Volume 7 Chapter 36 Currently, Element Capture Is The Top Priority
The morning after Randy defeated Zaif, he made his way to the academy, as usual. His purpose, of course, was the social event he'd organized, which would take place in the afternoon. But there were classes in the morning as well, so he had to show up early.
The same time, the same route, but there was something different today. Ellie and Liz were absent.
The two of them had stayed at Hartfield's old royal residence the night before, so they were scheduled to arrive later, riding in the carriage with Cecilia and Luke.
Randy, usually hard to miss, stood out even more today, given his solitary walk. He couldn't help but notice the curious stares from those around him. With a slight yawn, he muttered to himself.
"If only I had a phone, I could've arranged a meeting with them..."
It was no use complaining. At least, he thought, the two of them would be arriving soon, so he decided to endure the odd attention for now. Just as he resigned himself to the situation, a carriage pulled up right next to him and stopped.
"Huh? You're by yourself today?"
Catherine's face appeared from the carriage window.
"Had some things to take care of," Randy said, shrugging.
"...So, they finally left you, huh?" Catherine's voice was laced with faux sympathy.
"Not like that." Randy grimaced, raising an eyebrow.
"They're staying at Miss Cecilia's place," he explained, "a sleepover of sorts."
Catherine's expression shifted noticeably, almost envious, and Randy couldn't help but chuckle.
"It was short notice, so maybe next time you can come along."
Catherine blinked. "Huh? Wait, what?"
"You wanted to join, right?" Randy teased.
"N-no!" Catherine's lips pursed in embarrassment, but her awkward expression betrayed her.
"Next time, just admit it." Randy grinned, shaking his head.
"Livia, don't you think she wants to join?"
Randy called out to the other side of the carriage.
Livia leaned out the window with a wide smile. "Yeah, Cathy, next time, you should join us!"
Catherine's words faltered as Livia gave her a friendly push. Just as Catherine was about to respond, another carriage came to a stop behind theirs—the Hartfield carriage.
"Well, speak of the devil..."
Randy murmured, looking over at the approaching vehicle.
Catherine and Livia, curious, peeked out of their windows to see who was inside. From the Hartfield carriage, Leon and Julius waved at them, though the two ladies ignored their comments on manners as they eagerly watched.
The door of the Hartfield carriage opened, and Luke was the first to step out. He glanced briefly at Randy before turning back to the carriage. He reached out a hand, and Cecilia followed him out. Next, Luke helped Liz and Ellie step down, one by one.
"Randy..." Luke said with a sly grin, clearly enjoying Randy's reaction to the situation.
"Looks like you managed to get up all by yourself," Randy teased, raising a hand in greeting.
Liz and Ellie approached him with smiles, while Randy grinned back.
"Good morning, both of you. And yeah, I can get up on my own just fine," he replied with a wink.
Liz and Ellie exchanged amused glances, laughing lightly.
"Good morning, Lady Catherine," Liz said politely.
Catherine, who had been pretending to act fine, gave a half-hearted "Good morning," her voice low. Livia, on the other hand, cheerfully waved and shouted, "Good morning!"
'Saintly Lady, wouldn't it be faster to just get out of the carriage?' one of the voices inside the vehicle suggested.
'True. It's not proper to stay in here for too long,' another added.
Catherine glanced back at the carriage before snapping, "I know," and the door opened, letting the group exit.
Leon was the first to step out, giving Randy a quiet greeting with a nod before taking Catherine's hand and guiding her out. Livia and Julius followed shortly, each stepping out gracefully.
"Good morning, everyone," Cecilia greeted the group as she finally stepped out.
Randy, Livia, and Julius all returned the greeting, though Catherine seemed a little quieter than usual.
"Lady Catherine, are you feeling unwell?" Cecilia asked, her voice full of concern.
Liz, who had been watching Catherine closely, also asked, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Catherine said quickly, trying to mask the sadness in her voice with a smile.
But Randy, who knew her well, couldn't help but let out a quiet laugh. He exchanged a knowing glance with Leon.
"She's upset because she wasn't invited to the sleepover," Randy said with a grin.
Catherine's face turned bright red. "It's not like that..."
Liz and Ellie exchanged glances with Cecilia, unable to hold back their laughter.
"It was kind of a last-minute thing," Randy added with a shrug.
"And besides," he continued with a teasing smirk, "you have your own position to consider."
"As a Viscount's daughter, and as a Saint," Ellie chimed in, her tone playful.
Three people spoke, and Catherine nodded. "Well, I suppose that's fine," she said. If it were just going out to play, there'd be no issue, but if it meant staying overnight—that was a different story. After all, she was the daughter of a viscount and a saint. Visiting the Count's house casually? That wouldn't do without some preparation.
