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The following day all the students from different royal schools had already gone back from their campuses. The next time Kan and the others would meet will be on the Foundation Festival. Although the First Trial comes earlier which is two weeks from now. Trailing along the lines of events from the past three months it would later be considered a turning point for the Tempest Royal School.
Taking a glance through the office windows, piles and piles of paper works are still lying-in wait. Interrupted from the attack of Vanque, the time it would take to complete the filing of information about the plans for the Foundation Festival is being assessed.
“We’re going to have to inform the Royal Schools that the scheduled plans will take a bit more time. Next, the budget for the reconstruction of building needs to be processed and reread everything to ensure there are no mistakes. Afterwards, gather all the paper works of the squads for their nominees for the First Trial. Lastly, relay the message to the principal that one of the alumni's is coming, apparently it’s a big shot.” Inspecting the tasks given, Inerva made sure everything can be done in a day.
“I’ll take care of it, Inerva-san" A polite response comes from a 2nd year student.
“I’ll be counting on you, Milan. By the way, are you sure you want to help me during your off-days?”
“I don’t have anything that much to do and to be able to serve under you is a great experience and honor.” Such high remarks came from the 2nd year student Milan.
“If you have something you want for a favor, just ask already.” Intent on the idea that Milan would have some motives for helping Inerva, she pressed the matter strongly.
“Well, even if I say I don’t have one, you will just persistently convince me so.” Giving a clear look at the room there were only paper works lingering around. “Then, how about you give me a task in exchange?”
“Look, that’s not how it works. You ask something for me that I can help you with.”
“And that’s what I want you to help me, help me find a task.”
“Haah... fine when you come back, I’ll help you find a task in the meantime do what I told you.” Inerva thought, there’s no winning the argument and eventually gave up.
Milan carried the necessary files and closed the door leaving the exhausted Secretary. Fixing her posture and sitting upright as a knock on the door was heard after a while.
“You may come in.” Dreading if it was another matter to be dealt with, Inerva took a deep breath.
“Excuse us...”
“Oh, it’s you guys.” It was Kan, Shinra, and Mika.
“Sorry for coming so suddenly, I hope you’re not busy at all...?” Kan’s voice faded as soon as the mountain of files stacked bombarded their vision.
“Y-yeah...” Inerva stood up clearing away the paper works to make some space for the 1st year students. The 1st years helped after seeing the catastrophe.
“Sorry for making you help, but what is your reason for coming here?” Inerva made clear that she cannot entertain them for a long time due to the amount of work piled.
“Oh, first of all thank you Inerva-san for helping us yesterday. We wanted to say if you could help us relay the message to Tania-sensei and Principal Cainne that we do not want to burden them by teaching us.” Kan explained further in a low tone.
Inerva thought that they don’t want to involve the old farts in their training because of the state Tempest is in the moment.
“Don’t worry about it, the reason for them wanting to train you is that they find that you have potential. So, don’t think about it being burdensome for them.”
“That’s a part of it...” Mika Torri added as if it seemed there was more to their reason than what Kan explained.
“Hmm, then what’s the real reason?” Despite conversing with the 1st years, Inerva’s hands were stamping and arranging the files that were already checked and proofread.
“We don’t want them to train us and instead we want you Inerva-san to train us. That might be a bit too much to ask now that we’re realizing it...” Shinra anxiously noted.
“Haah... I assume you don’t trust them? To be blunt, I don’t have that much free time to help you guys as much as I want to. Let’s see if you don’t want the old farts perhaps, I have someone in mind, but I’ll have to ask first, in the meantime you guys should rest.” Inerva tried to understand even though there was no clear reason given by Kan and the others.
“Thank you, Inerva-san. Do you need help with the files here before we go back to our rooms?” For a moment Kan had come to realize that his question answered itself.
“If you want to then, take the flyers from the table in front of you and distribute it to the teachers and students. Those are the flyers for the First Trial.” There was not any particular reason to decline the offer. With this some workload has been lifted off of Inerva.
“We’ll see you later Inerva-san.” Even if the huge pile of flyers was gone from the low table it seems nothing had changed that much.
“I’ll have to complain and get a huge raise for this one.” Continuing to work, Inerva profusely thought about sweets and desserts then after a while she took a break unable to resist herself.
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.
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It has been some time since Kan, Mika, and Shinra walked around the campus of Tempest. Handing out flyers to anyone they see, some were a bit hesitant and does not seem to like the idea of having to take it from the 1st years.
“What’s their problem?” Mika grumpily ate her lunch.
“Yeah, are we that unnatural?” Kan was more so confused and seemed to not mind the looks of the students.
“Well, if I had to guess is it not because of the rumors?” Laying the stacks of flyers to the end of the table Shinra guessed.
