Chapter 16

Archbishop Mintz continued, undeterred.

“That is precisely why it is an extraordinary honor—virtually impossible, really—for you lot to be decorated by Princess Victie today. But do not misunderstand. It does not mean you are entitled to interact familiarly with her—”

“You’re just irritable because you feel like your value as her caretaker is dropping.”

The whisper that cut in belonged to Leo, who had approached us.

“Leo Baal, you…!”

“Van. The Archbishop Mintz standing before you held the prestigious role of Princess Victie’s caretaker. He used that position as a foothold to become the supreme authority within the Church regarding Saint Fata. He never would have risen to the rank of Archbishop at his age otherwise.”

“Are you trying to insult me!?”

Though he kept his voice low, Mintz’s tone trembled with rage.

“Princess Victie is usually treated as the property of the Church. Which means, normally, Archbishop Mintz is her sole caretaker. Though Arle takes over whenever she’s at the royal castle.”

Ignoring the anger, Leo deliberately used the word “property.”

“The privilege of being close to Princess Victie and seeing her true face on a daily basis… that privilege is your meal ticket, and now it’s suddenly being encroached upon. I imagine you find this award ceremony quite unpleasant.”

“That’s enough—”

“That Paladin, Jin… he’s no ordinary holy knight, is he?”

At those words, Mintz, who had been about to snap at Leo, froze.

“Judging by his aura, he’s a former mercenary or adventurer. What do you intend to achieve by slipping a man like that into an award ceremony? Are you planning to sabotage it?”

Faced with Leo’s incredibly blunt question, Mintz lost his composure.

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Mintz forgot to lower his voice and shouted. Realizing he had drawn everyone’s attention, he stiffened.

“E-excuse me.”

He hurriedly left the grand hall.

“Right then, me too.”

While everyone else sat there stunned by the sudden outburst, Jin spoke up and followed him out of the hall.

“I still have dessert to serve…” Yasha murmured softly after the two had completely vanished.

“You went too far. What if our relationship with the Church worsens?” Ice glared sharply at Leo.

“It’s his own fault for getting angry over something like that. He lacks the caliber of an Archbishop. Besides, it’s obvious they’re plotting something by bringing a man like Jin along. I merely pointed out what everyone else was thinking.”

“Even if you know, proceed with some discretion.”

“I’m simply not the type for that.”

Leo bowed with polished insolence.

Meanwhile, I had stopped looking at Leo halfway through and was watching Victie instead. Despite all the commotion, she hadn’t shown a single reaction.

“May I offer a personal opinion, King Uraenus?”

Raika sought permission from Uraenus, who had been watching the exchange between Leo and Ice with bated breath.

“Eh? Oh, ah… what is it?”

“I believe the one we should be wary of isn’t these students, Van and Kirio, but rather that man, Jin.”

“Eh? Ah, er…”

Before the flustered Uraenus could find his words, Ice interjected.

“Choose your time and place before speaking.”

“My apologies.” Raika bowed deeply.

“Don’t worry, nothing strange is going to happen,” Arle cut in lazily. “I deal with him since we’re both caretakers, but Archbishop Mintz is a total coward.”

“You people…”

Ice clutched her head with one hand as if enduring a migraine.

“I am begging you, watch what you say. Merlin, I’m sorry, but…”

“Yes. Listen well: Van, Leo, Bob, Kirio. What you have heard here stays here. If you break this confidence, your graduation is revoked. Also, Leo—don’t speak until the meal is over.”

Merlin was probably the only person who could speak so roughly to the heir of the Baal family. His tone was simply that of a teacher scolding his students. Surprisingly, Leo fell silent quite gracefully after being reprimanded like that.

In any case, Merlin’s intervention finally settled the table, and dessert was served.

“I shall now inform you of the schedule moving forward,” Yasha said while distributing the pudding.

“Though, it is quite simple. Those being honored will return to their respective rooms after this. Please wait there until Master Jin and Lady Raika come to collect you.”

“Jin is coming to get us too?” Kirio muttered in a voice only I could hear.

We had just had a run-in with him and his attitude was terrible, so I understood their unease.

