Open Class (1)

The interior of the Clementine family carriage, which I ended up sharing on my way to school, exuded a neat yet luxurious atmosphere.

I could tell it was heavily influenced by the tastes of Jeras Clementine, who sat across from me.

Amusingly, Sierra, who was currently clinging to me, seemed to remember him.

According to her murmurs, Jeras had apparently made quite a name for himself across the continent since he was young.

"Now then, could you tell me what exactly you find appealing about my daughter? As Yuri's father, I simply must hear it."

Following Jeras's sudden question, it was Yuri, who had been fidgeting with her fingers, who spoke first.

"I-I told you, we're just friends..."

"Even friends have things they like about each other, do they not?"

Jeras replied to Yuri, his gaze shifting back to lock onto me.

At that, I opened my mouth.

"...I believe Miss Yuri's charm lies in her attentiveness and kind nature. She has also taken great care of me so that I could adjust well to academy life."

At my quiet, honest response, Jeras glanced at the bandages covering my eyes.

"Is that so... Our Yuri did that..."

"..."

Yuri simply turned her head toward the window, seemingly overwhelmed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠by the situation.

"Though she is my one and only precious daughter, I honestly didn't think she would adjust well to the academy. This child has had quite a temper since she was young. Until I received her letter saying she had made a friend, my worries were as vast as a mountain."

Uncrossing his arms, Jeras leaned in slightly, bringing his face closer to mine as he continued.

"...So, when would be a good time for the engagement?"

"An engagement...?"

"Father...?! Even so, how could you bring up an engagement in a carriage of all places..."

Both Yuri and I questioned him simultaneously at his rather absurd proposal.

"If the location is the issue, we can arrange a formal meeting."

"No... That's not what I mean..."

Jeras glanced at Yuri as her voice trailed off, his eyes turning entirely serious.

Then, he whispered to me.

"...To be frank, Yuri must carry on the family lineage."

""......""

"This is extremely important for Yuri—no, for the entire family. It doesn't matter what kind of person you are, whether you wield a sword or a spear. What matters is that you, a 'man,' have caught Yuri Clementine's fancy. That is all. Zeto, was it? Zeto Clementine... I think it has a nice ring to it."

In the end, Jeras let his assumptions run wild, passionately making his case.

A nice ring...? Zeto Clementine... What on earth is he...

Of course, if I were to actually marry her, I would indeed take on that surname.

Sierra pointed a finger at Jeras, her eyes flashing with a murderous glare.

The only problem was that her chilling voice echoed solely inside my head.

"Father, even so, why an engagement all of a sudden?! I told you Zeto is just a friend...!"

"Yuri, you are well aware of the situation, are you not?"

Jeras's firm reply cut through Yuri's shout.

"..."

Yuri couldn't muster a response and hung her head low.

Her expression was far from pleasant.

This... must be because of that matter.

I knew exactly what they were talking about.

It was already one of the problems I needed to resolve later on.

However, Yuri wouldn't want to be forced into an engagement with me.

And I could resolve this without resorting to such measures.

If I failed to resolve it—or rather, if I did nothing—the Clementine Rebellion would occur.

If that happened, Yuri would no longer be able to attend the academy.

But I had no intention of letting that happen.

It was clear that such an outcome would bring no happiness to Yuri, myself, or even Jeras.

...Interfering with the succession line of a kingdom was a rather complicated matter, but I already had a perfect plan in place.

Just as I was contemplating how to respond, the carriage came to a halt.

We had arrived in front of the main academy building.

Before long, the coachman opened the carriage door, and Jeras bid me farewell.

"We have arrived already. It is a pity we could not speak longer, but I do hope we can converse again next time. As for what we discussed today... please pay it no mind."

"...Yes, sir."

I bowed my head politely to Jeras and stepped out of the carriage.

Seeing that Yuri didn't get off, it seemed she had somewhere else to go with Jeras. Since they were members of the Four Element Families, they might have a meeting scheduled early in the morning.

With that, I stepped away from the carriage and parted ways with them.

The entrance to the main building was still bustling with crowds.

To think something like this would happen on the very first morning of the Open Class.

It felt like nothing would surprise me anymore, no matter what happened next.

I shook my head slightly to clear my thoughts and made my way toward the main building.

Inside the quiet carriage after Zeto's departure, Jeras silently watched his daughter, Yuri, who was staring out the window.

Soon, looking at her with pity in his eyes, Jeras spoke.

"The pressure from the First Prince is mounting. I do not know how much longer I can hold out."

"...Even so, how could you try to drag Zeto into this?"

"I was certain you fancied him..."

Jeras said, stroking his beard.

The First Prince wanted to marry Yuri.

The Clementine family belonged to the Terrasia Kingdom, and the man destined to become the Crown Prince of that nation had set his sights on his daughter.

This was a massive headache.

In truth, ever since Yuri was young, marriage proposals had flooded in.

Wealthy tycoons, powerful nobles, young knights with promising ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠futures.

From the perspective of the Clementine family, which already possessed more than enough wealth, power, and strength, they only needed someone to carry on the lineage. However, those who approached her undoubtedly did so with their own hidden desires.

To them, marriage was not the culmination of love, but a tool, a means to an end.

Jeras wondered if that had turned into a poison.

It was around that time that his daughter's outbursts of anger had become more frequent.

Even if it was late, he had been rejecting all marriage proposals.

It was because he felt he was doing a terrible disservice to his precious daughter.

But the First Prince was a different story.

Once a formal request came from that side, it would not be easy to refuse.

For now, they were barely managing to deflect it, but there was no telling how the situation might shift.

"Still, he seemed like a decent lad," Jeras said, breaking the silence.

"...Did he?"

"What is it about him that you like?" Jeras asked, gently stroking Yuri's hair.

