The Suspended Student of the Tempest (1)

"Well, I shall take my leave now."

"Safe travels. Don't forget to bring back a gift!"

"Fufu, I shall look forward to our next meeting."

"..."

Miel's survival instincts were truly beyond imagination. Naturally, as soon as I revealed that the woman standing right before her eyes was the Sword Princess, it didn't escalate into a major physical clash. Instead, Miel seemed to have shifted her method of venting her anger.

"...As if having a brainlessly massive chest is something to brag about."

"..."

"If I ever see her again, I'll grab those tits and—!"

"Don't worry. She only came to say goodbye because she's leaving for the North today. You won't be seeing her for a few years."

After answering her, something felt off. Come to think of it, why isn't she using military speech? I suppose I need to discipline her again...

"Yeah... if they're that big, they're bound to sag! I bet mine feel way better to hold. Right, Young Master? I'll let you feel them once, so say something!"

"Uh, that's a bit..."

"Aaaaargh!! Why are you looking at me with those pitying eyes?!"

Hmm, maybe I should discipline her later. She looked so close to tears that if I nitpicked her speech now, she'd probably spiral into endless self-deprecation. Since poking the bear would only make things exhausting for me, I decided to let it slide just this once.

"Y-yeah! Now that I think about it, it makes no sense... Logically, right? If a bitch swinging a sword has a chest that massive, her center of gravity would be totally off, and it'd only get in the way... And she's the Sword Princess? No way, those have to be pads! Fuck, they're definitely padded...!"

"..."

They weren't padded... No, never mind. What was the point of saying it? Before heading to the Academy, I should finish sorting the remaining treasures.

The long-awaited day before my Academy suspension was lifted. Since I had already given the family's chief secretary a heads-up, the paperwork to have Miel accompany me was completed right on time.

As an employee of the Ducal House, she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was permitted to enter the Academy grounds. Of course, to avoid unnecessary rumors, I had her tightly wrap her chest with bandages again, thoroughly disguising her as a boy. So, there shouldn't have been any issues...

"...Hmm."

But the real problem seemed to lie with me.

"This feels a bit weird."

Reflected in the mirror was the Academy uniform. It was indeed Sian's, but it was an extra-large size tailored back when he was a 100-kilogram tub of lard. Wearing it now that I had lost weight and become slender, I looked like a little girl who had stolen her dad's clothes.

The shirt sleeves fluttered loosely, and the hem was so long it practically covered half my pants. ...Is this what they call the 'no-pants look' in professional terms? Since there was no time to get the uniform tailored right now, I had no choice. Just as I rolled up the baggy sleeves and stepped out of my room—

"Kyaaaah! Look over there! He's so cute!"

"Oh my goodness, Lady... no, Young Master!!"

The maids passing through the hallway covered their mouths and stomped their feet in excitement upon seeing me. I watched in bewilderment as they giggled among themselves, their faces flushed red. ...I feel like I'm being treated like a toddler, but surely it's just my imagination. When I stared at them in disbelief, the head maid, who was waiting nearby, cleared her throat and quickly bowed her head.

"My apologies, Young Master. They are newly hired maids, so they are still ignorant of proper etiquette..."

"Ah...? It happens."

Exactly. Me, treated like a kid despite my sheer alpha-male energy? Impossible. It was just an awkwardly oversized uniform, and I must have misunderstood...

"I want to bite him!"

"I want to carry him around in my pocket!"

"Our Sian~ Kiss, kiss!"

"...Let's go, Miel."

"Pfft, should I give you a kiss too? Our Sian, kiss, kiss—Agh!"

I smacked Miel, who was snickering in her male servant disguise, on the head and headed toward the main gate where the carriage was waiting. It seemed wisest to board the carriage without wasting any more time. Soon, seeing the driver standing beside the carriage emblazoned with the grand family crest, I greeted him first.

"Thank you for your hard work."

