First Encounter with the Fifth Princess
The free preview was over. From here on out, it was the main story.
“Kyle of the John Nassen Barony, kneel before the exalted Imperial Family.”
“….”
Kneel. It was an entirely rightful demand.
To live as a noble under the Empire meant acknowledging the authority of the Imperial Family.
The John Nassen family enjoyed the rights of a barony; they were therefore obligated to fulfill their duties.
Kneel, they said.
So he had to kneel. No matter who had come, before a member of the Imperial Family, that was what one did.
Yet Kyle neither dropped to his knees nor offered a greeting as the people before him demanded.
“I—”
Words rose in his chest, so grand just imagining them made his heart swell.
“I don’t listen to anyone weaker than me.”
If he said that, of course, his happy academy life would be gone in an instant.
He was finally enjoying the fact that this was a world where people actually lived like people—and he was supposed to blow himself up?
Anyway, the moment he heard “kneel before the exalted Imperial Family,” only one thought occupied Kyle’s mind.
Why the hell is the Imperial Family showing up out of nowhere?
This was the Empire—the name Imperial Academy made that clear enough.
A land ruled by the Emperor. A place where the Imperial Family stood above all else. A world where the Emperor’s word was heaven’s will.
Neither the northern Margraves, nor the Litorio Grand Duchy, nor any other noble house could stand above the Imperial Family.
With a single gesture, they could erase any family in a day.
And someone belonging to that Imperial Family was now here, in the Academy Headmaster’s office.
He hadn’t heard so much as a rumor or a passing remark, yet such an immense personage had arrived.
And of all times, right in front of him—the very moment he had been summoned to the headmaster’s office!
That means only one thing. Whatever brought them here has something to do with me.
Gulp.
His throat went dry on its own. Tension, a racing heart, cold sweat.
For the record, that tension had nothing to do with fear of the Imperial Family itself.
It was the possibility that things would go wrong here and he would be sent back to the John Nassen lands.
Or that the Imperial Family would turn hostile toward the John Nassen, and his hometown would end up in a full-scale brawl with the Empire.
Either outcome was the worst. The first was already horrific; the second was even more so.
Especially when he pictured the people of John Nassen. Their reaction to “we’re fighting the Empire” was entirely predictable.
They would definitely whoop and cheer that they finally got a proper fight.
So Kyle dropped to his knees in a flash and bowed his head.
He had only just welcomed the Saintess; there was no way he was going home now. Absolutely not.
“Kyle John Nassen, second son of the John Nassen Barony, greets Your Exalted Presence.”
“Hm.”
A short sigh from a woman drifted from beyond the desk.
Then came the scrape of a chair being pushed back.
Soft footsteps.
“Raise your head.”
A perfect command. If Lear or Lea had been here, sparks would have flown from their eyes.
But Kyle was very different from his brother and sister.
He lifted his head carefully. And then his eyes met a woman’s.
Crimson irises. That was the first thing he saw. Flames? No. They looked like they were filled with liquid blood.
Hair that mixed silver and black in a harmony that should never have worked, yet somehow did.
And an air of refinement that equaled—no, surpassed—what he felt from Elga.
…Who the hell are you?
Had a character like this even existed? Not having read past the free preview was becoming the regret of a lifetime.
If she belonged to the Imperial Family she was clearly someone important, and he knew absolutely nothing about her.
“So you’re Kyle John Nassen.”
“Yes.”
“Hmm…”
At his answer the woman narrowed her eyes and looked down at the man kneeling before her.
Her gaze felt exactly like an appraiser examining an item.
He had the strong impression she was taking him apart piece by piece.
“Stand.”
He was dying to ask why she was doing this.
But the other party was of the Imperial Family. He didn’t know exactly who she was, but she was clearly someone of high station.
Otherwise no one else present would have their faces pressed to the floor.
Even after he rose, her oppressive stare continued.
She examined him carefully from hands to feet, repeatedly stroking her chin.
Every time her eyes traveled over Kyle’s solid frame, a glint appeared at the corners.
Interest. Admiration. And the faint current between them was pure fighting spirit.
Five minutes of that, and she finally finished her appraisal, nodding.
“Not bad. The rumors weren’t empty after all.”
Rumors, not empty—nothing but incomprehensible talk.
But Kyle never got the chance to clear up his questions.
“Wha—?”
The woman suddenly seized his hand and began dragging him somewhere.
“Wait, just a moment! Why—why are you doing this?!”
“I need to confirm it. Whether it’s really true.”
Confirm what, damn it! At least explain!
The entire way he was being hauled off, Kyle fretted that someone might see the scene.
But the Imperial Family was the Imperial Family; in that short time they had apparently cleared everyone from the area.
Or maybe the Victory Festival meant there simply weren’t people nearby.
The woman led him outside the building in a blink and dragged him all the way to the training grounds.
The moment they arrived she parked him roughly in place and threw a punch without warning.
Are you insane?!
When people thought of the Imperial Family, the strongest association was the most exalted place in the Empire.
And the word “exalted” naturally included honor.
Yet throwing a punch out of the blue like this was light-years away from that honor.
