Episode 201

Lemveri Camp, Day 2, Lunchtime.

“Has the food improved at all?”

“Not at all.”

I stepped outside briefly and met with a white-haired imperial exchange student.

“How is Her Highness doing?”

“She’s doing fine, though the first-class room is a bit uncomfortable. At least it’s better than sprawling out in this outdoor camp.”

“That’s a relief. It’s truly uncomfortable here.”

Scarlet, the owner of Dormitory 305 and a second-year imperial exchange student, complained about the discomfort, patting her back.

“Honestly, I’d rather be sleeping on a bed in the Shadow Training Center.”

“It’s that bad?”

“Yes. The cold rises up from the ground, the tent is thin and full of holes that let drafts in, and the bedding is ridiculously thin, as if it’s for summer.”

“…….”

“My team consists entirely of noble girls from the kingdom, and last night, a baron’s daughter slept beside me, hugging me so we could share the blanket.”

“Sometimes, people endure the cold by sharing body warmth. It does sound… quite severe.”

No matter how well you flatten the ground, if the place where you rest isn’t suitable, you can’t sleep properly.

“Can you hold out for just one more day? By the third day, ‘it’ should arrive.”

“I don’t know what ‘it’ is, but I only hope it brings good news.”

“It will be. People always feel most hopeful when they’re at their lowest.”

“…….”

Scarlet’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. It seemed she was truly struggling with the cold. The ‘Golden Carriage’ scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning should provide much-needed comfort for Scarlet and all the students, ensuring they at least get a decent night’s sleep.

“Did you have breakfast?”

“Yes. It was hard bread and soup.”

“And the students’ reaction?”

“The noble students openly showed their disdain, but the commoners seemed more accustomed. In fact, they taught us how to dip the bread—which seemed like it had sawdust mixed in—into the soup.”

“The soup was more like a thin broth than a thick stew, wasn’t it? You must have had a rough time.”

“Well….”

While Astasia, Noir, Wednesday, and I were lying comfortably on the sofa in a first-class room with heating magic, eating preserved meals from the refrigerator, the students were truly enduring what could be called a grueling experience.

“And lunch?”

“…Princess Naria mentioned that this, too, is a hardship. In times of plague or famine, even this food could be considered a luxury.”

“She’s setting an example.”

“Yes. And she said if we don’t lose hope, things will change tomorrow. Today’s breakfast and lunch, we’ll take as they come, but we’ll also go to the faculty and demand improvements to our living conditions.”

“Not just talking but taking action to address the problem. She’s doing her best to raise the students’ morale.”

It was not just about sitting back and accepting whatever was given with a resigned ‘this too shall pass’ attitude.

Even if today was tough, tomorrow could be different. The students would endure the challenges in front of them, holding on to that single thread of hope.

If tomorrow ended up exactly the same as today, then that was when it would truly turn into a hellish time.

“Thanks for checking. The afternoon training—was it the marching drill?”

“Yes. The instructor said we’d be back late in the evening.”

“Make sure no one drops out halfway and returns to camp.”

“……?”

“If anyone returns to camp, they could end up entangled in something dangerous. Or you could let those who hope for danger be excluded and sent back to camp.”

It was 1:30 p.m. The sun should be at its peak in the sky, yet today, dark clouds were unusually thick overhead.

“A storm is coming to camp. The opponents are madmen who won’t care if it’s day or night.”

Afternoon, 2 p.m.

“Gather your weapons and supplies! Form rows and columns, and march through the forest to the border of Margrave Roland’s territory!”

“Maintain your formation! Keep the intervals between the front and back!”

“If you are sons of Nostrum, you can do this! Push on! Anyone who collapses along the way will be marked as a dropout and will have to march back at the Academy on the dragon training ground track for the distance they missed!”

The instructors’ voices echoed, and the students looked disheartened. They were hungry and hadn’t had a decent meal.

“Ugh…”

Some students were considering skipping out, as the ‘20 km march’ seemed impossible to them.

“Should we skip it? Lady Adria dropped out because her legs hurt.”

“That’s all fake. Do you think the knights didn’t know she was faking it? They let her off on purpose.”

“Then maybe they’ll let us skip too?”

“Not likely. They’re afraid that if a noble girl gets seriously injured, her family will make a fuss.”

“Darn, if only we had some connections…”

Some grumbled as they joined the line, while others found various excuses to drop out.

Out of 600 students, around 540 were participating in the march.

Only 1/10 of the students started skipping the afternoon training on the second day, but compared to the number of absentees, it wasn’t that many.

“Hey. Don’t you think the instructors look different?”

“I can’t tell with the helmets and face masks.”

“No, their voices are different, especially the Golden Dawn knights.”

“They’re the Royal Knights, aren’t they? Maybe they’re busy serving His Majesty or rotated out.”

“Could be? But I heard a strange rumor last night…”

“A rumor?”

“Yeah. Some noble ladies who were summoned by the knights to Baron Rembourg Gunter’s residence were told to leave without even having a seat ready for them. Apparently, Baron Rembourg Gunter’s face was bright red!”

“…That sounds fishy.”

The training was exhausting, and as they marched, students began to chat out of boredom. The pace of the march wasn’t that fast, so stories started circulating among the students.

“President. The students’ mood is tense.”

“I’m aware.”

At the front, Naria, carrying the Orosol Academy’s flag, continued walking steadily.

“It’s not just the students. The entire Orosol Academy feels different.”

“Pardon?”

“Lord Roland. Do you not notice any differences between yesterday and today?”

