Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 8 Episode 3 (section)

===Part 4===

「Fuu……」

After finishing several more requests like helping with cooking, sorting the queue of refreshment booth, and so on, Lux sat down on a curb at the courtyard.

It was finally three o’clock in the afternoon, the first day of the campus festival too was approaching its climax at last.

After that he was able to pass the time without any trouble although it was busy, but in the end he was unable to meet Celis.

But, in exchange he felt a gaze on him.

It was also a cause that heightened Lux’s uneasiness.

「Lux-kun, please come to our place next!」

He sat down to rest for a bit, a few girls who happened to catch sight of Lux by chance felt that they were lucky and called out to him.

「Ah, then」

He was a bit tired, but surely it wouldn’t be a problem to work a bit more.

The moment Lux was going to accept their request, a girl calmly cut between them smoothly.

「Ah, you are──」

「Phi……, chan?」

The serious faced girl unhesitatingly wedged herself between Lux and the female students.

She was the childhood friend of Lux with trait of light cherry blossom colored hair that looked soft, and expressionless face that looked absentminded──Philuffy Aingram.

She was wearing chic uniform with black as the base from working at a booth selling high class confections, but her cuteness wasn’t affected even in that slightly plain outfit.

Rather the largeness of her breast was conspicuously standing out just as much as how few the exposure rate of her attire was.

「Next, is certainly my turn, you know?」

「Eh……?」

Lux was puzzled hearing Philuffy suddenly saying that.

If he remember correctly, there shouldn’t be any promise like that though.

「Isn’t that right, Lu-chan?」

「Eh, tha, that’s right, I think……?」

「There is, isn’t it?」

「E, exactly!」

Lux spontaneously nodded when he was stared by her fixed gaze *jii-*.

「The, then it can’t be helped. Help us out next time okay, Lux-kun.」

The other girls seemed to give up after he yielded against Philuffy who was acting forceful in contrast to her absentminded appearance.

「Then, I’ve made it. So Lu-chan, come over here.」

「……Eh, wah!?」

Philuffy’s hand gently pulled Lux and he got on his feet.

Then they headed toward one of the stall inside the school building and entered a separate room that was empty.

「──Eh? This place」

「Storeroom……doubled as, break room. For use of the booths at second floor.」

Philuffy pulled a chair as soon as she said that, then she lightly tapped her hand *pon pon* on it.

「Wait, a bit.」

After Lux sat there, Philuffy slowly exited the room.

Perhaps the timing was just right at the busy period for any of the stores, because there was almost no other student inside the room.

It seemed the remaining girls inside were also tired, they didn’t try to approach him.

「Everyone is full of vigor huh.」

When Lux smiled wryly, Philuffy returned.

A mountain of confection was placed on the tray both her hands were carrying.

It wasn’t metaphor or anything, it was really a mountain.

「Wait, didn’t you have work for me!?」

Even though he completely thought that it was a request for him as 『odd job specialist』.

「Because, I couldn’t go together with Lu-chan, to the crepe store.」

「A, is, is that so.」

He was busy and had no time for outing, so Philuffy must meant this to be the compensation for that.

「This is, the best selling here.」

Philuffy said that and put various confections on the cloth that was spread on a few tables joined into one.

Freshly baked apple pie, cherry pie, pancake, and donuts. They were also garnished with a ton of whip cream and fruit jam.

Even though sweet confections was a high class item even in new kingdom, but for this kind of booth to be able to offer them like this was just as expected from an Academy of noble daughters.

「Lu-chan. Open your mouth, aaan」

While he was being overwhelmed by that amazing line up of sweets, Philuffy who was sitting beside him leaned forward a lot and held out a sweet that was stabbed by fork toward him.

「Wai-, Phi-chan!? That……, I can eat it by myself!」

Being fed itself was embarrassing, but there was a bigger problem.

Surely Philuffy herself didn’t realize it, but when she leaned forward from the side toward him, that──springy voluptuous chest of hers touched him.

But, it seemed Philuffy had no awareness of it, she was sticking even closer to him with her usual serious face.

