Classes at the academy were more interesting than expected.

Evolaine had lost interest in studying due to the imperial language lessons Cardel had made her take before, so she’d gone with zero expectations about classes. But surprisingly, there was a lot of content that piqued her interest.

“The class we’ll be conducting from today is ‘Practical Military Operations.’ Literally, it’s a subject that covers how you should move strategically in battle to increase your chances of victory.”

The professor briefly explained the theory of military operations and said they’d dive straight into practical work.

He said the practical training would take place centered around a massive forest near the academy.

“Nervous?”

“Not particularly.”

“Really?”

At Evolaine’s calm response, Cardel turned his gaze back to the professor. He’d lost interest at her bland attitude.

‘This is just like Lady Lucia.’

Just like him, Lucia would say it was boring and zip off somewhere else whenever she showed no particular reaction. That was routine.

If she said this, Cardel would vehemently deny it, saying she was mistaken, but what could she do? The two were siblings either way.

“…That’s enough explanation. Now let’s form groups. Gather in teams of four and submit your roster. If there are students who can’t submit, I’ll randomly assign everyone, so keep that in mind.”

At the professor’s words that he’d randomly assign students who couldn’t form groups, the students moved more diligently than ever.

“Everyone’s quick.”

“They must want to team up with at least one person they like.”

“If you want to be with me too, Dame, you’ll need to gather two more people.”

“…Yes.”

“Your expression says you want to hit me.”

“You’re mistaken.”

As the two bickered, a female student and male student approached hesitantly.

“Um… if it’s not rude, have you two formed a group yet?”

“No, we haven’t yet, but…”

At the words that they hadn’t formed one yet, color returned to the female student’s face. She seemed to have been troubled about finding people to team with.

“Then with us…”

“Young Master, how about forming a group with us?”

But then a man cut off her words and approached Cardel.

The female student, unable to finish her words, stepped back with an awkward expression. Even the male student who came with her didn’t stop the man, though he told her it was okay.

Glancing around, everyone was watching this man’s mood. While some wore expressions of sympathy for the two, there were also students who seemed close to the man, looking this way with sneering faces.

‘He seems like someone influential in the Swordsmanship Department.’

“I agree.”

‘You scared me! What if you suddenly talk like that?’

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

At Basilica’s suddenly audible voice, Evolaine jumped, and Cardel’s gaze turned to her.

“Dame, are you cold? Why are you trembling like that?”

“I saw a bug. Don’t worry about it.”

“Were you afraid of bugs, Dame?”

“I don’t think I’ll be afraid from today on.”

At his mischief-filled face that looked ready to go outside and bring back a bug right away if she said she was afraid of them, Evolaine quickly changed the subject.

“Why have you gotten so quick-witted?”

“Thanks to your teachings, Cardel.”

“You know it well. Only flatter me. If you do it to others, you’ll get in trouble.”

What was he even saying? When Evolaine made a disgusted expression, Cardel laughed loudly.

“Ah, okay. That’s enough, isn’t it?”

“I’m grateful for your mercy.”

The people around them were the ones surprised by the two’s conversation, which had become more shameless than before.

The rumored Kelic swordsman and the young master of the Duchy of Radelica. They wouldn’t have expected the relationship between these two to look this friendly.

“And who might you be?”

“…My introduction is late. I’m Labro Borzenia of the Marquisate of Borzenia.”

“Labro? Evolaine, do you know who that is?”

“Not really.”

How would someone who barely mastered imperial language recently know? When Evolaine shrugged and spoke, Cardel said to Labro.

“My escort knight doesn’t know you. Then I don’t know you either.”

From Cardel speaking with a bright smile, she felt a solid wall. Even Evolaine, who stuck with him every day, was surprised—how could that man not be surprised?

As expected, Labro looked flustered. He apparently hadn’t thought Cardel would flatly draw the line saying they were strangers.

“If I made you uncomfortable in any way, I apologize. However,”

“Why apologize?”

“…Pardon?”

“The academy is an equal place, isn’t it? I heard it’s a school where everyone goes by the same name of student regardless of status. Wasn’t that right?”

When Cardel tapped Evolaine’s hand, the answer he wanted popped out like a machine that acts according to programmed input.

“That’s what I heard too.”

“See, my escort knight heard that too.”

‘Why does he keep dragging me into this?’

“The person you serve has a really bad personality. Are all humans these days like that?”

