#106
I silently looked at Iria. I needed to make excuses, but I had no idea where to start or how to proceed. I tried my best to hide my agitation. Iria didn’t press me, waiting for my answer.
No matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn’t come up with a plausible lie. What could I possibly say? The truth is that what happened to Iria might be because of me. How could I tell her that I hadn’t acted exactly like the Andelion from the original work, and that my small changes seemed to have caused major events in this world? Even if I did say it, I wasn’t sure Iria would believe me.
I lowered my head, carefully choosing my words again and again. There seemed to be no escape from Iria’s direct gaze.
“…I am different from others.”
“Different? You, Andelion?”
“Because of me, Iria could be in danger.”
I told Iria something that was both a lie and the truth. Iria didn’t know the full story of what had happened at the temple that day. The only ones who knew I was half-demon, half-human, and could go berserk at any time were Persis and Rikin who were there that day, and Yutis who had been informed of the situation. Kara and the Duke, of course, had known what kind of being I was even before I did.
It was a decent excuse while also being somewhat true. I couldn’t place myself—an unpredictable element—beside Iria who was already in danger.
“You can’t tell me why or how you’re different, can you?”
I said nothing, offering only a bitter smile. Iria exhaled deeply. She clearly couldn’t understand what I meant, but she didn’t seem inclined to press further.
“So you’re planning to keep avoiding me?”
At Iria’s direct question, I froze, unable to say anything. Perhaps it would be right to maintain this distance for Iria’s sake. It was disappointing that I couldn’t personally witness Iria’s happiness, but if that was the way to protect Iria, Persis, everyone…
“Really?”
“No.”
The word that popped out without my realizing it struck my ears. I was so startled I almost covered my mouth with both hands. Perhaps my confused emotions showed on my face, as Iria grinned as if amused.
“Then I’ll wait. Until Andelion is okay.”
Having said that, Iria picked up her pen to start on her assignment. Why would she say she’d wait? Not knowing when my situation would improve. Perhaps all of this was just an excuse. Her words about waiting remained in my heart, filling the emptiness a little. I clutched my ticklish chest and tried to focus on the assignment. Otherwise, I felt like I might tell Iria right now that she didn’t need to wait.
But I couldn’t do that. I had to stay in my place. Because this was my place.
* * *
Days passed, sometimes feeling long, sometimes short, their flow impossible to gauge. Before I knew it, the exam day was right around the corner. The school’s examination system involved taking written tests first, followed by practical tests later.
Since the time spent meeting others decreased, the time spent studying naturally increased. Among those, I had prepared most diligently for the written exams, so fortunately, they weren’t too difficult. Although I hadn’t checked my scores in advance, I expected them to be quite high.
The practical exams that followed consisted of duels and practical applications. The swordsmanship exam was a duel, and the magic exam involved solving tasks given on the spot using magic. Occasionally, representatives from famous knight orders or magic towers would observe these practical exams. They were there to scout future talents in advance.
And for this practical exam…
“The First Prince has decided to observe.”
The First Prince of this country had decided to visit the school personally. Many speculated that Kuatrin was coming to see Persis.
He had never paid such close attention to Persis or checked on him like this before. After all, Persis, who hadn’t properly studied kingship and lacked significant political power, couldn’t possibly be a threat to Kuatrin. But things were different now.
Persis had gained the strong backing of the Duke, and his abilities, which were attracting attention within the school, were enough to change Kuatrin’s course of action.
The issue was that we didn’t know if Kuatrin was really coming to see Persis, or if he had heard something from Ramtel and was coming to confirm what kind of being I was. Either way, it wasn’t good news.
As soon as I heard the news, the first to visit was Yaksi. I thought that as a spy still aligned with the First Prince, she might be able to tell me why this situation had occurred.
“I don’t know. This is the first I’m hearing of it too. I don’t know why, but he’s removed his original schedule and inserted a visit to the school. I can’t tell if it’s a sudden change of heart or if he has some ulterior motive.”
But even Yaksi couldn’t grasp why Kuatrin had taken such action. She said that even his inner circle didn’t seem to have been fully informed about this situation.
“If the First Prince already knew your identity, his inner circle would have predicted his actions. That’s how important your existence is to them, and how dangerous it would be if you were discovered. But the fact that his inner circle doesn’t know anything and is confused by Kuatrin’s actions is evidence that they still don’t know what kind of being you are.”
“So Ramtel hasn’t said anything yet.”
“Right. For whatever reason, he’s maintaining his silence.”
Then is Kuatrin really coming to check on Persis? I couldn’t grasp why he was behaving this way.
Lost in thought, I accepted the hot tea Yaksi offered me. Taking a sip, I felt my turbulent insides settle a bit. Just then, the door to Yaksi’s office burst open. Persis, who had entered without knocking, met my eyes. It had been a while since I’d seen Persis. Out of gladness, I unconsciously waved, and I could see his stern face softening just a little.
“Your Highness. Didn’t you learn that one should knock on doors before entering? It’s the most basic of basics, you know?”
“I’m sorry, teacher. I just wanted to ask something quickly.”
“I understand why you were in such a hurry, but you lack manners. Let’s learn from the beginning again.”
“Yes. I’ll make sure to learn again on my own.”
After a sharp exchange of words, Persis sat down without permission. Yaksi didn’t seem to mind that much, as she silently poured another cup of tea for Persis.
“I don’t need to ask what you’re curious about. You’re here to inquire about the First Prince, right?”
“Do you know anything?”
“As I told Andelion, I don’t know. It was truly a sudden decision.”
Yaksi’s answer didn’t seem sufficient, as Persis frowned deeply.
“That person wouldn’t act without any reason. He must have some ulterior motive.”
I agreed with Persis. Kuatrin had solidified his position by doing all sorts of things to secure the title of Crown Prince. As such, each of his moves was based on political judgment and was groundwork for the future. So when someone like him suddenly said he would come to observe this school, it was natural to find it strange.
“There must be a reason. I just can’t grasp it.”
“Isn’t there anything predictable?”
“How could there be? I’m busy with school life most of the time. I’m different from Ramtel.”
Ramtel, who had quit teaching after the incident at the temple. As soon as I thought of Ramtel, I could somewhat predict why Kuatrin was suddenly planning to visit the school.
“Perhaps it’s because Ramtel quit the school?”
“You mean, when that guy suddenly quit the school, he sensed something unusual and is coming to check it out?”
“Yes. I think there might be something unsettling, and he wants to confirm it himself.”
“Then he could just order Teacher Yaksi to do it. Since Teacher Yaksi can also check inside the school… Oh.”
At that point, Yaksi, myself, and Persis all reached the same conclusion. Kuatrin was suspicious of Yaksi.
The experiment that had been progressing so smoothly. Having succeeded in returning the soul to the demon’s body in the temple, it wouldn’t have been strange if they had entered the final stage of the experiment. But then, the soul that was thought to have returned to the body disappeared again, and the experiment began to stagnate.
It was right at that time that Ramtel quit the school. According to Yaksi, Ramtel had expressed to Kuatrin his desire to focus more on the experiment. However, from Kuatrin’s perspective, he couldn’t fully trust Ramtel’s words. The timing of Ramtel’s resignation would have been suspicious.
As suspicious as Ramtel was, Yaksi, who remained at the school unlike him, would also not have seemed trustworthy. Perhaps Kuatrin thought there was something about the school itself. Because on the day the demon experiment stopped, I had encountered the First Prince.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
