Ch.152152. Time for Two

“Hahaha!”

Elenoa was gloating on the podium, holding her report card.

Having cleanly secured the top spot among first-year students this semester, she held a Millennium Library access pass in her hand.

In front of her, Aria was openly displaying an annoyed expression, while further back, Leyton hung his head with a devastated look.

Aria was simply displeased about losing to Elenoa, but Leyton was frustrated because he hadn’t obtained the Millennium Library access pass.

Despite all his efforts to get that pass, he ultimately failed to take the top spot in Deus’s exam.

He even lost the second place to Aria, making his sense of loss indescribable.

“Hahahaha! Ack! Kack!”

Elenoa, with bloodshot eyes, was cackling so hard that she eventually choked and started coughing.

After composing herself, she stopped laughing and began gloating in a different way.

“Kneel before me, commoners! I am the top student!”

“As a princess, isn’t that kind of statement extremely dangerous?”

It was the kind of remark that could easily spread rumors about the princess looking down on the entire kingdom’s citizens.

At Aria’s advice, Elenoa paused momentarily before extending her hand again and shouting:

“Would you please kneel, dear commoners! I’m the top student!”

“Hmm, that should be fine.”

When Aria nodded in approval at the more tempered expression, Elenoa happily waved the Millennium Library access pass like a flag.

Her brightly smiling face, innocently enjoying the sweetness of victory, looked more like a schoolgirl her age than a princess, and it was pleasant to see.

After enjoying herself for quite some time, Elenoa came down from the podium, breathing heavily, and approached Leyton.

She placed the access pass on Leyton’s desk with a thud. Leyton looked at her, not understanding what was happening.

Elenoa winked and answered.

“I’m a princess. I can enter anyway, so someone who needs it should take it.”

Elenoa had simply worked hard because she wanted to be the top student in Deus’s class, not because she particularly needed the access pass.

“Ah.”

Leyton looked down at the access pass placed before him. He grasped the precious item with trembling hands.

“I’m second place, so why give it to him?”

“What? Everyone below first place is just a loser. You loser.”

“You must be happy with your high grades. I need to go see the professor who called for me.”

“…Why is he only calling you? I’m the top student.”

As Elenoa asked with pouting lips, Aria gave a teasing smile and stuck out her tongue.

“How would I know? Top student, just stay here and look at your report card. Since I lost, I’ll go sit on the professor’s lap and get some consolation.”

“Hey! Let’s go together!”

“Don’t talk nonsense! He only called for me!”

“Nonsense? Nonsense?! You’ll be executed for insulting royalty! I’ll make you into morning dew on the execution ground! I’ll call Tairne right now!”

Just casually mentioning the name of the Magic Tribunal Judge made Elenoa’s position feel real.

Unfortunately, her opponent was someone who could be called a transcendent being.

“Go ahead! Try calling! Go call, Princess! I’m going to the professor!”

“Hey! Let’s go together!”

Aria ran out of the classroom at tremendous speed with Elenoa chasing after her.

The aftermath of mana was sweeping through where the two had been, showing just how serious they were.

And there.

Leyton stared blankly at where they had been, tightly gripping the gifted pass.

“Princess…”

It was the moment when a boy’s unfortunate first love bloomed.

* * *

The Norsweden Mountains.

A day had passed since Darius and Deia of the Verdi family departed for the Bright family’s territory.

Having both of them absent at the same time was quite dangerous, but they had forcibly made time for the second son Deus’s meeting with his future in-laws.

That didn’t mean the mountain defenses had become incompetent.

In fact, they were being guarded even more thoroughly. If they made a mistake during this period, it would harm Darius, who was both the head of the family and the Margrave.

Normally, they shouldn’t leave their posts so carelessly, but the royal court had temporarily allowed it since it was related to the marriage of a Spiritmaster.

Taking their place was Count Hellian from a nearby territory.

He had been quite friendly with Darius, but had distanced himself after learning that Deus was a Black Mage.

He had agreed to stay at the Verdi mansion and take responsibility for the mountains until Darius returned, but in reality, he was just killing time with indifference.

After all, the only ones coming from beyond the mountains were slaves from the Republic of Clark, and dealing with them wasn’t difficult.

“Still, I think it’s a bit too much.”

“What is?”

At the mountain peak.

Two people were chatting to kill time at the guard post.

“I mean Count Hellian. He’s received a lot of help from our lord, but he really hated coming to help this time.”

“Well, Norsweden is already cold this time of year.”

“Tch, as if he’s doing anything but drinking coffee in front of the mansion fireplace.”

