"Eiji... Eiji?"
Amidst his drowsiness, a gentle voice called out from beside his ear, rousing Eiji from his slumber. He opened his bleary eyes, lifted his head from the desk, and let out a yawn.
The morning in Class 1-1 was as quiet as ever.
Everyone was making an effort to stay silent so he could sleep well—seems like they were all good people.
"Jeanne?"
Eiji turned his gaze toward the desk beside him.
"Yes, it's me, Jeanne."
A golden-haired girl with braids stood beside him, smiling as she persistently held out her hand.
"It's Monday. Time to hand in your homework, Eiji."
"Oh."
Eiji rummaged through his nearly empty backpack and pulled out a few workbooks.
"Here."
"You actually did it?"
Jeanne had already prepared herself to not receive any homework today, so Eiji suddenly producing his assignments startled her.
"Can I take a look?"
"Go ahead."
Eiji crossed his arms, exuding confidence.
Jeanne hummed softly as she picked up the workbooks and skimmed through them carefully.
"Your handwriting is so messy."
"Personal style."
"A lot of these seem wrong."
"Not necessarily the optimal solutions."
"Why did you skip all the steps?"
"I couldn't be bothered to write them."
Jeanne's expression turned strange.
If you said he did the homework, it didn't feel like he did. But if you said he didn't, well, he technically did.
"Are you sure you wrote these?"
"Don't question my integrity!"
Eiji thought of Black Saber's aggrieved expression yesterday and spoke with absolute certainty.
I never do homework!
That's non-negotiable!
"...Alright."
Perplexed, Jeanne collected the assignments and moved on to pester the others.
"Sleeping in class isn't comfortable."
Eiji stretched lazily.
If he kept sleeping with his head on the desk, his spine would probably give out sooner or later.
The nurse's office... Hmm, that might not be the best place to go, given the presence of that very strange—no, downright terrifying—teacher.
"Doesn't the student council have a bedroom?"
Eiji recalled the large beds on the second floor of the student council room and immediately perked up.
"Good luck, Achilles."
He tossed a flippant remark at his deskmate, who was desperately trying to finish his work, and by the time Achilles could shout "Traitor!", Eiji was already out of the classroom.
Skipping class!
A whole day of it!
Just this willful!
"Whoa, the homeroom teacher for Class 3-3 hasn't shown up for days! Rumour has it she's gone missing?! Is that true?"
Just before leaving, Eiji overheard Suzuka Gozen's exclamation from the front of the classroom, where a group of girls were huddled together gossiping.
"I think it's true! I have a friend in that class!"
"Poor Medea-sensei..."
Medea?
Missing?
The conversation brushed past Eiji's ears, stirring a faint sense of unease in him.
But he didn't dwell on it—it had nothing to do with him.
Besides, maybe she'd eloped with the love of her life or something?
***
Student Council Room.
After Mata Hari let him in, Eiji stepped into the first-floor hall.
"You're here early today, Eiji!"
Nero scampered down from the second floor and latched onto Eiji's arm, absorbing energy like a battery.
"Nero, shouldn't you be in class?"
"Umu! But I'm a genius! A genius like me doesn't need to attend classes meant for mediocrities!"
Nero puffed out her chest with pride.
Fair enough.
For her, attending class would just be a waste of time.
"The young lady has already completed all coursework from high school through university. Currently, she's studying the Art of Kingship."
Mata Hari followed behind them, her smile impeccably polite, leaving no room for criticism.
The Art of Kingship? What the hell was that?
Was the Roman conglomerate planning a coup or something?
Roman conglomerate overthrowing Japan?
Did Oda Nobunaga know about this?
(Note: Oda Nobunaga is the current Prime Minister of Japan, rumoured to be quite eccentric, with retainers like the Shinsengumi and the Bakufu.)
"Nero, where did you run off to?"
A stern, authoritative woman's voice came from the second floor.
Soon after, accompanied by the delicate chime of jewellery, a stunningly exotic beauty descended the staircase.
She had long, cyan-blue hair, and her lake-like eyes carried a serene calm. Her features bore distinct Middle Eastern traits, yet they also aligned perfectly with Eastern aesthetics.
Though she wore only a simple white maxi dress with no visible brand logos, the fabric looked undeniably luxurious. Gold ornaments adorned her head, arms, ankles, and more.
It gave off a nouveau riche vibe, but her demeanour was graceful and composed, evoking the image of an ancient queen.
"And this is...?"
"Umu! Allow me to introduce her!"
Nero stepped forward, radiating enthusiasm. "This is my aunt, Cleopatra—a true femme fatale, so beautiful even I feel a twinge of jealousy!"
"My, Nero, you flatterer. But even if you say that, I'm afraid my beauty isn't something I can share with you."
Cleopatra ran her fingers through her silky blue locks, her elegant composure brimming with unshakable confidence in her own allure.
"I think Nero's prettier."
Eiji glanced between the two and, unable to betray his own heart, delivered his honest opinion with a straight face.
"Umu! While I do have confidence in myself, hearing you say that makes me even happier!"
Nero covered her face, unable to contain her glee.
What an adorable little emperor!
"So, you're the so-called 'God' this academy keeps talking about?"
"I wouldn't go that far."
Cleopatra's attention shifted to Eiji, her gaze filled with admiration.
"I see. The rumours don't do you justice. Even I can't find a single flaw. If I were just a decade younger..."
You really shouldn't say that out loud.
If you're interested, we can arrange a private meeting later!
"Has Uncle been putting on weight again?"
Nero, however, seemed unfazed and didn't mind Cleopatra's thinly veiled interest in Eiji.
To her, it was only natural that the person she chose would attract admiration from others. After all, she had absolute faith in her own taste.
"More than that—lately, he's been staying out all night. Who knows what he's up to..."
Cleopatra grumbled about her absent husband, her expression tinged with faint worry that she might be cast aside.
Knock knock knock!
Just as the two women were about to dive deeper into conversation, a rhythmic knocking sounded at the door.
Mata Hari bowed slightly to the group and, after receiving Nero's nod, opened the double doors.
"Yoohoo, good morning!"
Standing at the entrance was a white-haired man.
He strode into the hall with an air of affected elegance that couldn't quite mask his inherent frivolity, giving off the vibe of someone who'd easily charm wealthy socialites.
His gaze swept across the room, lingering briefly on Eiji with a faint smile, before settling on the exotic beauty beside him.
Why are you looking at me again?
Eiji grumbled internally.
Are you here to drag me back to class or something?
"My, my, Lady Cleopatra, you're even more radiant than the last time we met! My poor heart can't take it!"
Principal Merlin put on a lovesick expression and, right in front of Eiji and the others, began showering Cleopatra with flirtatious compliments.
"Every word of this conversation will be faithfully reported to Romulus."
"Have mercy!!"
***
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