Enrollment (4)

A girl, whose identity he didn’t even know, interrupted him, and Selion felt a surge of anger.

Judging by the presence of guards nearby, he assumed she was a noble, but his own status was nothing to be taken lightly.

“Do you have some business with me or something?”

Selion stood before the girl, wearing an arrogant expression.

Since he didn’t know who she was, he had no choice but to act as he usually did.

Of course, the mercenaries (knights) guarding the girl (Princess) had bloodshot eyes.

“And why are you all looking at me like that? This blonde girl was the one who approached me first.”

“……”

The mercenaries’ (knights’) expressions grew even more hostile.

“Are you trying to pick a fight? Do you know how many monsters I’ve subjugated?”

Despite Selion’s continued arrogance, the knights looked as if they might draw their swords at any moment. Then, it happened.

“I’ve wanted to see you.”

“What?”

Was she talking to me?

That’s what Selion thought for a moment, but the girl was looking elsewhere.

She focused her gaze on someone and then dashed over.

“Hahahaha! I really wanted to see you!”

The Princess, running with her arms spread wide, hugged Rio with a girlish laughter.

The Princess, who hugged Rio with both arms, kept rubbing her face against her.

Rio made an awkward face at this. Selion was dumbfounded at the sight.

“Do you remember me? It’s me, me!”

Princess Estelle wore an innocent expression, emphasizing who she was.

Though her face was hidden by a mask and hat, Rio recognized her from the scent of blood she remembered from before.

“No way….”

Four years ago, before the special task force was formed, Rio had once saved a young girl.

That girl, who had almost become a lifeless puppet for the rest of her days due to a demonkin’s curse, was freed from it thanks to Rio.

That girl turned out to be none other than Princess Estelle of the Empire.

“That’s right! You remember, don’t you? Right?”

“…….”

“It’s been so long! Four years, right? It’s been ages! How have you been? I’ve heard rumors, you know. I can’t say much here, but I’m so glad you made it to the academy!”

Estelle rambled incoherently and hugged Rio again.

Bystanders who saw this dismissed it as crude behavior and just passed by.

Naturally, Selion was seething with deeper anger.

“Don’t ignore me. You damn girls!!”

Girls?

The moment Estelle heard that word, her gaze at Selion turned deadly.

“What did you just say? Did you just call my precious friend a girl?”

“So what if I did!”

At Selion’s verbal abuse, Estelle’s expression twisted hideously.

As she pointed at him, one of the mercenaries (knights) by her side landed a punch in Selion’s stomach.

Thud!—

“Guugh!!”

With a single blow, Selion collapsed, gagging.

He hadn’t even seen the punch coming, and if it had been just a little stronger, it could have knocked him out.

Just that one hit left Selion’s legs trembling.

“Say it again. Who did you call a girl?”

“…….”

It was an absurd situation.

It was strange enough that someone he didn’t know had cut in, but now he’d even been punched by her guard.

“Damn it!”

It was a situation only a person completely at peace could adapt to. In the end, a curse escaped from Selion’s mouth.

Smack!—

Taking another punch to the face, Selion reeled as the mercenary (knight) continued his assault, leaving Selion dizzy and faint.

The onlookers screamed and scattered.

“Say it again. Who did you call a girl?”

“Ugh….”

“Kneel. Right now!”

Overpowered by the mercenary (knight), Selion’s body trembled instinctively.

When he continued to stare vacantly, Estelle let her cold fury show.

“Do you want to die?”

The words prompted Selion to move reflexively.

“I’m sorry.”

As he knelt and apologized with a fearful expression, Estelle’s face grew calmer.

“If you ever lay a hand on my friend again… your arms and legs won’t escape unscathed. Understand?”

“…….”

“Now get lost.”

What did he even do wrong? Selion felt as if his insides were churning, but could do nothing but leave the scene. This humiliation.

He would never forget it.

“Teacher, over here!”

And, almost as if on cue, a student who had been running and screaming brought over Rio’s homeroom teacher, Talia (Silia), thinking Rio had gotten caught up in a violent incident.

“Huh? Your Highness the Princess…?”

Louis, who had rushed over as well, instantly recognized the veiled Princess.

****

Having recognized each other’s identities, they moved inside for a smoother conversation.

Only after sitting on the sofas in a large, empty room could they safely continue their secret talk.

After all, they couldn’t talk about the special task force in public.

“Everyone, please relax.”

Estelle said kindly, but Louis, sitting across from her, still wore a sour expression.

In truth, Louis—being special task force—had no reason to feel intimidated by the royal family.

The only odd thing was that the Princess had come here personally and without notice.

“Is the collaborator from the Imperial Court supposed to be Her Highness the Princess?”

“That’s right. I intend to help you all personally.”

“If you could just send someone else, why come yourself?”

In response to Louis’s question, Estelle glanced at Rio.

“Because I wanted to see my benefactor.”

“…….”

Overwhelmed by Estelle’s gaze, overflowing with affection, Rio instinctively shrank away.

Almost as if threatened at a primal level, she clung to Silia sitting beside her.

“Squad leader, it’s hard for me to be here.”

“Shh! Hang in there.”

Though Rio whispered pleadingly to Silia, it all fell within Estelle’s hearing.

Still, Estelle gazed at Rio fondly and continued.

“I’ve heard the stories. I mean, the girl who saved me was a 7th Legion soldier.”

It was obvious for soldiers to guard the royal family; strictly speaking, Rio had simply done her duty.

That’s why she felt regret.

If Rio hadn’t been part of the 7th Legion, Estelle could’ve directly expressed her thanks.

“And I heard from Father that a special task force was formed within the 7th Legion. And that Rio was a member too.”

