"It's because of the President's puns! If Barbatos and the others see her like that, her dignity will be completely flushed down the drain!"
Air Groove voiced her reasons with an air of pure desperation.
As the Vice President of the Student Council, she was the Uma Musume who spent the most time with Symboli Rudolf on a daily basis.
She knew better than anyone—better even than the other legends in Rigil—just how much the President adored telling those bone-chilling puns.
This...
Hishi Amazon and Fuji Kiseki shared a lingering look. While the reason sounded utterly ridiculous, hearing Air Groove say it out loud made it feel disturbingly plausible.
Usually, Symboli Rudolf maintained the iron-clad dignity of the Student Council President and the "Emperor" to the outside world, but in private, those puns were a frequent occurrence.
While it was true that Barbatos and her crew had interacted with Rudolf before, they certainly hadn't experienced the full "charm" of her pun-filled repertoire yet.
Understanding what Air Groove was fretting about, Fuji Kiseki grew quiet for a moment.
"Then why don't we just have a word with Rudolf? Tell her to keep the puns under wraps while Barbatos is around."
"Yeah, let's do that!"
Amazon slammed a fist into her palm.
"Air Groove, if it's too awkward for you to bring up, I'll go straight to Rudolf and lay it out clearly! But once that's settled, you have to let me go one-on-one with Barbatos before I come back for more tutoring!"
"One-on-one! One-on-one!"
"I appreciate the sentiment, but please don't," Air Groove flatly refused, giving Amazon zero chance to negotiate a duel.
It wasn't exactly that she was denying her the opportunity; with Amazon's learning pace, taking a break for one match wouldn't really hurt her grades. However...
"The President truly loves telling puns. I don't want to negate that part of her, no matter the circumstances."
Amazon didn't give up, trying to coax her. "...But if you let her run wild, Rudolf is the one who's going to end up with egg on her face. Telling her beforehand is for her own good, I think."
"Ugh..."
Air Groove clutched her head, feeling at a total loss. "Isn't there a way to have the best of both worlds? If only she'd just tell them among us, the inner circle."
"At least don't let her embarrass herself in front of the juniors...!"
"Mmm..."
Normally, everyone in Rigil viewed Air Groove as the personification of strictness.
Even if their trainer, Toujou Hana, slipped up, Air Groove would point it out directly. But right now, she looked like nothing more than a helpless, worried girl.
"Air Groove, didn't you almost lose it before because Rudolf wouldn't stop with the puns?" Fuji Kiseki said comfortingly.
"If Barbatos and her team come over now, they can share the burden with you. It might actually be a good thing."
"If she only tells them to me, it's really no big deal."
Recalling Rudolf's past puns, Air Groove's expression grew even more haggard.
"But in public, in front of the juniors... that changes the nature of the situation. The worst-case scenario is that the President's authority will vanish into thin air."
Especially in front of a girl like Barbatos, who was currently the top Uma Musume in Japan.
Fuji Kiseki and Amazon looked at each other, cold sweat trickling down their faces.
To them, Rudolf's punning wasn't that high-stakes. If Barbatos heard them, so be it. Everyone has their quirks, right? It felt like Air Groove was just overthinking things.
Fuji Kiseki offered a gentle smile. "I know you care deeply about the President, but I don't think you need to carry such a heavy burden on your shoulders."
"I'm not just 'taking on a burden.' I will endure any amount of pain if it means reducing the President's load," Air Groove declared, a look of grim determination on her face. "Even if I have to listen to her puns for an entire day, it doesn't matter."
Hey, hey!
Rudolf's puns are cold, sure, but they aren't that lethal! Even Fuji Kiseki and Hishi Amazon—Tracen Academy's unofficial "big sister" figures—couldn't help but roast her in their heads.
"The Emperor's dignity..."
Just as Air Groove was spiraling into her own mental exhaustion, Toujou Hana's figure appeared behind her. "The Emperor's dignity was never built on whether or not she tells puns."
"Her authority was built step-by-step through her track record and her sheer power."
"Her dignity comes from her dedication to her work as Student Council President, her responsibility toward the students, and her contributions to this school. Puns just make her seem more approachable. It might be torture for you to hear them all day, but to others, that 'imperfection' is exactly what makes the Emperor feel whole."
"Honestly, you're just letting your worry cloud your judgment."
Toujou Hana had a lot to say. She had been standing there for a while, listening to them talk.
Just as Air Groove would point out her flaws when organizing training plans, Hana would point out Air Groove's blind spots. This mutual honesty was exactly what made the current Rigil so strong.
"I know."
Air Groove took a deep breath. She understood all of this rationally, but the news of Barbatos's arrival had momentarily rattled her.
With Toujou Hana's guidance, she managed to steady her emotions, regaining the composure she had briefly lost.
She still couldn't be completely at ease regarding the President's puns, though. She decided that whenever the President started joking, she had to be there.
At the very least, if Barbatos and the others heard a pun, she would make sure they didn't go around spreading the word. The public couldn't find out about this side of the President.
Having made up her mind, she looked at Toujou Hana. "By the way, Hana, why did you come over?"
"Right. Amazon, let's put a pause on the daytime tutoring for now."
"At least don't study while the juniors are here. I'll have to ask you all to supervise her in the evenings instead."
Toujou Hana sighed, sounding equally helpless. Amazon's test scores were a perennial headache, but they had to maintain the legend's image while Barbatos and the others were visiting.
They couldn't let the truth slip—that the legendary Hishi Amazon was actually stuck in remedial lessons.
"Are you serious?!"
Amazon jumped up from her seat instantly. She had been moping after her request to duel Barbatos was shot down, regretting her poor grades. Now, she felt like she'd been given a new lease on life.
"Duel! Duel! This time, I'm definitely going to have a real match with B-chan!"
Fuji Kiseki gave a helpless laugh, knowing that was just how Amazon was. Though, truth be told, she wanted to test herself against Barbatos as well.
"During the summer training camp, we can try to set up a few mock races," Toujou Hana said, looking at her tablet.
Unlike the practice matches between Taiki Shuttle and Special Week, a mock race against the best in Japan was a chance for everyone to learn. It was all upside.
"Though, today probably won't work. Barbatos is..."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.