As time flows by, the evening of the freshmen welcome party finally arrived.
The venue for the welcome party was the largest hall in the Academy.
This place, usually reserved for grand events, was opened for the freshmen welcome party two years ago following a negotiation between the Student Council President and the Chancellor.
And walking down the corridor towards that hall was a man and a cat.
– …It’s uncomfortable.
– Where?
– It feels like my neck is being squeezed too tight.
– I checked it several times before we left. Your tie should be fine.
– Hmm…
I kept adjusting my lapel.
Each time I adjusted one part, another felt uncomfortable—an exasperating situation.
– If you keep fidgeting, it’ll get even more wrinkled. I’ll help you fix it in the restroom halfway through.
– Why do I have to wear something so uncomfortable?
– We need to maintain formality, and above all, it looks cool.
– …Does it really look cool?
– It’s the best. The coolest in the world.
If that’s true, then I’m lucky, but…
No matter how I thought about it, I felt uncomfortable. For someone like me, whose fanciest attire until now had been a school uniform, a tuxedo was impossible to get used to.
– It feels like I’m wearing a suit that doesn’t fit.
– …If it’s that uncomfortable, there is one solution.
– What is it?
– Using a welcome magic spell. Even if you’re naked, other people will see you as wearing a tuxedo.
After pondering for a moment, Lily stopped walking.
Turning to me, Lily said:
– Shall we go to a secluded spot?
Looking around, I headed to the space between a protruding pillar.
Then Lily returned to her original appearance.
“Lily?!”
“Don’t worry. I’ve put up a transparency barrier. More importantly, could you take your clothes off?”
“……What?!”
Reaching out her hand to a shocked me, Lily said:
“I’ll adjust your clothes for you.”
“No, no… It’s okay…”
“Are you embarrassed? I’ve already cast a transparency spell.”
Lily tilted her head in confusion and then seemed to realize something, smirking wickedly.
“Could it be… because of me?”
I nodded with a flushed face.
“Hmph, what’s there to be embarrassed about?”
Leaning in close, Lily whispered:
“I’ve already seen everything.”
“WAHHH!”
“Pfft, you’re so cute.”
Lily remained still with her hand extended.
Eventually, I slowly started taking off my outer clothes.
“…Turn around, please.”
“Even if we’re engaged, I’m fine with-”
“I’m not fine with it, I am!”
“Hmm, okay~”
Lily turned around, and I quickly stripped down except for my underwear.
“Here.”
I pressed myself against Lily’s back, handing her my clothes.
“Don’t turn around, please.”
“Hmm, alright.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Okay, I said I would~”
With a casual response, Lily held my clothes with both hands.
After a moment,
Swoosh
Swish
Rustle
Lily’s long hair began to rise bit by bit.
Like tentacles, her strands of hair reached toward my clothes.
Thin strands of her hair clung to the tuxedo.
In no time, the tuxedo was obscured entirely by her hair.
At this mysterious sight, I blinked in awe.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m analyzing your clothes. I’m also figuring out why you feel uncomfortable.”
Is it possible to do that with her hair?
…Wait, does that mean…?
Curious, I slowly extended my hand and gently pulled on one of Lily’s strands.
And then,
“Huff~”
“EEP?!”
The moment I blew on her hair, Lily’s body shook violently.
In a panic, I dropped her hair.
“Did you… just blow…?”
Turning only her head, Lily’s face was flushed.
“Lily, could it be that you have sensations in your hair?”
Nodding at my shocked question, Lily confirmed:
“Normally no, but when I use my hair for something, I can assign sensations to it. It’s a method I use occasionally for delicate tasks…”
Lily glanced at me sharply.
“You…?”
“I’m sorry.”
Well, I just had to ask… It’s really true.
Even as I gained this new knowledge, Lily’s hair continued to move steadily.
“Analysis complete. Hmm… Which parts were uncomfortable?”
“The neck, arms, and thighs.”
“…Is it because we were short of time? There are limits with off-the-rack clothes.”
