Joint Class, Part 2
"Demonic beast spotted ahead. Wait here for a moment."
"W-Wait a minute!"
It wasn't the target we were looking for, but stray demonic beasts were wandering here and there across the mountain.
The Princess's sword drew a beautiful arc in the air. The hound-like beast, which had been spewing flames from its maw, vanished in an instant without even getting a chance to resist.
"Hah!"
Claire's Dark Arrow struck the demonic hound a moment too late, but it was a pointless effort anyway. Even if the creature had still been alive, a Dark Arrow of that caliber wouldn't have left so much as a scratch.
"There is no need to clean up. Well done."
"Ugh, uh..."
Letting out a deep sigh, Claire hid behind my back in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't any help again..."
"If that Dark Arrow had actually hit on time, that would have been dangerous in its own way."
Even party members who have fought together for a long time and are facing familiar foes cannot completely avoid friendly fire.
Needless to say, the risk was far higher for a dark mage who couldn't even control her own magic properly.
"But..."
Wiping the blood from her blade, the Princess offered a benevolent smile.
"It seems your stamina is reaching its limit. It would be wise to rest here."
"I-I'm fine!"
Claire trembled slightly, looking intimidated.
She knew it too. In this party, Claire was the one feeling the limits of her physical endurance most acutely.
"No, trust me. The mountains grow cold and dark with surprising speed. It is far better to begin preparing camp early than to start late."
Though such tasks hardly suited her noble status, the Princess possessed far more practical field experience than any of us.
To get through this joint class without any incidents, it was best to respect her judgment.
"Then, um, well... I will—"
"Could you gather some firewood for a moment? The immediate area is safe."
"Y-Yes, understood!"
Claire seemed exhausted as well, but she could not disobey a direct request from the Princess.
As Claire disappeared into the forest, the Princess's expression softened, and a gentle smile played on her lips.
"She is a troubled child. I can see she is trying her absolute best, yet it is painful to watch her struggle because her talent cannot keep up."
"Is that so?"
"Even just now. If I had not assigned her a task she could actually perform... she would surely be pacing anxiously, consumed by fear."
Thinking about it, she was probably right.
"Dark magic does not seem to suit her at all... It is a pity. She has such a good heart."
"I agree. I've suggested she learn something else a few times, but she has a surprisingly stubborn resolve."
"Ah, is that so? Well, then... there is nothing to be done."
The Princess sighed, looking genuinely regretful.
"Then, while she is busy, let us do our part. Zenia, where should we pitch the tent?"
"Wherever you want. The flow of mana is pretty much the same no matter where I set up the barrier anyway. I'm going to rest for a bit, so pitch the tent first. The tent..."
Lying flat on a smooth rock, Zenia waved her hand dismissively.
"Goodness... She is hopeless. Are you ready?"
The Princess unpacked the gear and pulled out the tent. Soon, the work began.
There wasn't much for me to do. There was a significant difference between the Princess's physical strength and mine.
She handled most of the labor, while I simply handed her the necessary tools whenever she asked.
Yet, even that small assistance was enough to bring a bright, unhidden smile to her face.
"You said... Claire is not suited for dark magic."
"I did."
"But from what I see... the same applies to you. Even if you chose to gain strength honestly through sweat and hard work, you would surely achieve greatness."
Zenia, still lying down, chimed in.
"Yeah! I saw your mana control earlier, and it looked pretty good. Our mage class is already struggling because we're short on talent!"
"Compared to you, Lady Zenia, it is nothing impressive."
"Well, that's true, but still!"
The Princess strode over to Zenia, hugged her from behind, and pulled both of her cheeks wide.
"Are you ready to set up the barrier yet? We are almost finished over here."
"Ow, that hurts! I'll do it, I'll do it now! Give me a break!"
Having finished her minor punishment, the Princess turned her gaze back to me.
"I am speaking in all seriousness. People like you and Claire... are actually very hard to find."
Looking up at the darkening sky, she murmured as if speaking to herself.
"Once you reach a certain position... you have no choice but to look for trustworthy people rather than just capable ones."
