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Central Garden of the Department of Knights.

Naturally, this place, situated at the heart of the Department of Knights that splits the Academy in two, was bustling with a lot of people.

Since students in the Department of Knights are typically lively kids suited for their major, it was a customary affair for this place to become noisy during lunchtime when the passageways opened up.

Unlike magic or other disciplines, one must engage in physical confrontations to prove their excellence here. It’s only natural that the competitive spirit inherent in people manifests through clashes of swords in the Department of Knights, making it louder than other departments in the Academy.

While it wasn’t common, duels occurring in the garden were not unheard of either.

However, the students were bustling at the moment for a different reason. Compared to usual, one might even say it was relatively quiet. Everyone gathered here was casting glances at one particular individual.

“It’s always noisy here, isn’t it?”

Orcus sat on a chair prepared in the garden, taking in the sight of the Department of Knights students as he spoke.

Though it was quieter than usual, that was only relative to the Department of Knights. To Orcus, who belonged to the Department of Magic, this place was always raucous.

Orcus, tired of watching them, tilted his head back, resting against the chair and closing his eyes.

Perhaps it was due to having lived with outlandish family members who were far louder than this; he felt like he could easily drift off to sleep amidst the filling noise.

“Are you going to call people over and sleep soundly here? It’s amazing that you can sleep with all this noise around.”

“Live with Noel for 17 years, Damian. You’ll find this to be nothing.”

But only for a moment, Orcus opened his eyes at the voice calling him. Unlike others who were seemingly clad in an unspeakable distance due to their status, the voice that woke him was direct and unreserved.

Turning his head towards the voice’s owner, he saw a boy with a sulky face walking toward him, just as Orcus had imagined. The boy’s eyes, akin to a legendary dragon, seemed sharp enough to cut through things, yet the emotions contained within were entirely the opposite.

“What are you so anxious about? Did you perhaps make an appointment right in front of me?”

“Something along those lines. So, if you have something to discuss, can you wrap it up quickly?”

Orcus broke into a mysterious smile at Damian’s words, surveyed the surroundings, and then spoke up.

“First off, there are too many people here. Let’s move to a different spot.”

*

With Damian beside him, Orcus carefully reconsidered his existence. Having done this many times before, the results would inevitably be the same as before, but for Orcus, who liked to verify things, it was a habitual act.

The closer a person is to him, the more he inspects and reflects deeply.

In a position where he cannot trust others easily, it was as essential as breathing for Orcus to determine whether the person in front of him would be an obstacle.

In that sense, the man named Damian Kraus, standing next to him now, was almost uniquely positioned just after family in Orcus’s continuous verification, which fluctuated with every assessment.

According to worldly expressions, he was a close friend.

Orcus had concluded his relationship with Damian in such a manner.

“But that’s not enough.”

Even though he had confirmed it countless times, Orcus continued his verification.

He knew it wasn’t particularly meaningful, but considering the conversation that would unfold, he thought it necessary to do so. This dialogue would lead to a change in his relationship with Damian, and this was not merely Orcus’s problem.

“Did you perhaps have someone here? This place seems unusually devoid of any presence.”

“The knights, isn’t it? I wish they would consider that magic exists in this world, but I guess it’s too much to ask. It’s just a simple misdirection barrier. It reduces this place’s presence to that of a stone lying by the roadside. Unless one has the focus to pay attention to even a stone, it’s unlikely anyone will come here.”

“What a bizarre barrier. When did they set that up?”

Without any prying eyes, Damian no longer used honorifics. His usual honorifics had always carried a somewhat forced tone, but it mattered little to Orcus; he preferred when Damian dropped the formalities. Using honorifics in private felt awkward, creating a distance that made it uncomfortable to interact freely.

“If it’s to this extent, it seems like a very important matter. Could you just get to the point?”

“Why are you in such a hurry? Could anything take precedence over discussing state affairs with the future Emperor? Besides, even if you leave this place, you’ll just waste time with Lady Elena. Am I wrong?”

“…You?”

Was he hit with an accurate observation? Damian’s eyes widened in surprise.

Orcus stifled a chuckle at Damian’s reaction. Just from his response, one might think they were having a secret rendezvous, but Orcus knew what was happening between Elena and Damian, so he merely found it amusing.

No matter how skilled the two were, still within the Academy and the Imperial City, news of their movements would inevitably reach Orcus’s ears.

