Pastel, riding her magic broom, soared above the tournament venue, reveling in the newfound freedom as she performed tricks in the air.
“There’s an obstacle ahead that could knock my head! If this keeps up, then—!”
With a spin of the broom, she flipped her body upside down. Her pink hair flowed behind her as she completed a full turn and returned to her upright position.
“Perfect dodge! Woohoo!”
Her pink eyes sparkled with excitement.
“I’m gonna do this, and this!”
She waved one hand as if holding a wand.
“Here’s a cool magic spell!”
Shooom~!
She glanced down at the chicken skewer stall on the ground.
Enemy spotted!
Extending her imaginary wand, she shouted, “Yahap! Whoosh!”
A super ultra meteor flew towards the chicken skewer booth, creating a mushroom cloud like a nuclear explosion.
“Whoa!”
Phew.
Pastel spread her arms wide and muttered arrogantly, “The god of destruction has arrived here. Everyone kneel and submit before the deity!”
The cold wind at high altitude fluttered her pink hair and white garment.
Pastel shivered. Her expression changed as if she was about to sneeze.
“Ugh, ugh, achoo!”
She rubbed her slightly reddened and cold nose.
Autumn breeze is chilly.
‘At this rate, I’ll catch a cold. I should stop by the dorm and grab a coat.’
Lowering the altitude of her broom, Pastel rubbed her chilly arms.
“Surely I won’t catch any cold-like diseases, right?”
Like not being able to eat properly, feeling like poison will not work.
‘Still, it’s not good to wear down my body. If I think I’m okay and push too hard, I’ll end up only sipping warm soup in front of the fireplace for a while.’
“Wow! Warm soup! Is it the devil’s doing?”
I’m so looking forward to it!
‘Goodness.’
The devil sighed.
Pastel swooped down on her broom and landed on the ground. She borrowed a coat from a passing friend.
“Thank you, friend! It’s as warm as your heart! I’ll return it after the event!”
Yay!
While the gloomy devil thought it was necessary to stop by the dorm, the popular Pastel didn’t have to.
This is the difference between Lord Viscount and the devil servant!
Ta-da.
‘Hmm? What was I just thinking? That expression seems a bit arrogant.’
Huh.
As she rode the broom back into the sky, Pastel shook her head rapidly. Her pink hair waved around.
“Nothing at all!”
‘Very suspicious.’
Though it looked like she was just playing and briefly enthralled by her newfound broom, Pastel was actually putting great effort into monitoring the situation from above for the event.
She checked the situation of the Academy Guard, reinforced any lacking security with soldiers, and although Mr. Max brought from the trading guild would lead, she reexamined the scene.
“The Knight Corps will block any external intrusions…”
Pastel cautiously flew low, meticulously inspecting between student booths. There were no suspicious installations like the ones during the cult attack.
Having been attacked by the cult once, the students swiftly reported anything suspicious themselves.
“Yep, yep!”
Satisfied, she ascended once more, looking over the whole venue.
Proud, proud.
“I may have unintentionally seized power, but it feels like a good thing! If Professor Carlow were still in charge of administration, we wouldn’t have even begun basic sewer renovations, and by now, external intruders could have invaded and terrorized us.”
Taking it slow to review the additional budget for sewer renovations—though administratively necessary, there are circumstances.
‘Hmm.’
The devil seemed slightly uncomfortable instead of agreeable.
Hmm.
What’s going on?
Full brain rotation!
It was like witnessing a child being ruinously raised and then caught in bribery, only to find out that the bribe was being donated entirely, leaving the guardian in a difficult position on how to scold them.
Huh.
But Pastel, now completely enjoying her power rather than donating it, inhaled sharply.
The pondering devil spoke.
‘Young Craft.’
Ah!
Pastel, her mind fully engaged, instantly interpreted the devil’s feelings.
This feels like a voice convinced she should be scolded for enjoying power too much!
Wah!
‘You will feel it yourself, but—’
“Come to think of it! Come to think of it!”
Pastel flustered, looking down at the ground.
“What can I say? What can I say!”
Hooha.
In search of something to say, she spotted Professor Carlow sitting on a bench at a hill far from the event.
“Oh my?! Is the professor over there?”
She couldn’t miss this chance!
The devil had to agree!
She whisked her magic broom to the side. Pastel flew through the air, her pink hair billowing behind her.
The devil tried to say more but lost the moment and fell silent.
Phew.
Pastel reached the hill. It was a spot overlooking the event venue.
Professor Carlow glanced up from his wooden cup as he sipped. A look of confusion flickered in his eyes.
“Hello, Professor.”
Pastel safely steered her broom, slowly descending to the ground. Her feet gently touched the earth.
The professor looked at her oddly.
“How are you flying?”
With poise, she held up her broom.
“Super ultra special technique!”
With the added power of the demon king!
Pastel, satisfied, rubbed the broom across her cheek.
The handle was snowy white, and the bristles were pink.
Whoa.
The design is pretty too!
