Senpensekai no Madoushoshi - CH 144

[Lapris]: “The dragon’s sharp fangs were hurtling towards Iris’s helpless body. When suddenly! With the setting sun at my back, I soared down out of the sky and delivered a powerful kick right into the dragon’s face!”

“Wow, how brave you are!”

“Just what you expect from Lapris-sama, the fairy chosen by the Goddess!”

[Lapris]: “It was then that the dragon sensed the tremendous latent power sleeping within me. His focus shifted towards me as he pulled back his lips and showed me his uneven teeth………”

It was the third morning after our dive into the dungeon.

Lapris was addressing the rest of my classmates inside my classroom and telling them all about what happened in Relton. She was really getting into it by giving a full-blown demonstration instead of just a few arm gestures.

[Lapris]: “The elf knight Toslin swung her blade, the cold metal digging itself into the dragon’s neck!! The monstrous lizard’s body spasmed in place before collapsing into the dirt. Seeing that, we all thought victory was ours…….but then, the dragon sprang back to life!!”

Lapris kept pacing around on top of my head. Maybe it’s because of how worked up she had made herself, but her feet were constantly getting tangled in my hair, yanking it around and hurting me a bit.

“Woah, dragons are really strong after all aren’t they?”

“Even the brave Ashel wasn’t able to kill it. It couldn’t be that easy.”

[Iris]: “Hey Lapris, you’re hurting me. Could you get off my head?”

Neither Lapris nor my classmates paid me any mind even after I fell prostrate on top of my desk. Even Lou-chan was engrossed in Lapris’s story with her eyes sparkling like diamonds.

[Lapris]: “The dragon managed to lift its head even as blood spurted from its gaping wounds. The wounded beast had worked itself into a frenzy. The werewolf thief Carol quickly ran up the dragon’s back, aiming for its eyes, but the dragon twisted its head away and out of her reach. The dragon then swung it tree trunk-like tail at the spot where Carol would have landed after jumping away!!”

It’s been three days since the rest of the class found out about Lapris. In other words, the morning after the dungeon exploration.

The reason why they found out was because Lapris had forgotten to hide and was just leisurely lounging on top of my head like it was normal. She was caught as soon as I stepped foot into the classroom.

I knew it would be impossible to have her always hiding inside my hair the entire time I was at school, so I told her that morning she didn’t have to come with me…….

I didn’t notice that she had come along anyway until I opened the classroom door and everyone’s gazes jumped straight towards my head.

When we had a moment alone I asked her what she was doing here. Her response was, “I wanted to be with you.”

(Even though she’s usually so foul-mouthed, every now and then she says some cute things.)

[Lapris]: “Iris rose to her feet and pulled out a book. It was the Hadion Grimoire gifted to her directly from the Goddess”

“Hadion…….the one sung about in the Hero’s epic. The knight who betrayed the Goddess a thousand years ago.”

[Lapris]: “The very same. Hadion was imprisoned in a world of darkness a thousand years ago for her sins, and Iris was opening that very knight’s grimoire. Her brave, sonorous voice was dripping with magic power as she read from it, and finally Hadion, the Dark Violet Knight, the strongest warrior humanity has ever seen, appeared before the dragon!!”

(Uuu, so embarrassing……..)

Lapris keeps breaking up her story with dramatic pauses. And during each of those breaks, my body was left writhing in embarrassment at my desk. I wanted to at least pretend like I was anywhere else but here however since this is pretty much the exact same thing I did to Rose-san before, I figured that this was my comeuppance and tried bearing through it.

[Lapris]: “Hadion appeared in response to the maiden’s prayer. She held out her thick shield in one hand to brush away the dragon’s flames, and in the other, she brandished her sword and beheaded the dragon with a single swing!! Its head fell to the ground followed by its enormous body before Hadion turned back around and knelt at Iris’s feet. She then kissed the back of Iris’s hand and said:

“Grimoire Master, pure maiden Iris Calvafon. You have rescued this decaying soul from the darkness, and so I shall raise this sword and shield in your name. This is my oath. Engraved on this dark violet ring is my vow which shall never vanish.”

[Iris]: “………”

Lapris managed to repeat back word for word what Saluena had said to me without making a single mistake.

I know that because I remember what she said back then as well. Even now those words act as a radiant light inside my mind.

“Kyaaa!! That’s so cool Calvafon-sama!!”

“Just like a knight swearing their allegiance to a princess!!”

[Lapris]: “Hey now, Iris isn’t like a princess. She’s the genuine article.”

“Yes, I heard about that!! She has an entire knight company bearing the Goddess’s name at her beck and call!!”

The story of Saluena and me was kicking up a fuss with the rest of the class. Even Lou-chan was enraptured with Lapris’s amazing storytelling ability and staring at me in awe. There’s no way I would be able to pull someone in with my words like she is.