「It’s fine, just do it.」

「No but, everyone resting here is also looking at us!」

There were few students who were currently resting inside the break room, but that didn’t mean there was none at all.

As expected doing this while attention was focused on them was……thinking that, Lux attempted his last resistance.

「……The crepe store. I wanted to go.」

But, Lux was beaten by Philuffy’s dispassionate muttering and he opened his mouth with resolve.

「Nn……」

「Lu-chan. Is it delicious?」

The soft body’s sensation, the scent of her hair, and then her voice that came from very near.

Somehow he felt sweetness not just from his tongue, but even from his five senses and the air.

*Chew chew* The pie’s texture was brittle and crumbled inside his mouth, the taste of baked apple and cinnamon’s aroma gently slipped out from his nose.

Furthermore the faint mild taste of the velvety cream smoothly wrapped Lux’s tongue.

「Delicious……it’s really sweet, but that’s not all there is to it.」

It wasn’t merely sweet, the tastes were mysteriously possessing sense of unity with each other, causing tension to leave Lux’s body.

Lux himself didn’t hate sweet thing, but to think that he would feel it to be this delicious──.

「I’m glad.」

Philuffy gave a faint smile that looked happy and next she also held out a crepe.

It was wrapped in cream and pear syrup. That too was delicious as expected, but its sweetness wasn’t that strong.

The cream must be a plain one.

Because of that there was balance with the sweet dough and ingredients.

「Because Mr. crepe seller taught me. Now, I can it together with Lu-chan anytime.」

「…………」

Lux spontaneously turned speechless hearing what Philuffy said.

She expressly went to the store and asked how to make the flavor, then she even created it while thinking of the preference of the grown up Lux.

His heart was fiercely touched from her straightforward consideration to him.

Somehow, it felt nostalgic.

He could remember Philuffy baking an extraordinarily sweet and large pancake for his sake in the past like it was only yesterday.

Though at that time more than half of the pancake was eaten by Philuffy.

「Thank you, Phi-chan. Here, ……for you.」

Lux too also cut a nearby pancake with a knife, poured a lot of maple syrup on it, and held it out to Philuffy.

「…………」

It seemed she didn’t expect Lux to respond back without any shyness, she was slightly losing her bearing.

But, before long she opened her small mouth and accepted it.

「Nn, delicious.」

At first it was embarrassing to be seen by the students around, but he was touched by her pure feeling and it felt stupid to be concerned by people’s gaze.

Lux and Philuffy immersed themselves in the deliciousness of the sweets for a while taking rest.

「Even so, that was a good timing for you to come while I was free. Even though Phi-chan should be really busy too──」

Lux drank a second helping of tea while saying that, then,

「I also didn’t know. I was thinking to meet Lu-chan later, but then a masked person told me, that it seemed Lu-chan’s work would be finished after a bit longer.」

「Eh……?」

Lux didn’t notice because he was focused, but he didn’t take rest at all except at lunch.

From what Philuffy said, there was someone somewhere who was paying attention to such Lux.

There was one person who he thought would do such thing.

「That person──could she be」

「She had big breast, tall, and blonde hair. Though she forbid me to speak, telling me 『It’s not permitted to tell this to Lux okay』.」

「You are exposing everything you know, Phi-chan!? You aren’t hiding even a single thing you know!?」

Even though they were inside a break room, Lux instinctively raised his voice and retorted.

In a sense it was just as expected, but the one who was worrying about Lux’s body seemed to be Celis.

(As I thought, she is helping me? But──)

When he faced her, she would suddenly cower back and went away somewhere, so he didn’t understand.

Though it would be fine if he could go somewhere where he would be able to meet Celis directly.

While he was thinking such thing, the door behind them was suddenly opened loudly.

When he looked back in panic, there the friends of his childhood friend, all three of the Triad were standing.

「Yahoo. Lux-chi, you’re well? Aa, you are playing hooky with Philuffy! This must not do!」

First Tillfur spoke teasingly and approached Lux.

