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“Our proud Meikhael students will surely not neglect their training even during the vacation. Magic is a path of constant progress. If you seize this vacation as an opportunity to push forward and push forward again, your skills will change beyond recognition. Moreover…”

Time flew by, and before we knew it, a semester had ended. In the grand auditorium at the center of the university, students had gathered to listen to Chancellor Mondri’s words of encouragement.

Starting today, Meikhael University is on vacation.

Though it’s a short vacation of just over a month, the students’ faces were already glowing with joy.

As befits the top magic university in the empire, the knowledge students must learn is vast compared to other schools. Even during regular times, students had to invest a lot of time in reviewing to digest that extensive knowledge.

Thus, for the students, vacation must feel like a much-needed refreshment.

Well, I suppose students in reality also love vacations.

I sat at the back of the podium, looking down at the students.

Here and there, I spotted familiar faces.

Sia Riumin, who exuded the aura of a top student and a well-bred lady at first glance. And next to her, the petite girl Wendy.

“…?!”

The moment our eyes met, Wendy flinched and looked away. It seemed she had been staring at me all along.

What’s this? If she reacts like that, it feels like I did something wrong.

This time, when I silently stared back, Wendy awkwardly greeted me with her eyes.

What a cute kid. Every little action of hers feels like a charm.

Suppressing the urge to chuckle, I shifted my gaze and spotted Luna in the corner. No, it must be Lucy since it’s still daytime.

Lucy, sitting there with a tired expression, was seated far from Wendy, with whom she used to hang out.

I could somewhat guess why the two had ended up like this.

Lucy’s true identity as the emperor must have been a shock. Not to mention, she had enrolled in school under the alias “Luna” to deliberately approach Wendy, who is of the hero’s bloodline. That must have been a huge blow.

Still, it’s quite strange.

Even though the shock was great, I thought Wendy, with her timid personality, would be swayed by Lucy, the emperor… But it was quite surprising that Wendy had so decisively cut ties.

If I remember correctly, the last time Lucy and Wendy hung out together was at the amusement park after Lucy revealed her true identity.

‘I don’t know what happened at the amusement park, but…’

Since then, the two seemed to treat each other like strangers.

I stared intently at Lucy.

Now that her identity had been exposed to Wendy, there was no real reason for her to come to school. Yet, she not only attended classes but also participated in the vacation ceremony, which suggests she still has some attachment to the school.

Though overshadowed by the ideal emperor persona of Luna, Lucy, in her original personality, possessed exceptional learning abilities. Had she not been born as the emperor, she might have become a renowned magic scholar. Despite being busy living with two personalities, she remains among the top students in the first year, which supports this fact.

“…!”

Perhaps because I was staring too intently. My eyes met Lucy’s. Like Wendy, she averted her gaze, but her next action was entirely different.

Lucy, with a displeased expression, covered her lower body with the cardigan she was wearing, as if it were a blanket. Not stopping there, she tucked her hands inside the cardigan.

As if asserting that I shouldn’t peek at her.

I couldn’t say I didn’t understand what that series of actions meant. But it was clear that Lucy had heard something from Luna.

While I succeeded in shaming Luna, who suffers from severe mysophobia, it seems my own evaluation has plummeted in inverse proportion.

I resumed a solemn demeanor and looked around at the students. Here and there, students were starting to doze off.

It seems Chancellor Mondri’s tedious speech was dragging on.

No matter how prestigious the university, sitting through such a drawn-out speech is hard to endure.

It was so dull that even the professors seated below me seemed to be half-listening.

Only Ariel, Mondri’s protégé and the representative of the professors, was listening as if receiving divine revelation.

“…I will repeatedly remind you all. Uh… then, I’ll keep my words brief.”

Mondri finally concluded his speech after about ten more minutes.

Only then did sighs of relief escape from the seated students.

The long vacation ceremony had finally ended.

But suddenly, a thunderous announcement reached me.

“Lastly, we will have a few words from the Chairman.”

“…?”

Chairman’s speech? Me?

That wasn’t on the schedule, was it?

Just as everyone was relieved it was over, the announcement of another speech immediately made the students’ faces crumple. Moreover, it was Tristan, who shamelessly declared during the entrance ceremony that the school belonged to him, not the students. The reaction was far from positive.

Ariel, in charge of the proceedings, approached me with an extremely professional smile.

“Please share some good words with the students, Chairman.”

“This doesn’t seem to have been on the schedule.”

“Just share whatever you usually want to tell the students. Surely you have something to say?”

Put that way, I couldn’t say no.

Realizing I couldn’t back down, I stood up from my seat.

“…Understood.”

It seemed like Ariel had acted on her own. The professors and Chancellor Mondri also looked puzzled.

Being suddenly put in front of the students to humiliate me seemed laughable.

I stepped onto the podium in front of the students and faculty. It felt like I was under the spotlight of many people for the first time in a while.

