By 5 PM, all 33 matches scheduled for the first day had concluded.
Roy and Claudia left the special viewing room, preparing to take the tram back to their school.
"Ernesta Kuhne, representative of Arlequint Academy's Pygmalion faction, a genius renowned in meteor engineering and a top-tier researcher in the field of autonomous puppets..."
Claudia flipped through the student council documents while casting a resentful glance at Roy.
"Wuwu... You were so sweet with me at noon, but now in the afternoon, you've already set your eyes on another woman. My heart is shattered... Don't you believe me? Feel it for yourself?"
As she spoke, Claudia grabbed Roy's hand and pressed it against her chest.
"Stop messing around—there are people around."
Roy gave her a helpless look. They were on a public street, for goodness' sake.
She was probably teasing him precisely because she knew he couldn't react boldly here.
"Fine. But are you really planning to approach Ernesta?"
Claudia obediently let go of his hand but immediately clung to his arm, leaning against him intimately.
"I've met that woman a few times. She may seem frivolous on the surface, but she's incredibly deep and unpredictable. Don't be fooled by appearances."
At Arlequint Academy, the research division far surpassed the practical division in status. The practical students existed solely to assist the researchers—testing new Lux weapons, for example.
Within the research division, there were five major factions based on differing philosophies: the Ferrovius, Pygmalion, the Sonnet, the Methuselah and the Tenorio.
Ernesta was the leader of Pygmalion, a faction focused on puppetry and control systems. Once the undisputed underdog among the five, Pygmalion had surged ahead under Ernesta's leadership, surpassing the Sonnet, Methuselah , and Tenorio to stand alongside Ferrovius as one of the academy's top factions.
Ninety-nine percent of this success was owed to the genius girl Ernesta Kuhne. For her to lead a struggling faction to the pinnacle of the academy spoke volumes about her capabilities—she was anything but simple.
"Relax, do you really think I'm that naive?"
Roy chuckled, reassuring Claudia. Besides, he wasn't planning to approach Ernesta immediately—some things were beyond his authority to decide alone.
"True. If you count as naive, then there are no smart people left in this world."
Claudia nodded in agreement after a moment's thought.
This was the same Roy who had hypnotized a high-ranking executive of Ginga, escaped Tokyo alive, evaded Ginga's pursuit for an entire week, and safely fled into Asterisk City—with no signs of Ginga's forces tracking him down yet.
When it came to being inscrutable, Roy was second to none.
As the two walked toward the station, playfully bantering, Roy suddenly noticed a familiar figure by the roadside.
"What's wrong?"
Claudia, still holding his arm, followed his gaze and spotted a petite girl standing nearby.
The girl appeared to be just over ten years old, with short sky-blue hair and a petite frame like an elementary school student. Yet, she was wearing the uniform of Seidoukan Academy, looking around with a lost expression, as if unsure where to go.
"Classmate."
Roy explained briefly before walking toward the blue-haired girl.
"Saya Sasamiya, did you get lost again?"
"Oh, Roy, it's so lucky to run into you here."
Upon seeing Roy, Saya Sasamiya let out a small sigh of relief and quickly trotted over to him.
"Saved. Are you heading back to school? Can I come with you?"
"Of course, we'll take you back."
"That's great."
Once she relaxed, her eyelids drooped slightly, giving her a drowsy, just-woken-up look.
Claudia quietly observed Saya for a moment before smiling and striking up a conversation.
"You're Saya Sasamiya, right? Don't you have any other friends at school?"
"Sadly, no."
Saya answered with complete honesty, her sincerity almost pitiable.
But it seemed she truly only knew Roy as a classmate. Claudia inwardly sighed in relief—Roy wasn't some kind of incubus after all. The fact that Julis and Kirin were drawn to him must have just been pure coincidence.
"Are you two dating?"
On the way to the station, Saya tilted her head as she watched the two walking arm-in-arm.
"Hehe, no."
Claudia chuckled softly.
Her answer left both Roy and Saya momentarily stunned.
Anyone who saw them like this would assume they were a couple—even Roy had expected Claudia to confirm it.
Yet she denied it?
"...That's fine too."
Saya stared at the two standing so close together, her expression gradually dimming as a hint of envy flickered in her eyes.
"At least you two can still be together."
Roy and Claudia both raised their eyebrows upon hearing her murmured words.
"Couldn't you be with the person you like?"
"Mmm... He disappeared suddenly when we were very young."
Saya's head drooped, her flat tone tinged with unmistakable sorrow.
"I came to Asterisk City to find him. If I can't do it myself, I'll use the power of the Festa."
In other words, she came to Asterisk City to become a Festa champion and locate the person she was searching for.
Roy fell into thought.
"What's the name of the person you're looking for?"
His expression grew increasingly peculiar as he asked.
Saya didn't hide it.
"Ayato Amagiri."
Holy—!
Roy nearly exclaimed aloud.
It wasn't until he heard the name from Saya that everything clicked.
Ayato Amagiri... wasn't that the protagonist's name?
Roy had been vaguely aware of it before, but over the past month, he'd been so absorbed in training that he'd completely forgotten about the protagonist—until now.
Ayato Amagiri disappeared when he was very young?
Roy couldn't help but think of Stella Vermilion, who shouldn't have appeared in this world either.
This... Could it be that the male lead didn't come to Seidoukan as a special admission student, but instead went to another world as an exchange student?
That the male lead from this world went over there, while the female lead from there came over here?
That's entirely possible!
After all, these anime worlds are already abnormal—no matter what happens, he feels anything could be possible.
If that's really the case, then even if Saya Sasamiya becomes the Festa champion and asks the conglomerate to help search for Ayato Amagiri, it would most likely end up going nowhere.
After returning to school, the two parted ways with Saya Sasamiya.
Arriving in front of the dormitory where Claudia lived, they were about to say goodbye.
But Roy suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, Claudia, there's something I want to ask you."
"What is it?"
"About the Orga Luxes—are there any unassigned ones left at school?"
"You want to try applying for a Orga Lux?"
Claudia froze for a moment, lightly covering her slightly parted lips as she looked at Roy in surprise.
"But aren't you a magician?"
***
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