A/N
Dunno if anyone's actually keeping up with this, but I changed the elven faction name from Celestia to Elior. lol
April 9
Elior Mansion
"The Season of New Beginnings," said a gray-haired elven man melancholically. "It's that time of the year when my dearest daughters leave me for the academy again, huh? Seriously, you're both growing up way too fast! For a parent, this is quite the ordeal!"
The elf owns a pair of impish black eyes and his left ear contains a large golden earring. Known across the kingdom as Pack, he's the chief of House Elior, the faction representing those of elven bloodlines.
Before he engages in another stressful day full of political affairs, he's currently having a pleasant breakfast with his "daughters," Satella and Emilia. Both of whom are getting ready to set off to Lugnica City Academy. Throughout the duration of the school year, they will be staying in the academy dorms. Thus, this might be the last time they'll be spending time together for a little while.
"Ahaha, don't worry, dad. We'll make sure to visit often. Right, nee-san?"
Satella nods with a smile. "Of course."
"Well, in any case, I hope you both have another great year at the academy! And Satella, don't forget to look after Lia, kay?"
"I know. You don't have to remind me." She reassured, reaching out to hold her sister's hand in a protective manner.
With the incident from almost three weeks ago still fresh in their minds, Pack seems perturbed about his family being targeted by unscrupulous individuals. It's certainly a cause for concern, but he trusts Satella to protect both herself and Emilia.
Then, all of the sudden, a threatening aura begins to build up around Pack. "As for that boy, Natsuki Subaru… heheh…" He chuckled darkly. "That boy better not do anything indecent to either one of you! Otherwise, I'll personally make him experience hell myself! Hmph!" He ended his threat with arms crossed.
Satella's face turns red, looking a little mischevious. "Well… hehehe…"
On the other hand, Emilia raises both hands in mid-air to demonstrate no such indecency is to occur. "D-dad! Subaru is nothing like who you think he is!"
Lugnica City Academy
08:00
Underneath the ordinary gray and gloomy skies of Lugnica Kingdom, the half-elf siblings arrived in the academy via a carriage.
Because it's the first school day of the year, the front gates are flooded by arriving carriages and motor cars from other children of nobility, along with numerous commoner students. Nevertheless, the crowded environment doesn't hinder Natsuki Subaru from spotting the Elior carriage.
Upon finding the carriage, he approached and opened the door. "Yo, my lovely silver half-elves!" Grinning with a heavy dose of pride, he presented his welcoming arms.
The half-elf siblings gracefully accept his offer, each taking a piece of his outstretched arms as he gently guides them out of the carriage. Once they're out, they make their way towards the academy with Subaru holding both of their hands.
Naturally, the public display of affection drew the attention of the surrounding students, especially the haughty nobles.
The polyamorous relationship between the three is well-known throughout the academy and is a subject of much controversy. Most students, particularly the envious male students, are baffled by the relationship. For instance, why would two gracious and beautiful half-elves, who also happened to be the daughters of a major House like Elior, go out with an "annoying foreigner" like Subaru? In general, they shouldn't even give him an ounce of attention! He's simply not worth it! And yet, here he is, not only dating one but both of them!
"Damn, boss is so cool!" Amongst the crowd, Garfiel complimented the boy he refers to as "boss."
"I'm so jealous! How the heck can one guy be this lucky?!" questioned Otto, wondering what he can do to earn such luck.
Besides Garfiel and Otto stood the twins, Rem and Ram.
Without saying anything, Ram places a hand on top of her sister's shoulder. The gesture is meant to comfort the girl who also happens to have strong romantic feelings for Subaru.
"Don't worry about Rem, nee-sama! Rem is never giving up!" Rem declared with conviction. "A battle may have been won, but the war is far from over! Rem will not lose to silver-haired half-elves!"
Chapter 3: The Academy
Today marks the start of Satella's third and final year in the academy.
Unlike her, both Emilia and Subaru are still in their second year. Therefore, they had to drop her off by her assigned class section, 3A, before heading into their own, 2C.
Before going their separate ways, Satella gives Subaru a quick peck on the lips.
"I'll see you later, love."
