*Whooosh, crash!*

A deafening roar tore through the air.

The sword shards, swirling like butterflies, became a violent storm.

I muttered quietly to myself.

---

“This... was unexpected.”

---

Standing in front of the steel wave was the platinum-haired girl.

Charlotte remained frozen in place, blankly staring ahead.

Maybe it was due to the sudden loss of control.

She had reached out to regain the flow, but it was already too late.

---

*Whooosh!*

---

So the girl decided to bear it all by herself.

To protect others from harm.

The swirling petals formed a dazzling spectacle.

Charlotte stood calmly, bracing herself for the impact.

---

‘...So she twisted the flow to protect me?’

---

I hadn’t expected her to redirect the attack like that.

Thanks to her, my plan for a grand defeat had crumbled into nothing.

Her unpredictable nature struck again.

A moment ago, she had been mercilessly pushing me, and now, in the face of danger, she stepped in to protect me.

She was truly a 4D girl—completely unpredictable.

Well... that was part of her charm as a character.

---

‘What should I do?’

---

If I left things as they were, she would get hurt.

No matter how strong Charlotte was, she was still just a young girl.

And, at this point in the story, her abilities were unstable, and she didn’t have full control over her power.

She was a genius in the process of growth.

---

If she collided with the attack as it was, at best she’d suffer minor cuts and bruises.

At worst, she could end up in the infirmary, badly injured.

Of course, the academy’s priests were always on standby, so she’d heal quickly... but I didn’t feel right imagining my favorite character getting hurt.

---

‘Damn it.’

---

But saving her had its risks.

I would lose too much.

I’d been living as a nearly invisible extra, carefully hiding my strength and acting like a weakling. If I stepped in now to save Charlotte, it would definitely raise suspicions.

---

The students wouldn’t be able to see it, hidden by the barrier.

But the faculty? That was a different story.

They were all watching the situation unfold.

For a moment, I considered blocking the magic devices' view, but with the amount of power I had left, it would be impossible.

---

I had to choose.

Would I save Charlotte and enjoy a brief moment of satisfaction?

Or would I let her get hurt to secure my future safety?

---

‘What do I do...’

---

In the split second that followed, countless thoughts flashed through my mind.

As I hesitated, unable to make a decision, it was Charlotte herself who pushed me toward my choice.

---

“This is going to hurt.”

---

Her quiet, emotionless words.

The platinum-haired girl stood there, calmly closing her eyes as if preparing to fall into a peaceful sleep.

I let out a dry laugh.

---

“Hah.”

---

How could I not save her after that?

This had been a stupid dilemma from the start.

Hadn’t I come to this academy to help these children?

Here I was, wanting to be their guide and protector, yet I was trying to shirk my responsibility.

---

“I should be ashamed.”

---

*Snap!*

I snapped my fingers.

With the sharp sound, the world shifted.

The next moment, I was behind Charlotte.

She stood there, not even preparing for the impact.

---

“Pardon me for a moment.”

---

Gently, I reached out and wrapped my arms around her.

As I pulled her slender frame into my embrace, I gathered *Lies* into my other hand.

---

*Whooosh!*

---

The air around us screamed as the tidal wave of steel blades surged forward.

I aimed my fingers at the incoming wave, channeling just the right amount of power.

A fleeting smile crossed my lips.

---

My whispered words were darker than anything.

What they achieved was more glorious than anything.

The world’s youngest mausoleum.

I was the agent of stars, or perhaps the tooth snagging on the wheel.

---

“Shatter.”

---

I barely moved my lips.

And then—

---

*Boom!*

---

The cascading shards of steel exploded into pieces.

Like a massive structure collapsing under pressure, the scenery shattered and split again and again.

The once sturdy barrier crumbled.

The Ashen Garden dissolved into dust.

---

It looked like the embodiment of an apocalypse that never existed.

A world that had once been whole was now devoured by paradox, slowly turning into a beautiful ruin.

---

‘Maybe I overdid it.’

---

I thought to myself as I calmly brushed off my hands.

I had tried to control my power, but since the barrier was unstable, it ended up breaking along with everything else.

---

“Hoo.”

---

As I caught my breath, I felt a slight movement in my arms.

The platinum-haired girl in my embrace.

Her clear blue eyes looked up at me.

She seemed confused.

---

“...?”

“Are you alright?”

---

I asked, lightly checking her condition.

Fortunately, she didn’t seem hurt.

I let out a sigh of relief.

Charlotte still looked dazed, unsure of what had just happened. To ease the tension, I threw a playful remark her way.

---

“Well, well... Can I consider this as you owing me one?”

---

“...”

“Haha.”