Then, the leader Sharis immediately smiled wryly and watched that with folded arms.

「Good grief, it’s Tillfur who said that you want to rest because you’re tired patrolling right?」

「Yes. Acting like that because you want to play with Lux-san, you aren’t honest.」

Noct also agreed with what Sharis pointed out. Her eyes were staring reproachfully.

Tillfur who got stabbed in the back by her comrades immediately blushed and got flustered.

「Wai-!? You don’t need to say that in front of the person himself do you!? Even though you two agreed with my suggestion, that’s cowardly you know!?」

As always the three got along really well. Thinking that, Lux smiled while watching them. There Tllfur cleared her throat *cough* and looked at Lux.

「……Err, it will be time for the events to reach stopping point soon you see. Won’t you participate in an event together with us after this? Lux-chi is this Academy’s student too after all. I think playing around sometimes is also good instead of working all the time.」

Tillfur’s pace was thrown out of order by the retorts from Sharis and Noct. She was whispering with her gaze away from him while sending short glances.

Normally she was someone who get carried easily and acted as mood maker, but surprisingly she was fundamentally serious.

She was properly being considerate to Lux as one of his friends.

「Right. Then, if you are okay with me please let me participate. Ah, but──」

Lux thought that he would consent readily to her invitation while thinking such thing, but suddenly he became concerned of one thing and hesitated to continue.

The matter of Celis weighed his mind, he wondered whether he could meet her somehow.

「Fuh, you don’t need to worry Lux-kun. Your wish should be fulfilled.」

Sharis suddenly tapped Lux’s shoulder and smiled proudly.

When Lux tilted his head and looked up at the girl, Noct approached him quietly and whispered.

「Yes. Because Celis-senpai is also arranged to participate in this event. At that time if things goes well you should be able to talk with her.」

「Ah……」

It seemed the three got an inkling of Celis’s behavior.

「Really, my best friend is also a troubling person. Well, it’s really like Celis to be like that though.」

「Do you, know something about that?」

When Lux asked like that, Sharis only casted her eyes down suggestively.

「Ascertain that with your own eyes Lux-kun. I get the gist of it but, this kind of thing should be heard from the mouth of the person themselves.」

「……?」

「Now, let’s go Lux-chi. This event this year will surely get heated up!」

Tillfur took Lux’s hand to avoid the topic and pulled him.

Lux left the school building together with Philuffy while still not understanding anything.

–

「Everyone from Cross Field! And then everyone of our Academy, are you having fuuuun!? From here our Academy’s special event, the costume competition will begiiinn!」

A special stage made from wood was set up at the center of the courtyard.

That place was used for things like drama or concert at noon. There, Lux and others, the well-known members were gathered.

When the female student who acted as the host raised her voice, cheers rose up and enthusiasm enveloped the place.

Not just students and Academy personnel, there were also citizens of Cross Field and also guest from other city coming in drove here.

「This time, our Academy’s Drag-Knights, the strong and noble beauties of Syvalles will be clad in captivating clothes unlike usual! If your heart is stolen by their figure, please send them a grand applause. Then first──I’ll introduce the participants!」

「──Wait, girls……wait, it’s only me who is male here though-!?」

On the stage Lux spontaneously retorted, but everyone casually ignored him.

「Fur-ther-more. The participant who obtains everyone’s vote and won will be given a special present. Everyone, please give them your support without fail!」

「WAAAAH」

Loud acclamation enveloped the place once more.

Lux didn’t really get it but, it seemed the host was skilled in enlivening the event.

Next the members of Syvalles who were gathered on the stage started introducing themselves in turn.

「……Eerr, I’m first I guess. I’m, the new kingdom’s princess, Lizsharte Atismata. It’s my first time wearing costume like this but……, I’ll do my best.」

First Lisha greeted shyly. Cheering voice welled up from the audiences.

After Lisha was Krulcifer, then Philuffy.

And then──the last one finally appeared on the stage.

「That, I am, the captain of Syvalles, Celistia Ralgris. Pe, personally I think that I cannot fool around like this but……」

She was bewildered while sending a glance at Lux.