Afterward, Satella looks on as Emilia and Subaru walk away hand-in-hand with mixed emotions on her face. No matter how many times she tries to convince herself the relationship with Subaru and her sister is "perfect" the way it is, she still has a hard time accepting that she can't have Subaru all to herself. On top of that, her mind is always being overwhelmed with negative emotions, which isn't of her own making, but someone else's. Or at least, that's what she tries to tell herself.
As she watches them gradually disappear from her line of sight, the pace of her breathing and beating heart increase. Then, a wave of lightheadedness pounce on her head, disorienting her perception of sight and sound, and turning her whole world into an incomprehensible blur.
Some harsh, hissy voice proceeds to assault her thoughts.
"Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Kill her. Claim him for yourself. Claim him for yourself. Claim him for yourself. Claim him for yourself. He's yours alone. And yours alone. And yours alone. And yours alone. And yours alone. Forever. Forever. Forever. Forever. Forever. Forever."
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" She fought back against the voice which sounds exactly like her, clutching her head with both hands. "I will NEVER hurt Lia!"
"Liar. Stop lying to yourself. You know what you really want. You want him all to yourself. You want to own him. Only you. And no one else. Only you. And no one else. Only you. And n-"
"Hmmm?" A familiar voice, different from the one inside her head, hummed. "Do you realize how foolish you look right now?"
Although there was obvious malice, the new voice snapped her out of her mental discomfort, resulting in the disappearance of the voices. Of course, the owner of the malicious voice who momentarily "saved" her from the voices is none other than Echidna. Her apathetic black eyes are staring at the half-elf behind her lenses-less pair of glasses that she wears every time she's within the confines of the academy.
"Hey, E-Echidna… heheh…" greeted the half-elf nervously, slightly embarrassed.
"Actually, never mind. You can do whatever you want for all I care. It would please me if you go ahead and jump off a cliff, in fact," suggested the white-haired girl harshly, walking past her into the classroom.
The girl's cold attitude caused her to frown. She doesn't understand why, but Echidna had always treated her with so much hostility… dating back even before her "betrayal." The hostile act is very strange, to say the least. She can't ever recall doing something to earn that treatment. On the contrary, she wanted to be friends with her, but that's clearly not an option with the way things currently stand between them.
"Seriously… what's her problem with me? No one has ever treated me like this before. And if I'm being quite honest, her hateful eyes are rather frightening…"
Never mind the hostile girl at the moment, she really needs to do something about the "voices" within her. But, what can she do about it? Where do the "voices" even come from? And why do they always say something abhorrent, especially towards Emilia?
This isn't the first time the voices made their presence known. It happens occasionally… whether during her everyday life or a nightmare. Normally, it occurs when she feels a pang of envy in her heart.
Certainly, it feels…
Repulsive.
At the start of the day's first class, a blue-haired man enters the room. He's a tall, lean and handsome man that oozes class and charisma. Furthermore, he has a monocle on his left eye that gives his appearance a certain degree of strangeness.
His eyes dart around the room, observing the students of Class 3A with a satisfied expression.
"Ahh, the pure and innocent souls of the young." He murmured quietly under his breath before raising his voice. "I welcome each and every one of you to your third and final year! I, Mr. Clind, will be serving as your homeroom instructor for the year! Together, we shall conquer the year with flying colors!" He welcomed back the class with an elegant bow. "Also, I do not intend to be arrogant or anything, but I am certain I will be quite an improvement over Ms. Baumann, your previous homeroom instructor!" He declared with a smug smile.
His declaration was met with immediate disapproval. Ms. Baumann, Frederica, was an amazing homeroom instructor for the class last year. Almost everyone views her in a positive light, believing she's the best instructor in the entire academy. Specifically, they like the freedom she gave her students and she also became friends with many of them. It would be quite an achievement if he manages to surpass her. In fact, his bold declaration already rubbed people off the wrong way.
Perhaps, realizing it's not going to the direction he wants, Clind calls for their attention by clapping his hands, asserting his authority. "Now then, to start off the year, I want you all to introduce yourselves!" He announced, changing the current topic of discussion.
Groans were audible throughout the room.
"I know, I know! You have done this in the previous two years and most of you know each other already. However, I do not know your names, do I? Do you not think we will have better teacher-student relations if we are all in the same boat?"
