The cadets were bewildered.
The reason for their bewilderment?
What need is there to explain?

"I can sense an impressive aura from you. I hope to see a battle today that even the fairies would be astounded by."

After all, the princess—the noble crown princess, first in line to the throne—was there to “encourage” them. Would it not be odd if they could keep their composure?

…Is this a dream?

"However, it would be regrettable if a desire to put on a marvelous fight leads to injury. Take care of yourselves. You are all talents who will bring prosperity to our nation in the future."

Ah…

But the bewilderment lasted only a moment. Those who looked up at her blushed deeply and bowed their heads, without a single person leading the way. It was instinct.

'To think someone like that could exist...'

Beautiful—no, even describing her as beautiful somehow seemed blasphemous. An ethereal beauty, as if an angel had descended, with a nobility that must not be sullied.

Those from the backstreets dared not even meet her eyes.

The cadets didn't hesitate to lower their gazes, unable to look directly at her, and their faces flushed red. And with that, they found themselves with a new goal.

Ah, yes! Today, they would surely win and bring glory to her—!

They resolved themselves, hearts ablaze.

This resolve was shared by both warriors and mages alike; they now had one more reason to win today. Not just for the pride of warriors and mages, but also for the honor of gazing upon the princess—no, the angel herself.

The eyes of the men burned with fierce determination.

"Damn it, here they are, acting like they're struck by Cupid."

On the other hand, the instructor clicked his tongue as he watched the entire scene unfold.
Now, what were the three things you must be most cautious of in a place like Dosan’s Martial Forest, or in the capital?

The old, the young, and beauties.

Elements that could easily bring about carelessness. And of those, none are as dangerous as the existence of a beauty.

Especially.

'There's no remedy if you get entranced by a fox with nine tails.'

He discreetly glanced up at the princess, who was sitting regally in the VIP spectator’s seat, overlooking him.
Though it had been a while since he last saw her, that sense of ominous foreboding still lingered. It was the instinct of a wild animal, a clear sign that nothing good would come of getting entangled with her.

Ugh...

Ihan let out a groan and shivered, while, in contrast, the princess, who had met his gaze, thought:

'Impudent scoundrel. Had he been nearby, I would have punished him severely.'

Whack.

As she fiddled with the fan in her hand, Isis furrowed her brows.
As usual, that insolent friend of hers...

The colosseum where the war game was held resembled a scaled-down battlefield.
A giant field, almost like two soccer fields put together.
Filled with meticulously landscaped forests and rocks.
The artificially created natural environment almost brought to mind a terrarium.

Though it was supposedly a pastime for the nobles, it was clear just how seriously they took it.
Really, one could never fully grasp the psychology of these wealthy people.

However, one thing was certain: the matches held in this massive terrarium were appealing not only to the nobles but also to the common people.
The colosseum was open not only to the cadets but also to the public, and they raised their voices in enthusiastic cheers from the stands.

[Waaaah!]

It was outright ecstatic.
Well, in a medieval era sorely lacking in entertainment, these matches provided a precious thrill.
It was as popular as American football.
And as luck would have it.

“…Uh.”
"A-am I shaking?"
"Yeah, you're shaking like crazy. …And so am I."

The cadets were dizzy.
They were being watched by thousands of people.
Interest, expectation, excitement.
The cascade of emotions was overwhelming, weighing down their shoulders and necks.
The only reason they could bear such a weight was, ironically, the harsh, unreasonable conditions they had endured in Vulcan.

"Wow, who would've thought that hellish time would come in handy for something like this."
"Right?"
"Haha…"

Still, the size of the first battlefield was overwhelmingly large.
It was likely because of the princess’s presence.

The king’s heir.
If they were to become knights in the future, she would be the noble ruler they served with loyalty.
And there she stood, the most beautiful woman in the kingdom, adored not only by nobles but even by commoners.
They were likely eager to uncover why the future queen had taken the trouble to make an appearance.
Certainly, the princess’s visit was glorious for them as well, but it undeniably raised the tension.
And in such a situation.

"This isn't the time to be standing around like this, seniors. We need to plan our tactics now."
"……."

While the men trembled, one resolute girl maintained her composure.

"Huh? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"…Are you seriously planning to participate, Lady Folt? You can still go back if you wish."
"Please, just call me Levi. And as I said yesterday, I have no intention of giving up."
"Hmm…"

Nobles were still difficult for them to approach, and even if the girl appeared delicate, she made them uncomfortable.
However, after living and training with Levi Folt for a month, they now saw her as almost a comrade.
Yet, there was still a lingering unease about her joining the war game.
She was a noble, yes, but also a much smaller girl who could get hurt, and they feared they would feel guilty if that happened.

But the girl's eyes were firm.

"Seniors, I may be weak, but I’ve learned everything I could. So don’t worry about me. I haven’t come here with a casual mindset either."
"Hmm."

Yes, she's right.

