The following day.
"I shall give it a try."
Cliffman spoke with a tone of resolution.
Of course, after saying that, he spent quite some time agonizing over the Mister Temple application form.
It seemed that Ellen and Harriet had already submitted their applications. Both of them seemed to know that the other had decided to participate in the tournament and Miss Temple.
"Why not just close your eyes and write?"
"Well, when I actually try to write, I feel queasy..."
Cliffman became utterly disheartened in the dormitory lobby while holding a piece of paper, and I was urging him to just write if he had made up his mind.
As we were doing this for a while, Liana de Grantz happened to pass by and approached us.
"What are you two doing?"
"Uh, well...that...um..."
When Liana suddenly spoke to him, Cliffman stuttered as expected. He was especially weak against those who came on strong. Ellen was one of them, and though their methods differed, Liana also had a straightforward approach.
In reality, Liana didn't have much of a boundary between friends and non-friends. She would speak to anyone and interact without hesitation.
As Cliffman couldn't respond and faltered, I eventually opened my mouth.
"He's considering participating in Mister Temple."
"...You?"
At that, Liana frowned deeply, as if she had misheard something.
No, it's not me, okay? And what does it matter?
"It's not me, Cliffman wants to participate."
"...Him?"
"..."
The reaction was the same.
Seriously.
You?
Him?
With a single word, she had a knack for teasing people.
Cliffman's expression was that of someone caught dreaming beyond their means. Liana sat across from him and stared intently at his face.
"Hmm."
A cryptic hum.
Liana didn't say anything about whether it was possible or not for him to participate or why he should join such a thing.
She just looked at him intently, seemingly deep in thought.
"Um, so...maybe it's a bit too much...ah, haha. Hahaha..."
Scratching his head, Cliffman was about to give up on the idea and reached for the application form.
Is this not meant to be?
Thwack!
"Ouch!"
But as Cliffman tried to grab the application, Liana slapped his hand with a thwack.
"Give it to me."
"Uh, what?"
"What's so difficult about writing this that you're agonizing and sulking?"
Liana's demeanor exuded amusement.
Come to think of it, if we were to be strict, she was the true delinquent of Class A.
She relied solely on her talent and showed no interest in studying, and having been born into a wealthy family, she used money like water. Because of Ellen, Adelia, and Harriet, she was forced to study during the exam period and was quite annoyed.
With such an interesting opportunity, she couldn't miss out on the fun.
Liana began to fill out Cliffman's application form for him, including his name and affiliation.
"When's your birthday?"
"Uh, well...that is..."
"Quickly."
"June 18th..."
"Height and weight."
She filled out the application form on behalf of Cliffman, leaving only the signature blank, and handed it to him.
"Sign here."
"What?"
"Sign it, will you? It's your duty."
"Well, I... I'm not quite ready for that yet..."
Liana's eyebrows furrowed.
"Just do it. Do you want to get shocked? Fancy turning crisp?"
-Zap! Sizzle!
Witnessing the blue spark from Liana's fingertip, Cliff hurriedly scribbled his signature.
That Liana.
She knew precisely how to handle Cliff.
Did she know that the indecisive and squeamish ones needed to be led by the scruff of their necks?
No, that's just her nature. Taking the signed application, Liana tilted her head.
"Should I submit this myself?"
"Well, I... I'm not quite sure..."
"Perhaps you should go?"
At my words, Liana nodded.
"Nothing wrong with someone coming along, right?"
"I guess so?"
-Thump
Liana promptly stood up, patting the shivering Cliffman on the shoulder.
"Hey, follow me."
"Uh, uhm?"
"Can't understand a word, can you? Do you really want to get shocked?"
"Uh, uhm, okay, okay!"
As Cliffman sprang up from his seat, Liana led the way with the application in hand.
"Can't even do a simple thing like this. How troublesome."
Liana strode ahead, and Cliffman stared at me.
Help me out here!
His expression seemed to plead.
No way...
I can't help him either... There's nothing I can do.
Reluctantly, like a cow being led to slaughter, Cliff followed Liana with a wobbly gait.
When they returned after some time, Liana brought Cliffman back with a satisfied expression.
