Ludwig. You sly bastard.

  Henry Richard von Hecker looked down at another dead opponent. He was a powerful SS rank adventurer, with four S rank adventurers supporting him. They’d been sent to attack him on his way to Perlenstadt.

  But, as usual, no matter how powerful and hyped up they were, they ended up with the same fate that befell those before them. They were bleeding below Henry’s feet.

  He supposed his days of being a mere ‘mob character’ were truly over—for he was now an active participant in this conflict.

  He wiped his blade clean.

  “Forty-nine times, huh?” Henry shuddered a bit as he laughed at that. “I’m…getting all rusty.”

  The glow in Henry’s grey eyes flickered a bit. That battle was certainly one of the hardest, even if he came out on top. Facing an adventurer of this level was of course something no man of Henry’s caliber, at least on the surface, would survive from.

  This adventurer was a true master of the sword. While he only had three magic circles, his skills and physical stats were through the roof. For Ludwig to do this, the old statesman must be getting desperate.

  I’m going to deal with him soon…

  Ludwig proposed an arrangement with Henry—a ceasefire of sorts, but right as he turned his back for a second, Ludwig did this. For a calm elder statesman, Ludwig’s actions were anything but serene. He must have thought this was a perfect time to get rid of Henry, but, well…Henry was alive.

  And he continued his march to the Grand Academy. He was still an instructor who infiltrated it after all, and after learning that both Alexa Theresa and Phoebe were going back there, he had no choice.

  I have to deal with them.

  He had plans and schemes already moving. No matter what, Henry would gain absolute power over the Empire. Later, he reached a nearby town and got himself on a carriage to Perlenstadt.

  He wondered what he would see with its reopening.

  +++

  “That’s an ass performance of yours, brother.”

  “Want me to shove that canteen up your ass?”

  “It’s just a little bet. Why so frustrated?”

  “Piss off, I’m not in the mood.”

  The Eisen brothers, now both knighted and in the service of Her Highness, Alexa Theresa, stood side-by-side in a deserted corner of the streets near the Grand Academy.

  Alfred’s goal remained the same—to guard and protect the princess. That, and he had to covertly investigate and deal with the actors involved in bringing the Archdemon of Sloth into Perlsenstadt.

  While Alfred of course preferred to prioritize poking into his twin brother’s shady business, unfortunately, they already knew most things about this creature’s crimes.

  That, and he was nominally an ally of Alexa’s camp, and Alfred had limited resources to deal with lesser threats.

  So, his time and energy were focused on dealing with a trifecta of more pressing threats. Henry, Ludwig, and Manfred, in order of how deadly they could be to Alexa respectively.

  Henry was a suspected traitor to the Empire, in the most purist sense, and if the last incident was of any indication, he was someone who might be impossible to stop if he wanted to burn the Empire down, so he was Alfred’s main problem.

  Ludwig, the leader of the Regency Council, on the other hand, was a threat to Alexa’s right to properly rule. He was a standard threat, just another power-hungry noble who most likely wants to use Alexa for his aims and dispose of her once done, so he came in second place.

  Manfred was sketchy. He allowed way too many things that he could have stopped from happening under his nose. Maybe old Olston had gone senile, but that was unlikely. As Alexa said, he was the one who allowed Wilhelm and Phoebe to walk in the same halls out of nowhere.

  Something was definitely up with him. He thus occupied the third place.

  But, like Ludwig, he wasn’t a direct threat to Alexa. And that was what mattered most to Alfred, getting rid of threats to his princess’s life, so while he had a threat ranking in his mind—most of his mental space was occupied rent-free by Henry.

  He got rid of those adventurers as if they were nothing. It’s so over…

  Alfred, a powerful knight in his own right, shivered at the thought of that. Of course, he didn’t send those attackers to Henry, but still, he and his most trusted men in the Royal Guard observed.

  Alfred originally wanted to use any pretext he had available to act and get rid of Henry in an official manner, but after that ridiculous display of strength, he had to play the game cautiously.

  I have to find out what he’s hiding. Alfred thought. And delay him from acting until I know his weakness…

  Wilhelm chugged his whiskey.

  Alfred frowned.

  “You’re going to appear at the ceremony, fool,” Alfred scoffed. “Will you cease that? You’ll sully Alexa’s reputation. Act like her knight.”

  “I’ve got a ridiculous job to do,” Wilhelm said, narrowing his eyes at Alfred. “Let me cool my nerves from time to time, will ya?”

  “As if you’ll be useful this time around.”

  “Brother, why are you so shaken? Don’t tell me he chopped your balls off with a fight you weren’t involved in.”

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  “Those are very confident words for a coward who hasn’t spilled everything yet.”

  “What is there to spill? Even I am clueless.”

  “Yet you’ve shown not a single surprise.”

  “Because I’ve worked with him. But that doesn’t mean I’ll know everything.”

  Wilhelm’s tone finally grew cold. Then, he turned to the side. At a fancy confectionery store frequented by nobles outside of the Grand Academy, Alexa, Phoebe, and Adele seemed to be enjoying themselves.

  The two men, out of sight, watched over the three girls like hidden guard dogs.

  “To soothe your fears, I should say that we have a stacked deck though,” Wilhelm’s coldness turned back into a lazy smile. “He’s impossible to defeat directly, but I don’t think the girl you serve is planning to beat him directly.”