And with that, student introductions commenced.
"My name is Satella. Let's have another great year, everyone!" Satella was the first prominent figure in the class to introduce herself. Her delightful smile sent many boys into fantasy land. She owns a spot as one of the most popular figures in the entire academy, earning a number of admirers and followers due to her kind and friendly personality, as well as her beautiful appearance.
"Julius Juukulius. It's an honor, instructor." Julius, a knight from the Hoshin faction, introduced himself, flipping a portion of his hair with a finger. Many girls in the class almost fainted as a result of his coolness. He also serves as the head of the Student Discipline Committee and he relentlessly pursues rule-breakers with ruthlessness.
"I'm Reinhard Astrea. May everyone receive good fortunes throughout the course of the year." Knight Reinhard, the resident nice guy of the class, graced everyone with his presence. Despite his young age, he's already one of the most powerful warriors in the entire continent. Moreover, he's rumored to be the next Astrea to take the mantle of [Sword Saint] after Reid. But, unlike his knight counterpart in Julius, he doesn't serve any of the major Houses. For most of his life, he has been pursuing the hopeless goal of finding his [missing princess].
"I am Roswaal Mathers. Like always, I will cooooontinue~ to pursue myyyyy~ one and ooooonly~ goal in life!" Roswaal, dubbed as the class clown, sneaked a glance towards Echidna and giggled like a girl, covering his mouth with a hand. "Heeheehee…" The young nobleman has massive magical potential due to his affinity with all elements. However, because of his eccentricity, no one really takes him seriously. He's especially notorious for his unrequited crush on Echidna. He also has two servants, Rem and Ram, and the foreigner Subaru lives in his mansion.
"Crusch Karsten of the Karsten House. It's an honor, Instructor Clind." The chivalrous and charismatic Crusch greeted Clind before turning to her fellow classmates, placing an arm across her chest. "Once again, I thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve as your Student Council President. I will do my utmost best to improve this academy and represent each and every one of you! May we all have a fruitful and productive year!" For the third straight year running, Crusch had been voted as the Student Council President. She's quite an accomplished woman at a young age. For instance, she's already the leader of the Karsten faction.
"Ferris-nyan!" The cat demi-human knight, Ferris Argyle, greeted with a wink and a peace sign. "Remember not to bother Crusch-sama too much, nyan! If you have business with her, make sure to consult me first, nyan?" He serves as Crusch's loyal knight, almost sticking to her like a shadow at all times. People often mistake him for a girl, but he's actually a guy.
"Echidna," came Echidna's one-word introduction. She's the academy's most intellectual student ever. Throughout the first two years, she perfected ALL tests, quizzes, homework, presentations, and projects. Not a single blemish can be found in her academic record. She's also a renowned book author, having written critically acclaimed novels such as [Metamorphosis]. Like Satella, many students fell for her beauty. But unlike the half-elf, she has a cold, intimidating, and mysterious aura that surrounds her. Thus, most students are too intimidated to even strike a conversation with her… except for the class clown Roswaal.
Finally, the introductions were soon finished.
Upon its conclusion, Clind claps his hands rapidly. "Ah, wonderful! So wonderful! Thank you for your gracious introductions, everyone! I see plenty of untapped potentials hidden deep beneath your innocent youth! And as your homeroom instructor for the most important year of your academic life, I will do my best to help you reach that potential!"
In an instant, the first half of the day passed and now, it's time for lunch.
As the students of 3A leave the room…
"Echidna! Oh, hooooow~ wonderful it is to seeeee~ you again, my snow princess!" Roswaal kneeled down before Echidna and offered an outstretched hand. "Speeeeend~ the lunch breeeeeak~ with me, yes? I shaaaaall~ treat you with whaaaaatever~ you like, my dearest!"
"I'm sorry but I'm busy." She rejected the offer, bowing slightly before walking past him.
"Hooooow~ disappointing!" The class clown stood up with a smile despite the rejection. "But I suppose thaaaaat~ cold ambiance is what makes you sooooo~ worth it." He blushed. Deep inside his mind, he's imagining Echidna standing in the middle of a snow field with snow calmly falling down the skies and the breeze of wind causing her majestic hair to dance. In his opinion, such a scene would bring out Echidna's beauty to its absolute peak.
