I stared at the front of the stationary store and thought.

‘Will people who have read the newspaper really come?’

I checked the slushies and beer candy. In addition, the items bought from the antique streets were displayed well.

“I’m nervous…”

Who will be the first guest to visit after reading the newspaper? However, no matter how much time passed, no one knocked on the door.

“Mel, don’t be so heartbroken.”

Dominique patted me on the shoulder as I sat down with a very sullen face.

“……”

“I’m sure they’ll come tomorrow. The article came out today so they wouldn’t come right now-”

Dominique stopped talking and looked towards the door.

After a bit, a rattling sound was heard and the door to the stationary store opened.

“They came.”

Along with Dominique’s words, blond hair was seen through the gap of the door.

“Is this the right place?”

A bright child began to walk in.

“Mel! I came!”

The aristocrat boy I gave a slushy to!

A lovely boy in a nice academy uniform appeared in front of me in a gold light.

“You…! You finally came. Are you feeling okay?”

I was relieved to see his plump face. I smiled brightly and waved at him.

‘But… thinking about it, what did he say his name was?’

The boy who looked at my wary face spoke with a happy smile.

“It’s me, me! The one Mel saved at that time, Xion! I’m totally fine!”

What a relief, this little kid! You’re introducing yourself on your own.

He ran toward me with sparkling eyes.

I burst out laughing when I saw the little boy sticking to me like gum.

“You brought a friend!”

“Friend?”

I looked at the boy in front of the stationary store door. He looked more disciplined than his peers, bigger and more mature.

He looked wary of me and bowed his head.

“Hello.”

“He’s my friend, Red Radish!”

Red Radish? A person’s name can be Red Radish?

‘Besides, I don’t see anything that resembles a red radish…?’

The boy, who received my questioning gaze, gritted his teeth and quietly spoke.

“…not Red Radish but Carat. I’m Carat.”

Listening to their cute sounds made me realize again. The kids in front of me are Academy kids. It means that they are precious customers.

‘Oh, this can’t be.’

I felt like a golden rope came before me.

“Welcome, Xion, Red…no Carat!”

It was time to implement the no.1 〈Mouth-to-Mouth Strategy〉 I will use my whole being to play with you! (T/N: This sentence is kinda contradicting but I just translated what was there… PR/N: I think she’s saying she’ll use all her effort to impress them so they advertise to more people i.e., mouth-to-mouth)

And after I’m done playing with you, I’ll sell you the beer candy!

***

Carat stared at the woman who introduced herself as Mel.

Looking on the outside, she greeted him and Prince Axion at the front counter.

‘Very, very suspicious.’

She was quite plain on the outside.

Except for the exceptionally unique and beautiful aristocratic appearance and her green eyes full of loveliness, although she didn’t seem to be specially managed.

‘You’re saying a noble-like lady defeated the Red Diocese Pirates? Was there a mistake?’

He turned his gaze around. So, away from her beauty…

‘Rather than this woman, that man over there looks more skilled.’

He was listening to her words quietly, but his gaze showed boredom and was quite serious.

“Dominique, bring the bouncy balls.”

“Okay. first in, first out, right?”

“That’s right!”

The black-haired young man was silently doing what the woman told him to do.

Is he a slave? But you’re treating someone who looks that strong like a slave? Are you an incredibly strong woman who has a lot of energy to use?

‘She’s questionable no doubt.’

He observed the woman with a blunt face.

Mel came to the round table the two children were sitting at and looked down at them.

“Carat, Xion. What do you like?”

“I…I…”

Xion opened his mouth wide and looked at the items at the doorstep with sparkling eyes.

The boy looked happy.

‘Prince Axion…he’s been firmly possessed.’

That idiot prince was already possessed.

A love potion was probably used no matter how you look at it. No matter how simple he is, how can a prince be such a soldier to a commoner?

He hypothesized that Mel is a ‘dangerous and powerful witch’ and began observing her again.

“Mel, what does that man have?”

“That’s a bouncy ball.”

“H-huk. What’s a bouncy ball?”

The woman called Mel smiled sarcastically when the question was asked and dropped a round ball on the floor.

Then the round ball bounced up from the floor. It hit the floor and came up together with the bounce, bounce bounce, sound.

“C-cool!”

“Ahem.”

Carat coughed in vain, pretending to be indifferent while trying to keep his eyes wide open. Because he was clearly different from ordinary and innocent young children.

He infiltrated the Academy for the purpose of his master’s orders. Besides, that woman was suspicious. But he couldn’t stop his eyes from following the bouncing ball.

“What’s this, Mel?”

“It’s a bubble machine! Good, I was going to experiment!”

“Yeah! Just experiment on me, Mel! I love experiments!”

Experiment?

Carat was imagining all sorts of things.

That Prince was out of his mind, he’s just spitting out anything!

Prince Axion was wandering without thinking, but his keen self is different.

Carat felt grotesque from her word ‘experiment.’

‘There’s definitely something. She’s no doubt a dangerous person.’

The hypothesis that she might have come to dig into the dangerous secrets of the Academy was even more supported.

He glared at Mel, not hiding his wary eyes.

In his eyes, she was smiling shamelessly. With provocative eyes like ‘you are bound to fall for me’.

‘What’s with her confidence?’

But Carat was also confident.

He had great mana. His horsepower that won’t lose to that woman’s. Carat’s mana and magic abilities were the best by far among his peers.

***

Xion, Mel, Carat, and Dominique, who was quietly organizing things at the stationary store, all gathered on the grass in front of the stationary store. To be exact, it was the front yard of the stationary store, near the bench,

Mel stood solemnly with Axion and Carat in front. It looked serious, as if a fight was going to begin.

Carat looked at the woman with wide eyes. He had to keep his eyes open to see just what was going on.

“I’m starting now, okay?”

“Okay!”

Carat clenched his small hands into small balls and shouted at Mel.

“…come!”

He felt Axion look at him strangely, but that wasn’t important right now.

Mel was holding a small bottle in her hand. The transparent bottle had its lid open and there was a small glass rod in it.

Carat squinted and looked at the small bottle the woman was holding.

She shook the opaque liquid and soon lifted the glass rod from the bottle. There were drops of a transparent, slippery-looking liquid on the glass rod.

‘What are you going to do with that, Mel?’

“Whoo-.”

As Mel put her lips to the stick and let out a long breath, bubbles bloomed at the end of the stick.

Axion looked at the bubbles with a happy expression. The boy, who was a little younger in mental age than his peers, soon smiled brightly and popped the bubbles that came in front of him.

Then something surprising happened.

As the bubbles burst, magnolia blossoms bloomed in front of their eyes. Bright flowers spread splendidly before their eyes.

Axion, buried between the flowers, opened his mouth and admired them while constantly popping the bubbles.

“H-huk! What’s this, Mel? It’s so fun!”

“Right?”

Mel smiled proudly.

She looked as dazzling as a dream through the falling flowers.

Before they knew it, flowers were flying beautifully around them.

It was like a masterpiece.

Carat gaped and watched the beautiful scene without realizing it.

“Carat, would you like to try blowing bubbles?”

“…me?”

“Yeah!”

Somehow, his heart began to swell.

If he blows the unidentified liquid in that glass bottle, he can check if it’s dangerous magic!

He grabbed the glass bottle roughly from Mel.

“Okay, I’ll do it for you.”