On a certain winter night, the gentle moonlight falls on Serafiona’s bed. She is already in her dreamland. Lu is sleeping with Serafiona’s feet as a pillow, and wakes up to footsteps from outside.
He stood up, looked out of the window, and saw several male students running toward the auditorium. Lu is familiar with them. Those are children from the same class as Serafiona.
He used <genjutsu> on himself and hopped with a -pyon-.
ー
“Well now, quietly! Quietly! Let’s hold the second meeting of 『celebrate the joys of being classmates with Serafiona-sama and Alma-sama』”
-don- -don- -don- -don-!
-pii-! -pii-!
“Then, roll call…… ―48 first graders, all present. Ah, Dan-kun was absent due to fever today, is it okay to get out of bed already?”
“*pant* *pant* …There’s the general meeting of SerAl tonight… Do you think I can afford to sleep? ……*pant* *pant*……”
“What a wonderful mind-set. And today’s meeting will be presided by Everest from Class 1.”
(TN: The class Serafiona is in)
-don- -don- -don- -don-!
-pii-! -pii-!
“First, let’s discuss the carryover agenda from the last meeting, 『one class having both the girls is unfair.』 Now, the representatives from class 2.”
“Yes! This agenda came up last time because of the consensus of class 2, but after spending about a year… We have decided to retract the original proposal of separating SerAl. There are only two girls right now, and we have realised that them being apart will only make them sad. Also, it is only when they are together that they are SerAl.”
“Ooh―!”
“The two being a pair makes me wanna cry―!”
“What a decisive judgement―!”
“That’s why, I’m going to make a new proposal. 『In the second year, it would be crazy if the SerAl pair does not exist anymore?』 Just accept the fact that, this year, you should give up the rights to be near SerAl. But next year, maybe you’ll have the chance. This is our stance.”
“That’s right that’s right―!”
“What are you talking about? Are you sure you’re not getting too used to being together in a class with SerAl?”
“Well, won’t it be even more comfortable if SerAl comes to the second class!”
“What―!?”
“You all… Can I have a bit of your time?”
“Yes, Kodak-sensei, go ahead.”
“Sorry to dampen your excitement but, next year’s class division will be determined according to your grades. The class 1 will have the top 25 students, the next 25 will be in the other class.”
“””””What!!!!!”””””
“Right now, Serafiona is in first place, Alma is… Fifth place. It hasn’t changed a lot throughout this school year, so it’s almost guaranteed that the pair will be together.”
“Are you serious……?”
“That’s terrible, I can’t live in a classroom without the two!”
“I keep receiving reds in the class-tests! Someone, please share me your notebook! Please!”
-pan- -pan-
“Everyone, be quiet! Thank you, Kodak-sensei. Thank you very much for the valuable information. They will probably be a pair next year. If you want to breathe the same air as both of them, you will have to show results at the end of the school year! So that’s the end of this agenda?”
-clap- -clap- -clap- -clap-
“Then, the next agenda, 『Won’t it be more fun if the school festival is a collaboration between the same school years?』 Then please, share your thoughts.”
(TN: Probably the school festival in chapter 44)
“………, ………, ………… !!!”
“! ………!!”
“…………”
“???”
“………”
“Then, it’s free discussion from here. Raise your hands, those with topics. Yes, Gyro-kun.”
“The other day, I saw Nick go out by horses with Serafiona. Where did they go? Could it be that they were on a date?”
“What―!”
“Nick you, you’re stealing a march!”
“Were you not in the Alma-sama faction!?”
“Be quiet! Please give your comment, Nick-kun. It’s not good to keep secrets, okay?”
“Haa… The other day, I went with Serafi to Trundle Guild. It was a promotion test for Serafi. I went to see that, and if possible, learn from it. That’s it.”
“Serafiona-sama… Is promoted?”
“Oh, she’s a gold ranker. That’s outrageous… A foul… She won against an S-rank…”
“Trundle’s A-rank…”
“Finally in the Goddess’s reach…”
“Umm, Nick’s expression… What kind of technique…”
“Nick! Why didn’t you report this super important information!”
“Probably because he disliked the fact that he would be losing his status, strength, benevolence, etc.”
“That is……”
“As expected of the Twilight Goddess…”
“Absolute Demon Fairy…”
“O―i! In other news, which I’m not proud of, I’ve been getting information on those who are bullying Alma-sama!”