It seemed that she was splendidly caught in the 『pretend』 that Sharis devised.

『When I met Celis just now, I whispered a bit of information to her──I heard that the champion of the next event will be given the right to forcefully give order to Lux-kun. In order to protect him, how about Celis also participate in it? I said.』

As the result of telling her in roundabout way like that, Celis who was watching Lux from the shadow until now came out to the open like this.

(Celis-senpai……, is she all right?)

Although, when he tried to meet her gaze, she would immediately avert her gaze.

The event started while he was fretting about that matter.

「Then, we have finished with the self-introduction, now it’s time for changing into the costume. We will distribute the voting paper during this time! One person will only get one paper okaaay! Multiple vote is invalid!」

When Lux and others went behind the stage, various costumes that appeared to be used in the play at the noon were placed there.

While the eyes of Lux and others were wandering around at the large amount of costume, Tillfur came to the front.

「And soo, we will help out with wearing the costume, so tell us what everyone want. By the way, it will be first come first served for the costume.」

The Triad and Airi took the role as support for them.

Naturally, even though Lux was called as chore prince, but as expected he didn’t have experience in wearing costume.

While he was perplexed of what to do, Airi and Noct came to him together.

For some reason the two of them were holding a black curtain that was attached on circle frame.

「Wait, what’s that!? Why is it only me who──」

「Haa, this is why Nii-san who recently is only going to foreign country is troubling. Have you forgotten that this is an academy of noble girls?」

「Aa……」

Lux suddenly noticed the girls holding costume in their hands were staring fixedly at his way from afar.

It was obvious but, they were bothered by the gaze of Lux who was the only man here.

「Yes. ──And so, Lux-san, please change inside this blackout curtain. I will help you with it.」

While Airi was holding up the the curtain with both her hands, Noct who was from the family background of maid told Lux that.

That offer itself was really helpful, but.

「Say, Noct. Because of this curtain, even I don’t know what I am wearing but, this costume, could it be──」

After taking off his uniform, Lux felt somewhat uneasy by the shape of the costume that was handed to him.

How should he say it, if Lux wasn’t misunderstanding, there was a skirt mixed among the costume.

「Yes. The hook over here is fixed like this so──it’s finished.」

Airi lowered the curtain along with Noct’s level and calm voice.

At that moment, the other girls who had finished changing simultaneously opened their eyes wide in astonishment.

–

「Well then, everyone who has costumed up will enter the stage. First is the princess of our kingdom, her highness Lizsharte Atismata!」

「OOOOooOH!」

When Lisha appeared first on the stage, a loud cheer welled up.

「Wai-, what the hell with this erotic appearance!? I am the princess of the new kingdom you know!?」

What Lisha was wearing was the a dancer costume with high exposure rate.

It was an outfit that only covered her breast, stomach, and a part of her legs. A translucent cloth completed the costume.

The brightly colored costume that was in the style of southern countries was splendidly drawing out her loveliness that was sensual even with the vague innocence in it.

「Ee, but Lisha-sama. It’s not that much different from the pilot suit that you are usually wearing. Besides, it suits her isn’t that right? Everyooone!」

The host grinned broadly and stirred up the audiences.

「Bu, but still. As expected this appearance is a bit……」

It was hidden thanks to the waistcloth that was tightly wrapped around her stomach, but she was worrying whether the mark on her abdomen was visible or not.

She wasn’t simply embarrassed from the exposure, Lisha was also flustered from worrying about that, it was then,

「What a troubling person. But, surely Lux-kun will also think that Lisha-sama looks cute you knoow」

「Re, really!?」

On the stage Lisha asked the girl host.

Lux who heard that nodded shortly even while looking troubled. Tillfur who came out from behind the stage secretly told Lisha.

「Yo, yosh, got it. That──I’m not good with dancing so I cannot do it. But I’ll fight in the contest with this! Everyone, give me your vote!」

Lisha resolved herself and folded her arms. The audiences got even more excited in respond.

