9 Black and White Princess and Soul Costume [3]





 Currently.

"......

"......

 I was alone with Leah in her room.

......

"......

 We sat on the burgundy carpet, both of us in silence.

 The suffocating silence continues.

 The second hand of the clock ticked by one second after another, sounding uncomfortably loud.

(......How did this happen?)

 As a result of that duel for our rights, she became my slave. No, she became (・・・・).

(A princess of a country became a slave of some unknown people while studying in another country. If this gets out to her home country, ....... It's more than just a hassle--it'll cause a hell of a ruckus. ......)

 Honestly ......, I really don't want to do this anymore.

 Why should I have to go through this? .......

(Haha ......)

 I can't tell you how many times I've sighed in my heart.

 I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it. and half-heartedly brought us here.

 And then she said, "I'm going to bring all of Allen's stuff over here tomorrow, so keep that in mind! And then he went away.

 He really is a stormy guy.

(...... But in light of the academy's rules and common sense, Dr. Leia's actions weren't wrong, right?

 So.
 At first glance, it looks like she's doing whatever she wants, but in reality, she's just doing what's natural as a witness to a duel.

 In the first place, a duel is a serious game of mutual pride, and as swordsmen, we must never violate the conditions and promises we have made in advance. A weak man who breaks this rule is not a swordsman, but an animal who has strayed from the path of humanity.

 This is the first thing you learn at the primary school of swordsmanship, and it is probably the first thing that every swordsman in this country, and in the world, has ingrained in their minds.

 In fact, even Dodriel kept his word.

 That proud man bowed his head and firmly retracted and apologized for his outburst against me and my mother.

 That is why promises made in a duel have such serious meaning.

(That's why this situation is so hard for me right now. ......)

 (That's why this situation is so hard for me right now, isn't it?) Because of Leah's character, she's not going to just say, "Thank you!" when I say, "You can pretend the slave contract never happened. If she is that kind of person, she's not going to back down.

 If she had that kind of personality, she would have had Ms. Leia suppress the fact that she lost the duel.

 In other words, the only way to cancel this slave contract is for her to defeat me in a duel.

(But now that's not so easy anymore. ......)

 Leah's attack patterns.
 Her attack and evasion habits.
 Her thought process in combat.

 Her attack patterns, her evasion habits, her thought process in combat... all these important points in combat were exposed to me in the last fight.

 Even if she had a hidden gem or two, I'd still have a hard time beating her, but it's hard to imagine me losing. I've got a hidden gem or two of my own.

(haha .......) I don't know if I'm going to lose on purpose ......?

 Such a stupid thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I immediately shook my head.

 That's not a good idea.

 I'm a swordsman too.

 I can't deviate from the path of a swordsman by losing a duel on purpose.

 If I do that, I won't be able to show my mother or Paula any respect.

(...... What should I do now?)

( What should I do now?) I say "what should I do now", but to be honest, it's a waste of time to worry about it, since there is nothing I can do.

 I've finally come to the conclusion that there's no point in trying to do anything about it, so I look around the room to make sure Leah doesn't notice.

(......) It's a surprisingly pretty room.

 Her room was very girly, with a basic color scheme of white and pink accents.

 Since she is royalty, I expected her to have more chandeliers and fancy furnishings, but I didn't see anything like that.

 It's just a normal, pretty girl's room.

(Also, ...... smells kind of nice.

 It's not perfume or detergent.

 Of course, it's not so strong as to make you swoon, but it's a gentle, natural smell that you can faintly smell when you focus on it.

 After a quick look around the room, I found something that caught my attention.

(Oh, you like ...... stuffed animals?)

 On the bedside table, there was a cute stuffed bear and hippo.

(Hmmm, she has a cute side, too, doesn't she?)

 As I was observing her room.

When I was observing her room, she blushed a little and said, "I'm so embarrassed, please don't stare too closely at .......

 She blushed a little and said in a whisper.

 The reason for the honorific at the end is that she is supposed to be my slave.

I'm sorry, .......

 I apologized to her.

 You shouldn't look so closely at someone else's room, especially a girl of your age.

 I know that much.

 But this is a great achievement.

 For the first time since I came to this room, I was able to communicate with her.

 Before the fever of conversation cools down, I decided to talk to him myself.

"Well, you know, ......

"What is it, ......?

I mean, can we stop using the ...... honorific?