"Uwu. That was definitely a ruthless rejection, nyan. Nyahahaha!" Ferris chuckled as he walked past Roswaal together with Crusch.
Meanwhile, Satella frowns slightly as she watches the scene. She can never understand why Echidna felt the need to put on a different personality "mask" for every situation; the ordinary and average mask for the "normal" Echidna, the confident and sinister mask for the "witch" Echidna, the reclusive and silent mask for the "student" Echidna, and so on.
Whatever the case may be, Echidna will always be Echidna to the half-elf… because no matter what "version" of herself she presents, she's always hostile to her.
Although, she can't help but wonder… just who is the "real" Echidna?
During lunch, Satella lodges in the same table together with Emilia, Subaru and their friends; Otto, Ram, Rem, and the first year Garfiel.
Overall, Subaru's group is a happy and lively bunch, but she often feels out of place. She rarely interacts with anyone other than Subaru and Emilia. It's not because she dislikes everyone else, but she's frequently preoccupied about her "friends," the witches. She wished she can spend time with them the same way prior to what happened two months ago. Unfortunately, she doesn't feel she would be welcomed after her "betrayal…" and Echidna will most likely push her away.
Whether she likes it or not, this might be the new reality she has to accept; an everyday life without them.
"Say ahhhh…" Subaru offered her a spoonful of food, interrupting her thoughts.
She happily accepted with a giggle. Then, he does the same for Emilia.
"That was a bit embarrassing…" Emilia blushed slightly. "But, thank you for the treat!"
"Rem wants to be fed, too, Subaru-kun!" Rem requested after witnessing the heartwarming display of affection.
Besides her, Ram suddenly lost her appetite and stopped eating.
"Ah, fine, fine! I'll just feed everyone, then!"
Subaru stands up, fills his spoon with food and leans across the table to reach Rem. However, he withdraws abruptly when he notices Satella's dejected expression.
"Huh? What's wrong, Satella-tan? Did something happen?"
"Well," started the half-elf, not knowing how to explain the discomfort in her heart.
She's well aware of the blue-haired girl's romantic feelings for Subaru, prompting her to develop "disgusting" thoughts about the girl. Similar to Emilia's case, she would like to believe these negative thoughts doesn't stem from her heart, but from "the voices" that often bothers her. While it's true she does want Subaru all to herself, it's not to the point where she wants to harm her love rivals. "The voices" assume otherwise, however.
Be that as it may, she's also dissatisfied with Subaru for continuously stoking the fire in the girl's heart whether he does it intentionally or not, or whether he reciprocate her feelings or not. She tried to convince herself Subaru's happiness should be the most important to her. So, if claiming Rem would result in a happier Subaru, then it shouldn't bother her at all. But, her heart would NEVER agree to that. Her beloved sister will be as far as she can – begrudgingly - accept, and no one else.
"Ehh, boss. Ya gotta read the mood better," whispered Garfiel. Even he can't believe how daring his boss is to feed another girl in front of his "girlfriends."
"Yeah, man," agreed Otto, disappointed with Subaru's obliviousness.
"What the heck are you two going on about?!" asked the confused Subaru, showcasing his thick-headedness.
Emilia understands the situation and tries to find a solution without hurting the feelings of both Rem, her best friend, and Satella, her sister. "Uhm… maybe… well…" Unfortunately, words escaped her.
Then, out of nowhere, Ram shoves a spoonful into Rem's mouth. "There. Since you wanted to be fed so badly, I did it myself. Happy?"
"Nee-sama…"
"Hahaha! There you go, Rem! Good job, nee-sama!" Subaru gave a thumb of approval to the pink-haired twin.
Emilia also gestures a "thank you" smile to Ram, which the latter shrugs off.
After the minor, perhaps petty, incident, the group returned to its normal state with Subaru joking around, and Emilia, Satella, and Rem laughing at his jokes despite their obvious lack of quality humor. As for the others, Garfiel tries to engage Ram in a conversation, while the pink-haired girl does her very best not to strangle the first year.