"......I don't know. He just... makes me feel comfortable."

Yuri spoke softly.

She didn't deny that she liked him.

Jeras figured as much.

The expression Yuri wore when looking at the boy named Zeto was one her father had never seen on her face before.

It was only a pity that the boy, due to his impaired vision, could not see it.

"Hmm..."

Jeras groaned softly, lost in thought.

If possible, he wanted his daughter to marry the one she loved. Just as he had.

He was prepared to sacrifice a great deal to protect his daughter from the First Prince.

He was even keeping a potential conflict with the royal family in mind.

If they dare stand in the way of the Clementine family... I will simply burn them all to ashes.

The Open Class was called a class, but it was entirely different from their usual lessons.

Inside the massive stadium, also known as the Colosseum, all the academy cadets and visitors who had come to the academy were seated.

The Open Class was essentially a stage for the academy cadets to showcase their skills to the world.

The nobles promoted their families, while the commoners without families made a name for themselves.

The nobles were one thing, but the commoners especially had to make the most of this opportunity.

To put it simply, it was their ticket to securing a better career.

On the first day, is it combat against monsters?

There would also be duels between cadets, but whether it was a duel or a fight against monsters, the battles today would be conducted with protective magic active.

They didn't use illusion magic, despite having it.

No matter how much of an illusion it was, families who came to visit wouldn't want to see their children's heads being severed.

In the spectator seats surrounding the Colosseum, a fairly elevated 'VIP section' located near the center housed the key figures.

Among them, the faces of Principal Juliut Klaus and Chairman Hubert Graham could be seen.

Furthermore, since the heads of the continent's Four Element Families were all in attendance this year, the VIP section was quite crowded.

I don't see the Saintess.

For some reason, the Saintess was nowhere to be seen.

I had thought I might catch a glimpse of her this time.

By now, Antony must have already met her...

Well, I figured I would meet her eventually.

However, because the Saintess possessed a special ability, I had to exercise extreme caution when speaking with her, given how many secrets I was harboring.

I did have a countermeasure in mind.

Her ability was actually simpler than one might think.

Just as I was thinking about the Saintess, the cadets around me began to whisper.

"I heard the Sword Saint is here?"

"The Sword Saint?"

"Who? Which one is the Sword Saint?"

"Must be that gentleman over there."

As the Sword Saint appeared in the VIP section, the announcer in the Colosseum broadcasted his arrival.

Sierra, who was floating in the air, had already been observing the Sword Saint.

She said nothing.

She was merely glaring at him intently.

Before taking his seat, the Sword Saint suddenly stood at the railing of the VIP section and looked down at where the first-year cadets were gathered.

At this, the first-year cadets began to cheer.

"Lord Sword Saint!!"

"Kyaaaah!"

"The Sword Saint looked at me!"

"He looked at me, you idiot! Lord Sword Saint!!"

Amidst this chaotic scene, I glanced over at Kaen, who was sitting in the Class C section.

Kaen was standing among the cheering cadets, her eyes wide as she shook her head vigorously.

Perhaps because her hair was so eye-catching, the Sword Saint naturally and slowly turned his gaze toward the other grades.

It seemed their agreement to hide their relationship was still in effect.

Soon, Yuri, who had been watching the Sword Saint, spoke up.

"...This is my first time seeing him in person."

"Who hasn't? He's someone who rarely shows his face. When I asked my father, he said Principal Juliut extended a special invitation," Amon replied, catching Yuri's murmur.

As members of the continent's Four Element Families, it was also their first time seeing the Sword Saint in person.

How many years has it been since he last appeared at an official event...

Considering the Sword Saint's personality, it made sense.

Beside me, Eisel wasn't even looking at the Sword Saint.

It wasn't that ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she lacked interest in him... she was staring at me.

She had been like this ever since our encounter in the flower garden.

There was no way she could have sensed the Tears of the Deceased, so was holding her simply a careless mistake on my part?

Shortly after, the Sword Saint, who was standing at the railing, smoothly turned his head and scanned the Colosseum.

While doing so, he suddenly raised his head and looked up into the empty air.

I felt a deep sense of doubt at his action.

To anyone else, it would have looked like he was merely gazing at the sky... a perfectly normal movement. But I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could tell.

The Sword Saint's gaze was directed right at Sierra, who was floating in the air.

What...?

Could it be that the Sword Saint can also see Sierra...?

...No, that was impossible.

Then was it just a coincidence?

He didn't possess divine power like the Saintess, nor was he accustomed to demonic energy like Deidros. Why did it feel like he was looking right at her?

"You should take your seat, Chris. It is about time we begin," Juliut said to Chris, who was standing by the railing, staring into the empty air.

However, Chris did not readily reply.

Unlike his usual shabby, wandering attire, he was dressed in a high-quality uniform that Juliut had prepared for him.

Juliut and those who knew the Sword Saint here thought to themselves:

His eccentricities are as prominent as ever.

But Chris wasn't acting eccentrically.

He was feeling a strange sensation as he stared into the empty air.

Soon, Chris let out a low groan.

"Hoh..."

At Chris's voice, the attention of the others seated in the VIP section was drawn to him.

"Is something the matter?" asked Juliut, who was one of the few who could comfortably speak to the Sword Saint.

Chris turned around, replied to Juliut, and made his way to his seat.

Even so, Chris's doubt did not fade.

Sitting in his chair, Chris rested his chin on his hand, deeply lost in thought.

It was an incredibly dense bloodlust. To feel such killing intent from empty space... how bizarre. Or has my intuition grown rusty?

Indeed.

It was Chris's absurdly sharp senses.

His crisis-detection ability, honed through countless encounters with assassins.

He had sensed the bloodlust of Sierra, whom his eyes could not even see.