Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 11 Episode 1 (section)

===Part 5===
At the same time.

The girls were also forming their strategy while observing that from afar.

And then, at night── in the empty dining hall after dinner was over.

At that place that was specially reserved for an extraordinary meeting, the main members of Syvalles were gathering.

The captain Celis, Lisha, Krulcifer, and Philuffy were naturally there.

Even the members of the Triad, Sharis, Tillfur, and Noct, then Airi and also Yoruka were present along with tea and desserts.

「Gununununu……. What’s with that! Even though Lux finally came back from that fake honeymoon, it became hard for us to approach because of that!」

「You’re right. The pretext of that person accompanying him as the aide of the Vanheim Principality exists. That is quite the miscalculation on our part.」

「Both of you, please hide your true feelings a little. Please remember that in the end this is a strategy meeting.」

When Airi retorted like that with exasperation,

「Tha, that’s right! The topic of this meeting should be about doing information exchange between us before Krulcifer and I depart tomorrow.」

The serious Celis put the situation in order while looking impatient like that. The place calmed down.

「Yes. Putting that aside, it will be the Holy Night Festival soon. It’s an event where females will give a present to the male who has helped her the most throughout the year──and after that it will also soon be the Nativity Festival, where the male will present the return gift for that in the third month next year.」

Continuing after Noct who was murmuring matter-of-factly, Sharis and Tillfur were also smiling mischievously.

「I completely thought that we were gathered here for that matter, but I wonder if I’m mistaken?」

「Ain’t that right, it feels like it will be really troublesome if we don’t have a discussion about it beforehand after all.」

「My? What could this be about?」

「…………」

Everyone present fell silent at Yoruka’s question, as though they had something in their mind.

After that, Krulcifer observed the expressions of everyone around while starting to talk with determination.

「It looks like it isn’t even a month until the Holy Night Festival, which is a big event in this country, but, in this period where the world might end soon, there is no one who is thinking anything strange, isn’t it?」

「……Wha, what do you mean by strange thing? That’s, it’s not like I’m planning anything else other than giving a present though──」

After Celis whispered that with a somewhat fretful look, everyone there silently turned a dubious gaze towards her.

「I want to confirm beforehand but, that aforementioned Holy Night Festival, it’s not like it’s a day for confessing love to someone isn’t it? It’s only a day for giving a present.」

「O, obviously! After all, it’s a tradition that has continued from ancient times, even before the era of the Old Empire. That’s, perhaps there is that kind of custom in part of it though.」

「Ye, yes! That’s, even if someone gave a present as a symbol of gratitude to another person, there shouldn’t be any other intention than that put inside it……perhaps.」

After Lisha spoke in panic, Celis also added further explanation after her.

Philuffy was looking absentmindedly, but before long she tapped her hand *pon*.

「That’s right. A present for Lu-chan, I have to think about it──」

「──!?」

Instantly everyone’s body jerked in reaction.

It showed how they were sharing the same reason for uneasiness.

「A present for Aruji-sama? I cannot think of anything that would be fitting for that, so at the very least I’ll offer this body direct──」

「That’s why, I’m telling you that’s completely no good……」

Seeing Krulcifer who raised her voice unusually, Airi guessed something.

「The world’s destruction is imminent, that’s why let’s not steal a march on each other. That’s what this is about isn’t it?」

「Stea, stealing a march!? I, it’s not like I’m……」

Lisha’s cheeks reddened and she oddly averted her gaze.

But, the Triad, who also guessed Airi’s point each added their own opinion.

「Certainly it might be better that way. Of course, we don’t know when we will die, so at the least I want to convey my feelings──there is also such feeling though.」

「Yes. But, to do anything that will cause the mind to become unstable until the matter of Avalon is taken care of will be putting the cart before the horse.」

「Everyone’s feelings need to be on the same page here. It will be terrible for Lux-chi too if he gets a confession from a lot of people all at once.」

Sharis talked with a deep feeling, then Noct and Tillfur continued after her.

Seeing how everyone other than Philuffy and Yoruka went ‘hah’ in realization, they must have noticed Airi’s intention.

In short, let’s not tell our feelings to Lux until the matter came to an end, it was such a discussion for everyone to restrain themselves.

The reason Krulcifer suggested that was because she was also the aide of the Ymir Theocracy. She was surely being cautious if by any chance she was unable to be present here because of her duty.

Lisha and Celis who noticed that also consented with a tacit understanding.

So to speak, the Holy Night Festival would be a skirmish to gauge their distance with Lux.

When this battle was concluded and the world became peaceful, the Nativity Festival would come right after that.

Until that day, they mustn’t advance their relationship with Lux further than the present.

「……Haa, everyone is really hopeless, but I understand everyone’s feelings. About Philuffy-san and Yoruka-san, I will talk with them again later. And so, I will manage the schedule of Nii-san on that day, so can everyone please report to me about your present so that there won’t be any overlapping?」

「Oh well, I guess, it will be helpful if you, his little sister, will manage this.」

「I, I get it. I pretty much have decided already what present to give Lux after all.」

「A, acknowledged. That’s, I will think about the general idea until tomorrow.」

「What should I give Lu-chan, I wonder.」

「I don’t get it about that matter, so I’ll concede it to you.」

After Krulcifer, Lisha, Celis, and Philuffy muttered one after another, Yoruka concluded the talk with a carefree smile.

Like that Airi put the girls’ wishes in order and then they broke up from that place.

「Good grief, just why do I have to do something like this.」

Airi parted from the Triad while murmuring sulkily.

There was the matter of the other day with Philuffy, so she told her beforehand so that nothing strange would happen because of the instigation of her elder sister, the headmaster Relie.

Airi was able to predict that it would become like this in the near future, but when the time actually came she felt conflicted.

On the other hand, she also talked about this matter to Yoruka, but she didn’t look interested and ignored her.

『It’s not necessary. Something like a present for Aruji-sama, what kind of thing that would make him happy, it’s something that I don’t think I would be able to do anyway──』

Yoruka who didn’t understand a human’s feelings.

Airi was also convinced by her words, but she also felt something strangely unnatural from her words.

If it was the Yoruka from before, she felt like Yoruka would at least think of a present for form’s sake even if it might not make Lux happy.

She thought that after fighting together with the other girls in the previous battles, Yoruka had become able to understand the others to a certain degree, but…

「It will be fine if she isn’t thinking of anything bad though……」

Noticing that she was thinking in consideration like that towards Yoruka, she smiled wryly seeing how without noticing she was starting to think of her as a friend.

Captured by his past and duty, Lux was unable to notice the good will from other people. But even that shackle that was like a curse was gradually getting unbound from his interactions with the girls.

In three more months, even this great battle will be concluded and Lux would be able to take a break from this battle he was immersing himself in.

In other words, for the girls, that time would also be the time to settle victory or defeat.