Chapter 84 - Top Secret and Thousand Blade Festival [1]

84. Top Secret and Thousand Blade Festival [1]

A few days have passed since the end of the Sword King Festival.

Early September.

After completing morning class, I, Ria, and Rose, headed to the student council room with our lunch boxes.

「It’s been getting chilly lately.」

I brought up the subject while looking out the window.

「That’s right. I think I like the climate as it is now.」

「Hmm, I prefer a little cooler.」

When Ria and Rose said that, their gaze turned towards me.

「As for me… Let’s see. Autumn is moderately cool and I can swing calmly, so I quite like it.」

「Then, what about winter?」

Ria asked, tilting her head.

「Ah, winter is good, too. The cold tenses my body and mind, so I can focus on every single swing.」

「Hou, how about spring?」

Rose asked this time.

「Yeah, spring is good, too. It’s warm so I can swing my sword comfortably.」

「「What about summer then?」」

Ria and Rose asked at the same time.

「Summer is good, too… Especially the harsh heat is good.『This is what true training feels like!』That feeling is best.」

「Fufu… Haa, Allen judges everything by their usefulness for training.」

「Well, it seems that Allen is the『cricket of training』.」1

「I-Is that so?」

While chatting as such, we arrived at the Student Council Room before long.

I knocked and got permission to enter the room, and opened the door.

「Good morning, president.」

「Good morning. Allen-kun, Ria-san, Rose-san.」

The president, who had arrived at the student council room a few minutes earlier, greeted us.

In the back of it, Lilim-senpai and Ferris-senpai sitting on the sofa waved towards us.

「Well, now that we’re all together, let’s start our regular meeting right away!」

The president took the lead, and the established『In name only regular meeting』began.

After that, as usual, we had a good time talking about various things while eating lunch.

According to the president, Sebas-san, the vice-president, was still in custody.

I am told, he was suspected of being related to the Black Organization due to wearing their black cloak and all.

Therefore, it would take a little more time before he can return to Thousand Blade Academy.

Now that Sebas-san’s story was over,

「Now that I think about it, the『Thousand Blade Festival』is coming up soon. Has Allen’s class decided what to do?」

The president brought up a new topic.

「「「……Thousand Blade Festival?」」」

When the three of us tilt our heads together,

「Oh, you don’t know? Thousand Blade Festival is an academy festival held once a year!」

「Each class picks an activity, and there are a lot of participants from outside the academy!」

Lilim-senpai and Ferris-senpai briefly explained the Thousand Blade Festival.

(Academy Festival, huh…)

When I was at Gran Swordsmanship Academy, I wasn’t allowed to join any of them.

This will be the first time I’ll be participating.

(Even so, an『activity』huh… Just what will we do?)

…I’m looking forward to it.

「I see… Judging from your expression, it seems that nothing has been decided yet. I think you’ll receive more information in one of the homerooms very soon.」

The president smiled happily.

It seems that she was also quite looking forward to the Thousand Blade Festival.

「Have president’s class decided what to do?」

「Yes, of course. We of the Year 2 Class A-」

「-A super-large haunted house that spans three classrooms!」

「By the way, I am the general manager… I’m pretty confident that it will be super scary though…」

Saying that, the three of them did the haunted pose with their hands hanging in front of them.

「Fufu, you three will come, right?」

「Yes, of course.」

When I responded cheerfully,

「A haunted house is… Well, it’s just to trick children. A waste of time! R-Right, Rose?」

「A-Aa…! Ria’s right! S-S-Swordsman should strive to train hard every day without getting hooked in such activities!」

…It seems that they were poor at『haunted』.

The president, who sensed it, had a nasty little smile.

「…Ara? Are you perhaps… scared?」

「「I’m not scared!」」

The two made a big blunder by responding to the president’s provocation.

「Yes. If you’re not scared, please stop by. It looks like Allen-kun will come, too. There’s no reason to say no, right?」

「「……」」

And the two who could no longer back out,

「Y-Yes! O-Of course!」

「A-Ah! All right, I’ll take up the challenge!」

They replied, desperately trying to hide the trembling in their voice.

The two of them were slightly trembling and it was clear to everyone that they were pretending to be tough.

「R-Ria, Rose… If you’re both scared, you don’t have to force yoursel-」

I tried to reach out a helping hand, but

「D-Don’t misunderstand! I-I’m not afraid of a haunted house!」

「T-That’s right! D-Don’t be rude, Allen!」

They insisted that they were『not afraid』, and refused my help.

