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
With autumn now fully upon us, the leaves on the trees were turning red and had already begun to fall. At the magic academy I attend, the annual Seihou Festival—in other words, the school festival—was about to begin.
It seemed each class was getting ready to decide on their performance, and everyone was buzzing with excitement.
However, as for the people around me—
“Hey, Saito-kun? Will you walk around the Seihou Festival with us?”
“Isn’t it a bit selfish to keep him all to yourself? Since we’re here, let’s all three of us go together!”
“Wait a second, Azusa. Didn’t you just naturally exclude me just now?”
—The situation seemed to be taking a slightly different turn.
Ignoring the stares of the crowd, the one linking her arm through mine was my childhood friend and the chairman’s daughter, Agatsuma Rika. The school’s top student, peering right into my face at point-blank range, was smiling cheerfully.
“Ed’s just tagging along—it doesn’t matter if he’s here or not.”
“That’s ridiculous! I’m Saito’s best friend and rival, you know!?”
Unlike her, Takanashi and Edward were making a racket while keeping a comfortable distance. Ever since the incident last time, the former spy had been treating the exchange student from Euclid with a somewhat dismissive attitude.
That was fine in itself, but I really wished the school’s mascot and a member of a prestigious family would stop arguing so loudly over me.
Rika was already enough to draw attention, but being surrounded by these two as well made me stand out far too much.
As proof of that, the students around us were all whispering in surprise.
“Why is there such an ordinary guy among those three…?”
“Takanashi-san is fine, but isn’t that guy at the bottom of the class? The one who got in through connections?”
“Lord Edward… Why do you call such a lowly boy your best friend…?”
These were just a few of the rumors I overheard.
They seemed relatively harmless, but what were they saying behind my back? Just imagining it made me feel heavy-hearted.
I had only ever wanted a quiet, unremarkable student life, so why had things turned out this way? I had simply protected what I needed to protect—that was all it was supposed to be.
“Hey… don’t you guys have anyone else to talk to?”
Driven by that thought, I blurted it out without thinking.
At that, the three of them stopped dead in their tracks, their eyes flashing, and shouted in unison:
“Of course Saito’s side is number one!!”
Though the exact phrasing varied slightly, that was the gist of it.
Then, looking a little angry, they continued.
“I’m not giving up the spot next to Saito-kun to anyone! I only need Saito-kun!!”
“Even if I know I can’t be number one, this is where I belong!!”
“You know I’m the only one who can protect your back, right!?”
“O-oh…”
The three of them leaned in close, shouting at me in a barrage of words.
I found myself overwhelmed and let my gaze wander, as if seeking help. Then,
“Ah, Saito-kun. …You were here? I’ve been looking for you.”
“Ry… Ryotaro-san?”
The figure who appeared was Ryotaro-san, Rika’s father and the school’s chairman.
He smiled at the boisterous trio while signaling with his hand for them to quiet down. Given his position, they had no choice but to fall silent.
Seeing this as a godsend, I asked, desperate to escape the situation:
“U-um… did you need something?”
“Hmm, well…”
Then, after glancing around, Ryotaro-san
nodded once and spoke in a deliberately vague tone.
“I have an important favor to ask—one I can only ask of you.”
“…………”
His voice was quiet yet clear, and it seemed to have reached the students’ ears distinctly.
Once again, summoned by the head of the academy, the students began whispering among themselves.
“The Chairman is personally asking for something… you say?”
“Could it be that the underachiever is actually a genius?”
“No way, I can’t believe it…!”
I’d forgotten because he was so close to me, but Ryotaro himself is one of the world’s top magicians.
With him saying, “I can only ask you,” it was only natural that the crowd would start buzzing. I clutched my head at the worsening situation, yet I still prayed.
Please, even just a little bit—
“Please, give me a moment of peace…”
I wanted to leave things like missions and the fate of the world to someone else and just live in peace.
But it seemed like my humble wish was already spinning out of control, veering spectacularly off the rails.
Maiban