Chapter 137: Autumn in Magic Academy City Lindis (part three)

After school the next day.

I was talking to Marquia and Tricia in the dining hall.

“People in the academy are busy trying to prepare for the All Souls’ Day Festival, huh.”

“It’s a festival for the entire academy city, you know. It’s going to be fun.”

“Yes, it’s all very thrilling, isn’t it, Marquia-san, Tricia-san?”

It’s also thrilling to prevent myself from becoming a drowned body floating in the autumn river.

I wanted to enjoy the All Souls’ Day Festival, but I will have to be vigilant on the first day.

There’s not much time left until then.

“But, I, I’ve already finished making and setting up my flying golem, so I’m bored!”

Tricia cried out in frustration.

Elementary Golem Engineering students were tasked to produce mechanical flying golems that were designed by Schlammberg-sensei.

On the first day, about ten flying golems are scheduled to fly and create a golden-colored rainbow.

“So you’re already done with it, as expected from you. If you don’t mind, I would like to see the design.”

“Fufu, here it is! Erica-sama!”

Tricia spread the blueprint on the table.

It looks like a machine left behind in a castle in the sky.

“The route information can be loaded into the main unit, huh.”

“This way, it would be okay even if the flight route changes suddenly!”

Because the flight system was designed by Schlammberg-sensei, it is without a doubt a high quality.

Although it is an elementary class, it touches on advanced technology.

Furthermore, the students are responsible for setting up the passwords plus designing and assembling the heat sources.

It’s borrowing the students’ ingenuity properly.

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“There are many things here that I can use as a reference. This, can I borrow this, Tricia-san?”

“Yes, of course, Erica-sama. Aah, that’s right. I would also like you to check this out!”

Tricia leaned forward and placed a palm-sized box on the table.

From the look of it, it seems to be made by processing star steel.

“This is a……heat source, is it not? This is my first time seeing this type though.”

“This is a heat source that I developed myself! It holds a special coil that was constructed by subtly changing the burning speed and heat conduction that were the special characteristics of star steel. When ignited, it generates intense heat that can burn slowly up until over a week!”

Ooh, amazing, it’s a rare and useful heat source!

Tricia is really amazing when it comes to this kind of thing.

As expected from a family that is passionate about perpetual motion.

“If possible, I would like you to use it and give me your opinion, Erica-sama!”

“Thank you very much, Tricia-san. It will be my pleasure.”

Let’s use it later and summarize my impression after using it.

When one has excellent friends, one will sometimes get great benefits such as this, huh.

Then after Tricia’s story was over, the main topic moved to Marquia.

“I was asked by the teacher for the role of igniting the bonefire.”

Bonefire is an event where the bones of livestock that was slaughtered during autumn are piled up and burned.

“It is scheduled to have ten small dragons at each location ignite seven bonefires in the city.”

“So you would use 70 dragons in total?”

“Yes. I’m planning to bring my dragons from the territory on that day.”

Marquia’s territory is a large breeding ground for small dragons.

Furthermore, her ancestor was an eminent figure called 〈Saint of the Cape〉 who was famous for using small dragons.

Naturally, Marquia is also good at using small dragons.

There are always five or six small bird-sized dragons in her robe pockets or hood.

All of them are splendid escort dragons that can breathe out flames as strong as a flamethrower.

“So there would be flying golems, the bonefire event, theatrical performance, and golem parade on the first day?”

Theatrical performance is an event that students and citizens perform for three consecutive days on multiple outdoor stages in the city.

Golem parade is a parade of huge golems made by volunteer students of Advanced Golem Engineering.

“I can’t wait for both the play and the golem parade!”

“I wonder if I should see the play or the parade~!”

There are a lot of events from the very first day, so I’m also excited.

I wish I could enjoy it more slowly though.

If I could spare some mental energy and time, I also wanted to create a huge golem and watch the parade……!

“Both seem wonderful and exciting, aren’t they……”

However, a danger to my physical safety is approaching, so it can’t be helped.

I will look forward to the Magical Beast Circus on the second day and the Golem Mobile Amusement Park on the third day instead.

“Moreover, there is the fortune telling that can only be done during the festival!”

Marquia put her hands on her cheeks and had a dreamy expression on her face.

“Did you know about the love fortune-telling of All Souls’ Day, Erica-sama, Tricia-san?”

“My, such an exciting thing exist, Marquia-san?”

Tricia doesn’t seem to know about it either.

I don’t hate listening to these kinds of topics, though I don’t know any other people who love these topics.

“Yes! I heard from my cousin that it’s pretty accurate!”

“Oh my, what kind of fortune telling is it?”

“It is a cabbage fortune-telling; you have to go to the cabbage field together with your lover and uproot the cabbage.”

Wouldn’t it be tough for the farmers if the students enter their fields without permission and pull out their cabbages?

Well, if it’s a field in the academy, then it’s fine because the field is for crop-improvement research.

“It is said that you can see the future of your love by looking at the state of the extracted roots and from the sweetness or bitterness of the cabbage when you bite on it. Another famous fortune telling is the walnut fortune-telling that measures the passion of love using roasted walnuts, if the walnut popped out, that means your love will be fulfilled!”

