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Since most of the Empire’s nobility attended the Academy and were active in its clubs, the club fair had become more than just an Academy event—it was essentially a grand affair of the Empire. It was a social gathering where graduated nobles returned, connecting with the current students under the pretext of being ‘senior club members.’ That was what the club fair had come to mean.

And now, the fair has evolved from a domestic event into an international one.

“Yes, that’s correct. I received the news yesterday as well.”

“I see.”

I went straight to the Principal the day after the Minister told me that foreign guests would be attending. His calm reply confirmed it. So, even the Principal heard about it only yesterday.

It was no longer just a possibility but a certainty if the news had reached the Principal, the highest authority at the Academy. The Minister’s words to me might have been mere rumors, but that meant that the Department of Education had officially said, ‘We’re expecting guests’ if even the Principal had heard about it.

Ridiculous. What could possibly be so interesting about a student-run fair that people would cross borders for it? Did they all have too much time on their hands? Some of us didn’t even have the luxury of taking breaks even if we wanted to.

Though they’d probably have come even without the fair.

Of course, it was obvious, to me, to the Principal, and even to Sir Villar who was passing by that their main goal was visiting the Academy itself and not the fair. They had been waiting for any excuse to get in, and now that the fair allowed outsiders to enter, I wouldn’t be surprised if they practically somersaulted through the gates.

Moreover, while the Minister mentioned that those from Ernesto Academy were particularly enthusiastic, it wasn’t just them. Mages from all over the continent would be rushing in. High-ranking mages could easily use teleportation, so crossing borders was no problem for them.

“I’m concerned we might be overwhelmed by too many guests. This could place undue stress on you, Principal.”

I hesitantly asked after imagining a flood of ‘lifelong learners’ who had failed to get into the Academy swarming in. After all, this commotion, which was caused by the Mage Duchess’s visit, was obviously because of me.

If I had any sense of guilt, I’d be apologizing to the Principal. After all, he took the hit for something that wasn’t even his fault.

“It’s quite alright. After all, the purpose of the fair is for everyone to enjoy themselves, isn’t it? Besides, the more guests, the merrier.”

However, the Principal responded with a calm smile. How strange. His expression and tone didn’t suggest sarcasm or resignation, either.

Is he really okay with this?

But why? From his perspective, a routine event had suddenly escalated to something that demanded special attention. If it were me, I’d want to strangle whoever disrupted my schedule.

If I wanted to be optimistic, I could say that it was the Principal’s experience and patience shining through. However, the burden of administrative work didn’t get lighter with age. In fact, having more to do as you get older was just more depressing. At some point, wouldn’t he wonder whether dying from overwork or retirement would be the better option?

Sensing my confusion, the Principal’s smile deepened as he continued.

“Ernesto Academy has expressed a desire to model their educational system after ours. They wish to attend not as guests, but as students, and hope to learn from us.”

“Oh, really?”

The moment he said that, I understood why the Principal looked so calm—and, on closer inspection, perhaps even quietly pleased.

He won.

It seemed that the Principal had come out victorious in the long-standing battle of pride between the two academies.

The Imperial Academy was the continent’s premier institution, known for its all-encompassing curriculum. Meanwhile, Ernesto Academy was the magical powerhouse specializing in magic. By tradition, both academies were headed by great mages, resulting in a subtle rivalry between them.

When considering the overall educational system, the Imperial Academy clearly came out on top. However, since the Principals were mages before they were educators, the rivalry played out solely in the magical field. Given that the United Kingdom of Yuben’s magical prowess was nothing to scoff at, the rivalry was as intense as a fierce sports match.

However, that balance was shattered when the Mage Duchess made the Imperial Academy her base. It was like having Einstein, who had lived for 120 years, pick a side—it was game over.

“Congratulations. It seems that even Yuben cannot surpass the Empire. I’m glad the Principal’s hard work has paid off.”

“Haha, it wasn’t just my effort. The Academy’s long-standing prestige made this possible.”

Either way, the Principal couldn’t stop smiling after such a huge victory in this academic rivalry.

It also made sense. To end a long-standing rivalry with a clear victory in favor of his school would surely make him one of the most celebrated Principals in its history.

“Honestly, it’s to be expected. How could any other kingdom compare when the pinnacle of magic resides here in the Empire?”

I just nodded in response to his proud words. This was the first time I’d seen the Principal show such strong emotions, but this was a pretty restrained display considering that most mages weren’t exactly known for their emotional stability.

“And speaking of which, that reminds me of the time I visited Yuben in my younger days—“

…Well, I should just keep believing that this was still restrained.

***

I never imagined that one sneeze would cause this much trouble.

“Hey, Erich. Do you think I could head back in now—?”

“No.”

His firm answer made me close my mouth, which I’d barely opened. I’d been outside for what felt like a long time, but it seemed that it still wasn’t enough by Erich’s standards.

This really isn’t necessary.