The peaceful and happy vibes remained until they were visited by an unexpected guess.
A cute purple-haired girl wearing a fur hat and a fluffy version of the academy's uniform stopped by their table, accompanied by the knight Julius.
"Milady, I don't think this is a good idea…" Julius, for whatever reason, seemed really anxious.
"Ya just relax, Juli! This'll be fine and dandy, ya know," assured the purple-haired girl.
Otto instantly recognizes her. "T-that's the first year, Anastasia Hoshin! She's the representative of the Hoshin faction!"
The girl, whose name is apparently Anastasia, winks, and waves at Otto. "Heya!"
"Ya know er?" Garfiel asked Otto.
"Yes… she made a big mess this morning when she declared, in front of everyone by the way, that she's after my title as the top merchant in the academy. She claimed she will destroy my profits…"
Garfiel gulped at the threat, while Anastasia maintained a lovely smile.
Otto is well-known around the academy as a very reputable merchant. A lot of students rely on him when they need items that aren't available in any of the academy stores. Sometimes, his inventory even contains black market items! Luckily for him, he's able to keep some of his illegal endeavors under wraps from the watchful eyes of the Student Council President, Crusch, and the head of the Student Discipline Committee, Julius.
So, for Anastasia to openly challenge him, there's no doubt she must have a great deal of confidence.
"Anastasia," greeted Satella with a neutral tone. As daughters of the four main factions, they had a few encounters before. "To what do we owe you the pleasure?"
"Ah, let's see." Anastasia placed a finger down her chin. "Hmm… ah, I wanna know whether lil Emilia is fine! Dunno about these rumors' credibility, but a birdie told me she was kidnapped by some crazy buffoon! And as wacky as this sounds, she was saved by the witches! Ooh, yes, that's right, the witches! I wanna ask about them!" A look of excitement enveloped her face as she turned to Emilia. "The Witches of Lugnica! They real?! Ya seen them?! What are they like?!"
The table was stunned silence by her announcement while Julius facepalms in the background.
The students around the vicinity caught on to what she said and soon, the information spread like wildfire throughout the whole cafeteria. As a result, a crowd of students gathered around them, bombarding them with questions.
"Woah, the Witches of Lugnica?!"
"You're kidding! They're real?!"
"That's bullshit! There's no way they're real!"
"Yeah! Who would believe that nonsense! They're a myth!"
"But the Hoshin girl said Emilia was kidnapped! And then, she was saved by the witches!"
"Emilia was kidnapped?! Saved by the witches?! What?!"
"Why weren't these in the newspapers, then?!"
"Are any of these true, Emilia?!"
"Well… uhm…" Emilia was unable to formulate a proper response. Lying is an absolute no-no to her but at the same time, she couldn't tell them the truth either.
Subaru stands up, clearly irritated by how much the situation escalated. "What the hell are yall gathering around here for?! Get lost, you damn rumor-mongers!"
The crowd ignored his words and kept pressing for answers.
"Ugh! Do you want me to punch every single one of you?!"
Anastasia stares at the crowd she herself caused to gather and gasps. "Ara! How careless of me! I shoulda been careful with my words!"
This time, Satella takes a stand and faces the crowd with unyielding conviction. "None of these were true! They are all useless rumors! Nothing more!" Satella declared, hoping to kill off the discussion. "Do you honestly believe Subaru and I will allow something like that to happen to Lia?! As you can see, she's perfectly fine!"
The weight of guilt tugged on her heart. But, she saw her lies as a necessary evil. Likewise, the same can be said about Subaru.
"Sooo… ya saying my info is fake?! None of them really happened?!" Anastasia asked with a surprised tone.
The half-elf's piercing glare turned to her. "They are. Where did you even hear this rubbish?"
"I'm sorry but that's private info. I'm under Contract not to speak of them! Although, if what you're saying is true, I'll make sure to get [them] back for spreading false info! That's a serious crime, ya know!"
Even with Satella's attempt to dispel the rumors, the storm wasn't quelled. Many students believe there's more to the story. And so, they continued pressing for answers.
"Hey! All of you! Get the hell out of here and go back to eating your lunches!" An intimidating voice demanded out of nowhere. "Unless, if you want to stay here and feel my wrath!"
