After he left the classroom after the homeroom ended, Regis went back to his dorm room for a short nap and was now widely awake as he headed to the cafeteria to buy something for lunch.
"What should I eat for today's lunch? Hmm..."
As he was thinking of what to eat, he accidentally saw 'that'.
"—!"
Regis was rooted on the spot when he saw the gold-labeled "The Royal Cream Pudding" on the displayed desserts.
"H-How is this here?!" he said in an inaudible surprised voice.
'If I remember, I wasn't able to visit the cafeteria yesterday—No, this isn't the time for that! What I need to do is...'
Regis immediately headed to the old lady on the cashier to buy the pudding.
"Hey grandma, can I have five Royal Cream Pudding?"
Upon hearing what the very excited Regis had asked, the old lady showed a complicated look on him.
"Are you sure about what you're asking for, young man? That pudding is the most expensive item here in the cafeteria, you know?"
Looking at the price list of items in the cafeteria, the Royal Cream Pudding is the most expensive item listed there, the price worth two weeks of luxurious lunch—a meal composed of 3 different kinds of dishes, two kinds of desserts and also some beverages.
No wonder that the old lady doubts him if can really afford to buy that pudding after looking at Regis' penniless-like student appearance.
But even being doubted like that, Regis just smiled at the old lady, and then he fished his original identification card on his chest pocket and handed over it to the old lady.
"Just put it on my tab.—Ah! Also, please keep this a secret from the students if possible..." whispered Regis as he smiles to the old lady.
As the old lady looked on the card, she showed a very surprised expression and her face paled a bit. She hastily gets the special pudding on the shelf to give it to Regis.
"H-Here Sir, one Royal Cream Pudding!—Thank you for your patronage!"
"Oh, that was fast. Thank you." said Regis, before heading to the courtyard.
******
On the courtyard, where Regis headed to look for a suitable place to eat his favorite pudding, Arias and Elizabeth are walking around to find a suitable spot for eating their lunch.
Arias was thinking to find Regis later before the afternoon class start and use the free time right now to tell Elizabeth about him.
But when the two girls decided to take their lunch under a huge tree, they saw him—No, they heard him singing.
"♫ Ohh! Creamy Puddings everywhere~ Fluffy ~ Melting— ♫"
Arias reveals a very embarrassed face and Elizabeth's face warped in disgust.
'H-he still remembers that song!' Arias screamed inwardly as furious blush adorned her face.
"What's with those lyrics? Creamy what? What a creep! What's with him?!"
Regis, while singing, a huge smile is etched on his face when he absentmindedly walked past the two. He didn't even notice their complicated look at himself.
"Looks like he didn't even notice us being here..."
"Tch! Yes. I think that he's on a very good mood today. I wonder what happened."
'That was his favorite food. No wonder he's on a very good mood.' a sigh of relief escaped Arias as she thought about what happened in the classroom earlier.
As the two ladies whispers to each other, Regis suddenly stops in front of the tallest tree in the courtyard.
""—?!""
Having stopped in walking, they suddenly sensed something different from Regis, but they can't describe what it is so they observed him carefully.
Regis, who was now gazing up to the huge tree in front of him, seemed to be thinking about something.
…..
...…
—Ah! Suddenly exclaimed by Regis.
He immediately turned around to head back to the building where he came from. Now, two ladies, who were observing him, looked at him in wonder.
"What was that?"
"Did he forget about something?"
The two looked at him in puzzlement.
After a few minutes, Regis came out from the building where the cafeteria is located and headed out to the courtyard. Earlier, Regis was holding one small paper bag, but now, he was holding a big paper bag.
Arias and Elizabeth are now starting to eat their lunch when Regis went to their location.
"Hmm… This is a very good place to eat, can I join you two?" asked nonchalantly by Regis.
Elizabeth was surprised by the sudden request of the boy in front of them. She can't help but look at Arias and signaled the princess with her eyes to deny him. But to her dismay, Arias smiled sweetly at Regis and nods her head.
'Maybe it is better to do things this way. It will be easier for Eliza to know about Regis...' Arias thought to herself.
"NO!" flatly rejected by Elizabeth, who is now eyeing Regis in dislike.
After getting an opposing answer of the two, Regis smiled at them and fished his hand at the paper bag he was holding and took out something.
