Chapter 118


    White steam was flowing out from the icebox.


    Vice President Iris eyed it suspiciously.


    “What is that?”


    “These are the expected results from our Dessert Research Club.”


    “You’ve already brought research results?”


    It was understandable for Iris to be taken aback. The clubs at Lichten Academy are required to submit ‘research results’ or ‘activity achievements’ at the end of each semester. However, many clubs fail to even produce these minimal results and get their approvals revoked.


    Considering that this is the time when everyone is likely stressing out, my presentation would naturally pique curiosity.


    “… Let’s see it then.”


    He gestured to Lina.She quickly ran over with a te and skillfully arranged several pieces of snowke fruit.


    Iris picked one up and squinted at it.


    “These white powder-like things… they all look like snow crystals. They seem very delicate. Ah, it’s cold. It really feels like snow.”


    Iris’s eyes grew wider and wider.


    “… Ian, did you make this?”


    He shrugged.


    The beauty of the snowke fruit wasn’t just in its appearance but in its taste as well.


    “Please, give it a try.”


    Iris furrowed her brows deeply.


    It was obvious she was thinking, ‘How can I eat something made by Ian?’


    “It’s safely made food. You should taste it to give a fair assessment, don’t you think?”


    Iris hesitated, then nced at the student council neer.


    “…?”


    The neer tilted her head in confusion as Iris spoke.


    “Try it.”


    … Wow, really passing the buck, huh?


    The neer’srge eyes welled up with tears as she received the order.


    She shook her head vigorously in refusal.


    ‘… What on earth do they think of me?’


    He felt a pang of indignation but didn’t say anything, considering the neer’s pitiable situation.


    “Sophia, this is a trial everyone in the Student Council must endure. Even if something happens, the Student Council will remember you forever.”


    <em>Shiver.</em>


    Shivering like a scared puppy, the neer reluctantly picked up the snowke fruit as if she were receiving poison.


    The tangy flesh and juicy goodness of the snowke red orange.


    The girl, closing her eyes as if receiving a death sentence.


    “Ah.”


    And bit into the juice-filled orange.


    “What do you think? As expected, your tongue feels numb and strange, right? Maybe it’s spiked.”


    Wow… did she really think that and still made the neer eat it?


    I shot Iris a look of pure disdain, but she nonchntly looked back, brushing her hair aside with the back of her hand before asking again.


    “How is it, Sophia? Is it spiked?”


    <em>— Chewing</em>


    The neer’s eyes lost focus more and more with each chew.


    <em>— Gulp</em>


    She swallowed a bite, her small pink lips trembling slightly.


    “Hya-aang.”


    A sweet voice resonated.


    Did she not realize she made such an embarrassing sound?


    Despite making such a sweet sound, the girl’s face remained serene.


    She merely picked up another orange slice and savored it.


    In fact, it was the Vice President whose face turned red.


    “Wh-Wh… What! What kind of sound are you making in the sacred Student Council room!”


    Iris’s outburst.


    The neer turned to face the Vice President shakily.


    But her eyes were already half out of focus.


    “Nye-he-e?”


    “It’s not spiked, right? Are you okay, Sophia?”


    “Hehehe. I’m okay… yesss.”


    “Th-Then evaluate the taste! Without making weird noises!”


    “I need to, to eat a little more, nom, to understand….”


    What she had eaten was a tangy orange.


    Ian now offered her a sweet and soft snowke peach.


    With eyes as if gazing at a lover, she looked at the snowy white peach and bit into it with her moist lips.


    “Nyahaaan~?”


    “What kind of vulgar sound are you making, Sophia!”


    “Haa… not yet, it’s not there yet. Something feels strange. <em>Munch munch</em>. I think I need to try another one… Give me more. More of the sweet ones.”


    At this point, Iris finally caught on.


    <em>Bang—! </em>


    She mmed the table and shouted.


    “As the Vice President, I can’t let this stand! I’ll set an example! Give it here… <em>slurp</em>!”


    … Are they acting in a skit or what?


    ◇


    “It’s just an ordinary, slightly fresh-looking fruit, but how can it taste like this….”


    “The way this white ice melts around it is perfect, just like snowkes.”


    “It’s like a devil is whispering to me, Vice President.”


    “It reminds me of the Ice Grapes I eat once a year.”


    Sugar makes everyone happy.


    The Vice President’s sharp brows softened, and the neer’s expression was like she had experienced heaven.


    However, the ountant still remained expressionless, quietly chewing on a piece of snowke watermelon with his mouth.


    Having finished a snowke blueberry, Iris reached out for the next skewer, then abruptly snapped out of it.


    <em>Ahem.</em>


    Clearing her throat, she gazed wistfully at the icebox before speaking.


