“…It’s hard to say, but I have plans. It’s a personal matter that’s quite important.”

“Don’t stress yourself. Go out and have fun today, student.”

That didn’t work. He’s perceptive in the most useless situations.

With a kindly expression, the professor left the classroom.

Seeing Elias silently laughing until tears welled up in his eyes made me smile despite myself, but seeing Leo’s friends sneaking glances at me as they exited the classroom turned that smile into a wry one.

“Huh…”

Doesn’t the professor realize how troublesome this can be?

He probably meant no harm, but I never imagined I’d end up in such a situation.

‘…On the bright side, the professor does view me somewhat positively…’

Otherwise, there’s no reason for him to make such a gesture unless he meant to embarrass me deliberately.

However, seeing how genuinely satisfied he looked while leaving the classroom, it didn’t seem like he meant to put me on the spot in such a childish way.

He was just trying to help, and I got caught in the crossfire unintentionally.

“…Are you okay?”

Before I knew it, Leo had approached me, asking cautiously.

“Do you know asking that only makes things feel worse?”

“Sorry.”

There were only a few students left in the classroom. It seemed they were more worried about something unusual happening to me than wanting to stick around and watch the drama unfold.

I quickly left the classroom, whispering so only Leo could hear.

“Go hang out with your friends. I need to talk to Narce.”

“I already sent them off. And what do you need to talk about?”

“There are things. Anyway, go fetch them again. I’m heading to the library now.”

“To the li…!”

Leo stopped mid-sentence, standing frozen in place.

“…….”

I was caught off guard, given how by-the-book this guy was. Even for him, the news of someone going to the library on a festival day was shocking.

I calmly conveyed my intentions.

“There seems to be a misunderstanding, but when I say I’m going to the library, I don’t mean just studying; I’m saying I’m assessing the timing.”

“…Let’s just walk around together. I prefer one over many anyway. Besides, it’s still bothering me that Elias went on about things I couldn’t understand yesterday evening… You didn’t attend the Third Institute, and you stayed in the dormitory during your first year. This is your first festival, isn’t it?”

It isn’t my first.

But I can’t say that. For Luca, this is indeed the first.

‘It’s not like I’m prohibited from walking around during the festival.’

Given that the professor is involved, it’s unlikely my brother would be suspicious about me hanging out with friends. Besides, since I need to improve Luca’s Impression score, I’ll have to tolerate some degree of his wariness now.

“What did Eli say?”

“Judging by how you changed the subject, I guess I’m right. Let me ask this first. Is it okay for you to be with me openly?”

“Even if it reaches my brother’s ears, the professor’s words will inevitably come up. It’ll be clear I was instructed to stay with you.”

“Yes… We’ll be lucky if it doesn’t spread throughout the school by the end of the day.”

Is it that bad…

While I was at a loss for words, Leo spoke again.

“You mentioned needing to talk to Narce earlier, right? How about we join up if we bump into him while hanging out?”

“Sure.”

That would be the most natural approach.

Narce must have sensed that I harbor suspicions about him, so there shouldn’t be any issue even if I ask to meet separately.

‘I need to return Pai later since he’s here too.’

I idly stroked the ball of fur brushing against my left hand. Pai still clung to my hand.

“Is there anything you wanted to do?”

“Not really…”

It’s Luca who hasn’t been to a festival, not me. I’ve been to many, so I don’t have anything in particular in mind.

What do people even do at festivals? I should recall memories from high school rather than college.

All that comes to mind is something like making mosquito repellent.

I opened the guidebook given by the school.

‘Still, it seems pretty well-organized.’

Everyone seemed to have prepared diligently.

When I closed the booklet, there was a stamp collection section on the back cover.

Leo nodded at the booklet and said.

“If you’re going to have fun, you might as well fill up your stamp card and get a prize. The student council put a lot of effort into preparing.”

“What’s the prize?”

“You’ll know once you collect all the stamps.”

For once, he answered evasively without any embarrassment.

There must be a lot of people asking the same thing.

I nodded and gestured towards the window.

“Alright, but first, let’s grab something to eat.”

***

“Leo! Oh…”

Once outside, I could feel the situation more clearly.

I felt like a monkey in a zoo.

Students who’d heard the rumors were sneaking glances at me from a distance.

That wasn’t all. Students who approached with cheerful smiles after seeing Leo quickly retreated upon noticing me.

Leo waved to a student backing away and then deliberately avoided other students’ gazes. It seemed he couldn’t adapt to the situation, so he cast a soundproofing spell and whispered.

“This isn’t normal. Have you always lived like this…?”

“Not to this extent. It’s because you’re here with me.”

“What?”

Since someone who openly disliked Luca was hanging out with him, it must seem novel.

To me, it feels like we’ve already become good friends, but others have only seen the same outward appearance from my first year.

Leo could only nod in response, unable to say anything more.

I ignored him as he began to brood and pointed to a snack booth in the distance.

“Let’s grab some ice cream. We can check out what events are happening while we eat.”

“…Okay…”

I left him behind and headed to the booth.

