[564] Scramble Royal (5)
Only after the allied team left did Nade's face relax.
"Haah, it came to this after all. Sorry. I just accepted it."
Iruki didn't care.
"It was something we'd have to go through anyway. We have our reasons for not giving up Eastas. By the way, what about personnel? Do you have anyone in mind?"
Shirone and Nade asked at the same time.
"Amy."
Iruki nodded.
"Right. I actually made that a condition for the same reason. But the problem is Amy's already fifth in rank. We'll have to appeal to Emotion as well."
"I'll try asking her."
If anyone could pull it off, it was Shirone.
"Okay, Shirone will take Amy. The other two?"
Silence fell.
"Really nobody in mind?"
Nade propped his chin on his hand.
"Hmm, there are a lot of candidates. Canis's team, Dante's team, Boil could work. Summoning magic could counter Pisho."
Iruki shook his head.
"We'll have to get someone from outside, but it's a shady business we don't want publicized. We should only contact people we actually think have a chance. In that sense, Canis is risky—she's got it in for Shirone."
"Boil doesn't really have any particular merit over the others. Dante will likely act as a team," Shirone added.
Nade made a sour face. "Then who do we recruit?"
"In that case, how about Dorothy?"
Shirone turned to Iruki.
"Dorothy?"
Sensing something, Nade squinted and snapped, "You bastard! I knew you'd think that. Seriously, spill it—how far did it go?"
"Nowhere. Why would I be friendly with Dorothy if I didn't care about her?"
Nade blinked. "Huh? You didn't care?"
"I told you, I don't like things I can't analyze."
"Then why be friendly with her?"
"On the first day of the graduation round, Dorothy had a one-on-one with Shirone. Remember what she said? If it ended in a draw she'd do whatever Shirone wanted."
"Aha."
Iruki held up a finger. "She's the type who obsesses over rank and trades conditions and favors. And as a Jonah, she has a lot of advantages in the Scramble Royal."
Nade finally understood. "Alright, Iruki will try to placate Dorothy... The last one?"
Iruki asked, "How about Sabina?"
Skill mattered, but emotional compatibility was important for forming a team.
In that respect, Sabina was an excellent choice.
"Absolutely not," Nade said firmly.
Sabina Victor—the only woman in Dante's party.
She was a powerful air mage who unleashed dozens of air cuts per second, and she had once beaten Nade in the two-thousand match; her skill was unquestionable.
"Don't just say no—think about it. She seemed to have a soft spot for you. I'm trying to placate Dorothy, and Shirone's going to ask for a tough favor too."
"No! No! Absolutely not!" Nade flailed and struggled, and Shirone sighed. "Then what are you going to do? It's not a matter of whether you can or can't. Why are you acting like this? It's not like you."
Nade rubbed his hands together in dismay. "Still, no! Give me one chance. I'll try to find an ally in time. I'm telling you, Sabina is truly impossible for me!"
You can't stop someone who says they'd rather die than agree.
"Fine. Nade will find an ally in time. Iruki and I will try to win over Amy and Dorothy."
That settled it for the time being.
* * *
That night Shirone went to Amy's room.
Given Amy's ability, there could be no Plan B—she had to be recruited.
No tailing, he told himself.
Since the enemy had already declared their intentions, tailing her wouldn't change much anyway.
He knocked and heard Amy's voice. "Who is it?"
"It's Shirone."
Amy opened the door and tilted her head.
She looked like she'd just washed up—pajamas on, hair still damp.
"Shirone? What's up so suddenly?"
She didn't bother with makeup, but the casual look made her feel different from how she'd been during the day.
Shirone's eyes lit up as he looked at her; Amy blushed shyly.
"Why are you staring? You already saw me earlier."
Her tone was brusque, but she didn't look displeased.
"No, I just thought the pajamas suit you."
"Pff."
Amy snorted as if he'd said something ridiculous. "You're not giving compliments for nothing. What do you want?"
"Actually... I came to ask a favor."
"Heh, I knew it. What kind of favor?"
Her voice still had that sweet lilt, which gave Shirone courage. He smiled brightly. "This time it's about the Paranormal Psychoscience Society—"
Bang!
She shut the door in his face.
* * *
The final negotiations for the Scramble Royal were scheduled for the holiday this week.
Shirone's group had to find allies by then, so they decided to use the only break they had—lunch.
Among the candidates, the key person was clearly Amy, so Shirone doggedly followed her around.
But winning over someone as stubborn as Amy—who was no less headstrong than Shirone—was no easy task.
"Amy, this is really important. You know what the Paranormal Psychoscience Society is."
"..."
"It's the society Miro started. If its legacy ends with our year—"
"Ah, come on!"
Unable to hold back, Amy snapped. "Why should I care? Whether the society collapses or flips over! And are you seriously not graduating? Is that why you refused the evaluation?"
