Chapter 6: The world is wide and there are mane experts (2)

I didn’t have much to do for the study abroad preparations. Since it was a royal affair, there were many things to prepare, but as I was essentially an add-on, the kingdom took care of everything. My only tasks were finding someone to manage my mansion, securing a long-term lease with the merchants in my commercial building, and informing people about my upcoming trip to the Empire.

“You’re finally going!”

Seeing the overjoyed woman before me, I replied with a hint of disappointment.

“Senior Lucia, isn’t that a bit harsh, considering I’m your junior?”

Her red eyes, matching her hair color, sparkled with unusual brightness. To be this happy about her adorable junior leaving for a distant land… She was a truly heartless senior.

“You’re the one being harsh! Do you know how much Hestia rampages every time she loses to you?!”

Senior Lucia’s face quickly crumpled into a frown, but I simply shook my head. They say even saints curse behind closed doors, but she was casually addressing a princess of the realm informally. Princess Hestia may have insisted on it, but to speak so casually…

Senior, it was too late. She was destined to spend her life by Princess Hestia’s side.

“It’s about time you start carrying contracts instead of resignation letters, like me.”

“Junior, what are you talking about…?”

“You know you can’t escape. You might as well get as much as you can out of it.”

“W-What are you talking about! This year, I’ll definitely resign, find a man, and get engaged!”

I could guarantee it. It would be difficult.

Senior Lucia wasn’t lacking in family background, looks, or ability. In fact, she had an abundance of all three. And that was the problem. Finding a suitable man wouldn’t be difficult, but…

“That man will have to get past Princess Hestia first.”

Princess Hestia was someone who would draw her sword at the mere mention of testing her younger brother’s potential friend. She wouldn’t hesitate to charge in, swords blazing, for her most precious sparring partner, no, friend, Senior Lucia.

“Junior, what are you really talking about…?”

“Don’t you know best?”

She knew. She was just running away from the truth. She probably knew her future better than I did, even if she wouldn’t admit it.

The Commander wouldn’t give up on a valuable asset like Senior Lucia. But even if the Commander and the royal family gave up, Princess Hestia wouldn’t.

“Adam’s right. Our role is to support the pillars of the royal family. Don’t try to escape this honorable duty.”

Turning towards the indifferent voice, I saw a man grinding coffee beans. Blonde hair, blue eyes, picture-perfect features, and an air of nobility. The first among the current instructors, and instructor to the First Prince, Daniel, who was all but confirmed as the next king. The oldest among the current instructors, and a prominent figure in social circles as the future king’s confidant. In other words, the leader of the instructors, but…

“Honorable for you, maybe…!”

His opponent was Senior Lucia. Someone who had her resignation letters torn up three times a week by the Commander, who was superior to Senior Daniel in every way, and then diligently wrote three more for the following week.

“…”

Even the formidable Senior Daniel averted his gaze at her spirit.

“Prince Allen is different from Princess Hestia!”

Senior Lucia cried out, her voice filled with anguish. And she wasn’t wrong.

Befitting the Kingdom of Knights, Prince Ellen learned swordsmanship from a young age and possessed considerable talent. He wasn’t someone to be trifled with, but he was also designated as the next king long ago. Even in the Kingdom of Knights, governing a nation required more than just martial prowess, unless they were barbarians. Therefore, as crown prince, even at a younger age than the current Prince Ellen, he focused on various academic disciplines and participated in politics to hone his qualities as a future king. This inevitably distanced him from swordsmanship, and his instructor, Senior Daniel, naturally followed suit.

“Coffee, anyone?”

“Me.”

“Me too. But don’t change the subject.”

Senior Lucia glared at him with teary eyes, and Senior Daniel closed his mouth. Since Prince Allen set aside his sword, Senior Daniel had done the same. Honestly, if they fought now, Senior Lucia would definitely win.

“You don’t even go to the training grounds.”

“I go sometimes.”

Actually, Senior Daniel was the ideal instructor. The sparring sessions between him and Prince Allen had long resembled wealthy people playing golf in movies or dramas from my past life.

Purely for show. And that was the original role of an instructor. So, glancing at the distressed Senior Lucia, Senior Daniel said confidently,

“Frankly, I’m not the only one.”

That was true. The instructors assigned to other princes and princesses also had their circumstances, but they were closer to Senior Daniel’s situation than ours.

“You two are the unusual ones. It’s not my fault, is it?”

He had a point. Princess Hestia and Prince Ellen were special cases. Even in the Kingdom of Knights, royals didn’t frequent the training grounds more than social gatherings. It was just that Princess Hestia had an unusual love for the sword, and Prince Ellen was monstrously talented. The other royals were skilled, but not obsessed with the sword.

“From the moment instructors were granted the authority to defeat royalty at any time, you two were set on a different path.”

