Chapter 15

Noon.

There was a knock at my door.

“Ah, yes, coming.”

I had been sitting blankly in my chair, but I scrambled to my feet and approached the door.

As I went to open it, I completely lost my balance.

“Whoa!”

The reason was simple: I’d forgotten I had locked the door. In this world, doors are equipped with what they call “Magic Locks”—magical mechanisms designed to prevent them from being forced open by sorcery. Because I’d tried to pull it open with all my might while it was still locked, I ended up stumbling forward.

After managing to turn the key and swing the door open, I found Yasha standing there with a pleasant smile.

“Thank you for waiting. Lunch is prepared, so please make your way to the grand hall.”

Without letting her expression slip for a second, she gave a sharp turn and walked away.

She’s like an automaton, I thought.

Stepping out into the hallway, I ran right into Kirio, who seemed to be heading for the hall at the same time.

“Oh, Kirio. I’m looking forward to lunch. We might get to eat stuff we’ve never even seen before.”

I spoke playfully, trying to calm Kirio down, as her complexion suggested the nerves were returning.

“Y-yeah, I suppose.”

Kirio offered a weak smile on an otherwise pale face.

She’s got it bad.

Being mindful of Kirio’s state, the two of us headed down to the first floor. Just as we entered the entrance hall—

“Hm?”

I noticed a pair of figures I didn’t recognize standing there, wearing black and white hoodies.

Who are they? Their faces were hidden by hoods, making it hard to tell.

“Excuse me—”

Just as I started to speak, the figure in the white hood closed the distance between us in a single breath. It was a beautiful, efficient movement—the hallmark of someone trained in the martial arts.

And before I knew it, a dagger was gripped in their right hand.

“Wait—”

It happened so fast my body wouldn’t move, and the words caught in my throat. I could do nothing but watch the person in the white hoodie lunge at me. But that was enough.

I didn’t need an incantation or a preparatory stance. All I needed was the image. I was looking at my target. I recognized them. That was sufficient.

I imagined the Magical Power flowing from my eyes, wrapping around the target, and then the magic triggering.

With a light bang—the sound of a small explosion—the figure in the white hoodie was blown backward.

Explosion Magic. Since I’d done it almost purely by reflex, the power and scale weren’t much, but it was enough of a counter to send a human flying.

“Urgh!”

Perhaps due to the blast, the white hoodie caught fire and flared up. The figure recoiled with a high-pitched cry.

“Kirio!”

I turned back to see if she was okay.

“…Who are you?”

By the time I looked, Kirio had already pinned the other figure in the black hoodie to the ground, a dagger pressed against their throat.

She had likely snatched the dagger right out of the opponent’s hand. Kirio surpassed even Leo in terms of manual dexterity and speed. She was built for this kind of thing.

“Oh, fine, I give up, I give up!”

The fire on the white hoodie had been extinguished, perhaps by Water Magic, and the figure spoke in a light tone as she tossed aside the scorched garment.

Emerging from the hood was a female warrior in light armor with a slender build, bluish hair, green eyes, tanned skin, and pointed ears.

It was my first time seeing one. She likely had the traits of a Dark Elf. She was quite young, too—possibly around our age.

“Still, that was pathetic on your end. Especially since you’re the one who came up with this.”

As the woman spoke in an exasperated tone, the figure in the black hood let out an arrogant huff.

“Hmph, ridiculous. If I’d gone any further, it would have turned into a bloodbath. I merely held back.”

“Eh?”

With a fluidity that left Kirio stunned, the figure slipped out of the black hoodie—leaving it behind in Kirio’s hands—and stood up.

The man who appeared was a robust, middle-aged man with short-cropped hair and a neat goatee. He seemed to have some Dwarf characteristics. He was a swordsman clad in silver-white armor that seemed at odds with the color of the hoodie.

“Who the hell are you people…?” I finally managed to ask, my brain still struggling to catch up with the sudden turn of events.

