Chapter 35
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: 4th Princess Rozaria (1)
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After the spies' assassination attempt on Princess Rozaria failed, the tournament was temporarily suspended.
The spies captured a few to confess their crimes.
The rest were summarily executed on the spot, while the panicked students evacuated to the academy.
The royal side was at a loss as well.
They never imagined an assassination attempt on the princess would happen right in front of everyone.
It was a situation that dealt a major blow to the empire's prestige.
But amid all that, Sian's reputation soared.
Numerous spectators had witnessed Sian's bravery firsthand—charging in alone to rescue Rozaria, braving the danger of opponents wielding real swords.
And what he had wrapped around his wooden sword. That was undoubtedly aura.
There had never been a first-year academy student who could wield aura.
The astonished spectators began spreading rumors that if the tournament had continued, he would have been the champion.
But Princess Rozaria had no ear for such rumors.
What mattered more was tending to Sian, who lay on the infirmary bed, breathing raggedly.
"You saved me... twice..."
"……."
Sian couldn't respond to Rozaria's words.
Cold sweat dripped from every corner of his body.
'I'm coming in!'
At that moment, a voice came from beyond the infirmary door, and it burst open.
The one who entered was Hedi.
Hedi was startled to see Rozaria already in the room.
"P-Princess? Why is the princess here...?"
"And who might you be?"
Hedi had no choice but to panic.
The empire's idol and princess, Rozaria, personally nursing Sian—it was unimaginable.
Her red hair was soft and silky.
Well-maintained, it looked far more pure and lovely than the hair Hedi herself cared for.
Her panic was short-lived; now she had to answer the princess.
"Hedi Merrigold of the Merrigold family greets Your Highness! I-I'm Sian's friend!"
"...He has a pretty friend. Doesn't he, Sian."
Rozaria turned her head back toward Sian.
Hedi approached the bed where Sian lay.
"Sian...!"
Seeing Sian still unconscious, Hedi's expression turned grave.
This was already the second time he had collapsed in front of her.
How could a man be so reckless?
When the princess was in danger, the other contestants with wooden swords had only nominally tried to protect her before fleeing.
Only Sian had charged in like a madman to save Princess Rozaria.
How many people like that were there? Hedi wondered.
"...Sian has already saved me twice."
Rozaria took hold of Sian's hand as he lay there.
Hedi flinched at the sight.
"If it weren't for Sian, I would have met with disaster again this time... He's the benefactor who now holds my life in debt."
"Twice...?"
"Yes. When the ogre attacked the carriage, he saved me."
"……."
Hearing that, Hedi froze.
Saved the princess? Twice?
What on earth had he been up to in places she didn't know about?
Watching Rozaria gaze at Sian with an unusually serious expression, hands clasped over his, Hedi's pupils shook with unease.
Hedi bit her lip.
"What is your relationship with Sian?"
"...We're friends."
"I see."
It was then, amid the awkward atmosphere.
-Knock knock.
'Can I come in?!'
Who else was coming now?
This time, it was a woman's voice too.
"Come in."
The door burst open at Rozaria's response.
"Gasp...!"
The blonde woman who entered gasped sharply upon seeing Sian struggling on the bed.
"Sian, what happened...!"
"...And who might you be?"
"...! I greet Your Highness. I'm Lucy Amelia of the Amelia family! I'm Sian's acquaintance."
"I see..."
Rozaria looked around.
Before she knew it, Sian's small infirmary room was filled with women.
Three women surrounding one man.
Rozaria muttered softly to herself.
"All women..."
"Pardon?"
"Ah, nothing. So, what brings you here?"
Rozaria asked Lucy as if nothing had happened.
"Well... I heard an acquaintance was injured, and it broke my heart, so I came to visit..."
As the two conversed.
Emil's voice came from outside, saying she had brought a priest.
Rozaria hurriedly opened the door, and the priest entering with Emil was an elderly man in his mid-sixties, with white eyebrows and beard.
The old priest checked Sian's pulse.
"We'll have to try to know."
Everyone held their breath at the priest's words, and he proceeded to cast purification magic on Sian.
Purification magic using divine power, not mana.