[Lapris]: “The ring fitted on Iris’s left hand is proof of that knightly vow. The Dark Violet ring!!”

“It’s on her ring finger!!”

“Kyaaa!! A ring from a knight placed on her ring finger……and they’re both women!”

“Beautiful!! It hastens the heart!!”

As a group of noble girls starved for any kind of stimulation, my classmates were sensitive to this kind of topic.

One person was drawn deeply into Lapris’s story and began begging for more. Another girl was clutching her chest while ruminating over what she had heard so far. There were a couple of girls mimicking what they heard in the story and kissing the back of each others’ hands. Among them……there was one girl so overwhelmed with emotion they actually started crying.

(Why……are these nobles so pure?)

It wasn’t like this with Mycena. After I told her about the fight with with dragon, the first thing she asked me was, “So how much is dragon meat worth?” I guess it just goes to show,

commoners prefer to think in profit rather than dreams.

Well, I guess that doesn’t apply to everyone.

As I reminisced about someone who wasn’t here, I allowed Lapris to keep traipsing on top of my head for a little while longer.

♠

Lunch break between classes.

I was eating in the courtyard with the other girls in my class.

[Iris]: “Haa…….I’m so warm and full it’s making me want to take a nap~……..”

I let out a long yawn while slouching down on the bench at the pavilion.

Afterwards, Lou-chan smiled from her seat next to me.

[Iris]: “Ah, sorry. My manners are kind of bad huh.”

[Lou]: “Don’t worry about it. You’re quite fascinating Airi-chan.”

[Iris]: “Eh, you think so?”

I’ve been called a lazybones and told that I like to do things at my own pace before, but I think this is the first time anyone’s called me fascinating.

[Lou]: “I’ve never met anyone like you before.”

[Iris]: “That’s just because I come from a tried and true commoner family. Of course you aren’t going to meet someone like me when you were born a noble Lou-chan.”

[Lou]: “Which is why I was thinking……how lucky I am.”

Lou-chan was beaming at first, but after her eyes met with mine, she quickly turned her gaze downwards.

Her voice quieted down, and it was difficult to tell what she was saying as she went on. I couldn’t even hear the last bit she said over the sound of the rest of our classmates’ voices.

[Lapris]: “Oi, watch yourself. Iris is the type who picks up girls wherever she goes. If you get too close, you’re going to get burned.”

[Lou]: “B-Burned?”

[Iris]: “What are you telling her Lapris!?”

[Lapris]: “Am I wrong? Whether it be Soletta or Rifront, you became close friends to the women there right away.”

[Lou]: “S-She did?”

[Iris]: “It’s not what you think. Even if she says we’re close friends, we’re really just friends and…….that really isn’t much of an explanation, is it? For that matter why am I even bothering to explain? You’re not wrong. And there’s nothing wrong with that.”

[Lou]: “B-But…….Airi-chan does seem like the type who would be popular with women…….”

[Iris]: “……..what?”

I feel like Charlie said something similar the last time I saw her.

Like, really though? Is that the impression I give off?

[Lapris]: “And now Iris has set her sights on you.”

[Lou]: “Wha-, EHHhhhh!? You mean, me……Airi-chan is!?”

[Iris]: “T-There’s no way right? But, um…….”

Am I supposed to give a strong denial here?

But, I don’t want to say anything that’ll make Lou-chan think she isn’t charming.

[Iris]: “Um, or maybe so? I think Lou-chan is a cute and incredibly charming girl.”

[Lapris]: “See? This is how Iris scores with women who’ve caught her eye. Be careful.”

[Iris]: “Grrrrrr, GEEZ!! Keep quiet Lapris!!”

Lapris was cackling aloud on top of my head. I was fuming.

[Lou]: “Uh, um……well……”

And Lou-chan’s confusion had broken her.

[Iris]: “Sorry Lou-chan. Lapris has a penchant for mischief.”

[Lou]: “R-Right……. You and Lapris-sama seem close.”

[Iris]: “Eh, oh, well……I guess you could say we get along.”

So long as I’m ignoring her foul mouth and mischievous spirit.

I glanced up towards my ostentatious little fairy and sighed.

[Lou]: “Ah……”

That was when Lou-chan reacted to something she saw behind me.

[Iris]: “Hm?”

Turning around to look myself, I found Rose-san walking across the campus while chatting with a couple students who were following her.

[Iris]: “Recognizing one of them, I unconsciously jumped to my feet.

[Lapris]: “Hey, that girl…….isn’t she the one who was picking a fight with you during that practice session?”

A girl with golden locks draped down her clavicle swaying in the wind……..

Grides-san, the only student here who has met me with clear hostility.