The only problem was that I’m not a magician but can’t become an aerial bombardier.
What a disappointment.
Professor Carlow slowly closed his eyes and opened them again. Then, he turned his gaze back to the event venue and silently brought the wooden cup to his lips.
Huh.
So stiff and boring, this professor.
Pastel approached and they both gazed at the venue.
Students moved about among various temporary booths.
An upperclassman demonstrating festival fireworks seemed to have failed the angle adjustment, causing the fireworks to hit the chicken skewer booth’s sign and catch fire.
Ugh, burning chicken skewers.
The Academy Guard, watching with suspicion, rushed over. They put out the fire with water magic and confiscated all the fireworks. The upperclassman clung to the guards’ ankles, feeling wronged.
Professor Carlow muttered.
“Is it the pure engineering department?”
“Oh, is that so?”
“After getting lucky with sponsorship during the spring festival, has it become easier? Normally, they should be careful to avoid budget cuts, but they’re selling all the fireworks.”
Huh.
So that senior is taking advantage of the illuminated dragon festival I hosted to sell dangerous fireworks today?
Feeling a bit mushy-wushy.
Mushy-wushy feels like…
Just mushy-wushy!
Yep, yep.
Pastel looked at the professor.
“Aren’t you going down, Professor? Though there won’t be as much to see without the illuminated dragon, the food will definitely be better! It’s the second festival after all!”
She held up two fingers.
A result created by Pastel in a festival-less Academy.
Vee!
Professor Carlow closed his mouth and took another sip from his wooden cup. His throat bobbed.
Whoa.
Feels like I’ve butted in on a strange conversation.
The aura of “don’t talk to me” was thick.
But Pastel was used to this kind of behavior and didn’t mind much.
Leaning over slightly, she peered into the wooden cup.
A crimson liquid was visible.
“Oh, orange juice!”
Her pink eyes sparkled.
I have a hunch about where this was bought!
Just the other day, I caught a senior attempting to sell alcohol and made them only sell orange juice.
Hee hee hee!
Detective Pastel, I guessed right! I guessed right!
She pointed at the wooden cup.
“Oh, Professor! You cannot take that wooden cup outside! You need to drink it at the booth and return it right away!”
Abuse of power by the professor.
A crime that cannot be tolerated as a student council for the students!
Professor Carlow kept his gaze down on the event ground.
It was still, without a breeze.
Huh.
What a stiff and boring professor.
Could it be that he’s not responding because I took administrative power from him?
Pastel felt wronged.
Honestly, Professor, you handled things strangely.
Hee hee.
“When I checked the tournament spectator seats, there was no seat assigned for you. It seemed you hadn’t applied to watch. Should I arrange a seat for you now? There are extra seats, so it wouldn’t be difficult.”
Professor Carlow looked into his wooden cup. The orange liquid swayed gently before settling.
He turned his head to face her.
“I already have someone I invited.”
Pastel’s pink eyes widened in surprise.
Hee.
“Who is it?”
Professor Carlow scanned the area.
No answer came.
Oh, I see.
“It’s a matter of privacy.”
The girl nodded, moving onward. With her hands behind her back, she walked toward the edge of the hill where the campus could be seen better.
“I received a message from the Knight Corps. Until now, I didn’t know, but it seems the terrorists were being manipulated by the cult?”
The breeze rustled gently.
“It’s complicated, but it especially makes you think about why they would cause trouble at the Academy.”
Turning back to Professor Carlow, she said, “Could it be that there’s an internal collaborator at the Academy?”
Professor Carlow remained silent on the bench, watching.
“So, I want to ask you as a former administrator for advice!”
With a nod and a slight bow, Pastel chuckled.
“Uh oh. I feel like there might be someone, but I have never searched for spies before. Professor Horace isn’t an expert in this area either.”
Pastel clutched her head, groaning.
“Thinking, thinking! Ah! We originally had Professor Carlow! Honestly, you might be a bit annoyed, but we’re all family under one roof!”
She pointed at the wooden cup.
Yap, yap.
Professor Carlow stared intensely for a moment, then raised the wooden cup again. Bringing it to his lips, he said briefly.
“I’ll think about it.”
Pastel beamed.
“Oh yay! You’re saying you’ll do it! You’re saying you’ll do it! I’ll take it as a yes!”
She hopped onto her broom.
“I have to share this great news with everyone! They all think I have bad intentions in doing this! But the original Professor Carlow recognized it too!”
Yay!
“Perfect harmony!”
New and old harmony!
Pastel hopped lightly off the ground.
“Professor, enjoy the festival!”
The broom soared upward.
Pastel hummed happily as she flew. After some distance from the hill, she glanced back.
The soldiers following her flight path warned the professor and sent him down from the hill. This meant the area that looked down on the campus was good for terrorism.
“I’m telling you, that professor is suspicious.”
Yep, yep.
‘Young Craft.’
The devil sighed.
‘You are more suspicious…’
What?
Pastel’s eyes went wide.
Oh?
