The third son of the Astorio family massacred his classmates.
The reason such rumours were flying around was my ten consecutive wins during the mock battles the day before.
“I heard they were a sorry sight to see afterwards. He kept on beating them bloody until the teacher put a stop to it.”
“No way… like, even if you don’t really know what to do in your first mock fight, that’s still not something you’d do normally… beating them up like that.”
Now I want to beat you two up.
They all went down in one spectacular hit each. One hit, you hear me?
It seemed like I was starting to be seen as the problematic kid in the school.
Every time I went out into the corridors, I got the same reaction.
Everyone turned towards me in sync and began whispering similar things.
Well, be the truth what it may, rumours had a habit of growing legs and walking off on them.
And since I had originally been famous for being incompetent, of course people were geing to be interested.
Although, the only rumours about me I ever caught them whispering amongst each other were bad ones.
“When you say ‘third son of the Astorio family’, do you mean that emotionless bore?”
“Well, apparently he’s gotten way stronger ever since he made a contract with the god.”
“You’re kidding!? With that lump of incompetence called a god!?”
“Yeah. Although, word has it she’s actually a really strong god who was just hiding her powers.”
“Uwaa… for real? Well, to be honest, I do find her really cute.”
“Same… Let’s not call her ‘nameless’ or ‘the god of incompetence’ any more.”
“But she has a name now, right? What is it?”
“Uhh… right, Athena. The beautiful god Athena.”
–You see now?
While my infamy had spread, news about Athena had also spread with it throughout the entire school.
In her case, having been somewhat well-known already had also helped her out.
…Unlike how it had with me.
“Yuno-san! Look, look! I can float now!” Athena said happily, floating in mid-air.
It seemed like her divine powers had grown a bit as a result of her having become more famous.
“Amazing! You’re awesome!” I said, and Athena grinned, slightly proudly, but mostly in embarrassment.
Being rather infamous throughout the school was a small price to pay for getting to see her smile like that.
–Or at least, that’s what I thought.
“The Introductions? What’re those?” I said, making Alice stare at me incredulously.
“Did you, by any chance, not listen to what Mr. Soleil was saying?”
I confirmed she was right with a nod, to which she sighed and began explaining everything to me.
Apparently, the school we went to, the Ferris Magic Knight Academy, had a certain, rather famous event every year.
“Yuno, have you heard of St. Ferris’ Girls’ Academy?”
“Of course I have.”
– St. Ferris’ Girls’ Academy.
There wasn’t a single boy who hadn’t heard of the place.
After all, more than half of the students there were the daughters of nobles.
Just like the Ferris Magic Knight Academy was a school for training knights, the nobles’ daughters attending St. Ferris’ Girls’ Academy learned ladies’ etiquette and suchlike.
Naturally, the other half of the student body wasn’t full of normal people though. They were the daughters of famous merchants, or extremely talented, and so on and so on.
There was a reason the saying ‘If you want a bride, Ferris Girls’ is the place for you’ existed.
On a somewhat different note, Alice was also supposed to have gone to St. Ferris’ Girls’ Academy originally, but had enrolled here in the end, as that had been her wish.
“What about it being located right next to our school grounds?”
“Haha, of course I… huh? What?”
“I knew it… okay, look where I’m looking.” she said, looking out of the window.
She was looking at a beautiful white building shining in the sunlight.
The building didn’t have a single decoration-free bit, and was so gorgeous she could have told me it was the mansion of some famous noble and I would have believed her.
Of course, it wasn’t my first time seeing the building.
I had remarked on its beauty to myself many times before while listening to boring classes.
…No way.
“That’s St. Ferris’ Girls’ Academy.”
I could hardly believe it.
“Oh, okay…”
I was filled with regret. Had I known that, I would’ve stared a hole right through it every day.
“I’m afraid that would be impossible. See? That building’s windows have been magically strengthened so that you can’t see in from the outside.”
…Childhood friends are scary.
“You’re right… I can’t see a thing. So? What’s Ferris Girls’ got to do with us?” I asked, and Alice began to speak again.
Apparently, our school had a long-standing tradition.
“You see, we each become the knight of one of the students from St. Ferris’ Girls’ Academy and protect them.”
…Huh?
“Hang on a second, isn’t that that? We’ll be going to classes like that as well, won’t we?”
For example: The two of us go into the forest, trying to get to our destination while I protect the student from Ferris Girls’… or something along those lines.
“I don’t even want to know what you’re imagining right now. Anyway, once it has been decided whose knight you are, you can’t leave them until you graduate. Once it’s decided, you’ll even have to go to and from school together. As such, classes will often be held jointly with St. Ferris’ Girls’ Academy’s classes.”
I looked up at the heavens.
…So basically… basically, it was!
A legal way… to hang out with… and get to know the girls from St. Ferris’ Girls’ Academy better?
“R-right. Uhuh? I didn’t know. By the way, how is it decided whose knight someone will be?” I asked Alice, trying my best to stay calm.
“…I told you already. The Introductions. We all gather in the auditorium in their school building, and keep trying to convince each other why we should be their knights until both parties feel okay with it. Although, they will have already gathered information on us. We are allowed to do the same, but most knights usually don’t.”
“Mhm…”
Well, not a big surprise, that one. Not knowing who exactly they were letting stay by their sides would be rather worrying from the perspective of the students from Ferris Girls’.
Also, it was only natural to want the best knight beside your side.
And as for the knights, it wasn’t fitting for them to choose who they served.
“So basically, they’ll have already decided who they’ll pick beforehand?”
“That’s right.”
Hahaha. I see. It’s just that?
“I’m looking forward to this,” I said, grinning.
And then Alice grinned too. As if she were looking at someone pitiful.
“Yuno, with all the bad rumours surrounding you, I really wonder what kind of saint would pick you.”
My vision went black.
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