It seemed they had submitted the application.
"Hmm..."
"Now what?"
"First of all, you look too pathetic. Your hair, your expression, your posture, everything."
At the blunt criticism, Cliff's face briefly turned ashen.
Liana sat Cliff down, experimenting with different looks by combing his hair back, tousling it, and so on.
That's right... she...
She enjoyed dressing people up.
It seemed she intended to do the same with Cliff, as she had with Ellen. Did it not matter if it was a man or woman, as long as the mannequin was acceptable?
Of course, every time Liana touched him, Cliff flinched, his heart racing in real time.
"Hmm... something's missing..."
How did this turn into Operation Makeover for Cliff?
"Anyway, trust me, little brother."
"Huh? Uh, um... yeah... but why are you calling me your little brother?"
"Never mind that. Just get it over with."
"Uh, okay, okay!"
Is this how it's supposed to be? Is this right?
Did I just hand over a male Reinhardt to a female Reinhardt?
I didn't need to persuade or do anything, as Liana suddenly began fussing over Cliff.
Every time I tried to add something, Liana snatched control away, saying, "What do you know about this?"
As Clifman cast a resentful glance, a pang of guilt stirred within me. However, after careful consideration, it seemed more likely that the wickedness named Reinhardt and the wickedness named Liana de Grantz would make Clifman a better candidate for Mister Temple.
In fact, she pays more attention to her attire, and her grooming skills are better than mine.
So, in the end, I had no say in the matter, and it seemed that I didn't have to worry about it, as a more capable person took over.
But that wasn't the end. While Clifman and Liana were busy discussing, Ellen hurriedly approached Liana from a distance.
It's been a while since I've seen her move with such haste.
"Liana."
"Ah, Ellen. What's up?"
"I want to buy a dress. Can you help me choose one?"
"A dress? Suddenly?"
"Yes."
Ellen nodded.
"I'm going to participate in Miss Temple."
"…Huh?"
Liana was momentarily astonished.
Why would she do that?
Astonishment, confusion.
"Oh. Oh, wow!"
And then excitement.
The opportunity to dress up her two favorite subjects had arisen.
"Great! Both of you, follow me to my room! No! Come to our mansion on the weekend! I'll have the entire boutique from Huangdao brought over!"
With Clifman in her left hand and Ellen in her right, Liana de Grantz was on the verge of pure bliss.
—---
Liana did not question Clifman and Ellen's unexpected decision to participate.
She seemed thrilled at the thought of trying on various outfits, as if it were a good thing.
I let them handle that side of things. As for me, I don't know much about fashion, and my task is to confirm the winner for the elimination round. If Liana does a good job dressing them up, the points needed for elimination would decrease.
However, Ellen's involvement introduced a new variable.
Having Ellen as Miss Temple wouldn't be a bad idea. Both Olivia and Ellen are very talented.
To be honest, I would be happy to randomly obtain the talent of either one, and the most important thing is to gain Clifman's battle talent.
But still, I can't help but wonder...
Between Ellen and Olivia...
If I were to vote for one of them, the one I choose must win.
If I vote for Ellen and Olivia ends up winning, I'll ultimately gain nothing.
And…
Frankly, it's evident that Olivia has a higher chance of winning. Leaving aside various considerations, her popularity is on a different level.
However, Ellen claimed she needed just one vote.
So Ellen intends to participate in Miss Temple despite knowing her chances of winning are slim.
"…"
Damn it.
Complications never seem to disappear, only multiplying, ranging from large-scale issues to personal relationships.
Problems will continue to grow and grow.
—---
Although it's exam time, the atmosphere in the Royal Class of first-year students has changed significantly. It's not just because of the exams.
It was due to the newly arrived dormitory teacher, Saviolin Turner.
"Reinhardt! Teacher Turner has called for students who want to take swordsmanship lessons!"
Excited, Ludwig had come all the way to Class A dormitory. Although it was the exam period, it seemed he was eager to receive some special instruction.
"Of course we're going, right?"
"Do you not have any concerns about this being the exam period?"
You should be studying, you knucklehead! Even though it wasn't my place to say, I had a lot on my mind while he seemed unbothered.
