episode_0025

“Phew….”

After parting ways with the two princesses, Claire let out a deep sigh as if relieved.

The students surrounding them briefly glanced at Claire and Leo after the princesses left, then quickly dispersed. Their expressions seemed to suggest they found it amusing, but Claire paid no attention.

“What a relief….”

“What do you mean, relief!?”

As Claire muttered with her hand on her chest, Leo exclaimed.

Although some students passing by glanced at the two upon hearing Leo’s outburst, he paid no mind to their looks.

“She’s a princess!? And one of them is a real princess!? Why would you just approach them like that out of the blue!? What if you get caught!?”

Even with Leo’s consecutive outbursts, Claire’s expression remained unchanged.

“It’s fine. The princess… I mean, Alice said it herself. We’re all students here. We just need to treat each other the same way.”

As Claire started walking towards the classroom, Leo followed behind, pulling at his hair.

“No, that’s obviously just a facade, isn’t it? We went to the ball before. If we had acted so casually as they say, what would have happened?”

“The ball and school are different. The ball ends in a day.”

“That’s why we need to be more careful! The academy is four years!”

But even after hearing Leo’s protests, Claire still asked, “….Did she cut her hair? Is that kind of hairstyle comfortable? Maybe she didn’t cut it then, but couldn’t?”

“….Hey, are you listening?”

Leo asked as Claire started mumbling to herself, waving her hand in front of her face.

“Look here, little sister.”

At Leo’s words, a slight frown appeared on Claire’s delicate forehead. While not as deep as an adult’s frown, it was clear that Claire’s mood had soured.

“You’re calling me your older brother even though your birthday hasn’t passed yet? I was born first, so I’m the older one.”

The two had always argued over this fact since childhood.

In terms of birthdays, Leo was born a few months after Claire. But in Leo’s eyes, Claire was a ‘latecomer’ to the family. In their early years, Leo took care of Claire, who knew nothing coming from a noble family.

From the perspective of ‘taking care,’ Leo considered himself Claire’s older brother, while Claire insisted she was the older sister based on her memory of her birthday.

After countless disputes on this topic, they were currently tied at 3 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws. With both sides having equal records, there was no need to fight over who was the older one.

In reality, Claire’s birthday was just a date she remembered. She didn’t know why she thought of that day as her birthday, or when she started thinking that way. What was certain was that Claire had remembered that date as her birthday even before entering the orphanage in Grace Manor.

“It seems like you’re finally coming to your senses.”

“My mind is always clear and transparent.”

“A clear and transparent mind suddenly rushing towards the two princesses?”

“Who rushed towards them?”

“Of course, you did, Claire Grace! The daughter of the Viscount!”

Leo raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“…Yes, the princess—”

“Alice.”

“What?”

“She said to call her Alice. The ‘princess’ you mentioned.”

“….”

Leo squinted his eyes and pressed harder on his innocent nose.

That’s definitely going to leave a mark.

Claire thought as she looked at Leo.

“Sure, even if Princess Alice herself said, ‘The people of this school are equal,’ you saw it too. No, you probably saw it more clearly. Even if the princess does not bow to the headmaster.”

“…….”

Leo had nothing to say when he put it that way.

Once a soldier, always a soldier. A famous saying that encapsulates the spirit of the imperial army… I don’t know who first said it, when, or where.

While it may not be considered a maxim, it was a saying that was common among imperial soldiers. Once a soldier, if one had begun to pledge loyalty to a person or organization, even if they were to retire from the military later, they should maintain their dignity as a soldier to preserve the honor of the entity they had pledged loyalty to.

And when encountering the person they had been loyal to, it was also part of the soldier’s spirit to greet them with thorough respect.

And the headmaster of this school, Abraham Fitzgerald Winterfield, was also a soldier. Anyone who had studied even a little about the imperial wars—meaning anyone who had studied enough to attend this academy—would have surely heard his name, a living legend.

Machine gun mounts, turrets, modernizing the armor plates used in machine guns into modern belts, turret tank design, and pioneering modern infantry and tank tactics.

He was a living legend and a hero in the truest sense. His name, Abraham, was even attached to the main battle tanks currently being produced by the empire.

So the honor of his existence was not limited to being an outstanding academy headmaster; it was not inadequate to call him a “walking modern military history.”

And Alice Fangriffon did not bow her head in front of him.

Because, even though he had retired, he was ultimately a soldier who remained loyal to the empire. If there was ever a threat to the empire, he would boldly step onto the front lines. In that sense, he was still a soldier loyal to the imperial family.

“…….”

“See, speechless, right?”

Leo took a deep breath and spoke.

“Think about it. You let go of your speech, but if other nobles use the highest honorifics… Even if it was a direct order from the princess, wouldn’t it seem too contrasting?”

“……Hmm.”

Claire had a momentarily pensive expression.

“Alice doesn’t seem like the type to treat those who use honorifics to her coldly. This is just my opinion, but she might respond more coolly to those who address her with respect.”

