The sound of bells signaling the end of class resounded. It was unlike the synthetic bell sound like the one in my highschool, but a real one.

"Very well then, everyone. Class has ended. Please do not forget to review what we have learned today. It is the basics of all spells and magic casting, and it will do you well to truly understand its basic principles before progressing to more advanced subjects. Have a nice day."

Our magic theory teacher, Sir Alviss von Mercer, a man in his late thirties with jet-black hair donning a jet-black robe decorated with golden embroideries, exited the class with light steps, leaving the students for their lunch break.

Phew~ It's been a while since I attended a real class in school. It's a bit different since this world has different teaching techniques, but it still feels good to be back in this kind of familiar setting.

Especially when the classes were this easy since the things you're being taught were things you already know about like the back of your hand.

Fufufu~ I started super early, after all~ So everything, even the math subjects, are super easy for me~!

Suddenly, I felt a chill down my back.

My head instinctively turned to the side, and I saw the heroine... Aria walked out of class with a glare fixated on me.

Ah... That's right... I almost forgot. That girl's here too...

Hah... Just when I was about to forget about her, she just had to bring down my mood...

"Risa-sama~ Shall we head to the dining hall for lunch~?"

"Ah! I was just about to ask her too! Risa-chan, let's eat lunch together!!!"

"I-I wish to dine with you as well, Alterisa-sama!"

"M-Me too!!"

"I-I'm feeling a bit hungry too, so I'll join as well!"

Like a breath of fresh air, all my friends immediately blow away all my worries and my fear.

"Ufufufu~ Of course~ Ellie, would you like to join us as well?"

"E-Eh?! W-W-Would that be okay...?"

"Of course~"

"Ufufufu~ Let us head to the dining hall together, Ellie-sama~"

Evelyn said like the mature and caring Onee-sama character she is. And after her, everyone also began inviting her as well.

"I-I-I understand. T-Thank you very much!"

Ellie stood up from her seat and bowed deeply, almost doing a 90 degrees bow, and we all headed to the dining hall.

Honestly, I was looking forward to it.

I've always wondered what kind of cafeteria would a rich school have? Is it just like a normal cafeteria but with gourmet food? Would it have delicacies? I heard they have super amazing chefs on board, cooking for the students in this academy.

Not to mention, there are some "sets" that are free for students who can't afford the more expensive dishes. And they're apparently still super delicious according to the heroine in the game. She'd usually eat those free sets before the capture targets started treating her to the more expensive stuff.

Well, I don't really care much about the main dishes. But I'm really hoping the desserts would be amazing!!!

I'm super looking forward to those!!! I won't even mind standing in super long lines for them!!!

"Eh...? Is this really... The "dining hall"...?"

"Wow... How amazing..."

Upon arriving at the... "dining hall", Ellie and I stood in amaze as we looked around us.

This... This is not a cafeteria...

T-This is a luxurious 5-star restaurant!!!

Are we even in the academy right now?!

There were massive chandeliers made of precious stones and jewels hanging from the high ceiling, shimmering brilliantly as it shined over the massive dining hall.

Rows and rows of large, circular tables with impeccable, pure white table cloth laid over them and a beautiful bouquet of flowers in a vase as the centerpiece. And waiters and waitresses in suits and a maid outfit respectively going from table to table, serving the students that had taken their seats.

"Ufufufu~ What are you saying, Risa-sama~ Let's not dally any longer and take a seat so we can order our meal~"

"Eh? O-Order? A-Ah, sure..."

I-I thought we'd have to buy a ticket from a vending machine and stand in line for our food!

I-I know this is not the same world, but I seriously thought all cafeterias in schools are like that!

This isn't a cafeteria anymore! It's a restaurant!

Ah... I didn't expect to experience culture shock 15 years into this...

A cute waitress led us to a nice and quiet table away from the tables with other students.

We all took our seats, and this time, I'm sitting in between Noir and Illya. Then beside Noir were Evelyn, Celine, Valerie-chan, and finally Ellie who was sitting to Illya's right.

We were all given a menu and we began ordering stuff.

"Ellie, please don't hold back, okay? Since we invited you to eat with us, we'll treat you to whatever you wish~"

"E-Eh?! I-It's fine, L-Lorya-sama! I-I don't mind simply ordering the free meal set!"

She waved her hand frantically with a blushing face, trying her best to reject my offer. But her expression now just made me want to spoil her even more!

"That won't do, Ellie. It is our first day in the academy, so we should try everything we can to find out which would suit our taste! So don't hold back and order a lot, okay?"

"B-B-But..."

"Hehe~ Please just accept Alterisa-sama's kindness, Ellie-sama. Now that you have also become Alterisa-sama's friend, she will not back down on this."

"B-But still-!"

"Even if you keep rejecting her, she will simply order even more than you would've and give them to you."

"E-Eh?! I-Is that true?!"

Ellie's eyes widened in shock from Illya's words and turned to look at me.

