"We received a request from the royal family."
"Oh...!?"

At Sylvia's blunt announcement, the entire training ground of Vermont Security buzzed with excitement.
Having just gone through several training sessions, with only the Arient evacuation operation being their only real experience,
they were not only receiving a request but from the royal family, no less!
The staff felt their hearts racing with excitement and exhilaration.

"It's a small-scale escort mission. The participants will primarily be Charlotte and Yulia. You all know them, right?"
"Yes!"

Those were names everyone recognized.
In the desperate situation just before the Arient castle was breached,
they had appeared like heroes, concluding the crisis.

At first, some had complained that they were merely listed as Vermont Security staff without participating in training.
But after witnessing their achievements that day, all complaints had vanished.
If they had the talents of a necromancer and a dark knight, it made sense to hone their skills rather than waste time building physical strength through excessive training.

Then this mission would surely be their solo stage.
As the earlier excitement slightly cooled down and the staff settled,
Sylvia continued.

"And I will be participating in the mission, so I will be absent. During that time, the vice trainee will take my place as the instructor."
"Why the vice trainee? Shouldn't the top trainee take the instructor's position?"
"Good question. The top trainee will be dispatched for the mission and won't be able to serve as the instructor."
"…!"

The previously subdued atmosphere began to boil again.
Finally, they would be able to participate in a mission!
Of course, they had been receiving their salaries even without taking part in any missions,
but separate from that, every staff member had a desire to showcase the skills they had been honing.

"Then who will be the top trainee, instructor?"
"You all probably anticipated it, but the top trainee is Yulia."

Ah, that makes sense.
As soon as that name came up, everyone nodded in agreement.
Though she was young, there was no doubt she had the best skills among them.

She was said to be from an orphanage.
At the Imperial Academy of Magic, she consistently achieved top scores while also excelling in training.
Everyone could only shake their heads in awe at the effort she put in.

"Ah...!"

Clang.
Yuri, who had been dazed, reacted belatedly and dropped her spoon.
Soon after, applause began pouring in as a congratulatory gesture toward Yuri.

'Finally... I can meet Charlotte and Yulia...?!'

Thump, thump.
Her heart began to race uncontrollably.
She would finally meet them.

Not from a distance.
This time, it would be right next to her.
They would make eye contact and be able to talk.

She could reunite with her friends whom she had lost.
Just the thought of it brought tears to Yuri’s eyes.
Ah! I want to see them soon!

Even after leaving the training ground and arriving at the academy dormitory,
even dressed in the pretty pajamas with frills she had bought with the allowance from the kind old man,
Yuri couldn’t calm down her excitement and found it hard to sleep.

"I have to tell the kind old man about the good news."

This was a good opportunity.
Yuri kicked off her blanket, stood up, and lit a candle.
She figured she would quickly write a letter and then sleep.

She began jotting down the events of the week,
wondering if she had done well on her exams,
and the fact that she had been selected for the mission today, among other things. A smile crept onto Yuri's face as she wrote.

"Oh? I mustn’t let them find out that I know Charlotte and Yulia...?"

Suddenly, a crucial thought hit her.
Her pen stopped.
She had been so excited about the idea of a true reunion with Charlotte and Yulia that she hadn’t considered it.
The moment they met and recognized each other, Aslan Vermont would undoubtedly discover her identity.

Then Aslan Vermont would reinforce his guard.
It would become nearly impossible to sneak in, and rescuing Charlotte and Yulia would be extremely challenging.
How could she hide her identity after infiltrating Vermont Security?
All her efforts would go to waste.

"Ahhhh...!"

Yuri groaned in anguish.
This was a chance to meet her friends again.
If she could just set her mind to it, she could reunite with Charlotte and Yulia.
But the moment she couldn’t suppress that desire, the reunion would become the last moment.

From that day on, she would never meet them again.
As she sobbed, heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway.

"Who’s making such a racket at this hour?"
"Oh. Sorry. That was me."
"Oh my. Yuri! Sorry about that. I’m sure there was a good reason for it."

Peeking down from the attic, Yuri saw her senior hurriedly fleeing.
Yuri snorted, wiped her nose, and returned to her desk.
With a determined expression, it seemed she had made a significant resolution.