‘…Not all of them.’

Evolaine couldn’t bring herself to deny that Cardel had a bad personality.

Because Cardel, smiling brightly while planting humiliation in the man with a name like Lobran or Labron or whatever, looked very much like a villain.

“Dame, when did he say we had to form groups by?”

“Until 1 o’clock, so about 10 minutes left.”

“Then put those two people on the roster and submit it to the professor.”

“Understood.”

When the master she served treated Labro like he didn’t exist, what could she do?

Quietly expressing sympathy for Labro, who had crossed Cardel’s mood, Evolaine approached the female and male students.

“What are your names?”

“I, I’m Soli Magrita.”

“…Kale Gais.”

Evolaine, who had placed the roster paper they’d distributed earlier on the desk and was rummaging through her pockets, paused. The pen she thought she’d put in this morning wasn’t there. And uselessly, like a flashback, she recalled the pen sitting on her room’s desk.

“Cardel.”

“What?”

“Lend me a pen. I forgot to bring one.”

At Evolaine’s shameless request, Cardel reacted a beat late.

“Dame, your notes?”

“…”

“…”

In the end, sighing, Cardel wrote the roster himself.

His escort knight apparently had a truly terrible interest in theory classes.

* * *

After much trouble, they formed groups and moved on to practical class.

Following the professor’s guidance, each group moved to their designated position in the forest, then briefly set up a pre-battle situation before combat officially began.

“Looks like this is our spot.”

The location assigned to Evolaine’s group was closest to the forest’s center.

Surrounded by trees, grass, and various plants, visibility was difficult. The forest center was wide open, so realistically it was terrain where even slight movement would easily expose them to enemies.

“Th-this place…”

“Miss Magrita, are you okay?”

As soon as Soli confirmed their assigned location, she turned pale and then plopped down. Her legs seemed to have lost strength and she couldn’t stand back up. Eventually Kale helped support her to stand.

‘Does she have bad memories of this place?’

“It’s okay, Soli. It just looks similar to back then.”

“Wh-what if it happens again? If that happens again…”

Kale seemed to know what Soli had experienced. His complexion didn’t look too good either, so there was a high possibility he was involved.

“Don’t just talk between yourselves, include us too?”

“…Did something happen before?”

In place of Cardel, whose mood was still bad from Labro’s aftermath, Evolaine asked.

Then Soli pressed her lips tightly shut and Kale hesitated. They didn’t seem to want to bring up the story again.

“This forest is close to the academy. Since the terrain differs by location, it’s quite suitable for practical training, so we’ll come here often from now on.”

“…”

“Cardel and I are together for this practical, but there’s no guarantee we’ll be together during the next class. If problems arise in a place similar to this then too, who knows what other group members will think.”

If they didn’t open up now, the probability of defeat in the practical was high. Whether they made mistakes or lacked skill, they could just make up for it in the next class, but this time was different.

While exploring the surroundings earlier, she’d confirmed Labro’s group was nearby.

Given Cardel’s personality, he wouldn’t openly snub someone he didn’t know, so there must be a reason he treated him coldly.

Then what if they lost to the person he snubbed? Beyond a matter of pride, bad looks would fly toward Soli and Kale, who were chosen instead.

As she’d grasped in the classroom, Labro was someone the students in the same department watched, and sometimes didn’t want to catch his eye even if it meant accepting disadvantages.

That meant he had a certain position in the Swordsmanship Department.

When Labro won and Soli and Kale’s reputation worsened, could Labro really not pick on the two?

From his position, it would be no different than throwing him drool-worthy prey.

At Evolaine’s words, the two seemed to be pondering. They might not hear the whole story, but they at least needed to hear the core reason.

“Actually…”

Soli and Kale briefly explained what had happened.

During a previous practical in a similar location, an accident occurred, and a group member fighting with them died.

His name was Poli. A commoner, age 16 at the time.

Even if they conducted practicals in combat-like situations, it was ultimately mock combat.

A student dying during practical training was something that shouldn’t happen.

“Poli died right there. Before we could even say to treat him immediately, to stop the practical…”

That day was complete chaos. At the unexpected accident, professors hurriedly called physicians and healers, and among students who witnessed the horrific scene, several fainted.

Soli, who was closest, also suffered serious injuries, but unable to even feel pain at Poli’s death, she just stood there blankly looking at him.

“Poli…?”

Why on earth? Why did this happen?