It was embarrassing. Erich had been acting like me entering the clubroom again would be some kind of death sentence ever since that sneeze landed me in the infirmary.

Specifically speaking, he’d pull me outside whenever the club was about to start baking. The reason? He didn’t want me to stay inside in case I sneezed again and caused more trouble.

“It’s only because of the flour. I’ll get used to it eventually, but it’ll just make it harder for me to adjust if you keep doing this.”

Of course, I initially protested. Sure, I’d joined the club partly to spend more time with Erich, but I was still a pastry club member. What kind of club member couldn’t even participate in the activity they signed up for and would be pulled out every time it started? Even with my limited experience, I knew that was weird.

“What if it’s not just the flour? What if it wasn’t just an itchy nose that made you sneeze, but your body’s way of rejecting it?”

However, Erich wouldn’t budge. It was an absurd argument. If I were allergic to flour, then I would’ve realized it long ago, especially with how many cookies and loaves of bread I had eaten by now.

“Flour before baking and flour after baking could be different. Let’s just stay outside together until we know for sure.”

Still, hearing the concern in his voice made it hard to keep refusing.

Alright, it wasn’t like he was doing this for any other reason than to look out for me. If it was for my sake, then I should just go along with it. Besides, maybe Erich was right, and I really did have some kind of problem with flour. I’d already gotten a thorough checkup in the infirmary, so it was just a matter of waiting a few days to be sure.

And it’s just the two of us.

Honestly, it was a bit embarrassing but also kind of wonderful. I enjoyed just being in the same space as Erich, but going on walks alone together like this was even better. It was our own private time, uninterrupted by anyone else.

Thankfully, Carl oppa, Louise, and the other club members understood, though I wasn’t sure whether it was because they genuinely thought I was someone who could end up seriously ill from flour or they just got tired of Erich’s overreaction.

“Do you want to sit down for a bit?”

“Oh, sure.”

I guess Erich interpreted my earlier question about going back inside as a sign of fatigue because he was now guiding me toward a nearby bench.

Of course, I wasn’t really tired. We were just strolling around the pathway near the building—if that was enough to exhaust me, I wouldn’t have made it into the Academy in the first place. But if Erich misunderstood, then I was more than willing to pretend to be tired.

…Just leaning on his shoulder should be fine, right?

Would it be okay if I leaned on his shoulder for a bit? I doubt he’d push me away if I leaned against him. I’d honestly love to rest my head on his lap, but that would be a bit too much since we were outside and not in a carriage.

Alright, I should settle for his shoulder for now. After all, sharing a moment in the spring breeze like this was romantic in its own way.

“Hmm? Were you nearby?”

A voice interrupted my daydreams just as I was lost in my happy thoughts.

Turning my gaze toward the sound, I saw Prince Rutis bouncing a ball as he approached. And, as if that wasn’t enough, he was accompanied by Prince Ainter, Prince Lather, and Lord Tannian—all of them.

This was odd. Weren’t they all supposed to be busy debating the shape of cookies and candies? They had been so absorbed in it to the point of being unapproachable that I thought they’d be at it for several more days.

“What’s going on? Why are you all out here?”

Even Erich seemed puzzled by their sudden appearance. It wasn’t surprising given that he had been part of the debate as well. He had likely felt the intensity of it even more than I did, so he must be even more confused.

“I’m tired of using my head. We have to move our bodies as much as our brain to stay healthy, you know.”

It was a bit of a strange logic. But if royalty said that, then I guess it must be true.

***

The club members, having been absorbed in their largely unproductive debate, all decided to take a break and headed outside together.

Took them long enough.

I wasn’t particularly surprised. After all, these were the same people who turned a pastry club into a foot volleyball club. Spring in this world wasn’t plagued by dust or yellow sand, so it was the perfect season to play outside.

My only concern was that Sarah happened to be near the field where they liked to play. Was it a good idea to expose her to their impromptu foot volleyball match when she was already picking up their bad habits?

After staring out the window for a while, I reassured myself and turned away. Not only was Sarah there, but Erich was with her, too. I trusted him to handle the situation before any strange misunderstandings arose.

“Am I doing this right?”

“Yes! Wow, you picked it up so fast!”

“Fufu, I suppose it’s because I have such a good teacher.”

Left behind in the clubroom were Louise and the Mage Duchess, the two of them chatting away. Listening to their conversation, as always, left me with mixed feelings.

The entire club might have run off, but here was the Mage Duchess, who wasn’t even an official member, lingering around like a permanent fixture in the clubroom. In fact, she’d been more diligent than most of the actual members since the year started. Despite being the hero who ended the great rivalry, she didn’t seem to care much for the attention.

…Maybe I should just hand over the advisor position.

Honestly, the Mage Duchess had probably baked more bread than I had at this point. She was already more suited to the role of the pastry club’s advisor than I was.

They say that picking up a hobby late in life could be intense, but it turned out that she wasn’t just the Mage Duchess—she was also the Duchess of Baking.