At my words, Ludwig scratched his head, laughing heartily.
"Ah, come on, when will we get such an opportunity again? We don't even know when she'll quit teaching."
He had a point. Ludwig was interested in improving his skills but had neither the talent nor the interest in studying.
"Anyway, please pass on the message to Class A! We'll be having the lesson at the Class B dormitory's training hall!"
Leaving me with the responsibility of spreading the news, Ludwig dashed back to the Class B dormitory.
...Why do I always find him so irritating?
I ought to just drop dead, considering he's the protagonist I created. Sighing, I went from room to room in Class A dormitory, delivering the message about Saviolin Turner.
I was no different from Ludwig. I too thought it would be better to attend Saviolin Turner's swordsmanship lesson rather than regular classes.
—---
Despite it being the exam period, people gathered in the training hall of the Class B dormitory.
From Class A, only Erich and I were present.
Lately, Erich seemed to be putting in a lot of effort, but it was hard to say how much progress he had made.
Cliffman really wanted to come, but he was dragged away by Liana.
Ellen seemed eager to come, but she couldn't make it because she had something to discuss with Liana regarding the Miss Temple contest.
From Class B, Scarlett, Ludwig, and Delfin Izzard were present.
Delfin's main focus wasn't swordsmanship, but he was learning it, and he seemed curious about what the famous Saviolin Turner, leader of the Shanafel, would teach.
Saviolin Turner didn't acknowledge me since she entered the dormitory. She was here to protect Charlotte. And I needed to stay hidden so I could take action if necessary.
If something happened, she would look for me, but for now, she would merely nod at my greeting and pass by without a word.
It was meant to protect me, but it still felt somewhat bitter.
'Sorry for ignoring you.'
'What to do?'
'It would be troublesome if I openly acknowledge you.'
'Sorry...'
Of course, his thoughts were clearly visible on his stern face.
"Thank you for gathering during this busy time."
With that brief courtesy, she took a practice sword from the rack.
It was a shame that the real ace, Ellen, wasn't present.
I was curious how Saviolin Turner would evaluate Ellen's skills. However, today wasn't the only opportunity.
In fact, Saviolin Turner seemed slightly puzzled by Ellen's absence. She just didn't show it.
"I am not eloquent, nor am I accustomed to teaching. So, if you want to learn something from me, you'll have to learn with your body. Students who realize a lot will learn a lot, while those who don't know what they're doing wrong will learn little."
Saviolin Turner surveyed the five gathered individuals.
"Those who wish to participate, come forward one by one."
"I'll give it a try!"
Ludwig boldly stepped forward.
"What is your name?"
"I am Ludwig, B-11!"
Saviolin Turner and Ludwig were supposed to become master and pupil after the Gate incident.
Saviolin Turner was a harsh and cruel teacher, while Ludwig had to become accustomed to her demanding and rough teaching methods, despite finding them terrible.
She had also taught Ellen, but she had to invest more effort in Ludwig than Ellen. Of course, that didn't mean she didn't teach Ellen anything.
Ludwig and Saviolin Turner – unintentionally, my actions had succeeded in bringing them together more than a year earlier than they were supposed to meet.
After the Gate, Saviolin Turner had been harsh to Ludwig due to the unavoidable circumstances, but now, there were no such issues.
Could these two build a more gentle and moderate master-pupil relationship?
"Here I come!"
"You don't need to shout."
"Yes, understood!"
"I said you don't need to shout."
"Yes!"
"...Fine. Give it a try."
-Clang!
Saviolin Turner managed to deflect Ludwig's powerful sword thrust with just her right hand and, within a single move, pointed the tip of her sword at his throat.
"Ah."
"Hmm..."
Saviolin Turner frowned as she looked at Ludwig.
"Pitiful."
"I'm sorry!"
"No need to apologize. It's just the truth."
"I'll work hard!"
"..."
Saviolin Turner stared intently at the spirited Ludwig.
'Hmm...'
'Uh-huh...'
'Why...'
'I don't like this kid.'
As expected, Saviolin Turner's inner thoughts were clearly readable.
