Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Ambush
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Sudden events crashing in out of nowhere are something you experience countless times just by living life.
If you encounter one, it's better to have the mindset that it could happen. It helps you stay calm.
"Are you doing well with academy life, Carlyle Bellfast?"
"⋯⋯Yes."
"That's good."
Even if you're suddenly summoned to the dean's office, that kind of attitude gets you through it somehow.
Carlyle looked at the old man sitting on the table with his legs crossed.
As the head of an educational institution, the aura radiating from him made him seem more like a battle-hardened field commander who'd rolled through countless wars.
The personification of the term "veteran of a hundred battles."
Shea Whiteburn. Dean of Cradle.
Former Hero.
And also.
[The strongest one you could call at this point in time.]
'Stronger than you? This guy?'
[Stronger than me at this time. He fulfilled the duty bestowed by the Holy Sword—fighting the era's most powerful evil. How could he not be strong?]
⋯⋯Wow.
Hearing the Holy Sword calmly admit it made him involuntarily stick out his tongue in awe.
From what he'd heard, during the time when the system was collapsing, this man had faced one of the Archdemons in single combat with his bare hands.
And he would have definitely won if not for the dire circumstances.
'A monster.'
Wondering what business such a terrifying person had with him, Carlyle stayed silent.
"Whether you're actually doing well or not might not even matter. You haven't attended a single class."
"⋯⋯."
That's true.
Carlyle tried to respond, but Shea spoke first.
"I want to entrust you with a task instead."
"Yes?"
"I mean assigning you work in place of fulfilling your student duties. I heard you got the message from Siona about that?"
Ah.
So all the slacking off so far had to be paid back with his body.
"Honestly, given the severity of the situation, I should handle it myself. It's a matter involving the Imperial Family, after all."
Carlyle's eyes narrowed.
'The Imperial Family?'
Not a name that brought good memories.
Considering how those in there had responded after the Hell invasion, it was inevitable.
People who didn't care about the masses, who were only focused on lining their own pockets while humanity teetered on the brink.
Ones where you couldn't find a trace of noblesse oblige even if you washed your eyes out looking.
"⋯⋯Why is a member of the Imperial Family coming to an educational institution like this?"
"To attend classes. Officially, it's for education. In reality, it's exile."
"⋯⋯."
"One Imperial Family member pushed out from the mainstream is being dumped here. To keep them as far from the imperial palace as possible."
Is this something a dean should be discussing while holding a student?
It smelled familiar—like Gray.
The scent of someone who never minded others, supreme under heaven and earth.
"Still, royalty is royalty. Normally I'd have to oversee it myself, but I plan to leave it to you and your junior."
Junior—meaning Gray?
Entrusting Carlyle and Gray to escort someone banished from the Imperial Family.
The question was why call only him and not Gray too for this talk.
"But why isn't the dean going himself?"
"Because it's a hassle."
"⋯⋯."
"I'm swamped as it is. Does it make sense to make me babysit some kid?"
Are all Heroes like this?
Maybe the Holy Sword is something passed down through generations to weirdos with screwed-up personalities.
While Carlyle harbored such irreverent thoughts, the dean slurped his steaming hot tea and continued.
"A Hero is public property. Taking on the role of protecting humanity means you can't side with any one faction. Getting tangled with any force always brings backlash."
Even if it's just a short escort duty.
In short.
Don't cause trouble. If a Hero stirs up issues on top of already headache-inducing matters, the aftermath is nightmarish.
Especially if it involves key figures carrying the banners of various nations.
Shea grinned at Carlyle.
"You seem to have excellent specs as a restraint for your junior."
"⋯⋯."
Ah.
That perfectly explained why he'd called only Carlyle separately when sending both.
Hold onto Gray tightly so she doesn't cause any incidents.
"Well, that's not the only reason."
"⋯⋯Yes?"
"I'm saying Heroes aren't perfect from the start."
Shea smiled gently at Carlyle.
"Do your best. If it's really dangerous, call me."
⋯⋯Just like.
A professor handing out an assignment to a student.
◆
Of course, while Carlyle harbored resentment toward the Imperial Family, it wasn't like he hated every single person in it.
And the human right in front of him now was proof of that exception.
Ilia Grace. The 4th Princess.
Her full name was much longer, but as far as Carlyle remembered, even uttering it officially was forbidden—the weakest member of the Imperial Family.
The reason she didn't particularly hate him stemmed from that too.
No hate or anything. He hadn't even known someone like her existed.
"Ah, h-hello—"
A girl who barely reached his waist bowed her head with a teary face.
Obsidian eyes like the Imperial Family's symbol, and purple hair.
A doll-like child.
And small and fragile like a doll.
It would be weirder if she weren't. What do you expect from a kid who's just turned seven?
And the place she was dragged to right after arriving at Cradle was the class new students feared most: the Mock Battle for Magical Beast Subjugation.
"⋯⋯."
The malice was blatantly obvious. Nothing but intent to bully. Even the method was petty.
She had no political base to resist such treatment anyway, so this is what they did.