After a month with Levi Folt, they had come to know her as a strong person.
Not in physical strength but in spirit.
Frankly, while they may be stronger than her now, who knows about the future?
Even Prince Roen had once been impressed by the tenacity of her spirit.

"Let’s win, all of us. I want to prove my worth, and you should prove yours, too."

"…Yeah."

Sometimes, men can be quite simple-minded.
They'd sacrifice their lives for a beautiful woman’s touch, or they’d put their hearts into someone else’s encouragement.
And to be encouraged by a noble girl who courteously called them “seniors”?

This is just...

"—She’s got a bit of a fox’s tail, too, huh."

Maybe not nine, but two tails, perhaps?
She certainly knew how to get their blood pumping.

He couldn’t help but smile, satisfied with the girl who had grown so much that he could no longer call her a mere chick.

Thankfully, the king hadn’t made an appearance.

He felt not only relieved but as if he’d been granted another ten years to live.

He suspected that it was likely because Isis had intervened.
If not for her, the presence of both Galahad and Lionel was already stirring things up.
If the king had come, too, it would have become a colossal issue.

'If the king moves, the military moves.'

A force the size of a division would mobilize, and the great nobles would also have to take action.
How could they stand idle if the king himself were to appear?
And if that happened, this scholarly gathering (war game) would no longer belong to the cadets but would instead become a stage for power.
That would seriously undermine the Academy's role as a neutral institution.

Thus, Isis’s appearance as a representative of the king was the most the Academy could tolerate.

"Well, it's a relief not to see the Duke or the Grand Duke here."
"Um, Instructor, I’d be careful about mentioning them so casually."
"I'm not their subordinate, am I? Besides, they're here in secret, right? If they’ve come incognito, they should watch quietly and leave quietly."
"…Sometimes, I wonder if you have multiple lives, Instructor."
"Jealous?"
"Not at all."
"Heh."

The Duke and the Grand Duke.

Neither Ihan nor the cadets knew exactly where they were.
In fact, it was accurate to say that only a select few were aware they were even here.
Only the princess’s visit was officially announced; the two lords had not revealed themselves.
Honestly, it was almost as if they hadn’t come at all.

Could Leira's information have been incorrect?

'No, they really did come.'

However, Ihan knew that the information Leira Winter had brought was accurate.
If he hadn’t heard it from her, he might have brushed it off, but knowing made him see—no, feel—the truth.

'This is intense.'

The unusual energy he sensed from the general stands, amidst the cadets and common spectators.
They’d tried to hide it, but it wasn’t enough to escape Ihan's senses.
And as he felt the energy, he instantly realized.

'They're all above me.'

The force within his perceptive range was tremendous, all of them.

Especially two of them.
Though they were far apart, their presence was particularly aggravating.
It was as if one of them was boldly declaring their presence.
A piercing feeling, as though they were drilling into the back of his head.

'This bastard…?'

Ah!

He knew who it was.
It was that arrogant one he had brawled with the day before.
The Duke's knight.

The man was provoking him.

Crack!

He wanted to confront him immediately and settle their unfinished business.
The cadets weren’t the only ones who had improved over the past month.
Training them, he had driven himself even harder, honing his skills.
He felt confident that he wouldn’t lose in terms of technique, and he wanted to test that now.

"…Hoo."

But he suppressed his boiling blood.
Yes, 'today' he had to hold back.
Today wasn’t his day.
Today was for the sprouts he had nurtured,
To see how far his bonsai had grown.

So he restrained himself.

Even if some brazen fool decided to flaunt his presence.

'I'll deal with you next time.'

Next time wouldn’t end like today.

Ihan turned his gaze back to the students he had raised.

However, Ihan should have realized.
Just as he had sensed and observed others.

"Ho, that’s an interesting one, isn't it, brother?"

Others could also observe him.

A black-haired man showed interest in him.

"What do you mean?"
"I mean exactly what I said. That guy is something else. I’m not sure who would win if we fought."
"You’re saying that?"
"Yes, and there’s that guy over there too. He’s no joke either. The Duke has certainly raised a monster."
"……."
"Tsk, I used to think only those 'three monsters' were worth fighting, but I might need to reconsider."
"…I thought it had completely rotted away, but it still holds this much strength?"

The black-haired men hadn’t come all the way to the capital just to watch this ridiculous spectacle.
Nor did they have any shallow intentions of restraining the royal family.
The reason they had come here was none other than—

"Roen, is this what you wanted to see…?"

They had come to see a certain insolent "bloodline" who had run away, all the way to the capital.
They had little interest in this charade of a match.
Compared to life in the North, this was merely child’s play.
And yet, here, in this place, there were two people the Northern Champion couldn’t easily challenge.

And one of them had young warriors on the stage.
That meant…

"…I might just get to see it."
"See what?"
"The reason my only son worthy of being called a lion came to the center."
"Oh."
"Yes, perhaps I’ll finally understand."
"That should be interesting, heh."

Unaware that he had unintentionally drawn interest, the bell tolled.

A bell that signaled the start of the war game, holding the anticipation of countless onlookers.