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The Royal Academy welcomed the new semester.

Despite most students who had previously declared postponing their return finally attending classes towards the end, the operation was feasible to a certain extent.

Currently, about two-thirds of the students had returned compared to the previous semester, and this was expected to normalize over time.

However, there was still one empty seat—a constant presence regardless of the circumstances.

It belonged to a student who, despite seemingly enjoying staying at the academy even during vacations, never showed up for classes.

For Arin, who couldn’t help but gaze at the empty seat, it was truly peculiar.

As soon as the day’s classes ended, Arin headed straight to the Royal Manor, where her dormitory was located.

It was also where the owner of the empty seat resided.

“…..!”

Upon arriving at the main gate of the Royal Manor, Arin encountered a familiar face.

“Senior Arin?”

It was Luna.

Taken aback by the unexpected encounter, Arin hesitated for a moment.

“It seems like your classes have finished?”

“Uh, yeah. But what brings you to the Royal Manor?”

Although Arin hadn’t asked for the reason yet, she had a rough idea of why Luna was here.

“I came to see Senior Cyan.”

“Oh, any particular reason…?”

“Not really. Just wanted to see the Senior’s face?”

Arin lost her words, her eyebrows twitching slightly as if questioning whether there was a problem.

What was even funnier was that there weren’t any guardian knights around, tasked with protecting her.

“Did you come alone, by any chance?”

“Yes. I managed to shake them off. I don’t think I need to bring my society members just to see Senior.”

She was a girl who could only evoke admiration.

“Did Senior also come to see Senior Cyan?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, that’s right! Cyan didn’t show up for class again, so I thought I’d drop by and check on him…”

“I envy you. I wish I could live near Senior Cyan like Senior Arin…”

Luna seemed genuinely envious.

“It’s not all that great. Even if I did, it’s like trying to catch a falling star to see his face…”

The two girls eventually reached Cyan’s room, knocking on the door.

– Knock, knock

Despite the clear sound, there was no response from inside.

“That’s odd. Usually, Brian would at least come out…”

Nine out of ten times they visited, Brian would greet them.

However, today felt different, as if there was nobody in the room at all.

About to knock again, they heard a voice from behind.

“It’s empty in there right now. No one’s there.”

“Ah!”

Turning her head naturally, Arin screamed in surprise.

“Why are you screaming? Do you think someone fell out of the window?”

He too was startled by her scream.

“Why, why are you doing that from there?!”

“Why? I was just doing some ordinary ab exercises!”

“Who hangs from the railing to do ab exercises?”

“…?”

Luna couldn’t help but question whether she was witnessing a normal sight.

There was a tall man beyond the corridor window, leaning backward like a bat, gazing at them.

“Who, who is that person?”

At first glance, he didn’t seem like a student.

“You’ve probably heard his name before. He’s Set Shaharkhan…”

“The Prince of Sands?”

The first prince of the Kingdom of Spania.

Evaluated to have the highest potential since enrollment, he was now one of the students who rarely attended classes, alongside Cyan.

“Anyway, there’s no one in that room right now. That rascal Cyan applied for a short-term leave.”

It was unexpected news for Arin and Luna.

“A short-term leave? So suddenly? But why?”

“How would I know even that?”

Seemingly disappointed by Cyan’s absence, he sighed deeply.

“I can’t believe it. I came running, thinking of having a sparring match, but it seems like I’ll just have to hang out instead. Maybe I should take a leave of absence too?”

However, unlike Cyan, if he skipped any more classes, he could face disciplinary action.

“To disappear like this all of a sudden…”

While they were initially worried about the sudden news, they couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment.

What could have happened for him to disappear with his underlings?

It was quite disheartening for Arin to realize that they still hadn’t fully opened up to each other.

“I’m a little disappointed.”

Luna felt the same way.

* * *

Dionne the Emperor didn’t typically deploy a large escort when embarking on his routine visits.

While his capital was secure, in truth, there weren’t many knights within his escort who could directly challenge the Emperor’s strength.

In fact, even if the Emperor were alone, he could likely fend off all the guards himself, a testament to his formidable power.

However, his children were different.

While they inherited the Emperor’s blood, they still had much to learn, so whenever the Emperor was absent, even more guards had to accompany them than usual.

As the carriage arrived at the border gate, it revealed the presence of the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince, both members of the royal family.

“Ha, I never thought I’d be breathing this dirty frontline air again. Feels strangely nostalgic,”

Remarked the Fourth Prince, Nerobian.

“Maintain your composure, Neorbian. We’re not here for leisure,”

Cautioned the Third Prince, Fabian.

“Yes, yes, I know,”

Replied Nerobian somewhat flippantly.

While Nerobian seemed somewhat carefree, Fabian’s face was filled with determination.

They had both participated in frontline visits with the Emperor before, but the atmosphere now was as solemn as ever.

Shortly behind them, another member of the royal family made their appearance.

“How do you feel, sister? What are your impressions of stepping foot into the frontline area for the first time?”

It was Violet Sevellerus, the Second Princess, who was in charge of this expedition.

“…”

The barren and desolate landscape felt both unfamiliar and intriguing to her, and she couldn’t seem to tear her gaze away from the surroundings.