"—!!!!"
The Elizabeth widen her eyes at the thing Regis was holding. It was a cup of pudding, no, not just an ordinary pudding. It's the most expensive item in the academy cafeteria, the Royal Cream Pudding!
"What if I give each of you a cup of this?" said teasingly by Regis.
"Isn't that a Royal Cream Pudding?!" exclaimed Elizabeth in surprise.
'As I thought. It's that pudding.' Arias reveals a knowing look when she saw the thing he was holding.
'Even my parents won't give me enough allowance to afford to buy this frequently…' Elizabeth stares at the pudding fiercely.
'How can he buy something like this? And he bought so many?!'
'I-I can't resist this! This is just a too good offer to reject!' she screamed inwardly.
After a brief silence, Elizabeth finally finished her dilemma.
"Please behave yourself in front of the princess." the two ladies immediately gave him some space to sit as Elizabeth answeres in defeat.
"Oh, thank you."
Regis, now, was seated in front of the two beautiful ladies. If their classmates see this scene, they will surely attack Regis because of their jealousy.
He immediately started on eating his "favorite" lunch set, while the two ladies started to eat their pudding.
"Nyuummp!~~~~<3"
Elizabeth was giving off a blissful aura every time she put a scoop of pudding inside her mouth. Looking at her friend, Arias wryly smiled as she remembers Elizabeth is also very fond of the pudding.
"You're only eating that?" asked Arias when she glanced at him while eating.
In front of Regis is a stack of puddings.
"--? What? Did you just say something?"
"Nothing…"
After a few seconds, it was Regis who called out Arias.
"Arias"
"Hnn?"
"Hey, just because you gave us this expensive pudding, that doesn't mean you can act arrogantly. Don't call Princess Arias without honorifics! Show some respect!"
Elizabeth, who's only silently eating her pudding on their side snapped at Regis, but he just ignored her.
"I forgot to ask you last night. About the Magic Festival, which will be held a few months from now, I don't really know about the details about that festival, can you please tell me?"
"Hey, don't ignore me!" complained irritably by Elizabeth. On the other hand, Arias didn't mind what Elizabeth was complaining about and just answered Regis.
"You don't know about it? It's already been three years since that festival had started by the Academy Director. Almost every school from the different part of the continent takes part in that competition."
"Oh... So, we will have to beat them and become the best pair, huh?"
"Yes. But it will be very difficult. Our seniors are also joining the competition so it will be very challenging to enter the top five in our academy to be one of the representatives."
"Hah?! You're planning on pairing up with the princess? Foolish commoner, you dream too much!" Elizabeth sneered at Regis.
"Elizabeth, don't butt in when other people are talking. Here, take this and don't mind us." said Regis as fished again in his paper bag a cup of the expensive pudding and gave it to the complaining girl.
"Don't think you can bribe me with this! B-but I guess I'll be taking this. It's against my principle to refuse a blessing…"
Looking at the scene, Arias glanced at Elizabeth while having a wry smile.
'Please don't embarrass yourself too much, Eliza.'
"Well, back on the main topic. To become one of the best five pairs, a pair should win every elimination battle that will be held starting twelve days from now. The pair will fight three matches every day within a week of duration."
"At the end of that week, the top five pairs will represent the academy. The second year and third year students who most likely are the ones to compete in the festival will give us a lot of trouble." Arias did her best to explain every detail to Regis.
After all, Regis is the one she'll be paired with her according to the academy director.
"Is that so? Then, what will you gain if you win the cup?" asked Regis curiously. After all, he only came back yesterday and he's wondering why the magic festival is so famous across the continents.
"Hmm… I heard that a wish from the winning pair will be granted by the academy director as the Magnus of Time Axel at the end of the festival. The winners of the festival last year came from the western continent of [Daath]."
'From Daath, huh...' A few scenes flashed Regis' mind when he heard the mention of the said continent.
Legend says that divine beasts like Dragons inhabited that piece of land during the time of immemorial. But they suddenly disappeared and only the other race of beasts remained.
"But a few months ago, a rumor was heard that it will be the 'Magic King' who's granting the wish at the end of the festival for this year." added Arias, earning a very surprised reaction from Regis.
"WHAT? A Wish? Granted by the Magic King?!"