A loud crashing sound erupted from one corner of the student dining hall, and the three of us instinctively turned our heads at the same time.

It seemed like someone had dropped their tray by accident.

Since such accidents were fairly common in the dining hall, I was about to turn my head back when I heard a voice that I couldn’t easily ignore.

“…What do you think you’re doing, Panoman?”

The voice, filled with irritation, was one I recognized. The familiarity of the voice indicated that this was a character who played at least a supporting role in Luminor Academy.

“Oh, sorry. It was an accident.”

“An accident?”

“Yes, an accident.”

“It didn’t seem like an accident to me.”

“Well, why did you walk in front of me? You should have been more careful.”

In other words, it was a thinly veiled complaint—why had the other person gotten in their way and annoyed them? The victim, on the other hand, was visibly radiating anger.

The angry woman was easy to identify at a glance.

She was tall, slender, muscular, with tanned skin, brown hair in a ponytail, and wearing an academy uniform that had been shredded so much that it barely covered the essential parts of her body.

There was only one person in Luminor Academy who dressed so savagely—Lyria, the Barbarian.

‘Lyria Marasendar… or something like that, with her long name.’

I didn’t really need to remember her full name. Everyone just called her Lyria anyway.

Physically, she was imposing, comparable to most adult men.

However, that didn’t mean she was built like a macho man with a woman’s face. If anything, she was more like a female bodybuilder—muscular but still maintaining a relatively slim frame. Regardless, her healthy, powerful appearance was something that no one could ignore.

At that moment, she was glaring at the man who had spilled her tray, her expression furious.

“Well, I’ll forgive you. I don’t make a habit of bullying the weak.”

“…Hah, weak?”

“Yes. So, I’ll give you a chance to make up for your mistake.”

-Swish.

“……?”

Lyria stretched out her arm towards the nobleman she had been arguing with, extending her hand.

The man, who couldn’t figure out her intentions, stared at her hand with a dumbfounded expression.

“What… What are you doing? Are you planning to hit me? As expected of a barbarian woman, your true nature is showing…”

“Hand over your meal ticket. I’ll forgive you with that.”

“…What?”

“You interrupted my meal, but I’ll let it slide. However, I haven’t eaten yet, so I’ll be taking your meal ticket.”

“…Hah, as expected, your head is filled with muscle, spouting nonsense like that. Why should I care about your meal?”

“…What did you just say?”

“Are you a dog guarding a house, biting anyone that comes near your master? You don’t even know your place, do you?”

“……”

Ah, I remembered this episode.

I had seen it while playing in my previous life. It was a bonus scene that followed Lyria’s "Land of Lyria" summer event. After winning the territorial war and securing rightful ownership of her land, Lyria exacted revenge on the second son of the Ludens Count, who had tormented her.

“So, you won’t give it to me?”

“That’s right. If you’re so desperate to eat, why don’t you pick up some bread from the floor and lick it? That’s what suits a stray dog like you…”

That was the last thing the second son of Ludens said before Lyria’s right hand grabbed his mouth and hoisted him up into the air, just as I had predicted.

-Thump!

“Mmph, mmph!!”

“Until now, I considered you a friend and tolerated your rudeness… but I see that you’ve been thinking of me that way all along.”

“Mmmph, mmph!!”

“In that case, there’s no need for me to tolerate it any longer. I don’t think my status is any lower than yours.”

-Thud!

“W-What are you doing?! I… I’m Panoman, the second son of the Ludens Count…”

“Yes. But after the territorial war, the hierarchy has changed. Now, you follow my orders, Panoman. And you’ll start by picking up the food you wasted from the precious ground with your mouth.”

“S-Shut up, you crazy bitch! When I return to the Northeast, I’ll tear your limbs off and hang them at the entrance to the territory…”

“What a terrifying threat. Feel free to try if you can.”

“Mmmph! Mmmph!!”

The commotion continued, and the other students started reacting. Some quickly left, wanting to avoid getting involved, while others simply continued their meals, unconcerned.

Though some students were startled by the sight of a noble with his face pressed into the floor, the incident had little to do with us.

“It looks like the Hero really made a mess in the Northeast. At the beginning of the semester, their roles were completely reversed.”

“It does seem that way. Shall we leave as well?”

“…Yeah, sure.”

Neither the barbarian warrior with muscles for brains nor the count’s second son, who couldn’t accept his defeat, were people we wanted to get involved with.