“I really don’t understand. Why did Louisnel trust this frontline expedition to you, Violet? It would be a relief if you didn’t faint at the sight of the demonic beasts,”

Nerobian remarked somewhat teasingly, but Fabian didn’t intervene to stop him.

Instead, he seemed to empathize with Nerobian’s words, looking at Violet with eyes filled with distrust.

“I don’t know about other matters, but why does only your side have so many guards?” Fabian questioned.

Unlike their own royal family, there were more guardian knights by Violet’s side.

“I heard that additional guards from Quazel were sent for Princess Violet. Unlike the First Prince, who knows when she might collapse, it seems like they’re taking precautions,” explained a man among the guards.

While all the guards deployed for this expedition were from the royal army, it didn’t mean they all hailed from the same place.

Most of Princess Violet’s guards were knights sent from Quazel, an act that was quite sudden.

Rumor had it that they were dispatched by Kündel, the head of the royal academy and a prominent figure in the family, upon hearing about the Second Princess’s expedition.

“Is the atmosphere around you uncomfortable?”

A man with a dignified bearing and blonde hair approached Violet.

“It’s just… new to me. It’s a strange place I’ve never experienced before,”

Replied Violet, her eyes scanning the unfamiliar crimson sky.

Without showing any signs of discomfort or fear, Violet embraced the desolate air of the frontline without reservation.

“It makes me realize my position once again. I must fulfill my responsibilities for Mother and Father’s trust and not disappoint them. I’ll ensure the success of this expedition,”

Violet declared with unwavering resolve, a determined expression on her face.

The man bowed his head respectfully in response.

“I will do my best to ensure the smooth progress of your expedition, Your Highness.”

Violet responded with a faint smile.

“Thank you, Aschel…”

* * *

Alice’s first mission from the Knights of Light was as follows: to guard the royal family during their expedition.

It was a supportive mission, intended to prepare for any unfortunate events that might occur in the presence of the royal knights.

While the mission itself was indeed prestigious, Alice couldn’t shake off her doubts.

With ample military forces stationed at the frontline and plenty of guards from the Royal Army, was there really a need for additional reinforcements?

Perhaps there would be an explanation for the sake of preparedness, but there was one thing that just didn’t make sense to her.

‘Why is Aschel here?’

Alice pondered.

Aschel, accompanying the Second Princess as her retainer, was an unexpected presence, especially considering there had been no prior contact between them.

Could it be that the request came from the First Prince, with whom Aschel had some connection?

In contrast to Alice’s confusion, Duke Vert greeted the royal family with joyous enthusiasm.

“It’s been a long time since I last saw you. Since you have all grown up so well, His Majesty must be very reassured.”

“We are just grateful to you for allowing us to tour despite our shortcomings.”

Although they were in a high position, the princess and the princes showed respect to the duke, who was the protector of the continent and a close friend of the emperor.

However, even the sight of the Duke was unusual to Alice.

Knowing the dangers of the frontline better than anyone, he only allowed proven knights to enter, yet he had readily permitted the young children’s expedition without the Emperor present, which was uncharacteristic of him.

“Alice?”

Cecilia approached her with a demeanor suggesting she had something to say.

“Could you come for a moment?”

Alice glanced cautiously towards where Aschel stood before following Cecilia.

Behind the thick curtain of dust, Cecilia whispered something into Alice’s ear.

Startled, Alice couldn’t help but exclaim,

“Aschel asked Father personally?!”

Her voice was too loud, prompting Cecilia to hush her with a finger.

“Yes. He volunteered to be the retainer and requested to accompany Princess Violet’s expedition directly from Duke Vert and Prince Louisnel. In response, the Empress was conscious of this so she arranged for Fabian and Nerobian to go as well.”

“Why did he volunteer?”

Alice asked.

Cecilia simply shook her head, indicating she didn’t know either.

“The words I’m about to say may sound presumptuous, but are you perhaps overly concerned about this? Wouldn’t it be possible if the 1st Prince, who has a close relationship with young master Aschel, requested on her behalf instead?”

“I wish it were that way. I hope it’s just me overthinking things…”

Despite Cecilia’s concern, Alice shook her head and continued,

“But it doesn’t seem like that’s the case…”

Alice sighed, rubbing her temples.

“I hope it’s just my misunderstanding and not something else…”

Despite Cecilia’s reassurance, Alice couldn’t shake off her unease.

Since the banquet at the palace, her suspicions about Aschel hadn’t diminished, and this inexplicable behavior only heightened her anxiety.

“There’s definitely something wrong…”

Not knowing when or where things had gone awry, Alice felt utterly despondent.

‘Do you know something, Cyan?’

The face of her spirited younger brother kept flashing before her eyes.

“You were here, Alice.”

“…!”

In an instant, Alice’s heart sank as she hastily lifted her head.

Sweat trickled incessantly between her armor and skin, making her body react before her mind could catch up.

“Brother A-Aschel?”

Moments ago, Aschel had been by the princess’s side.

Alice struggled to maintain her composure, desperately suppressing her anxious thoughts.

Unlike Alice’s tense demeanor, Aschel appeared remarkably calm.

“Can we talk for a moment?”