Let’s Block the Ruined Route in Advance Chapter 77

It’s finally the day of the festival.

 

All the students were excited about the unexpected hero’s toast.

 

“Yikes! If I had known, I would have come early and stood in line!”

 

“I’m never going to wash that cardigan I’m wearing today.”

 

Eileen watched in wonder at their ecstasy, as if they were dealing with a living god. After a long, drawn-out speech from the headmaster, not unlike a commencement ceremony, and just as they were beginning to forget their excitement, Aire appeared on stage.

 

“Waaaaaaaah!”

 

The crowd let out a roar so loud you could have sworn a gust of wind blew in that moment. Eileen looked up through the cheers to see Aire on the stage.

 

His silver hair glittered in the light, his eye patch imprinted with golden symbols, and his robes, pure white cloth with golden accents, were ornate but understated. Even the ends of the eye patch were decorated with gold leaf and flowed down his shoulders.

 

With his heroic features, rather than the disheveled appearance of the original, he looked truly holy, like something out of a holy book. Eileen had to stifle the admiration that rose to the top of her throat.

 

“Chew!”

 

The silent Star suddenly bounced up above Eileen’s head. His eyes were shining with excitement.

 

“Ack! No, Star, come back!”

 

Eileen bit her lower lip tightly and grabbed the hem of her skirt as she watched Star bounce over people’s heads with glee.

 

“Come back!!!”

 

She couldn’t move away or yell because the toasts were still going on. No matter how much Eileen pleaded, the excited Star showed no sign of returning.

 

Instead, it stuck its tongue out at the sky, seemingly trying to grab hold of something.

 

‘Good thing the others can’t see the spirits!’ 

 

She glanced around and saw Emma, Jacob, Miller, and Cordelia desperately trying to hold back their laughter. Even Cordelia was giggling, not even bothering to grab Star that had come so close.

 

“Traitor!”

 

Eileen turned to the podium, trembling with betrayal, and Albert, who was sitting in the professor’s chair, also turned, feigning a coughing fit.

 

“Seriously, Star, if I caught you, you’ll be tickled for thirty minutes.”

 

Eileen’s head snapped toward Aire, who was looking at her in disbelief.

 

‘Huh? I think his head just turned to follow Star.’

 

Eileen’s eyes flicked back to Aire, who was looking up at the unusually tall Laquerta’s head to find Star bouncing on it. He was wearing an eye patch, so she wasn’t sure where his gaze was going.

 

‘He must be in a bad mood.’

 

Shortly thereafter, the toast was over. It was a cute little secret that only Cordelia and the rest of the Department of Elementalism knew that Star that was captured afterward was still pinned to Eileen’s side and tickled.

 

 

***

 

 

Once the opening ceremony was over and the festivities began in earnest, Eileen, Cordelia, and Laquerta headed to the club booths. Since it was an Academy festival, the booths were supposed to be manned by students, and some of the first years had agreed to man the booths for the first morning.

 

“Will the Duke be here today?”

 

“Will he come?”

 

“When are Moa and Lua coming?”

 

“They’ll probably come this afternoon and leave tomorrow. They’re too young to stay until the ball, and Rolloa will be too tired to stay all three days.”

 

Luckily, Rolloa, who was babysitting the children at the Fort estate, agreed to bring her brother and sister, so Laquerta would be able to reunite with them at the festival.

 

“At least they’ll be able to see the festivities with us.”

 

Eileen said sincerely. Although the festival will be shortened to three days due to circumstances, the variety of events and attractions will be a great experience for the children to expand their horizons.

 

“Oh my gosh, it’s gorgeous.”

 

Eileen turned at the sound of someone entering the pavilion and exclaiming in admiration. She whispered to Cordelia and Laquerta in a low voice.

 

“Let’s get to work.”

 

They were busy, to the point where she regretted ever considering the club’s booth an exhibition.

 

The festivities were still in the morning, and the big events, such as the Senior year magic demonstration, were all in the afternoon, so the crowds wandering around to kill time naturally converged on the club booth area.

 

‘For some reason, George and Jessie kept telling me to cheer up,’ She thought to herself, ‘they put first-years in charge of the first hour for a reason!’

 

With tears in her eyes, Eileen led the group through the piece to clear her throat. Cordelia, who was leading the group, was just as exhausted. With a moment’s respite, Eileen stepped outside. She wondered if Laquerta, the publicist, was doing a good job.

 

“Huh?”

