episode_0036

“Please become my personal bodyguard, Cyan.”

There was no choice but to delay my response to her unexpected request.

Becoming a bodyguard out of the blue?

“A bodyguard…?”

I asked in confusion.

I had certainly saved her before.

Once when a group of goblins and an ogre ambushed her carriage.

And once during the recent assassination attempt at the tournament.

Was I seen as a promising individual by her?

I had managed to display some mediocre skills on the field that I couldn’t quite showcase among my peers.

Thanks to that, I could surpass participants who were incompetent and even slit the throats of spies.

But this was merely a result of unorthodox growth due to knowledge from my past life.

‘Genuine’ talent.

Everything crumbles before it.

Look at Cain.

Despite fixing his flaws, learning swordsmanship from Iris, a Sword Master by chance, and deeply understanding the swordsmanship lessons of professors with the mindset of someone in their 20s before the possession transfer, I still fell short of his level by a small margin.

Even though Cain trained all by himself.

Do I have the talent to become the princess’s bodyguard?

Considering the limited information about the body I’m currently possessing, the probability of inheriting her bodyguard-level talent is extremely low in my opinion.

Soon enough, Cain will surpass me.

“…I apologize.”

Therefore, I could only express my refusal to the princess who nodded in response to my question.

“Why? Becoming a bodyguard could bring you not only high honor but also wealth.”

“I believe that high honor and wealth are traits that suit certain individuals.”

“Now that I think about it, Cyan, you seem to underestimate yourself. Are you implying that no one else is suitable except you?”

“…Regarding the manifestation of Ora, I simply got lucky and grasped it quickly.”

“And what about the swordsmanship and martial arts you displayed to save me from the spies?”

“I think that was also possible due to luck.”

“…”

Rejecting her so firmly could lead to disrespect.

However, despite that, I had to earnestly decline.

It wasn’t just about talent…

I aimed for a safe and smooth graduation as much as possible.

The Fourth Princess, Rosaria, is at odds with the Third Prince, Zelar.

She may not realize that he sees her as an adversary, but she will eventually.

This will inevitably escalate into a struggle for the throne.

I cannot guarantee my safety.

Therefore, Cain, who can protect himself and Rosaria, is more fitting as her bodyguard.

He is the true protagonist of this story after all.

“…Understood.”

Rosaria stood up from her seat.

Then she continued speaking.

“This is not a decision to be made right now… I will come back another time. Please consider it until then.”

“…”

I responded to her words with silence.

She soon left the room.

Leaving Hedie and me alone in the ward.

“…”

“…”

Perhaps due to our previous conversation, Hedie seemed somewhat uneasy, resting her hand on her knee.

…I didn’t like this atmosphere.

I casually smiled as usual and spoke to her.

“What are you thinking?”

“Just… nothing.”

She seemed cautious about something; maybe it was just her mood.

“What were you doing wandering around anyway?”

“Huh?”

“What were you doing that a princess of a kingdom went to such lengths?”

“…”

…Yeah.

I also wonder why things turned out this way.

It seemed like I hadn’t done much, yet the situation became complicated.

I just saved her because she looked in danger.

How could I have turned a blind eye?

That guy Cain, the supposed main character, didn’t even show up when heroines were in danger.

If I hadn’t stepped in, who knows what dangerous situations they would have ended up in.

I could save them. So, I simply did.

…This world was overflowing with realism.

Instead of moving through keyboard controls like a game, one could feel sensations, smell scents, and engage in clear interactions.

It felt nothing like a game.

Therefore, I couldn’t ignore the figures that seemed dangerous. They happened to be characters akin to heroines.

I didn’t orchestrate such a situation myself.

“It seems like you’ve encountered a dangerous situation and just happened to rescue me by chance. I didn’t do anything special.”

“If you keep this up, you really seem like a promising hero.”

“…?”

“Both you and I, how do we keep rescuing people like this? Are we on the path to being chosen as heroes by the goddess herself?”

“…That makes no sense.”

Though it was unlikely, her words were chilling to even imagine.

The reason I diligently leveled up while playing the game.

To swiftly defeat the Demon King.

Playing as the protagonist Cain, even with all the in-game purchases for power-ups, it still took me at least 4 hours to defeat the Demon King.

That’s how powerful the Demon King and his demon subordinates were compared to regular monsters.

