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In the end, the excessive kindness of the staff continued until the food arrived.

Of course, even after the food was served, the gazes directed at us hadn’t completely vanished, but still, Rilya and I were able to have some calm conversation.

“By the way, what did you want to talk about earlier?”

“Nothing at all….”

Rilya looked as if she had completely lost her train of thought, so I couldn’t tell what she was going to say.

In any case, that wasn’t the important part.

As I cut into a meat dish whose name I couldn’t even remember, I got straight to the point.

“So, it’s about Saladin.”

Rilya was deep in thought, trying to figure out why there were two forks provided, and after a moment, she picked up the inner fork and started poking at the meat while she replied.

“Ah? Right! Saladin was the main topic today. Ahem, if that’s the case…”

Rilya nodded once and slowly began to speak.

“First, we need to understand why Saladin has chosen to isolate himself.”

“He chose to isolate himself?”

Rilya lifted her knife as she answered.

“From what I’ve heard, it seems Saladin’s behavior is the reason he can’t fit in with the class. Generally, students who are isolated in class are often forced into it by circumstances, but Saladin is in a rather unique situation.”

“……”

I realized the knife she was holding was a rather small child’s knife, but I pretended not to notice and focused on her words.

“There could be various reasons for such behavior, but considering Saladin’s unusual background… it’s likely due to his family environment.”

“Are you talking about his background as an international student?”

“Not just any international student, but a student from Al Kamil. As a history instructor, I’m a bit more familiar with their situation than others. It’s likely that Saladin didn’t come to the academy by choice.”

Rilya said this with a slightly bitter smile.

“Are you aware that Saladin is the first prince of Al Kamil?”

“Yes. I heard it from Headmaster Heinkel.”

“Then do you also know that there’s no principle of primogeniture in the Al Kamil Kingdom?”

I didn’t know that.

I fell silent, and Rilya’s bitter smile grew even more pronounced.

“It’s understandable not to know, given that it’s a nation far removed from the Empire. In Al Kamil, the principle of survival of the fittest prevails. There, assassination of siblings for the throne is seen as perfectly normal.”

I wasn’t well-versed in politics and had no interest in it, but hearing that killing between siblings was considered normal naturally stiffened my expression.

Rilya nodded and continued her story.

“The Imperial Intelligence Bureau would know better about the current succession structure in Al Kamil, but considering the situation of the current first prince coming to the Imperial Academy, we can say that Saladin is either significantly disadvantaged or has already lost in the succession struggle.”

“Hmm…”

That made even less sense to me.

If Saladin returned to the Al Kamil Kingdom, only to wait for his brother to kill him, wouldn’t he rather desperately cling to the Empire instead?

Of course, being overly cautious isn’t a good thing either, but even so, such a blatant hostile attitude could only be detrimental to him.

If he earns the ire of the Imperial Princess sitting right next to him, he could be sent back to his homeland at any time.

Though Elizabeth probably wouldn’t act on such personal feelings.

“……”

Actually, I had an inkling.

I swallowed the piece of meat in my mouth and spoke up.

“Saladin’s attitude likely stems from the relationship between the Empire and the Kingdom.”

“…That might be so. The conflict between the two nations has deep historical roots.”

Right now, the Empire’s strength and authority were soaring high after a victorious war, so Al Kamil Kingdom was in a quiet situation, but just a few generations ago, the two nations had fiercely fought against each other, branding each other as heretics on numerous occasions.

The Goddess of the Sky and the Father of the Sun.

Thanks to a multitude of religious debates, it has been confirmed that both gods actually exist.

However, the Goddess Church believes that the sky created all things, while the Sun Church believes that the sun is the source of all life.

They think of each other as liars who stole the accomplishments of their gods, so it’s impossible for their relationship to be good.

Growing up in such an environment, Saladin would have innately regarded the Empire as an enemy as a prince of Al Kamil.

Peace reigns now, but they’ve constantly been at odds in the past, and they may end up fighting again someday.

What must Saladin think of being in a situation where he has to rely on that potential enemy for survival?

