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After the swordsmanship class ended, my classmates began to approach me one by one, stealing glances at one another.

Most exchanged a few greetings and names before returning to their seats, but not everyone was so quick.

“Hey, hey! You were really strong, huh?”

The girl standing in front of me was one of them.

She had red hair and a very small frame. Since I had become a girl, I had shrunk a bit too, and Selian was slightly shorter than me, but this girl was at least a handspan shorter than her. If seen outside, one might easily mistake her for a younger child, not a peer.

“Ah, thank you.”

I expressed my gratitude, feeling the importance of being polite. The girl burst into a fit of giggles and started playfully slapping my shoulder.

“Oh? Why so formal between friends? Just use casual speech! It’s giving me the creeps!”

“Y-yeah, um… sure.”

Honestly, I was struggling with the noble lady’s way of speaking, so encountering someone with whom I could speak comfortably was quite refreshing.

But I did wish she’d stop slapping my shoulder soon. My senses had become heightened, and each playful slap made my skin protest. I was sure I was turning red.

“This violent girl! You really should fix those habits of yours!”

Another boy standing next to us caught her hand, putting an end to the playful aggression.

He also had red hair, but his build was entirely different. Unlike the girl, who was smaller than most, this boy was taller than average, even taller than I was when I was still a guy.

I definitely remembered them. If I recalled the two of them from the earlier sparring matches, it would be odd not to recognize them.

Despite her small stature, the weapon the girl wielded, a great sword, seemed to be about her size or even larger. She swung the massive weapon with impressive skill, pushing her opponent back.

On the other hand, the boy used a bastard sword. Normally meant to be wielded with two hands, this boy somehow managed to use it as a one-handed sword due to his larger frame. Using one hand, he produced force equal to two-handed swordsmen, leaving his opponents bewildered.

These were two of the few whom I had dared not give feedback to.

I imagined in my head what it would be like to face the two of them. If I were in a male body, perhaps I could handle it, but in my current state, I couldn’t confidently claim victory. However, I believed I could win eight or nine times out of ten with my current body.

This time, I contemplated a scenario where Selian would face off against the two.

In that case, it was a no-brainer. It would be a guaranteed victory for Selian. It wasn’t that the two were weak; rather, Selian was simply overwhelming. Her swordsmanship was just beyond mere skill; she possessed an experience level unbecoming of her age. Truly, a candidate for the hero.

“You can’t say that to my sister, you brat!”

The girl raised her free right hand and threw a punch at the boy’s stomach.

Thwack!

A perfect straight hit.

“Ugh… This little brat… we’re only a minute apart in age anyway…”

“Little brat? You just got beaten by me today, for real.”

As I diligently replayed the sparring matches in my head, I suddenly noticed a brewing confrontation between the two. Fearing that things would get messy if I left them be, I quickly reached out and separated them.

Fortunately, it seemed they hadn’t forgotten I was there, as they paused their impending fight and redirected their gazes back to me.

“Um… so…”

“Ian Clayne.”

I hesitated about how to address them when Ian, the boy, revealed his name first. When I turned to the girl with the red hair instead of just the “little brat,” she opened her mouth with an “oh no” expression.

“I’m Anne Clayne! As you can see, this is my younger brother. We’re twins, but we don’t look much alike, do we?”

Honestly, would saying that Anne looked like the younger sibling anger her?

But I didn’t feel the need to walk into thorny paths, so I kept my thoughts to myself.

“I’m… no, I’m Elysia. Just call me Elysia.”

“Yeah, I know. You’re already a famous person.”

?

“From the first day of school, you were that troublemaker sneaking out of the dorm. Everyone who matters knows.”

“What?!”

How did she know…? I definitely sneaked out through the window without anyone noticing; I had no memory of being caught by anyone.

“But if you’re going to sneak out of the dorm next time, you should do it right after roll call ends!”

Now that she mentioned it, I think there was a rule about that in the dorm. No, I never thought it would even exist.

Wait? Wouldn’t that ruin my scholarship plans?