"How about this?" Liz said with a clap of her hands. "Next weekend, let's host a party to celebrate the election and the photoshoot!"
She grinned as she suggested it, clearly excited about the idea. If they were to do it at the house Randy was renting, Catherine could join without much worry. The location was neutral enough.
Livia leaped up with a smile that could rival the sun. "I'm in! Let's do it!"
"B-But if you really want to..." Catherine's voice trailed off as a grin spread across her face. There was no way she could resist Livia's enthusiasm.
Randy watched the two of them. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he sighed. "I guess I have no say in this, huh?" He didn't mind, of course. It was just that this conversation, about an afterparty before the main event, was... less than refined. That wasn't his style.
Instead of saying more, he shared a look with Luke, Julius, and Leon. The silent communication was enough, and Randy gave a small shrug.
"You'd better win that election," Luke teased, nudging Randy with a grin.
"After yesterday's scene, it's looking like the wind's blowing towards the senior," Leon added, a serious look in his eyes.
Luke and Julius exchanged knowing glances as Leon added, lowering his voice, "So... what happened after that?"
Randy nodded once, his expression unreadable. "It came."
Julius and Leon exchanged a look of surprise. "What do you mean, 'it came'?"
Randy paused for a second, then spoke casually,
"I handled it. Took care of it."
Julius and Leon both went silent, their faces becoming more serious. They had both heard whispers of Randy's past and knew exactly what he was capable of. But even Julius—who knew more about Zaif Aldren than anyone else—wasn't prepared for what came next.
"The body was taken by some... group calling themselves [Black Moon Bureau]."
"[Black Moon Bureau]?"
Julius repeated, confusion and intrigue written on his face. He'd heard the name before.
"Yeah, they said that's their name. A guy wearing a silver mask, I think."
"Silvermoon?" Julius whispered. His eyes widened. No.
Luke frowned. "Are they really as bad as they sound?"
Julius nodded, a sigh escaping his lips as he filled the others in.
"They're internal inspectors. No joke."
With the chaos in the region, it wasn't impossible that a figure like that would show up, though it was unsettling. Julius muttered, almost to himself, "I hope that's really all it is."
"Don't worry about it." Randy chuckled, shaking his head. "What's done is done. We can't change it now."
Luke nodded, his lips curling into a grin. "Yeah, you're right. Let's just focus on what we can do."
"Exactly. Now, let's get a move on. The main event starts this afternoon. We can't afford to be late."
With that, Randy began walking toward the academy, but before they could get far, Liz, still in high spirits, added, "Next weekend, then! It's a promise, right?"
The group, now fully united, made their way to the school gates. There was a sense of anticipation in the air—not just because of the fun of the afterparty, but because of the gathering to come. They were walking in as if they were the first breeze of spring, unwittingly changing the mood of the academy.
Randy and the others were oblivious to the shift, not knowing that the academy itself would soon feel the weight of their presence.
* * *
As they walked, two factions took notice of their arrival. One was the faction loyal to Dario, the other to Edgar, the former royal family supporter. Both factions had not lost any followers, but both Dario and Edgar could sense a shift in the air.
That was precisely why...
"Please. We must ensure the exchange meeting fails. At all costs."
"If it comes to it, we won't hesitate to shut it down completely."
Far in the distance, high-ranking nobles whispered the same words to their loyal followers, despite being on opposite sides of the political spectrum.
And so, the task fell to Elcia and Gael—both of whom had witnessed Randy's actions firsthand on that fateful day they'd fled to the sports field.
Elcia, who had a personal vendetta against Randy and a need to please her father, the Minister of Justice, and Gael, who was thought to be loyal to the royal faction, stood ready to take action.
But as they watched the cheerful group ahead of them, the contrast between their smiles and their mission felt... odd. It was almost as if their world of schemes and plans was separated by an invisible wall from the lightheartedness of Randy's group.
Notes:
• Zaif - A former Imperial Army soldier known as the [Black Wolf]. He has a sadistic personality and is described as a troublemaker who tortured prisoners and hurt training partners. He is Randy's opponent in the mock battle.
• Silvermoon - A formal representative of the Empire and Prince Ragnar's private soldier. His appearance is characterized by a silver mask that obscures his face. He speaks formally and is tasked with retrieving Zaif's body and the magic sword [Curseblade].
• Elcia - A serious girl with long brown hair tied in a bun, from the Baron Laurent family. She is a spy for Edgar's faction, motivated by her family's declining status after political shifts.
• Gael - A quiet boy with green curly hair, from the Viscount Ernest family. He is a spy for Dario's faction, acting due to his family's precarious position after the fall of the royal family.
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