’Special Admission No. 1, Sasha Andrasil.’
She was a complete unknown, her latent talent impossible to gauge. While she showed the typical signs of a novice necromancer—weak in academics and theory—she was abnormally skilled in practical combat, consistently overwhelming students from the top squads in duel evaluations. More than a few of the elders commented that she was reminiscent of last year’s Special Admission No. 1, Simon Polentia.
Sasha looked at the fallen Molly with an indifferent expression, then extended a hand.
"You okay?"
Her nose was stinging, but thankfully, it wasn’t bleeding. Molly nodded and placed both palms on the ground.
"I can get up on my own—’kyaaah!"
Suddenly, a great force shoved her from behind, pushing her to her feet. Her hand inadvertently brushed against Sasha’s outstretched one.
"Good to hear," Sasha said bluntly, letting go of Molly’s hand and looking away.
Molly quickly turned around. ’A plant?’
A vine had sprouted from the ground and pushed her up. Black magic powerful enough to lift a person.
When she looked back, Sasha was opening her mouth wide toward the large three-tiered cake. Contrary to her innocent appearance, her jaw unhinged as she began to ferociously devour it.
’Uh, oh.’
Molly watched, mesmerized, as Sasha ate. The huge three-tiered cake vanished in an instant. With cream smeared around her mouth, Sasha reached out and picked up a chicken leg from a plate. The way she annihilated the food like a starving bandit, with loud crunches of bone and meat, had not a shred of dignity.
"What are you looking at?" Sasha said while hastily devouring her food.
Molly, who had been slightly intimidated by the reputation of Special Admission No. 1, turned her head away. ’Wh-what kind of club is this?’
’Gourmet Club’
The Gourmet Club’s booth was operating as a street food stall. Besides Sasha, other students were sitting on chairs, laughing, talking, and eating.
"Want some?" ’Thrust!’ A chicken leg stopped right in front of Molly’s neck like the tip of a knife.
Molly stared at it, her pupils trembling.
"As an apology for hitting you. My treat."
Molly’s eyebrows instinctively furrowed. To hold a chicken leg with her bare hands and offer it to someone else... She tried her best to interact with commoners without prejudice, but this wasn’t an issue of social status. It was a breach of basic human etiquette. Besides, for Molly, who had only eaten royal court cuisine her entire life, street food was hardly appealing. That yellow sauce with the red sauce. And that strange powder. It looked incredibly spicy, salty, and overwhelming. Above all, the hygiene was atrocious.
"I... have no appetite."
"Oh, really?" Sasha instantly brought the chicken leg back to her own mouth, took a rough bite, and said, "You really live up to that noble face of yours."
Molly’s brow furrowed slightly.
"Are you trying to pick a fight with me?"
"I can’t understand not eating just because you have no appetite," she said, tearing into the chicken leg. "I devoured everything to survive. I rummaged through trash cans, chewed on shoe leather, and drank water pooled on rooftops." The large, plump chicken leg emerged from her mouth, stripped clean to the bone. "I cried and thanked the heavens when I found a piece of moldy bread on the ground. I knew I could live for two more days with that. Since then, I’ve never refused food. I just eat whatever is given with a grateful heart."
Molly bit her lower lip. Just as Sasha was about to grab the next chicken leg—
With a sulky expression, Molly snatched the chicken leg, squeezed her eyes shut, and bit into the flesh. The texture of the thick meat and the spicy, salty seasonings filled her mouth.
’It tastes awful!’ Molly wailed inwardly.
Sasha chuckled at the sight.
"You didn’t have to force yourself to eat it."
"The starvation and hunger of the people are the responsibility of the royal family," Molly said, gnawing down to the bone. "I know something like this can’t console your pain, but the direction our royal family must take is..."
"I’m from the Neutral Zone, though."
At those words, Molly’s jaw dropped. A moment later, her face turned red with embarrassment.
"Wh-what are you saying! I thought you were a commoner from Dresden, deliberately testing me, a royal!"
"Why would I do that?" Sasha smirked. "Ah, that noble face. I remember now. Molly Dresden. Special Admission No. 10, the last-in rider."
Molly’s entire face turned crimson.
"Wh-wh-who are you calling a last-in rider!"
"I heard that’s what they call Special Admission No. 10. Am I wrong?"
"How insolent!"
"Wow, what’s with the royal talk at Kizen? Having trouble adapting?"
"You! You were trying to mess with me, weren’t you?" Molly glared at Sasha, fuming. Although rank and status were said to be equal among Kizen students, Molly was the royalty of a nation. No one had ever had the gall to call her a ‘last-in rider’ to her face, so hearing it directly was a huge shock.
"Thank you for the meal," Sasha said as she hopped down from the high stool. "The ‘Challenge the Gourmet King’ full set. I ate it all, so it’s free, right?"
"Wow, you really ate all that!" The second-year club president who was cooking rushed over. "You’re a top talent! Won’t you join our club? I can even promise you the president’s position when you become a second-year...!"
"My apologies, senior." Sasha bowed her head slightly. "I already have a club I want to join."
"Ah, haha! I see. That’s a shame." The Gourmet Club president went back, smacking his lips with regret.
Just as Sasha took out the club booth map from her pocket, Molly protested, fuming.
"Apologize!"
