“So, the student council has decided on a drinking ban from now on!”
The members of the student council shot scornful glances.
“What’s up? Why the reaction?”
Pastel declared with confidence.
“If you have complaints, speak up!”
Melissa raised a hand slightly.
“Isn’t that a bit too intrusive? Even with you, Pastel, I think a ban on drinking is excessive. I’ve looked through the history of the Empire, and while bans have been enforced a few times, they weren’t very effective. It’s quite troublesome for noble parties if wine is missing due to customs.”
Ugh.
“Melissa, you too!”
Pastel waved her arms.
“Betrayal! Betrayal!”
You alcoholics!
How much wine did you drink instead of water since you were kids that you have no sense of guilt at all!
Despairing as the only good soul here.
“Maybe it is excessive, but it does feel like betrayal. However, as friends, we have to say what needs to be said.”
Melissa readily admitted and pointed at Elshire.
“Right here, Bellamont doesn’t experience the issues you’re worried about. Being a Semi-Knight is not a light title, after all. Right, Bellamont?”
“Yeah.”
“What did you say?!”
Puff~!
Spotting an opportunity, Pastel grinned mischievously.
“Did you know? At the auction party, Elshire drank a few glasses of wine and greeted a stone that was rolling around as if it were a friend?”
Greeting an inanimate object!
Totally foolish!
Fool, fool!
Hahaha!
Melissa tilted her head.
“Bellamont, was that behavior done with a clear mind? I thought only someone unique like Pastel would do that.”
“He was drunk. When savoring wine, one must appreciate the natural processes too. No need to resist.”
“Is that so?”
“Yup.”
After hearing the adorable conversation among the noble offspring, Pastel’s pink eyes sparkled.
“Wait! Just now, Elshire said something that sounded totally like an alcohol addict!”
Good-hearted Pastel openly confessed to an absurd drinking preference.
“Can you still say that a drinking ban is unnecessary? There’s an addict right in front of us! It’s clear that the degree of importance doesn’t matter here!”
The silver-haired girl looked perplexed.
“In the North, it’s considered bad manners not to get drunk. But maybe it’s different here.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Melissa defended Elshire.
“The Northern mountains are savage, so I’ve heard there’s that kind of culture. Bellamont isn’t fond of drinking; it’s just that being savage is ingrained under the guise of manners.”
Elshire stared intently at Melissa.
With intense eyes, Melissa was puzzled.
“What’s wrong?”
“Why do you think so?”
“Is this a quiz?”
Pastel thought for a moment.
“Does such a culture really exist?”
Then she crossed her arms.
“No way! No way! Still, no way! This is Pastel’s territory! If you come to my domain, you have to follow my rules!”
“Since when was Sky Island your territory?”
“Sky Island is mine now!”
Solo power holder!
Yup, yup!
“Now you’re not even hiding your greed.”
Boo-boo.
“Anyone unhappy with this Pastel~!”
Pastel hopped up and down, scanning the other student council members.
“No one!”
Oh yeah!
“Anyway, what Elshire just said was a significant statement that should ring alarm bells! We need to impose a ban before he evolves into a super ultra addict!”
Melissa thought for a moment.
“Well, that’s true. Bellamont’s statement was a bit excessive. How about this? We only ban Bellamont.”
“Huh?”
Elshire looked at Melissa again.
“Wouldn’t focusing on the problematic person or restricting just one individual reduce backlash and be better? If it works well, we can expand it later. I respect your will, Pastel, but sometimes it’s important not to rush.”
“That’s…”
Pastel seemed to be swayed.
“Maybe there’s some truth to that.”
Melissa smiled gently.
“We have time. Let’s take it step by step, Senior Pastel.”
Huff.
With a sweet voice, Senior Pastel.
The friend ranking number one is abusing the ranking!
For some reason, the sense of responsibility to set a good example is overflowing!
Pastel lifted her chin and cleared her throat!
“Since you put it that way, I can’t help it! I’ll enforce the drinking ban only on Elshire! Whether to increase the number of people affected will be decided based on the results!”
With the sudden declaration made in the middle of work coming to a good conclusion, everyone scattered to their respective places.
“My opinion…?”
Elshire stood there blankly.
#
“Pastel, wait a second.”
Elly approached and pointed to the hallway.
“Huh?”
Pastel quietly stood up, looking around at the others working, and followed Elly into the hallway.
As they moved to a private room near the student council room, Elly carefully closed the magically warded door for soundproofing.
Since the student council is purely a student council, there weren’t many useful private rooms available, so after the academy’s normalization, Pastel herself had prepared this space.
Pastel found herself in a puzzled state.
Huh?
Why are we here?
“Is there a traitor among the student council members?”