"No, I'll graduate..."
Shirone lowered his head with a sulky face; Amy pursed her lips as she watched him.
Good grief, she thought, this naive kid must be desperate to cling like this.
The fact Shirone—who hated being a burden—was pleading meant he was truly earnest.
And she didn't dislike being the target of that earnestness.
Still, no. A week off was too much.
Emotion alone was too risky to grant.
Even if he offered his graduation rank as a price, it wasn't a huge incentive for Amy, who was fifth.
More than anything, she worried Shirone wouldn't be able to concentrate on the evaluations during the Scramble Royal.
He said he'd only join when he had time, but she didn't want a half-hearted help that would become a burden.
"If you're going to do it, do it properly," she thought—resolve enough to give up graduation.
But even then, she still had doubts about how serious the matter really was.
"Okay. I'll think about it. So please stop looking so miserable. You're going to make me feel sick."
Shirone brightened at once. "Thank you, Amy."
Nade, overhearing their conversation, thought, This won't be easy for Shirone.
He turned to Iruki, who was eating ahead, and asked, "How's Dorothy going?"
"Yeah. We're going to talk in detail later."
"Oh? Showing some interest?"
"Are you stupid? Why would I bring it up first? I mentioned the graduation ranking, so she had no choice but to come."
"You're careful. How do you even think of such things? You said you don't care about female psychology."
"Because I don't care, I can see things objectively. Do you know the common trait of men who can't date? They want it too much. Women are full of emotions and are born with the skill to handle men's feelings. The moment you lose your cool, you're eaten alive."
"Tch, you've got a lot to say."
Nade grew more anxious. Amy was starting to show interest, and Iruki—whatever his reasons—looked likely to succeed.
This is bad. I need to find at least one candidate today.
Being friendly with everyone had been his strength, but the lack of deep bonds with many people had become a liability.
Screamer? Violent but loyal—no, not fit for Scramble Royal. Luman can't be trusted.
Lost in thought, Nade saw Suabi stomping toward Dante.
Huh? What's going on?
Suabi specialized in utility magic. Indecisive by nature, she nonetheless kept dozens of buff spells running without pause—a utility talent. Although Iruki's cancellation had countered her, she'd still be a suitable ally for the Scramble Royal.
"Guys, I'll step out for a sec."
Approaching Suabi, Nade saw Sabina and Kloser—who always accompanied Dante—gaping.
"So... you think I like you?"
At Dante's question, Suabi's face turned bright red. "No, I mean... I'm not sure. I think I like you, so I wanted to ask."
Nade, overhearing from behind, clicked his tongue. This is serious. Even liking is indecisive?
Iruki's view needed one more addendum: if someone is handsome, you don't need to overthink things. Dante seemed used to this and reacted naturally.
"To sum up, you want me to tell you whether I like you because you don't know?"
Suabi nodded repeatedly.
"Hmm... well. Even if I tell you—"
"I'll tell you."
Everyone turned as Nade raised his hand like a judge and cut in. "Suabi, you don't actually like Dante."
"Don't like him?"
"Of course not. You haven't really talked much with him, have you?"
"But... my heart races."
"That's because you're infatuated with his looks for a moment. For a shy person like you, someone who approaches you and talks to you first is much more wonderful, isn't it?"
"R-Really?"
Nade seized the moment. "Right. Now do you get it? The truth is you like me—"
"That's a relief. Unrequited love is really heartbreaking."
"..."
Watching Suabi walk away, Nade stood there like a straw sack, and Dante said, "What are you doing?"
"Shut up! You ruined everything! Now what are we supposed to do?"
"What do you mean? What did I do?"
Sabina slammed her tableware down with a clatter. "Hey, Nade. Come with me for a second."
"No. Why would I look at you?"
Sabina's eyes widened fiercely as she grit her teeth. "If I tell you to come, come."
Usually she avoided eye contact like she was scared, but today she was unusually forceful. Nade followed her outside; she leaned against the wall and interrogated him.
"What have you been up to lately?"
Nade slyly avoided her gaze. "What do you mean? Stop meddling—"
"If you need help, say so. I'll help you."
"No, I don't need anything."
Irritation flared in Sabina's eyes, but she sighed and brushed past him. "Take offers when they're given. That's why you can't date."
"What the—!"
Without looking back, Sabina strode into the dining hall. It took Nade a long while to calm down before he returned to his seat.
"What did you talk about with Sabina?"
"She said she'll help. But I turned her down."
Iruki glanced toward where Sabina had gone. "Why don't you like her? Is it because she seems flashy? You're from the central region, right? There are a lot of girls who dress like that in the capital."
"Who says that? Sabina's fine. I can read people."
"Then what's the problem?"
Sighing with worry, Nade swallowed his words. She saw my real face.