---

She didn’t reply, but a faint smile appeared on her lips.

I held her carefully until the entire barrier had collapsed.

---

“I forfeit.”

---

With Charlotte’s declaration of surrender, the match ended.

She still seemed a bit disoriented, her legs wobbling slightly.

Around us, murmurs began to rise from the students.

---

“What? Why did she suddenly forfeit?”

“So, that means the fraud won?”

“No way.”

“But Her Highness was completely dominating... What happened inside the barrier?”

“I can’t believe Her Highness lost to someone so unqualified...”

---

The students hadn’t been able to see what had happened inside the barrier.

All they remembered was the sight of me struggling before Charlotte activated her domain.

Their confusion was understandable.

---

They had expected me to be thoroughly crushed.

But instead, the exact opposite had happened.

It was only natural that their minds were flooded with question marks.

---

“What kind of trick did he pull?”

“To be honest, based on his swordsmanship, he didn’t seem like a fraud. He was quite skilled...”

“Still, how could he beat Her Highness?”

“Maybe she went easy on him?”

---

Leaving the noisy students behind, I looked at the girl standing in front of me.

---

“...”

“...”

---

Charlotte was also staring at me.

We remained silent for a while until Charlotte finally broke the stillness.

---

“I knew it. You’re the person I thought you were.”

---

She muttered simply.

After pausing for a moment in thought, Charlotte spoke again.

---

“Hey.”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“Why did you save me? You could’ve just left me.”

“Who knows.”

---

I shrugged lightly.

Though I pretended to think about it, I already had a clear reason.

I reached out and lightly poked her cheek.

The soft sensation lingered on my fingertip.

Charlotte tilted her head in confusion.

---

“...?”

---

Her eyes were as pure and innocent as ever.

Those transparent pupils stared back at me.

A soft smile naturally formed on my lips.

---

“I just didn’t want to see you get hurt.”

---

This time, it wasn’t a lie. I was being sincere.

---

“Does that answer your question?”

“I’m not sure.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“Yeah.”

---

Her blunt tone was typical of her.

Even that reaction made me smile. A mischievous smile, as usual.

This was when my trait felt truly inconvenient. I couldn’t even smile properly without it seeming ominous...

I was internally lamenting this, when—

---

“You have a nice smile.”

---

Out of nowhere, a compliment.

And the speaker was none other than the Little Prince herself.

I raised an eyebrow, confused by the unexpected words.

---

“...Are you talking about me?”

“Yeah.”

“What part of me?”

“You have a clean color. That’s why it’s nice.”

---

A clean color? What on earth did that mean?

While I gave her a skeptical look, Charlotte’s lips curled into a faint smile.

---

“I think I’ll keep an eye on you.”

“Hm?”

“I don’t know if you’re a good person or a bad person yet. So, yeah. I’ll watch.”

“So, you’re reserving judgment?”

“Something like that.”

---

This was unexpected.

I thought she would be at least a little wary of me after seeing my dark power.

But instead, she was showing interest.

Should I call her eccentric? Or innocent?

I couldn’t decide, but... it was just like the Little Prince I remembered.

---

“Are you a bad person?”

“What do you think?”

“I don’t know.”

“Your Highness has a keen eye. Nine out of ten people would say I’m a bad person.”

“Just because you’re one in ten doesn’t mean you're always wrong.”

“Well said.”

---

After a brief exchange, the announcement signaled the end of the exam.

---

“The seventh match has ended.”

“All students, please follow the staff’s instructions and exit the arena.”

---

“It seems this is the end.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll be on my way, then.”

“Okay.”

---

We walked away in opposite directions.

As if our conversation had never happened, we each headed toward the entrance we came from.

---

“Charlotte Litt von Staufen has forfeited. The winner is Yuda Snaikers.”

---

And so, the *Class

 Allocation Exam* came to an end.

---

Meanwhile, in the faculty waiting room.

The headmaster and all the professors had gathered in the spacious room.

They were seated to evaluate the *Class Allocation Exam*.

Though it was a serious part of the academic schedule, the waiting room was filled with chaos.

---

“What did I just witness?”

“Quick, rewind the scene! Wasn’t there some kind of mistake?”

“No way...”

“Is that kind of magic even possible for a student...?”

---

The professors stared at the screen in disbelief.

On the screen, the seventh exam was being replayed over and over.

---

“Shatter.”

---

The narrow-eyed boy muttered a simple incantation.

Immediately afterward, the once impenetrable steel garden shattered into pieces.

The sight of the barrier being torn apart left the professors stunned.

---

“What... What was that?”

---

One professor muttered quietly.

The faculty simply stared, speechless, at the golden-haired boy, who wore an ominous smile.