When she asked this, Elly paused.
Her trembling gaze turned toward Pastel.
“Why are you suddenly asking that? Is someone investigating again?”
“No! I was just asking.”
I wondered if it would be such a serious matter to come to a private room.
Suspicious looks shot across.
Pastel was on the verge of feeling unjustly accused.
What did I do!
Elly looked conflicted for a moment and then opened the bag she had brought. A fishy odor wafted lightly.
Something with a fishy smell was taken out of the private room?
A red scene flashed in her mind.
Oh dear.
This matter should be handled by the Hormone Friend.
But more than that, what kind of gruesome thing did Elly bring out to hide from others?
Pastel’s face stiffened before even seeing it. She swallowed hard.
Elly put her hands into the bag and pulled out something with a streamlined body.
It was a mackerel.
Flopping around.
Pastel was stunned.
Why a mackerel.
Elly untied a small note tied to the blue mackerel body. Information brought by the Carrier Fish was unfolded.
“Indeed, it’s bad news. The railway construction rights that the Demon Realm should rightfully own are in Craft’s hands, and there’s significant backlash even within our faction. Even if I say I’ll take responsibility, it seems persuasion isn’t going well since I’m not in the Demon Realm.”
Pastel met the gaze of the fish. The mackerel looked at her and flopped.
Flop flop.
It smelled fishy.
Ugh.
“Why a mackerel? Elly, you might not know this, but I’ve had a long-standing feud with the mackerel clan! The bad mackerels that would hit me every time we met! There will be no reconciliation until they enter my belly!”
Tonight’s dinner will be mackerel pie!
“Guess so.”
Elly mumbled with a somewhat dark expression.
Huff.
Pastel pulled herself out of her own world. After thinking about what reckless statement she had made, she found it wasn’t crossing a line, so she felt relieved.
“I was talking about mackerels! Mackerels! I’m sorry if I misunderstood! But is the opposition from the moderate faction really serious? So much that it disregards the intentions of the princess?”
Elly looked troubled.
“Even though she’s a princess, it’s just a title. Considering the Demon King tradition that doesn’t care about bloodlines, there isn’t much legitimacy.”
That does seem the case.
No matter what the bloodline is, isn’t it true that all power ultimately lies with the newly emerged Demon King?
“But while many do respect her, it’s unavoidable that her voice weakens when she’s not in the Demon Realm. The symbolism behind Craft is just too strong.”
“Then there’s nothing to be done! Don’t worry! Pastel is a business genius! I can handle things without the moderate faction’s agreement!”
Elly looked puzzled.
“How will you do that? Various fields essential for railway construction are already occupied by our moderate faction. Without our approval, even if you have the construction rights, you can’t build a railway. After it’s built, there will be more problems. Originally, it was meant to be operated as a military railway for the United Kingdom, generating profit, but that won’t work either.”
Huff.
Listening to that, foolish Pastel realized it was a problem she couldn’t solve.
“Aaaah!”
Pastel held her head.
“Ancestors! Why did you live like that!”
How many bad things did they do to make it so that the princess couldn’t even persuade the moderate faction!
“True that. They should’ve lived more like people.”
Elly made a blunt remark and then mulled it over.
“Is there anything we can do? If the railway project gets stopped as it is, the radical faction will only gain more power.”
Radical faction.
Terror everywhere.
“That can’t happen!”
Pastel began to think deeply as well.
The Sky Mackerel flopped around.
Fishy smell.
Elly mumbled.
“If we could find the next Demon King, that would make things easier. No matter how much Craft gets in the way, no Demon would disrespect the first order of the Demon King.”
Pastel paused.
She stole a glance at Elly. Just then, Elly was also looking away, and their eyes met.
Elly’s eyes lit up with an interesting light.
“Come to think of it, if you cooperate, we can search on a larger scale now. Though it wasn’t in the academy, perhaps it might be found here in Sky Island. What do you think?”
“Well…”
Pastel made an ambiguous expression.
“Although the likelihood is slim. The Empire has likely thoroughly checked the territories. The prophetic Demon King might have died during the infant massacre.”
Elly sighed softly.
“Still, it might be better than the conspiracy theory that the Empire has already found the Demon King and is planning to manipulate the Demon Realm. It sounds a little silly that Craft might be the culprit instead of the Empire when said out loud in front of you.”
Pastel still wore a vague expression.
Elly hesitated.
A silence ensued.
The Demon Girl’s eyes began to tremble.
Pastel smiled subtly.
“I already know.”
Don’t you think it sounds interesting to manipulate the Demon Realm?
“Huh?”
Elly became dazed.
And her body trembled, instinctively checking the escape route.
But they’re in a private room.
