The airships flew into the Sky Island docking station, surrounding the one carrying the transfer students as if to escort it.
As the whale-like airship moved its wing fins for a smooth landing, a strong wind swept through. The clothes of the Academy personnel waiting at the docking station fluttered violently.
Pastel, representing the Student Council, trembled in the wind and turned to speak to Eli, who was waiting nearby to the right.
“Hey, she’s a Duchess. How should I approach her? Should I say hello? Or how do you do?”
“I may not perfectly know the Empire’s etiquette, but…”
Eli casually rubbed his pointed demon ears.
“Am I using honorifics with you?”
Memory check.
Not a chance!
“We’re the same students. It’s true that I feel apprehensive about what comes after graduation, but I don’t think I need to stand out.”
Pastel’s face brightened slightly.
“That’s right! We don’t need to be awkward around friends! Just like friends! Actually, we’re already friends!”
Eli tilted his head slightly at this similar yet somewhat different conclusion.
“By the way, I don’t think I’ve heard any news about Alesia Bellevue receiving a title or anything. I heard she could’ve received one but declined? If we treat her the same way we do Melissa Camerott, wouldn’t that fit the etiquette?”
Dustyn, who was standing on the left, flinched. His expression clearly showed he was troubled. This was a topic he found hard to handle, having grown up in a marginal baron family.
“Well, Bellamont is of royal blood, so what about using mutual titles?”
The Bellamont Duchy was a royal family absorbed during the Empire’s unification war. Recognized for their bloodline, they received a ducal title but were also tasked with supervising parts of the territory that belonged to the former kingdom.
“Mutual titles between friends?”
Pastel’s eyes widened.
That’s a completely new etiquette to hear about!
“I don’t even use mutual titles with my best friend Melissa?!”
Pastel expressed just how close she was to Melissa with her arms wide open.
“If I treat Melissa, who is as close as my forehead, differently, she’ll be sad!”
“R-Really?”
Dustyn looked embarrassed. He seemed ashamed of his lack of knowledge.
Oh, I should comfort him.
“Dustyn! You might not know! You have hardly any friends, so you could be inexperienced with these friendships!”
Right, right!
Dustyn’s expression looked as if he had just been hit while passing by kids playing.
Since he has no friends, even this kind of comfort seems unfamiliar to him.
Pastel felt a surge of compassion. To prevent the awkward atmosphere, she let out a bright laugh.
Aha ha!
She gave a thumbs up.
“You have many talents, helping others, so it’s okay if you don’t have friends! You’ve proved it by handling student council tasks! Right, Eli?”
Looking back, Eli was in shock, mouth slightly agape. The demon girl glanced at Pastel and then back at Dustyn.
Her usual frustrated and displeased attitude towards Dustyn had transformed into eyes filled with deep pity.
The demon girl sincerely comforted Dustyn.
“It’s okay. Having your only friend be like this is better than having none at all. Normally, you’d never be able to associate with someone like this.”
Ehh.
Only friend?
Did Eli just unconsciously declare that she’s not friends with Dustyn…?
As she turned to look at Dustyn in shock, it seemed to deal a decisive blow; Dustyn was shrinking down intensely, like a snowman partially melted and collapsing.
The snowman was gloomy.
“I have no friends….”
Gulp.
It’s true, but…
It’s true, but…!
There’s no need to state it like that!
“Eli! How could you do this! This is a crime, a crime! A friend crime!”
Gulp, friend crime.
Pastel imagined it was a serious offense!
“Huh? Am I in the wrong?”
Eli looked bewildered.
It took a while to settle Eli’s serious offense, but by the time the Duchess was about to disembark from the airship, it could be resolved.
The group of transfer students descended with servants, causing a commotion at the docking station in an instant.
Among them, the most eye-catching was a silver-haired girl, surrounded by armed soldiers, who could be read as “servants.” As the soldiers’ spear tips pointed toward the sky, the girl’s cold silver eyes scanned the docking station.
Her gaze paused at a certain point. It was the Student Council gathered to welcome and guide the transfer students.
The pink-haired girl at the front blew her trumpet, “The academy students collectively welcome the transfer students!”
Pastel shouted and then put the trumpet to her mouth.
Ppphew~!
Next to her, Dustyn handed a guidebook prepared by the student council to the servants and explained it. Any transfer students asking questions were directly addressed by Eli.
Questions about schedules, dormitories, school atmosphere, and more.
A noisy conversation ensued.
In the midst of the bustling activity, Pastel’s role was simply to stand out by playing the trumpet.
Ppphew~!
With a pink-haired girl doing this, everyone inevitably turned their attention. Perhaps it was because a Viscount was in such a position without regard for appearances.
Even though Pastel was just playing an instrument, if the guiding student council didn’t stand out, some might drift away, making her a very important part of the process. It could be called the most important role.
Surprisingly, it was true.
Ppphew~!
Once the disembarking process was completely finished, they began the large move. After all, the servants would handle the trivial details, so they just needed to guide the transfer students to their dormitories.
As Pastel continued to play the trumpet while leading, she gradually took into account Eli’s suggestion that it was very embarrassing and finally stopped.
Aww.
Having taken her mouth off the instrument left her with nothing to do.
The transfer student group trailed behind, but Eli pointed out various places at the school, explaining, while Dustyn solved minor issues, so the leading Pastel found herself with nothing to do.
To maintain the welcoming atmosphere, she gingerly put the trumpet back to her mouth, but only received a reproachful glance from Eli, so she gave up.