At the same time, the second entry Krulcifer got up from her chair behind the stage.

「She is doing better than I expected. ──Then, next will be my turn.」

Saying that, Krulcifer who was wearing a black dress suit came up on the stage.

The girl who was clad in tailcoat suit transformed into a beauty in male clothing.

「Ooh, this too is cool.」

Her hair was her usual long straight hair, but coupled with her cool smile, it wasn’t something distracting at all.

This time it was mainly the female student audiences who were holding their breath with rapt attention.

Lisha who saw that leaked out ‘kuh……’ with a bitter face.

「Well then, next person. The daughter of that famous Aingram conglomerate, Philuffy Aingram-saaann」

Next the third person, Philuffy’s turn arrived.

Both Lisha and Krulcifer possessed quite the confidence of their appearance, but──.

「……Oo」

「…………」

When the expressionless Philuffy came up to the stage, the audiences leaked out a carnal sigh.

It was a risqué costume that was composed of thin cloth and string.

It was complemented with a hair band that imitated animal ears, tights that covered her white thigh, black shoes, and ribbon.

It was somewhat unfamiliar──something with high exposure rate, but coupled with her unique absentminded atmosphere, the appearance looked terribly charming.

In Lux’s opinion, it might be a style that took after the Automata they happened to see inside the Ruins.

「Eerr──, this is the outfit of angel that was drawn in a picture which was excavated from the Ruins and other place. Everyone, please enjoy!」

After the host explained, the audiences continued to stare while forgetting to even breath.

It was a low-key reaction compared to the previous two, but surely it was because the audiences forgot themselves due to the lovely atmosphere of the costumed Philuffy.

「Muu……. This is bad, Krulcifer!」

「Seems like it. To think that she will come out attacking with a costume this bold……」

At the side, Lisha and Krulcifer consulted each other in a common front.

At this rate, Philuffy’s victory would be set in stone.

While they were thinking of such thing, the host introduced the fourth contestant.

「──Next, the former prince of the old empire, and the only boy of our Academy, Lux Arcadia-kun. Please……wait, eh?」

When the fourth girl──or rather, boy came up to the stage, the venue stirred slightly.

A boy in maid appearance was standing on the stage with extremely awkward and flustered expression.

He was wearing a dress with black as its basic color, a clean apron, and white maid headdress.

The skirt’s length was short because it was the customized version of the uniform that Tillfur was wearing previously.

And then, what was eye catching above all else was the non-existent wig to hide Lux’s feature.

「You all are terrible!? Why is it only me whose costume is half-baked like this……」

The wearer of the costume, Lux was the very picture of a child-faced boy with well-ordered face, so everyone noticed instantly that it was a cross dressing boy.

But, seeing the girl-faced young boy wearing maid uniform, the audiences were staring at that in a daze.

At first their reaction was simply of bewilderment, but gradually their reaction was changing.

「O, oi Krulcifer. Don’t tell me this is」

「Yes……, most likely the Triad estimated that Lux-kun would easily win if he is perfectly dressed with female clothing, so they didn’t give him the wig, but looking carefully──」

At that moment, the hearts of Lisha and Krulcifer, and then the assembled audiences were one in thought.

‘Isn’t this alright in its own way’, they thought.

It was an imperfect cross-dressing, but in exchange the aspect of the child-faced young boy was highlighted, and there was even the sense of immorality from how the boy was clearly forced to wear the costume.

Lux who was unaware of such thought in the heart of the masses was suffering heartache. Seeing that, Philuffy took Lux’s hand with slightly blushing cheeks.

「……Lu-chan. You are cute.」

「Phi-chan!?」

A lovely girl in the figure of animal spirit, and a young boy who was dressed as maid faced each other.

It was magical──or perhaps perverse, as though the two had slipped out from a fairytale somewhere. The audiences were deeply moved by such scene, the students and citizens gave them applauses.