    “… Honestly, Ian, it’s hard to believe you made this. It was so refreshing it numbed my tongue, then turned sweet, then tangy, then sweet again with the fruit’s flesh. I admit it was almost impossible to keep myposure.”


    He thought she was being unexpectedly cool about it, but then she added.


    “… But. There’s still the matter of freshness and cleanliness with this kind of food. I can’t imagine Ian ckangers making something clean.”


    Is she trying to reject it one more time?


    He decided to make his move.


    He slowly began putting each of the snowke fruits back into the icebox.


    “W-What are you doing? We haven’t tasted everything yet…!”


    “You said it doesn’t seem clean enough, didn’t you?”


    “…What?”


    “Tangerine, dragon fruit, cherry… Oh, this gold kiwi is said to be really delicious ording to the fruit vendor.”


    One by one, he slowly put the fruits back into the icebox. The three girls’ eyes trembled as they watched the skewers go back.


    “If freshness and cleanliness are an issue… it’s sad, but I’ll have to dispose of them.”


    “…”


    “If not, I was going to share them with the hardworking Student Council members.”


    “…!”


    Iris trembled at his words.


    She understood it as a threat.


    “Hmph! I guess so.”


    “Hmph! Fine, I suppose.”


    At that moment, the ountant, who had been quietly watching, mmed the table and stood up.


    “That won’t do!”


    The Student Council members’ eyes widened.


    “Char-Charles? Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”


    “Abandoning such an excellent source of glucose is a loss for the Student Council, no, for the Academy. Under such excellent sugars, intellect blooms. As the ountant and treasurer of the Student Council, I propose we approve the Dessert Research Club’s status.”


    “M-Me too! This is a loss, Iris! If we can’t eat something this delicious, it’s definitely a loss!”


    The neer also shouted, having grown in confidence after trembling in front of Iris earlier. Another benefit of the snowke fruit.


    Adjusting his sses, the ountant turned to Ian.


    “If it bes known that only we tasted such food, the students will surely rise up. They’ll say it’s discrimination by the Student Council. Right, Ian?”


    “Yes?”


    “I’m asking if you have no intention of stirring student sentiment if the club approval is rejected. That we rejected the club to monopolize the dessert.”


    Say it’s true, say it’s true.


    The ountant’s lips moved quickly.


    “… Probably so.”


    “If that happens, we Student Council members will face a major crisis. Vice President. For the greater good, you should approve it.”


    Iris’s eyes trembled as if she was embarrassed.


    She screamed, squeezing her eyes shut.


    “Argh! Fine! I’ll approve it!”


    With the Vice President’s desperate cry, the club was approved.


    The approval fee was 1 gold.


    ◆


    All the remaining fruits were distributed to the Student Council.


    Thanks to Pongpong, who had caused a lot of trouble, he hoped they’d look kindly on him in the future.


    Moreover, the Student Council’s workload is always heavy. As they often use their brains a lot, they will definitely think of snowke fruits when they need a sugar boost.


    In other words, it was both a bribe and a sample supply.


    Thus, the first batch of snowke fruits were distributed as free samples to the students.


    Starting with the popr students who studied elemental magic, and the well-connected Student Council members.


    Word of mouth would spread quickly.


    “Now, we just need to prepare for our first sale.”


    Of course, they had exhausted all their mana for now, so it was impossible to start immediately.


    It seems they would have to use Danya’s ‘Snowke Flowers’ to announce the grand debut of the <Dessert Research Club>.


    And the next day, he received news that his Master had been found.


    ◆


    It felt like returning to the Mezai ss after a long time.


    “Hey, it’s Ian.”


    “Go ask him if the rumors about the Grand Duke of the North are true.”


    “No way… It’s scary.”


    The news about the Grand Duke of the North was still spreading like wildfire.


    ‘As expected, the Church seems to get information quickly.’


    The scene was different from the familiar faces of the students in the Priest Department who had recognized me on my first day back.


    It seemed that magicians, with their strong sense of individualism, were slower in sharing information.


    The murmuring subsided quickly.


    <em>— Squeak!</em>


    The door opened, and Professor Violet entered the room.


    “Today I see faces I haven’t seen in quite a while.”


    <em>Tingle</em>.


    Professor Violet nced at him before stepping up to the podium.


    “Lina, Danya, and Ian, please see me in my office after ss.”


    “Yes, Professor!”


    Thanks to Lina’s polite response, Professor Violet’s sharp gaze softened quickly.


    “Now, regarding the Aether Promotion Exam. The exam format for the advancement test, which will begin in two weeks, has been decided. All first-year students will…”


    As Professor Violet began to speak, his Kirtos terminal vibrated.


    He discreetly checked it, avoiding Violet’s gaze.


    ——


    [Lichten Postal Service]:


    A new telegram has arrived for Ian.


    — Subject: We have rescued Asilia. She is in good condition.


    — Sender: Asteria


    Please check the details at the post office.


    ——