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Anoseka Volume 2 Chapter 3
🕑 Added 2023-11-08 03:40:28 +0000 UTCThis is MTL. So, I cannot guarantee that the translation 100% contextually accurate or appropriate.
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Chapter 3 "Second Semester"
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Part 1
When the second semester begins, the mob's life is much more hectic.
This is because the school's events alone include the school festival and a school trip.
For now, the school festival that lies ahead of us is the subject of this issue.
Unlike in my previous life, the position of boys in this world is weak.
When ordinary mob boys are pretentious and do not participate in school events, they are looked at negatively by the girls as "he is not motivated".
In other words, it means that it will be disadvantageous for marriage hunting.
At the very least, it is safest to show that you are doing your best by participating in school events.
That's why discussions are underway with the boys of the poor baron group, of which I am also a member, to set up a stall at the school festival.
Today, we gathered again to talk about the event, but for some reason, all the boys in the group except me were on their knees to Marie, who was planning to participate in the event with us.
All of them were serious.
"Marie-sama, please give us a chance! Another mixer —— please set up a mixer with those girls!"
The boys put aside their shame and reputation and ask Marie to introduce them to girls.
Among them, of course, are second- and third-year seniors.
My friends [Daniel] and [Raymond] were also there.
The devilish atmosphere of all of them makes my cheeks twitch.
In addition, I saw my friends getting down on their knees, which made me pull back.
"What are you guys —— even the seniors doing?"
I was so stunned that they all looked up at me and they all had straight faces.
Among them, the most familiar, the slit-eyed [Rukul]-senpai, looked up.
"During the first semester, Leon-kun and the others set up a blind date, right?"
"Well, yes, so what has happened since then?"
"When we were at the mixer, we were so busy fighting. We didn't have time to get to know each other."
Rukul-senpai does "Tehepero", but for some reason it is not cute at all.
What's all this fighting over girls? I thought we were talking about forming a group and sharing information so we don't fight.
The girls Marie invited to the mixer, but from our poor group's point of view, they were ideal women.
The first is a lazy girl, and the second girl is a shut-in who loves reading.
The third is a girl with an artistic spirit who doesn't care about the world.
In a previous life, they would be problem girls, but in this world, they are ideal girls.
It makes me keenly aware of the cultural differences.
There were other girls, and in the end, including Marie, there were seven girls gathered.
In front of those girls, a fight broke out —— in our group.
There was a dispute over who would attack whom.
Apparently, they started fighting with each other instead of having a mixer, and as a result, no one was able to have a conversation that would lead to the next step.
Rukul-senpai bowed his head to Marie and pressed his forehead against the floor.
"So, we would like Marie-sama to give us one more chance!"
Marie, sitting in a chair, sighs in amazement in front of the boys who are prostrate.
However, I could see through Marie's inner thoughts.
This girl —— it seems she's feeling a little better after the boys got kowtowed to her.
She is a disappointing person as usual.
"What should I do~? Also, I wouldn’t be in trouble if you suddenly started fighting again and made the atmosphere worse ~?"
Marie, who is getting carried away, responds to Rukul-senpai who keeps his head bowed.
"We won't make a mistake like that next time! We'll decide to make it clear in a duel beforehand!"
"O-Oh, is that so?"
Marie was a bit surprised when the dangerous word "duel" came up.
After clearing her throat and regaining her composure, Marie began negotiating with the boys.
"Well, I don't mind. But —— you wouldn't say, "For free," would you?"
Marie was sitting on a chair with her arms and legs crossed and a relaxed smile on her face.
I want to teach this girl the word "humility".
However, it seems that Rukul-senpai also anticipated that she would demand something in return.
"Of course. We will do whatever we can do. So——please —— introduce us to wonderful girls!"
"What should I do~"
For heirs of poor baron families like ours, the girls Marie introduces to us are goddesses.
No, am I overstating it? Anyway, there is no doubt that they are the best possible partners.
Those are the kind of girls I would like to date, even if it means a duel.
Even if they stay indoors and don't show up for classes or school events, it doesn't matter.
It's okay to spend a lot of time lazily because it's a hassle.
They have no interest in anything but their hobbies and don't even need to remember people's names.
To that extent, the normal girls are too cruel, so it's just a matter of personality.
Marie, who is close to such problematic —— or rather unique girls, demands an intermediary fee from the boys.
As if it were her natural right to do so.
"Well-then. I wonder if you could prepare pudding from the cafeteria every day. I want to eat pudding for lunch every day."