After pondering briefly, Lily nodded.
“For now, I’ll adjust your clothes to fit you better. We should get you custom-made clothes when we have time.”
Several minutes later…
“…Wow.”
I gave a small gasp of admiration as I tried on the adjusted clothes.
As Lily said, the fit was entirely different.
No places were too tight or loose, and my body seemed to be gently embraced by the suit. It felt like it was personally tailored just for me.
“How is it?”
“It’s much more comfortable.”
“Good. Then let’s hurry. The party’s about to start.”
With that, we briskly walked until we arrived at the hall without being late.
At the entrance to the hall, two people who looked like students were standing.
Looking closely, I noticed they had distinctive badges.
This was the most influential student organization in the academy.
The Student Self-Government Council, commonly known as the Student Council.
As we approached, one of them spoke to me.
“What year are you and what is your name?”
“Third-year Arthur.”
The other person flipped through a piece of paper.
“Arthur… Arthur… Ah, here you are. You must be on the high-achiever mandatory attendance list, right?”
“Yes.”
The first person handed me something.
It was a brooch.
Blue with gold edging, it was a distinctive item.
“This is a distinguishing brooch for each grade and high achievers. First-year: yellow, second-year: green, third-year: blue, fourth-year: purple. For high achievers, the brooch includes gold edging.”
“Please place it somewhere visible.”
The brooch, apparently magical, had no pin.
Holding it near my chest, it stuck on like a magnet.
‘This must be made so it doesn’t damage the clothes. Ingenious.’
With the brooch pinned, I was about to enter the hall when
“Um, wait just a moment.”
“Yes?”
“Hem, I apologize, but pets are not allowed.”
This comment was directed at Lily.
“This cat is not a regular pet; she’s a familiar.”
“Is that… a familiar?”
The two people’s eyes widened.
Given how rare this was, their reaction was understandable.
“My familiar does not shed and will remain calm.”
“Ah, please give us a moment.”
One of them ran off.
Awkwardly waiting since there was nothing else to say, after a while
“I’ve returned. It’s okay, apparently.”
“We apologize. You may enter.”
“Yes, then…”
Passing the two people, I entered the hall.
“Wow…”
Indeed, a grand spectacle awaited.
Under the glittering chandeliers, various decorations reflected the light and sparkled.
Huge even at a glance, the hall remained spacious despite being filled with many people.
Had it been a ball, the center would have been vacated to create a dance floor, but this evening, celebrating and socializing outweighed entertainment. Instead, a magical fountain took center stage.
The fountain visualized magic power as water and could be tinted in various colors, easy to handle—so I’d read in a book.
‘To operate the fountain, at least two mages must channel magic power into it, right? How inefficient is that?’
Personally, I thought it would be more beautiful to use those mages to cast fireworks spells.
But to the people here, efficiency probably didn’t matter much.
Most of the students attending this welcome party were nobles, after all, who need not concern themselves with efficiency.
Feeling jaded by their extravagance, I took a glass of drink from a person with a tray circulating around.
I sipped the drink, moved to a corner of the party hall, leaned against the wall, and enjoyed it silently.
I only attended because my presence was mandatory, and I had no intention of actively participating.
‘Besides, there’s no way anyone would look favorably upon me anyway.’
At least, within my year, there probably isn’t a student who doesn’t know me by now.
Apparently, my identity has spread quickly.
Even students from other years were visibly whispering as they looked at me.
<Telepathic dialogues omitted for smoother narrative flow>
At this point, if everyone in this hall turns to me, I might feel pressured, but I’ve become accustomed to such looks by now.
Sipping my drink, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
<Telepathic dialogues omitted for smoother narrative flow>
Pointing at the drink in my hand
– Is this not a rather high-class product since these are what nobles consume?
– It likely is.
– It’s certainly delicious but… compared to this, it’s sort of…
– Ah, it doesn’t measure up to honey drinks, does it?
Thinking about it, I might be the one indulging in the most luxury here.
Since I’m the one who’s engaged to an outsider.
