Chapter 85.1 - First Year at the Academy - A Multitude Of Colors (1)
Upon opening the entrance, Lambert, Felix, Elphimia, and Rora were standing there.
"We all coordinated our outfits."
"We met up along the way."
As soon as the four entered, they suddenly stopped.
When they turned around, they saw Ted and the others standing still in a straight line.
"Welcome, Elphimia-sama, Lambert-sama, Felix-sama. And our-"
Sensing danger, Lola quickly turned around and tried to escape.
"Lola-sama! Chase after her, don't let her escape!"
Ted and the others chased after her at full speed.
Is it another training exercise?
How quickly can they switch gears?
Lambert and the others were still taken aback. I explained the situation to them.
While Elphimia seemed uninterested, Lambert and Felix seemed impressed. Well, they did clash with me.
After a while, Lola, who had been captured, returned surrounded by the four of them.
"Lola-sama has arrived!"
Along with Ted's announcement, Lola entered with a bright red face.
Elphimia tilted her head at her appearance.
"I understand it's a training exercise, but what do you mean by ‘our'?"
"Because she's our client."
I summarized the situation and explained it concisely. Elphimia muttered, "I see.", seemingly becoming interested this time.
She started talking to Lola about something.
It seems she will accompany us.
Meanwhile, Ted and the others asked,
"What do we do next?"
"Lead them to their seats. Pull out chairs to make it more comfortable."
"That's just dried, right? Well, from me, it's sweets."
"Ah, sorry."
Elphimia handed me small candies coated in honey, while Lola gave me smoked Holber seeds.
Ted and the others tried to take a peek at them, but since the event hadn't started yet, I instructed them to return to their seats.
As it was also a celebration for the year-end and New Year, it fell upon me, the host, to give a speech.
This isn't really my thing, though.
I stood up, surveyed everyone from my seat, and began, "Well..."
"I'm not good with formal speeches, so I'll just speak as usual. Thank you all for coming to this festive occasion. The people gathered here have various backgrounds, positions, and ways of life. We met at different times. Some have been here before enrollment, while others met today. It's a mysterious connection that brought us together like this. I won't say it's a free-for-all, but I want everyone to enjoy themselves without being too nervous. So let's give thanks for the safe year that has passed and pray for the safety of the coming year... Cheers!"
Everyone echoed my words and raised their glasses in unison.
Understanding my message, Ted and Gemma returned to their usual selves and eagerly flocked to the smoked Holber seeds.
"It's completely different from grilling it. It has this smoky flavor!"
"It's because it's smoked."
"But it's delicious!"
The two of them also reached for the boar meat, exclaiming incoherently.
Curious, Lambert and Felix also reached for the goat's meat.
They seemed to have no particular thoughts and silently enjoyed their portion.
Ted, seemingly dissatisfied, began enthusiastically emphasizing how formidable his enemies were.
However, no matter how he put it, a goat is still a goat.
"But still..."
"Even so, it's not just an ordinary goat!"
"Ted."
"Yes, sir!"
Being reprimanded by Nails, he corrected himself with odd word choices.
Lambert looked perplexed and turned his gaze toward me.
Oh well, I guess I'll lend a hand for their sake.