「By the way, the Year 2 Class A did a haunted house last year, too. At that time, more than ten people fainted.」

「Fufufu! Those who have experienced our haunted house will surely not be able to go to the bathroom alone at night!」

「I want you to tremble with fear though…」

「「……」」

Ria and Rose had a seriously troubled look after hearing that.

(If you’re afraid, you should just be honest about it…)

When I was smiling bitterly,

「Muu… Is Allen okay with scary things?」

「Hmm, you seem to be resistant to this kind of thing. Even when Sie cheated in the poker game, you schemed behind your gentle face and defeated her.」

「You are usually very calm, so I’d like to see your surprised look at least once though…」

The president and senpais’ target changed to me.

「Ahaha, it’s not that I don’t get afraid… I just don’t have much fear of ghosts.」

When I was still in Goza village, there were times when I couldn’t sleep all night after listening to bamboo geezer’s ghost stories, but…

It was around the time when I entered middle-school that I stopped believing in ghosts.

「Hee… You seem pretty confident.」

「This calmness of yours… is quite resolute.」

「I guess I’ll have to put a little more effort into scaring you though…」

For some reason the president and senpais were full of motivation.

「…Well, president. It’s about time.」

Looking at the clock, it was five minutes before the end of lunch break.

「Mou, time flies by when you’re having fun. Well then, Allen-kun, Ria-san, and Rose-san. See you tomorrow.」

After the regular meeting at lunch, we left the student council room and headed for the afternoon class.

■

After completing the afternoon classes, we returned to the classroom.

「Fuu… It was a good training.」

「Yes, I guess. My body feels beat up all over.」

「Leia-sensei’s classes are quite hard.」

As I was chatting idly with Ria and Rose, and preparing to return home – the doors of the classroom were opened vigorously.

「-Everyone, you did well through the tough classes today! It’s the last homeroom, but… No announcements! You can go home!」

Leia-sensei finished the last homeroom briefly, and

「-Allen, I need to talk to you for a little bit. Come to the Director’s office alone after this.」

She summoned me in a slightly stiff voice.

「Y-Yes, I understand.」

「Umu, I’ll be waiting for you.」

She nodded with satisfaction and left the classroom.

「…That was quite the serious look, considering Leia.」

「Why do you need to be『alone』?」

Ria and Rose tilted their heads with a suspicious expression on their faces.

「Well… For now, I’m going.」

「Un. We’ll be training in the usual place.」

「Come quickly once it’s over, okay?」

「Aa, I got it.」

Then, I separated from Ria and Rose and left the classroom.

I navigated through the long corridor and arrived at the director’s office.

I coughed once and slowly knocked on the black door.

「-Enter.」

Leia-sensei’s stiff voice replied.

「Excuse me.」

When I opened the door, there was the figure of sensei, with a serious expression while sitting on her work chair.

(…What’s going on? Did something bad happen?)

When I was thinking about that,

「Thanks for coming, Allen. Today I have a few things to talk to you about, but… First of all, placing fourth place in the Sword King Festival after defeating the White Lily Academy – This is a great achievement. Congratulations.」

Sensei smiled gently, saying so.

「Thank you very much. But this result is the combined effort of the president, Lilim-senpai, and Ferris-senpai.」

「Aa, that’s true of course, but you don’t have to be too humble. You’ve won all of your matches from qualifying to the main rounds. You achieved the most out of all the participating contestants and left the greatest impression. You’re strong – you should be more confident and puff your chest out with pride.」

She continued further.

「And here’s the main issue at hand. By defeating『Prodigy』Idol Luxmaria, your name is recognized at a『national level』.」

「I-Is that so?」

「Aa. Among『First-Year Swordsmen』, you are undoubtedly the one who is most talked about right now!」

Immediately after sensei declared as such,

「-That is why. There is one thing I must talk to you about no matter what.」

Sensei said, with unusual seriousness.

「W-What is it?」

I gulped down my saliva and waited for sensei’s next words.

A minute or two passes. Heavy silence loomed over the director’s office.

And finally, she slowly opened her mouth.

「-About that cursed『100 Million-Year Button』!」

「Wha?!」

100 Million Years Button. At the mention of those unbelievable words,

(W-Why… does sensei know about the 100 Million Years Button?!)

My eyes widened due to the excessive shock.