  “What are you even saying?” Alfred asked.

  “Nothing. Just keep doing your part, and so will I,” Wilhelm nodded to himself, as if convinced by a heavenly revelation. “I’m sure it’ll be interesting regardless.”

  “You’re definitely asking to be punched.”

  “Punch me then, if that’ll bring you satisfaction—”

  And as a prompt response, the frustrated Alfred sent an uppercut straight to Wilhelm’s jaw. It was a well-deserved punch in Alfred’s mind, because Wilhelm definitely sounded like he was gambling people’s lives again.

  +++

  Alexa looked at her progress for the last few months one last time before the reopening.

  She’d…gone so far, she thought.

  Finishing her first quest about expanding the Empire’s food supply improved [CIVILA MANDATO Ω] as she now commanded greater respect from her subjects. Practicing her magic too helped push her 2nd magic circle to level 6, moderate mastery, and she had improved her glyph mastery to [GLYPH DRAWING IV].

  All in all, it wasn’t so bad, Alexa thought. She supposed her physical stats could use some work, but honestly, she preferred to spend most of her time instead at improving her reputation and her magic.

  So this was in line with her goals.

  Still, this isn’t enough.

  Alexa elegantly walked past the students on the way to the Grand Academy’s entrance. Heads and eyes turned to her, not even at Phoebe anymore—but straight at her. While Phoebe now at the very least gained some confidence to not lower her head anymore, she was still visibly silent and meek.

  In comparison, Alexa, hiding half of her face behind her folding fan, walked with the finest grace a noblewoman could have. Her doll-like beauty, coupled with her new reputation as a crown princess capable of moving the Empire on her made her seem like an ‘Iron Lady’ to the students around her.

  She could even hear their gossip.

  “She defended us while we fled…”

  “Her Highness…she looks so graceful today as always.”

  “If she’ll be our Empress, we’re probably in good hands.”

  “Even the commoners agree nowadays, so I’ve heard!”

  “You really are the center of attention, Lady Alexa,” Phoebe sneaked a tiny, awkward chuckle from behind.

  “It’s simple. Keep your posture straight, hold your head high, and most of all,” Alexa elegantly turned to Phoebe, pointing her folding fan at her, before smiling. “Be proud of your accomplishments.”

  “...L-lady Alexa?”

  “You’ve not just purified so many dungeons, killed an Archdemon, but you’ve also healed and saved the lives of thousands,” Alexa explained. “So stand proud. Because you, the saintess—Phoebe d’Lumiere, did something worthy of everyone’s respect and attention too.”

  “...”

  Phoebe turned red a bit, as she tried to avert Alexa’s gaze, but she failed, and the two locked eyes directly. Finally, she worked up her courage now. Alexa knew Phoebe always feared walking with Alexa whenever she was around their peers, because she thought herself lower than nobles.

  But Alexa thought differently. Phoebe was a hero, a saint in the purest form. She was above these meagre peasants, who should grovel in Phoebe’s feet after she saved them.

  And just as Alexa wouldn’t say those callous words to her subjects easily anymore, Phoebe bravely took Alexa’s hand in front of the crowd, confirming the status she long denied.

  “Let’s make the best of this year,” Alexa declared.

  “I’ll try my best, Lady Alexa,” Phoebe said, her voice now firm and clear.

  “That’s good to hear.”

  And so, the two roses of the Grand Academy bloomed a little bit more—and the crowd nearly fainted at the sight of such beauty.

  +++

  Ludwig pissed his pants.

  Metaphorically at least.

  Goddess, I’m too old for this crap.

  As the Grand Regent of Lotharingia, he had no choice but to attend this reopening. After all, the best and brightest of the Empire’s future gathered here, including his main headaches.

  His job here was to both officially christen the rebuilt academy, as the acting head of the Imperium, and, of course, to partially apologize and send his thoughts and prayers to those who died during the incident…

  Which happened under his management.

  Some would even say ‘poor management’.

  His exterior remained impassive, exuding the normal aura of the calm statesman reputation he had built for himself. Internally though, as he looked at the Defense Forces instructors entering the main gate, he felt the need to hold his gloved hands behind him—because they were feeling cold.

  Henry Richard von Hecker…

  That damned runt.

  How did he even survive?

  He was quite sure that he hired the best for the job, yet, yet—!

  “Your Excellency,” a voice distracted Ludwig from behind. Entering the room was Headmaster Olston, his head lowered. “The ceremony is set to begin in thirty minutes.”

  Ludwig pulled out his pocket watch and nodded.

  “I’ll be there, Sir Manfred.”

  “Truly, I thank you for attending this place.”

  “And thanks for inviting me here too. I must say though, you have…quite the interesting characters in this academy this year, don’t you?”

  And as a response, the old headmaster merely tilted his head at Ludwig.

  “Is that so?” When Ludwig didn’t reply, Manfred straightened himself and grinned a bit. “I suppose you’re right indeed, Your Excellency. They are quite interesting, and I think things will be more interesting going forward.”

  While Manfred seemed to be enjoying himself a little bit, Ludwig on the other hand only felt his blood turning colder.

  I’m getting tired of interesting things, you old monster.