kscans

Chapter 15 - Chapter 10 I Want to Put Away the Gala's Punch Bowl

As dusk fell, the grand auditorium in the center of the academy grounds was flooded with light. The space, about the size of a gymnasium from my old world, was decorated like a hotel ballroom. It was a gala held to celebrate the Knight Order's triumphant return, and the venue was filled with lavishly dressed students.

Two people from the academy were being honored for their distinguished service in preventing the recent disaster.

One, of course, was my female classmate. She was currently at the center of the hall, surrounded by a crowd of students and teachers. Her simple white dress was dazzling even from a distance. The one beside her wasn't that female knight, but a noble lady I didn't recognize.

A constant stream of students approached to greet and praise the saintess. It hasn't even been a month since that scene in the courtyard.

Those bowing their heads so desperately were probably the same ones who had distanced themselves from her when she was being shunned. Of course, I had no intention of getting any closer. Or rather...

"Why do I even have to be here?"

I was busy dealing with the new circumstances facing the Vinder Company. Work was piling up relentlessly. If it were a contest of paperwork, I wouldn't lose to the crowd of students surrounding Alfina.

"It's because you carelessly made contact with Her Highness the princess and the Grand Duchess, senpai."

"I had no choice. If Leylia had been destroyed, our business would have been ruined. Besides, we shouldn't have received an invitation in the first place."

Mia turned her face away with a huff. Come to think of it, she had parted ways with a friend on our way here. I felt a little bad about that.

Only invited guests were allowed in this hall. Most commoner students were celebrating modestly in a separate room. I hadn't even planned on going to that one.

"The invitation was from the faculty. We couldn't refuse."

"That old man..."

The party's other main attraction, Fulsy, stood a short distance from Alfina, being spoken to by a bald-headed man. The academy director, I think. He was to remain the head librarian while also receiving the titles of honorary director and sage, along with a lifetime pension. Apparently, it was a grand gesture to dilute Alfina's accomplishments.

The words 'lifetime pension' have a certain appeal to my sense of self-preservation.

"By the way, why isn't that woman with her master? I'd have thought she'd be here, showing off a smug look for all to see."

I glanced over at Clau, who was standing alone a short distance away. Now a wallflower, her usual vigor was gone. What happened to the spirit that made her draw her sword on me without hesitation? She could have come over and said, "What is someone like you doing in a place like this?" I would have used it as an excuse to go home.

"It seems she was being kept at a distance for a while," Mia said, her tone dropping.

"By Alfina!?"

"No, it seems her father ordered her to stay away regarding the matter of the prophecy."

Right, I remembered hearing she was back at her family home when we went to Leylia. So her precious family ended up opposing her precious master. To top it off, her master achieved a great victory while she was away. Her pride from playing the part of a loyal retainer must be in tatters.

"Inconsistent actions are a bad idea."

"Your actions have been consistent, senpai. While saying you wouldn't get close, you consistently closed the distance with Alfina-sama. Your words and actions just didn't match."

"Don't say such reckless things. If I stand out too much, my self-preservation..."

"Senpai, you should look up the meaning of the words 'self-preservation'."

Perhaps noticing my gaze, Clau looked my way. Oh, great. The son of Count Rowan appeared, looking haggard, and started complaining to her about something.

"Things don't always go smoothly, even between two count families."

"Count Rowan, a key figure in the Second Knight Order, has had his reputation fall quite a bit. People likely believe Clau hid information, despite being an aide to Alfina-sama."

"Ah, you mean the rumor that he teamed up with Dorefano to interfere with the monster flood subjugation?"

"...Yes. A while ago, it was a ridiculous rumor no one paid any mind to. But then the 'impossible' monster flood occurred in the west, and the Second Knight Order couldn't respond due to a lack of supplies, letting the Third Knight Order steal the show. Thanks to that unfortunate coincidence, the rumor suddenly gained credibility. It was just like a 'prophecy', wasn't it."

Mia gave me a sarcastic look. The rumor's time bomb had detonated spectacularly.

"And with Kenwell managing to expose Dorefano without a moment's delay for some reason, Chairman Dorefano was dismissed as Guild Master. His honorary barony was stripped away as well."

