5

Because Ains had been late, some time had already passed since the announcement.

“I’ll quickly check the results and class, so Ains, wait around here!”

Saying that, Laika pushed through the examinees toward the bulletin board.

“‘Around here’… there’s nowhere to relax though…”

Ains leaned his back against a nearby streetlamp not far from the board.

While blankly watching the crowd, Ains thought the applicants really were numerous, and idly wondered what the acceptance percentage was, though he had little interest.

“Oh? Isn’t that Ains-dono. Good morning. Are you accompanying Lady Laika?”

Ains turned toward the voice and saw a tall man in a tailcoat.

“Seidel-san, and—”

From behind Seidel, partially hidden from Ains’s angle, the First Princess of the Santia Kingdom, Kirishiya, appeared.

“Kirishiya too had already come?”

“Good morning, Ains-san. And I told you not to add ‘-sama,’ didn’t I?”

Kirishiya puffed her doll-like cheeks deliberately.

Ains almost blurted out that she was cute.

“No, well… I’m still not used to it. I consider myself a man of common sense who fully understands how intimidating royalty is.”

Scratching his head, Ains averted his eyes.

But Kirishiya widened her eyes in surprise.

“The Ains-san who caused such a commotion in the royal castle calls himself a man of common sense?”

“…Kirishiya-sama, it seems we must relearn the meaning of ‘common sense.’”

Seidel joined in teasing Ains along with his master.

“That was settled long ago. Please spare me, Seidel-san too.”

Feeling awkward, Ains continued talking with them while waiting for Laika to return.

“By the way, since Kirishiya-san is here too, have you already seen the results?”

“Yes, I have.”

Kirishiya smiled brightly.

Ains looked toward the crowd at the board, surprised she had forced her way through it.

As the princess of this country, he had imagined her more timid.

“Well, the result itself was sent earlier in a document from the academy.”

Kirishiya laughed, and Seidel quietly nodded as if familiar with the arrangement.

“What do you mean?”

Seidel answered Ains’s question.

The results were publicly announced on the bulletin board. As Ains could see, it was not an orderly crowd like the entrance exam but complete chaos the academy could not manage.

If royalty — especially the First Princess — came, confusion would be inevitable. Combined with Kirishiya’s outstanding appearance, men would gather around her like insects to flowers, causing even greater disorder.

Therefore, the academy prevented confusion in advance by sending her result via document.

In fact, royal examinees had always received such arrangements; Prince Haral’s result had also been delivered by document.

And in his case, he had not actually come to see it.

So why was Kirishiya here?

“Because I want to see it! It only happens once in a lifetime, right? I want to experience things myself instead of giving them up due to status.”

Her large eyes sparkled as she looked at the board, then she lowered them awkwardly, aware she troubled others.

“True enough.”

To Ains, she left a favorable impression.

He had no attachment to authority, but he knew those who possessed it split into two kinds: those who lounged atop a hill of power, and those like Kansas and Laika who understood noblesse oblige.

From this exchange, Ains concluded Kirishiya was fortunately the latter.

“Hey Ains! While I’m gone you’re chatting happily with another girl— wait, Kirishiya! …So you came after all?”

Laika returned from the board and noticed Ains and Kirishiya talking.

Her hair, neatly arranged before leaving the mansion, was slightly disheveled from the crowd.

“Good morning, Laika. Everyone tried to stop me, but I wanted to see with my own eyes.”

“…Well, that’s one of your good points.”

Laika glanced at Seidel behind her, feeling a bit sympathetic for his troubles.

Seidel met her gaze, bowed, and greeted quietly.

“You passed of course, right? Which class were you?”

Kirishiya asked with mixed anxiety and hope about whether they were together.

“I was in Class A. You?”

“Me too! What a relief! I was worried I’d feel lonely without you…”

Kirishiya sighed in relief.

Laika, having heard from Kansas the previous night how the royal family wanted her to interact with Kirishiya, suspected the same class was not entirely coincidence.

(Prince Haral the sister-obsessed wouldn’t overlook something that made his sister sad.)

Laika imagined Haral sneezing somewhere.

“I’m looking forward to classes starting! But why did you bring Ains-san, Laika?”

Knowing Laika usually checked quickly and returned home, Kirishiya wondered.