Social Gathering (4)

'Senior Dorothy, please be my partner.'

In the Palace Hall where the social gathering was taking place.

At the party venue of the third building, a certain female student was sitting alone against the wall while sipping wine.

She had flowing purple hair and was dressed in an elegant purple dress. Thanks to her asking her maid for assistance, her makeup was more intricate than usual.

In the place where her usual witch hat sat, a pretty flower-shaped hairpin was placed.

The girl was Dorothy Heartnova, the sophomore top seat of the Magic Department.

She was spending her time in boredom.

All this while, she had been greeting her classmates, juniors and seniors, while turning down invitations from male students with a smile on her face.

While Dorothy sat there, sipping on sour wine for no apparent reason, the students cast a curious side glance at her.

The dress Dorothy was currently wearing was something she had already prepared for the social gathering since the vacation. She was looking forward to attending the gathering with Isaac.

Though he ended up rejecting her invitation, she thought that there was no need to feel bothered by it.

She thought that it was alright. As long as she was with him, it would be okay. She would still be happy. It wasn't like she couldn't understand his reasons. Her chest just felt a little numb.

But the evening before, Isaac asked Dorothy to be his partner, and she was overjoyed by it.

─ Ah?! Did you change your mind?

─ Yes. I'm sorry for changing my mind, Senior.

─ Don't be, don't be! Nihihi. President~ It was hard refusing this big sis' offer after all~?

─ Of course. I'm your biggest fan.

─ But what should I do? The shock of being rejected once hasn't completely subsided yet~ If the President doesn't escort me sincerely, I don't think the shock will go away~

─ I'll escort you, even if it costs my life.

─ I like your sense of duty! I love it!

─ But senior, there's something I'd like to ask you.

─ …?

However, it seemed Isaac couldn't fully enjoy the gathering.

─ Can you wait for me until 9 pm?

─ Huh? Why? 9 pm is late, isn't it? You can't enjoy the party much by then…

─ I have a situation, and to be honest, I'm embarrassed to ask you to be my partner.'

─ President?

─ But, if I were to go to the gathering anyway, I want to enjoy it with you, Senior.

Isaac was an interesting man.

Because he always showed his affection.

Pure unconditional affection. His feelings made her feel warm just by seeing them.

However, occasionally, he would show a sense of concern towards her. The emotion he displayed yesterday was a prime example.

"The President is so shameless. He just does whatever he wants."

Dorothy grumbled with a pouty look, putting both her hands on her chin.

Slowly, she got a bit drunk, with her cheeks getting red.

"If you say that, how can I not wait…"

Even if Dorothy was hailed as the strongest powerhouse in Märchen Academy.

To Isaac, she was a woman that he worried about.

That thought slightly pricked Dorothy's pride, but she didn't hate it.

* * *

[A demon has been detected nearby.]

It took me a week to change my mind.

The thought of being able to predict the flow of the story and prevent bad endings from the shadows was merely arrogance.

Unless I crossed that line, I had to be prepared for some noticeable risk.

'Because the scenario is already a mess.'

Heinkel the Hoarder and Leafa the Illusive, who were supposed to appear in the second semester, died early.

The effect of their death brought an unexpected entity.

That was the 'demon' in this gathering.

They were one of the beings that I didn't want to meet early on.

'Ugh, I'm getting nervous.'

As my body trembled violently, I regulated my breath to calm myself down.

The effect of the passive skill of [Ice Sovereign] had helped me a lot in that regard.

Now, calm down and get a grip. You can do this. Let's do this.

Soon enough, the students diverted their attention away from me and Tristan and went back to enjoying the gathering. It seemed they were not interested in the trivial troubles of students they didn't know about.

[Lisetta Lionheart] Psychology: [Afraid of you.]

I thought about thanking her, but Lisetta quickly looked away from me. Based on her psychology, it would be best not to approach her now.

As we had discussed, Kaya acted as if she didn't know me. As a result, the other boys who had been staring at me began to lose interest in me.