“We haven’t introduced ourselves yet, have we?”

The female warrior gave a charming smile.

“I’m Raika. That man over there is Jin. Nice to meet you.”

“That must have been quite the ordeal.”

The man spoke with a kind, fatherly smile. He was a portly, middle-aged man. If he hadn’t been introduced, I never would have guessed this person was King Uraenus. He had the air of a father of a large family.

“Their backgrounds are not well-known. I deemed it necessary to verify their capabilities.”

The one who immediately interjected was a thin, elderly man in navy-blue clerical robes—Archbishop Mintz.

Talk about bold, saying that right in front of us, I thought with exasperation. I shared a quick look with Kirio before bringing a piece of steamed fish to my mouth.

When we finally entered the grand hall after the skirmish, the meal had already begun. Now, Kirio and I were seated and eating with the rest of them. Of all the people currently staying at this hall, Yasha was the only one missing from the table.

She had been serving the food until a moment ago, but now she was tucked away in the makeshift kitchen in the corner of the hall, preparing the next course. She truly seemed to be a Jack-of-all-trades when it came to hospitality.

From what I gathered, Kirio and I were the last ones to be called. Apparently, it was so they could conduct a “simple test.” And that simple test was that sudden ambush. It seemed that, aside from Raika and Jin, no one else knew the details of the test until I mentioned it just now.

They said the idea came from the Paladin, Jin, but based on the way he was talking, the real mastermind seemed to be Archbishop Mintz.

The reason sounded plausible enough, but in reality, it was likely just a way to put us in our place—a warning to the “outsiders” not to try anything funny.

Thinking about it just made me pissed. I had intended to stay quiet from the start, but if I stayed quiet now, they’d just think I was intimidated and shrinking away. Maybe I should just raise some hell.

“Honestly, it’s lamentable,” Leo said, wiping his mouth with a napkin after having finished most of his dishes in single bites.

At that moment, Yasha arrived with a new course.

“Don’t say that, Leo. Both Jin and Raika did what they did for Victie’s sake,” King Uraenus interjected, furrowing his brows as he tried to defend them.

“That’s not what I’m talking about, King Uraenus. What I’m saying is that it’s lamentable that the pride of our Royal Guard and a Paladin—the sword of the Church—would resort to a surprise attack only to be counter-beaten by mere students.”

“I could have killed them if I’d intended to.”

It was Jin who immediately shot back with a look of displeasure at Leo’s provocative remark.

Whether from unconscious force or not, the fork he was holding bent out of shape with a sickening metallic creak.

“The weakest dogs bark the loudest, they say.”

“I am a Paladin of the Church. The prestige of the Baal family means nothing to me.”

“And?”

“It means I’d be happy to prove right here that I am not weak.”

“Interesting. I thought the Church was filled with nothing but bores.”

Across the massive table, the atmosphere between Leo and Jin turned razor-sharp.

“Enough, Jin,” Mintz commanded, sounding annoyed.

“Master Leo, please end your jesting there.”

Yasha, who had been carrying dishes just a moment ago, suddenly appeared behind Leo to soothe him.

“Seriously, stop it, Leo,” Merlin added in a weary voice.

I could understand why he sounded like that. He was obligated by his position to perform the meaningless act of trying to restrain Leo.

As expected, Leo didn’t stop for something like that.

“You can talk big about nobility not mattering, but I see you still can’t defy your superiors,” Leo provoked further.

Just as a furious Jin opened his mouth to snap back, a voice like ice rang out, freezing the very air in the grand hall.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t ruin a perfectly good meal with this atmosphere.”

The speaker was Ice. The current Queen. The “Strongwoman” of Shark. Flaming red hair, thick eyebrows, thin lips, and eyes that glinted coldly. Every part of her exuded the aura of a ruler, instantly shifting the air that King Uraenus had only been able to fret over.

“Archbishop Mintz. Jin was appointed to this role upon your recommendation, was he not?”