 To be honest, honorifics don't suit Leah very well at all.

 I think this is because I just saw her true self.

I think it's strange that I, a slave, don't use honorifics with my master. Besides, ...... I have a sense of honor and pride as a swordsman. You can't go back on your word.



 Then she turned away.

 She's much more stubborn than I thought she'd be.

(That being said, ....... It's hard for me to breathe when people talk to me in honorific terms all the time like this, since we're going to be living together to some extent. ......)

 To be honest, I don't really dislike her.

 In fact, I don't dislike her at all, and I hope we can be good friends.

 She has a bad mouth, and she sometimes pretends to be something she's not in order to make herself look better, but she keeps her promises to fight, and she's a good swordsman.

 For a variety of reasons, we don't have a good relationship right now, but ...... I hope we can be friends in the future.

(Also, ...... she can use soul gear.)

 (And she can use soul gear.) I wanted to ask her some tips on how to manifest soul gear.

(To get to know her better, I need to get her to stop using honorifics.

 Words shape actions and relationships.

 As long as she continues to use honorifics, it is difficult to get along with her because she seems to be a stranger.

 But on the other hand, if you get rid of the honorific, you will be able to get closer to her sooner than you think.

 If the honorific language is removed and people talk to each other on a casual basis, their behavior and way of thinking may be influenced by it, and they may come to treat each other as equals.

(The only way to get this stubborn and stubborn Leah to stop using honorifics is to use .......)

 It's a bit of a heavy-handed approach, but I can't help it this time.

 I looked her straight in the eye and said, in a slightly stronger tone, "Well,

You're right. ....... Then this is an order. From now on, you are not allowed to use honorifics with me.

"That's not fair, is it ......?

 It was within the realm of expectation that she would argue like this.
 So I say the answer I've prepared in advance.

"Isn't it one of the rights of a master to force his slave to do something he doesn't want to do?

 It's a bit cryptic, but it makes sense.

 Then.

"...... I understand. ...... I understand. --I get it. But are you sure about this? I can't take back my orders, can I?

 Leah made sure of it.

"Yes, I'll take that as a yes.

 Honorifics were not appropriate for her.

 She doesn't like to be addressed with honorifics, she prefers to be addressed in a friendly tone.

If that's the case, Allen, stop using honorifics. ...... is creepy.

 She said, her cheeks reddening slightly.

I'm sure you'll agree. I'm not very good at honorifics either.

 I'm not very good at honorifics either.

 I'm not very good at honorifics either, but if Princess Leah will allow it, I'll take her word for it.

 Anyway, now that I've gotten rid of the honorifics, I decided to ask her a few questions.

"So, ......, you've gotten into a lot of trouble early on.

Hmm, whose fault is it ......?

That's a ...... subtle point, isn't it? It was my fault for seeing it, but I think Leah was at fault too for changing in the men's locker room.

...... What are you talking about? I was changing in the girls' locker room.

"......? No, of course not. I'm pretty sure that was the men's locker room.

No, no, no. But I checked before I went in there.

 No, there was definitely a men's locker room hanging there when I came in.

 After I saw her ...... thing, I made sure that it was the men's locker room. There is no mistake in this memory.

 Then, as if she noticed something, Leah opened her mouth.

"Could it be ...... Leia's work?

"It could be .......

 If you think about it, the timing of Leia's appearance was too good.

 And now that I think about it, she said, "I had a hunch something interesting was going to happen. I've been staking it out nearby! I don't know what she wanted.

 I don't know what she was trying to do, but I'm sure she had something to do with this.

"d*mn, I'm hit! But why? What do they want?

I don't know what he's after, but ...... I've learned a lot today about him as a person.

 And so.

"...... huh.

 We both sighed at the same time.

...... Hey, don't do that.

No, I was a few tenths of a second faster than you.

No, no, no, I was faster than--

 Then Leah and I had a nice little chat.

 Just as I had expected, the absence of honorifics brought us closer together.

 Then the wall clock in the room started to chime.

 It was already eleven o'clock in the evening.

 It's time to go to bed to prepare for tomorrow.

"Oh, ......, is it that time already?

"Hmmm ....... If you don't start getting ready for bed soon, you'll have a problem tomorrow.



"Right. --Leah, why don't you go take a shower first?

"...... That sounds kind of naughty, doesn't it?

 I thought I was being considerate, but for some reason, she stared at me with a blank stare.