They didn’t seem to have brought in any cooling equipment. A student from a neighboring class was busily infusing it with cooling magic.

“Hey, the temperature’s too low! Are you trying to make ice?”

“Ah, where should I stop?”

“……”

Using magic to manually freeze ice cream feels oddly refreshing.

I casually called out to them.

“Excuse me.”

“Oh, yes… Ah?!”

“Two vanilla ice creams, please. And add honey to one.”

They were eager to serve me quickly, as if they couldn’t wait to get rid of me.

For some reason, I handed a vanilla ice cream topped with cherries to Leo.

“Here.”

“Thanks. But what’s with all the cherries?”

Leo used a spoon to scoop the ice cream and raised an eyebrow when he saw cherries inside.

I suspected as much when Elias came back with a whole basket yesterday… They must have a lot left over. This is more cherry ice cream than vanilla.

“Speaking of which, where’s Eli?”

“He’s probably hanging out with my friends, but I’m not sure.”

I glanced around to see if anyone I knew was nearby.

The school was adorned with various decorations and banners, looking quite different from usual. There were a few students wearing unfamiliar school uniforms amid the familiar waves of deep purple uniforms.

Since I’d been outside for a while, the stares directed at me had noticeably decreased.

‘Elias might have difficulty enjoying himself with his leg like that.’

Especially in such crowded places.

He might end up visiting the orphanage to gather information, but I should look into it since there are ways to obtain the list without going there.

I looked around and pulled Pai out of my robe pocket.

Surprised by his sudden appearance, Pai looked around in confusion.

“Bleep?”

“Pai, can you find Elias for me?”

Pai rolled his eyes, then nodded.

Talking to an animal made Leo look at me with doubt, wondering if he’d misheard.

After putting Pai back in my pocket, he warped away instantly.

“Meanwhile, let’s check out what’s happening around here.”

“…Do you really think Pai will show up if you send him?”

“Probably.”

“Yeah…. Hmm, let’s check out that place.”

“The art club?”

When we entered the first floor of the building, there was a booth not much different from reality.

‘Face painting…’

Though it had a different name, the activity was essentially the same. I could only chuckle. This stuff never changes, whether here or in reality.

I wonder if it’s because human thought processes haven’t changed much over a hundred years or if there are other modern people here besides me.

Ignoring my rational doubts, I opened the door.

Upon my entrance, the students stiffened, staring wide-eyed.

I shook my head and raised my hand.

“I’m not doing it.”

The students visibly relaxed, a sigh of relief escaping their lips.

“Phew…”

‘…….’

These bastards…

I was about to laugh again when Leo was caught by an underclassman.

“Senior!”

“Oh, Johanna.”

“What brings you here?”

“We came for the stamps. This is a friend from my class, Lucas, and she’s a junior from the student council.”

Leo gestured between me and the junior as he spoke.

The junior seemed happier to meet Leo, so she didn’t show any hostility towards me.

“Hello! Senior, do you want to try this? I think I’m pretty good at it.”

“No, I’ll pass on that. We’re just passing through.”

Leo waved off the brush the junior offered.

But getting away wasn’t so easy.

Leo rubbed his cheek with a disgruntled expression as we moved on.

“Phew…”

“Not bad.”

“Could you not say stuff like that? It just makes me feel worse.”

Leo sighed, running a hand down his face.

Despite his words, it truly wasn’t bad. It was a thumbnail-sized Bavarian flag, after all.

In the next room, the art club had an exhibit.

On a stark white wall were paintings from the Belle Époque era. There weren’t many paintings, suggesting a small number of club members.

“Hmm, I see why you wanted to come here first.”

“Right? They give you a stamp just for glancing around. There are thirty booths, but you only need ten stamps, so it’s best to hit places like this first.”

Leo replied, casting a soundproofing spell.

It seems even he knows how to take the easy route.

I chuckled at the thought, which made Leo tilt his head, unsure if I was teasing him or what.

Thanks to Leo’s inside knowledge, we managed to leave within a minute.

A student with stamps beckoned to us.

“How was it~?”

“I’d love to come again.”

“Ah, thank you~! If you draw in the guestbook, I’ll give you another stamp! We’re posting everyone’s drawings on the wall.”

“Hmm…”

Pulling a fast one right in front of the student council.

While I was surprised, Leo hesitated for a moment, deciding what to do.

“Yes, give me the pen.”

“…Wow.”

“…….”

Leo shot me an incredulous look before drawing a familiar animal.

“It’s Pai.”

“Huh, you recognized it immediately?”

Objectively, it was well-drawn. As long as it’s recognizable, it’s well-drawn.

‘What should I draw?’

I’d compare poorly to Pai.

I opened to the next page and began sketching lines.

“Whoa, what’s with those lines? Really…”

“…….”

“What is this supposed to be, Lucas? Do I have to guess?”

It’s a lion.

It looks fine to me.

Without answering, I handed over the guidebook.

The student stamping it hesitantly asked.

“Oh, can I hang this up?”

“Go ahead.”

Though the reason for wanting to hang it was obvious, I got my stamp, so it didn’t matter.