On top of that, the strike was so fast it sent a chill down his spine.
It was aimed straight at his face; if it connected, his nose would at minimum be driven in.
In that instant Kyle thought: anywhere else is fine—just not the face!
Whoosh—!
By a hair’s breadth he slipped past the woman’s attack and tried to back away quickly.
Countering or reversing the attack was possible, but two things held his nature in check.
One: she was of the Imperial Family.
The other: she was an absolute beauty.
Slash—!
Once more the woman’s fist cut through the air toward him.
Faster. And targeting spots that would cause devastating damage if they landed.
No matter how he looked at it, this was no ordinary woman. She was a highly trained powerhouse.
This wasn’t simple roughhousing. It wasn’t some back-alley kids’ brawl either.
It was a sacred duel that sought results through fists. A battle between the strong that decided winner and loser.
The moment that thought landed, Kyle’s body moved almost on instinct.
Thud—!
“…!”
Surprise and admiration mixed in a glint at the woman’s eyes.
She had put her full sincerity into the attack. She hadn’t let her guard down for a second.
Yet her strike had been stopped far too easily by this man—by Kyle of John Nassen.
She tried putting strength into the arm he held; it didn’t budge an inch.
Even the better Imperial knights couldn’t overpower her, yet this man was different.
Nice. Better than I expected.
The woman beamed. But her body, contrary to the smile, immediately launched a kick.
At this rate she could strike Kyle clean while he focused on her arm.
Even if he blocked, the relative distraction would let her free her arm.
“Huh?”
But that prediction of hers went spectacularly wrong.
With one hand he held her arm; with the other he snatched her foot out of the air.
The strength was so overwhelming that even when she put everything into it she couldn’t move.
She, who had subdued countless Imperial knights, could do nothing!
Amazing. Admiration rose unbidden. So a man like this existed in the Empire.
She had heard the reputation of John Nassen, but to think it wasn’t exaggeration—it was fact.
She was truly delighted. And truly looking forward to what came next.
“This is late, but I’d like to ask who you are.”
At Kyle’s question the woman jerked her chin toward her own hand and foot.
If he wanted an answer, how about letting go of these first?
An ordinary person would have at least hesitated, wary of another attack.
Someone who had just been ambushed would naturally stay on guard.
If their guts had gone cold, if their spine had prickled, the reaction would have been even sharper.
But Kyle released the woman’s hand and foot at once.
As if it didn’t matter what attack she threw next, or what speed and power she showed.
As if he could subdue and catch her no matter how she came at him.
At that sight the woman let out a short “Ha.”
I never expected to be on the receiving end of this kind of composure instead of displaying it myself.
It was a little frustrating, but also thoroughly enjoyable.
At last she had found the perfect strong opponent she had searched so long for.
The one she had worried she might never meet, she had finally met.
“Your Highness!”
Several people could be seen hurrying from behind.
One was the Academy Headmaster; the rest were clearly her attendants.
Thanks to them, Kyle finally learned the identity of the woman he had just fought.
…Princess? This woman who throws punches out of nowhere is a princess?
What the fuck kind of worldbuilding was this.
The words rose all the way to the base of his throat.
The image that came with the word “princess” was noble and elegant.
A sharp gaze that hid blades behind polite speech—that was the popular version.
He had never heard of one throwing fists that could shatter a person.
Of course those questions were just questions; the important thing was that he was facing a princess.
Kyle quickly stepped back and bowed his head deeply.
Internally he was screaming “This woman is a princess?!” over and over, of course.
“That was quite impressive.”
Refusing the handkerchief her attendants offered, the princess looked at Kyle.
Her gaze was that of a pure strong fighter, filled to the brim with competitive spirit.
“I’d love to keep going right now, but I snuck in today, so.”
“….”
“I’ll look forward to next time. Kyle John Nassen. When that day comes, take care of me just like today.”
With that, the princess left with her attendants.
There could hardly be a more intense and absurd entrance and exit.
“…Headmaster.”
He couldn’t make sense of the situation at all.
He was about to ask the headmaster, who at least seemed to know something, what on earth was going on.
“Student Kyle.”
With a face several times more pitiful than usual, the headmaster parted his lips.
“I’m so tired… Student Kyle, you’re making my life so hard…”
“Pardon?”
“The Minister alone was already enough to kill me… and now the Fifth Princess as well… What kind of disaster is this…”
“The Fifth Princess?”
At Kyle’s echo the headmaster nodded with a face that looked ready to cry.
“Her Highness Yulika Sebastian Lovisa de Lottringen, is she not? One of the ten strongest in the Empire by martial force… Why in the world would someone like that come to the Academy…”
A princess, yet one of the ten strongest in the Empire by force.
That slender beauty, ranking above every swordsman and mage in the Empire.
What the hell. What kind of damn worldbuilding is this!
Beside him the headmaster was begging to be saved.
The one who had shown up out of nowhere and thrown a punch was a princess who was actually one of the Imperial 10 Strongest.
Faced with this absolute clusterfuck, Kyle could only clutch his face and let out a long sigh.