Hehe~ Illya knows me so well~ I feel embarrassed~

I simply smiled at her and she began fidgeting in her seat.

"I-I-I understand. T-T-Thank you very much for your generosity, L-Lorya-sama."

"Mm~ Now go ahead and order whatever you like, okay? And don't hold back! If you order too little, I'll order for it for you~"

"Eh?! Uuuuuhhh... I-I understand..."

Hehe~ Seems like it's as I expected~ Since I'll be ordering the food for her if she ordered the free meal set, she planned on just ordering a few dishes, most likely the cheapest one.

But I won't let that happen. It's a day of celebration of our first day in the academy and becoming friends! Of course we'll have to celebrate with good food!

Ah, look~! She's reading through the menu with sparkling eyes!!!

Ufufufu~ She's so cute~

Evelyn, Celine, Valerie-chan, Illya, Noir, and I began to order our food one by one. And honestly, we're pretty much ordering whatever we want.

We didn't order much of the appetizers or main dishes, but we pretty much ordered everything in the desserts menu.

And after everyone was done, the maid taking our orders moved towards Ellie, who was still hesitating and looking through the menu.

"My lady~ What would you like to order?"

"E-Eh?! U-Uhm..."

She glanced at me, and I gave her a nod with a bright smile.

"T-Then... I-I'll have a mushroom cream soup, a salmon salad with lemon vinaigrette, and a caramel custard pudding, please..."

"Yes, I understand~ One mushroom cream soup, one salmon salad with lemon vinaigrette, and one caramel custard pudding~ We shall deliver it to you shortly~"

"Y-Yes! T-Thank you very much!!!"

The maid giggled.

"It is my pleasure to be of service! Then, please excuse me."

The maid bowed and left, but before she did, she giggled once again when Ellie bowed to her too.

Ah~ She's so cute~

She's more of a heroine than that Aria! How is she not the heroine in this world?!

--------------------------------X--------------------------------

A plethora of meals (desserts) was served and we enjoyed a delightful lunch together.

The food in this school is pretty amazing. Well, at least the desserts were. I only ate a small portion of a steak salad with balsamic dressing and filled the rest of my stomach with cakes, cookies, puddings, and pastries.

And after we finished eating, there was still half an hour left from our two hours lunch break. I was actually quite surprised at how long our lunch break was, but that's apparently because practical lessons are mostly done after lunch and the academy wanted to give students ample time for them to eat and rest before afternoon classes. So we relaxed and let the food settle in our stomach with a cup of tea.

"Eh?! S-So the rumors were fact?"

Ellie covered her mouth in shock.

As we talked, the topic of Aria naturally came up since she made quite the impression on us this morning. Well, to them. She had been making quite the impression on me my whole life in this world.

Evelyn asked if Ellie was feeling fine now since she seemed to be nervous the entire time in class.

She seemed to be fine now, but she was still anxious about her because she's her seatmate, especially about the rumors that had been flying around the last few days.

She hoped they were false and that Aria simply had an intense personality. But... We told her that they're all through.

I told Ellie about my conversation with Amelia-sama, the Marchioness of Aria's hometown and about the result of the background investigation she had on the heroine.

"Mm, unfortunately. Although I'm not sure which rumors were facts and which were not as I am not aware of every single rumor that has spread, I can confirm that she had "stolen" men from her friends and... been in a relationship with multiple men at once. She had apparently also caused some... unease in her circle."

"..."

A look of anxiousness and nervousness returned to her face.

Well, that's the natural reaction. For such a sweet and innocent girl like Ellie, Aria's actions would definitely make her worry if she'd be in the receiving end of her actions...

At least, I know I am...

"Shall we ask our homeroom teacher to exchange your seat with someone else's?"

Evelyn suggested, but Ellie immediately waved her hands and shook her head.

"N-No! I-I-I will be fine. I-I wouldn't want to trouble someone else like that..."

"But will you be fine?"

"U-Uhn... I-I will be fine... A-After all, everyone here will also be with me. So I will do my best!"

"Ellie..."

"Ufufufu~ Then, please do not hesitate to rely on us if she ever tries to do something to bother you~"

"Uhn! Risa-chan doesn't like her, so we all already have our eyes on her. Tell me if she did something to annoy you, okay?"

Evelyn, Valerie-chan, one by one, everyone began to encourage her.

Ah... That's right. As a fellow victim to her presence, we must stand together and support each other!!!

"Ellie, I will also be with you, so don't be afraid, okay? I will also do my best."

"L-Lorya-sama... Yes! I will do my best!"

What a strong girl... To still be able to smile like that despite the unease in her heart. I need to be strong too. I can't always rely on my friends to fend her off.

I need to be strong.

Just then, I heard a familiar voice calling my name, my nickname.

"Ah, Risa. I'm glad I could still find you in the dining hall."

"I told you she'll still be here, Alexus."

Eh?

"Alex? Lu-nii?"

Why are they here???









AN: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~! Please vote and comment your thoughts~!