Chapter 27. Freshman Welcome Party (3):
Just moments ago, the central plaza had been bustling with noise, but now it was as quiet as a grave. Everyone’s attention was fixed solely on me.
Then Kyle, wearing a displeased expression, asked me:
“Do you realize what kind of ripple effect their decision to postpone their choice could cause?”
“I have a general idea. If they hesitate, it could affect the prestige of the three great factions. And if they end up choosing none, their academy life might become troublesome, right?”
“You understand it well. And yet, you still won’t back down?”
“Yes. Because I’ve prepared a way to postpone the decision without hurting the prestige of the three factions, and still keeping everyone safe.”
“So that’s what you have to say to us.”
I nodded confidently.
When I glanced at Lestar, he cleared his throat and declared:
“Starting now, I’m forming my own faction. And this troublemaker here is going to be my second-in-command.”
The first favor I had asked of Lestar was to cause a scene to free Reina and Define. The second was to become the leader of a new faction.
Unofficial though it was, Lestar was known as the strongest second-year student—perhaps even the strongest in the whole academy. His declaration caused more of a stir than I had expected.
“Whoa, what the hell?! Lestar Lightzarth is forming a faction?!”
“Does that mean we’re moving from three great factions to four now…?”
Lestar’s fame extended beyond just the second and third years—it was well known even throughout the Empire. Naturally, everyone was shocked.
Even the second-in-commands of the three factions were stunned, though for a different reason.
“H-How the hell did you win this guy over?! He hasn’t listened to anyone in a whole year…!”
While Kyle clutched his head in disbelief, Camilla shook my shoulders and bombarded me with questions.
“Did you threaten to kill him or something? No, wait. He’s way too skilled for that to work. Then… seduction? But he’s turned down tons of confessions before, so could it be…?”
They were so shocked, they were practically breaking character. It was honestly more flustering to see them like this. Only Rays, smiling awkwardly a step behind, managed to keep his composure.
Then Lestar asked, exasperated:
“Why are you all freaking out over this? I can’t suddenly feel motivated or something?”
“That’s not like you. Since when do you crack jokes?”
“Feels more like Astrea is the real power behind your faction.”
“You wouldn’t lift a finger even if demons overran the world.”
At those words, Lestar fell silent, looking dejected.
I couldn’t tell anymore—were they hitting a sore spot, or was Lestar’s usual indifferent persona just a façade?
Eventually, Kyle came to his senses, and Camilla addressed me.
“I understand the situation, but even if it’s Lestar’s faction, you won’t be able to counter the three great factions right away.”
“That’s true. But we can at least protect ourselves from being affected by them, right?”
Even if he never used his full strength or showed up often, Lestar was strong enough to spar with the Knight Commander without being overpowered.
And naturally, aside from the faction heads, no student—no matter how many came at once—could get past him.
There was a precedent for this last year, so Camilla didn’t argue.
“But if we mobilize all the first-years we’ve recruited and the ones we’ll work with in the future, the story might be different.”
“Pfft. You really think so?”
“…What’s so funny?”
“I just don’t think even a full-on first-year assault would be enough to stop Reina and Ridipin. You three know that better than I do, don’t you?”
“……”
“I may not have heard the exact offers you made to my friends, but I’m guessing you promised them everything but the kitchen sink. I would’ve done the same.”
All three of them had expressions like, How the hell do you know that?!
That was the real reason they were pressuring Reina and Ridipin so much.
“Since you gave such outrageous offers, if you can’t recruit them, you’ll have to split those offers among your lower-priority recruits. I get the urgency. But that doesn’t mean you get to scare us poor little first-years into agreeing.”
With that, they finally gave up arguing.
Then I offered a proposal.
“I’m not trying to recruit those two myself, nor am I trying to block them from joining you. All I’m asking is that you give them more time to think.”
I smiled gently and added,
“I suggest you quietly back off for now and go charm your next targets. What do you think?”
In the end, the second-in-commands of the three factions backed off, saying they hoped Reina and Ridipin would make wise choices.
After they left, Ridipin, wearing a conflicted expression, carefully addressed Lestar.
“B-Brother…”
It was their first meeting since their sparring match five years ago.
Some sort of small talk like “It’s been a while” might’ve been expected, but Lestar ignored her and spoke to me instead.
“I’m bored now. Can I go?”
“You’re just gonna leave? You haven’t seen her in so long—”
“That’s enough.”
With an ice-cold expression, Lestar warned me.
“I said I’d be your dog, but the relationship between that girl and me is not something for you to meddle in. Know your place.”
Ridipin hung her head at those words.
Knowing it was pointless to press him, I let him go.
Once the storm named Lestar passed, we found a place to settle down. But even after getting food, Ridipin still looked gloomy.
I wasn’t sure how to console her.
To her, Lestar had been a savior who helped her through a tough time. His sudden coldness must’ve been a massive shock. After all, he hadn’t always been so indifferent and apathetic.
She must’ve been even more shaken because she didn’t understand what had changed.
And it wasn’t just her—Reina looked just as awkward.
As she ate her pasta, she gave me a look:
“So, what now?”
“I don’t know either.”
“You’re the one who brought him here.”
“I didn’t think they’d clash like that.”
I thought if anyone, he’d treat Ridipin kindly.
Just then, Ridipin cautiously asked me:
“U-Um, Ban. Can I ask you something?”
“Go ahead. What is it?”
“H-How did you convince Lestar-senpai…?”
