“Johann! Johann! Look at this!”
Millia spun around like a scene from a movie, her bright smile lighting up the room. Everyone around couldn’t help but stare at her.
“…Your outfit has changed.”
“How is it?”
“It’s pretty.”
“Hehe. Thanks!”
Just a moment ago, I was thinking about assassins, and now this scene makes me feel a bit odd. I turned my gaze to Millia and met the eyes of Karina, who had been waiting for me.
When Karina caught my eye, she flashed a playful smile and lightly tapped the table a couple of times. Was that a hint to sit here? I joined Millia and took a seat.
“Did you rest well?”
“Yeah. I was in a relatively inconspicuous spot, so I could relax comfortably.”
I rolled my eyes towards the partition set up differently from yesterday. No idea whose idea that was, but it seemed placed there to minimize visibility.
Thanks to that, Karina looked more relaxed than yesterday.
“That’s good to hear.”
“But have you finished all your work?”
“They granted permission right away.”
“…You won’t lose, will you?”
“I’m not at a level where I’ll go around getting beaten up, so don’t worry.”
It’s a bit unsettling that I still can’t fully grasp the extent of that guy’s abilities, but surely he can’t be stronger than Renny.
Renny was a knight strong enough to smash demons like Harpas in one-on-one fights as part of the betrayer route.
There was even a dramatic emphasis that the protagonist, blessed by the demons, could only barely match her.
So, he shouldn’t be stronger than Renny.
In any case, if it’s at Renny’s level, there’s no reason to engage in such bothersome antics.
Just waiting for the right opportunity to take him down would suffice. By that point, it would be obvious that no one but Renny could stop me.
It could only be compared to a monster like Cerberus, not even a fellow human.
“…Johann, why are you staring at me with that weird expression?”
“…I was just admiring your strength.”
“Suddenly?”
“I just thought of it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Renny scratched her cheek and looked away as if my comment embarrassed her. Was she really that shy? It didn’t seem all that awkward. While I was chatting with Renny, I felt a pull on my arm.
“Johann, what are you talking about?”
“It’s work-related, so you don’t need to worry about it.”
“Really?”
I couldn’t discuss the assassination plan with Millia. For these things, it’s better to have as few people in the know as possible. Of course, not long after, news of the event would spread like wildfire, but until then, it was better this way.
After all, with someone of that level, they would probably be able to make it to the finals without breaking a sweat. I didn’t expect him to run away just because another event was added.
If he were an assassin, he’d likely try to overpower me and make contact with Karina, and if he were truly an innocent mercenary, he’d seize the opportunity to make a name for himself and wouldn’t want to back out.
“Johann, what do you want to drink?”
“Make it coffee.”
“Got it!”
Millia trotted over to the café. Her lively steps drew everyone’s attention.
“Millia is quite popular. I heard she gets a lot of requests for appearances.”
“Before you came, she was running around like crazy. It felt like she was doing all the hospitality alone because she was being called so much.”
Seeing Renny add that to Karina’s comments, it seemed Millia really was beloved. It made sense when you thought about it.
Objectively speaking, she was pretty enough to be called a beauty, had a charming personality, and it would be rare for someone to dislike her lively character.
“Looks like you were resting well.”
“Surprisingly, not many people came up to me, so I rested comfortably.”
That was all thanks to Renny glaring at them. With a wild beast’s eyes glaring, who in their right mind would approach?
A first prince might have had a chance, but busy as he was with his ‘first prince’ duties, he was rumored to have already left the Academy.
I sighed inwardly thinking of the future headache that was the first prince. Him causing a ruckus would be a story for next year, but for today, I needed to focus on the escort.
While I had put a lot of thought into the martial arts tournament, we weren’t even halfway through the second day yet.
Today’s schedule was packed with a school tour, a day of prayer, a campfire, and a theater performance in the afternoon.
I would be active even later than yesterday, so I needed to concentrate on these tasks.
“…I hope nothing happens until tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
Did we share the same thought?
Renny and I exchanged glances and smiled faintly.
—————
“Now it’s time for the theater.”
“Theater, huh. It’s my first time seeing one in person.”
To be precise, it was the first time seeing the ‘Saint Sabrina,’ a play within the ‘Survival Academy.’
