"Monica, how about we go shopping on the next day off?"

At a certain day lunchtime, a week before the upcoming school festival, Lana suggested that idea.

Lana sounded like she has been planning on going shopping to get some things she needed for the school festival.

In Serendia Academy, students could go shopping in the nearby town if they filed an out-of-town notification. But as Monica chewed on a piece of bread, she shook her head.

"I'm sorry…but I had some things to do…on that day…"

"…chess tournament."

The piece of bread stuck in Monica's throat when Claudia blurted out the words, caused her to choke. While Lana widened her eyes in response, looked at Monica in shock.

"Do the student council have jobs on the day of the chess tournament?"

"No, I just…"

Claudia blurted out again, intercepting the stammering Monica.

"…She's become representative player, as a first player."

That words almost caused the same thing to happen again, so Monica turned her head at Claudia with tears in her eyes.

It's not surprising that few people were aware of the players representing the chess tournament, as they were discreetly posted on the bulletin board.

In fact, the chess tournament itself was not a very large-scale event. Even it was called a tournament, but in reality, it's more like a social event where players from other schools were invited. Because of that, very few students had an interest in the chess tournament.

Even Lana, who stared at her with her eyes wide open, didn't seem to know that Monica had been chosen as a player in the chess tournament.

"What? Don't tell me you've been chosen as a player, Monica?"

"…………m-more or less…"

Talking about something like getting chosen as a representative always made Monica uncomfortable, so she never told anyone about this.

—You're getting too carried away, you're only a good-for-nothing without skills.

Those memories of heartless words thrown at her in the past kept running through her head. The mere thought of the cold eyes of that boy Monica had once believed to be her friend was enough to make her heart squeezed, but contrary to her expectation…

"That's amazing!"

Lana rattled her chair off, leaned forward to examine the flabbergasted Monica before excitedly rambled on.

"Oh, my gosh! Why do you keep those things to yourself! Do cheering the match allowed in there?"

"…you're planning to do that when you don't even know the chess rules?"

Lana's lower lip pouted at Claudia's remark.

"I've learned the name of each piece."

"…Are you have no shame, to say understand the rules with that alone?"

"W-What's wrong with that?"

While blushing with embarrassment, Lana looked at Monica whose mouth was opening and closing repeatedly, unsure of what to say, but her fluster state forced her to nod.

"Yeah, I'm happy… to have your support," said Monica in a hushed voice, leaving Claudia sighed in disbelief.

"… honestly, that statement could cause the bystander idiots who don't understand the rules to cheer loudly."

"Not even I would do something like that!" yelled Lana with her raised eyebrows, before turning her head to Claudia as if she had remembered something.

"Speaking of which, didn't you participate in last year's tournament? I remember there were also two members from the student council…"

"…I'm surprised you remembered."

Claudia grunted as her beautiful face contorted in vexation. Expressing as if she had been confronted with the mistakes of her past.

"Right, after Neil said, ‘Let's do our best'…  I can't hold back in my match and accidentally playing it with my all… what a blunder…"

Miss Claudia Ashley was well-versed in many knowledge, yet extremely troublesome to handle at the same time.

Essentially, she loathed being depended on by anyone, kept others at a distance with a brooding aura, and made no effort to hide her spiteful attitude to anyone but Neil.

Of course, her motivation to participate in the tournament last year was the participation of Neil.

I wonder what kind of chess Lady Claudia plays… I'd like to have a match with her, but I don't think she would agree to my request if I asked her to… probably…

According to Elliot, Serendia Academy had dominated the tournament last year, so Claudia must be very strong. Maybe she should ask Elliot or Benjamin about Claudia's chess.

As Monica was engrossed with that thought, something brought to Lana's mind as she suddenly chimed in.

"Hey, I was wondering, are the schools we're playing against going to be the same ones this year?"

"… I suppose. It was dubbed as a social event for the three most prestigious schools, after all."

…..Seriously?

Monica's heart jumped with an unpleasant sound at Claudia's words.

Speaking of the three most prestigious schools in this Ridill Kingdom, there was the Serendia Academy, a prestigious school for the children of noble families. The "Temple" under the jurisdiction of the shrine excelled in the field of law. And the last one was the best institute for training magicians…

…Minerva.

That thought was resulting in her fork slipped out of her hand. And a clicking noise was reverberated awfully loud, leaving her heart pounded heavily with her palms wet with sweat.

"Monica?"

"…ah… I'm sorry…"

Monica hurriedly got out of her chair and tried to pick up the fallen fork… but her fingers were unable to hold it properly. The fork slipped off between her fingers and fell to the floor again.

—Minerva, an institute for training magicians, is an institution where Monica Everett, the Silent Witch, once attended.

Monica had graduated at the age of fifteen after skipping a grade, and most likely, her classmates from that time were still in attendance at Minerva.

…I'll be fine, I think they don't even remember me. I'm sure.

Like Monica always did, she had kept her head down and rarely spoke in public. Even after she had learned the no-chant spell, she mostly stayed in the lab and didn't show up at any conferences or research presentations, so only a few people had memorized Monica's face.

…I'll be fine, I'll be fine, I'll be fine.

Her desperate self-convincing words couldn't stop her body from shaking, flashing out the memories of the scornful eyes of the boy she once believed to be her friend.

—You're not my friend.

*gasp* Monica's throat tightened.

Unsure of how to breathe properly, Monica took a series of short, gasping breaths. It was the first sign of hyperventilation. Monica hurriedly pressed her hand over her mouth.

"Monica!?"

Lana, noticing that something was wrong with Monica, got out of her chair and kneeled down beside her.

I can't let Lana worried.

Even when Monica's face grew pale, her body shaking, she moved her trembling lips.

"I'm fine… yeah, it's nothing."

"But your condition didn't look like it's nothing!" grunted Lana in grimaced, when Claudia blurted out.

"… do you know anyone in the Temple or perhaps… Minerva?"

"!"

"… looking at you, you seem to have some kind of bad relationship with that person."

Monica shook her head furiously as she held her chest.

No, you're wrong, Barney's not at fault, it must've been my fault, I was wrong, so it's not a bad relationship or anything, it's all my fault.

Every time she saw that nostalgic face in her mind, Monica would blame herself. Otherwise, she felt like he would never forgive her. She felt as if she wasn't even allowed to live.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry I came out of my mountain cabin… I shouldn't have been out in the sunlight… I should have done what Bernie said…

"Monica," called out Lana in a strong voice as she put her hands on her shoulder. In response, Monica turned her head slowly facing Lana, then with a determined look on her face, Lana told her.

"Before going to the chess tournament, get up earlier in the morning and come to my room. You hear me, Monica, You must come."

"…………"

"Promise me."

Monica has a habit to nod unconsciously when someone asked her in an assertive voice.

So in response to her reluctant nod, Lana told her, "You must come, okay?" to remind her about her promise.