"For what?"
"For insulting me by calling me a last-in rider!"
"What’s the big deal? Don’t be so petty."
"P-petty? Apologize for that, too!"
"That’s what everyone calls you behind your back. Princess Last-In."
"Aaaaaaaaaaah!"
It was Molly’s one and only sore spot after getting into her dream school and becoming a necromancer: the fact that she had received the lowest number, 10. At first, she hadn’t thought much of it, lost in the happiness of her admission, but the number had gradually started to bother her. It felt like a token gesture from Kizen, a polite consideration for the royal family.
’Lady Nephthys! Why am I No. 10, and a girl like that is No. 1?’ she wanted to demand. Of course, Molly had opened her core quite late, but so had the student council president she admired most, Simon, and even Sasha herself.
"Apologize, now!"
"Yeah. Sorry."
"P-properly! With sincerity!"
"What’s the point of demanding a sincere apology?"
’Grrrr!’ Her face flushed to its limit, Molly shouted, "I will never forget this humiliation! You know the saying, ‘He who laughs last, laughs best’? I’ll be the one to take the top spot when we become second-years!"
Sasha’s lips curled into a slight smile.
"You’ll be lucky to stay in the Top 10."
Sparks seemed to fly between the two as they glared at each other. Soon, they both turned away with a huff and opened their booth guides.
They both started walking at the same time, consulting their booth maps. They walked in the same direction, and even after passing through an alley, they were still in tandem.
"Stop following me," Sasha said.
"You’re the one following me!" Molly retorted.
Finally arriving at their destination, they both stopped walking at the same time.
’Fun Summons, Unique Summons! - Mutants Club’
A bead of sweat trickled down Molly’s face. ’Wow, it’s so crowded.’ She thought it would be quiet since it was a Summoning club, but there were quite a few people. Of course, at the center of it all...
"President!"
...was the overwhelming presence of Simon, who was handing out flyers with an awkward laugh.
"Ahaha, I’ll hand them all out, so please don’t fight over them."
"Please give me two!"
"Please sign the flyer for me!"
Was this a club promotion booth or a Simon Polentia fan club? Simon’s popularity, having become a legend after the first-year rescue, was considerable among both boys and girls.
"...It’s this easy? All my efforts until now were..." The club application forms were piling up, but the bespectacled club president, far from being happy, seemed to be sinking into a deep despair.
"H-hello! First-years!" While the two girls stood there dumbfounded, Toto approached them hesitantly. "W-would you like to take one of these...? Of course, I’m not forcing you, only if you’re okay with it!"
"Thank you." Molly smiled prettily and accepted it politely with both hands. Sasha also bowed her head, took a flyer, and glanced over it.
’Special Undead Research Society ‘Mutants’’
-An undead research society, but any unique summon is welcome.
-Features Simon Polentia.
After reading the flyer, Sasha looked up.
"Miss, can only Summoning majors join here?"
"M-m-m-m-miss?!" Toto, shocked, quickly backed away and demurely covered his body. "I’m a boy!"
"Ah. My apologies," Sasha said bluntly, as if she didn’t care whether he was a boy or a girl, and walked forward. Then she looked back at Molly. "Molly. Are you joining here too?"
Molly, still with a sulky expression, retorted, "What’s it to you?"
"Nothing much," Sasha said coldly and walked away.
Just as Molly was about to quickly follow, she stopped.
The cross-dressing senior from before was prostrated on the ground.
"I-I apologize for my rudeness! Your Highness? Or Your Grace? In any case, for not recognizing you...!"
"It’s fine! Please don’t do this at Kizen, senior." While a horrified Molly was helping Toto up, Sasha boldly walked up to Simon, smiled brightly, and said, "Hi, Simon boo."
The noisy surroundings instantly fell into a chilling silence. The first-years surrounding Simon turned to look at her with expressions that screamed, ’Is she crazy?’
But Simon, upon seeing Sasha, was also smiling brightly.
"Sasha! Welcome!"
’He’s just letting her?’
Sasha pushed through the stunned first-years and grabbed his arm.
"I want to join your club too, Simon boo."
"Ah, you do? I’d be glad to have you. You’d be a great asset."
"Do I just write my name on the application form here?"
"Wait, wait, waaaait!" Her face crimson, Molly shoved Sasha aside. "What is this disrespect! How dare you call the Student Council President... B-B-B-Boo? Are you a seven-year-old?"
Sasha smirked.
"What’s it to you? I’ve always called him that." Throwing Molly’s earlier words right back at her, Sasha looked at Simon and asked, "Right?"
Simon nodded and ruffled her hair as if she were a close little sister.
"Sasha, so it was true you’re going through a rebellious phase."
"Did Kami tell you that?"
"No comment."
Sasha giggled. It was the laugh of an ordinary girl her age, something she hadn’t shown before.
’Ah.’
’These two. They seem incredibly close.’
"Princess Molly, you’re here too." While Sasha was signing the application form, Simon approached Molly. "Thank you for your help during the Tarados incident, Princess! Are you here to look at the booths?"
"Student Council President." Her voice suddenly grew heavy, making Simon blink.
"Yes, go on, Princess."
"S-since this is Kizen..." Her face now bright red, she shyly lowered her gaze and said, "...could you just call me Molly from now on?"

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