Leaving a still-shocked Leo behind, I exited the building.

“Yay~”

As soon as we stepped outside, an all-too-familiar voice rang out.

Emerging from an alley beside the building, Elias approached with Pai perched on his shoulder.

Leo, who had followed me, saw Elias and shouted without a greeting.

“Your clothes…!”

As expected, Elias was wearing a Prussian Investigation Bureau uniform instead of his school uniform. He was genuinely planning to visit the orphanage.

‘It’s exactly like the novel.’

“The bunny just suddenly jumped onto my shoulder. I was about to head out when I realized it wouldn’t let go, so I figured something was up.”

“That’s not the issue. Why are you walking around like that?”

Elias shrugged leisurely in response to Leo’s exasperated tone.

“I thought it suited me. Doesn’t it prove that clothes really do make the man?”

“Who cares if it suits you?”

“Can’t argue with that~ I’ll take it as a compliment then.”

Leo was likely speechless from irritation, but Elias seemed satisfied enough with silencing him that he grinned and glanced around.

“Most people will just think it’s because of the festival. I even removed the insignia on purpose. Don’t worry so much, Class President.”

Elias emphasized the title with a grin, causing Leo, who had suddenly become a stickler for rules, to laugh awkwardly and rub the back of his neck.

‘They get along well.’

These two really are better together.

I thought this while feeding cherries to Pai, who was trying to steal a bite of my ice cream.

“So, we’ve been out for less than an hour. What have you been up to?”

“We haven’t done much yet. We did get two stamps from the art club.”

“Nothing, huh? You look like you’ve been having fun, though.”

“You know how it went…”

“Yeah, I do.”

Elias chuckled, turning around.

“I came to return the bunny, but should I join you for a while?”

“No, just stick around. What were you planning to do?”

“Well… How about the haunted house? Hey, do you get penalized if you hit someone in there?”

“Yeah.”

I nodded at the obvious statement.

Besides, Elias seems to keep forgetting that he’s still recovering from his leg injury.

“You’ll have to run if you go in there. Are you sure?”

“Ah, right.”

I opened the guidebook again.

Looking up at the location marked on the map, I spotted a building in the distance surrounded by a crowd.

“Shall we head there?”

“Hmm?”

Seeing the flashy sign in the distance, Elias clapped his hands.

“Oh, a casino~ Leo, how did you approve this?”

“It’s just a name. You don’t bet anything. You just get your name on the Hall of Fame for each event.”

“Really~?”

Elias’s eyes gleamed at the mention of no betting.

***

“I can’t believe we actually came to a place like this, even if there’s no betting…”

Leo squinted at the blindingly flashy interior.

“It’s better when there’s no money involved. You can really play for real. I hate how real casinos take commissions. It drives me crazy.”

“How old are you?”

Elias didn’t answer Leo’s question but grinned as he took a seat.

“Let’s play a round of poker. It’s been years.”

“I’ve forgotten the rules.”

“Well, aren’t you the model student? Let’s at least try to get our names up there. Lucas, you’re in too, right?”

“Sure.”

Having come all this way, there’s no reason to refuse.

Looking around, I saw many students focused on getting their names on the leaderboard despite the lack of tangible rewards. Everyone’s competitive spirit was impressive, even without stakes.

I had no intention of beating anyone, so I let Elias enjoy his laughter.

Propping my chin on my hand, I watched Elias tap the table.

For the third time, he won solo.

“Hahaha! Won again~”

“Hmm…”

“That’s your skill, Leo. Accept it.”

“How can you compete when I’ve forgotten the rules?!”

Elias blew a whistle at Leo’s protest and shook his head.

Then he clapped his hands.

“Wait a minute. Should we invite someone else? It seems we need at least four to get on the Hall of Fame.”

‘He’s having a blast.’

I’m glad we came.

At that moment, a student in black approached.

“Excuse me.”

“Me?”

Elias asked.

The student shook his head and pointed at me.

“No, you, sir.”

Leo and Elias exchanged puzzled glances with me and the student.

I was equally confused, but I answered calmly.

“What is it?”

“Could you join us at that table? They’re wondering if you’d be interested.”

Looking over, I saw a group of students playing poker, just like us.

Judging by their uniforms, they were third-year students, laughing and chatting without any tension while glancing our way.

“…….”

Their intentions are obvious.

I shook my head.

“I’m not going.”

“Alright, understood.”

As the student left, Elias chuckled.

“What’s this? Let’s just play something else among ourselves.”

Elias picked up his crutches, preparing to leave when the same student approached again, looking awkward.

“Um, could you please reconsider? They asked me to try once more.”

Now Elias was incredulous and laughed.

“What’s going on? Fine, I’ll go.”

“No, they specifically asked for him…”

“…….”

Given how popular poker is, there are plenty of players here.

If they specifically asked for me, it means they view me as someone who would obviously lose.

That’s likely the case. For Luca in his first year, that image is expected.

But still…

‘It’s been a while since I’ve been underestimated like this.’

What should I do?

After pondering for a while, I stood up.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep