Episode 199.1
(EP-199.1) Things #3
199 – Student Things #3
Marmar’s residence, 「Fairy Paradise」, was now surrounded by nymphs in robes. Each nymph also held a picket in their hand.
Worse still, the messages written on each were filled with hateful and discriminatory words like ‘No imps’ and ‘No demons.’
“They’re here…!”
Seeing such, Marmar hid behind the wall.
It seemed like this wasn’t the first time such an event occurred.
Then a bespectacled nymph with curly blond hair raised a trumpet-like megaphone to her mouth and shouted.
“The variant imps who encroach upon the native nymphs’ lives must be stopped…!”
━Must be stopped…!!!
“Stop the sale of imp dolls…!”
━Must be stopped…!!!
What was going on?
It seemed like some kind of protest. They soon joined hands and began circling around the perimeter of the townhouse.
“The defense of nymphs’ land… begins…!”
They looked like modern crusaders circling a monastery while chanting hymns.
It was quite scary to see so many nymphs swarming round and round.
Well, correction. It was not really scary. It just felt bewildering.
Paseuseuk-.
Then something dashed out towards the nymphs. It was a four-legged Gargar!
“Garrrrrr, garrrr…!”
Gargar lunged towards the nymph with curly blond hair and bit her shoulder.
“Hieek…! The imp is attacking the nymph…! Imps are truly violent beings…! If you get bitten by an imp, you’ll contract an imp disease and become an imp…!”
“Everyone, run away…!”
Waaaaaaa-!!!
Frightened by Gargar’s ferocious appearance, the nymphs scattered like a band of thieves facing retribution, fleeing to every direction.
As I looked at the suddenly quiet courtyard, it felt like everything was just a dream. Picking up one of the fallen pickets, I turned to ask Marmar.
“Marmar, what just happened? Why are the nymphs doing this?”
“I don’t know either. In fact, the nymphs have always been a bit territorial. But it’s gotten much worse in the past few days!”
There didn’t seem to be any physical confrontation, but they were maliciously mobbing the place.
I worry that this sacred space, my sanctuary, might once again be trampled underfoot.
“Well, they’ll give up soon enough…!”
Marmar casually said and disappeared somewhere. Then, she pulled out a large wad of cotton and gave it to me.
“Comrade, here’s a gift! Marumaru doll!”
“Thank you.”
After receiving the popular doll from Marmar, I took my leave with the enthusiastic waves of the imps and headed down the street.
Elga would like this.
As I headed towards Elga’s dorm, I suddenly heard someone talking.
“Why is a nymph carrying an imp doll around? This is a betrayal of our kind…!”
It was the group of nymphs who had fled earlier…
It seemed carrying the imp doll didn’t sit well with them.
“Ah-! I see it now, it’s a half-fairy-!”
━A half-fairy?
━How ambiguous.
The nymphs murmured among themselves. I just wanted to get out of this situation. Then, the chief nymph with curly hair and glasses said to me.
“What number are you supporting half-fairy brother…?”
“What number I’m supporting?”
“The Queen Contest…! I’m asking who will you support…! Of course, I have no doubt that you’ll choose number 2, Empress Serazade…!”
“Do the nymphs support Empress Serazade?”
“That’s right…! Queen Serazade promised the nymphs land flowing with honey, jobs and quotas…!”
“…….”
Was there such a thing?
Wasn’t this outright pre-election solicitation? It seemed like this should be investigated.
But in order to get out of this place, I figured I had no choice but to follow these silly nymphs.
“Indeed, I am also supporting Empress Serazade…!”
“Indeed, that’s right…!”
“Oooh.”
Then all the nymphs watching me brightened up and nodded. Fools! Then again, it was dreadful to think that the blood of such creatures flowed inside my body…
Then the chief nymph said to me.
“Then quickly dispose of that vile imp doll…!”
‘Throw this away? Hell, no.’
“Ah-!!! That guy is running away…!!!”
With that, I fled.
* * *
Aira’s suspicion of foul play was partially correct.
There was a reason why Aira and Serazade’s vote counts differed by twice the margin, and there was some kind of hidden irregularity that we were not aware of.
Empress Serazade secretly solicited the nymphs in Ark.
“See, Theo. This Queen has never told a lie, had I~? You need to trust and respect your Queen a little more~.”
“Indeed….”
I had to admit it.
Even if Aira didn’t do anything to promote herself, it was still fishy for the vote difference of the first and second place to be double.
“There were issues with the budgets of the Election Management Department and Newspaper Department. Theo, look here. I personally invested time to uncover their misconduct.”
Seureureuk-.
Aira unfolded the ledger and showed it to me. It was very surprising that she went through the documents herself. Was she so upset about losing to Serazade?
“If you look here, the cost of purchasing essentials accounts for half of the allocated expenses, right? But looking at these statements, most of it is from a confectionery shop selling candies and cakes.”
“That’s strange.”
“Let’s visit this shop first.”
“Okay.”
Elga and I went to the on-campus confectionery shop responsible for 50% of the budget expenditure of the Nymph Newspaper Department and the Election Management Department. And there, we made a surprising discovery.
“This is for the nymphs’ treats. Every year, the nymphs buy lots of candies and cakes. We’re dying from fulfilling orders every time. Honey candies aren’t easy to make…”
The grumbling dwarf shop owner complained of the wrinkles they were getting from the nymphs constantly demanding honey candy.
Edited by: faker