Last Gun Alchemist

"Yeah!!!"

The first-years and upperclassmen responded with nearly the same energy Latisha had shown, raising their voices together as applause quickly filled the reception hall.

The earlier excitement from touring the clubhouse hadn’t disappeared yet, and with tomorrow being the day they would finally begin discussing their actual activities for the coming Club Tournament, many of the first-years were already looking forward to returning.

"See you tomorrow!"

Latisha waved at them with a bright smile.

"See you tomorrow, Vice President!"

Several first-years called back.

Some of the female students didn’t immediately leave. Instead, they walked over to Latisha and began speaking with her, asking a few last questions while she answered with the same friendly energy she had maintained throughout the tour.

The upperclassmen also began mixing with the new members.

Some introduced themselves.

Others approached first-years they had found interesting during the tour, while those who already knew each other naturally gathered into their own groups.

However, among all the conversations spreading through the reception hall, one gathering attracted more attention than the others.

Vera and Diane were walking toward the exit.

Or at least...

They were trying to.

A group of female first-years had already gathered around them.

"Lady Vera Ashenlocke, I still can’t believe you’re in the same club as me!"

One girl spoke with enough excitement that Vera slowly turned her eyes toward her.

"Yes!"

Another immediately joined in.

"It feels like a dream."

"And having Lady Diane Bergwyn here too is such a blessing."

A third girl looked as though she might actually start crying.

Diane stared at her with tired light-blue eyes.

While Vera, on the other hand, continued walking at the same calm pace.

"It’s only temporary, though."

Her plain response immediately caused several girls to look disappointed.

"But..."

Vera added without changing her expression.

"I’m looking forward to staying here for a while."

She still spoke plainly, but that was apparently enough to restore their happiness.

The girls surrounding them immediately began talking again.

Vera listened without showing much reaction.

Then, while one of the girls was still speaking, her black eyes shifted away from the group.

landing on Ezra, who hadn’t left yet.

Several upperclassmen had stopped him and were speaking to him with clear excitement, knowing his reputation as a rising young craftsman of the kingdom.

Vera stared at him.

Not merely a quick glance.

Her eyes remained there for a long second.

Naturally...

The girls surrounding her noticed.

One looked toward Vera.

Then toward Ezra.

Another followed.

Within moments, nearly all of them were staring in the same direction.

Their expressions changed.

The excitement from earlier somehow became even worse.

Two girls looked at each other.

"So..."

One whispered.

"...it’s really true."

The second girl nodded quickly.

"Lady Vera Ashenlocke."

One of the girls finally spoke.

Her earlier excitement had disappeared, replaced by obvious nervousness.

She brought her hands together and repeatedly touched the tips of her index fingers, as though she needed the small movement to gather enough courage for whatever she wanted to ask.

Vera looked at her.

"Ask away."

Her voice remained flat.

The girl swallowed.

"Are the rumors about you and Ezra Ashenlocke true?"

Several girls immediately straightened.

Every single one of them wanted the answer.

Vera tilted her head slightly.

"What rumors exactly?"

The question came out with such a clueless tone that the girl hesitated.

For a moment, she actually wondered whether Vera didn’t know.

But Vera’s expression offered absolutely nothing.

No embarrassment.

No nervousness.

No hint that she understood exactly what rumor the girl meant.

The girl pressed her index fingers together again.

"I-I’m talking about..."

Her cheeks reddened.

"...the rumors saying that you and Ezra are secretly dating."

She squeezed her eyes shut and forced the entire question out in one breath.

Unfortunately...

She had also spoken much louder than she intended.

The surrounding conversations immediately weakened.

Then stopped.

Heads turned.

First-years looked over.

Upperclassmen looked over.

Even students who had been preparing to leave paused near the entrance.

Cyrus, who had gone back to examining some of the displays before leaving, slowly turned his head.

His eyes moved toward Vera.

Then toward Ezra.

A grin immediately threatened to appear on his face.

Even Ezra had heard it too.

He turned toward the gathering of girls, with his black eyes locking on them completely blank.

Lucy froze beside him.

Her eyes widened.

Secretly dating?

She looked at her master.

Then Lady Vera.

Then back at her master.

Vera remained silent for a moment.

A faint smile finally touched her lips.

"Ezra and I are just business partners."

She raised one hand and gave a slow, almost lazy wave.

The answer sounded simple enough.

Then she continued.

"I just like his beautiful mind."

The reception hall became noticeably quieter again.

Vera’s black eyes moved directly toward Ezra.

Their gazes met across the room.

She didn’t look away.

"And he knows that."

Her tone remained dry until the very end, as though she had merely explained something everyone should already understand.

Ezra stared at her, and Vera stared back.

She didn’t say anything else other than that.

And that was apparently enough for the girls yet again.

Several immediately nodded.

"Yes, I knew it was just a rumor."

"Exactly."

One girl placed a hand against her chest.

"It’s not that Ezra Ashenlocke would be a bad choice..."

She hesitated.

"...but I think someone like Lady Vera should be with Sir Ravenor Burnwick."

"I reject that."

Another girl answered instantly.

The first girl turned toward her.

"Why?!"