“…….”

Leo wiped his face with a ‘I can’t get through to you’ expression.

“……By the way.”

Leo, who had been walking silently next to Claire for a moment, opened his mouth.

“What did you mean by saying ‘fortunate’ earlier? Don’t tell me…”

“That’s right.”

Claire smiled broadly at Leo.

“I mentioned Sylvia. My sister’s name.”

“……Sylvia ‘Black,’ you said.”

Leo corrected. His eyes trembled as if an earthquake had struck. There were a few glances from passersby, but it didn’t seem like they were eavesdropping on the conversation. Rather, it seemed that the fact that a man and a woman were walking together caught their attention.

“But I’m Claire ‘Grace’ too. No one says anything when I introduce myself like that.”

Of course, Leo would inherit the family name. It didn’t matter to Claire.

“That’s the problem.”

Leo scratched the back of his head.

“That person… even if the ‘Sylvia’ you’re talking about is the right one.”

“No, you’re right.”

“…….”

Leo bit his lip and took a deep breath. In fact, Leo thought it was purely a coincidence that the two names overlapped.

Grace’s presence often brought stories about the royal family. As the Marquis of Grace, he held a title directly bestowed upon him by the royal family.

Because of this, there were quite detailed rumors about the “Children of the Emperor.” The Marquis and his wife only shared these rumors with Leo, who was to inherit Grace’s estate in the future.

Leo was well aware that spreading such rumors carelessly could lead to trouble. Despite the fact that it was a well-known story that the “Children of the Emperor” did not have royal blood, the uncertainty surrounding their origins made it somewhat suspicious. The official stance of the royal family was that they were either “descendants of a deceased lower noble family” or “children of a soldier couple who died honorably in battle,” but only those as discerning as a local noble or a commoner living in the countryside could believe that without hesitation.

Or perhaps they were commoners. Uneducated commoners at that.

Among the closely whispered rumors in noble circles were tales of the Emperor raising an assassination squad, or that the current Children of the Emperor were survivors of that assassination squad’s training… stories like that.

Whether those stories were true or not, it was unlikely that such extraordinary beings would simply be lost children wandering the streets.

The child named Sylvia in Claire’s memory seemed almost supernatural, but could one really believe the memories of a young child?

In Claire’s recollection, Sylvia disappeared while Claire was on her way to the Marquis’s estate, either getting lost or falling behind. That was the most plausible scenario.

Furthermore, Claire had never actually met anyone named “Sylvia.” There were even people with black eyes and hair among them, and there was even a person named “Sylvia Black.” Claire was initially very hopeful, trying to strike up a conversation and jog her memory, but she was always disappointed.

As this cycle repeated several times, Claire’s excitement and joy in meeting a new “Sylvia” gradually faded. In recent years, she hadn’t even mentioned it at all.

Leo had witnessed this change firsthand.

So, it was strange to see Claire so convinced now. What could be the reason for this?

… Well, that would have to wait a little longer to find out.

Leo decided to start by saying something important to Claire.

“Alright, let’s say you’re right for now.”

Upon hearing Leo’s words, Claire’s cheeks puffed up slightly, but Leo ignored it and continued his explanation.

“Is it really a good idea to blatantly expose the past of someone in the position of a princess? Would the other party appreciate it? You should consider that first.”

“Ah…”

It seemed that the thought of finally finding her lost sister hadn’t fully sunk in yet.

Leo took a deep breath as if to signal Claire to pay attention and continued.

“And even if you remember, the other person may not. So if you suddenly approach them and start talking, you might end up with a strange image stamped on you.”

“… That’s true.”

Claire, who had been wearing a contemplative expression for a moment, nodded seriously.

Then, she quickly put on a bitter expression.

“… Well, don’t worry too much.”

Leo didn’t see the point in leaving Claire like that, so he threw in a lifeline.

“If the person you mentioned is indeed who you think they are, they will remember you. Even if they don’t remember immediately, they should be able to recall it clearly. Someone with that level of ability should still have memories of their childhood.”

“Got it.”

Watching Claire clench her fist as if to gather strength, Leo shrugged his shoulders.

Leo didn’t think that Sylvia would reappear as a princess. In fact, even during the exam, Claire had glanced at that person. Perhaps Leo didn’t react strongly at that time because he had only briefly seen her.

Furthermore, the Sylvia that Claire always talked about from her childhood seemed to be a much more affectionate and kind person than Princess Sylvia. Although it was only their first meeting, Leo couldn’t imagine the person Claire described as “Sylvia the Gryphon” sitting a young child down and telling them stories from the past.

“Oh, by the way, we’re in the same class—”

“Oh, you didn’t know?”

Claire widened her eyes at Leo’s words.

“The class and seating arrangements are already done. Both of us are in the same class as Alice and Sylvia.”

“Ah.”

Leo’s face, which had just returned to normal, turned pale again.