitter, painful hope surfaced in Leticia's heart.

"You know a way..?"

"I do have a way. I want your input. Ro, Lilian, will you be interested as well?"

"H-Huh? What do you mean?"

"Us? Join the academy?"

'W-Why would she..'

"It would be much cheaper for the four of us to enter then it is to pull a single person out," Schwii swirled the Nim in her glass.

"..."

"Sequencee."

"Are you really.. alright with this?"

"I can afford it. Just say the word."

"..."

"Lilian, Ro."

"I… don't know if it's even appropriate to accept it…"

"Do you even have the money?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"..."

"If Sequencee is taking it, I'm going," Ro resolved.

"T-Then.. me too," Lilian said timidly.

The two of them then turned to the person in question. Sequencee who had a really confused expression.

"Schwii.. weren't you against it?"

"I don't want to see you like this."

"..."

"Then it's decided." Schwii sipped on her drink and looked away from everyone as if they didn't matter to her.

Realizing that neither Leticia nor Sequencee would be able to make a choice here, Schwii had passed the final ruling. Just like that, the biggest issue was solved. But that brought only more questions to the table.

Nynim, Quora and Daizo were unable to say anything after seeing what had just happened. As veteran mercenaries that had met with instances like this in the past, they thought of the exact same thing.

'Gigolo.'

===

"Schwii."

"I'm doing it for us. I don't care about that elf, you better get over her."

'If it's that then would it be simpler to just leave?'

Sequencee couldn't understand Schwii's line of thought. He had already prepared himself to leave Leticia for the scholarship at Eluive. Then out of nowhere Schwii revealed that she had the capability to fund the academy fees? Which would make sense as she was the proxy of an entire demon nation but.. the problem here was the rivalry between the two. Knowing well that Leticia may hold some feelings towards Sequencee, why would she go out of the way to act in a way that would support that?

Ro and Lilian who were one step behind the two looked at each other and tacitly understood that Schwii was someone they shouldn't offend. If Sequencee had such a mysterious childhood companion, why would he be driven to Mane's home for disaster children? They didn't know.

Leticia and rest had returned to the academy grounds after the tense lunch. The entire time, Leticia mostly kept her silence, knowing that she wasn't in any position to make any remarks, knowing that the one with the most influence was the darned succubus.

When they got to the admissions office, they found Arien. Schwii's presence once again drew the attention of everyone in the room; a breath of fresh air in the room.

"Can I ask for the catalog?" her mellow voice rang out.

===

"What do you think?" Nynim asked, elbows on the table with a contemplative expression.

"I don't think he's being charmed. They seem to know each other quite well," Daizo said.

"Even so, it's it dangerous to stick to a succubus like that? And, what kind of succubus has that money lying around? There's no way that's possible," Quora exclaimed.

"Anything is possible. I've seen a monk who's able to fend off an entire orge settlement with nothing but his bare hands." Nynim commented.

"What are we talking about here?" Dorry wasn't getting the flow of the conversation as he didn't attend the lunch with them.

"Leticia, what do you think?" Nynim turned to the person concerned.

"My feelings are.. getting in the way. I can't think straight. Sorry," she tried to keep her voice calm, but the hurt was transmitted clearly.

This meeting of five was called upon by Nynim to discuss their plans following the incident. Their two agenda was:

1. Methods to protect Sequencee in case that succubus is up to no good.

2. Help Leticia win the war of love.

For the second point, though they currently lack any objective evidence pointing to Schwii and Sequencee's intimacy toward each other, the willingness of the succubus to give up a large portion of her assets for his sake was enough a subjective data revealing their trust. It hinted that something between the two was happening at a much deeper level.

"It wouldn't be surprising that Sequencee was exchanging his body for the money," Nynim muttered.

"What?!" Leticia yelled, slamming the table with her hands.

"I've heard stories that high succubuses keep pets as food and adore them to the point of.." Nynim's voice trailed off.

'So Sequencee is really..'

Leticia gripped her fist tight, her body was trembling to the point where it would be wrong to say she was convulsing.

"Calm down, calm down. It's not certain that-that's what's happening. It might be something else, I'm sure he isn't the kind of person who would willingly offer himself for the sake of some benefits, right?"

'R-Right! Sequencee is not that kind of person, it's definitely something else..'

"But why would she give up so much money for him anyways? Like.. could she be some high ranking demon somewhere?"

"Possibly. Which begs the question, why would a high ranking demon come to the academy?"

"Hm.."

"Can someone explain the details? I'm not getting any of this," Dorry raised his hands with a blank expression.

"Does this academy even allow demons to join?"

"They have a no discrimination policy don't they? Even if that is only limited to beastkins, in almost every country the succubus species is protected under the discretion of nobles who secretly support the red light districts."

"..."

'What should we do now?'

"Leticia, what do you think of Sequencee?" Quora asked in a severe tone.

"Who is Sequencee to you? Are you just going to let the succubus do what she wants? I think she's giving you a fighting chance, she sees you as a rival, otherwise she would've just left you be and elope with him."

Leticia clenched her fist.

"Leticia, do you like him or not?" Nynim asked in a severe tone.

"I like him.." Leticia said through her teeth.

"If you're going to win him back you'll need more resolve than that. Come on!" Nynim shouted.

"I like him!"

"More! More! You have to be honest and steadfast! Petty resolve won't cut it!"

"I like him! I like him! I like him!"

"That's the spirit! Let's show them what we got! Everyone in?" Nynim swept a glance at the other four around the table with a grin.

"Count me in." Daizo folded his arms and smiled

"But of course!" Quora stood up and slapped the table.

"..."

Leticia looked at everyone with tears in her eyes.

"T-Thank you.. everyone."

She wiped the tears off her face.

'Schwii. I won't give up on him just yet!'

The declaration of war–

"..."

But of course, Dorry who was part of this impromptu coalition still had no idea what in the hell they were talking about.