To become a hero and defeat such beings…

My current talent wasn’t even close to Cain’s level, so the idea of taking down the Demon King in this state was truly absurd.

The difficulty level must be beyond triple hell mode. It’s basically telling me to go commit suicide.

“I will never let that happen, so don’t get your hopes up for no reason.”

Dismissing her words, I shook my head firmly.

I dreaded the thought of waking up with a hero symbol branded on the back of my hand or something like that.

***

Cain’s self-esteem hit rock bottom.

What was his sword to him?

He kept doubting himself.

He had defeated one of the top swordsmen in the Swordsmanship Department.

He thought he was getting closer to proving himself.

But…

“The chicks are just here for the show!”

“If you move, you’ll be cut. Stand still.”

In front of the assassins who suddenly appeared, he was helpless.

The princess was in danger,

And due to his obsession that a wooden sword couldn’t stand against a real sword, he was just floundering.

However, his fixed ideas were shattered by the sudden appearance of a man.

Sian.

A peer who seemed to belong to the Swordsmanship Department for the first time.

He used Aura.

Cain’s childhood friend and heir to the prestigious swordsmanship family. Aria Silvesta, known as a sword genius, like her.

But his skill seemed incomparably stronger than Aria, his childhood friend.

If Aria had been in the tournament, could she have skillfully dealt with the assassins like Sian did and saved Princess Rosaria?

He thought it was nearly impossible.

Aria was undoubtedly strong, but not as much as Sian.

That’s why Cain felt an even higher wall.

“Is my talent… nothing special?”

He recently realized this and grew insanely.

He managed to reach the early stages of Grade 3 postnatally, thinking that maybe his talent was an incomplete vessel that could break the barrier of innate talent.

Continuing to expand his vessel through effort, he believed that someday he could become the chosen hero he desired.

The gap with Aria Silvesta narrowed, and if things continued this way, he thought he could surpass her and prove his talent as the strongest swordsman among his peers.

But as he broke down the wall called Aria, another high wall emerged.

Sian.

Because his name was the same as the lunatic Gongja who had bullied him as a fallen noble in the first semester, he became even more furious.

Who exactly was he…

He protected the princess whom he thought he couldn’t protect.

With his own sword.

No matter how he thought about it, he seemed more suited to be a hero.

“Ugh….”

Overwhelmed by feelings of inferiority, Cain kicked the ground.

He was torn apart.

Feeling that his once close dream was slipping further away was a more bitter experience than he had anticipated.

“…Hoo.”

Standing abruptly in the training grounds, Cain wordlessly grasped his sword with calloused hands.

And he set a new goal.

A mix of inferiority and fervor ignited his enthusiasm.

Finally, Cain opened his eyes.

Gazing at his new objective, he swung his sword vigorously.

***

“Aren’t you coming to eat with Hedy today?”

In the student cafeteria,

While having a meal together at the same table, Lloyd asked me.

“Hmm? Oh, right. What’s going on? Isn’t Cyan joining us?”

Bobby, hastily eating his food, echoed Lloyd’s words.

Jeez…

What nonsense.

I’d be lucky if I didn’t kick her.

She said she’d eat lunch separately for training because she gets provoked by looking at me.

…Hedy’s demeanor has been somewhat off lately.

Still, when I see her sharply rebuking the guys who hit on her, I think she’s the same as ever.

“Stop talking nonsense and just eat your food.”

As I was about to say something that might annoy Hedy, someone approached us while we were eating.

A clear voice filled with elegance and refinement.

Lloyd, Bobby, and Louis, who seemed puzzled all of a sudden, turned to where the sound came from.

And they froze in place.

Seeing my friends’ reactions, I also looked ahead, curious about what was happening.

‘Huh?’

Surprised, I too stopped stirring my spoon.

It felt like nearby students dining were focusing their attention on us.

Naturally.

Because there shouldn’t be someone like him in this backward ordinary student cafeteria.

Well, technically, the student cafeteria wasn’t backward.

As befitting the Empire’s top academy, it offered various menus and services for students.

But relatively speaking, it was backward for someone who should be dining on the exclusive chef’s dishes in the VIP dining hall.

“Y-Your Highness…?”

“U-U-U-Um…!”

Lloyd’s eyes widened in shock, and Bobby trembled like a patient with a seizure.

…Princess Rosaria said,

“Since there’s an empty seat, may I join you for a meal?”