Translator: Nox

Chapter 78

Cadet Ekinesia was waiting for him near the flower bed in front of the headquarters building.

The slender line from her calf to her ankle, visible beneath the short dress. Long hair flowing down, absorbing the late afternoon sunlight. Slightly parted lips, exhaling a soft sigh. Eyes a little dimmer than usual, as if feverish. A face that seemed tired, expressionlessly sunken.

Yuriene paused at the entrance. As if noticing him, she lifted her head and turned to look at him.

The lowered eyelashes fluttered open, and the pupils beneath them captured him, a faint welcome spreading across her pale face, as if saying, "Ah, you've come."

It was nothing significant.

Perhaps she wouldn't even remember it. The expression that appeared on her face wasn't even a proper smile, just a tiny bit of joy revealed by the arrival of the person she was waiting for.

But Yuriene realized it in that moment. How desperately he wanted her to smile at him.

Thump, his heart beat heavily.

He had only seen her wailing, suffering, sobbing, tormented by guilt, gasping in nightmares, and burning her will to overcome all of it.

In this restarted life, he had only seen her tense, uncomfortable, and wary around him. The only time she seemed to relax a little was when he smiled.

So, seeing even a fragment of a smile like that, an emotion that was difficult to describe welled up, making him feel like he could do anything.

Afraid that his feelings would show, he quickly started walking. As he walked, he heard her footsteps following behind him.

As soon as he heard that sound, he slowed his pace. His stride would be longer than hers.

He walked at her pace. He could hear his heart beating in time with his steps.

Arriving at the entrance of the female dormitory, he approached her. Receiving the envelope, she looked at him with wide, questioning eyes.

Her face was so pretty again, his expression softened involuntarily.

"Don't overdo it."

He felt like he would say something foolish if he faced her for too long, so he left those words and left the spot. As he did, he lightly touched her shoulder as if to encourage her.

Moving away from her, Yuriene looked down at the hand that had touched her shoulder. The shoulder that had been momentarily touched by his grip was slender and slightly warm due to the fever, but it wasn't trembling like it had been in front of the fountain.

That minor change made him feel elated all day.

* * *

The next day was the day of the freshman Ranking match. The day before, he had still been able to concentrate during morning training, but today, he couldn't concentrate even when he held his sword. He was worried about how she would fare in the Ranking match in her poor condition.

Yuriene eventually stopped his morning training and came out of the captain of the royal guard's private training ground.

"Arse Sebatiel. The investigation into the matter you mentioned yesterday is complete."

A man in servant's clothes, who had been waiting outside the training ground, handed him a towel and whispered softly.

"Good work. The contents?"

"I have submitted it in writing."

He could feel rustling paper inside the towel the man handed him. Yuriene checked his surroundings and unwrapped the towel to read the paper inside.

-Bread von Pohm, 3rd year, Cadet Ranking 68th, member of the Noblesse Club, second son of Marquess Pohm of the Kyrie Empire.

His character is arrogant, and his reputation within the academy is not good. He went to be in charge of Cadet Ekinesia Roaz's Squire training at the request of the Cadet Representative, but he returned limping and spewing curses.

'It is not known exactly what happened, but it is believed that he has considerable animosity towards Ekinesia Roaz.'

With this kind of personality and lingering animosity, he was spouting nonsense about 'apologies' and such. And Ian Pelletro, who was conveying it, was filled with malice just before carrying it out. No matter how he looked at it, it was suspicious.

"…Investigate Bread von Pohm's recent activities. It seems he is plotting something."

"Arse Sebatiel."

The servant saluted and retreated. Yuriene returned to headquarters and met Baron in the vice-captain's office.

"I need to look into the internal affairs of the academy clubs. Do you have any Cadets to recommend?"

"Clubs, all of a sudden? Which club are you referring to?"

"Noblesse."

"Isn't that a closed-off place that doesn't accept anyone unless their family's rank is high? What's going on?"

"There is a Cadet in Noblesse who is showing suspicious movements. To investigate, we need to understand the club."

"Hmm… Baraha knows the academy's affairs well, so I will call him."

Baron called a servant and told him to bring Baraha. Then, he looked at Yuriene, who was sitting on the sofa, with a slightly unfamiliar gaze.

"…It's the first time I've seen the captain of the royal guard interfere in the academy's affairs."

The Azure Knights captain was busy enough just governing Ajenka, conducting diplomacy with various countries, and managing the royal guard.

The academy's affairs usually ended at the level of the administrative office's clerks. Matters that went up to the captain of the royal guard were limited to important cases where the investigation was already complete and only a decision was pending.

For example, if a drug-related incident broke out within the academy, a neatly organized report would be submitted, including the type of drug, the route of entry, the situation in which the scene was discovered and the investigation process, a list of related Cadets, and relevant punishment regulations, and the captain of the royal guard would only have to make a decision.

That was normal. Not for the captain of the royal guard to get involved from the very beginning of the incident like this.