I couldn’t say for sure, but judging from Saladin’s attitude, it seemed clear that he definitely felt humiliation.

Rilya laughed awkwardly.

“I’m sorry. This isn’t exactly the best topic to discuss while eating, is it?”

I shook my head.

“No, it was a necessary conversation.”

“I’m glad to hear that. In any case, since he has chosen to isolate himself of his own volition, it’s quite likely that even if Instructor Graham tries to help, he won’t accept it as help. Instead, he’s more likely to feel resentment.”

I thought the same. Saladin’s feelings must be very complicated right now.

As a prince of a nation, fleeing for his life must have been a huge shock, and now he finds himself attending classes alongside the very Empire he sees as an enemy. He would certainly be feeling considerable confusion in this situation.

I could understand his prickly demeanor, akin to a hedgehog. However, if he maintained this attitude until graduation, it wouldn’t benefit either me or Saladin or the overall class atmosphere.

As I initially thought, it was clear that resolving this issue was necessary.

I sought to humbly learn from my senior instructor’s knowledge.

“So, what should I do?”

Then Rilya replied in a gentle voice.

“Well, this is just my personal thought, but it seems the most important thing is to make Saladin feel a sense of belonging in the class.”

“A sense of belonging?”

“To Saladin, the students of Opal Black Class are merely students from the enemy nation of the Empire. However, the Empire is one thing, and the class is another. We need to make him distinguish and think about the two separately.”

“……”

Just hearing that made it clear this was not an easy task.

Seeing my awkwardly stiff expression, Rilya smiled softly and continued.

“How about starting by getting closer to Saladin? Ultimately, the most important factor is his own feelings.”

“Hmm….”

“The key is trying to understand his heart. Of course, improving your relationship with Saladin may take some time. So, let’s not rush it and approach it calmly.”

“Approach it calmly, you say?”

“First, it would be good to gradually try making changes. Having meals together in a light atmosphere like this could be a good start, don’t you think?”

Indeed. Having meals together…

Thinking back, I realized I had never eaten with any students even once, nor had I considered it before. Perhaps starting there would be the way to go.

I didn’t intend to get too close with my students, but if it was part of my responsibilities as an instructor, it would be an unavoidable necessity.

I lightly bowed my head in appreciation.

“Thank you. This has really helped me find direction.”

Rilya shyly smiled while playing with the ends of her hair.

“Oh, it was nothing. If you ever need help in the future, feel free to ask me anytime. If it’s something I can assist with, I’m more than happy to help.”

“Really? I feel like I’m always receiving help from you, Rilya.”

“Eheh, of course. I’m just happier to be of help.”

Was it really just help? Having someone I could rely on in this new environment was quite a novel experience for me. On the battlefield, I had to navigate everything on my own.

I hope I can repay her somehow later.

We finished our discussion about Saladin and continued our meal while chatting about lighter topics, like upcoming academic schedules and our respective classes.

When the conversation turned to physical education, I noticed Rilya’s expression seemed a bit overwhelmed, but apart from that, we carried on comfortably until we eventually finished our meal.

“I’ll take care of the bill.”

“What? No! I was planning to treat you today! This is also to apologize for last time….”

“Back then, you still listened to my consultation in the end, didn’t you? I’ve received help today as well, so let me take care of this.”

This place might be a bit pricey, but for me, this amount wasn’t a big burden at all.

I had previously received a performance bonus from Headmaster Heinkel, and even aside from that, I had saved up enough money. In fact, I had so much that it was somewhat burdensome to manage.

“W-well, then… If I just receive, I’ll feel uncomfortable, so… can I really treat you next time?”

“If that’s more comfortable for you.”

I ended up making a promise for another meal with Rilya, though I had no idea when that would be.

Rilya’s smile widened, as if she had accomplished something.

After finishing our meal and preparing to settle the bill, the staff member who was taking the payment greeted me with a bright smile.

“Did you enjoy your meal with your younger sister? You really are a kind older brother!”

“Eh.”

At those words, Rilya’s expression froze, her face a look of shock.

 

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