“Stella Vermillion, you don’t actually believe that no one in the world can surpass you just because you set a new historical record in the entrance exams, do you?”

Kurono took a leisurely puff of her cigarette and chuckled. “As far as I know, even excluding Roy, there are quite a few student knights across the Seven Academies who can match or even suppress you in terms of raw combat strength.”

“I don’t believe that I’m invincible,” Stella immediately shook her head, denying the accusation. “I came to Japan to study specifically because I know I am not strong enough.”

The words spoken by Kurono Shinguuji, the former World No. 3 and current Chairwoman of Hagun Academy, carried absolute credibility. Stella knew better than to dismiss her warnings.

“So, what reason do you have to say no?” Kurono shrugged. “Having a roommate like Roy is exactly the kind of motivation you need to keep getting stronger.”

Stella still looked incredibly conflicted. She was deeply resistant to the idea of cohabitation with a boy; it crossed a fundamental bottom line for her as a maiden and a princess.

“Alright, the decision is final. Even if you object, I will not accept it,” Kurono said forcefully, leaving no room for negotiation. “Besides the two of you, there are other mixed gender pairings sharing dormitories. If everyone who protested was allowed to change their room, the entire system would collapse.”

“Stella Vermillion, even if you are an Imperial Princess, I will not give you special preferential treatment.” Kurono leaned forward, her gaze piercing. “If you are truly that dissatisfied, you are free to apply for withdrawal. I’m sure the other academies would be more than happy to accept you.”

“I understand. I accept,” Stella said, her shoulders drooping in defeat.

“That’s the spirit!” Kurono clapped her hands, suddenly cheerful again. “Besides, if a girl your age rejects boys too vehemently, people will start to think you’re weird. Having a boy of the same age and similar strength to fight alongside you… don’t you think there’s a certain romance to that?”

Hearing this, Stella’s face flushed.

“Chairwoman, are you really not worried about her murdering me in my sleep?” Roy rolled his eyes. Kurono clearly had the mentality of a bystander watching a soap opera.

“I’m the one who compromised here! I was even planning to let the fact that you saw me half naked slide, and now you’re accusing me of wanting to murder you?!” Stella snapped. She had been trying to find a silver lining, but Roy’s comment replaced any budding expectations with pure indignation.

Roy gave her a deadpan look. “I’m not worried about you taking my life. But if we share a room, I’m worried you might end up killing me that way.”

Kurono: “…”

“Pfft..hahahahahahaha!”

After staring at Roy for a split second to process the joke, Kurono completely lost her composure. She clutched her stomach, laughing so hard she nearly fell out of her chair. “No, no, stop! I’m dying!”

“What?” Stella frowned, her clear, innocent eyes filled with utter confusion.

She glared at Roy unhappily. “I am not a murderer! How could I possibly kill you? And who do you think you are?!”

“Cough! Cough!” Kurono choked on her smoke, her face twitching as she tried to reign in her laughter.

She hadn’t expected Roy to deliver such a crass, dirty joke with such a perfectly straight face.

After wiping a tear from her eye and regulating her breathing, Kurono looked at the clueless princess.

“Stella, do you really not understand the biological differences between men and women? Do you honestly have no idea what Roy is talking about?”

Stella just blinked, her expression a mix of pristine innocence and sheer stupidity.

“Come here. Put your ear close,” Kurono crooked a finger.

Puzzled, Stella leaned over the desk. Kurono cupped her hand and whispered the explanation of Roy’s joke directly into the princess’s ear.

In a matter of seconds, the color of Stella’s face shifted from pale, to pink, to a brilliant, violent crimson.

“WHAT ARE YOU SAYING TO A MAIDEN?!” Stella shrieked, her body snapping upright like a coiled spring.

It wasn’t an exaggeration, literal white steam began rising from the top of her head. At the same time, the ambient temperature in the office spiked drastically as her magical power flared out of control.

Her mind thoroughly short-circuited by the crude joke, Stella exploded with embarrassment.

Turbulent, crimson flames erupted from her body, turning the office into a furnace. With a furious cry, she directed a massive, concentrated pillar of fire straight at Roy.

Roy simply raised his hand and swiped the air. The terrifying pillar of flame was effortlessly scattered by a burst of wind pressure, dissipating before it could even singe his clothes.

“How?!” Stella gasped, her eyes wide with astonishment. He had blocked her magical fire without even manifesting his own aura.

Before she could process it, Roy’s figure completely vanished from her line of sight.

The next instant, he appeared directly in front of her, entirely bypassing her defenses. He raised his hand and gently flicked his index finger against her forehead.

[Congratulations Host! Obtained 450,000 Dimensional Points.]

Stella couldn’t react at all. By the time her brain caught up, she only felt the warm, solid tap of his finger against her skin.

“The winner is decided! The victor is Roy!” Kurono announced loudly, playing along perfectly as the referee.

Roy smiled and withdrew his hand.

“Wait, no!” Stella stumbled back, finally snapping out of her daze. “Why is the match decided?! I wasn’t even prepared! That was a sneak attack!”

“You were the one who attacked first,” Kurono pointed out with a smirk. “And even if you were prepared, do you honestly think you had a way to counter his movement just now?”

“If I had covered my body with my nobel art, he wouldn’t have been able to touch me with a mere finger!” Stella argued stubbornly, referring to her ultimate defensive Noble Art, which coated her skin in dragon-like magical armor.

“You said it yourself: he only used his finger,” Kurono said, giving Stella a pointed look. “What if he had used his Device? Furthermore, he didn’t even use a drop of magic power just now. He bypassed your flames using nothing but pure physical martial arts.”

Stella opened her mouth, but the words died in her throat. She had no excuses left.

“I lost,” Stella admitted, her shoulders slumping in dejection. She looked up at Roy, her crimson eyes filled with a mix of frustration and intense curiosity.

“What exactly was that technique you just used? The Chairwoman said it was just a physical skill, but that didn’t feel like normal movement at all.”

—

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