He was one of the rare few permitted by Goddess Hea to wield divine power.
A figure not easily seen without Princess Rozaria's command.
Exuding the aura of an ancient tree, he soon extended his hand fully toward Sian's body.
A brilliant light emanated from the center of his palm.
-Whoosh!
How many minutes passed?
The sweating priest finally extinguished the brilliant light.
"How is it?!"
Rozaria asked the priest.
The priest shook his head weakly.
"This is beyond what my power can handle..."
It was then.
"Puhah! Thought I was a goner."
"Kyaaah!"
"“...!”"
Sian suddenly cried out and sat up.
The startled priest screamed and fell backward, landing hard on his rear.
"Gh, guh... M-My back...!"
Everyone stared at Sian in stunned silence, unable to comprehend the situation.
*
I really thought I was going to die.
My mana was surging backward, and my body felt clogged up.
Black magic.
The forbidden stuff had mixed into my mana, tormenting my dantian.
Not only that, it ramped up the pressure in the meridians throughout my body. I thought I was done for.
Good thing I had insurance.
Until I got the mana scroll, I had kept the magic stone on me.
I hadn't given it to Lucy.
A raw magic stone is useless without a mana scroll to process it, so why give it to her?
So I kept it.
The judgment was spot on. Thank goodness.
...The moment the black magic tried to erode me, I thought to channel my mana into purification and touched the magic stone in my pocket.
Even after passing out, my hand stayed there, and despite the barrier of my clothes, the magic stone still worked.
It was a horrific experience, like that time in middle school when I got severe enteritis.
Even unconscious, my insides boiled, mana churned, and my dantian screamed.
But the magic stone slowly stabilized the mana flow in my bloodstream and purged the black magic.
That's how I regained consciousness.
"Sian... are you okay?"
Hedi's voice was the first thing I heard upon waking.
I opened my eyes to see the infirmary.
So she had been nursing me, after all.
I felt grateful anew. I turned my head toward the voice.
And that's when.
'...?'
The room felt packed somehow.
A lot of people were staring at me.
'...Why's this place a hot spot now?'
I expected my one friend, Hedi, to be there.
But there was Lucy from the Alchemy Club, a priestly figure,
Princess Rozaria, and even her guard knight Emil...
The room was as crowded and noisy as a packed bus.
.
.
.
"Seems like I'm fine."
I said to Hedi after moving around a bit.
"That's a relief... What the hell happened?"
"Magic stone. Similar to the underground labyrinth last time."
"Ah."
Hedi instantly understood my casual reply.
"I really thought it was over for me this time. Good thing I had the magic stone, but getting tangled with black magic users... Why did they attack the academy?"
Lucy cleared her throat with a brief "Ahem!" as she listened.
All eyes turned to her.
"I still don't fully understand the situation, but at least Sian looks okay now, so that's good. I'll head out then."
Lucy said.
"M-My back...! My back...! Oh dear!"
The elderly priest followed Lucy out in a hurry.
Had he hurt his back? How did that happen?
...In an instant, only Rozaria, Emil, me, and Hedi remained.
Hedi turned back to me and spoke, hands clasped.
"Don't act so recklessly from now on. What if you get seriously hurt throwing yourself into danger like that every time?"
"It happened suddenly... Force majeure."
"Don't argue with me!"
"……."
Then.
Rozaria spoke from behind.
"...Are you two really just friends?"
Hedi flinched at her words.
We instantly grasped the implication of Rozaria's question.
I was about to clarify the misunderstanding first.
"Yes. Just friends."
But Hedi spoke first, firmly to her.
So firm it felt oddly strange.
"I see..."
Rozaria slowly approached me.
Since I'd saved her from the black magic swordsman again, was she nursing me out of gratitude?
She opened her mouth to speak.
What was she about to say?
Either way, getting too deeply involved with these heroines might entangle me with strange forces again, like before.
I'd resolved to enjoy a peaceful academy life and graduate...
But at this rate, I'd need ten bodies.
Whatever she said, I'd respond moderately.
Rozaria spoke to me, and I assumed a neutral stance.
"Please become my guard knight, Sian."
But her unexpected words left me speechless.