The fact that she had no guards dispatched from the Imperial Family—and Carlyle and Gray were filling that role—clearly explained her position.
'⋯⋯The dean cares enough to assign Gray, though.'
The Imperial Family seemed intent on tormenting this child harshly.
It matched exactly with Carlyle's memory of the Imperial Family's tendencies.
'A den of demons.'
A trash heap filled to the brim with humans whose hearts lacked even fragments of humanity.
A group that would collapse like a sandcastle the moment the emperor on the throne now passed away.
"I-if it's d-dangerous, p-please take good care of me..."
"⋯⋯."
Ah, she bit her tongue.
Princess Ilia covered her mouth with both hands, eyes welling with tears.
Carlyle gave a wry smile and knelt down.
Meeting the princess's eyes, he spoke quietly.
"It would be best to drop the formal speech, Your Highness. It could itself be disrespectful."
His gaze briefly flicked to the person behind him as he said it.
Cardinal Felix tilted her head in response.
The benevolent smile on her lips seemed to say, "What's the problem?"
"⋯⋯."
You being here is the problem.
Someone of the Orthodoxy's cardinal rank should be busy beyond normal, so why was she personally participating in some class?
Could a high-ranking figure from a supranational group like the Orthodoxy move so freely...?
"We are here to escort Your Highness. Treating us casually causes no issue."
⋯⋯Taking care of someone with a broken personality is familiar anyway.
He tried not to look at Gray while thinking that. Otherwise, a strike of retribution would fly at him immediately.
At Carlyle's words, the princess nodded vigorously up and down, even as her eyes teared up.
"B-but... I can't treat those suffering for my sake so roughly."
"⋯⋯."
What is this? An angel?
After serving someone who spouted crap like "Be grateful you're chosen to escort me," hearing this—
"⋯⋯Lady, Lady. Her Highness is safe."
"Tch."
Gray retracted the foot she'd been about to kick Carlyle with.
Meanwhile, Her Highness stared back and forth between Gray and Carlyle with wide eyes, oblivious to what had just passed...
"⋯⋯."
Hmm.
Felt like landmines everywhere from the start.
'Hero.'
[What.]
'Is this okay?'
[Of course not, obviously.]
'⋯⋯.'
He wished for even a tiny hopeful word.
"Today's schedule is simple. We just go around this cave once. Think of it as an adventure."
Carlyle continued, matching the princess's eye level.
Gently leading the mood so as not to scare the child or lose her interest.
[You have experience with kids? You're quite skilled.]
'Seen plenty.'
[⋯⋯? You never mentioned being married.]
'Kids aren't just little ones. There are big-bodied ones too.'
Experience with ones who had pointless strength and made him suffer to death? He had tons.
[⋯⋯What does that mean?]
'⋯⋯.'
[⋯⋯⋯⋯Explain.]
Ignoring the Holy Sword, Carlyle diligently escorted Her Highness.
It was going smoothly. Until something suddenly burst at the cave entrance.
"-?!"
The princess startled and hid behind Carlyle's leg.
Then dirt exploded with a crunch. A mana projectile shot up from below with a whoosh.
But Gray, reaching it in an instant, casually swatted it away with the back of her hand.
"⋯⋯Mana barrier."
Gray said flatly.
"Some smart magical beasts plant these to repel intruders and sound alarms. It's just recreating that for the mock battle."
"-Hic."
"So don't be so scared. Scaredy-cat?"
"⋯⋯."
Nothing she wouldn't say to a seven-year-old.
Meeting the eyes of the princess trembling while clutching his leg in fright, Carlyle smiled again.
"Sometimes surprising things like this happen, but don't worry. The Lady and I will protect Your Highness."
"⋯⋯Y-yes—"
After soothing her like that, the sniffling princess finally detached from Carlyle's leg.
"Lady. Could you take Her Highness and go a bit ahead?"
"No."
"⋯⋯."
At least that much.
Gray, stiff as a board, glared as if saying, "Who do you think you are to ask me?"
"⋯⋯Please. I need to check something for a moment."
"Reward?"
"⋯⋯⋯⋯I'll somehow get you a few packs of the snacks from the picnic."
"Hmph."
The negotiation was settled.
The big kid took the little kid's hand and disappeared into the cave...
[⋯⋯Don't see me and her the same way.]
'Tough request.'
Thinking that, Carlyle brushed over the spot that had just exploded.
'No matter how I think about it.'
Weird. That was his immediate thought seeing the barrier explode.
That power absolutely didn't belong in a class doing a "mock battle."
There were such devices normally, but it felt like someone had forcibly amplified the power massively.
"⋯⋯Hero."
[Yes.]
"That 'of course not' from earlier—was this what you meant?"
Carlyle said, placing the detonated device on his palm.
Sure enough, it conveyed the sense of someone tampering to crank up the power hugely.
But that wasn't the real issue.
The real problem was the intensely familiar "aura" emanating from it.
"This is Demonic Energy."
It smelled of brimstone fire.
The stench of Hell clinging to the bottom of souls.
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-System Message
▶ ‘Main Event: Ambush’ begins.