At Marie's request, the boys raised their heads in unison.
"Eh!?"
About the pudding from the school cafeteria, the academy is a place of learning for the nobles.
Naturally, the pudding sold at the cafeteria is also very luxurious.
In modern Japanese terms, they are popular sweets that cost as much as 1,000 yen each.
By the way, the cafeteria is basically free of charge, but menu changes and additional side dishes are available for an additional fee.
I'm appalled at Marie's insistence on dessert for lunch.
"A school cafeteria pudding just to mediate? Moreover, it's every day. That's terrible."
As it happens, Marie may have been feeling awkward by my words, and she looks sorry.
"B-Because I want to eat it-mon. I understand! Then three times a week is fine."
The boys hear that and their eyes widen in surprise.
"T-Three times a week!?"
To the surprise of the boys, Marie hurriedly relented.
Apparently she thought three times a week was too much.
"Then once a week."
In the face of Marie's demands, the bewildered boys begin to discuss in a circle.
"Oi, the demands are getting lower and lower!? Is this really about preparing pudding?"
"Idiot. It must be some kind of secret word. Otherwise —— The fees are too cheap."
"I'm sure it is. Come to think of it, there must have been a story in some book that compared a wad of bills to a bar of chocolate."
"What about the pudding?"
"I don't know either! ——But I'm sure it's a ridiculous request. After all, she is going to introduce us to all those wonderful girls."
Listening to the boys' discussion, it seems that the fees Marie proposed were too low to arouse their suspicions.
If I were to use an analogy —— it would be like someone asking you for a pudding from a convenience store when you were expecting to be asked to buy a brand name luxury bag or clothes?
The price was too cheap and conversely, it seemed to make them uneasy.
It's a scene where you can clearly understand how much the boys contribute to the girls on a regular basis.
——The group of poor boys, myself included, were beginning to look like some kind of sad creatures.
When Rukul-senpai looked back at Marie, he was smiling awkwardly.
They thought that if they could not figure it out on their own, they would ask in shame.
"Marie-sama, I apologize for my ignorance, but what is the secret word for pudding? It would be helpful if you could explain it specifically."
At that question, Marie's expression disappeared for a moment —— and then, as if her anger was gradually building up, she furrowed her eyebrows in exasperation.
"Do you guys think I would make some kind of weird request? What's the secret word? It means what it says. I'm asking you to prepare pudding from the cafeteria every day. There is no other meaning!"
"Eh!! A-Are you sure you're okay with just pudding?!"
Seeing the boys' earnest surprise, Marie suddenly has a subtle expression on her face.
It seems that she felt pity for the sense of boys in this world.
Daniel and Raymond, who were in tears, ran up to me as I watched silently by Marie's side.
"Leon, Marie-san is the best girl! I'm jealous of you!"
"That's true. Marie-san is a goddess who is willing to arrange a place for me with those girls by simply providing her with a pudding every day!"
Not long ago they were saying things like, "Better stay away from that girl," but now they're treating her like a goddess.
They're all cash-oriented people, but I can understand Daniel and Raymond's feelings.
——But.
"I'm telling you, Marie and I don't have the relationship you think we do."
When I denied having a relationship with Marie, both Daniel and Raymond looked at me with suspicion.
Why is it that everyone around me is getting the wrong idea?
It feels as if I get rid of the obstacles blocking the goal.
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Part 2
At break time, the hallways of the school were filled with students.
Summer vacation has just ended, so there are many topics to talk about, and friends are having a lot of fun.
Some of the topics included juicy story.
"I heard from some of the guys who stayed at the academy over the summer break."
One male student was excitedly talking to his friends about a topic he had just got.
"His Highness Julius and the others came to invite the scholarship student even during summer vacation!"
Each of the boys was interested to hear that there had been movement around Julius and his group while they were away at the school.
"Is it really that attractive with a scholarship student from the commoner?"
"More importantly, how's Angelica doing? She's his fiancée, right?"
"It was a mess at the end-of-semester party. ——Maybe he got tired of her affection?"
Since it was an interesting topic, the boys were too absorbed in the conversation.
So they missed that there were people nearby who were related to the topic.
"——I think I heard my name mentioned, but if you have any business with me, why don't we talk right here?"
Before long, the surroundings are quiet, and a sense of nervousness is felt in the hallway.
When the boys, who had been getting excited, looked at the girl who interrupted their conversation, the blood drained from their faces.