“Well, thankfully, for whatever reason, the dorm head didn’t deduct any points, so you don’t have to worry. Although you might get a bit of scolding.”

A bit of scolding is something I can tolerate. What really matters is whether or not there’s a deduction.

“Ugh… Thank goodness. But honestly, I probably won’t do that again.”

“Well, just in case, you can always ask me for help!”

Seeing the small girl puff her chest out like that, it was more cute than reassuring.

But since there was no longer any connection to me outside the academy, I probably wouldn’t have any reason to sneak out.

Creak!

Before I could come up with excuses, the door opened, and a professor walked into the classroom to start the next lesson.

“Ah! The professor has arrived. Let’s continue this later!”

Bidding goodbye with a wave, the girl dragged Ian back to their seats. Considering she had just been swinging a great sword, was Ian truly getting dragged along, or was he just pretending? It’s a silly question, really.

Anne was seated at the front, presumably due to her small stature.

However, even Ian was sitting at the front, causing a bit of trouble for the kids behind him, which seemed to be a no-go. But since he sat at the outermost row, it seemed the kids behind or the homeroom teacher just let it slide.

As I sighed, Selian moved her desk closer to mine.

The professor, who had come in to teach history, pointed out Selian’s desk getting in the way, but after hearing it was because she left the textbook behind, he let it slide.

From a glance, I thought I saw a history textbook peeking from inside Selian’s bag, but surely that was just a mistake.

*

Lunchtime at Griffin Academy was uniform for all students, regardless of department or grade.

During the relatively generous hour and a half, students would eat lunch, either bringing their own packed meals, using the dining hall, or stopping by the cafe—whatever suited them.

The dining hall offered a tremendously diverse menu, ranging from cheap meals commonly consumed by commoners to exquisite dishes catered to the refined tastes of high-ranking nobles.

Of course, the choice of menu was a personal responsibility, and so was the expense that followed.

Given my need to save on a budget, naturally, I should go for the cheaper option. However, where I was standing now was the serving line for the second most expensive menu item, other than the course meals.

It’s not that I had a craving for food or a tendency to waste money. It was simply that I had found myself naturally standing in this line while following Selian.

Even as I considered turning around to escape the line, Selian, who was beaming and chatting with me, made me lose my opportunity to slip away unobtrusively.

“I heard from some graduates that this menu is really delicious!”

“Haha… I’m truly looking forward to it.”

I felt sorry for myself for not being able to refuse the words I didn’t mean.

Slowly, the line began to shrink, and eventually, I placed five meal tickets into the box. With five tickets, I could afford five portions of the cheapest menu.

What awaited me in return for those five tickets was a tray of food I’ve never seen before, in a configuration I could hardly fathom.

Considering the value of the components, five tickets might seem quite cheap for others, but for me, every piece of meat and greenery on that tray represented money. Surely, this meat alone must be worth three tickets, right? How about this greenery? And what about this dessert?

It was water spilled all over again. With a stiff face, I forced a smile at Selian, who was beaming as she led me outdoors.

The pleasant weather and gentle breeze had meant that all the outdoor tables were already occupied.

While Selian and I dawdled, unsure where to sit, a group just rising from their table provided the perfect moment for us to dash over and claim it for ourselves.

“Please, sit here, Selian.”

Knowing how to score points in these small instances is what truly matters. Trying to win someone’s favor with flattery is not just a foolish tactic; flattery is merely an additional seasoning; it should never take the lead role.

Selian’s smiling face confirmed that my actions were correct.

Once I saw Selian sitting down opposite me, I took my own seat.

“Enjoy your meal.”

“Hehe, you too, Elysia.”

Now, it was time to focus. After all, this was a five-ticket menu. It was only natural to adopt a serious demeanor.

Slowly, very slowly… one bite at a time… savoring every flavor was the utmost courtesy.

As I lifted my fork and knife, I cut the meat while appreciating its texture, being careful to do it reverently.

Gently spearing the carefully cut piece of meat, I brought it to my mouth.

“Ah! Elysia! Why are you crying?”

Ah… This is the meat that will make me shed tears. It doesn’t need additional salt!