「Both of you matched each other!」

「That’s great, missy and lad!」

[[File:SaijakuBahamut v8 07.jpg|thumb|right]]

「So, somehow it feels like I’ve seen something forbidden……. But for some reason──, I cannot take my eyes off them.」

The students and visitors raised their cheers and gave them praising voice.

The mood was as though the contender for the overall victory was suddenly reduced to just Philuffy and Lux, but right after that, the sound of footsteps of the last contestant coming up to the stage could be heard.

「Well then while everyone is roused up, it’s the last contestant. The big shot of our new kingdom, the strongest Drag-Knight in the Academy, it’s captain Celistia Ralgris!」

The girl who acted as the host raised her voice and loudly introduced.

At the same time a girl was slowly climbing up the stair. Everyone spontaneously held their breath.

After all it was the figure of Celis whose body was only wrapped with water dressswimsuit for summer and a jacket.

Furthermore, the exposure rate was even more intense than the one Lux saw previously in the training camp. When looked from behind, the surface of her butt could be seen much.

Furthermore the swimsuit was opened gapingly until her back. Lux’s gaze was strongly pulled into her even though they were standing on the same stage.

「Wai-!? Wha, what is the meaning of this──!? This is different from what I heard-!? I, I was told that everyone will be wearing water dress so……! Even so, that can’t be helped in order to protect Lux isn’t it!?」

Celis who always possessed a dignified grace was exposing the line of her voluptuous body with bright red face.

She was a graceful young daughter of a duke, but she was also a straight-laced person who hated man.

The general public that held such impression toward Celis got excited by the gap and they raised joyful yells.

「……In the end, men are all just a perverted beast.」

「It seems so. The atmosphere before this was instantly blown away without a trace.」

With a really conflicted face, Krulcifer agreed with the dumbfounded Lisha.

Lux’s ears hurt hearing what the two said frankly, but even so, Celis was emitting charm that he couldn’t resist from looking even now.

「I, it’s no good as expected! E, excuse me!」

Celis who was flustered from the unexpected response from the audiences turned around and got down from the stage.

After a while, Celis returned on the stage wearing a pilot suit with exposure rate that was somewhat lowered.

「The, there is no time to prepare substitute costume so, with this……. If it’s this I’ve been wearing it habitually so──」

Celis pulled herself back together while standing with a serious expression.

This time she was in her usual appearance. It caused the female students who idolized her to watch enraptured.

The male visitors looked somewhat disappointed, but the pilot suit also had quite a lot of exposure rate, and was alluring how it was clinging tightly on the body.

Furthermore there was also a gap with the adorableness that she showed just now, so it displayed Celis even more charmingly.

「Well then, it’s time for the voting with all the contestants lined up here! Now, all of you, give your vote to the student who you thought as the best among these five!」

The host raised her voice and the audiences put their vote into the box.

When Lux came down from the stage in order to change clothes, his gaze accidentally met the gaze of Celis who was wearing pilot suit.

「……-!?」

He thought to ask Celis about the matter of her avoiding him since some time ago, but Lux too was embarrassed that he was still in maid costume, so both of them averted their gaze reflexively.

「Good grief, even though I set it up for him to meet Celis after much trouble, these two are really hopeless.」

The Triads were staring at the two from afar while sighing.

If Lux lost in this costume tournament, it was unknown what kind of unseemly order he would receive──it seemed that they brought Celis here with such threat.

「But to think that she would even wear that water dress. Celis-senpai is a bit different as expected when it comes to Lux-chi.」

「Yes. Honestly speaking, the first water dress was a joke with the assumption that she would refuse, but now I felt greatly apologetic.」

Tillfur and Noct muttered with slight reservation. Airi were staring reproachfully at them from the side.

「If Celis-senpai heard it just now, she will scold you all harshly you know……?」

「…………」

Lux was faintly listening to such conversation behind him while he finished changing clothes.

(Celis-senpai went that far so that I won’t receive any strange order……)

If that was the case, then that meant Celis didn’t hate him or anything.

However, then he became even more puzzled.

If that was the case all this time, he wondered why she wouldn’t talk directly with him.

