CH 531.1

Some kind of déjà vu…?

The next day, the academy was abuzz from the morning.

Since Mariel-chan’s contract with Carbuncle had been made during class, word of it spread quickly throughout the entire academy.

I heard that a group of teachers and students burning with curiosity came to the special class and the girls’ dormitory to check it out, but they came up empty because Mariel-chan had left early and moved to a Special dormitory right away.

… They haven’t learned their lesson after being told to limit their contact with us around, huh.

Students from other classes and grades who couldn’t confirm the facts in the dorm or cafeteria were waiting in the hallway in front of the Special class all morning for Mariel-chan to come to class, wondering where the contractor or Carbuncle was.

I had expected this to happen, so Sei and I managed to slip inside the Special classroom while guarding Mariel-chan from the surroundings with her between us… Well, it was a tough time.

At first, everyone looked at us from a distance because it was well known that I and Sei were untouchable, but when we were about to enter the classroom, the students rushed around us, pushed envelopes to Mariel-chan and left.

“Eh? Umm, this is… ehh!?”

Mariel-chan had dozens of envelopes in her hands.

This is…

“… We have been had.”

“Eh? What is this? Are these letters of challenge or something!?”

Mariel-chan was frightened, acting as if she was holding an explosive device that she couldn’t throw away.

“Letters of challenge… they have no reason to challenge you to a duel, Mariel-san. Those are most likely invitations for tea party. They probably want you and Ruby to attend their tea parties.”

I also received those that time.

In the case of nobility, the quickest way to reach someone is to invite them to a tea party in order to bring them into your faction or become their crony.

“Ehhh!? T, tea parties, I, what do I do…!?”

“I know right…”

Mariel-chan’s father, Baron Mayor, has only just been conferred a peerage, and is what we call an upstart noble.

Moreover, an invitation from a noble who is a client of their company would be hard to refuse.

Oh shoot, I should have realized that yesterday and talked to Otousama or the headmaster about it.

Teacher Neil didn’t come home until late, and this morning he left without even saying hello.

I wonder what is wrong with him? There is a Carbuncle in the dormitory, but the Magic Beast-crazed Teacher Neil is not?

“Miss Mariel, Miss Cristea. The lesson is about to start, why don’t we go inside first?”

Sei’s words made us realize that it was just before the start of the school day, so us, as well as the students who were still in the hallway, rushed to our classrooms.

Shortly after taking our seats, Teacher Neil and Mentor Marlen entered the classroom.

“Yes, yes, quiet! It seems that there is a lot of noise around the academy because of Miss Mariel’s contract yesterday, but the Headmaster has ordered to treat her the same way as Miss Cristea and Sei-kun. Please do not contact her without a good reason. All classes and staff in the academy have been notified about this matter, so please be sure to obey it!”