"Aigoo~ If it isn't the famous Young Master Sian! It is an honor to have you on board!"

Since he was a driver hired at a premium, it was best to make a good impression. Did they say they paid him ten gold? Usually, a driver who commanded such a high price was a former high-grade adventurer. Because they could fight themselves, no separate escort was needed, hence the steep cost. Since he was the one I'd have to rely on to watch our backs if we encountered powerful bandits, I reached out to shake his hand, but...

"It is an honor to drive you! I am Victor!"

"..."

My hand hovered in the air, utterly stripped of its target. Because the driver's bright gaze and both of his hands were directed not at me, who was about to board, but elsewhere.

"I look forward to serving you, Young Master!"

"U-uh..."

The driver grabbed both hands of the crossdressed Miel and shook them vigorously up and down. Having accepted the handshake in a daze, Miel stiffly turned her head to gauge my reaction. Her pupils, having lost their bearings, were shaking violently.

"Y-Young Master...?"

"..."

I silently shut my mouth. Stepping forward to declare, "I am the Young Master," would only make me feel more miserable. *Creak.* With a stiff face, I opened the carriage door without a word. As I slipped inside and buried myself in the seat, Miel's stammering voice drifted in from outside.

"Tsk, tsk, what an insolent brat! Do kids these days have no respect for their elders? How dare he board before the Young Master even—"

"E-excuse me, Mister..."

"Yes, Young Master! Please, speak!"

"It's not that... I'm not the one. The kid—no, the person who just quietly entered the carriage is Young Master Sian..."

"...Pardon?"

A bizarre silence instantly descended outside the carriage. And soon, the driver let out a dumbfounded, blank gasp.

"Ah."

"..."

I leaned my head against the carriage window and quietly closed my eyes. A single tear rolled down my cheek. ...Sian, you trashy young master, you beautiful-as-a-flower bastard.

Seven hours flew by in the blink of an eye. The reason was simple: I did nothing but eat and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sleep in the infinite comfort of the high-grade carriage.

It was a rest at the perfect time. The fastest and most efficient way to absorb the spiritual herbs and elixirs I had brainlessly crammed into my body was, after all, sleep.

A whole variety of crazy things are going to happen at the Academy from now on.

For an extra like me who didn't possess any protagonist buffs, power was the only thing I could rely on to protect myself.

But then.

*Neighhh! Clack!* With a harsh whinny, the carriage came to a sudden halt, throwing my body violently forward.

"Gack!"

In the middle of my peaceful recuperation, Miel, who had been dozing off on the opposite seat, tumbled onto the floor with a loud thud and groaned. I also sat up, cracking my stiff neck.

"What is it? Did bandits appear?"

Thinking that our ten-gold driver, Victor, would slice them up on his own, I casually slid open the carriage window. Contrary to my expectations, the sight before my eyes ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was not a band of bandits, but a massive, solidly built grey stone wall and layers of iron fences.

It was the border checkpoint of Undine, an independent nation populated by various demi-human races. To travel from the Brace Duchy to the Academy located in the Empire, using the teleportation gate here was absolutely mandatory, but...

"What do you mean we can't pass?!"

"I told you, you can't!"

The atmosphere outside was far from normal. Victor had climbed down from the driver's seat and was raising his voice at the border guards, thrusting our transit pass at them.

"Look, my esteemed guest needs to get to the Academy! Open the border gates immediately!"

In response, a werewolf guard captain, whose muscular, furry frame was clad in thick armor, blocked him with a firm voice.

"No means no! The Undine border is currently under complete lockdown."

"What? A lockdown? We never received any such official notice beforehand!"

"It can't be helped; we received urgent orders from high command just last night. All gates leading to the Empire are closed as well, so just camp out for today!"

The bickering between the guard captain, who kept pushing the pass away, and Victor, who demanded the path be opened, was growing increasingly heated.

A border lockdown?

