Pastel, riding her gemstone broom, soared over the tournament event arena. She revelled in the freedom she was tasting for the first time, pulling off stunts here and there.
“There’s an obstacle ahead that could knock my head off! If that happens, if that happens!”
After spinning her broom, she flipped upside down. Her pink hair flowed down before she completed a full rotation and returned to the right position.
“Perfect dodge! How elegant!”
Her pink eyes sparkled.
“Swish, swish!”
She waved her hand as if holding a stick.
“A magical incantation that feels cool!”
Whoosh~!
She looked down at the street food booth selling chicken skewers.
Enemy spotted!
She extended her imaginary wand.
“Yay! Whoosh, whoosh!”
A super ultra meteor flew and created a mushroom cloud over the chicken skewer booth.
“Ku-wang!”
Phew.
Pastel spread her arms proudly and mumbled.
“The god of destruction has arrived here. Kneel before the divine and obey.”
The chilly wind at high altitudes whipped her pink hair and white clothing.
Pastel shivered. Her face turned as if a sneeze was about to come.
“Uh, uh, ah-choo!”
She rubbed her slightly reddened and cold nose.
This autumn breeze is cuuuold.
『At this rate, I’ll catch a cold. I should stop by the dorm to grab a coat.』
Pastel lowered her broom and rubbed her chilly arms.
“Those cold-like illnesses won’t catch me, right?”
The kind that happens when you can’t eat properly.
『But exhausting yourself isn’t good either. Just because you feel fine doesn’t mean you won’t end up spending time in front of the fireplace, only drinking warm soup.』
“Wow! Warm soup! Is it the Demon Lord making it for me?”
So excited!
『Oh dear.』
The Demon Lord sighed.
Pastel skillfully landed on the ground and 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, yay!
The sullen Demon Lord thought he should stop by the dorm, but popular Pastel doesn’t need to, no siree~.
This is the difference between Lord Marquis and his servant, the Demon!
Ta-da.
『Hmm? What were you just thinking? Your expression looks rather arrogant.』
Oops.
As Pastel hopped back onto her broom, she quickly shook her head. Her pink hair flapped.
“Nothing at all!”
『Very suspicious.』
She may have looked like she was having fun and was just playing with her broom, but Pastel was actually concentrating on overseeing the event from up high.
She scanned the effort of the academy security and checked if soldiers were adequate in areas lacking supervision. Max, who they had brought along, was running the show, but she still took a look on-site.
“External intrusions will be blocked by the Knight Order, so… ”
Pastel flew low, carefully checking between the student booths. Unlike the suspicious setups during the cult attack, there was nothing here to be concerned about.
Having faced the cult once, the students were pretty quick to report anything unusual.
“Yup, yup!”
So satisfied!
Ascending back into the sky, Pastel looked over the whole event venue.
So proud.
“Though it happened unintentionally, it feels like I’ve seized power! If Professor Carlo were still in charge of the administration, basic sewer work would never have happened, and by now, outsiders would have invaded and caused havoc.”
Taking their sweet time reviewing the budget for sewer construction. It was an administratively necessary process, but still, come on!
『Hmph.』
The Demon felt a little off instead of relating.
Huh?
What’s with him?
Brain working at full capacity!
It was like witnessing a child you raised turning to a life of crime only to discover they’re donating all their ill-gotten gains, leaving the guardian confused about how to scold them.
Oops.
But instead of donating, Pastel was fully enjoying her newfound power and took a deep breath.
The pondering Demon spoke up.
『Young Craft.』
Oh no!
While her brain was still whirring, Pastel immediately interpreted the Demon’s thoughts.
This was like that feeling when you realize, “This kid is enjoying power a bit too much. Time to ground them!”
Whoa!
『You must be feeling it yourself—”
“Come to think of it! Come to think of it!”
Pastel flailed as she looked down at the ground.
“What should I say! What should I say!”
Hoo boy.
Searching for something to say, she spotted Professor Carlo sitting on a bench on a hill away from the event.
“Oh, hey?! Is that the professor over there?”
Can’t miss this!
The Demon found this judgment relatable!
Pastel whipped her gemstone broom around. She flew off, her pink hair trailing behind dramatically.
The Demon was about to say something but missed the moment to do so.
Phew.
Pastel reached the hill. It was a spot where the event could just be seen.
Carlo raised his gaze, surprised seeing her.
“Hello, Professor.”
Pastel landed softly on the ground, steering her broom with care. Her feet gently touched the earth.
The professor looked at her oddly.
“How are you flying?”
She raised her broom confidently.
“With super ultra special techniques!”
Just add the Demon King’s magical power on top!
Pastel happily rubbed her broom against her cheek.
The handle was pure white, and the bristles were pink.
Wow.
The design is cute!
The only downside was, she couldn’t be a mage, but only an aerial bombardier.
Total bummer.
Carlo slowly blinked, then turned his gaze back to the event, taking a sip from his wooden cup.
