Kiriel suddenly turned his head at the insolent gaze he felt.

“Kanto, what’s with that look?”

“…It’s nothing.”

There are some issues you only realize after experiencing them yourself. In Kanto’s view, his superior’s feelings towards that young lady were like that. He held back his words, promising himself to speak later.

“Ah, I see.”

Kiriel immediately dismissed it from his mind.

* * *

As the participants armed themselves with weapons and magical tools, mounted their horses, and departed, the gathered young ladies’ eyes sparkled. It was the beginning of the chatter.

Kana summoned Celia. Although the environment around the tent was already pleasant thanks to the magical tools and the mages of the tower, summoning the wind spirit would help with training and make it even better.

[Kana, you need the wind, right?]

‘Yes. Please make it as strong as a fan.’

[Leave it to me.]

As partners of the soul, the spirit and the contractor were in perfect sync. Kana operated her spirit magic so that the other young ladies gathered with her could also enjoy the gentle breeze from Celia.

Thanks to this, Letie, Evie, Olivia, and the young ladies in the same group all brightened up.

“I heard Miss Kana is a spirit summoner, but seeing it in person is amazing.”

“It feels pleasantly cool. It’s like feeling the wind in a forest. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Kana responded modestly. Olivia smiled contentedly.

“Miss Kana, your handling of spirit magic is delicate.”

“Thank you. I need to keep working hard.”

Kana replied with a smile. The atmosphere was friendly. After a brief chat about spirit magic, the conversation naturally shifted to the recipients of the handkerchiefs.

While everyone was excitedly talking about the reactions they received after giving their handkerchiefs, Kana occasionally chimed in and listened. Letie glanced at her composed face.

“I had some guesses about the others, but Miss Kana’s recipient was unexpected. Who would have thought it would be Lord Alderaan Short?”

“Oh, we had agreed on it. I was just wondering who to give my handkerchief to, so it worked out well.”

Kana answered plainly, fanning herself lightly. She seemed indifferent to the person who received her handkerchief, as if it had been decided through a transaction or mutual agreement.

Della looked at Olivia with curiosity.

“Did you know beforehand, Miss Olivia?”

“Oh, I found out a bit late too.”

Olivia shrugged and brushed it off playfully. Bianca’s eyes sparkled. She added with a big smile.

“Oh my, whatever the reason, you gave it after much consideration. Do you perhaps have feelings for Lord Alderaan, Miss Kana? He seems to have become quite gallant. He’s become impressive in a different way than before.”

“I can assure you that’s not the case at all.”

Kana shook her head firmly. Even in her original world, she was averse to relationships within the same group, like campus couples or office romances, and had never harbored such feelings for colleagues.

Della playfully interrupted with a grin.

“Then, did you give your heart to the Tower Master?”

“No. You all are so playful.”

Kana waved her hand dismissively. Della’s eyes sparkled as she asked again.

“If the Tower Master had participated, who do you think you would have given the handkerchief to?”

“Probably to both of them.”

“Oh my!”

The young ladies exclaimed in unison. If she made excuses about it being for work, they would only tease her more. Kana resigned herself and laughed softly.

Evie clapped her hands and changed the subject tactfully.

“By the way, who do you think will win?”

“Well, there are so many strong contenders…”

Della trailed off, fidgeting with her fingers. As she said, there were many major figures, making it difficult to guess.

Just then, a loud voice came from the nearby tent where the northern young ladies were gathered.

“Of course, it would be our Duke Cardium, wouldn’t it?”

“He’s the Empire’s top sword master! He’s responsible for the defense of the north.”

“Although many great people, including the princes, are participating this time, Duke Cardium’s skills are genuine.”

The northern young ladies’ voices were filled with pride. In reality, the winner of the monster hunting festival in ‘Fake Saint Was Real’ was Ethan.

The protagonist Richard narrowly escaped death due to the schemes of some northern nobles instigated by his brother and shone from behind.

The female protagonist Letie helped him later, received a spirit stone as a return for her handkerchief, and quietly acknowledged his achievements.

Kana nodded in agreement with their words.

“That’s true.”

“…So, Miss Kana, aren’t you cheering for the person you gave your handkerchief to?”

Olivia’s shoulders slumped as she recalled the person Kana gave the handkerchief to. Kana answered gently, looking at the dejected Olivia.

“I’m cheering for him, but Duke Cardium’s skill and experience in real combat are unmatched in the Empire. It would be hard for anyone to catch up.”

“Hmm.”

