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News of the saintess’s visit spread.

As a result, Zerion Academy was in an uproar.

The saintess was a renowned figure, not only within the empire but across the world.

The empire had its own saint.

Because of this, it was exceedingly rare for people living in the empire to see the saintess.

Most matters related to the Holy Church were handled by the saint, so there was little reason for the saintess to visit.

This made her visit an extremely unusual event.

Moreover, not long ago, the "Unyielding Azure Flame" transferred in.

With famous figures from other academies visiting Zerion Academy one after another, the academy’s prestige had risen significantly, bringing great joy to the headmaster.

The students of Zerion Academy were just as excited.

People naturally feel pride in belonging to something.

The rising prestige of their academy was a source of pride for them.

‘So, she’s coming that way.’

In truth, the visit wouldn’t last long.

At most, a month would be the limit.

Acrede would have to return soon.

‘But when it comes time to directly strike against the Mysticism cult, I’ll need Acrede’s help.’

The saintess’s power could counteract the influence of the Mysticism cult.

Her presence would make a significant difference in how things unfolded.

‘I want to keep Acrede at Zerion Academy somehow.’

Perhaps they needed to hasten the handling of the Mysticism cult.

‘More than anything…’

The question was whether she could endure as the saintess until then.

Though she was indeed the saintess, it was also true that Narea had been handling her duties in her place.

There was no doubt that she was under great stress trying to act as the saintess.

More importantly, Acrede was less tolerant of the burdens that came with her status compared to Narea.

That pressure alone must be overwhelming.

“Everyone got lax after the Autumn Demon Dungeon, didn’t they?”

While deep in thought, Professor Vega spoke up.

As always, she looked completely disheveled, reeking of alcohol.

“It’s time for a mock battle to shake off that rust.”

A mock battle.

It was already that time again.

With everything that had happened, it had slipped my mind, but we were still students here.

Students who had to take regular exams and receive grades.

Just like during the Spring Demon Dungeon event, another academy-wide battle was approaching.

It was different from one-on-one duels—this was a large-scale match between Zerion Academy students.

“This time, the saintess herself will be observing, so do your best.”

“Woooooahhhhhh!”

At that moment, the male students let out a collective roar.

The determination in their eyes burned fiercely.

Acrede, if nothing else, had an exceptionally striking appearance.

On top of that, she carried the symbolic title of saintess.

She wasn’t the face of the Holy Church for no reason.

The female students glanced at the boys with exasperation.

But regardless of their reactions, the boys’ excitement didn’t wane.

Still, even among the girls, the saintess’s presence was significant.

They had all grown up hearing fairy tales about saintesses and heroes.

Of course, they, too, wanted to show her an impressive performance.

“Hannon, you don’t seem particularly excited.”

A voice filled with laughter suddenly rang out.

However, there was no real amusement behind it.

“…Lady Iris, I’ve already told you—it was a misunderstanding.”

“Yes, you did.”

Iris rested her chin on her hand, smiling.

But her eyes remained cold and expressionless.

“Hm? Prince Potato, what misunderstanding?”

At that moment, Seron, who had been quietly listening, tilted her head.

If Seron caught wind of this, it would surely turn into a hassle.

“Lady Iris.”

“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore.”

Iris knew the situation she had witnessed was indeed a misunderstanding.

Her irritation was little more than a childish sulk.

“Still, I’d rather not see my little brother get swept up by a woman just because of her figure.”

Even Iris must have been taken aback by Acrede’s… presence.

“Since she’s in a good mood from all the sleep she’s been getting lately, just play along with her,”

Hania said matter-of-factly, as always completely devoted to Iris.

After that, Seron kept pestering me for details, but I ignored her.

More importantly, the mock battle was just around the corner.

I had ranked 14th last time.

This time, I needed to climb higher.

“Hannon.”

As I was thinking about my strategy, Ban approached me.

A genius like Sharin, he glanced at me before smirking.

“This time, I’ll win.”

Because of everything that had happened recently, we hadn’t had a proper match.

But now, the moment for a true showdown had finally arrived.

“Sorry, but I’ll be moving up again.”

“Don’t worry—I’ll be right behind you.”

So he planned to chase me down until I lost and challenge me again.

Such relentless determination.

But I was curious too.

I was a completely different person now compared to back then.

How far could I go against Ban now?

It was bound to be an exciting fight.

‘Some habits never die, huh.’

This competitive spirit—

It reminded me of the days I used to step into the ring.

But that was fine.

After all, I was still stepping into a ring now.

“You.”

Right then, another voice called out—this time, it was Isabel.

She glanced at me, hesitated for a moment, and then cleared her throat before speaking.

“This time, climb higher.”

So, she still hadn’t given up on challenging me.

I smiled at her words.

“Of course, I will.”

“Hmph… F-Fine. Keep your word.”

Isabel flinched slightly at my smile.

Then, as if flustered, she quickly turned and walked away.

“Huh?”

Seron, who had been chattering beside me, furrowed her brows as she watched Isabel leave.

Then, she looked at me with suspicion.

“Prince Potato, did something happen between you and Bel?”

“Not really.”