"I see..."
From a player's perspective, her words made perfect sense.
"An incompetent person merely forces three people to do the work of one, but a malicious person is like poison. They do not just remain idle; they spread rot throughout the entire organization."
Conviction seeped from her every word and action.
"There are some goals that simply cannot be achieved without using dark magic."
"Just how grand is this goal of yours?"
The Princess's gaze grew deep.
"You must know. How great of an achievement a man of your age would need to secure a private audience with me."
She was asking me. If my dark magic was truly worth that much.
"I cannot promise you many things. I am the woman who will become the Emperor of the Empire, and weight accompanies my every word."
I could sense her restraint. She knew exactly how heavily others would weigh her words.
"However, the things you hope to gain through dark magic—honor, authority, wealth... most of them can be acquired without relying on the power of darkness."
"I cannot."
I refused her flatly.
It couldn't be helped. This was the most efficient path.
To use the power of light meant facing the impending tragedies and conspiracies head-on.
It meant leaving the fate of the world to a roll of the dice. Even if I succeeded, I would have to sacrifice something just to survive.
"Then I suppose it cannot be helped."
The Princess clicked her tongue in regret. In the distance, Claire was approaching, carrying a bundle of firewood.
"Thank you for entertaining my idle chatter. Rest well."
The sun set. Night fell.
"...State your reason for appearing before me, dark mage."
The female knight glared at the woman before her with murderous intent.
"I have something urgent to tell you. I believe it will be important information for you as well."
Erst Katarin. The worst of the dark mages stood right before her eyes.
As a knight loyal to the Empire, a vassal serving the Princess, and a student of the Academy with a normal, common-sense mindset, she was someone the knight should never have associated with.
Yet, Katarin stood right there.
"Wasting time on useless matters... Your task must have been easy."
"I was lucky. Since no one chose me... I didn't have to climb the mountain in such an undignified manner."
Katarin smiled gently. Unless someone brought a baby demonic dragon, mere beasts would never pose a threat to her.
She must not listen. Lending an ear to the cunning tongue of a dark mage was a wicked act for which no excuse would suffice.
"The Princess might be in danger, you know?"
The knight's eyes flared with rage.
"If you harm even a single hair on her head... I will kill you."
"I hope so too. Otherwise, why would I bother sharing this information with you?"
"It's not you? Then who on earth is threatening Her Highness inside the Academy?!"
"...Well. Sadly, I don't think I can tell you that."
"Then how do you even know about it in the first place?!"
"Because I am of the House of Erst. We have many ears."
"Then you should have told an instructor first, not me!"
"There is no evidence. And I cannot reveal how I found out, either."
Unable to contain herself, the knight shouted fiercely.
"Damn dark mage!"
She refused to give proper information, talking in circles and dodging responsibility.
The knight regretted ever speaking to Katarin.
"So, what do you want me to do?"
"You don't need to do anything. In fact, there's nothing you can do."
"What?"
"She is the Princess, after all. No assassin or conspiracy will be able to harm her."
The knight bit her lip in frustration.
"I am telling you this precisely because I know that. Besides, it wouldn't benefit me if the Princess were to fall into danger at the Academy right now."
It was a negotiation. They were merely sharing information in a way that benefited both sides.
Although she now had one more reason to believe Katarin, the knight could not hide her disgust at the situation itself.
"However, there are suspicious circumstances surrounding the dark mages who joined the Princess's party."
"Are you trying to drive a wedge between us now?"
"No. That is not my intention. There is no proof that Wade and Claire belong to a more dangerous organization, nor is there any evidence that they will oppose the Princess."
"More wordplay..."
"But the Princess is noble. Not just in her bloodline, but in her character as well."
"And?"
"In a moment of crisis, she might value their safety far more than necessary."
The Princess was kind. She cherished all her subjects as her own, showering them with benevolence and love like the sun.
Someone might be planning to exploit that.
"...Right."
The knight neither confirmed nor denied it.
With a faint smile, Katarin vanished into a cloud of black smoke. The knight bit her lip hard, staring blankly at the spot where she had stood.