The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

Is it disrespectful to compare a person to an animal?

It’s something I often think about seriously, and every time I arrive at the conclusion, it’s always “maybe yes, maybe no.”

If you compare someone to a pig, they’d obviously be offended. There’s a high chance they’ll think it’s because you’re calling them fat. Cows aren’t exactly a great comparison either.

When it comes to horses, they’re often compared to someone’s face, so that's out. And “dog” is similar. Just calling someone a dog generally «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» brings negative connotations. If you mean it affectionately, it's better to say “puppy,” or add “in terms of appearance” before the comparison.

Then, what about a hamster?

Hamsters are cute. Honestly, they’re adorable no matter what they do. Even if they bite your hand, their round little faces don’t change.

But... there’s also the vibe of them being greedy and eating a lot. Watching them stuff their cheeks and chew makes them seem a little foolish and greedy, even though it’s cute.

And right now, I couldn’t help but think of Mia as I looked at her.

How should I say it... She's a little greedy. Seeing her stuff her cheeks and chew made me think of a hamster.

But, come to think of it, I’m not sure if there are hamsters here. There could be, but maybe, just like other animals, these hamsters might use explosive magic or something.

Why explosive magic, you ask? Because that’s the vibe I get. When you see them stuff their cheeks with something, it looks like they might explode.

“Is it that you don’t get to eat stuff like this in Crowfield?”

I slid the dessert plate in front of Mia as I asked.

“Ah, no.”

It seemed like Mia didn’t notice the plate I pushed toward her as she hurriedly responded. There was a slight delay in her answer, probably because she was chewing on something in her mouth.

“There aren’t any cafés that sell desserts like this in Crowfield.”

“Isn’t Crowfield near the border of Velmour?”

Charlotte, who was sitting next to Mia, asked in surprise.

“I thought there would be some influence from Velmour in the food there.”

Alice, with a proud tone, glanced at Charlotte.

We were sitting at the same café we often visited during the semester.

As a school with dormitory living, students usually move their belongings into the dorm a few days before the start of the semester. Generally, students who live farther from the academy arrive earlier. In this era, transportation other than trains and airships doesn’t guarantee timely arrivals. While there are cars, the roads aren’t all paved yet.

Though Charlotte had access to a train between Velmour and the academy, there was no real need for her to arrive early.

But still, did she want to meet with her friends sooner, even if she’d never admit it?

“Ah, that’s....”

Mia shifted uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Perhaps the fact that Crowfield used to be part of Velmour was still an uncomfortable topic for her. The idea that Velmour food existed there was less about the proximity to the border and more about the fact that Crowfield used to be part of Velmour.

“My mother has been focused on her business lately....”

Crowfield was industrialized in its own way. There were factories, it seemed.

But those factories? They were morphine factories.

Though opium production had been kept under wraps, the production of legal drugs like morphine was enough to sustain Crowfield.

And just like any place that undergoes "industrialization," the common people’s economy was in shambles.

This meant cafés like this one were nearly nonexistent in Crowfield.

Good food in large quantities was hard to come by, and luxurious food, if available, came in tiny portions, only a bite or a spoonful at a time.

“Ah....”

Upon hearing this, Charlotte seemed to understand, gently patting Mia’s arm with a sympathetic look.

She then moved the piece of cake that was in front of her to Mia’s side.

Mia seemed somewhat surprised by Charlotte's gesture but didn’t refuse.

“By the way, it seems like Claire and Leo haven’t come back to the dorm yet.”

“They’ll probably come in on the day of the opening ceremony. Their homes are nearby, after all.”

“It’s a little envious, being able to attend an academy that’s so close to home.”

At Alice's words, Charlotte smiled bitterly.

“What about Velmour? Do they have anything like this?”

“Actually, no. There are places where they teach a few noble children, but it’s nothing like the size of this academy. There’s a university, but it’s not for people our age.”

“I see...”

“Actually, even without going to other countries, academies like this are rare. Even in the Empire, there are only a handful of academies nationwide, and among them, only the Rondarium Academy is as systematic as this one.”

“.......”

As soon as I finished speaking, both Mia and Charlotte turned their gaze toward me.

“......What’s going on?”

Noticing the sudden silence between the two, I asked, and they exchanged a look before turning back to me.

“When did you start speaking so casually with Alice?”

Charlotte was the one to ask me directly.

“Oh, we mutually agreed to speak informally during the last break.”

“......Really?”

Charlotte tilted her head in confusion.

“So then, why are you using formal speech with me and Mia?”

“Well, both of you still use formal speech with me.”

“Does that... really make sense?”

Yes, it does.

It seems like they want me to speak informally with them, but unfortunately, I’m not ready to drop the formal speech with them yet.

It would feel a bit awkward if I suddenly used informal speech while they’re still using formal with me.

Neither of them could really argue with my reasoning.

Seeing Alice’s somewhat smug expression made me a little exasperated, but then I heard Claire’s voice.

“Oh, there they are!”

Waving her hand, Claire, who had been sitting on the café terrace downstairs, jogged over to our table.

“I heard Charlotte was here, so I thought I’d check if you were all gathered here. And, of course, you are.”

“It’s been a while, Claire.”

“Have you been well?”

“Yeah, it’s been a while. And yes, I’ve been well.”

“It’s been a while for both of you.”

After Claire greeted Charlotte and Mia, Leo, a little behind her, walked up and greeted us too.

“Oh, right. Silvia.”

“Hmm?”

Alice, who had been quietly watching Claire greet everyone, suddenly turned to me and spoke, almost as if she had remembered something.

“Oh, it’s... nothing. I was going to say something, but I forgot.”

“...What’s that supposed to mean? Out of the blue.”

I thought Alice was going to bring up something related to Claire, but she said something completely unexpected.

Well, maybe it’s a sign that Alice is getting more comfortable with me—saying random things like this.

Shrugging it off, I turned my attention back to Claire, only to be startled.

Claire had completely stiffened, staring at me intently.

“Elder sister.”

“Hmm?”

“Ne???”

Ah, I’ve heard this tone before.

It’s exactly like the tone a superior officer would use when responding to “I didn’t catch that” with “Ne?” in the military, the sharp rising intonation.

“...What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong!?”

Claire, looking furious, responded. Even people passing by from a distance were turning to look at us.

What’s going on?