“What―!”
“That quiet and strong Alma-tan――!”
“Who is it!?”
“Be quiet! Then Wright-kun, please.”
“This is what I heard from my acquaintance who was a maid at Cecil’s house in the past. She told me that Alma was despised in her family. Despite being the same descendant as Cecil, and being a great noble, Alma-sama wasn’t provided education, dresses, swords, anything at all. Alma-sama was crying all the time in bed, but if they comforted her, it would be their necks flying, so the servants pretended not to see.”
“Huh?”
“What extreme wickedness!”
“Cecil! Where is that bastard?”
“No, Alma was a girl, so she was not like us brothers…”
“Are you an idiot? It’s natural that you’re different. Why do you despise a woman? Why don’t you help when your sister was bullied?”
“No, at home, women who are weak…”
“Isn’t it even more important if she’s weak?”
“She wasn’t even invited to the tea party hosted by the Princess where all 10-year-old nobles participated?
“Women are weak? What are you saying when you’re even weaker than Alma-sama?”
“So this is Alma-sama’s unseen story…”
“Alma-sama has been slapped in the face because of Cecil’s lies!”
(TN: Chapter 43)
“””””!!”””””
“……Hey, Cecil, come out!”
“A house that beat their youngest daughter? The worst……”
“Ah, I didn’t think that would happen! But now, I’m gonna make up for it! Alma becomes so cute as soon as she enters school, and what have I done so far… And… If it would make Alma feel comfortable, I want her to kick me and trample on me as I prostrate… And hopefully Serafiona too…”
“””””……………”””””
“-goho- -gohon-! Alma-sama is getting so cute, doesn’t it make all of you happy?”
“Alma-sama… She’s getting prettier… Her ever stiff expressions are now replaced with smiles and she has a fluffy air around her. It makes me wanna cry.”
“It’s the Serafiona-sama effect. They make a perfect picture of twins on holidays. It makes me wanna faint from too much happiness!”
“Pajamas for breakfast? The first time I saw all four girls like that at breakfast, I gave my thanks to God!”
“That in itself was a miracle!”
“That happened? I want to see it! I want to move to the West Dormitory!”
“You all… Can I have a bit of your time?”
“Yes, Kodak-sensei, go ahead.”
“Say the second lesson of 『Knight’s 5 moral codes』”
“””””A knight must, love, respect, and protect someone weaker than him!”””””
“That’s right. Cecil, you know what to do?”
“Yes……”
“Umm, Can I have a bit of your time?”
“How unusual for you! Murdock-kun, go ahead!”
“Ah, umm, we, members of the Fine Art society have created a story called 『The Four Sister Knights.』The eldest sister is Elsa-sama, a person with a firm personality; followed of Sasara-sama, who have a cheerful personality; next is Alma-sama, who is very quiet; and then Serafiona-sama, the astounding one. This is a story about them solving a difficult case. The illustration is done by Nelson-senpai, a third-year, who has a promising career as a painter. Please contact me if you are interested.”
“You all… Can I have a bit of your time?”
“Yes, Kodak-sensei, go ahead.”
“……How much does that book cost?”
“500, gold coins.”
“I’ll buy it!!!”
“Sensei!! I’m so―!”
“M-me too!”
“Two books! One for my collection and the other for reading!”
“………………”
“…………”
“! ……!”
“Now, it’s almost time for the dormitory watch to patrol. It’s time to wrap this up, but let me share some unconfirmed information.”
“What is it? What is it?!”
“Everest, it seems to be a great deal!”
“At this year’s fourth grader’s graduation dance party, there seems to be those trying to make a move on our SerAl.”
“What―?!”
“Dance with SerAl? They absolutely can’t!”
“But, both Serafiona-sama and Alma-sama yearn for the fourth graders, Eris-sama and Sasara-sama… If they are invited by them, it would be hard for them to turn down…”
“I know! There should be something organised on that day for first years! Kodak-sensei, let’s have a seminar on that day! A seminar!”
“Huh? Me? It’s not like I’m the only teacher for both classes!”
“……………!”
“…………”
“……………?”
“!!!”
ー
“Idiots…………”
When Lu returns to the room, Serafiona is still sleeping in the same position as before.
Lu laughs and rubs his nose against Serafiona’s cheek, and closes his eyes.
Bound Pleasures 
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