"Eh, a-ano, that's——"
The boy who brought up the topic trembles as he tries to make an excuse.
When he turned around, there was a group of girls.
It was one female student and her followers.
Stepping in front of him was [Angelica Rafa Redgrave].
Her blonde hair is braided and pulled back in a bun, and she has a sharp look in her eyes.
The boy was trembling in front of those strong-willed red eyes.
The bold attitude from earlier is nowhere to be found.
Angelica crosses her arms under her large breasts and gives the boys a cold stare.
"What's wrong? I thought I heard you say something about affection. Why don't you tell me the rest of the story?"
"U-uwah."
When the boy took a step back, his friends quickly ran away.
The boy, feeling abandoned, turns his back on Angelica and tries to run away.
Then, one of the girls grabbed the boy by the nape of his neck to prevent him from running away.
Angelica's cronies include several female students with martial arts backgrounds.
The boy who is being trained at the school was caught dumbfounded, but if he fought back, it would affect his future marriage hunting activities. Fearing that, the boy at the academy is unable to touch them.
"Don't run away. Answer Angelica-sama's question. ——Quickly."
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you!"
Apologetic boy was held down on the floor as he was brought in front of Angelica.
In doing so, Angelica looks down at the boy's face with cold eyes.
"What happened to your earlier bravado? Who got tired of my affection? And tell me where the rumors are coming from. ——You'll tell me, right?"
Hearing the indifferent and cold tone of her voice, the boy trembled and nodded his head over and over again.
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Part 3
Tea Ceremony room.
In the room used by the boys to invite the girls to tea, Angelica and two boys were in the room.
One of them is Julius.
The other one is [Jilk Fia Marmoria].
He is a male student with long green hair and a gentle atmosphere.
He is tall and good-looking, and his family is a court nobleman, a Viscount.
He and Julius are foster brothers who grew up together from an early age.
It is no exaggeration to say that he is Julius's best vassal.
Jilk was preparing tea for Angelica.
And incidentally, with a small comment to Angelica.
"Angelica-san, please calm down a little. How His Highness spends his summer vacation has nothing to do with you, Angelica-san."
Angelica, who was offered a cup of tea, gave Jilk a harsh look.
"I am His Highness' fiancée. If His Highness is so passionate about another woman, I would be concerned about it too."
(I don't know what this guy is thinking. ——Nevertheless, the tea has a strange smell, doesn't it?)
Stopping to take a sip of her tea, Angelica looks at Julius, who is sitting across the table from her.
Julius also did not touch the tea prepared by Jilk, but crossed his hands to cover his mouth.
"Are you saying I'm not allowed to take a break? Thanks to your father, I've had a busy summer vacation."
"My father is also acting for His Highness' sake."
"I wonder."
During the summer vacation, Julius was taken out for some socializing by Angelica's father [Vince], who was going to be his father-in-law.
The reason is that Vince learns that strange rumors are spreading at the school and acts for Angelica's sake.
But apparently it was annoying to Julius.
"Your father told me many times. He told me to keep my playtime in moderation. ——I don't think you should be relying on your father in addition to bringing up the subject of the academy outside the school."
There are unspoken rules at the academy.
That is, "It's not cool to tattle to teachers or parents" among the students.
In reality, many students are doing whatever they want with the power of their parents' families on the outside.
However, the young people feel that this is uncool.
To Julius, Angelica was a person who behaved tactlessly.
Angelica notices this, too, and desperately makes excuses.
"I-I was just explaining the situation!"
She reported that her relationship with Julius was not going well.
As a result, Vince moved to mediate between the two.
But for Julius, it seems to be the same thing.
"Don't get involved in Olivia's situation. I won't forgive you for interfering. And whatever I do is my business."
As Julius sits up, Angelica looks down and squeezes her hands in her lap.
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Part 4
When Angelica left the room, she found her cronies arguing with someone.
"I told you, Angelica-sama is busy!"
"Not even a little chitchat is acceptable? It seems the Roseblade family have been underestimated."
The female student, who hid her mouth with a fan, had long blonde hair in vertical rolls.
She is a third-year student with a unique atmosphere, and from Angelica's point of view, she is a senior.
And they have known each other since before they entered the academy.
Angelica makes her cronies back down.
"Deirdre. What do you want from me?"
The other girl is [Deirdre Fou Roseblade].
By grade, she is the daughter of a nobleman with the most power among the third-year students.
She is actually in charge of organizing third-year students.
