“Liyakade, come over and try this on!”
“Miss Liakade, let me help you tie your hair!”
“…You, you two, calm down!”
At this moment, Liyakade, who had already been turned into a dress-up doll and pulled into changing several outfits, was desperately trying to stop the two of them. However, they could no longer hear Liyakade’s words.
A few days ago, Field had taken Liyakade shopping for clothes, so now, they were determined to showcase Liyakade’s most beautiful side.
Today’s Festival Flower election was supposed to be attended only by Alice and Field, but just last night, Sistem demanded that Liyakade participate as well and gave her a nomination through backdoor means.
When Liyakade told Alice and Field about this, the two were first shocked, then began dressing up Liyakade with even more enthusiasm than for their own evaluation.
“Enough, enough!”
Liyakade finally couldn’t stand their fussing and quickly broke free from their hands.
“A simple look is fine. Anyway, the final round is based on the battle segment. If I wear something too flashy, it might get in the way during the fight, right?”
“That’s true.”
Field pondered for a moment after hearing Liyakade’s reasoning, then nodded and hung back the clothes she had planned to have Liyakade try on.
Just as Liyakade said, long or more elaborate dresses do better show off a girl’s elegance and beauty, but here at the Academy, not the Capital, the attire should naturally be simpler and more youthful.
At this moment, Liyakade wore a white dress with lace trim that fluttered slightly at the hem. A pink bow at her chest added a touch of cuteness. Her long white hair, which usually cascaded like a waterfall, had been tied into high twin tails by Alice, adorned with little bat hairpins.
Beside her, Alice and Field looked just as stunning.
Alice wore a pale blue dress with red ribbons tied at her waist and chest, and a golden headband on her head, giving off a very youthful vibe.
Field’s style was completely different—she wore hot pants that showed off her long legs, and a black cropped top, perfectly displaying her figure.
She looked both cool and bold, entirely different from her usual dignified self. Of course, this outfit was also more convenient for battle than a dress.
After all, Field was not a pure mage but a Magic Swordswoman, so agility in battle was a must.
“Sigh.”
Liyakade sighed helplessly.
The sun was shining brightly—perfect weather for the Festival Flower election.
She looked in the mirror, shook her twin tails, and examined herself from side to side, feeling quite satisfied.
“Since we’re ready, let’s head out.”
With that, Liyakade took the lead, leading the other two out of the dormitory and toward the outdoor venue set up inside the Academy.
Along the way, many people’s gazes were drawn to them.
“Is that…Princess Field? Amazing figure, so sexy—she looks completely different from how she usually does in the Academy!”
“That girl named Alice, even though she’s a commoner, looks really pretty when dressed up.”
“Hey! Look at that girl—isn’t that Liyakade?! Wait, is that really the bully? Was she always this cute?”
“So small… Liyakade! Please look at me with those trash-disregarding eyes! Step on me with your shiny little shoes!”
“So gross, you!”
Hearing such words suddenly come from the crowd, everyone hurriedly distanced themselves from the perverted lolicon who spoke.
“Ugh…”
After her Bloodline Awakening, Liyakade’s hearing had improved significantly, so she could hear the pervert from far away, making her skin crawl.
“Hmm? What’s wrong, Miss Liakade?”
Alice asked.
“It’s nothing… Just felt a sudden chill on my back.”
“Ha, if you’re feeling cold on a hot day, it must mean you’ve been slacking on your training lately.”
Field teased, walking beside Liyakade.
“I’ve been slacking on training?”
Liyakade retorted, then said,
“Heh, let’s see on the Arena later.”
“That’s just what I wanted! The current you may not even be my opponent!”
Field replied confidently.
After over two months of training, Field’s level and combat ability had improved significantly, while Liyakade’s level hadn’t changed much. So Field had reason to believe she now stood a chance against Liyakade.
***
“You’ve arrived.”
Sistem greeted the three as they approached, smiling.
“Hmph.”
After figuring out Sistem’s test, Field felt even less friendly toward her.
She glanced at Sistem and demanded,
“Hey, you set this up, didn’t you? What’s the point of making Liyakade participate in the election?”
“You… my foolish little sister, is that how you address your own sister? You’re really rude.”
Sistem’s mouth twitched slightly.
Every time she met her rebellious sister, she ended up butting heads, which was rather irritating.
“Phew—forget it, I won’t argue with you.”
Sistem took a deep breath to calm herself.
“As for why I let Liyakade join, first, Liyakade performed exceptionally during the Cultural Festival, and her appearance is among the top in the Academy. Her level is also high. It would be a shame for someone like her not to participate. You can’t just deny her a chance because of past rumors, right?”
“Hmm… You actually make some sense.”
Although Field wasn’t fond of Sistem, she acknowledged her reasoning.
In Field’s eyes, Liyakade was more than worthy of the Festival Flower title in both looks and character.
That was also why she had helped dress up Liyakade earlier.
“Additionally, the rules and prizes for this election will be different.”
Sistem continued.
“Eh? Even the rules have changed?”
Liyakade was a bit surprised.
In the original work, there weren’t supposed to be rewards beyond the Grade Director’s prize, but now not only were there extra rewards, but even the competition format had changed.
It seemed after Irina Zi left, the worldline had shifted quite a bit.
“So what are the new rules and prizes?”
“You’ll find out when it begins.”
Sistem put a finger to her lips, making a ‘shh’ gesture, as if wanting to keep it a secret.
“By the way, I’ll also be participating in the competition this time.”
“Wait, aren’t you a judge? How can a judge participate in the competition? Who’s going to judge you?”
Field couldn’t stand Sistem’s abuse of authority.
“Heh, I don’t need to participate in the first round of selection. I’ll be challenging upward from the tenth place, so there’s no need for judging.”
Sistem replied confidently.
“That’s even more unfair…”