I hesitated. Was it okay to share Lestar’s story with her? Was it right for me to get involved in their relationship?
So I answered firmly.
“Sorry. He doesn’t want others to know, so I can’t say.”
Even if I explained, Ridipin probably wouldn’t understand his reasoning. And Lestar wouldn’t feel understood.
One wanted to fly again. The other had broken their own wings.
They had to face each other themselves.
Hearing my response, Ridipin looked down in disappointment, so I patted her shoulder and said:
“Don’t be too discouraged. He’ll tell you when the time is right. He just needs more time.”
“So, he just needs a trigger…”
Ridipin seemed to accept that and gave a bitter smile.
“O-Okay. If you say so, I’ll wait.”
Her gloom seemed to lift a bit, but the mood was still heavy. That’s when Reina playfully smacked my back.
“By the way! When I first saw you waving like that, I almost punched you in the face, you know?”
Trying to lighten the mood with her dramatic tone, I laughed.
“Well, things turned out okay thanks to me, didn’t they?”
“You should’ve told me ahead of time! I wouldn’t have stressed out so much!”
“Sorry. Next time I will.”
“If you pull this again, you’re doing my entire training routine for a day.”
“Anything but that…!”
At that, Ridipin let out a small laugh. The mood finally lifted.
She must’ve recognized our efforts, because she threw out a new conversation topic.
“I-I’ve been wondering… after Ban and I collapsed, was it Reina who handled that person?”
“Of course it was me! …Well, I wish. I almost died too.”
“T-Then how…?”
“Someone showed up out of nowhere and saved me.”
She was talking about me.
“They were wearing all black—from their mask to their clothes—so I couldn’t tell who it was. But they were strong. A magic swordsman who used both aura and magic.”
“W-Wow…!”
I echoed her awe but secretly suppressed a laugh.
Calling that bit of magic a “magic swordsman” was a huge overestimation. Still, I did block an assassin’s deadly strike, so the misunderstanding was understandable.
“They didn’t exactly act like a good person, but… I want to see them again.”
“How badly do you want to see them?”
“How badly? Hmm…”
Reina gave it some serious thought before answering.
“…So badly that I’d punch them in the face the moment I see them?”
“What does that even mean…”
“I don’t mean it in a bad way. But if it’s who I think it is, I’m definitely landing a punch.”
“O-Okay then.”
I’d better reinforce my mask before the next attack.
Then Reina turned to Ridipin and asked,
“But why bring that up now?”
“W-Well, the swordsmanship they used… it looked kind of like the style from our family.”
That was news to me, but I wasn’t too surprised.
After all, Lost Paradise attracted all kinds of people. It wouldn’t be shocking if someone who used to be in the Lightzarth family ended up there.
But unlike me, Reina took the comment seriously.
“You’re not saying the Lightzarth family sent an assassin, are you?”
“O-Of course not!”
“Then why are you thinking so hard about it?”
“Um… actually, I just remembered I broke the sword you lent me during that fight.”
Since I saw the sword break while in disguise, I had let it slide.
“Just so you know, I didn’t try to hide it or anything… Sorry.”
Her unusually sheepish demeanor was kind of cute, and I chuckled.
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s just call it a life-saving expense.”
“As expected! You’re such a kind person. I knew it from the first time I saw you!”
Even if it was just flattery, it felt good to hear.
From there, we went on talking about the broken sword and shared all sorts of silly stories, laughing and chatting so much that we completely forgot how gloomy things had been.
Time flew by, and the recruitment competition was drawing to a close with the student council president’s congratulatory speech.
As students began returning to their dorms and the evening breeze grew chillier, our conversation shifted to a more serious topic.
It felt like drinking on a park bench with friends at dawn—except we had juice cans, not beer.
Eventually, the topic of factions came up.
Reina and Ridipin explained the offers they’d received from the three great factions. They were identical to what I had seen in the game.
“…That’s the gist of it. They offered all that, but I still don’t know what to do.”
“What about you, Ridipin?”
“M-Me? Honestly… those are things I could get from my family anyway…”
“So they don’t really appeal to you.”
Ridipin nodded.
Though she was treated as a branch member within her family, she was still a direct descendant of the head. If she wanted, she could get potions and equipment without joining any faction.
Besides, she wasn’t aiming to become a knight captain, so joining a faction didn’t seem meaningful to her.
After thinking for a moment, I said to Reina:
“The support you’re being offered is incredibly generous. From another angle, it’s the same level of backing a direct Lightzarth heir like Ridipin would receive.”
“Framed like that, it definitely seems like a good deal… But it just doesn’t sit right with me. If I grow stronger with all that support, will that strength really be mine? Or was I just pulled up by others? I’m not saying people who take help don’t work hard, but…”
“You want to get stronger purely through your own power?”
“That’s true… but it’s more nuanced. Learning from professors, getting good grades through lectures with you guys—that kind of growth feels right. But with the factions… it feels like just sticking my flag on top of a tower someone else already built.”
Reina stared into the distance, lost in thought.
In short, she was worried she wouldn’t be able to feel proud of herself if she accepted help and grew that way.
Listening to her, I felt genuinely happy.
We’d only known each other for two weeks, but we were already close enough to share these personal thoughts. And more importantly, she was painting exactly the future I had envisioned.
It was like she’d read my mind and said exactly what I wanted to hear.
So, casually and naturally, I revealed my true intention:
“Well then, how about you both join the faction I belong to?”