"......? What's so naughty about that?

 I don't think there was anything naughty about what she just said. .......

I'm not sure there was anything naughty about that. It's ...... nothing!

 I'm not sure why Leah's face turned red as she walked towards the changing room.

If you ever peek at me again, I will never forgive you,......!

 Then she closed the curtain and started to take off her clothes.

It's okay. I'll be fine, don't worry.

 Later, after Leah got out of the bath, I took a bath too.

 Just before going to bed, there was a dispute about who would sleep where.

 There was only one bed in the room.

 I told her that I was a man and would sleep on the floor, but she refused, saying that it would be strange if Master slept on the floor and I, a slave, slept in the bed.

 We had no choice but to compromise and sleep on the far right and far left sides of the bed together.

(I think she trusts me a little too much, or is a little too guarded, but ...... that's okay)

 Then I operated the remote control on my bedside table and dimmed the room lights.

"Good night, Leah.

"Oh, good night, ...... Allen, .......

 I'm not sure if it's because I was tired that day, but my consciousness quickly fell into a slumber.

The next day.

 The next day.

 The next day, Leah and I went to class together.

 We were both in first year A class.

 We live in the same room, so there's no need for us to split up.

"So, so! In my country, there's a traditional dish called lamb sack! It's really delicious!

I'd like to try it next time I have the chance.

"I know a good place near Senbei Academy! I'll tell you next time!

 I'm not sure if it's the fact that I'm a slave or the fact that I've forgotten that I'm a slave, but her attitude towards me has softened considerably.

(It's a hundred times better than being distant like last night.

 Besides, talking to her was ...... kind of, well, just plain fun.

 Her facial expressions would change rapidly and her body language would add to the fun, so I never got tired of watching her. She's probably what you'd call the "popular type".

 As I was thinking about this, I arrived at the classroom of Class 1-A.

 When I opened the side door, I was greeted by

"Oh, good morning, Ms. ...... Leah! 

It's a beautiful day today!

 Two girls from the same class spoke to Leah, a little nervously.

"Yes, good morning. It's a beautiful morning.

 Leah quickly catnapped and smiled, waving her right hand modestly.

(...... She really is a classy "princess" when you look at her like this.

 It's hard to believe that the vivacious and slightly crass Leah when she's alone with me is the same person as the demure and dignified Leah now.

 It would be much more satisfying if she said, "Actually, I have a ...... double personality.

 When Leah started chatting with the girls, I quietly moved away from her.

 I know that girls have their own conversations.

(Seats and such have not been decided yet at ......, right?

 There were no instructions on the blackboard at the front of the classroom, so I headed for the most inconspicuous seat at the back, by the window.

 On my way there, I saw three boys talking happily.

 I thought it would be wrong not to say hello to them as I walked by, so I mustered up a little courage and called out to them.

Oh, good morning.

 And then.

""......"

 All three of them stopped talking immediately, took one look at my face, and then started talking again.

 It was almost a pleasant ignoring.

 The fact that they were glaring at us once made it more humid.

(......, he hates me after all, doesn't he?

 I'm pretty sure that yesterday's incident - the hellish entrance ceremony - is still lingering in her mind.

(First impressions are important to human beings. ......)

 The first day of school is the first day of the school year, it's not easy to get a zero impression. .......

(Well, it's better if they don't swear at you to your face. ......)

 I'm not sure if you've ever heard of it, but I'm sure you've heard of it. It's not a big deal if three people ignore you now.

 I had no choice but to move away from them.

"Hey, you guys. Do you have a minute?

 Leah, with a soft, outgoing smile on her face, approached the men who had ignored me.

Yes, yes!

What's the matter, Leah?

Is there something wrong?

 The three men seemed to be flattered to be spoken to by Leah, who was at least outwardly an immensely beautiful woman.

 They are really ...... cash people.

(But Leah's guy ....... I'm not sure what you're trying to do by talking to these guys.



 As I moved to the window seat, with my attention a little turned in that direction, she said something unexpected.

I think Allen just said hi to me. ....... I guess he was too busy talking to hear me?

 And then.

"Yeah, ......, no, that's the thing, .......

I mean, I could hear him. ...... I don't know what to say. ......

"Oh, I mean, he didn't sound very loud. ...... Hey, ......?

 The men slumped and gave incomprehensible answers.