With the spies embedded within the Academy alone numbering in the hundreds, figuring out roughly when and where the two headed wasn’t a challenge for him.

Orcus smirked at the flustered face of a friend he was seeing for the first time.

Despite having anticipated it to some degree, seeing Damian react this way confirmed what feelings he held toward Elena.

While Orcus felt a twinge of guilt, he ultimately refused to relent. He was certain that what he was about to say would lead to Damian’s happiness. The options that would satisfy both his sister and himself simultaneously could only come from this.

“Let me ask you directly. What is your relationship with Lady Elena? Did you decide to reconcile or something?”

“Why would you be curious about that… Do you have feelings for the princess?”

“Well?”

Damian’s eyes dilated at the brazen response. But recovering quickly, he replied in a firm voice. Orcus, wiping the playful demeanor off his face, matched Damian’s seriousness, resembling the coldness he had exhibited in dealings with officials when he was at the Imperial Palace.

“Stop lying. Just give me a proper reason.”

“There are many reasons. If you and Lady Elena were to become involved, it would become a matter of the Kraus and Edelweiss families. Understanding the movement of power is a crucial virtue as the next Emperor. If I must venture a different reason beyond this, it would be that I don’t wish for my relationships to become complicated. Oh, don’t pretend to be oblivious. If you have any sense, you know what I’m talking about.”

At Orcus’s words, Damian’s expression twisted with emotions that portrayed reluctance to confront an uncomfortable topic.

Soon, Damian’s mouth opened again.

“So what do you want to hear from me? Am I supposed to make a definitive statement about Noel right here and now?”

“That’s a matter for the parties involved to resolve. It’s not something I should meddle in. I’m only interested in your relationship with Lady Elena. Hmm… If the two of you are in that kind of relationship, what should I do? Should I tell you to break it off?”

“I expected that. Didn’t you just mention something about power?”

“Even so, that would be unreasonable. In such a private matter, it’s entirely baseless for a third party to intervene. Even if there’s a chance it could shake the imperial power, that’s a problem for the royal family, not for the Kraus and Edelweiss families.”

He made it clear that he wasn’t concerned about the issue between the two.

While the reality was far from that, he had to present it this way.

“As I said before, I’m just purely curious. Getting a headache from everyone else’s relationships is more than enough with the royal family tree.”

He continued the conversation as if supporting the two’s bond while urging for a response. Despite appearing unbothered, Damian likely felt as if he were being pushed for a quick answer.

Orcus was already half-assured of how Damian would respond.

As much as Orcus prided himself on being a close friend to Damian, there was one thing he knew very well: Damian held a near obsession with the belief that he and Elena could never be together.

Why he had such a belief was something even Orcus didn’t understand, but in any case, it was certain that the mindset Damian currently held would lead him to the response Orcus wanted to hear.

Reconciliation between Elena and Damian.

As time progressed, it would have its potential, but now was not the time.

Indeed, the relationship between Elena and Damian seemed much warmer than it had been during the blizzards that swirled at the beginning of their enrollment, so if time just continued to pass, the notion Damian held would surely break, and their relationship would evolve.

Thus, it had to conclude now.

Before things drew any closer.

After some thought, with his face now calmed down, Damian slowly began to answer Orcus’s question.

“…It’s not that we’ve reconciled or anything. Just that my and her shared interests have brought us a bit closer.”

“Oh? What interests? No, you don’t have to answer that.”

After all, it wasn’t likely he’d get a proper answer.

He knew something existed between them, but for now, even hearing that response sufficed. If he could just lay the groundwork and start the ball rolling, everything afterward was up to Noel. At that moment, a surge of magical response hit the barrier, and Orcus’s lips curled into a slight smile as he continued.

“So now, you’re saying you have no relationship with Lady Elena?”

The surging magical response that had been rushing toward them froze at Orcus’s words. Calculating the distance, he realized that, from where they stood, he could easily discern Damian’s face.

The moment she stepped into the barrier, Orcus spread it in reverse, and it seemed Damian was oblivious to her presence. As a result, he merely nodded silently at Orcus’s question.

What would Elena think of this conversation? She probably wouldn’t be feeling too great about it.

But Orcus had no need to feel obligated to consider her feelings. In fact, if she left feeling some sense of loss, that would work in his favor.

“Then, Damian. Although it’s a little odd to ask this after what I just said, what do you think about getting engaged to Noel?”

If the rival would just distance themselves on their own, all the better.

 

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