“The recipient, Master Jin, and Lady Raika—the three of you will head to the chapel together. There, Master Jin and Lady Raika will unlock the chapel, and the recipient will enter. After receiving words from Princess Victie inside, please exit the chapel. Master Jin and Lady Raika will then lock the chapel, and the three of you will return here. The recipient is to return to their room, and Master Jin and Lady Raika will go to collect the next person.”

“Wait, Princess Victie is staying in the chapel the whole time, right? Is it alright for Lady Raika and Master Jin to leave her alone?” I asked.

With that method, Princess Victie would be left by herself for quite a while.

“I was thinking the same thing, actually.”

Raika waved her hand dismissively while stuffing her mouth with pudding.

“But those are the orders.”

“You need not worry; Victie is safe as long as she is inside the chapel. We had the door replaced a week ago, and it’s designed so that it’s absolutely impossible to enter without the key. We’ve also confirmed that the chapel itself is built so sturdily that the walls cannot be breached unless someone uses explosives.”

Ice took over the explanation.

“And if they do use explosives, what then?”

It was Uraenus who asked the follow-up question, looking even more concerned.

“Have you forgotten, dear? The forest surrounding this hall is lined with our Royal Guard and the Church’s Paladins in a formation that wouldn’t let a single mouse through.”

Ice explained while looking at her husband with cold eyes.

“Ah, right. That’s true. I forgot.”

Uraenus nodded repeatedly, a kind smile returning to his face as he looked relieved.

“I see. So threats from the outside have already been dealt with. In that case, the only remaining threats are those of us on the inside. Raika and Jin are there to act as our watchdogs and apply psychological pressure.”

Leo muttered this to himself with a cynical grin, making sure his voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Regarding the order of the ceremony, the awards will be presented in order of overall academic rank.”

Yasha made the announcement, completely ignoring Leo’s remark.

If it was by overall rank, the order would be Leo, then me, followed by Bob, and finally Kirio.

“The award ceremony is scheduled to conclude at 2:30 PM. We thank you for your cooperation.”

Yasha bowed to us.

“What happens once it’s over?” Bob asked, tilting his head.

“Once finished, I shall call for the carriages. The members of the Royal Court and the Church will depart in their respective carriages. As for those from the Military Academy, I shall call for you once your preparations are complete, so please wait in your rooms until then.”

They really seemed to want us to stay in our rooms as much as possible. Even with royalty and high-ranking clergy present, was it normal to be this overtly cautious? It was impressive, in a way.

“Well then, if you’ll excuse us. It was an enjoyable meal; you have my thanks. You boys and girls are the future treasures of Shark.”

As Ice stood up, Uraenus hurriedly followed her lead.

“Ah, yes. I look forward to working with you after graduation!”

He offered a greeting that barely qualified as one.

Then, Princess Victie stood up without a sound.

Without speaking a word, and with no one sparing her a glance, Princess Victie walked slowly away.

Raika stood up as well, staying close to Princess Victie’s side. But even Raika, her guard, did not look at her. She kept her gaze subtly averted.

The four of them filed out of the grand hall.

Until the very end, Victie remained like a doll.

Arle, who had been eating her pudding slowly, finally finished just as they left.

“Phew. Well, I suppose I should get going too.”

Arle stood up.

“Goodbye, everyone. Kirio-chan, I hope we get to work together soon!”

“Y-yes, Ma’am!”

Kirio replied, her face flushing red.

And with that, Arle leisurely departed the grand hall.

“Well, let us be off as well. Yasha, that was delicious.”

Merlin gave his thanks.

“Thank you, everyone. I shall be cleaning up here for a while, so please let me know if you have any needs.”

Yasha answered with a smile.

And so, we returned to our rooms.

On the way, as we were climbing the stairs, Leo leaned in close.

“Van.”

“Hm?”

“Back there, I read the room and held my tongue on something.”

“Wait, that was you reading the room?” I shot back reflexively.

“The Royal Court and the Church… it seems they fundamentally do not trust one another.”

“What?”

“In the flow of the ceremony, Jin and Raika are set to act together at all times, right? It’s clearly intended so they can monitor each other. It’s pure paranoia. Something might actually happen this time.”

“Don’t go saying ominous stuff like that.”

While we talked, we reached the second floor.

We dispersed and entered our respective rooms.

12:30 PM.