Thanks to ‘Pride,’ which made me look down on everything but myself, I wasn’t particularly nervous. But no words came to mind.

Even if given time, I wasn’t confident I could deliver a good speech.

I’m not an outstanding magician like Mondri.

Just a young, arrogant noble who bought his way into the chairman’s seat.

What advice could I possibly give to students destined to become promising magicians?

In the end, I chose a very Tristan-like approach.

I opened my mouth to the staff engraved with an amplification spell.

“Good job.”

After that opening, I spoke to the students in a clear voice.

“That’s all.”

“…?”

For a moment, the air in the auditorium froze.

But it was different from when using ‘Wrath.’ If I had to describe it, it was like everyone was doubting their ears after hearing something utterly absurd.

Regardless, I stepped down from the podium as if my job was done.

In terms of time, it was barely three seconds.

As I passed by Ariel, who stood there dumbfounded, she called out to me.

“Uh…? Chairman! Chairman! Wait a moment!”

“What is it?”

“Why did you stop in the middle of your speech?”

“I didn’t stop. That was all.”

“Ah, but even so, such a lackluster speech…”

Ariel couldn’t hide her bewilderment, clearly not expecting me to end the vacation ceremony with such a short speech.

“I merely commended the students’ efforts. Can you call that lackluster?”

“Ah… no. I’m sorry. It’s not that it’s lackluster, but… it’s just too short. If only you could say a bit more…”

With everyone watching, it felt a bit harsh to ignore Ariel as she clung to me like this.

Unhiding my annoyance, I looked down at the students.

After my earlier statement, all the students were waiting for my next words.

Though they’re university students, they’re still just kids who’ve barely become adults. Looking at their untainted faces, I thought:

They can enjoy this vacation only until the players arrive.

With that sympathy in mind, I spoke to them.

“It’s vacation. Enjoy it. That’s all.”

As I turned and stepped down from the podium, a belated cheer erupted behind me.

*

After the vacation ceremony, I waited for the carriage to take me back to the mansion.

The campus was bustling with students coming for the ceremony.

Because of this, my departure was delayed.

There was another reason for the delay.

Unexpectedly, some students asked to take photos with me.

Whether they weren’t scared of me or had braced themselves for fear…

As the saying goes, a young puppy doesn’t know to fear a tiger—they were all fearless first-years.

I guessed they were some of the students who had sent me letters after my dramatic weight loss.

I could have refused, but I admired their courage and took photos with them.

In this world, photographers are artisans of high skill. Naturally, the photos they take using spells are expensive. Seeing the students pooling their pocket money for the photos, I paid for them instead.

‘Sigh…’

At the time, I didn’t realize it, but taking photos with young female students was quite draining.

Anticipating more students asking for photos, I deliberately sought out less crowded areas.

I called for the carriage at a small gate in the middle of the campus, not the main or back gates.

Since students rarely use this gate, it should be less crowded.

But then…

“Co… Count!”

Turning around, I saw a twin-tailed girl in uniform catching her breath.

“Wendy…”

“I… I’ve been looking for you…”

“For me?”

“Yes…!”

Wendy nodded as she caught her breath.

Did she have something to discuss?

She suddenly pulled something out of her pocket and showed it to me.

“I got second place…! Hehe…”

It was her report card.

Including the exams just before the vacation, Wendy had secured second place overall. Considering her background and circumstances, second place was truly remarkable.

But as the chairman of this university, I had known about this a week ago.

“I know.”

“Huh? Eh?”

Wendy, who had been grinning, suddenly froze.

“…What’s wrong?”

“Ah, no! Of course, you would already know…”

“…?”

What’s this? She looks somewhat disappointed.

“But… I wanted to tell you first, Count…”

Wendy fidgeted with her fingers as she looked up at me.

Was she hoping for praise? I was slow to catch on.

I reached out to gently pat Wendy’s cheek. But then…

“Eek?!”

“…Wendy?”

Wendy suddenly covered her cheek and crouched down.

I had merely touched her cheek.

Her reaction, as if she had been slapped, left me quite flustered.

“Are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine… It’s just a bit sore…”

“…Hmm.”

“I-I’m really fine! You don’t need to worry…”

Now that I looked, Wendy’s cheek seemed slightly swollen.

Maybe she had a toothache.

‘If that’s the case…’

After a moment of thought, I spoke.

“Wendy. Have you eaten?”

“Ah, not yet…”

“Then there’s a restaurant I saw recently that serves unique dishes. Shall we go there together?”

“Huh?”

Wendy’s tearful face blossomed like a flower.

“J-Just the two of us?”

“Do you not want to?”

“No!? I-I’ll go! I’ll definitely go! Absolutely! Yay!”

“Alright. You seem happy.”

“Yes! I’m happy! Hehe… Ah, but, what kind of unique dish is it…?”

I gently patted Wendy’s head as she bounced with joy and answered.

“It’s called pork cutlet, I hear.”

 

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