If anything, I had only recently revealed my true identity to her.

That was about it.

Seron raised an eyebrow, tilting her head.

Then, shaking her head, she muttered:

“Nah, that can’t be it.”

I wished she would at least share what she was thinking.

But she quickly got lost in thought, leaving no room for me to ask.

I turned away from Seron and refocused on the upcoming mock battle.

Originally, after the mock battle, Vinesha's scenario was supposed to follow.

‘Somehow, I ended up completing Act 4’s scenario ahead of time.’

Since the scenario's progression had sped up, I couldn’t help but feel a bit worried.

‘There’s now a gap in the storyline.’

All that remained were the mock battle and the Winter Dungeon.

Maybe I had been pushing forward too hard—suddenly, a sense of regret crept in.

‘No.’

Now was the time to hurry and prepare for the next scenario.

Scenario clearance comes to those who are ready.

Let's do this.

* * *

With that resolution in mind, lunchtime arrived after the morning classes.

“Prince Sweet Potato, why do you look so drained?”

“My face always looks like this.”

“You look like a soggy sweet potato.”

As I responded to Seron, who was sitting across from me, I idly moved my fork.

“Yeah, you do seem especially worn out today.”

Card, who was sitting next to me, chimed in.

When I swung my fork at him, he easily dodged it.

I had no idea why a mage had such good evasion skills.

Maybe my face was showing my tangled thoughts about the scenario.

“It’s probably nothing.”

This time, Eve, sitting next to Seron, spoke up.

I stared at her for a moment before a thought suddenly struck me.

“Come to think of it, Eve, don’t you make any other friends?”

Eve flinched.

Unfortunately, she had just put a powdered sugar-covered cake into her mouth, and some of the sugar must have gone into her throat.

“Cough, cough!”

“Oh dear, so clumsy.”

“W-Whose fault do you think this is?!”

Eve coughed violently, barely managing to lift her head.

Then, with a deep frown, she shot me a sharp glare.

Why was she taking it out on me?

Eve hesitated before lowering her head.

“……No one comes to me.”

“What?”

Her voice was so quiet I barely caught it.

Bang!

Eve suddenly slammed the table and stood up.

“No one approaches me!”

Her outburst drew everyone's attention.

Realizing this, she quickly sat back down, embarrassed.

I stared at her blankly, then tilted my head.

“That can’t be…”

Then, a certain fact surfaced in my mind.

I remembered how she had made her entrance at Zerion Academy.

“Ahem, Prince.”

As if to confirm my realization, Card cleared his throat.

He shot me a look, making it obvious whose fault this situation was.

I had unintentionally framed Eve as someone who had confessed to me.

Even though the incident had taken place at the International Individual Tournament, it had caused quite a commotion.

Any student with sharp ears would have heard about it.

And on her first day, Eve had declared that she would fix Zerion Academy.

The martial arts students weren’t fools.

Everyone immediately figured out who she had followed to this academy.

So, a certain frame was imposed on Eve:

The transfer student who abandoned her own academy to chase after a boy.

And the person responsible for that frame was me.

Realizing this too late, I turned to Eve.

I did feel responsible for her.

After all, I was the one who had led her to Zerion Academy.

“Eve.”

“…If you say anything weird, I’ll come at you.”

“Isn’t it tough not having friends?”

Eve threw her fork.

I dodged it effortlessly.

“Sorry, it’s my fault. I should have looked after you better.”

“If you keep talking, I’ll challenge you to a duel.”

“But you can’t go on without friends forever, can you?”

Eve flinched again.

Then, after glancing at her own feet for a moment, she quietly spoke.

“…Am I not your friend?”

I blinked.

Seron and Card, who had been eating as if this were just another everyday moment, also paused.

Our eyes all turned to Eve at the same time.

Flustered, she lowered her head in embarrassment.

“Of course you’re our friend.”

“You’re our closest friend.”

Card and I spoke in unison.

Then, we both turned to Seron.

Seron, caught off guard by our gazes, hurriedly nodded.

“Y-Yeah. Of course, we’re friends.”

Eve’s expression brightened in an instant.

With that, Eve officially became our friend.

She wasn’t alone anymore.

That was good—really good.

But Eve didn’t realize something.

Even though my reputation had improved a little lately, our group wasn’t exactly well-regarded among the other students.

‘Maybe I should introduce her to Isabel.’

After all, having a wide social network could never be a bad thing.

And with someone as socially powerful as Isabel, Eve was bound to make plenty of friends.

“Eve, if you want to get close to the martial arts girls, just badmouth me a little.”

I offered her a tip, but she sighed.

“I don’t think relationships built on slandering others are meaningful.”

“What a mature answer.”

She really did seem like a worthy protagonist of an extra story.

“Hannon! Is there a Hannon Irey here?!”

At that moment, the cafeteria doors burst open, and a professor rushed inside.

It was a third-year professor, looking very urgent.

“I’m Hannon Irey.”

I raised my hand in response.

The professor, still flustered, exclaimed loudly.

“Whitewood! The Duke of Whitewood has arrived! Hurry to the Zerion Academy guest room immediately!”

…What?