"Well... I have no choice. I must endure. To save Charlotte and Yulia, I have to hold on..."

Yuri grasped her pen, tears streaming down her face.
She desperately wanted to meet them.
She wanted to embrace them and pour out all the stories she had accumulated until now.
But she couldn’t do that.

All of this was because of Aslan Vermont.
Because of that wicked noble...!
If only Aslan Vermont were genuinely caring for Charlotte and Yulia, treating them kindly and watching over their friendship, it would be wonderful.
But that’s not the case...

Just by looking at Charlotte and Yulia, who had transformed into a necromancer and dark knight, it was clear.
Even if they did reunite, there was no guarantee that Charlotte and Yulia would be themselves.
They might have already been brainwashed and not recognize her.

So yes. Hiding her identity and approaching them is the right move.
Until she gained the strength to escape with Charlotte and Yulia, she would endure and endure.
Wiping her reddened eyes, Yuri made that vow.

"I can endure... I can do this..."

Clunk.
Yuri’s hand reached for her locker.
The mask she had made for her magic arts assignment appeared in Yuri's trembling hands.
This was the only method she had.

"Huuuu..."

Creak.
The letter in my hand crumpled violently.
I couldn’t help but squeeze it tightly.
Looking at the absurd content written on the letter, it was maddening.

• To the kind old man
• Old man, I’ve been chosen to be dispatched for Vermont Security’s first mission! Since I’m the top trainee, they selected me. I want to hear you praise me. By the time this letter arrives, I’ll have already set off.
• And this is a secret I’m only telling you, kind old man... You must never tell Instructor Sylvia or Count Vermont. In fact, the two slaves of Count Vermont are friends I knew from my orphanage days. But after I escaped alone, we parted ways, and now it’s our first meeting... If Count Vermont finds out about this, he might try to make me a slave or prevent me from seeing my friends. So I plan to wear a mask and hide my identity during this mission.

Wow. Wow. Wow. This is ridiculous...
I couldn’t even articulate my thoughts properly.
I felt so frustrated that it wouldn’t be surprising if I burst into flames from anger.

I set the stage for a touching reunion, and now what?
You’re going to hide your identity because you can’t let Aslan Vermont find out about your relationship with Charlotte and Yulia?
Has this kid lost her mind?

"…!"

Just as I finished reading the letter and was about to grit my teeth in anger,
Yuri flinched and looked at me, trembling as if frightened.

"…Ugh."

Just as I was about to reach for Yuri’s mask, she stepped back, letting out a surprisingly girlish yelp.
Her reaction speed was impressive.
It seemed I wouldn’t be able to forcibly remove it with my hand.

"What’s with the mask? I don’t recall any instruction to cover your face."
"I put it on of my own volition. The ones who need to shine during this mission are obviously the necromancer and the dark knight. So I thought it would be better to step back a bit and obscure my face to highlight you two."
"Who said that? I’m looking forward to the top trainee’s achievements in Vermont Security as well."
"…You flatter me. My skills are weak compared to both of you. I will strive to improve and hope to meet your expectations soon."

This kid, seriously.
She’s pulling out such strange excuses to escape.
As I barely swallowed my anger, Yuri trembled again and froze in place.

"Even if that’s the case, isn’t it unnecessary to wear a mask right now? Take it off. It must be cumbersome."
"It’s fine. I was dispatched as a machine aimed solely at completing the mission, not as a sentient being. So I intend to completely block any emotional expression."
"…You can’t be serious about staying like this for the entire mission."
"Yes. That’s correct."
"It’s irritating to my eyes. Take it off. It’s an order."
"I can’t do that."
"If you don’t take it off, you won’t be able to participate in the mission either?"
"Yes."
"…"

How infuriating.
This brat is being so stubborn.
She won’t listen to an adult.
Feeling a sudden throb in my temples, I turned away.
It was a stubbornness that wouldn’t easily yield.

"Head of the family, where are you going?"
"I'm going to delay our departure by 30 minutes. I have something to do."

Ah. This frustrating brat.
I need to write a letter.
I clenched my teeth and headed toward the office.

So this is how it is.
Fine. Let’s see how you can do it your way.
I will find a way to strip that mask off you, no matter what.