Though it may seem strange to say it now,
I can’t help but admire my own adaptability.
Just a week ago, I was undoubtedly a ‘man.’ Obviously, that’s in the past tense now.
When I look in the mirror, there isn’t even a trace left of my former male self. If anything, the only semblance of my old self might just be my slightly laid-back posture.
But even this casual stance doesn’t make the other students suspect that I used to be a man at all.
You might wonder why I’m bringing up these trivial matters now?
Well, the truth is, my mental gauge is about to hit rock bottom.
Think about it. The Academy’s schedule is packed from 8:00 AM until at least 4:00 PM. Even if you cut it short, that’s the minimum, and considering interactions with others like meals, you have to consciously mind your behavior for at least 10 hours a day.
It’s exhausting!
What? You think it’s too much for a former assassin to complain like this?
I don’t care. I’m no longer an assassin, so bringing up old habits like that is troublesome.
Let me reiterate: there is no more first-class, elite, secretive group of assassins in the continent for me to be a part of!
Anyway, with that in mind, I decided to spend the first weekend since entering the Academy locked in my single-occupancy dorm, giving myself some much-needed rest.
No one can change my mind about this!
Knock, knock, knock.
“Alicia, let’s go out together!”
Anne’s voice comes from the other side of the door, but I pull the blanket over my head and pretend not to hear her. Going out with her would just make me more tired instead of resting.
That’s not my new friend Anne—it’s the voice of a devil coming to torment me!
Knock, knock.
“Alicia, are you not in your room?”
Yes, I’m not! Just go out without me and leave me alone!
She finally seemed to give up and went quiet.
Now I can finally relax, right…?
“Alicia-sama?”
Huh?
Ah, the “huh” is me sitting up. Not the other version, because I no longer have that presence.
I had an idle thought while instinctively sitting upright from under the blanket.
Because, well, if I ignore her and end up on Selian’s bad side, it would be a headache.
If I ever reveal my true identity, my life itself would be in danger, and to find out the location of the only weakness I have, the master-servant Mark Scroll, I need to stay closer to Selian.
“Yes, I’m here.”
Answering with a fresh tone, I opened the door to greet Selian.
The emerald eyes met mine. It was indeed Selian’s voice.
“You were here all along. Didn’t answer when I called.”
And then looking down slightly, meeting another pair of crimson eyes…
What? You two came together?
“Umm… I heard something while I was half asleep… but it was Anne’s voice that woke me up?”
Stretching like I just woke up, I coolly said it. Anne’s pouting lips softened slightly.
Okay, safe.
“Anyway, we’re going to explore the city a bit… Do you want to come along?”
Naturally, refusing is not an option.
And so, the three of us left the Academy.
Griffin Academy is located in a slightly unusual city within the Empire.
The city of Pelches, where the Academy is located, is structured so that no noble can directly influence the students, adhering to the principle of equality among its current students.
There isn’t a lord directly governing the city. If there’s anyone in charge, it would be the Imperial Royal Family. Beyond that, certain officials are periodically dispatched to keep things running smoothly like gears in a clockwork. Any hint of corruption or impropriety would be considered an act of treason against the royal family.
As far as anyone’s aware, no one has dared to commit such an act.
Thus, there is no exploitation or corruption by a lord or high-ranking officials.
Also, among the students at the Academy, while there are commoners, at least half are nobles. This means that the student-driven commerce is thriving.
Because there’s no corruption among high-ranking officials and goods from outside nobility consistently flow into the city, it’s a bustling trade hub.
Naturally, the city’s size is as immense as the Empire’s capital.
And I’ve been aimlessly wandering this gigantic city for hours now.
Being dragged around by Anne’s and Selian’s hands.
We visited one shop after another, and then somehow ended up revisiting the first one we saw. Then, after hearing some rumors, we went to a shop way across the other side of town…
I’ve been dragged around for hours without purchasing a single thing, unsurprisingly since I have no money.
The only expense I’ve made so far was the coffee I bought at the café we’re now sitting in. And even that was just the cheapest Americano. Though I should probably be saving this amount too, if I want to keep friendly with Selian, this much isn’t worth begrudging… or so I tell myself. Maybe?
But with heightened senses, my taste seems sharper now too, and this coffee’s bitterness is much more intense than it used to be. Ugh…
While I was slightly wincing, I felt something touch my lips.
It was an unidentified object forcing its way through my closed mouth.
Before I could even realize what it was, it melted in my mouth, erasing the bitterness of the Americano and filling my mouth with sweetness.
Looking up, I saw Selian smiling innocently with a few cookies in her hand.
She probably noticed I only ordered a drink and felt bad about it, which made me feel a bit embarrassed.
“Hmm~? What’s going on here? Why do I feel left out?”
Anne’s eyes dart between me and Selian.
But Selian showed no intention of feeding Anne a cookie like she did me, and just kept smiling mysteriously.
Having given up on receiving a cookie from Selian, Anne retaliated by stabbing her fork into the cake in front of her and shoving it into my mouth instead.
It’s true that when eating something bitter, my heightened senses are annoying. But when it’s something delicious, it feels like I can savor the flavor more intricately, which is definitely a perk. So, ultimately, it’s plus-minus zero!
As I enjoyed the sweetness, Selian’s smile dimmed slightly, and her mouth was left ajar.
Then her eyes wandered to something… Anne’s fork?
?
Selian’s trembling hand stretched toward Anne’s fork. Seeing this movement, Anne grinned and scooped another bite of cake with her fork.
Slurp!
The fork was inserted straight into Selian’s mouth. Selian’s lips tightly wrapped around the fork, unwilling to let it escape.
After some visible effort, Anne managed to retrieve the fork, which Selian had licked clean of every last bit of cream.
It was indeed a cream so good that not a single bit wanted to be missed.
However, it seemed even the young lady of the Viscount family, Selian, thought this cake barely met the passing grade as she chewed thoughtfully with a somewhat intricate expression.
As if letting it slide this once.
As the time approached for us to return to the Academy, Anne took Selian and me to one last place.
We arrived at the shrine of the goddess Serena within the city. Though there’s a separate shrine for students on the Academy grounds, this one is the main temple.
Serena’s shrines are common, even in small towns, but the one in Pelches is special.
“Hello, Father. May we enter?”
“Serena always welcomes you.”
With the old priest’s permission, we entered the main sanctuary.
Inside, people were sitting in the chairs praying.
However, our purpose wasn’t to pray.
The object our eyes were drawn to was a sword hanging behind the statue of the goddess Serena.
This was the Holy Sword that would select its owner, signaling the true Hero’s arrival when the Demon King was resurrected.
The Holy Sword itself radiated a divine reverence, its pure white blade appearing as sharp as if it could cut through anything just by sight.
As we moved closer for a better look, the Holy Sword suddenly emitted a bright light.
At the same time, it started trembling in response, as if searching for its master as legend suggests.
Anne, I, and likely Selian herself, knew the reason.
It was obvious—the Holy Sword was reacting to Selian, one of the prime candidates as the Hero.
“…It’s not yet time… just wait a little longer.”
Selian murmured quietly to me standing next to her.
Perhaps this was her indication that she’s ready to be chosen by the Holy Sword one day.
Anyway, thanks to Anne bringing us here and Selian, who’s a potential Hero, I got to see an interesting spectacle.
Though it was a secret since we hastily slipped out as priests and nuns rushed in at the sudden commotion.