“Miss Olivia, don’t be too disheartened. Even if he doesn’t win, the effort and results of the participants won’t disappear. They are all remarkable.”

Kana comforted and reassured Olivia. Olivia’s face finally brightened. She nodded with a big smile.

“Miss Kana is right. They are all amazing. I just hope my foolish brother doesn’t get hurt.”

“I emphasized safety when giving the handkerchief, so he will probably be careful.”

Olivia sighed in relief at Kana’s added words. Letie, who had been watching their conversation with a pleased expression, suddenly looked worried.

‘Is she vaguely recalling the memory of the first round? The fact that the Second Prince is in danger?’

Kana secretly observed the female protagonist’s expression and gently started the conversation.

“Lady Letie, you haven’t looked well for a while. Are you feeling unwell or tired?”

“Huh? Oh, no.”

“Are you really okay? If you’re struggling, please don’t hesitate to say so.”

Kana cautiously patted Letie’s arm. Letie nodded silently with a faint smile.

They chatted casually while enjoying the luxurious food provided by the collaboration of the northern nobles. Suddenly, Letie spoke up.

“…No one will get hurt to the point of endangering their lives, right?”

“Of course! They check everything multiple times before the monster hunting festival and deal with the stronger monsters in advance. They can use magical tools too. Even if they get hurt, it won’t be serious.”

Everyone nodded in agreement with Olivia’s confident assurance. While it was true, there were no guarantees in life. In novels, such statements often became flags for incidents. Kana smiled faintly.

* * *

‘It’s good to loosen up, but there are more monsters than expected.’

Alderaan moved through the forest like a fish in water, catching the incoming monsters.

Watching him skillfully wield his aura and cut down monsters, the trembling supporting characters repeatedly expressed their admiration. Alderaan ignored their words and examined the bodies of the monsters.

The spirit stones in the monsters were tinged with a purple hue, unlike the bluish stones from the mines. He collected the extracted spirit stones in his subspace pouch.

‘Is it about time for the protagonist to face a crisis?’

Alderaan remembered seeing some northern nobles exchanging glances and sneaking off in another direction. He felt a strong energy from the direction where the Second Prince was, and monsters were gathering.

‘Since Round told me not to interfere, I should only deal with the monsters in this area.’

Alderaan’s eyes sharpened. Like a predator hunting herbivores, he swiftly dealt with the monsters in his path. A young nobleman asked in a somewhat trembling voice.

“L-Lord Alderaan, what should we do?”

“Stay out of the way and stay put… please.”

“Yes!”

Due to the setting, he had no choice but to use formal language and take care of them. Although they were destined to fade away, it would be troublesome if the protagonist’s close associates died early.

A young nobleman assisting Alderaan with magical tools muttered worriedly.

“Will the Second Prince be alright?”

“He has skills, so he should be fine. If the northern side notices anything unusual, people unrelated to the First Prince will go to check.”

Alderaan replied stiffly, cutting down monsters with his aura-coated sword. They awkwardly agreed.

“…Ah.”

“We should deal with the monsters here so they don’t gather around him, then go back to the starting point and report.”

“Let’s do as Lord Alderaan says.”

The eyes of those who had been flustered by the sudden appearance of many monsters became resolute.

Alderaan dealt with the monsters and collected only the spirit stones. Unintentionally, his subspace pouch was filled with spirit stones.

“Hmm, was Lord Alderaan always like this?”

“Maybe he’s more sensitive than usual because of the many monsters.”

“But wasn’t he a civil servant? When did he develop aura?”

“Right. He’s stronger than most knights. Was he hiding his strength?”

Alderaan ignored the supporting characters’ whispered conversations behind him. After checking the surroundings with them, he moved back to the starting point.

* * *

Despite listening to the others, Letie felt uneasy. She alternated her gaze between Kana and the wind spirit before cautiously asking.

“Miss Kana, can the wind spirit be sent far for reconnaissance?”

“Well, since the contracted spirit is low-level and my spirit magic is still immature, it’s not easy, but it’s not impossible. But sending reconnaissance without any reason to an event hosted by northern nobles might be seen as overstepping…”

Kana deliberately hesitated, implying that it would be troublesome if other nobles saw it as an overreach.

Especially in the north, where the military strength was higher and the nobles were more combative and rough, it was a sensitive issue.

Letie knew this well. She blinked slowly. Her eyelashes fluttering around her golden eyes looked quite pitiful.

“I don’t want to burden you, Miss Kana. But if something happens, could you help me?”