"Coincidences are a scary thing. You can't let your guard down."

"Aren't you the scary one, senpai?"

"You deal with business rivals through business, and political rivals through politics. It's not like I took his life. Or kidnapped his son."

I recalled the scene from earlier in the day.

The Third Knight Order paraded triumphantly down the main street, led by the head of a giant direwolf. Every time the prince in his silver armor waved, the cheers of the people echoed. The prince and the saintess, and the people praising their king and kingdom. It was a truly beautiful sight, the royalty taking the lead to protect their citizens.

On the other side of that scene, in the heart of the Royal Capital's commercial district, the Dorefano Company's sign was being torn down, and the Guild Master's insignia that had once shone so proudly was being scraped off. The numerous crests of the noble houses that had given him their patronage were all gone as well.

Of course, this didn't change the Vinder Company's position within the guild. We had no power to manipulate the next Guild Master. But the guild had been dominated by Dorefano. It would likely shift to a troika system, run by the companies ranked second and below. When there's no single dominant leader, forming a trio to maintain balance is a pattern repeated throughout history.

But a troika is merely a transitional arrangement. Order and hierarchy will warp as they seek a new form.

The Vinder Company now had a little more room to maneuver, and the seeds of the next upheaval had been sown. All that was left was to form high-probability hypotheses, gather information to verify them, and then make my next move. It would take time, but I've always been a cautious person. It suits me just fine.

"His son has left the academy as well."

"...Right."

When I had reluctantly returned to the academy for the party, I saw Dorefano's son leaving through the back gate. His entourage of ten had shrunk to two. But the fact that any remained was impressive. He wasn't completely devoid of charisma, it seemed. And one of them was a girl.

"I hope he realizes it. That the two who stayed are worth as much as the original ten."

My enemy was always Chairman Dorefano. His son was just an annoyance.

I felt no sympathy. If Dorefano had targeted our company, the people around me would have inevitably suffered. The reverse was simply also true.

It was nothing compared to leaving so many of Dorefano's employees and their families out on the street.

"A lot of unexpected things happened, but in the end, it all turned out reasonably well," I said to Mia.

Just then, someone spoke.

"You must be Ricardo Vinder-sama."

A young lady in an elegant yellow dress approached. She was a beautiful girl with a small face like a ballerina's, her chestnut hair tied up. I thought I'd seen her standing next to Alfina earlier.

"A pleasure to meet you. I am Luiza, daughter of Viscount Adelheid."

"...I am Ricardo Vinder. What can I do for you?"

I remembered. She was the only daughter of the viscount the Grand Duchess had mentioned. Did she tell her how I declared her to be worth less than a tiny company?

"I simply wanted to greet Ricardo-sama, who holds the saintess's deepest trust."

Don't give me such a strange title. I glanced to the side. Too late. After Rowan had left, Clau, who had been standing there in a daze, was now approaching. You should have come over before this happened.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Oh my, if it isn't Claudia-sama of House Adele. You were the saintess's aide."

She used the past tense. I expected Clau to get angry, but she froze in her tracks.

"Wha... I... That isn't true. For this commoner to have Alfina-sama's trust. Don't speak such nonsense."

"Oh? Is it so strange? Everyone seems to have conveniently forgotten, but from the moment Alfina-sama spoke that prophecy, many people suddenly distanced themselves, citing her maternal bloodline. Including you and your esteemed family."

"Th-That's..."

"And during that lonely time for Alfina-sama, the one who listened to her words of prophecy and came to her aid was Ricardo-sama."

"Wha!! ............Impossible. It must be some mistake. That man merely saw an opportunity to cozy up to Alfina-sama."

Clau shook her head, as if rejecting reality itself.

"Clau. How could you say such a thing..."

"P-Princess."

The worst possible timing, for Clau and for me. Alfina had appeared. Clau looked just like a villainess in a story.

"We were able to prevent this disaster thanks to Ricardo-kun."

"Indeed, that's so. There is no doubting his contributions. Though Mia-kun's help was also significant."

Behind Alfina, the party's other main attraction, Sage Fulsy, nodded in agreement. I started to panic. At their words, Clau went pale. I wanted to go pale myself.