<Telepathic dialogues omitted for smoother narrative flow>
Thinking about it like that made me feel a bit better.
As I sipped my drink, I noticed someone approaching from the corner of my eye.
Turning my head, I couldn’t help but grin in surprise and delight.
“Reeti!”
“It’s been a while, Arthur.”
“Really has been.”
Actually, it had only been two days since we last met, not a long time. However, because we used to meet every day before, those two days felt exceptionally long.
“Anyway, what have you been up to? Why didn’t you show up for classes?”
“…I had some issues.”
Reeti was wearing a dress, appropriate for the occasion.
Though she usually gave off a rugged impression, when she made an effort, it was undeniable…
“You really look like a noble.”
“Hmph, what were you expecting?”
“Hmm… a mountain hermit?”
“Took all the fun out of it.”
Reeti gave me a sidelong glance.
Her lips curved into an O shape.
“You… well, it suits you.”
“Does it?”
<It obviously does! After all the effort I put in!>
The confidently raised chin of Lily.
If she were just a little larger, it might have carried more authority, but in her small cat form…
‘Cute…!’
It seemed Reeti thought the same thing, kneeling down and extending her hand toward Lily.
“Hello, Lily. You’re as cute as ever?”
Lily avoided Reeti’s hand by darting left and right before hiding behind me.
It felt like catching up with an old friend somewhat relieved the stuffiness of the party.
“Anyway, did you know?”
“Know what?”
“About me being top of the practical tests.”
“…You didn’t know?”
“Nope.”
“Goodness… But still, you managed to show up?”
“Illina told me.”
“Arthur’s coming to the freshmen welcome party…”
“Right? If it wasn’t mandatory, I was just planning to hole up in my room.”
“…Were you planning to go out with that girl?”
“The girl? …Oh, you mean Lily… right?”
“Her name’s Lily? Were you planning to spend time with your fiancée?”
I scratched the back of my neck and nodded.
“Well, yeah. I just wanted to chat idly with her in the room.”
“…Room? Together?”
Reeti’s hand trembled, and a few drops of drink spilled from the glass she was holding.
“Hey, be careful.”
Ignoring my warning, Reeti turned to me sharply.
“What exactly did you mean by that?”
“Um?”
“Room together. You don’t live alone, do you?”
“Uh…”
“And you were planning to play with your fiancée there?”
“Huh? What is this even about?”
Reconsidering Reeti’s words, I realized something was off. Then I remembered the white lie I told her about adopting Lily because she smelled like a woman.
‘Damn, I made a mistake…’
Now, how should I explain?
As I was pondering, Reeti asked hesitantly,
“You don’t mean… the smell I picked up last time was actually…”
‘Oh no, here it comes…’
At that very moment,
“Ah, there you are, Reeti A.”
A rather sleazy voice reached us.
Turning toward the voice, Reeti frowned for a brief moment.
Quickly regaining her composure, Reeti lifted the hem of her dress slightly and curtseyed.
“Good evening, Senior Lucas.”
“Ah, that’s right, that’s right.”
The man called Lucas turned his gaze toward me.
For a fleeting moment, I sensed an unpleasant look in his eyes.
‘What was that?’
The look disappeared in an instant, and the man spoke to me.
“And you are?”
Since Reeti called him Senior, I figured the same would apply to me.
“Third-year Arthur, Senior.”
“Ah, a name I’ve heard before. Didn’t one of my family members owe you a favor?”
‘Family?’
At those words, I recognized who Lucas resembled.
“…Could you possibly be from the Goldsun family?”
“Haha! Yes, all of us in my family look alike.”
Lucas indeed looked like his sibling with blonde hair and brown skin.
He extended his hand toward me.
“I’m Lucas Goldsun, Fourth Year.”
Arthur associated his sly face with Louis right away.
A wave of disgust passed through me, but I couldn’t ignore a Senior outright.
Shaking his hand lightly, I quickly pulled mine away.
Lucas smirked in response to my behavior, then threw out casually:
“By the way, did you receive the letter well?”
