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Our party was decided quickly, but we decided to stay put and observe the situation for now. I didn’t think we’d stand out, but since there have been people stealing glances at us—or rather Ciel—I had Ciel do her best to have an enjoyable conversation with Palra and Belltina. Hard to tell if she succeeded, but still.

How do I say this? Since I’ve been focused on avoiding the more particularly troublesome-looking individuals, I haven’t been as vigilant with other people. At this point, maybe we’d be better off joining Princess Leshimiiya’s party, but that would be too conspicuous, and Palra would probably faint out of anxiety.
In any case, thanks to Ciel’s efforts, Ailneige no longer looks free in other people’s eyes, and while there were still some who tried to invite us, they easily backed down when refused.

The reason we have yet to make a move is because we’re waiting for Mr. Hero and Mr. Lightning Sorcerer to leave. Particularly with Alcrei, he seems to be conscious of Ailneige as someone of the opposite sex, so he might coerce us to join his party; meanwhile, Juerd knows that we are an E-rank hunter, so he might come and bother us from that front.

Back to Alcrei, he seems to have some friction with Belltina as well, so I don’t want to risk getting his attention. Fortunately, both of them grouped with their usual companions—Juerd’s members are all girls with Rulinia absent, while Alcrei has his cohorts—so we didn’t have to wait for too long. Alcrei did start a quibble due to Juerd’s harem party, but the teachers immediately quelled the situation, and he left for the mountain to escape.
Juerd’s party left a few minutes after, but now that they’re both gone, we can finally move.

『They’re gone now.』
『Really? That was somewhat tiring.』
『Good work. Shall we switch?』
『No, I’m fine the way it is. Talking with Palra can be exhausting, but it’s not unpleasant.』
『True, Palra seems to have a keen sense of how much distance to maintain.』

I’ve already noticed it before, but while Palra’s tendency to talk about herself may turn some people off, she never oversteps other people’s personal boundaries.
Actually, the reason why Palra talks a lot about herself might be so that she doesn’t carelessly ask uninvited questions. She’s doing her best since she doesn’t want to accidentally touch on sensitive topics. If I think of it that way, this awkwardness just makes her endearing.

As if to support that idea, Palra has recently started asking us more questions. Through our brief interactions, it seems she’s developed a good understanding of our boundaries; her questions have become more meaningful, but she remains cautious. Figuratively speaking, she always keeps herself two or three steps away from the edge of what we’re comfortable discussing.

Because of that, she has a decent affinity for people like Ciel, who naturally find talking to people—with some exceptions, like me—bothersome. The same goes with people like Belltina, who barely joins the conversation outside of the occasional nodding.

「Well, shall we go to the teacher now?」
「Uh… Yeah, let’s go, let’s go!」

This is a good example. Palra energetically responded, but I’m sure that she must have been wondering why we only chatted here without reporting to a teacher until now, yet she doesn’t ask why. Some might say that there’s no need to keep secrets between party members, but I think it’s fine to have one or two secrets even with close friends.
In our case, we carry more secrets that would likely trouble those trying to pry them out of us; I’m honestly more concerned about whether they’re truly ready to hear them.

Still, being secretive to the point of getting into trouble is even a common story trope, so finding a good balance is important.

『Once we enter the mountain and there aren’t any people around, let’s explain our reasoning.』
『Yeah, let’s do that.』

While we may share an unspoken consensus of not wanting to get involved with conspicuous people, there’s no need to keep this unspoken.
Or so I mused, when suddenly, 「So you formed a three-person party,」 the most conspicuous student of all spoke to me. Palra and Belltina immediately froze, likely out of nervousness. I can’t really blame them. After all, it was the princess of their own kingdom who had just spoken. Perhaps understanding that this is unavoidable, Ciel responded to her.

「I’d rather not group with unfamiliar strangers.」
「Certainly, you do often chat with Palra, Mi—no, Ailneige.」

Yup, calling us Miss Ailneige isn’t really good in public. Though only Palra and Belltina should have heard it, so it should be alright.

「However, I am surprised to see Miss Chilandia with you.」
「Chilandia… You mean Belltina?」

After Ciel muttered as if to confirm, Princess Leshimiiya turned to Belltina. Seemingly overwhelmed by her gaze, Belltina nodded.

「The Chilandia family is a typical Earl house. Belltina, I believe, is the third daughter of the family.」
「Is that so?」

While this isn’t really something to discuss right in front of her, this is likely information one can easily gather with little research. Besides, the princess making eye contact with Belltina was probably to ask for her permission. Though Belltina couldn’t really decline in her position, her permission was probably still important.