「The voting result has come! All the participants, please come up to the stage once more!」

With the host urging, Lux and others, the five contestants returned on the stage.

Right after that, the bell tower within the Academy ground rang loudly and small confetti fluttered in the air.

「Congratulations! The one who obtained the most vote, is Celistia-san of the four great nobles!」

「Eh……?」

The moment Celis’s eyes turned round in astonishment, loud cheers roared in front of the stage.

Perhaps it should be said as expected, the risqué water dress figure at the beginning, and then the dignified pilot suit figure after that.

The two appearances gathered vote from both male and female.

Furthermore Lux and Philuffy tied for the second place. He expressed the feeling inside his heart that he didn’t know whether it was alright to honestly be happy about it.

A trophy and two envelopes were presented to Celis as the prize.

「Fufufu, please open one of the envelope. One is the true reward──the certificate of the right to give any order you like to anyone in this campus festival. The other one is a punishment game where you will need to approach the opposite sex. You still cannot let your guard down here~」

「I don’t really get it but, this one──」

Celis was shaken while opening one of the envelopes.

There, she saw the content that was written on it and she spontaneously blinked.

「Whoops, it’s the enveloped of punishment game. The content is──kissing someone of the opposite sex! It’s alright to do it anywhere!」

After the host read up the content loudly, a great commotion spread through the venue.

The male visitors were cheering, while the female students were making somewhat envious expression while staring at Celis and Lux.

「Eerr……. By opposite sex, you mean──」

「Yes. In Celis-senpai’s case it will be toward man──that’s what it means. If you like, you can even do it with a boy close to you, right here, right now……」

「Wha, wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-!? Tha, that’s not permitted!? Doing such thing in front of people──」

「Eee? But, this is the Academy’s main attraction. Please go along with it properly~」

The host urged like that with a mischievous tone.

‘The Academy’s’──, hearing those words, Celis slowly gazed at Lux’s face even while her cheeks were turning red.

「Celis, senpai……」

Stared by Celis’s vaguely seductive expression, the beating of Lux’s heart was throbbing intensely.

Celis was walking toward him and brought her lips closer with a troubled face.

(Wha, what to do!? No matter what, doing something like this in front of people──)

Even while feeling flustered like that, he thought that it might make do somehow if it was only a little peck on the cheek.

Lux resolved himself like that and took a deep breath, then he closed his eyes──but,

「I, it’s no good as I thought!? I’m──」

Celis whose face was bright red got down from the stage and ran away.

「Oh dear, so Lux-kun got dumped. Then, let’s have the punishment game done later! Well then everyone. Thank you very much for comiiing!」

The host dealt even with the sudden happening flexibly and concluded the event nicely.

「Ahaha……」

Even while smiling wryly from being made as joke material, Lux was feeling strangely complicated, but behind him and behind the stage, the girls were patting down their chest in relieve.

「Fuu……, it’s lucky that Celis is so straight-laced. Honestly I was feeling chilly there. E, even I haven’t kissed him──」

「You’re right. But we still cannot let our guard down. After all that person is also unexpectedly powerful.」

「Yeah……. Wait, you did it as you pleased right!? Even though I didn’t even permit it, but several times──!」

At the side of Lisha and Krulcifer who was talking of such things, Lux who got down from the stage was in a daze.

In the end, he was unable to talk to Celis about why she was avoiding him until now.

「I understand that Nii-san is disappointed that you were unable to receive the kiss, so can I ask you to act a bit more firmly?」

Perhaps unable to bear to look of her big brother who was like that, the little sister Airi retorted like that.

「Yo, you misunderstand!? That’s, I’m, concerned with Celis-senpai’s state──. I don’t understand, if she is actually avoiding me or not……」

After Lux said that without confidence, Sharis of the Triad smiled wryly.

「……Well, it can’t be helped. There is also no way we can meddle for more than this.

「It feels like you had interfered all out with Celis-senpai to make her participate in this event though……」

Sharis ignored Lux’s retort and smiled.