'Ugh, boys.'

As I remembered from ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, it seemed girls like Kaya were getting a lot of attention from boys.

Although I could understand why they kept glaring at me, it wasn't pleasant to be so wary all the time.

'If Luce were here, it would have been even more chaotic.'

Luce and Kaya. The presence of these two heroines must have driven the male students crazy because of how beautiful they were. it wasn't hard to see why they became my favorite characters.

However, Luce didn't attend the gathering.

─ Isaac, are you going to the social gathering?

─ I'm thinking about it~ What about you?'

─ It might be difficult for me. I want to be with Isaac regardless of it… but I have an important appointment to attend.

A few days ago, I had a conversation with Luce under a tree in the corner of the garden. My goal was to check on the scenario.

In ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, during a conversation with Luce.

If the player didn't choose the cheesy option, 'Be my partner. I want to attend the party with you,' she won't go to the social gathering.

Today, she made an appointment with Eldork Magic Tower through Märchen Academy. It was a benefit only the absolute top-ranked students could get.

There were no magic towers that didn't covet an exceptional talent like Luce, so such an appointment would happen occasionally in the future.

Even with her aversion towards humans, she should still be able to handle the official conversations with the Magic Tower somehow.

Someday, Luce would become an exalted Tower Master and carve her name into history. I admired her for pursuing her goal.

Even Eva Hielov, the information broker, caught my attention.

Since it was recruitment time for the Four Constellations, there was no need for information gatherers to hide their identities. Besides, no one in Atla Hall would dislike a broker who could help them secure a position in the Four Constellations.

Eventually, the orchestra stopped playing.

When telekinetic magic was cast on some of the glowing lamps, the party venue became dim.

Not long after, only the glowing lamp on the stage, hidden behind a curtain, started to emit bright light.

It was starting. The students fell silent and turned their gaze toward the glowing stage.

Soon, jazz-like music began to play, and the curtains were lifted.

A well-dressed male student revealed himself on the stage.

He brushed his bangs back, but he couldn't hide his cheerful expression.

He was holding a small microphone. It was the host of the party.

"Greetings, my juniors who are here by the invitation of the Four Constellations. I am Luigi Camare, the host of the Atla Hall party!"

The host, Luigi Camare, bowed his head with a smile and the students applauded.

"I won't talk for long. As you all know, the Four Constellations, who organized this event, are a powerful organization with influence over the administration of Märchen Academy! It is also a qualification to join in the student council election, and simply being part of the Four Constellations is considered a great honor."

Luigi continued.

"Especially for you, who are some of the most promising talents amongst the first year students, the Four Constellations will be the wings that help you soar higher than ever before!

Now, let's welcome the heads of the Four Constellations. Please give them a round of applause!"

The orchestra changed to play a majestic tune.

The glowing lamps began to illuminate the third-floor balcony.

From the passage, students who held power higher than the student council began to walk out.

'As expected.'

The faces that I anticipated appeared before my eyes.

"Head of the Black Tiger Constellation. 'Erica Hellraud'!

Head of the Blue Wolf Constellation. 'Ray Rasmorgan'!

Head of the Golden Eagle Constellation. 'Brown Falkborough'!

Head of the Red Elephant Constellation…!"

'Malrog the Envious'

[Malrog the Envious] Lv: 155

Race: (Human)

Elements: Dark, Rock

Danger: Highest

Psychology: [Wants to steal the Cherubim's Necklace and kill everyone present.]

Red sports hair and a stocky build, a fierce-looking man.

It was said that he became the new leader after a vote that was held recently.

His preparation was so sloppy that it wouldn't take long before his identity was revealed.

Luigi introduced him as 'Malrog Bryer', but his last name was just a pseudonym.

Malrog the Envious.

In ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, he was a villain who appeared in the first year of the second semester. He was the sworn brother to Leafa the Illusive, and similarly, could turn himself into a human.