 

Eileen paused as she exited the exhibit. He was standing in front of the booth wearing an iron helmet with last year’s exhibit in a glass case pinned to his chest.

 

“What’s that helmet…?”

 

“Andrew said what I need to pitch is a concept. This is a concept for an undercover article.”

 

“So why would a concept be an article?”

 

“Because the scrap club collects newspaper articles to make exhibits.”

 

“What?”

 

Eileen’s expression hardened at the chilly verbal exchange that made the ambient temperature drop. Just as she was wondering what on earth Andrew was teaching him, a passerby saw Laquerta and approached.

 

“What is this place, some sort of knighting club?”

 

“I don’t think so, is that an exhibit?”

 

Laquerta’s strong physique, hardened by his construction work, and the unique item he wore – a helmet – attracted attention. When interested onlookers approach him, he does one thing.

 

He stretches out his hand and points to the entrance of the exhibition hall. What’s even more amazing is that it works.

 

“This works.”

 

At the same time, Eileen also realized what Andrew meant when he suggested he try pitching.

 

Laquerta had been slowly easing his wariness of people by joining the club and working for a kind-hearted carpenter, but a festival that required him to interact with an unspecified number of humans would still be a torture for him, and he might not feel alienated enough to be excluded from managing the club.

 

The current Laquerta was a curious sight, but he was taking the lead in public relations without a hint of exhaustion. Eileen smiled wryly.

 

“It’s not too hot, is it?”

 

“It’s rather cool, thanks to the temperature control enchantment.”

 

“Good. Then let’s push a little harder!”

 

Encouraging him, Eileen headed back into the showroom. Thank goodness for that.

 

 

***

 

 

“This is it!”

 

“This is the place!”

 

The Herrero siblings, their faces covered by hoods and sunglasses, stood in front of the scrap yard with excited expressions on their faces. Their demeanor was so suspicious that people quickly shied away from them.

 

“Come, let’s see what the duke has to say about those rumored fairies and Gaudium’s wings, shall we?”

 

“Ugh, I travel for this flavor!”

 

The siblings had little interest in other people, but when it came to the duke, it was different. The peacock’s reaction to every encounter was a hilarious event for Herrero.

 

“It’s only natural that when he tells us not to see him, I want to see him more.”

 

“Aren’t we going to get beaten to death later?”

 

“It will be the future us that will be beaten, so we can enjoy the present us.”

 

“I see.”

 

After a conversation that would have made the Duke draw his sword if he’d heard it, they ran excitedly into the exhibit.

 

“Hi!”

 

Eileen’s eyes widened as she spotted the Herrero siblings bursting into the room. Bandanas and sunglasses pulled tightly over their faces, mouths smiling too wide. Cordelia stepped in front of Eileen, noticing that nothing looked normal.

 

“Wow, it’s the real thing! It’s the real thing!”

 

“Autograph! Oh, no, not this one.”

 

The frivolous attitude didn’t disguise the muscles that peeked out from beneath his palm tree shirt.

 

“A body and hands that have trained with the sword for years.”

 

Cordelia’s hand involuntarily moved to Lorea’s sword at her throat.

 

“Wait, we’re not here to fight!”

 

“That’s right, we’re mere spectators here to watch you!”

 

“Olivia, we’re here to see the exhibit!”

 

“What’s on display here?”

 

Cordelia’s face hardened at their reactions. She hadn’t meant to swing the sword out of spite, of course; she had simply brought her hand closer, just in case, and the two in front of her had reacted to it.

 

Even Lorea’s sword is still in the form of a necklace.

 

It was time for her to raise her guard against this unknown force. A man strode into the room, which had fallen silent as all the other visitors had fled at the Herrero’s arrival.

 

“You lunatics!”

 

“The duke!”

 

Eileen exclaimed, delighted to see him. The duke, looking haggard, glared at the Herreros, who, noticing the Aurors flanking him, broke out in a cold sweat.

 

“We haven’t done anything yet!”

 

“Yet?”

 

Stalking over, the Duke lifted each of them by the nape of the neck, one in each hand. Then he threw them both back through the doorway of the exhibition hall.

 

“Get out of here.”

 

“C’mon!”

 

As the Duke slammed the door behind him, he heard the Herreros hit the floor. He looked up with a sigh, dusting his hands off like he’d taken out the trash, and Eileen was waiting for him, smiling.

 

“You made it!”

 

“Of course.”

 

The duke looked back at Eileen and Cordelia and smiled coolly.