"Is it perhaps related to Cadet Ekinesia Roaz?"

"…I believe you are discreet."

"Understood."

Baron, who had known Yuriene for a long time, didn't ask any further. Not long after, Baraha Islaff arrived. Yuriene asked him if he knew any Cadets well in the Noblesse Club.

"Yes, I do."

"By this evening, use that Cadet to understand the structure of the Noblesse Club. The factions or group formations within the club, the club president's control, where the power within the club is concentrated, etc."

The Cadets within it know the power structure between Cadets best. Baraha hurriedly wrote down his words, then hesitated slightly before asking.

"Within today?"

"Do you need more time?"

"…No."

Because of this order, Baraha would not be able to watch Ekinesia's Ranking match. He returned with a slightly dejected look.

Yuriene handled only a few urgent matters after that and headed straight to the academy.

If the captain of the royal guard openly attended the freshman Ranking match, it would cause a commotion. So, he pulled down his hood and took a seat on the outer stairs of the second-floor viewing area, where he wouldn't be easily seen from the arena or waiting room on the first floor.

He watched Ekinesia's match through the window on the stairs.

'As expected, she's still not feeling well.'

Yuriene was the only one who noticed that she was ending the matches with one strike because of her fever. He was also the only one who was displeased with the match between Alice and Ekinesia.

'She's overdoing it again.'

Seeing her go to the trouble of giving Alice, the Cadet, sparring guidance despite her fatigue, he felt worried and jealous at the same time.

As Yuriene, who knew her true skills, it was a frustrating sparring match, but that's why he wanted it more.

He wanted to cross swords with her.

Would the day ever come when he could spar with her? Would he be able to communicate with her through swordsmanship?

His hands, gripping the window frame with longing desire, tightened. He watched her sword until the end before quietly leaving his seat.

* * *

On May 10, Divine Era 1629, the Azure Knights' Monster subjugation force departed for the White Raven Gorge in the north.

After meeting Ekinesia and seeing the memories of Rangiosa, Yuriene, who learned that time had turned back, increased the size of the subjugation force.

Changing something that had been planned since winter in just one month was not an easy task. But it was necessary, so he couldn't help it.

In the past, the casualties in the subjugation force were mostly due to the Specters that appeared at night, but there were also many injuries during the subjugation process during the day. The Monster situation in White Raven Gorge was severe.

Based on his past memories, Yuriene organized a subjugation force of a size that would not result in injuries.

He intended to deal with the Specters alone. If there was no Specter attack, he wouldn't be able to catch Ian Pelletro at the scene where he tried to kill Baraha, but he couldn't let the Specters run rampant just to catch him.

'Perhaps he will cause an accident in another way.'

May 12. As soon as they arrived near White Raven Gorge, Yuriene held a meeting with the Knights. A Knight who had gone on reconnaissance reported that the number of Monsters was higher than expected, but the size of the subjugation force itself had increased, so there was no particular burden. The subjugation seemed to be going smoothly.

As Yuriene was returning after the meeting, he ran into Dietrich. Dietrich grinned and gestured to him.

"Hey, the atmosphere is good, huh?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Your Squire and Baraha. They're setting up a tent together."

"……."

"They seemed to get along well, so I helped them a bit. That Baraha guy, he's so clumsy."

Yuriene's eyes wavered. He lowered his eyes to hide his agitation and asked quietly.

"…Do you think they look good together?"

"Well, it seems like Baraha definitely has feelings for her… I don't know if it's gone as far as romantic feelings. But Cadet Ekinesia doesn't seem to dislike him either? If they spend time together, they'll get attached, and if they get attached, they'll naturally date."

Dietrich spoke lightly while carefully observing Yuriene. When Yuriene's expression remained calm, he scratched the back of his head.

"Yul, you really don't have any interest in her, right?"

"Why do you keep asking about that?"

"Still, you're my best friend, and I'm worried that you're like a block of wood and won't be able to date properly, why!"

"Take care of yourself first. Teresa frowns whenever your name is mentioned."

"That's all interest, interest. Originally, indifference is the scariest thing."

"So, are you just going to keep circling around?"

Dietrich answered with quite serious eyes.

"For now, yes. Hey, I have to be at least on a similar level as Teresa before I can confess. So, I'll become a Master first. And then I'll definitely become a Giosa Owner. It may sound like a pipe dream for someone who's still an Associate Knight…"

"It's not a pipe dream. You will become a Giosa Owner."

"…Thanks for the words, you bastard."

Dietrich chuckled and waved his hand before heading towards his tent.

Yuriene knew the future where he would become the Reminggiosa Owner. He had already seen it. Even his death.

The image of his and Teresa's corpses hanging on the angel statue in the fountain made him feel nauseous. He shook his head.

'Even if the future of becoming the Reminggiosa Owner comes true, that death is a future that will not come true.'

Ekinesia Roaz had made it so. This world now is a world she obtained. Her destruction was not her will, but the salvation she created was her will.