“So, let me get this straight: The Prisis Family noticed some suspicious activity within the Academy and decided to take preemptive action?”
“That’s right.”
“And said suspicious activity the Prisis Family noticed is…?”
“That’s something I can’t disclose.”
“…”
Of course, the name of the Prisis Family is mighty convenient, especially in the Crescent Empire.
Last time, Uncle Royce took my words at face value, and so did Professor Amillion this time.
I repeated verbatim what I’d said to Royce, and there he was nodding along.
“But even so, there are still potential issues with infiltrating the Academy under cover.”
“Uh… yes, that is an issue.”
“What’s the matter?”
“Here’s the thing. The St. Claire Family also knows about this. You know the head of the St. Claire Family, yes?”
“…Yes?”
Professor Amillion’s surprise visibly deepened when the name “St. Claire” came out of my mouth after “Prisis.”
Fair enough though, it’s hard to imagine being associated with two of the six great families easily.
“The head of the St. Claire Family also knows that I’m undercover as a student in the Academy.”
“Erm…”
It wasn’t a lie.
After my cover was blown last time, I did tell Royce about it.
Though, just because Royce knows about it doesn’t mean the St. Claire Family cooperated with the Prisis Family or anything.
I only told him that he knows.
But Professor Amillion must have interpreted the phrase “he knows” literally, assuming that both the Prisis and St. Claire Families are vouching for me.
“…Could the suspicious activity inside the Academy be related to the Undead that appeared during the recent competition?”
“Of course.”
Naturally, mentioning the St. Claire Family had the desired effect, deflecting the conversation smoothly.
Looks like the infiltration issue is about to be smoothed over. Probably.
“More or less.”
“…Indeed.”
“Do you know something?”
“…”
Professor Amillion hesitated, opening his mouth but deciding against saying anything.
This guy must have a clue.
“If you have a lead, I’d appreciate it if you told me. We’re all here to help the Empire, after all.”
“Hmm… Well…”
Amillion still seemed reluctant to speak.
He must be unsure whether telling me is appropriate.
Not many people are willing to trade on the names of the six great families, but better safe than sorry.
“You can tell me later, anytime.”
“…”
Amillion wrinkled his brow instead of answering.
At that moment, I decided not to push him further for today.
The urgent issue was already addressed, at least temporarily.
“Huh?”
Mentioning an urgent issue reminded me of something.
The flames roaring in the middle of the forest earlier and Cynthia diving right into them.
I completely forgot that I brought Cynthia back to my dorm.
—
“What is this?”
Cynthia sat awkwardly on the bed, lost in thought.
The effect of the candy she consumed earlier had worn off entirely.
Empowered by the candy, she had managed to contribute where she didn’t in the tournament.
But, as usual, it didn’t turn out the way she hoped.
The giant flames she had seen earlier were beyond what Cynthia could handle.
All she could do was watch them soar.
Even with the candy, she felt powerless.
The only thing waiting for her was Ryu, who had appeared before her.
And then, when she regained consciousness, here she was inside the dormitory.
Presumably in Ryu’s room.
“When is he coming back?”
Cynthia stood up to leave the moment Ryu disappeared, only to freeze when she heard male voices outside.
The academy strictly forbids opposite gender dormitory visits, with severe penalties if caught.
Cynthia had no intention of being punished in her freshman year, especially under such frustrating circumstances.
So, she decided to wait inside for now.
Meanwhile, she naturally began to explore Ryu’s room.
Or at least, tried to.
There was absolutely nothing to explore.
Cynthia assumed Ryu lived in the dorms, but the room was completely barren.
Every time they’d part ways after class, Ryu would head toward the dormitory.
Yet there was nothing here that suggested anyone lived there.
The one item that looked like it belonged to Ryu was a strange uniform.
It was an impressive black ensemble, from head to toe, complete with a hood that could cover the face.
Ryu hadn’t been seen wearing something like this before.
“Shouldn’t I touch this without permission?”
Curiosity overcame her, but she refrained from checking the garment, noting the high-quality fabric and traces of mana—it was clearly expensive.
She decided not to mess with it unnecessarily.
With nothing else to do, Cynthia eventually sat on the bed as time passed and Ryu failed to return.
Even though it was embarrassing to sit on a boy’s bed, there was no one around.
Moreover, the bed was just as impersonal as the rest of the room, with the neatly folded blanket untouched for what seemed like ages, judging by the dust that rose when she touched it.
“Hmph.”
The confined space stifled her, but whenever she considered leaving, she heard the boys’ voices outside, keeping her in place.
Ryu would surely return if she waited.
“Right?”
She wasn’t sure, but…
The door creaked open.
“Eek!”
“Cynthia?!”
Cynthia, startled by the unexpected door opening, instinctively grabbed her bow before realizing it was Ryu.
Even though she expected him, she was still surprised.
—
“Hey, why are you still here?”
“…How am I supposed to leave with boys out there?”
Seeing Ryu reassured Cynthia.
She never thought he would be in trouble with anyone, but at least now she knew he hadn’t been burned by the flames earlier.
And now that Ryu was here, she could finally leave too.
“Ah, sorry. Totally forgot.”
Cynthia contemplated how to respond to Ryu’s “forgot” part but ultimately said nothing, opting instead to move the conversation forward.
“What happened with the fire earlier?”
“It’s all sorted out now.”
“…Good.”
Even though she anticipated as much when she saw Ryu enter the dormitory unscathed, hearing it from him personally still left her feeling a bit bittersweet.
Once again, Ryu managed everything without her help, despite the candy and her efforts.
The facts she’d been trying to ignore hit her hard again.
“Is this your room?”
“Yeah.”
Before Ryu answered, Cynthia noticed his gaze lingering on the uniform hanging on the wall.
“What’s that outfit?”
“Huh?”
“Looks like some sort of uniform?”
“Uh…”
Ryu hesitated far longer than expected.
Cynthia hadn’t asked with any serious intent—after all, this was the only item in the room that showed signs of use—but his reaction was excessive.
“Maybe… it’s just something I bought for fun?”
“…”
“Anyway… let’s leave this room. I can teleport us to the lecture hall.”
“How?”
“I can teleport. You know that.”
Though she was curious about the uniform, getting out of the dorm was top priority for Cynthia.
If someone found her here, she’d be in trouble.
“Right, let’s go.”
“Here, hold my hand.”
As Ryu extended his hand, Cynthia naturally grasped it.
Whoosh.
Her eyes instinctively shut as her body lifted, opening them again to find herself in the familiar lecture hall.
“Wow, teleportation magic is really convenient. Why don’t mages use this all the time?”
“Umm…”
“Eh?”
“Y-you two?”
“Huh?”
“Wh-why are you holding hands?”
“Oh, it’s because of the teleportation thing.”
Realizing they were still holding hands, Cynthia quickly let go.
She hadn’t noticed, too preoccupied with marveling at the convenient spell.
“Why are you here, Elaine?”
“Because… a lot happened today, and I needed some time to think.”
“Ah.”
“What happened?”
“Ah, you wouldn’t know much, Cynthia.”
Elaine’s voice was unusually somber.
Cynthia felt an ominous vibe.
Seeing Ryu fine earlier had reassured her that everything was okay, but maybe not.
Come to think of it, Emily wasn’t around.
“Where’s Emily?”
“That blaze earlier wasn’t a monster, Cynthia.”
“Huh?”
“It was Cain Hover, one of our classmates.”
“Wh-what?”
Cynthia’s brows furrowed in disbelief.
The fiery monster she saw earlier was Cain?
“…”
Even though it was hard to believe, Cynthia understood the truth from Elaine and Ryu’s grave expressions.