“That’s true too.”

The two were laughing heartily, but that didn’t mean they were neglecting their sentry duty.

At the sense of a presence, they immediately grabbed their spears and readied their bodies. Footsteps in the snow coming from behind.

“Baguette!”

When they spoke the password, the other side laughed and answered.

“Lemon juice. Working hard, I see. Snack delivery.”

“Oh, it’s you guys?”

It was members of the Junk Shop who had climbed the mountain.

Because they helped with odd jobs like this, they often ran into each other, and the guards had become quite close with them.

“Whew, it definitely gets colder as you climb higher.”

“Let’s hurry. We need to offer tributes to the Mountain God too.”

Just as the two Junk Shop members were about to leave after handing over some simple snacks.

Crunch.

The sound of footsteps in the snow was heard again.

This time, the sound came from the direction of the Republic of Clark, not Norsweden.

All four people tensed up simultaneously and tracked the source of the footsteps with their eyes.

There stood a tall man who had somehow already positioned himself there.

A thin body contrasting with his tall height.

A black coat and black hat. And on his chest.

A Salvation Corps badge.

“Hey, you! Beyond this point is Griffin Kingdom territory!”

Despite the guard’s shout, the man’s pace didn’t slow at all.

He was steadily approaching this place.

“Huh?”

One of the Junk Shop members was shocked as he saw the approaching man’s face.

“Doberman?”

Bang!

That was the end.

A bullet from the gun that had somehow appeared in Doberman’s hand pierced through the Junk Shop member’s forehead with a chilling gunshot sound.

“Y-You’re crazy!”

“Request backup immediately!”

“Doberman!”

The guard urgently requested backup while the Junk Shop member embraced his dead comrade and glared at Doberman.

The cold-blooded hound who had once shouted for the republic’s freedom at the forefront alongside Findenai.

He wondered why Doberman was crossing the mountains alone wearing Salvation Corps clothes and badge.

Red glowing eyes, dripping saliva, a strange mechanical device attached to the back of his neck.

The moment he saw it, he recalled the brainwashing device that had spread like an urban legend throughout the Republic of Clark.

Bang!

Another gunshot rang out.

This time, the guard next to him collapsed onto the snow as his heart was pierced.

Even though he wanted to respond somehow, the hand movements were too fast to counter.

Just as the member tried to move to take cover.

Bang!

Another gunshot from afar. An impact felt in the head.

Thud.

The sound of something collapsing was heard, and it didn’t take long to realize it was himself.

His vision blurred red as the sky spun.

The member realized he was dying.

And amidst it all, he heard Doberman’s locked, choppy voice.

“Fin, den…ai.”

Doberman was solely looking for one woman.

* * *

As I was packing my bags—since the academy’s winter break would start tomorrow and I needed to depart for the Bright family for the meeting with the in-laws—there was a knock at the door.

Thinking it might be Erika, I opened the door without much thought, but surprisingly, Findenai was standing there nonchalantly.

“What’s the matter?”

To my question, Findenai grinned and replied.

“Just thought I’d drop by?”

In her hand was a bottle of sloshing alcohol. Somehow she had obtained quite a premium item.

I felt like I’d seen it somewhere before.

“I secretly took it from the headmaster.”

“…”

So it was one of the headmaster’s alcohol collection. He would be quite furious if he found out, but Findenai shrugged it off and entered, swinging the glass between her fingers.

“Packing? Don’t people usually have maids do this kind of thing?”

“I’m doing it myself because you wouldn’t do it properly if I asked you.”

“As always, you know me too well.”

Findenai shrugged and immediately sat down in a chair in my room, placing the bottle and glass down.

Then she took out the short staff from her waist and swung it once, transforming it into an axe with a swishing sound.

Every time I saw it, I felt it was a weapon far below her actual skill level.

Using that axe, she skillfully removed the cork from the bottle and handed me a glass.

“Have a drink.”

“…What are you trying to do?”

Despite my question, Findenai silently poured alcohol into the glass.

Then she slowly extended the glass.

I also extended my glass in response to her offer.

With the distinctive resonance of glasses clinking together, the mood was set.

Under the gentle glow of the lamp.

Findenai looked down at her glass and answered bitterly.

“I don’t really like these kinds of moments either. I prefer just laughing and chatting while chewing on meat.”

“…”

“But this time is a bit different. Well, I wanted it to be somewhat special.”

Not her usual boisterous smile.

Not her lewd and crude manner of speaking.

Findenai’s faint bitter smile pierced into me.

“At least for our last time together.”