Deidre was looking at Angelica with a harsh gaze.
"I heard that Stephanie of the Offley family is behaving very much as she pleases at the school. Angelica, if she is too much to handle, I could give you a hand, you know?"
Angelica looks fed up with the offer from a senior student.
This is because she knows that this is not simply an offer of cooperation.
"Don't bring your family disputes into the academy. And I will solve the first-year students' problems. I don't need your help."
Deirdre folds her fan to show her expression, but she is smiling lightly in front of Angelica.
"It's a shame. I was just trying to show you how different we are."
"Do you have any personal conflicts with Stephanie?"
"No, I don't. To begin with, she runs away when she sees me. She's really a very weak-willed girl."
The Roseblade family and the Offley family had a relationship like oil and water.
As the Counts Roseblade, who cherish their dignity as nobles of the Horfalt kingdom, they do not like the Counts Offley, who rose from the ranks of merchants.
There are many conflicts between the two sides, and skirmishes have even occurred several times.
The two families were opponents with whom they had a history.
Angelica puts her hands on her hips and lets out a sigh.
There are a number of rules in the academy.
There were many problems when hostile students studied in the same academy, and at times, many students were involved in duels due to disputes between their parents' families.
So there was a rule that no outside relationships or conflicts were to be brought into the academy.
Even so, it is not possible to separate the relationship from the outside world, and the academy operates in a very precarious balance.
Angelica gives Deirdre a stern look.
"If so, don't bother me. If you make a scene, I will not tolerate it, even from you."
Deirdre was smiling at Angelica, who was intimidating her.
"Okay, Angelica. That face of yours always gives me the tingles."
However, the other party is also the daughter of a Count.
Moreover, being the daughter of the Roseblade family, which is said to be known for its martial spirit, Angelica's pressure did not intimidate her.
Deirdre opens her fan to cover her mouth.
"Be careful with that girl. This is my advice as a senior."
"——Do you know something?"
At Angelica's question, Deirdre only smiles in her eyes before turning her back and walking away.
The silent cronies talk to Angelica.
"Angelica-sama, what shall we do?"
Angelica tells her cronies who ask for instructions to leave it alone.
"No need to do anything. Deirdre won't do anything stupid. If anything, it's Stephanie who's going to cause problems."
She was concerned that Stephanie would act rashly.
Angelica sighs at the problems that arise one after another.
"Good grief —— Why do all these troubles keep happening?"
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Part 5
Classroom.
When we return after talking about the school festival, Daniel and Raymond are laughing at each other.
"We're so stupid to mistake pudding for some kind of secret word~"
When Daniel said so, Raymond used his index finger to quickly straighten the position of his glasses.
"It means we were so desperate, too, that we were losing our perspective. Still, this year's first-year students are lucky since we have Marie-san. It's really nice of her to introduce us to girls who don't come out of the girls' dorms."
Problem girls who don't come out of the girls' dorms very often.
Without Marie, we would have never met.
For us, Marie's presence was very much appreciated.
I complain in front of the two happy people.
"I'd love to be introduced too, but that Marie gets grumpy as soon as I bring it up."
However, when I say this, the reactions of those around me are very subtle.
In fact, Daniel and Raymond were giving me a cold stare.
You guys, that's not the way you look at your friend.
"I've been thinking this for a while, but is Leon an idiot?"
"Leon, you'd better be really remorseful. If you don't, you'd better be careful on the road at night."
Everyone reacts the same as these guys.
"Do you seriously think Marie and I are dating?"
Daniel sighed and looked amazed.
"It would be weird if you weren't in a relationship. Didn't Marie-san spend the summer vacation at your parents' house? It's like you're already engaged."
Raymond, who deeply agrees with Daniel's opinion, crosses his arms and nods his head repeatedly.
"Since you haven't officially announced it, I'm guessing it's just a step away from an engagement? Still, from our point of view, we are envious of you. Well, I have Ellie-chan, my favorite, so it doesn't really matter."
Daniel glares at Raymond for saying such a thing.
"Oi, Raymond. Are you targeting Ellie-chan? You knew that I was targeting Ellie-chan, didn't you?"
Suddenly, a hostile atmosphere begins to flow between the two.
"Daniel——Friendship is worthless in the face of love. The important thing is who will Ellie-chan choose, right?"
Daniel grabs Raymond's chest with both hands and lifts him up as he challenges him.
"Are you aiming for my Ellie-chan tooooo!"