Urrgh.
Being too good at passing over work to subordinates is also a problem.
Pastel continued to walk ahead with nothing to do, hands behind her back.
Ahem.
Nothing to do!
I’m completely capable.
Hehe.
Is this what the head of a department feels like?
She glanced back with a bit of arrogance. “There’s not just that student cafeteria over there, so if you don’t like the location, it’s better to use another place.”
Eli, earnestly explaining the school to the group of transfer students following closely.
Well, they’re doing well, it isn’t particularly crucial.
“No matter how much you tell the young master to assign you a nice dormitory, that won’t happen. If you have any complaints, the student must come to the student council directly. Please understand that conveying opinions through servants makes it difficult as an equal student.”
The struggling servants stuck in the middle and Dustyn, surprisingly flat out rejecting them.
Right, right.
They’re doing well!
Could this be the right time to do a private task?
Pastel surveyed the group of transfer students. A silver-haired girl walking slightly away from the pack caught her attention.
Whether she was going to separate from the line because she was bound to be assigned a nice dormitory anyway or simply didn’t plan to mingle with the same student group was indistinguishable.
The silver eyes scanning the school suddenly turned back. Her silver hair fluttered as if she had been rescued from the snowstorm of the northern mountains, enveloped in pure white silver.
So, this girl is a semi-knight who excels in spear combat.
Pastel beamed brightly.
And she’s my friend!
Hehe.
I should treasure her in my list of friends just like Melissa!
“Hi, Alesia! It’s been so long!”
Pastel dashed forward and greeted as if they were truly close friends.
“I’m so glad to see you! Wow!”
She hopped excitedly!
A flurry of bright pink surrounded the girl.
In this unexpected situation, Alesia seemed bewildered, furrowing her brows as if searching her memory. Then, apparently convinced that this was definitely not the case.
“When did we meet?”
Pastel’s eyes widened.
“Isn’t it been a while since we last met?!”
Shock.
“Could it be my mistake?!”
Gasp.
She posed dramatically with her arms wide open, shocked.
“That explains it! I felt something was off! Thank you for letting me know!”
Pastel then walked naturally beside her.
In the narrowed space, Alesia looked around, confused.
“But Alesia, do you know? The moment I first saw you, I realized something whoosh~!”
Whoosh~!
Pastel made sound effects with her mouth and then placed her hands on her hips to declare.
“That we are going to become best friends!”
The shocking truth.
In a conspiratorial whisper, she leaned toward Alesia’s ear.
“I got confused by this realization and felt like we were already best friends. Gasp. This is huge! Keep it just between us! It’s our secret!”
Alesia seemed unable to match up what was happening, looking blank, and turned to her servant with a gaze that seemed to ask where they had ever met.
The servant shook their head. Alesia again looked flustered and turned back to Pastel.
“When did we meet…?”
Her reaction clearly showed she didn’t understand what was going on.
Pastel, with a serious face, whispered her secret.
“We saw each other right now.”
Gasp.
Complete best friend trigger.
Silence fell. The sounds of Eli guiding from a bit of distance and the bustling of the transfer students seemed unable to interfere between them.
Pastel savored the silence.
Ah, this atmosphere.
As a friend-making expert, I can be sure of it. There’s a vibe flowing between close friends that isn’t awkward, even without any conversation.
Pastel, with a serious face, whispered softly.
“I want to ask you something cautiously, okay?”
Alesia stared at her in silence.
Heeek.
I know your feelings, too.
You must want me to say anything.
But I don’t make unreasonable requests from friends.
Pastel slowly made her request.
“Let’s have a spar.”
It’s a safe opportunity to practice with a semi-knight.
I can’t let it slip away.
Alesia looked utterly baffled at this bewildering situation, then opened her mouth.
“I’ll decline.”
Gasp.
Declined.
A cold rejection like a storm’s blizzard…!
Eventually, upon reaching the split where designated dormitories were, Alesia fled as if escaping.
Having spent her time in the cold north with no one around made it awkward to make friends, and being suddenly attacked by an unusual girl made her panic and flee.
Gah!
Pastel slumped down heavily.
Eli shot her a sidelong glance, and Dustyn approached, looking concerned.
“Pastel?”
“Dusty.”
With a sorrowful face, Pastel clung to Dustyn’s leg. Dustyn, who was looking down, flinched, then turned away, his face turning red.
“Dusty.”
“W-What is it?”
“Teach me your rude way of challenging someone to a duel!”
She suddenly needed to throw a handkerchief; it was essential!
Dustyn’s expression transformed into one of shock, as if he had just been hit.
Eli, who had been watching, burst into a slight laugh, only to quickly suppress it, pretending she hadn’t laughed.
Gah.
Pastel despaired while leaning on the floor.
“After all, being rude like you or Leonard when challenging a duel is probably not a good thing.”
Dustyn’s face changed into one of shock again.
“But sometimes, people just don’t click. It’s impossible to be friends with everyone. That’s why I’ve prepared a solid sub-plan!”
Pastel stood up confidently.
With the fierce gaze of the cold deputy student council president, general affairs head, planning head, promotions head, service head, and discipline head.
If the friend hypnosis beam doesn’t work!
She raised her arm high.
“Starting today, the student council will promote a one-on-one tournament to enhance students’ skills and motivations!”
Let’s see who’s the strongest!
Feeling embarrassed from pretending to be close on the first meeting and failing, Pastel resorted to an abuse of power.
Abuse of power beam~!