At my mutterings, Karina’s gaze turned sympathetic.
“You’ve never seen a play before…?”
“Really have never seen one?”
“Me neither!”
Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen one either. When I noticed the sorrowful look passed to Millia, it made me chuckle. Is theater a typical pastime here?
“It’s quite fun, so give it a try. It’s one of the few things you can easily enjoy.”
“Now that I think about it, this is my first time watching a play in such a large hall.”
“…I’m a bit worried, though.”
Setting aside the acting, the ‘Saint Sabrina’ play about the life of a saint mentioned that if the invited saint were attending school, it was customary to grant her the role of the saint… so I assumed it was the same this time.
Though the student playing the saint was in a wheelchair, surely she could make a brief appearance and recite her lines without any problem.
The issue is…
“I can’t be sure it’ll be safe.”
Taking the stage means being in a position that’s easy to attack. Naturally, our escorting would have to become quite troublesome. I could easily imagine the chaos if arrows were fired and projectiles thrown from all sides.
The best solution would be for Karina to not go on stage at all, but since tradition is tradition, skipping it entirely could damage her reputation somewhat.
One might ask what honor means, but tarnishing the honor of a saint might not be an issue now, but later it could lead to critical variables.
Having the title of ‘saint who didn’t uphold tradition’ could become quite a headache, so I couldn’t simply tell her not to go on stage.
The Academy was already somewhat accommodating, so it made sense to escort her with the assumption she would go on stage.
For now, I would try to protect her, and if that failed, I’d either need to help Karina escape or call for backup.
The broad strokes hadn’t changed.
…Unless, perhaps it’d be better for us to ‘provoke’ the attackers first.
The ultimate protection would be to eliminate the source of the ambush so that it never happens at all.
“Johann? Joh-an~?”
“…What is it?”
“What are you thinking about so hard? I’ve called you at least seven times!”
“Sorry.”
“Just know that!”
“Well then, as an apology, can you pat my head?”
Why is that an apology? I stared at the top of her head. She’s totally like a puppy.
“Hehe.”
As I stroked her head as requested, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Anyone looking would think we were a pair of close siblings. Just as I was thinking that, I felt a peculiar gaze on my face.
Turning to follow the gaze, I found Karina looking at me with a strange expression.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but she seemed a bit jealous.
“Karina, it’s about time we head in.”
“Oh right. Let’s hurry inside.”
We entered the auditorium with a slightly awkward silence.
Inside, many people had already gathered, but as Karina and I passed, a path automatically opened up. After all, who in their right mind would block the presence of the saint? The only one who might try is the first prince.
“This way, saint.”
“Oh, hello, principal!”
“Hoho, I’m glad you seem to be feeling well today.”
Principal Merlin smiled warmly as he gestured for us to sit. The only empty spot in the packed auditorium was a chair placed slightly out of the way of the stage.
“To see the saint’s play again in my lifetime feels like a dream.”
“Have you seen it before?”
“That’s a story from when I was still a student.”
When Principal Merlin was a student, just how long ago was that? As he began reminiscing, I took a moment to survey the stage and the spectator stands.
Whispers of chatter, people bustling around and making a fuss, and the stage still covered by curtains.
I pulled a small flute from my belongings and tucked it at my waist. This way, it would be easier to pull it out in case of emergency.
“Johann, can you play the flute too?”
“…I can play it.”
You need to have some experience with instruments.
Still… I can manage some basic tunes.
“Can I touch it too?”
“Not a chance. It’s a dangerous item.”
If it’s a dangerous item, who knows what could happen if I handed it off to someone else? Unless they were as well-versed in its use as I was, it would be chaos.
“What’s dangerous about a flute?”
“There are dangers.”
“Oh, is that so…”
Seemingly satisfied that I wasn’t going to let her near the flute, Millia lost interest and began chatting with Karina instead.
I turned my gaze back to scan the auditorium once more. It was a large space, about the size of a soccer field, with a second-floor spectator area. The thought of protecting them made me break a sweat. While I wanted to separate the second floor with a skill, I couldn’t just do that without cause.
Sighing, I watched the curtains gradually part and the yellow light spilling out.
“Thank you for waiting!”
The familiar voice of the host announced the start of the play.
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