Leafa had told Malrog not to reveal his true form because it would interfere with his plans.

However, due to Leafa being defeated during the first semester, Malrog appeared early.

'The demon who wishes to become human…'

The two demons, Leafa and Malrog had similar abilities, but there were stark differences between them.

That was Malrog's desire to become human.

Because of that, in ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱, Malrog tried to steal the Cherubim's Necklace from Ian.

With it, the demon's power would be amplified, and his ability to transform into a human would become complete.

When Cherubim's Necklace appeared, Malrog's eyes would light up.

Furthermore, he hated humans with promising futures. It was a mentality that stemmed from the demons' inherent bloodlust and simple jealousy.

Not only were they born into the human life he had desired, but they even thrived among them, which enraged him.

In the scenario, Malrog revealed his true form in front of a gathering of top students.

Perhaps he wanted to use me to lure Luce in, or he simply wanted to kill her.

In other words, Malrog would go on a rampage here, where Cherubim's Necklace and the top students were gathered.

My goal was to stop him.

'The problem is that he isn't classified as a demon…'

The reason why he was one of the demons I didn't want to meet early on was because, as long as he remained in his human form, he would be classified as a human.

This meant that until he showed his true form, the condition to activate [Hunter] wouldn't be fulfilled.

'If only Dorothy could use her powers.'

Dorothy's body was still bound by the curse.

Malrog was a natural-born demon. Dorothy's presence here or her use of magic against him, would only accelerate the curse.

I shouldn't let her fight natural born demons until she safely passed ❰Magic Knight of Märchen❱ 「Act 6, Floating Island」, the act where she was supposed to lose her life.

Luigi gave a brief explanation of the heads of the Four Constellations. Since I already knew them all, I didn't need to hear it.

The four heads sat on their pre-planned seats.

After that, Luigi moved on to the next topic.

"And! I'm sure many of you have been waiting for this moment~ Today, right here! I would like to share with you the treasury owned by the Four Constellations in the Märchen Academy treasure vault."

Märchen Academy Treasure Vault. It was buried in a confidential area only known to the headmistress Elena, and a very select few academy staff.

The wagon containing those treasures was also secretly moved here.

"The treasure will choose the one who resonates with its mana as their master. I will present the treasure to those they deem worthy!"

On the stage, next to Luigi, a man appeared pushing a luxurious wagon. On it was filled with treasures that were neatly organized.

Next to them, there were transparent round cases with gold rims, neatly arranged like egg trays.

However, the student's eyes were fixed on the man who pulled the wagon, not the wagon itself.

In contrast with the luxurious stage, he appeared out of place.

Tall. His body, elongated like a stretch dough, gave him an eerie appearance.

His body was as limp as a jellyfish, and his skin was as pitch black as the night.

His spiky white hair was a stark contrast to his skin color.

His dark purple gaze turned towards the host, Luigi, clearly revealing his nonhuman appearance.

"Wh- what's… that…?"

A student pointed at the monster that was pulling the wagon. His voice and fingers were trembling.

The crowd was filled with confusion and fear about the monster's existence.

Somehow, Luigi continued speaking as if he was oblivious and didn't notice anything.

"We will hold the treasured event throughout the party, so please enjoy them…!

「Hydro Cannon (Water Element, ★5)」

Bang────!!

In an instant, a blue magic circle was deployed, shooting out a high-pressure water ball.

The spot where the host, Luigi, was standing was instantly engulfed by it. Luigi was swept away by the spell, hit a wall, and fell to the floor.

He lay on the floor, trembling and coughing out blood.

The orchestra, taken aback, stopped playing.

Silence filled the air. Not even a breath could be heard from anyone.

The situation was so sudden that the students struggled to wrap their heads around it.

The creature that had sent Luigi flying now turned his head towards the audience.

The man had a creepy smile that stretched from ear to ear.

His next words were…

[Hello?]

It was a very familiar voice.