The Former Swordmaster Who Pretends to Be the Worst, and the School’s Top-Ranked Chairman’s Daughter Who’s Way Too Sweet in Public, It’s a Real Problem
――A few days had passed, and preparations for the school festival were gradually picking up steam.
In Class A, where I’m enrolled, we started by arranging for maid and butler costumes. I didn’t really want to rely on him, but to keep costs down, I ended up asking my dad to introduce me to a cosplay shop he “just happened to know about.”
“……Um, Rika. Have you finished taking the girls’ measurements?”
“Yeah! …Ah, but you’re not allowed to look, Saito-kun!”
“I said I won’t look!”
My childhood friend is in charge of checking the maid outfit sizes, while I’m handling the order for the butler outfit. You’d think something as rough as “size S” or “size M” would be fine, but that shop insisted on knowing every detail—shoulder width, bust, waist, and hip measurements.
I can’t believe it, but they aren’t planning to make everything by hand, are they…?
“Alright then, this is the last one… Ed, time to take your measurements?”
“Ah, sure thing!”
While pondering that, I called out to Edward.
Then, for some reason, the red-haired boy struck a pose that made him look just like a statue. As I shot him a cold stare, he seemed to notice after a few seconds.
Tilting his head slightly, he asked me,
“What’s up? You’re looking at me like I’m some kind of narcissist.”
“…Ah, good. So you’re still aware of it.”
At my reply, he frowned in displeasure.
Still, he finally settled into a normal posture and began taking off his bulky coat. Once I confirmed he was down to just a shirt, I started by measuring his shoulder width.
Next, I moved on to his chest circumference, then his waist.
I naturally moved behind him to do this, but suddenly Edward brought up this topic.
“Oh, speaking of which. I hear Nemesis san took care of you, Saito.”
“……Huh? How do you know about Nemesis san?”
As I asked this while continuing to take his measurements, he replied:
“Of course I know her. After all, her Necrosia family and my Lihuinburg family are the top two noble houses in Euclid!”
“……Noble houses in Euclid?”
At that, my hands stopped moving involuntarily.
Edward tried to turn around to see what was wrong, but I kept talking so he wouldn’t notice.
“Wow… Is Necro senpai’s family really that impressive?”
“Of course, my family isn’t to be outdone, but theirs is something else. They’ve produced many outstanding individuals who hold key positions in the government.”
When I asked him, he replied with great enthusiasm.
He probably wasn’t the least bit wary.
Thinking that,
“By the way, what kind of person is Nemesis san…?”
I pressed a little further and asked that.
Of course, I didn’t expect to get any real information.
“What kind of person…? Well, at first glance, she’s a gentle woman, but she’s always had this conviction that ‘once I decide on something, I won’t budge.’”
“Is that so? For example?”
“There are too many examples to list. Like how she chose the path of a clergyman instead of the path of magic. For her, the teachings of Saint Harmonia are everything.”
“The teachings are everything…?”
That’s what I thought, but there was something about the way he said it that stuck with me.
When I asked him about it, Edward spoke as if reminiscing about the past.
“I think she’s mellowed out now, but back in the day, she was a true fanatic. She’d go on and on with such fierce intensity against anyone who went against the teachings of Harmonia.”
To be honest, I couldn’t imagine that from the way she acted the other day.
But since this was coming from a boy who’d known her for a long time, it was probably true, even if he was exaggerating a bit. As I remained silent, Edward continued.
“That was truly terrifying. Since I wasn’t exactly what you’d call a devout believer myself, I used to go out of my way to avoid meeting Nemesis san. But—”
“…………Hmm, but?”
Then, right in the middle of his sentence, he paused.
When I tilted my head in confusion, he paused for a moment before saying,
“—Well, it’s not a big deal, really. But I think Nemesis san changed after she met ‘that person.’”
His cryptic tone made me involuntarily furrow my brow.
I hesitated about whether to ask, but it would have been awkward to stop now that we’d come this far.
“Who is this ‘that person’?”
“I’m sorry. Actually, I don’t know the details myself.”
“……What’s that supposed to mean?”
“What can I say? I only heard it from her, after all.”
Even so, Edward racked his brain as best he could and said this.
The “that person” who changed Nemesis was—
“I heard it was a ‘Japanese person’ she met by chance.”—he said.
But that kind of information wasn’t much of a clue.
In fact, the only useful thing was that Nemesis and her group were from Euclid. I’d listened intently, but it might have been nothing more than small talk.
I slumped my shoulders at that realization and finished taking Edward’s measurements for the time being.
“But Saito, you seem strangely interested in Nemesis san, don’t you?”
“……Hmm, is that so?”
Then, having been released, he said that while getting dressed.
And then,
“I guess this means Agatsuma san can’t afford to be careless either, huh?”
He actually went and said something so ridiculous.
I sighed at Edward’s tone before answering.
“You idiot—”
It came out so naturally.
“Nothing else compares to Rika,” I said.
I’d let my guard down completely, and the words just slipped out.
“Hoh-oh…?”
“………………Ah.”
Immediately afterward, I blushed as I realized what I’d said…
Maiban