Listening to Marquia’s explanation, Tricia let out a “Kyaa~”.

“Well, how wonderful. I’m sure people with lovers will have so much fun with it.”

“Erica-sama, it’s a great opportunity for you to do it, so by all means……!”

“That’s right……”

To be honest, I would like to stay single if possible.

First of all, I don’t understand the thrill of falling in love with someone else.

And my actual life is already thrilling with fear from many dangerous things.

Anyways, I will worry about my social adaptation later after breaking all my death flags.

“But, um, I don’t have a lover or the like, and my fiancé hasn’t even been decided yet.”

“……Fiancé……haah, that’s right.”

“Fuuh, now I remember.”

Tricia and Marquia suddenly sighed deeply.

They don’t seem to like their fiancé very much.

I wonder if that was a bad topic to bring up.

The air in the place suddenly became heavy.

At that time, Chloe and Beatrice who just finished their class came over.

They sat in the seats opposite us.

“Tricia-san, Marquia-san, both of you don’t look so good, but are you alright?”

“Did something happen to you?”

Chloe and Beatrice asked.

Tricia and Marquia then sighed deeply once again.

“That’s……I’ll tell you ahead of time, but this is not me bragging about my love affairs, this is a serious complaint!”

Saying so with air as if she were a tragic heroine, Tricia shook her head.

Her hair which was tied in two moves around dynamically.

“It seems that he will come to visit on All Souls’ Day! That man!”

“‘That man’?”

“Tricia-san’s fiancé. He seems to be thirteen years older.”

Marquia supplied additional information to Chloe who leaned forward curiously.

Tricia’s partner is the heir of a prestigious Aurelian merchant family who supported the Baron House of Rails financially when they were in a slump.

Completely disregarding the intention of Tricia, who is the youngest daughter, he decided to marry her, huh.

It seems that her parents were told that it’s not a bad story because the partner is a rich man who can buy a peerage despite being a merchant.

“Aargh! And I entered this academy to escape from that guy too~~~!”

Just when she wanted to enjoy her school life, her fiancé, who is the personification of her restraints, came to visit.

“So, I’m going to run away. But then I wouldn’t be able to enjoy All Souls’ Day to the fullest.”

“If that’s the case, um……”

Beatrice raised her hand.

“What, you have an idea?!”

“U-um, why don’t you participate in the play?”

“That’s a good idea……!”

Tricia was eager to try Beatrice’s proposal.

Beatrice who suggested it became a little bit intimidated.

“But is that possible?”

“Y-yes, Jan was troubled because there is a vacant position for a minor role.”

Jan Carlson is a redhead with freckled face.

A boy from the Central Dormitory who is in the position of the original Harold in the game.

“Um……if possible, I also want to escape from that child……”

Marquia also raised her hand tentatively.

Oh, is her fiancé coming too?

“Do you also want to participate in the play to escape from your fiancé, Marquia-san?”

“He is not a bad child, I can tell you that. But, when I think about his age……”

Marquia’s fiancé is four years younger and the third son of a Viscount, he is now ten years old.

He was arranged to become the husband of Marquia, who is the heiress.

“I don’t want to see him as much as possible. No, he’s not bad, it’s just……”

Marquia’s eyes looked about in worry.

Even though she didn’t want to talk bad about her partner, she couldn’t help saying it.

“It seems that his dragon hasn’t come out of the egg yet even though he is already ten years old, and the future prospects are still……”

Marquia’s words became indistinct as she covered her mouth with a lacy handkerchief.

The Ignitian nobility has such delicate issue, huh.

By the way, Marquia is an early-maturer type who hatched a large number of small-dragon eggs at the age of four.

Aristocratic marriage is really tough, huh.

Although I was given a relative freedom about such matters, it is not another person’s problem.

Whether it is due to my assets or social position, engagement talks with someone I don’t know well might be raised suddenly.

“Haah, Erica-sama is enviable. Right, Marquia-san?”

“There are lots of wonderful choices, so I understand that it must be difficult to decide. But even so, I know, right?”

“Unlike us whose dreams and hopes are blocked……”

While sighing, Tricia and Marquia grumbled so.

Hmm, I wonder what she meant by choices ……?

Chloe, who was listening to the conversation between Tricia and Marquia, also doesn’t seem to understand.

Beatrice nodded seriously in agreement.

“Ah, speaking of which, how about you, Chloe-san?”

“You mean a fiancé or someone I like? I don’t have any.”

Chloe answered Tricia’s question promptly.

“Then, is there anyone who you consider wonderful? What kind of person do you like?”

Tricia refused to back down and gave a follow-up question.

Ooh, I also wonder about this.

I wonder if a romance flag was raised unbeknownst to me.

Chloe’s cheeks turned red and replied shyly.

“My favorite type……I guess……a person who is stronger than me.”

Chloe responded with a pretty expression suitable for an otome game heroine.

However, the content was disappointing.

Chloe’s gallant figure ran through my mind.

A heroic and ferocious figure who challenged a more-than-500-year-old vampire with a broken sword without hesitation.

If we’re talking about someone stronger than Chloe, then it must be someone who can beat a powerful vampire alone.

“I get you! A strong gentleman is wonderful!”

“I understand. Someone who can be depended on is so dreamy……!”

Tricia and Marquia became excited without understanding the true meaning of Chloe’s words.

“Chloe-chan, aren’t favorite types normally seen from their personality or appearance?”

Beatrice interjected reservedly.

Yeah, that’s true.

For example, liking black-haired guys, liking blonde-haired guys, liking tsunderes, or maybe yanderes.

“That may be so, but like this it’s easier to understand, though?”

“I, I see……”

In response to Chloe’s answer, Beatrice smiled ambiguously to gloss over it.

And then, Chloe asked Beatrice in return.

“Speaking of which, what about you, Beatrice? Do you have a fiancé or a favorite person or a favorite type?”

“Not at all. I want to fall in love, but I’m still not good at dealing with men.”

“Heeh, is that so?”

“Especially those who are tall; they are scary, I’m not good with them at all.”

Beatrice, I know what you mean.

Because I was rather small in my previous life.

When I got on the train and was surrounded by men like being barricaded, I couldn’t help but feeling pressured.

But Beatrice is also from the lineage of the Earl House of Wynt.

When necessity arrives, the marriage discussion might be pushed forward against her will.

I’m worried that she might get overwhelmed by such situation.

“But Erica-san and I are taller than you, Beatrice. Aren’t you scared of us?”

“Even though you both are taller than me, you both are girls, Chloe-chan.”

“I see. Since you’re not good at dealing with men from the start, you’re even worse at dealing with tall men, huh~”

Between the five of us, Beatrice is the smallest.

She has a thin and delicate body.

I feel like people who like this kind of girls are quite considerable.

“There are many gentlemen who prefer small and cute women, so you may be secretly popular, you know?”

“T-t-that’s not true, Erica-sama! Because I, I have no presence and my hair color is plain!”

Beatrice shook her head desperately.

Now that she mentioned it, among the people present here, she is the only one with black hair.

“Oh my, your silky thin black hair looks exotic and attractive to us, you know.”

“Plus your narrow shoulders are very cute.”

“Yup, yup, I get you~ Beatrice is cute like a small animal, right~”

A storm of compliments came from the others.

I think only Chloe’s lip service slightly deviates, but she’s always like that.

However, Beatrice, who was embarrassed, turned ghastly pale.

Her cheeks didn’t turn red, but turned pale instead.

Okay, it wouldn’t be good if we tease her too much, should I casually change the topic?

“By the way, Beatrice-san, I noticed you haven’t been going together with Jan Carlson recently, why is that?”

“Y-yes! Jan has joined the executive committee, and he seems to be busy with the play-related things.”

I see, so that’s why.

Thank you for your hard work.

“Incidentally, the higher-ups of the executive committee are almost composed of the Dynameis, and they seem to be working hard every day.”

So this is the reason why I haven’t seen Klaus, Auguste, and Harold in the last few days, huh.

I’m glad I was able to escape.

In such a way, I ended up eating quickly while talking with the four of them, then I stood up while taking my luggage.

“Where are you going, Erica-san?”

Chloe, who was the first to notice, asked me.

“I’m thinking about asking permission for the golem experiment to the principal.”

“Aah~ I see, you mean that……!”

‘That’ is the mist golem.

As a result of reading the investigation report from Harold all at once, I thought that maybe this golem was heading towards some place.

So I decided to give it enough water and let it go to wherever it wanted.

This is a research plan that lets the golem to roam freely to see whether it has a purpose.

☆

I received permission from the principal without any problems, so I put the plan into practice.

Under the pretext of confirming the movement of the old-fashioned golem’s autonomous activation, of course, so that it will not raise any question.

“—and that is my plan, Tir.”

『Umu, so it will be in the evening. The follow-up investigation will be about two hours after acting as that girl’s security detail, huh.』

The core of the mist golem has been put into a large jar filled with water.

There is a pocket-like cavity on the side of the jar, and a heat source was built and inserted there.

I handed over five beeswax candles to Tirnanog along with the jar.

『So if the golem is about to do something strange, I can just extinguish the candles.』

“Is that okay with you?”

『There will be no particular difficulties. It is out of question.』

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The period I was permitted for this golem observation is one month.

If I use that time only to study the golem, I will surely find out more about the mist golem.

Palug returned home when I was instructing Tirnanog about the route while showing him the map.

“Welcome home. How is it?”

『Those small fry-like underlings have been exterminated……soon I can be back on your side, Erica~~』

I would like to ask her to identify the undercover investigator who infiltrated the academy if she were free.

It’s very disturbing that the Military Order of Útför is operating behind the scenes nearby.

“Since you are here, Palug, I also feel reassured.”

『Ufufu~ if I’m around you, Erica, I can meet Auguste easily!』

“Unfortunately, Auguste-sama seems to be busy preparing for the All Souls’ Day Festival.”

『Whaaat~~~! My precious healing time, nooo~~~~~!』

A cat screamed in the room at midnight.

『Cat……such a vulgar guy…..』

Tirnanog glared at Palug as usual.