“Yesterday and today… the food has gotten terrible?”

Felwood Roland scratched his head and gave a slight laugh.

“And?”

“If you mean the change in knights, then we should be cautious.”

“Why?”

“Golden Dawn isn’t on your… the Princess’s side. I don’t know their purpose for being here, but I doubt it’s anything good.”

“……Hmm.”

Naria nodded lightly in response to Felwood’s remark.

“But at least it’s not ‘us’ they’re targeting.”

“Princess?”

“With this march, in just two hours, we’ll be at least 8… no, 10 kilometers away. Even though it’s a mixed group of teens, everyone has some level of endurance.”

Although they called it a march, for some, it was more like a fast-paced stroll.

“By the way, Lord Felwood.”

“Please, call me Lord Roland.”

“How do you feel about going back to your homeland, though you’re on guard?”

“Even if it’s my homeland, it’s still quite a distance to the Margraviate, Princess.”

“I heard there’s a village called ‘Aviles’ at the border we’re heading to.”

“…Princess?”

Felwood Roland’s expression hardened, but Naria continued walking forward, not looking back.

“Do as you wish. But keep this in mind: when I ascend the throne, I’ll be selective in choosing people.”

“Selective…?”

“I mean, I won’t do things like the current king.”

At Naria’s words, not only Felwood but also a few others behind him hardened their expressions.

“For those who think they’re truly noble just because they were born aristocrats, stuffing bread with sawdust into their mouths might make them come to their senses.”

“Um, President?”

“If nobles are going to take charge of things, they need to show responsibility and competence, don’t they?”

“Um, well…”

“The bread is dry, the meat is barely covered with spices to hide its rottenness, the vegetables are wilted and underweight, and if there weren’t any student mages here who could purify the water, it wouldn’t even be drinkable.”

“…….”

“The Academy claims they’re urgently sourcing supplies, but who knows what will happen tomorrow? Remember that, Lord Roland.”

Naria gripped the flagpole tightly.

“I won’t forget the stone-hard bread we chewed on at lunch.”

After meeting with Scarlet, I returned straight to the first-class cabin of the train.

“Come to think of it, Noir. How’s your swordsmanship training going lately?”

“Huh…?”

Noir, who was just about to put an imperial-made madeleine in his mouth, looked at me in surprise.

“Wait, are you saying we should train right now?”

“How about finishing what’s in your mouth or setting it down before you speak?”

“Oops.”

Noir put the madeleine back on the plate in front of him, sighing deeply as he stood in the corridor.

“I thought this might happen, but I didn’t expect it to happen on the second day.”

“What did you say?”

“Fine, brother. If you won’t go outside, I’ll show you my full power right here.”

Noir placed his hand on the sword at his waist. He couldn’t beat me, but his fierce, competitive spirit to prove himself made me chuckle briefly. However, Noir seemed to interpret my chuckle as a sneer, and his eyebrows furrowed.

“I’m not testing you.”

“Huh?”

“If I were, I’d do it outside. Do you really think I’d practice swordplay here with Astasia and Wednesday around? What are you thinking, bringing up something so dangerous?”

“…That wasn’t it?”

“No.”

I grabbed my staff and stood up.

“What I wanted to ask is, if an enemy comes, can you protect yourself?”

“Of course. Not just myself, I can protect Wednesday too!”

“Good. Then take Astasia and Wednesday into that room.”

“…Brother?”

Noir’s face hardened as he looked at the room I was pointing to, which anyone could tell was a ‘safe room.’

“Brother, could it be…?”

“It’s a perfect environment for Imperial assassins to show up. Chancellor Winchester and the knights went off with the students for the march, and only the injured students remain in the camp….”

Thud, thud, thud.

A loud knock echoed from outside.

“Brother, should I—”

“No. It’s a visitor for me.”

I pressed down on Noir’s shoulder as he moved to step forward, and I opened the door to the first-class cabin.

“Who is it?”

“M-my… stomach…!”

A female student in uniform was clutching her abdomen.

“Your name is… Adria?”

“Please… save… me!”

“Save you?”

I caught Adria’s hand as it reached for my abdomen.

“It seems I have to die for you to live, huh? Let me tell you one thing.”

“Gah…!!”

Lady Adria—or rather, what had been Lady Adria—glared at me, showing clear intent to kill.

“If you’re going to assassinate someone, make sure you’re thorough.”

Thud.

I thrust my staff into the assassin’s solar plexus, knocking her unconscious, and then turned my gaze to Noir.

“Noir. Looks like you’ll have to draw your sword.”

“B-brother…!”

“Watch out for the glass.”

As soon as I finished speaking—

Crash!

The first-class cabin’s glass shattered as men wearing camouflage that matched the forest colors broke in, attacking.

“……!”

“Well, well. I do enjoy that saying myself.”

I pulled the end of my staff, revealing a sword within.

“An assassination is only real if it goes unnoticed. Hm.”

“Kill him—!”

No complaints here.

If we’re being honest, I made the first move.

But.

‘If they’re attacking without even being exposed, there’s only one reason.’

There’s no motive of revenge among them, no ‘let’s avenge our fallen Golden Dawn knights.’

‘Are you guys impersonators too?’

The Golden Dawn knights were pretending to be Imperial assassins to kill Grey Gibraltar.

A chain of assassinations built on impersonation upon impersonation.

“Alright, let’s see this through to the end.”

Thrust.

“When a fight comes my way, I never back down.”

I drove my sword precisely into the assassin’s heart as he rushed at me.