 Seeing them, Leah smiled.

"Me. I hate people who do that kind of nonsense (・・・・・・・).

""......"

 She continued with her usual gentle smile, unconcerned by the men's raptures.

Don't ever talk to me again. --Have a good day.

 Having said all she had to say, Leah dropped her bag on the seat to the right of me.

 The whole classroom froze at her cold statement, which no one had expected.

 She sat down on the chair carefully so as not to crease her skirt, and stuffed the textbook in her bag into her desk.

I whispered to her, "Hey, I'm sorry about that. ......

 I whispered an apology to Leah.

(That was definitely a comment made out of concern for me. ......)

 But if I did that, she wouldn't fit in with the class.

 Even now, the three guys are staring at her.

 And while I'm feeling an indescribable pang of guilt.

"What are you apologizing for? I just said I didn't like something.

 Then she laughed, "Huh.

 It was not a fake smile, but a natural one that spilled out very naturally.
 That cute and transparent smile made me fall in love with her for a moment.

 Then, while the classroom was in an unprecedented state of "rear shock," I heard the sound of a door opening.

 The person who emerged from the door was a sleepy-eyed Rose.

 Perhaps she has a weakness for mornings, but her usual dignified demeanor was nowhere to be seen.
 Her peach fuzz is standing on end, and her long hair is bouncing in places.

 She looked around, and when her eyes met mine, she walked over to me with a sluggish step and sat down in front of me.

"Wow, ....... Good morning, Allen. And Leah.

Good morning, Miss Rose.

What do you mean, "incidentally"?

 I'm sure you'll be able to understand that I'm not the only one who has a problem with this.

"Rose, your ...... hair is pretty bouncy, are you okay?

 I asked, pointing to a strand of hair that stood out in the middle of her head.

...... No problem. I've got gravity on my side. ......

 She said in a mumbling, lisping tone.

 Apparently, she's always been a fan of waiting for her hair to heal naturally.

 I'm not familiar with the situation of girls' hair, but she probably belongs to the minority.

 As I was thinking about this, the bell rang to announce the start of the school day, and at the same time, the door at the front of the classroom opened with great force.

"Good morning, students!

 I'm not sure if you've ever heard of this, but I'm sure you've heard of it.

I'm sure you'll agree that this is a great idea. No tardies or absences since the first day--a great start!

 She patted the attendance book in her hand and smiled good-humoredly.

 A female student asked a question on behalf of everyone in the classroom.

"Oh, um, ......, why is the chancellor here?

"Well, that's obvious, isn't it? Because I'm the homeroom teacher of Class A.

 At that moment, the whole classroom was buzzing.

 Naturally, my heart was also in turmoil.

(...... Yeah, that's an understatement.

 (...... Yeah, that sucks, to put it mildly.) I learned the hard way yesterday that this teacher is not a very good ...... person.

(I mean, is the chancellor's job any good ......?

 The chancellor of the five schools has tremendous social influence and tremendous power.

 Naturally, with great power comes a certain amount of responsibility, and it is rumored that he has a tremendous amount of work to do every day.

(I don't think he can afford to be a homeroom teacher at the same time. ......)

 As I was thinking about this, Ms. Leia cheerfully clapped her hands.

Let's get this morning homeroom started. I have something very important to report to you today!

 She took a breath and announced it at once.

She paused for a breath and then announced it all at once: "It's about the competitors for the upcoming Daigo Seisai this weekend!

 The word "Daigo Seisai" set the whole class into a frenzy.

 It's a kind of rookie competition where each of the five colleges selects three of their best new students to compete against each other in a round-robin tournament.

 If you can make a mark here, you'll be on your way to becoming a senior holy knight.

 It was only natural that the students were buzzing.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at ........ We've already decided on the contestants for this year!

 The whole classroom was buzzing, and at the same time a bad feeling ran through my back.

 There was one reason for this - Ms. Leia had a very nice smile on her face.

 She's going to start saying some pretty nasty things.

 I've only known her for two days, but I think I know a little bit about her personality.

There's no point in rushing it then, so let's get on with it!



 The whole classroom went silent in an instant.

 A few seconds later, Professor Leia announced the contestants.

"Representing Thousand Blade Academy in this year's Great Five Holy Festivals will be Leah-Vesteria, Rose-Valencia, and Allen-Rhodle!

 Here it comes: .......

 I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's a fan of your work.