12 - Part B:
While we're expanding the base with our new subordinates and Kana bossing us around, a very familiar girl walks in through the entrance.
It was Eri.
Those who saw her, stops what they're doing and became vigilant.
The others who seemed to notice what's going on, stops what they're doing a do the same.
Soon after, everyone stares at her.
Some of them stares at her while their eyes are sparkling and their faces are blushing.
Talk about awkward.
Eri greets us politely.
"Good day everyone! I come in peace."
Most of us didn't respond and just watch her quietly while the others starts mumbling on how great Eri is.
Eri continues...
"May I speak to your leader in private? I have a way to end this game without casualties."
Everyone starts talking amongst themselves.
"A way to end this game without casualties?"
"Is that even possible?"
"Of course it's possible! Ms. Erilene said so!"
"Yeah! Yeah!"
"Don't tell me you're one of those..."
"One of what!?"
"Nothing..."
"Does that mean we can go home?"
"Yes! We can all go home as soon as possible so may I speak to your leader please?"
Eri said politely.
Everyone stops talking and turn their gazes towards me.
"I assume youre the leader Linel?"
Eri asked.
I answer her.
"Well somewhat..."
"Is there a place where we can talk privately?"
Eri asked.
I answer her.
"Well... Yes..."
"Good! Let us go there and talk then."
Eri said with a smile and approach me.
I could a lot of people complaining and mumbling angrily as they look at me.
This is making me uncomfortable.
I decided to bring someone along to ease up the tension but I ask Eri first if she's okay with it.
"Can I bring someone along?"
"If that makes you comfortable then go ahead.
Eri answered me.
Good thing Eri knows how to read the atmosphere.
Well then, time to ask someone to come along.
"Hey Ace, Kana? Do you mind tagging along?"
"I'll be glad to leader." (Ace)
"Affirmative." (Kana)
They both responded positively.
The reason why I decided to bring the two of them along it is because those two are good with negotiations.
Well, I was planning to bring Aeris along but that will be too much.
Not to mention, if I did bring her along, I will have more people mumbling angrily at me and chanting spells.
Most of them are girls though...
Well I knew that Ace and Eri are popular but not this popular.
I doubt Kana is popular though despite being cute because people tend to avoid her since she always attempt to sell her products and do weird stuff.
She also likes to wear plain clothes which makes her stand out less.
I kinda find her products useful though like the cell phones she smuggled here.
Maybe I should ask her to make me some useful stuff like an x-ray glasses.
Anyways, we head towards the dining cottage to have this "talk".
Inside the dining cottage...
The four of us are seated in the dining table.
Sitting beside me is Kana and beside her is Ace.
Sitting across us is Eri who's very calm despite being in the enemies territory.
Maybe it's a maid thing to be calm all the time.
Anyway to start things up, I ask Eri about what she said earlier.
"So, how do we end this game without casualties?"
Because of that, Ace stares intently at her.
I guess that means she's waiting for her answer.
As for Kana, she's staring at her cell phone screen while fidgeting with it like she doesn't have a care in the world.
In other words, she's being her normal self.
Maybe it's my chance to sneak a peek on whatever Kana's doing with her cell phone.
On second thought, now is not the time to do that.
Maybe some other time.
Eri clears her throat.
"Ehem!"
After that, she answers my question politely.
"In order to end this game without casualties, you need to give your flag to me."
"Wait! Are you saying that we should surrender without a fight?"
I asked exaggeratedly.
I really can't help it since it took me by surprised.
Eri answers me without batting an eye.
"Yes! That is correct."
"Then we decline."
The one who said that wasn't me, it was Ace.
"I agree."
Kana voice out her agreement.
"Could you please explain to me why you won't agree with my proposal?"
Eri asked.
Ace explains her point.
"The reason why we decline your proposal, it is because of what you're asking of us is to compromise with you an enemy and as I recall, that isn't allowed isn't it?"
Eri refutes her.
"No, as I recall, conspiring with an enemy isn't allowed and not compromising."
"Isn't that the same?"
Ace asked.
Eri answer her.
"No it really isn't."
"I see..."
I guess Ace is man enough to admit defeat.
Well technically she isn't a man, she's a girl and that's just an expression.
Why am I explaining to myself?
Anyway, Ace still rejects her proposal.
"But we still reject your proposal."
Eri tries to bargain.
"Maybe if I explain to you more about this proposal of mine, you might change your minds."
"I highly doubt that but since we're curious on what you're going to say, go right ahead."
Ace could be harsh sometimes...
Or maybe most of the times.
Eri who doesn't seem shaken by Ace, starts explaining.
"Right now, your class have classes 1, 3, 5 and 6 as your subordinates isn't that right?"
"That's right."
I answer her normally.