However, Rio was still a part of the 7th Legion, whose base was the demon realm.

Even as royalty, it wasn’t easy to enter, and Estelle still had much to learn.

She endured intense training to fill the gap left by her vanished brother, but recalling Rio’s face always eased her stress.

“I even sent a gift to the 7th Legion headquarters to thank you—do you remember?”

“Oh… that.”

Indeed, gifts for Louis’s squad members had once arrived at the 7th Legion headquarters.

They included not only food unavailable in the 7th Legion, but also all sorts of gear and supplies.

However, at some point, the deliveries stopped.

“But then Father said I didn’t need to do it myself and forbade me. Was it inconvenient without those gifts?”

“We got by just fine.”

“Compared to the other soldiers, us special task force members are treated as ‘people’ at least.”

There was no real need for Estelle to help.

If regular soldiers lived in hell, the special task force was comparatively well off.

Though “7th Legion soldier” was just nominal, they were actually treated like officers.

Above all, the special task force leaders held authority rivaling that of the royal family.

Making enemies of them inside the legion was akin to suicide.

“By now, the other squad members are probably living normally too. They can even handle monster attacks skillfully.”

“That’s such a relief.”

That meant Rio too had led a relatively normal life.

Estelle sipped her tea with relief, then snuggled up to Rio, hugging her like a doll.

“I was so worried about what happened to you! I feel at ease now, seeing you again!”

“Um….”

Rio tried to say something, but Estelle didn’t listen.

“And you’re sixteen now, aren’t you? You’ve grown so much! The uniform really suits you… and your figure’s so mature… If I had an image magitech device, I’d have to record this for keeps! And… and…!!”

Estelle, her expression wild with madness, clung to Rio.

Her obsessive behavior was almost cult-like. On top of that, every single knight accompanying her had black hair.

Louis clicked his tongue at such a Princess, and Rio managed to weakly reach out a hand.

“Young master… hel…p… me….”

Rio pleaded for help as if she’d fallen into a swamp from which she’d never emerge.

As Estelle’s hands wandered all over Rio, Silia coolly shifted the topic back to business.

“Anyway, Rio has enrolled at the academy undercover. I trust Your Highness was briefed?”

At this, Estelle stopped what she was doing.

She was happy to be reunited with Rio, but it was not a situation to simply laugh about.

“Of course, father told me himself. About how my brother… the deposed Crown Prince might be hiding in the academy.”

Once, they had been family, but now, only bad blood remained.

Ever since making a contract with a demon, the Crown Prince had brainwashed Father and tormented her.

“I know it’s dangerous. Father warned me before I came.”

If the Crown Prince really was hiding here, it was only right to be cautious.

Given everything he’d done to Estelle, nothing good could come from crossing paths.

“But I decided not to run away. When I heard you’d be infiltrating the academy, I realized—I might be able to help with my abilities.”

Estelle’s eyes began to glow faintly.

The imperial royal family is born with special abilities, regardless of magic or aura.

The ability Estelle awakened was ‘Mind’s Eye’—the power to perceive a person’s innermost thoughts.

“What do you think? With my Mind’s Eye….”

“We could catch the hiding Crown Prince.”

Louis interrupted her. Normally it would be rude to cut off a royal, but Estelle didn’t mind.

“However, even after searching the entire academy, I haven’t found a trace of him.”

Even with Louis’s superhuman senses and Rio’s blood recognition device, there was no sign. In effect, the Crown Prince was unlikely to be present at the academy.

“Really?”

“Of course! That’s not to say your help is unwanted.”

Louis grinned confidently.

“In fact, saying there’s no sign is only half-true.”

“What do you mean?”

All they had was evidence of his absence, but that didn’t eliminate suspicion.

“There’s ‘evidence’ of absence, but suspicion itself hasn’t vanished yet.”

****

Saber, the Crown Prince’s direct imperial guard unit. Once a member, Elaine was now lying in her academy dorm.

Before going to bed, she gazed at a small mirror. Seeing her reflection was always astonishing.

Originally a woman in her thirties, she now looked sixteen.

“That relic I saw in the casino was incredible, no matter how many times I think about it.”

It didn’t merely change her appearance.

It altered even her blood information and genetic characteristics.

No matter how keen someone’s senses were, her true self couldn’t be revealed.

‘The order from His Highness was to blend in at the academy as much as possible.’

She reminded herself of her purpose here.

Everything was by command of His Highness, the Crown Prince, and she intended to follow any of his plans.

Thus, she’d been pretending to be a new student and networking with classmates.

And His Highness had told her. An ally would soon arrive at the academy, not undercover like her, but openly.

‘Interesting. School life.’

Drifting off to sleep, Elaine thought. She had never once attended school in her life.

Her whole existence had been one of begging for survival as a vagrant in the slums before being saved by His Highness the Crown Prince.

She pondered how to repay him for such an opportunity.

How could the Emperor of this Empire, who didn’t understand His Highness’s heart and deposed him, be so cold?

She would do whatever it took to restore His Highness’s imperial power.

That was the current goal of Saber and Elaine. She slipped beneath her blanket, seeking a good night’s rest.

Several hours later, she opened her eyes again. Was it morning already? But no sunlight crept in from the window.

‘Did I wake up too early?’

Yet stranger, her body wouldn’t move. Somehow, her body—previously lying in bed—was now tied to a chair.

“Uh?”

Elaine belatedly realized she was bound in what appeared to be a dark basement.

“What is this?”

It startled her that something so unexpected had happened.

“What do you think it is?”

A boy’s mischievous voice called out from in front of her.

“You’ve been kidnapped.”

Louis smiled smugly at her as she paled in terror.

————-= Clacky’s Corner ————-=

That was fast.

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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