The two heroes of the gala were addressing us, a pair of students clearly identifiable as commoners by our school uniforms. In an instant, every eye in the hall was on us.

"Such undeserved praise is the highest honor. But, Mia aside, I merely 'happened' to know about the land in the prophecy, that is 'all'. Everything was due to Alfina-sama's courage in speaking the truth for the kingdom's sake. And, of course, the Sage-sama's 'profound' knowledge."

I tried desperately to correct our course, breaking out in a cold sweat. The princess looked at me sadly. Please stop. Don't look at me with such pity. I made sure to secure my profits. I even crushed a classmate's family business.

"My, how modest, just as the princess says. My aunt was praising you as well, saying you were the one who orchestrated the entire thing."

Luiza said this, placing a hand on her cheek. She was acting impressed, but this girl seemed to have a trick or two up her sleeve. I didn't need any more difficult nobles to deal with. My social skills were already below average as it was.

Clau's face, by the way, was now completely white.

"Th-That can't be... even Grand Duchess Bertold..."

"It's true, Clau."

Clau began to tremble. What do I do? For the sake of my own self-preservation, should I try to restore the standing of this female knight, someone I once wanted to sic orcs on? But how...

Just then, the music changed. People began to clear the center of the hall. Seeing my chance, I tried to retreat. But Luiza gave the princess a meaningful wink.

"Will you dance with me, Ricardo-kun?"

As the final blow, Alfina said something utterly outrageous. I looked at Clau. This was her cue. But the female knight remained dazed, unresponsive.

"With all due respect, I am not versed enough to dance with Alfina-sama. I... I would hate to dampen the mood of this wonderful gala..."

We'd had lessons for commoner students, so I knew the basics. But doing it for real here was asking too much.

"Oh my, so there is something Ricardo-kun cannot do. I understand. I will teach you. It is my first time dancing with a boy as well, so I am not sure I can do it properly either."

A murmur rippled through the surrounding crowd. Wasn't there some special significance to a noble lady's first dance partner in high society?

"If she has a fiancé, it is that gentleman. If not, it is the man she trusts most. Usually, that would be her guardian."

Mia explained with a deadpan look. That answered my question. Alfina's guardian was the Grand Duchess, a woman. I see.

Alfina extended a white hand toward me. The stares from the crowd grew sharper. Of course they did. Even if she weren't a princess or the hero of the gala, she was beautiful enough to earn glares. Especially now, in that pure white dress...

My limit was an angel standing in the faint light of a quiet corner of a bookstore. And what's with this assertiveness? Did her character change?

Only Luiza was smiling, clearly amused. Did she put Alfina up to this?

A waltz-like rhythm began to swell. All eyes were focused on us. If I refused now, I would be the rude commoner who embarrassed the nation-saving saintess. They had created a situation with no escape.

I tentatively placed my hand on her slender, beautiful fingers. My palm was terribly sweaty, but Alfina gripped it firmly.

A path to the center of the floor opened up on its own.

The dance began. Alfina led with the most basic of steps, probably for my sake. I wanted to praise myself just for managing to keep up with my petite classmate.

Eyes, eyes, and more eyes stabbed into me for monopolizing the beautiful princess, the hero of the gala. A full-scale barrage from all directions felt imminent. Looking at the most beautiful princess in the kingdom, I was stunned at how easily my plan for self-preservation had crumbled. I wanted to punch the me from moments ago who had been reveling in his success.

I looked to Mia, searching for help. She was talking with Fulsy and Luiza. Our eyes met for an instant, but she looked away. My communication with my subordinate had been failing ever since we arrived.

My hand was pulled with a gentle tug. Alfina gave me a look of gentle protest. I steeled my resolve.

Summer vacation starts in a few days. I'll take a break from the academy starting tomorrow.

I squeezed Alfina's soft palm ever so slightly, and she beamed a bright smile. I forced myself to ignore the surrounding stares and focus on my partner. She was someone out of my reach, someone I had no intention of reaching for. And yet, she was also someone with whom I had overcome many difficulties in a short time.

I couldn't help the bud of possessiveness that bloomed within me, the feeling that I was glad it was me in this position and not someone else.

And so, upon the noble sacrifice of my self-preservation, the first disaster came to an end.