Volume 7 Chapter 2-2 The Principal’s Speech Is Long Enough—No Thanks to the Mayor’s or Anyone Else’s!
"Hey, how's the town-building going, anyway?"
"Still a long way to go. We've got mountains of problems"
"I heard the buildings are starting to take shape, though"
"Should we go check it out sometime?"
Randy was sandwiched between them, getting swept up in the excitement of Victor's new town topic.
Randy, feeling completely left behind, glanced back at Wayne again,
"Nah, I'm just a lowly soldier's buddy..."
Still chatting lazily with Julius.
"Nobody's listening anyway."
The administrator's difficult-to-come-by speech, just blowing in the wind.
Randy chuckled to himself, shaking his head at the arbitrary surroundings, "Not my fault, though."
There, Cory and Annabelle were whispering to each other, blooming their conversation.
"Oh, you two too──!"
Randy leaned in eagerly, resting his elbows on their backs, making both Annabelle and Cory flinch simultaneously.
"Don't scare Lady Annabelle like that"
"Yes, indeed. Since I'm so big, I can't help but be a bit clumsy."
"Randy, that's not okay."
"He's a hopeless case."
Pulling a face of exasperation at the women, Randy asked, "Which mouth is it...?" But noticing the stage's condemning gaze, he meekly backed down.
Better not stand out any more than this, Randy thought, closing his mouth and leaning back on the shoulder again.
Surrendering himself to the sensation of being enveloped──
.
.
.
"...Hey, Randy"
Nudged on the side, Randy's heavy eyelids opened wide at Liz's whisper.
"Phew~. Already over, huh?"
"...Not yet, it's not over"
As Randy muttered "This is the worst" and slumped his shoulders, the lights in the audience seats all lit up at once.
In the suddenly bright view, Randy couldn't help but hunch his shoulders and look down.
* * *
As the opening ceremony came to an end and the third-year Randy and the others were about to start preparing for the entrance ceremony, in the vice-principal's office, the branch administrator Gustav and the newly appointed branch principal Lucius were taking a brief break before the entrance ceremony.
"Speaking of which, Headmaster Lucius. I've noticed some rather... free-spirited students."
Gustav's gaze was sharp, filled with disapproval. Lucius just tilted his teacup, playing dumb, "Oh really?"
"That red-haired, big student. What's with his attitude?"
Gustav frowned.
Lucius sighed inwardly, *What a pain.*
Lucius, who was backstage, had definitely seen Randy goofing off.
But it wasn't just Randy.
Others around Randy were just as bad, and many other students were chatting away, doing whatever they pleased.
Considering their usual behavior in class and their grades, not all of them were as free as Randy.
Most of them were actually quite serious and diligent.
The usually well-behaved students weren't even listening... Lucius figured it was just that Gustav's words weren't interesting to them.
They were still children, but many of them had a core of what they wanted to do, what they should do, even if it was vague.
Words that were meant to please everyone were just noise to them.
So, Gustav's speech was boring, and they were distracted.
That's what he thought.
(Well, Victor...)
Only Randy seemed to be completely clueless.
"Anyway. Having a student like that could have a bad influence on the others."
Gustav blamed Randy for the noise around him.
Lucius gently tried to explain that Randy was a good student too...
"As the new administrator, I must give harsh punishment to students like him."
"And what would that be?"
"Of course, expulsion."
Gustav smirked. Lucius gave a wry smile, scratching his head, swallowing the words "Don't do it."
Meanwhile...
"Achoo!!"
A huge sneeze echoed through the lecture hall. The students and instructors all turned to look at Randy, like meerkats.
"Someone's talking about me."
Randy sniffled, looking smug.
"Shut up! You idiot!"
"That's right!"
Ellie slaps Randy, while Liz tugged at the hem of her blazer, puffing out her cheeks.
"Don't you want to stand out?"
"Wha── I thought it was an explosion..."
Catherine raised an eyebrow, and Cecilia took a step back with a dramatic pull.
And then──
"What's that sound?"
"Saintly Lady, are you alright?"
Luke and Leon, their expressions turning pale, rushed into the grand hall.
The man's all-out sneeze, creating carbonation with his breath, shared an unknown legend with everyone there except Randy, making them all think, "Here we go again."
"What a lively fellow."
"Even the prince is taken aback."
"Of course he would be."
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