I rested my chin on the window frame and narrowed my eyes. No matter how thoroughly I searched my memories as a veteran with ten thousand hours ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the original game, there was no setting where the Undine border was closed around the time Sian returned to the Academy. If so, the only logical conclusion was a butterfly effect caused by me.

As I stepped down from the carriage and approached them, the werewolf guard captain scowled fiercely. Unintimidated, I spoke up.

"I would like to know the circumstances of Undine. I am the first heir of the Brace Duchy, Sian—"

"Who is this girl?"

"...Sian, Sian..."

...Fuck, I told you I'm not a girl.

At that moment, Victor wrapped his arm around my shoulder and shouted triumphantly.

"Watch your tongue! This is none other than Young Master Sian of the Brace Ducal House!"

"...What?"

The guard captain's eyes nearly popped out of his head. His gaze darted back and forth between Victor and me, his face twisting in sheer bewilderment.

"This slender kid is that fat young master? Ha! Your lies to get through are going too far!"

"Here is the crest of the Brace Ducal House!"

"W-what? It's real?! Then those wild rumors were actually true?!"

It seemed the news about me hadn't reached Undine yet. While I was enjoying this fresh reaction for the first time in a while, Victor shot me a highly dramatic wink.

How was that, Young Master? I've gotten much quicker on the uptake than before, right? Please forget my mistake when we departed! Heheh. His eyes were practically screaming those exact words.

I pressed my throbbing temples.

...Fine, I'll let it slide.

In any case, it was to my advantage to take control of the situation while the guard captain's spirit was dampened. I gently pushed Victor's arm away and spoke to the guard captain in the most arrogant and cold voice I could muster.

"Look here, Captain. If you wish to gloss over the insult of calling me a girl, as well as your act of blocking the carriage of a Ducal House, you had better tell me exactly what is going on right now."

"Ahem! N-no... even if you are the Young Master, that is difficult."

The guard captain broke into a cold sweat, glancing around nervously. He was definitely much more subdued than before.

"It was a strict order from high command not to utter a word, even to His Imperial Majesty. How could a mere guard captain like me run my mouth?"

"Is that so? Well, fine."

I turned around without a hint of lingering attachment and gestured to Victor. "Let's head back. I'll have to tell my father that we couldn't go because 'the Undine guards looked down on the Brace Ducal House.' I didn't want to resort to this, but perhaps we should consider cutting back on the mana stone support from the Duchy—"

"W-wait! Sigh... I give up!"

Ultimately, the guard captain threw up his hands. After checking his surroundings, he stepped close to me and whispered in a voice as quiet as a mosquito's buzz.

"...Since last night, an extremely esteemed guest has been visiting the capital of Undine in absolute secrecy."

"An esteemed guest?"

"Indeed. For the safety of that person and their entourage, the border has been completely closed, and entry of outsiders has been barred for a few days."

I twitched an eyebrow. An esteemed guest kept secret even from the Emperor of the Empire.

"Whew, there's no hiding it at this point anyway..."

"I won't speak a word of it to anyone, so just spit it out."

"...I shall trust you."

The werewolf guard captain leaned in and whispered into my ear.

"It is the Saintess."

"...!"

At that moment, I gasped in spite of myself.

The Saintess...? That's impossible.

According to the original game's setting, the 'Saintess' was a key ally who only appeared in the mid-game main story, around the time the original protagonist, Cain, awakened and the Holy See arc began. Yet, the Saintess was appearing now, when Cain hadn't even awakened? Something was terribly wrong. I couldn't have caused a butterfly effect of that magnitude.

Noticing my bewildered expression, the guard captain hastily added.

"She is not one who follows 'that' goddess worshipped by the Holy See. She is a very special Saintess who has formed an alliance with our nation of Undine."

"If not that goddess, then who on earth..."

At that moment.

"...!"

From some invisible, distant abyss, something was looking down on me, as if mocking my very existence.