The crowd turns around and sees Minerva with her fists clenched. Behind her, a hint of the hiding Carmilla can be observed. And besides the blonde, stands the knight, Reinhard.
Upon the sight of the wrathful Minerva and the authoritative Reinhard, the students immediately scatter and return to their respective tables.
Finally, the commotion ended.
"Yo, Reinhard! Thanks for getting rid of those assholes! They were getting really annoying! I was THIS close to losing my cool!" Subaru thanked the red-haired knight.
"Don't worry about it," said Reinhard with a kind smile. "Well, I'll excuse myself for now. Good day, everyone." Having said his farewell, he disappeared elsewhere.
"Aw, wish he could've stayed and chatted for a bit!" Subaru, who happens to be friends with Reinhard, grumbled a little.
"Apparently, a blonde first-year caught his attention. He's been looking around for her and trying to figure out her name!" explained Minerva. "I find it weird why he would be interested in a first year, but that's his business, I guess."
"Minerva!" Satella greeted her best friend in excitement. "Uhm… by the way, where's Echidna?" She asked, wondering why the white-haired girl isn't with them. The three are usually seen together.
"Echidna-chan… is in... her club room… writing… her novels… as usual…" Carmilla answered the half-elf's curiosity.
"It's boring there so we decided to walk around! And then, we witness this stupid nonsense!" added Minerva.
"If that distasteful girl isn't around, why don't the two of you join us?" Subaru invited.
They accept the invitation and settle themselves in the table.
As for Echidna, Subaru still hasn't forgiven her for "exaggerating" his condition to Emilia during the wedding incident. He's been rather antagonistic towards her.
"I suppose I've overstayed my welcome. I'm truly sorry for the troubles," apologized Anastasia, reminding everyone of her presence.
"Don't worry about it! I'm sure you didn't mean any harm, Anastasia," reassured Emilia.
"Oh, thank you! You're such a kind girl, Emilia." The Hoshin representative grinned at the half-elf. "Well, I'll see yall later!" She waved both hands before leaving.
"I apologize for the trouble milady caused. Please, forgive her. She gets carried away sometimes." Julius added his own apology before following Anastasia.
Once Hoshin and her knight were out of the vicinity…
"This is a problem," stated Ram.
"Indeed, Rem can sense this will be really troublesome," agreed Rem.
"S'it really a big deal? V'ryone will think it's just rumers nd' everythin', right?" Garfiel tried to be optimistic.
"Use your brain for once. The rumors are not the only issue. The fact that someone who knew what happened leaked the information is the bigger problem."
"Indeed, nee-sama is right. The incident was to be hidden from the public. Not only to keep the witches' existence a secret but to protect the image of the Elior faction at the same time."
"Hm. Had this information been released to the public, the other factions would have surely taken advantage of the situation and slander the Elior faction. They could have even pushed the public to believe the witches' existence in order to associate the faction with them." Ram turned her attention to Minerva and Carmilla. "No offense to both of you, but even if the public believes the witches are real, they don't exactly have a favorable opinion. And that's not even mentioning the vile cult associated with you…"
Ram referred to the cult known as [The Witch Cult]. They're a mysterious group who occasionally unleashes mayhem across the kingdom. In particular, there's a notorious branch of the cult named [The Wings of Infinity] who had been engaging an underground guerrilla warfare against the King and his cohorts. The Witches of Lugnica doesn't have any connection to the cult, but the public would undoubtedly put two and two together.
"I don't really care. As long as I get the opportunity to ease people's suffering, that's all that matters to me!" Minerva asserted.
"That's why." Rem continued her sister's line of thought. "For Anastasia-sama, of all people, to know what really happened…"
"Someone involved with the [Wedding Infiltration] mission, be it someone from the Pleiades Corps or the witches themselves, might have leaked it." Ram finished off. "But then again, it could also be the work of a different party altogether."
"That's outrageous! No one in the team would do that!" Minerva quickly denied the proposition.
"I'm not saying that's the case. It's just a possibility we can't afford to overlook."