…If only I could avoid getting involved with such people entirely, my academy life would have been much easier.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

About four weeks had passed since the beginning of the second semester. Around the middle of the term, during the midterm exam period, I finally had a bit of free time and decided to have a leisurely coffee break with Lizzy at a café owned by the August Trading Company.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had time to chat like this, Lilith.”

“Indeed, Lady August.”

“……”

Lizzy’s expression stiffened slightly, seemingly displeased with how I addressed her.

“Could you please change the way you address me? At the very least, can you drop the formalities? After all, I did buy you coffee.”

“No, as Ethan’s servant, it’s only right for me to use formal titles when addressing nobles higher in rank than myself.”

“But you called me by my name just fine back in the Witch’s Forest, Lilith.”

“That was a special circumstance allowed by Master Ethan. Since we’re in the academy, where many people can see us, it’s appropriate to maintain decorum.”

“But we’re the only ones at this table, Lilith. Is it really that difficult to just call me by my name?”

“We’re not alone, Lady August. Miss Lara is here with us, after all.”

“W-What? Did you call me…?!”

Startled, Lara, who had been quietly blending into the background, suddenly responded when her name was called.

Lately, Lara had become noticeably attached to Lizzy, likely due to their bond as fellow ‘witches.’ It had become normal for her to tag along whenever Lizzy and I met.

“See…! You call Lara by her name, so why not call me by mine?! I’ve known you for far longer than she has!”

“Well, Miss Lara isn’t a noble. While I may be a nominal baron’s daughter, I don’t think it’s necessary to use excessive formalities with those who aren’t nobility.”

“R-Right… Lilith said she can’t help it…”

“Gah…!!”

Honestly, it wasn’t that I wasn’t bothered by addressing Lizzy as “Lady August” in such casual settings.

If it were up to me, I would have preferred to just call her Lizzy. After all, we had known each other for quite some time.

However, maintaining some distance was the smart thing to do, just in case. While I could get away with calling Agnes by her name, addressing Lizzy, the daughter of a marquess, so casually would take more courage than I currently possessed.

“Speaking of which, Lady August…”

“Yes? What is it, Baroness Rosewood?”

“I was wondering if I could ask for your help again in preparing potions for the hunting festival at the end of this semester?”

“…You’re really asking me that, now?”

“You’re the only one I know who can help me, Lady August. After all, you’ve known me the longest.”

“…Hmm, I see.”

Her expression softened as I mentioned how long we had known each other. It seemed that dealing with her wasn’t so difficult after all.

Well, she owed me anyway. If it weren’t for me, she’d still be lying in a grave with incense burning over her. Surely, she’d agree to this small request out of gratitude.

“100 gold coins.”

“Huh? I’m pretty sure it was only five gold coins last time…”

“If you start calling me ‘Lady Lizzy,’ I’ll give you a 50% discount. If you call me ‘Miss Lizzy,’ it’ll be an 80% discount. And if you just call me ‘Lizzy,’ like you did in the Witch’s Forest, I’ll knock off 95%.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Think carefully, Lilith. It’s just a change in how you address me, and it won’t alter our relationship. And remember, as a merchant, I never lie…”

It seemed her shrewdness as a merchant extended even to such situations, using her title as leverage in negotiations.

Just as I was considering whether to bend a little, someone unexpectedly interrupted our conversation.

“Wh-What kind of potions do you need for the hunting festival, Lilith…?”

“Hold on, Lara. Lilith and I are in the middle of…”

“I need one potion for strength enhancement, one for stamina recovery, one for mana recovery, and two emergency potions, Miss Lara.”

“I-I see… As long as I have them ready by the festival, right? I-I can make those… For just three gold coins…”

“What are you saying, Lara?! That barely covers the cost of materials! That’s not a deal, that’s letting yourself be taken advantage of…”

“Well… Lilith helped me out before… A-And we’re friends, right…?”

“Fr-Friends, you say…”

“Thank you, Miss Lara. Then I’ll be counting on you for this.”

“One gold coin! I’ll do it for one gold coin and 50 silver coins! But the conditions stay the same…”

“…One gold coin and 30 silver coins.”

“Lara…!!!”

In the end, after a reverse auction of sorts, Lizzy agreed to make the potions for one gold coin and 30 silver coins, which didn’t even cover half the cost of the materials—without any changes to how I addressed her.

I was truly moved by the display of friendship, seeing them both so eager to help me.

…Still, not wanting to take advantage of them completely, I decided to call Lizzy “Miss Lizzy” as we left the café.