Huh?
Stiff and boring professor.
Pastel moved closer to peek at the event from his vantage point.
Students were milling between makeshift booths.
An upperclassman attempting to sell fireworks demonstrated a festival firework. However, failing to adjust the angle, he accidentally set the chicken skewer booth’s sign ablaze.
Eek, burning chicken skewers!
The security team rushed in and snuffed the fire with water magic, confiscating all the fireworks. The upperclassman clung to them, protesting his innocence.
Carlo muttered to himself.
“Engineering major.”
“Ah, I see?”
“Got lucky at the spring festival and got a sponsorship, huh? It looks like they’re living lavishly now. If it were the norm, they’d be wary not to have their funding slashed and would’ve avoided selling fireworks altogether.”
Huh?
So that upperclassman was selling dangerous fireworks thanks to the glow-in-the-dark dragon festival I organized?
Feeling a sense of lightness.
That “lightness” feels like…
Just lightness!
Yup, yup!
Pastel looked at her professor.
“Aren’t you going down, Professor? There might be less to see without the glow-in-the-dark dragon, but the food will be tastier, right? It’s the second festival!”
She held up two fingers.
The achievement of turning the academy, which had no festivals, into one by Pastel.
V!
Carlo closed his mouth and took another sip from his wooden cup, his throat bobbing.
Huh?
I feel like a weird extra outside of a one-sided conversation.
An aura that screamed, “Don’t talk to me,” was thick in the air.
But Pastel was used to this, so she didn’t mind.
Leaning slightly, she sneakily peeked into the wooden cup.
A scarlet liquid was inside.
“Ah, orange juice!”
Her pink eyes sparkled.
I think I know where you got it!
Just recently, I caught an upperclassman trying to sell alcohol, only allowing him to sell orange juice instead.
Hehe!
Detective Pastel, I’ve solved the mystery! Solved it!
She pointed at the wooden cup.
“Oh no, Professor! You can’t take that out of the booth! You have to drink it there and return it immediately!”
Abuse of power by the professor.
A crime that cannot be tolerated as a student council determined to stand for students!
Carlo stared silently at the event below.
The wind was calm.
Huh?
Really stiff and boring professor.
Could it be that, since you lost administrative power, you’re ignoring me?
Pastel felt wronged.
Honestly, Professor, your handling of the situation was bizarre.
Hehe.
“I checked the tournament seating, and there wasn’t one for you. You didn’t apply for the viewing seats, but would you like me to arrange one for you now? It wouldn’t be a problem since we have an extra seat.”
Carlo looked into his wooden cup. The orange liquid gently swirled and then stilled.
He turned to face her.
“I already have someone invited.”
Pastel’s pink eyes widened in surprise.
Heeey.
“Who?”
Carlo looked around the event.
No answer came.
Ah-ha.
“Privacy, huh?”
Nodding her head, she walked towards the end of the hill where the view of the campus was better, her arms behind her.
“The Knight Order contacted me. I wasn’t aware of it until now, but it seems the terrorist might be funded by the cult?”
The wind rustled through the air.
“It complicates things, but I find myself especially pondering why they would want to act at our academy.”
She glanced at Carlo.
“Could it be that there’s an internal collaborator within the academy?”
Carlo continued to sit on the bench, staring quietly.
“So, about that…”
The wooden cup was placed on the bench.
It made a small clink as it touched down.
In that lull, a bright voice chimed.
“As a former administrator, I’d like to ask for your advice!”
Pastel bowed her head slightly and chuckled.
“Oh dear. I feel like there may be someone out there, but I’ve never dealt with spy hunting before. Professor Horace isn’t really specialized in that area either.”
Pastel grabbed her head and groaned.
“Wait a minute! Ah-ha! There was that Professor Carlo who used to do this! I might have slightly hurt your feelings, but we’re all living under one roof!”
She pointed at the wooden cup.
Ugh, ugh.
Carlo stared intently at her, then picked up the cup again. He tipped it toward his mouth and spoke shortly.
“I’ll think about it.”
Pastel beamed.
“Oh yay! You mean it! You mean it! I’ll hold you to that!”
She hopped on her broom.
“I need to tell everyone this good news! Everyone thinks I’m up to no good, you know! But that Professor Carlo, who used to work, recognized me!”
Woohoo.
“Perfect harmony!”
Traditional and new harmonizing!
Pastel lightly leaped into the air.
“Professor, enjoy the festival!”
With that, her broom soared upwards.
Pastel hummed happily as she flew away. After getting a little far from the hill, she glanced back.
The soldiers following her flight path warned the professor and guided him down the hill. The place that looked down on the academy was convenient for carrying out terrorist activities.
“I’m telling you that professor is suspicious.”
Yup, yup.
『Young Craft.』
The Demon sighed.
『You’re the suspicious one…』
Huh?
Pastel’s eyes went wide.
Wait, what?