Defeat Swordsmanship. A style meant for defeat, yet ironically, Senior Lucia and I had earned the right not to lose. Of course, the reason we received that right wasn’t…

“Because we couldn’t win otherwise!”

The opponents’ talent was so overwhelming that we wouldn’t stand a chance if we tried to win.

“Still, having the authority and not having it are two different things.”

“That’s true.”

The timing of an instructor’s defeat was decided after careful deliberation by senior instructors, including the Commander. Too many victories diminished the sense of accomplishment, so an occasional loss at the right time was necessary. Otherwise, it could stir up the royals’ competitive spirit, causing them to neglect their duties and studies to focus on swordsmanship, like Princess Hestia.

But Senior Lucia and I were different. We could win anytime. Of course, this was due to a combination of circumstances and the fact that our opponents were simply too strong for us to defeat even if we wanted to. Still, having that authority proved that we were treated differently. And most importantly…

“And you’re compensated accordingly.”

As he said, Senior Lucia and I received substantial bonuses. Even Senior Daniel, in charge of the crown prince, couldn’t compare. Considering the elixirs and swordsmanship instructors provided, the benefits we received were almost on par with royalty.

“They should just accept my resignation instead of giving me this authority.”

I didn’t know about Senior Lucia, but I was satisfied. Two mansions in the capital. Those words always warmed my heart.

“So, Adam. We have high expectations for you.”

“I’ll do my best, but don’t expect too much.”

The academy was still six months away, but the rumors were unsettling. Renowned swordsmen from prestigious families were enrolling, along with talented mages from various magic towers, including royalty from the Dale Kingdom, our rivals. It was just hearsay, so not everyone mentioned would enroll, but even if half of it were true, it meant most of the continent’s rising talents were converging on the Imperial Academy.

“Just trust Prince Ellen.”

As the genius prince’s sparring partner, I wasn’t confident against true geniuses.

“…”

“…”

The two seniors stared at me with speechless, dumbfounded expressions.

“What? Why?”

As my expression soured, Senior Daniel offered me a cup of coffee he’d brewed himself.

“Talk about a frog in a well.”

“Isn’t that frog a bit too big?” Senior Lucia muttered, her face slightly contorted, perhaps from the bitter coffee. Their gazes lingered on me, but I dismissed it as my imagination and added five sugar cubes to my coffee.

“Coffee should be enjoyed as it is…” Senior Daniel grumbled, but I was the one drinking it. Whether I added sugar or salt, it didn’t matter as long as it tasted good to me.

“Well, I won’t be getting beaten up too badly.”

I might not become the kingdom’s pride, but I wouldn’t embarrass it either. Excluding the Little Sword Emperor and about fifteen others, it should be manageable. Around eleventh place in the academy’s swordsmanship ranking seemed fitting.

“Think what you want.”

“Well, I also thought I was weak until I entered the academy.”

Senior Lucia spoke as if reminiscing about her past, but I didn’t consider myself weak. I just didn’t underestimate the students entering the Imperial Academy this year.

“Everyone at the Royal Academy is a known quantity.”

As befitting the Kingdom of Knights, the Royal Academy attracted many skilled swordsmen, but most of the students were from the Leon Kingdom. International students made up at most ten percent, and most of them were already analyzed by the royal family.

But the Imperial Academy was different. I couldn’t rely on the royal family or the Commander’s support. Unlike before, I had to fight with my own pure skill.

The world was vast, and there were many skilled individuals. Of course, I believed Prince Ellen would stand out even in that vast world. But the Little Sword Emperor, Aslan, and other renowned prodigies from the continent would stand alongside him. By meeting them, learning from them, and sometimes fighting them, Prince Ellen would grow even stronger. That was the purpose of studying abroad in the first place.

“I just need to hold my ground until then.”

I just had to be by Ellen’s side until he met those people. To ensure his path wasn’t lonely. To prevent him from going astray. That was my role.

“Excellent.”

Senior Daniel nodded in satisfaction.

“Sure, whatever.”

Senior Lucia muttered, pouting. We were basking in a warm atmosphere, accompanied by the rich aroma of coffee, but we didn’t know at that moment…

“…Huh?”

My head turned unnaturally, as if with a creak. The surrounding gazes, filled with shock, turned towards me. I looked down. A man with gray, short hair lay collapsed on the ground. The fighting spirit that had filled his eyes moments ago was gone.

“…”

I silently recalled his name.

The Little Sword Emperor, Aslan. The most renowned swordsman among this year’s incoming students, even more so than Prince Ellen. And the name of my opponent for a light sparring match to commemorate his enrollment.

Just a light match. Really light. But why…

“…Why?”

No, wait a minute. Why were you lying on the ground, not on a bed?

I really didn’t understand.