Otto slumps his head against the table. "Phew… it's really problematic when rumors spread. Most people will take it as facts and run with the story…"
Emilia frowns, the weight of guilt bearing down on her. "This is all my fault. If I had not…"
"Stop blaming yourself for this!" Subaru almost shouted. "How many times do I have to tell you none of this is your fault?! You can't blame yourself for getting forced into marriage by some asshole! If anything, it's my fault for losing to that jerk and failing to protect you!" He looked pained due to his failure. "That's why, from now on, as Emilia-tan and Satella-tan's knight, I promise I will never let anything like that EVER happen again! I will work harder than everyone to improve and grow stronger!" A fire of determination burned in his eyes. "So that none of you will get taken away from me again!"
"Subaru…"
"Hm, he's right, you know. I bear some responsibility as well," joined Satella, not wanting Subaru to carry all the burden. "I, too, promise to become stronger, so I may protect everyone I care about."
"I won't let this precious everyday life be taken away from me…"
"Nee-san…" said Emilia softly. Then, she shook her head and declared, "No! I will have to become stronger myself, so none of you may carry the burden of protecting me! I will become a better version of myself, so I can stand up on my own!" The fiery half-elf stood up with clenched fists.
"Ahaha, seriously!" chuckled Minerva. "What's up with all the blame game? It's that greedy dirt bag's fault for instigating the whole incident in the first place! And for what it's worth, how about lets all vow to become stronger together?"
"Heck yeah!" Subaru and Garfiel cheered simultaneously in agreement.
Meanwhile, as Subaru and his group found their determination, the most prominent students in the academy reacted variously to the scene.
"Anastasia Hoshin. That girl got some nerves, nyan! How dare she pull off a sly move like that on the first day?! Is she trying to start a factional war?!" Ferris accused after he observed the commotion with Crusch. "To be so bold when Crusch-sama is still around! What a cocky first year!"
Crusch didn't say anything. During the first two years, along with the current year, she ruled over the academy as its Student Council President. An achievement belonging only to her out of the daughters of the major Houses. To possess strong leadership capabilities at her age, perhaps it will be a merit that will give her and the Karsten House advantages in the kingdom's future political scene.
The second-year Priscilla of the Barielle House instigated some trouble with her mischief but she hadn't done anything serious… yet. Other than a few words of threats here and there, she hadn't made a move on Crusch. Nonetheless, she's too unpredictable and at some point, Crusch predicted she will make her move to gain an advantage over her. So, she maintains a close eye on Barielle.
As for the half-elves of Elior, Crusch doesn't perceive a threat coming from them because they stay out of trouble and mind their own business. However, she remains cautious towards Satella. For some reason, something feels off about the older half-elf sibling.
And finally, Anastasia Hoshin had already made the situation interesting by instigating damaging rumors against House Elior. There's no doubt in Crusch's mind this year will be different from the previous ones. She has to keep her guard up if she's to remain on top.
On the other side of the cafeteria, sat Priscilla Barielle. Before her table, there were five students, who she claimed as her servants for the year, kneeling before her on the ground. Sitting beside her is the school janitor named Al with a sack bag over his head. In spite of his odd appearance, he serves as Priscilla's knight.
"That was quite the scene, miss. Do you think there's some truth behind the Hoshin girl's words?" Al noted to his mistress.
"Fufu~. Who knows? I don't care. Whatever happens to them is none of my concern. Favor will always find me." Priscilla dismissed with an uninterested expression. "Although, I have to admit watching that sly fox Hoshin going after the weak was marvelous." She licked her lips. "It's tempting me to make a move."
Her observant eyes methodically move around the cafeteria. First, at Emilia and Satella's table. Next, to Crusch. And finally, to the walking Anastasia.
"I wonder… who shall have the pleasure of getting trampled under my boots first?"
After the encounter with Subaru and his friends a while ago, Anastasia and Julius make their way back to their table.
"Uhm, welcome back, I guess." The first-year Joshua Juukulius, Julius' younger brother, greeted upon their return.
Before either Juukulius can bring up the latest commotion their lady initiated, Anastasia quickly indulges in her meal, eating voraciously.
"Yum~. This academy does serve delish food! I'm relieved! My concerns are eased!"
Julius can only sigh. He can already tell it will be a really troublesome year.