And then Lux left the courtyard stage and returned once more to his odd jobs specialist work. It was at that time──,

「Excuseee me! Please wait!」

Coral was running in front of Lux’s eyes. Perhaps he was in the middle of a break, because he wasn’t wearing butler uniform, but the uniform of Vanheim Principality. (TN: I used Wanheim before this, after discussing with Omega I decided to change it into Vanheim)

「Coral, what’s the matter?」

「Ah, Lux-kun?」

Lux immediately followed behind the running Coral while calling out to him.

The young boy with androgynous face smiled awkwardly then.

「No, it looks like a customer forgot his thing just now. There was a wallet in it, but it looks like the customer has gone until the academy gate──」

「Then, I’ll also help. I know well about the surrounding area.」

Lux immediately responded like that and ran side by side with Coral.

After talking to the gatekeeper and got the permission to get out, they found out the back of the man wearing gray coat, which was the feature of the person Coral told Lux.

「It looks like we made it in time. Thank you, from here I’ll be fine by myself.」

Coral suddenly showed a bright smile before he dashed toward the alley the man turned into.

But, right after Lux nodded and waved his hand, a sense of discomfort ran through his body.

(Wait? If I remember right, the other side of the alley over there is──)

Coral who wasn’t a resident of Cross Field wasn’t familiar with the area, but the end of that alley should be a dead end right now because the street was under construction.

The moment Lux thought that, without delay he pulled out the Sword Device on his waist.

And then, he thought strongly and summoned Wyvern, equipped it quickly, and flew.

「Lux-kun!?」

When Lux crossed the wall and flew to the other side of the alley, he discovered the figure of Coral’s body being restrained by a dark grey Drag-Ride.

His bad premonition was right in the mark.

Coral was lured by the man who seemed to be a bandit using the wallet as the bait, and he was caught.

「──You!?」

Conversely the rough man with black mustache wearing EX Drake was surprised by Lux’s appearance. His eyes snapped wide open and he trembled.

「Let him go-!」

Not letting go of that opening, Lux quickly launched an attack using his Blade.

The enemy’s armored arm was slightly scraped and the restriction on Coral loosened.

Using that chance, Lux drove his Wyvern and took Coral back, he then flew to the sky and took distance from the enemy.

If he could be greedy, he wanted to defeat the Drag-Knight right here, but he also couldn’t do that.

His movement would be restricted if he had to keep protecting Coral who wasn’t wearing his Drag-Ride, and the skill of the enemy who was wearing the strengthened general-purpose Drag-Ride and the possibility of other ambusher were unknown.

Carelessly pursuing the enemy might expose Lux and Coral to danger instead.

Thus Lux was watching the situation. There the enemy recovered his calm and showed a mocking grin.

「……Disappointing. To think that you can take him back. Even though a peace loving idiot drank in benevolence finally got lured out just to give back something like forgotten wallet. ──See ya!」

The man yelled, at the same time, a strange round blade flew out from the shoulder of the EX Drake.

「──!?」

When Lux quickly swung his Blade and deflected it, the figure of the enemy vanished.

「…………」

After looking around for a few seconds in alert, Lux landed down for the moment and picked an armor fragment.

The two returned to the Academy and talked to the guards about the circumstance, and then he confirmed that Coral wasn’t injured.

「Thank you Lux-kun. Sorry……, I troubled you like that.」

「No. It’s me who should apologize. If only I noticed the enemy’s intention faster──」

When Lux told that to Coral who was hanging his head down apologetically, the androgynous faced young boy stared fixedly at Lux’s face.

And then, he showed a smile that looked relieved.

「As I thought, Lux-kun really is a good person. There is also a person like the one just now but, not everyone is like that isn’t it……. As I thought, that’s right. Next time when you are in trouble, I too will come to help you for sure──」

「Right. Take care of me then, Coral.」

Lux responded with a smile at Coral’s murmur that had left behind his bewilderment.

The shadow of unrest of the enemy who slipped into the hustle and bustle of the campus festival and took them by surprise.

While feeling a tinge of anxiety due to that, they returned inside the Academy.

–