Ice leaned forward slightly, her red dress rustling. Her gaze was fixed on Mintz. She was supposedly forty, but she looked like she was in her late twenties. However, her sheer presence suggested a woman who had survived countless battlefields.

“I wonder if I should call your supervisory responsibility into question.”

Ice, famously known as the “Woman Who Never Smiles,” spoke while keeping her face as still as a Noh mask, moving only her mouth.

“No, my apologies. Jin, you’re acting like a child,” Mintz scolded flusteredly, and Jin lowered his head with a look of dissatisfaction.

“Exactly. It’s just student talk. Let it slide, Sir Paladin.”

Raika laughed mischievously, earning a fierce glare from Jin. This female warrior with Dark Elf traits didn’t seem bothered by Leo’s provocation at all. Perhaps it was the composure of age. She looked about my age, but her actual years might be quite high.

“Regardless, this food is delicious. As expected, Lady Yasha, your cooking is superb.”

Whether she was trying to soften the mood or was just naturally paced to her own drum, the speaker was a woman in her twenties with chestnut hair. Her voluptuous figure was wrapped in a black robe—unlike Merlin’s, hers was clean and adorned with elegant embroidery.

This woman with somewhat sleepy eyes was Arle. Shark’s representative genius physician and caretaker.

To Kirio, who was interested in medicine, she was apparently an idol; Kirio had been stealing glances at Arle for a while now. Thanks to Arle’s easygoing words, the stiff atmosphere finally broke, and the group returned to enjoying the meal.

“But truly, that thesis was a shocker. To think students could write such a thing!”

I grew worried as Uraenus praised our thesis with innocent excitement while savoring his wine.

Was it really okay for the King of a nation to praise a paper that essentially called for a total overhaul of the country’s system?

Sure enough, he immediately caught a glare from Ice next to him and shrunk back.

Kirio was deep in conversation with Arle. It seemed to be about medicine—terms like “samples” and “standardization of formats” were being tossed around enthusiastically.
Leo was discussing the future of Shark with Ice, but the conversation felt empty, like they were both just scratching the surface while trying to probe each other’s true intentions.
Jin spoke with Mintz, and the now-diminished Uraenus spoke with Raika. Merlin was dealing with Bob with a look of extreme boredom, likely being forced to listen to some boastful story.

And then there was me. I sat silently watching a single girl sitting next to Ice—someone who, despite being more conspicuous than anyone else, was looked at by no one and mentioned by no one.

A pure white frilled dress, lace gloves covering her up to the elbows, and a white veil that completely hid her head.

Princess Victie. Far from just hiding her skin, her outfit was designed to thoroughly obscure her face, the lines of her body, and even her hairstyle. It was incredibly unnatural.

But even more unnatural was the fact that no one spoke to her, looked at her, or even brought her up in conversation.

Princess Victie didn’t eat, and she didn’t speak.

If I hadn’t noticed her move her body just a tiny bit every now and then, I would have suspected there was a doll inside those clothes.

“Hey. Do not stare so intently.”

Mintz had approached me without me noticing and whispered in my ear.

“Eh?”

“A commoner like you wouldn’t know, but to look directly upon Princess Victie, the reincarnation of the Saint, requires the permission of the Church. Given the setting, I shall overlook it this time.”

I was stunned.

Even in this state where you couldn’t see a single feature, it was forbidden to even look at her?

“Then… is that why no one talks about her or speaks to her?”

“Naturally. To speak of Princess Victie in her presence is an act of profanity. Furthermore, she does not speak. Her voice is the Voice of the Saint. To address her regardless is the height of rudeness.”

So these harsh, inhumane rules were actually being applied to Princess Victie. I was speechless.

It was shocking that even her biological parents, the King and Queen, accepted these rules.

I finally understood Leo’s critique of her situation. Simply because she was a “Saint” who was forbidden from being idolized, or perhaps because she looked exactly like one, she was forced to follow this destiny.