“Rumors?” Kan responded with food still in his mouth.
“Are you talking about what Lumie-san said?” Mika added, leaving the veggies with the thought of no appetite left.
“At first, she thought that we ran away from the fight with Vanque right?” Shinra pointed his fingers to Mika’s plate.
“Ehh, there are rumors like that?” Kan looked a bit surprised as he always steers clear from the crowd. Following Shinra, Kan also pointed at Mika’s plate precisely at the leftover veggies.
“Haah... Well, if that is true what should we do about the remaining flyers?” Unable to escape, Mika took a deep breath before chomping the veggies down her throat.
“I doubt they’ll change their attitude towards us even if we tell them the truth.” Shinra moved the herbal tea near Mika cueing her to drink it.
“Inerva-san entrusted these flyers to us though...” Kan drank the herbal tea straight, to which Mika thought has a weird taste.
“Perhaps we can give this to someone else if we aren’t cut out for the job, right?” Mika seemed to talk about the herbal tea more rather than their matter and tried to move hers toward the middle side of the table.
“Well, we can distribute the flyers to some, but sometimes things are better for the person at hand to do it.” Mika felt a strange air around Shinra as if he wants her to drink this disgusting tea.
“Come on just drink it, Mika.” Kan looked at the situation and suggested.
“No way.”
“Drink it... Mika Torri...!” Shinra’s eyes felt more of a threat than the tea in which Mika gulped down in a second.
“Why do we need to drink this, ueehh.” Mika stood up and chugged down sweets hurriedly.
“But I do think that we cannot finish this if we distribute it ourselves.” Kan piled their plates in a neatly manner.
“Then, do we give some flyers to other people?” Shinra stood up and helped.
“Why not give it to the people that seems trustworthy?” Mika looked as if she had just experienced great suffering. “Here in the cafeteria, we can give it to Lika-san.” Lika is the head chef and manages the cafeteria.
“That is not a bad idea. Then we give stacks of flyer to people like Lika-san? The branch head of the faculty, the registrar in the main hall, and other ones as well.” Kan took a stack of flyers and talked it out to Lika.
“With this we can finish it earlier than expected.” Shinra felt a surge of relief.
“I’m just saying that I hate you guys for making me drink that tea.” Mika could not let go of the herbal tea.
“We need it, not only does it help us physically but also fastens our mana regeneration even if it is just a bit.”
“Still, do they have to make it taste that bad?”
“As far as I know, good medicine tastes bad.”
Mika finally gave up and the case about why herbal tea tastes bad and still needs to be consumed was closed.
“Lika-san did not mind handing out the flyers. We only have two huge stacks left. Let’s go guys.” The 1st years carried the flyers and left the cafeteria.
Taking some time to hand out the flyers, they had finally managed to distribute it and end up giving it to most of the faculty members. It was already afternoon.
“That took way longer than what I expected.” Mika lazily walked around the campus ground-area.
“Who had a case of bad stomachache and had to leave everything to us?” Shinra retorted against Mika’s insensitive remark.
“It was because of that herbal tea, I tell you...!”
“Guys, it seems someone wanted to talk to us.” Kan stopped the two and looked at a 2nd year student waving in front of them.
“Hello, Kan Uolo, Mika Torri, and Shinra Mavirus. I’m Milan a 2nd year student. Nice to meet you!” Suggesting that they move to a less crowded area, the 1st years followed the 2nd year.
“Umm, Milan-san, what brings you talk to us?” Kan questioned immediately.
“Oh, Inerva-san told me about you three. It seems you want someone to train you in your coming First Trial?” Milan replied whilst playing with a pouch.
“Thanks for taking the time to train us.” Shinra responded after calming down with the matter about Mika lazing around.
“Oh, I will not train you today.”
“Eh...?” It seems Mika was fired up about training after doing all the work earlier.
“I can already see that the three of you are just barely holding on. Especially you, Kan Uolo.” Milan stopped walking when they reached an unknown territory and pointed it out.
“Here we are, let’s get inside first before we talk further.” They stopped near a squad office.
“Can we go in we are not a part of your squad?” Shinra felt wrong to point out the obvious thing.
“Oh, yeah right now, you’re part of my squad. Rejoice, and welcome to my little place!” Milan nonchalantly blurted it out as if it was nothing.
“B-but...what about the application, and the necessary procedures, our ranks?”
“You seem to struggle with just appreciating the things given to you, Shinra Mavirus. What do you want me to do? Assess your ranks, hand out tests?” The 2nd year stopped walking and faced the 1st years.
“W-well that’s the normal sequence...?”
“Haaah, if you insist that much then fine, I’ll let it be. For now, come inside.”