Well I'm not shock that Eri knows that we have those classes as our subordinates because she practically knows everyone since we get frequent visitors from different classes in the observatory deck and Eri is always the one entertaining them while Wren and I are being introverts.
She most probably able to deduce all that by taking a glance at everyone and was able to recognize which class are they from.
It will be easy to recognize which class is our subordinates if she saw the flags that we captured but those flags are currently being kept in the storage room since we didn't know what to do with them.
Eri continues.
"Our class has class 7 and 8 us our subordinates."
So Eri's class was able to capture those two classes...
Wait a minute! Class 8?
I decided to ask about that.
"Your class has class 8 as subordinates?? I thought we destroyed them!"
Eri answers me.
"You did in fact destroyed class 8 but that gave us an opportunity to join forces with them."
Ace who seems to get what Eri is saying, makes a deduction.
"I see... So you use their despair as a chance to steal their flag."
Eri corrects her deduction.
"I wouldn't say steal since they gave it to us in exchange for one thing."
Ace ask her to continue.
"And that is?"
Eri answer her.
"A chance to exact their revenge on your class."
Ace makes another destruction.
"Revenge on our class huh... You won't grant them that opportunity will you? since your here asking us to give up our flag?"
Eri answers her politely.
"I want to end this game without conflict."
"So you lied to them?"
Ace pointed out.
Eri refutes her.
"Not necessarily. They'll surely get what they want if you don't give me your flag."
"Even if it's futile?"
Ace asked.
Eri answer her.
"Even if it's futile. So will you except my proposal or not? Once you give your flag, they game will end without casualties."
Ace didn't say anything and went into deep thought.
She most probably thinking whether or not to accept her proposal.
Suddenly, Kana who has been silently fidgeting with her phone speaks up.
"Ending this game without casualties is impossible."
Eri who looks intrigued by Kana's statement, asks her to explain in a polite manner.
"Could you please care to explain on why is that impossible?"
Kana fix her glasses in place and starts explaining.
"The reason why it's impossible, it is because that other than your class and ours, the rest will suffer the consequence of having to attend the two weeks supplementary classes since we're being grade by our performance and both of our classes are the only ones who're able to steal the other classes' flags. Isn't the two weeks supplementary classes considered a casualty?"
"Well yes but that's not the type of casualty I'm talking about."
Ace who seems to be done thinking or observing, ask Eri about that matter.
"Then what kind of casualty are you talking about?"
Eri answers her question.
"The casualty I'm talking about is us having to fight each other and get hurt. Moreover, two weeks of supplementary studies is just a small price to pay."
Ace refutes her.
"Not for the others since most of us will be going back to our families during the sembreak."
"That's true but we have forty days of vacation during our sembreak and like I said earlier, two weeks of supplementary classes is just a small price to pay."
While I was silently listening to their debate whether or not the two weeks supplementary classes is a small price to pay mostly because I was scared to interfere, I think deeply on the thought of how to end the game without casualties.
By casualties, I mean that no one would have to sacrifice two weeks of their vacation for supplementary classes.
While I was thinking, Kana puts her cell phone right on front of me.
I look at the screen and saw that the writing app is on and Kana typed something.
I read what she typed.
It says "Have you figure something out?"
I took the cell phone from Kana and type "I'm in the middle of it" as a response and gave it back to Kana.
Kana reads my message a types another message and shows it to me.
Can I give a suggestion?
We start passing each other messages using this cell phone.
Sure (Linel)
I have a way for ending this game without anyone sacrificing two weeks of their vacation but it will be difficult to do it. (Kana)
Difficult? How so? (Linel)
We need to conspire with the enemy without the teachers finding out. (Kana)
That will certainly be difficult but you do have plan to pull that off right? (Linel)
Yes I do. (Kana)
That's great! So how will we do it? (Linel)
We will initiate a war. (Kana)
A war? (Linel)
Yes (Kana)
Why do we have to do that? (Linel)
To create a distraction. (Kana)
Distraction for what? (Linel)
Distraction for the teachers who are watching us. (Kana)
Why do we have to distract the teachers? (Linel)
So they won't notice our conspiracy. (Kana)
And what is this conspiracy we're talking about? (Linel)
"You'll see. Now stop them." (Kana)
Them? (Linel)
Kana didn't give her cell phone back and looks at Eri and Ace.
Oh! Them!
I call for their attention.
"Uh... Excuse me?"
The two who we're debating, stops what they're doing and responds in their own manner.
"What is it?" (Ace)
"Yes?" (Eri)
I turn towards Kana and tells her to speak up.
"Alright Kana! Tell us this brilliant plan of yours."
Kana fix her glasses in place.
After that, she starts typing on her cell phone.
The two who are dumbfounded by her actions, silently stares at her.
As for me, I can clearly see what she's doing.
She's typing her plans.