"I think they’d be perfect together."

"Yeah!"

A third girl quickly joined in.

"Didn’t you see their dance?"

"I saw it, and that’s exactly why I disagree."

The girl who had rejected the idea folded her arms.

"Sir Ravenor Burnwick could never make my Queen shine that brightly."

"What does that even mean?"

"It means exactly what I said."

"It doesn’t!"

The conversation exploded into something completely different.

Within seconds, the girls had stopped discussing whether Vera and Ezra were secretly dating and had instead begun arguing over which boy would make the best future partner for Vera.

Names were thrown around.

Opinions clashed.

Some defended Ravenor.

Others immediately rejected him.

A few even returned to Ezra despite Vera having just denied the rumor.

Vera stood in the center of it all with the same expression she had worn before the conversation began.

"Mmm..."

A soft voice suddenly came from beside her.

Diane slowly opened her eyes.

"Why is everyone so noisy?"

She looked at Vera with a sleepy expression.

"Aren’t we supposed to be leaving now?"

Several girls stopped speaking, while turning their attention to Diane.

Then at the hand she had been using to hold onto Vera’s club shirt.

Diane had been asleep.

The entire time.

She had somehow slept through the discussion about Vera and Ezra, the sudden silence of the reception hall, and the argument that followed afterward.

"We’re leaving now."

Vera replied dryly.

She took Diane’s hand before the sleepy girl could drift off again.

Then she gave the surrounding girls a small wave.

"Goodbye."

"Bye, Lady Vera!"

"See you tomorrow!"

"Goodbye, Lady Diane!"

Several girls who were also preparing to leave immediately followed behind Vera and Diane, gathering around them again like chicks following their mother hen.

By that time, Ezra had already begun walking toward the exit.

Once Vera gave her answer, there was no reason for him to remain standing there listening to people discuss who she should eventually date.

Cyrus quickly caught up.

He walked beside Ezra for several seconds.

Then he glanced at him.

The grin finally escaped.

"Were you looking forward to her sayi..."

Ezra turned his head, looking at him with one eyebrow rising.

"..."

Cyrus stopped talking immediately.

He stared at Ezra’s face for a moment.

"Yeah."

He nodded wisely.

"I’ll just be quiet."

Ezra faced forward again.

"Haha... haha..."

Lucy laughed quietly behind them, covering part of her mouth.

She had watched the entire exchange.

"Who would’ve expected a rumor like that to spread?"

She smiled as she followed her master.

Ezra didn’t even turn around.

"You."

Lucy blinked.

Ezra approached the security door.

"You’re talking like this rumor hasn’t already been spreading among you and your fellow attendants."

His Student ID touched the scanner.

Beep.

Lucy froze.

"M..."

Her mouth opened.

She had been prepared to deny it.

But...

"Leaving soon?"

Vera’s voice suddenly came from beside Ezra.

Lucy immediately closed her mouth.

Vera had somehow crossed the distance between them without anyone noticing exactly when she had started walking faster.

Diane remained beside her, allowing Vera to lead her by the hand.

The girls who had been following them were now several steps behind after Vera suddenly increased her pace.

Ezra glanced at Vera.

He didn’t reply.

The security door opened.

Ezra simply walked through it and left the clubhouse.

For a brief moment, Vera remained standing there.

"..."

Cyrus looked toward her.

Lucy looked toward her.

Diane looked like she might fall asleep again.

Vera’s expression didn’t change.

She calmly raised her Student ID and scanned it.

Beep.

Diane followed.

Then Cyrus.

Lucy used her Attendant ID.

One after another, they left the Craft & Research Seekers clubhouse.

Outside, the Mix Arena remained busy despite the closing bell.

Students from different clubs poured out of the surrounding buildings, gathering into groups as they headed toward the mini-Streamliner stations or waited for their friends.

While the noble of higher-status traveled back through their personal vehicles.

Ezra had stopped a short distance from the entrance.

He wasn’t waiting for Vera.

He was patiently waiting for Lucy to come outside.

Vera stepped through the doorway.

Her eyes immediately found him.

She had barely taken another step when a familiar voice reached her from ahead.

A voice she recognized far too easily.

And judging from the slight change in her eyes...

It was also a voice she found very annoying.

"My beautiful Vera."

Vera stopped.

Her gaze moved forward.

A boy stood directly along their path.

He wore a luxurious white-and-gold top matched with similarly designed shorts, the fabric and decorations making his royal status obvious even before anyone looked properly at his face.

Two maids stood behind him.

Together, they held a large umbrella over his head, shielding him from no sunlight with the sun descending.

Two other students dressed in matching white-and-gold clothing knelt in front of him.

Each held a large bouquet of red roses.

Both bouquets were pointed toward Vera.

"We finally meet again."

The boy smiled broadly.

The nearby students noticed him and their reactions were immediate.

First-years stopped walking.

Second-years straightened.

Even students who had been laughing moments earlier quickly corrected their posture.

Then they all bowed.

"Greetings to the Second Prince."

The greeting came from many voices at once.

Prince Daniel Aethelmont paid almost none of them any attention.

His blue eyes and whole attention remained fixed on Vera.

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