"Ellie-chan, the book-loving, shut-in girl, is more suited to me than to you, Daniel!"
I witnessed the moment when a friendship fell apart over a girl.
They're a really noisy bunch.
As I watched them in amazement, Marie came into the classroom.
She held a flyer in her hand.
"Listen, listen! On the third day of the school festival, there will be a competition! If you get in the top three, you will get a prize!"
Marie's eyes sparkled brightly with all this, and you could tell just by looking at her that she was happy.
She's blinded by the prize money, though.
She's really loyal to her desires.
"Eh? Are you going to participate?"
When I ask, Marie shakes her head.
"The girls are not allowed. The athletes are determined by family backgrounds and power relations. In the first place, there are not many competitions in which girls can participate."
The competition is held on the third day of the school festival, and the main participants are boys.
The main reason? Well, there are many intense competitions, so naturally there are more boys —— but the main reason would be for marriage hunting.
It is a competitive event, but it is also an opportunity for the boys to show their skills.
It is a valuable opportunity to promote yourself to girls.
In that otome game, it was also an event where the boys who were the capture targets played an active role.
Would the main characters have played an active role? Depending on their status, they would have been active, but you can't predict what will happen in this world, and I'm not interested in getting involved.
Marie unfolds a leaflet in front of me and shows it to me.
"So, Leon, would you like to participate in this?"
The flyer Marie showed me described the competition of the air bike race.
It is the most exciting competition at the school festival.
"Airbike racing? This is impossible."
"Why? The prize money for this race is huge! Show a little motivation!"
It's not a matter of motivation.
"Air bike race is very popular, so there is a lot of competition among the boys for slots. Just as girls have different family backgrounds, we have other things to consider in addition to our usual grades."
This is not the school caste that existed in the school of my previous life, but a country with a real class system.
Caste is a class system, and there are well-defined classes of nobles.
Although the contestant's own ability is taken into account when deciding who will participate, there is no doubt that his family's status will have an impact.
It's not enough to be competent.
Marie whispered to me.
"Look, with Luxion, you can compete and win the championship, right?"
"——You don't understand him."
I'm sure he would say, "Money? ——I can provide as much as you want, so what?''.
As I was thinking that, Luxion answered so that only the two of us could hear.
[I checked the conditions. Participate in the competition and win, right? Then, let's make the leading players get sick now, and let's make the participants have a unfortunate accident on the day of the competition. That way, Master will be able to win the championship.]
It was beyond my imagination.
I mean, what the heck is an unfortunate accident!?
Marie also thought it was dangerous to rely on Luxion, and she looked at the flyer and dropped her shoulders.
"I thought I could make a lot of money."
"Why are you making me participate and you're going to get a share? Are you stupid?"
"If you're going to participate, I'll at least support you! More than that, please. I'm in a pinch this month, so help me out."
"Ha? I already gave you some pocket money, didn't I."
I felt so pity for her that I gave her pocket money before the start of the second semester.
Moreover, it was quite a lot of money, and I didn't think it could be spent quickly.
Marie clasps her hands and tells me her situation, even though it's hard to say.
"I need more money in case of emergencies. And that's fine while I'm in school. But what do you think will happen after graduation? The debt collectors will come knocking."
"Are you kidding me?"
Luxion analyzed the current situation.
[Marie's family is heavily in debt. Debt collectors would expect repayment from Marie, who can pay them back.]
I thought it was easy for me to say no to the terrible story he said.
"It's not Marie's personal debt, is it?"
[No, there is a possibility that Marie's name is used in some cases. There is a possibility that she may have been made a joint guarantor without knowing it.]
Marie turned pale when she heard the word guarantor.
"No —— only the joint guarantor —— absolutely no."
The current situation in Marie is so bad that I am at a loss for words.
At the word "joint guarantor," Marie started to cry, and Daniel and Raymond, who had been watching her, glared at me.
They probably think I made her cry.
I hurriedly comforted Marie.
"Anyway, stop crying. That's right! They have gambling at the competitions, and I'm going to make a killing."
It would normally be a stupid line to hear, but I have Luxion, so I can easily win the bet.
However, Marie strongly refused.
Her crying face completely changed to a serious face.
"That's no good."
"Eh?"
"I hate gambling! And you should never do it either."
"O-Oh."
——I think life is like gambling, but there's no point in saying that, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.
Marie held her head in her hands and groaned.
"If it comes to this, I'm going to make honest money at the school festival! We need to figure out what we can sell."
She's a really tough guy.
