In the silent hallway, the originally faint sound of footsteps now became particularly obvious.
Perhaps to dispel this pervasive sense of gloom, Amakusa Shino spoke in a voice louder than usual: "How did you find today's Cultural Festival?"
"Quite successful. Thanks to you, almost all the classes made a decent profit. Now, this year's school trip is really worth looking forward to."
Asakura spoke from the heart.
"When I saw so many people pouring in at the opening, I was wondering what it would turn into. Regardless, thank you..." Amakusa Shino thanked Asakura: "If you hadn't taken that mermaid girl to the rooftop to sing at that time, a trampling incident might have actually happened."
The girl had a look of relief on her face-if some accident had really occurred during the Cultural Festival, it would have been quite a heavy blow to her.
"So you were that worried? You clearly had a look of having everything under control before the Cultural Festival..." Asakura asked with some surprise.
"After all, I led almost all the innovations for this Cultural Festival..." Amakusa Shino patted her chest, which was flat enough to compete with the second young lady of the Yukinoshita family: "Before the Cultural Festival, I could only sleep eight hours a day because of my anxiety."
"That's unexpectedly healthy. Weren't you not afraid at all then?"
"Because I'm of the 'since it has come to this, let's sleep first' faction."
"I see. To deal with possible misfortune and messy situations next, you first ensure enough sleep to maintain abundant energy. That's a fairly reasonable choice."
"No, it's just pure escapism from reality."
"I already gave you a way out, yet you insist on stepping down from it, Student Council President-!"
The originally fearful atmosphere in the dark school building completely vanished with Asakura's retort.
However, in reality, unlike Amakusa Shino, he hadn't felt there was anything to be afraid of from the start.
Not to mention the existence of small snakes under his command in every pipe within the school building; in his eyes, the seemingly empty school was actually quite lively. Even if there really were ghosts or vengeful spirits, the moment they encountered Asakura, they should be the ones starting to feel afraid.
The patrol work went exceptionally smoothly. The two took a rough lap around the teaching building and found nothing out of order, other than Asakura, there was no one else left on campus.
"Even though it looks a bit gloomy, the campus at night is actually quite normal. There's really nothing to be afraid of..." Amakusa Shino stretched lazily and said with some smugness: "Those ghost houses were also quite mediocre. Rather than calling them scary, they were a bit crude. They didn't evoke a sense of fear at all."
"That's only because it's over now."
"Why say something so meaningful and profound?! For an after-effect for someone who worked hard all day, that's too much!" Amakusa Shino retorted with a scowl; she felt she might not even be able to sleep peacefully after going home today.
"Although it's a bit sudden, how were the chocolate Holy Grails I later supplemented for the Student Council?"
"It really is sudden... but just like the previous Holy Grails, they were all given to those few student booths..." Amakusa Shino said. "Speaking of which, I clearly told you to favor your own club members, but in the end, the bulk of the Holy Grails were still taken by them..."
"Is that so?" Asakura broke his fingers to count.
The Holy Grail from the shooting gallery was taken by Senju Kayo; the Holy Grail from the Manga Research Club was taken by Yuigahama Yui's side; Yukinoshita Yukino took the Holy Grail from the neurasthenia booth; Yanami Anna is a big eater, and Gokou Ruri took the Holy Grail from the goldfish scooping booth.
And the one from the sugar painting booth was the only one known not to be in the hands of the Magic Club (and Service Club). It was said to have been taken by someone from the Art Club named Usumi Mizuki. The other party didn't seem to exchange the Holy Grail for the reward of increased club funding, but instead exchanged it for a folk dance naming ticket, just like Senju Kayo and the others.
Of course, because Asakura didn't care about such things, the less he knew about who the other party had actually invited to dance.
"But that only accounts for six Holy Grails, doesn't it?" Asakura said: "Where did the last one go?"
"Guess."
"On you?"
"Bingo."
Amakusa Shino took out the final chocolate Holy Grail: "But you already knew the answer, so it doesn't count."
After all, the very first Holy Grail in Asakura's hand was given to him directly by Amakusa Shino.
"A matcha-flavored chocolate Holy Grail. President, are you not going to eat it yourself?"
"Giving it to you. I don't really like eating sweets."
"Really? I clearly remember seeing you looking very happy eating cake in a dessert shop off-campus..."
"That was just a necessary intake of sugar... But the amount of sugar a human can intake is limited..." the girl's expression looked quite solemn: "If too much is ingested, the calories will eventually go to places where they aren't wanted..."
"My condolences."
Asakura looked at the girl's completely flat chest and said in a truly sincere tone.
"But is it really okay to hide a Holy Grail on yourself? After all, the activity advancement said there were seven Holy Grails that could be exchanged for rewards..." Asakura then asked curiously.
"No problem."
"I see..."
"Because the final right of interpretation for the activity lies with the Student Council!"
"Is that so 'no problem'?! "
"I am the rules!"
"What kind of President are you!?"
"Just kidding."
Amakusa Shino laughed: "Actually, I did leave clues for the participants, it's just that no one found my clues until the very end."
"Well, after all, people who like solving puzzles are a bit of a minority..."
Asakura nodded in understanding: "Just asking, what kind of clue did you leave?"
"It was just a simple haiku. 'The golden cup allows a wish, the President holds it in her hand, above the Kamigawa.'"
"Let's not talk about the rhyming, as a haiku, the format is wrong, isn't it?"
"It doesn't matter, because I am the rules!"
"Forget it... But your haiku (if it counts as one) is quite obvious. Is it possible that throughout the whole afternoon and evening today, truly no one guessed the Holy Grail was in your hands?" Asakura asked with some curiosity.
"I naturally wouldn't be so foolish as to put this line of text directly where everyone could see it! If you want to find it, there are still some thresholds!" Amakusa Shino said triumphantly.
"Oh? Is it like those room escape games, where through various riddles like invisible ink, one thing leads to another, and finally this riddle type can be discovered?"
"First, you need to go to the science lab to borrow an optical microscope——"
"The very first step is 'out'! It'd be a miracle if a normal person could find that!"