The Pandragon Royal Academy.
Commonly referred to as the Academy.
It is a place of learning, a hall of knowledge that educates the young talents destined to shape the kingdom’s future. The Academy teaches an immense variety of subjects.
From swordsmanship and magic to medicine, statistics, astronomy, and even strange topics that make one wonder if they really exist, there are over thirty subjects taught at the Academy.
It’s possible there are even more.
However, just because there are a multitude of subjects doesn’t mean that the instructors or professors are lacking in quality.
After all, it carries the royal title, doesn’t it? To compare it to other academies would be an insult.
Thus, the faculty at the Royal Academy is filled with exceptionally talented individuals.
Because they are responsible for nurturing the talents that will steer the future of the kingdom, they must possess skills and experience that are second to none.
However…
“…Is that him?”
“The rumors were true?”
“Goodness.”
“Shouldn’t we try to establish some rapport?”
“Forget it. He must be feeling upset right now.”
“…That’s true.”
The professors and instructors held a small gathering before the Academy’s entrance ceremony.
It was essentially a presentation for the faculty, meant to provide brief introductions and allow everyone to get acquainted.
As they mingled and began to grow closer, a few instructors stole glances at a lone man eating a steak like a haughty wolf amongst the pack.
They already knew his name and identity.
“Lee Han, right?”
“White Lion, huh? Life sure has its twists.”
“I can relate.”
A few veteran professors recited his name.
Knight Lee Han.
An active knight dispatched to the Academy as an instructor.
Of course, it wasn’t the first time they had seen a knight, but seeing an active, young knight at the Academy rather than a retired one was a first for them.
What did it mean to be young?
It meant being in the prime of one’s life, the most vigorous time of existence, didn’t it?
The time of life where vitality is at its liveliest.
Yet, becoming an instructor during such a period meant missing out on the most dynamic moments of one’s life.
Perhaps that’s why people tended to avoid him.
They figured he must find this situation rather unpleasant.
Even though it might be masking a demotion, or rather a dispatch, that didn’t imply he was weak, and the professors quietly steered clear of him, viewing him as a potential threat.
Avoiding risk without facing it head-on.
It was wisdom in life.
Well…
‘Someone might think I’m poison or something.’
Even if they did it behind his back, they couldn’t escape his gaze, and Lee Han smirked.
Ah, humans are truly amusing.
‘Playing cute, are we?’
Though not displeased by being underestimated, it was preferable to be seen as someone fearsome.
As he continued to enjoy his steak, a piece vanished once again from his plate.
*
*
*
A week ago, the sudden dispatch of Lee Han stirred quite a buzz within the Knight Order, and, somewhat rarely, the knights found themselves “pitying” him.
…It may seem a bit hard to understand at first.
How could a mission to teach the young talents responsible for the country’s future be a punishment?
Isn’t it a glorious task in its own right?
However, that perspective comes from someone who knows only one side of the story.
What exactly is the White Lion Knight Order?
They are the royal order of knights.
The pride of protecting the illustrious and great royal family is an honor that cannot be exchanged for anything else in this country.
But to abandon such an honorable duty and become a dispatched instructor?
It’s not a terrible position, but for a young knight in the prime of his life, it feels like a bolt from the blue.
So, in a way, it is a significant punishment.
At a time when one is eager to sharpen their skills and ascend, they’re instead relegated to teaching youngsters.
There’s really no greater loss.
Thus, it wasn’t surprising that the members of the order took to pitying him, albeit rarely.
However, as for Lee Han himself…
“Ah, so this is the setup they’re going with? I suppose such tricks are necessary to tie everything together. That lady is quite shrewd.”
“Disrespectful fool, what kind of language is that towards the princess?”
“Looks like the old man understands at least a bit, huh?”
“I just have a rough idea of things.”
“Hmm, is my salary normal?”
“…That was the expected reaction, but I wish they’d show at least a hint of disappointment.”
Even though they knew Lee Han didn’t have much attachment to being a knight, his lack of concern was oddly disappointing.
If he had been passionate about the knight order, he would have already secured a prominent position.
“Do you have no desire to try hard now? If so, I’ll speak to the princess and have the mission canceled.”
Baltar had enough authority for that, so he threw out the suggestion.
“Forget it.”
“…Think about it for at least a second before answering.”
With the situation spiraling like this, Lee Han had already discarded any thoughts of acceptance, and Baltar clicked his tongue in exasperation.
And currently.
Lee Han was in a situation where he had to go through courses and a range of other processes that he never expected, even having to study—something that wasn’t really in his nature—and it was quite a headache.
‘Just try not giving me any!’
Maintaining a calm demeanor, he wasn’t thrilled about being dragged along by Isis.
Deep down, he was probably certain he wouldn’t be able to refuse her.
However, she should brace herself.
If she claimed there would be a reward and played around with it…
‘Then there’ll be no sympathy or brotherhood left.’
Lee Han was confident.
He firmly believed he could take down at least one of those who betrayed him.
Even if that someone was the nation’s heir.
* * *
After today’s curriculum wrapped up and he returned home, he found three letters waiting for him.
One was from Jake.
Being perceptive, rather than worrying about his well-being, he assumed the secret mission related to the academy and simply wrote, [Do well.]
In contrast, the next letter came from Yorde, who, having known him not long, filled his message with worry: [I will petition the commander on your behalf, so…] and other similar sentiments reflecting some misunderstandings he had built up.
…What’s with this guy?
“Did I hit him too hard the other time?”
Well, he hadn’t hit his head, at least.
Feeling a bit awkward, he checked the last letter, which had no recipient written on it and was just a plain white sheet of paper.
However, as he caught a whiff of the faint scent of perfume, he could guess who had sent it, and Lee Han filled a suitably large bowl with water and submerged the white paper.
As a result, the writing began to reveal itself.
[Lee Han, my reliable foster brother, if you are receiving this letter-.]
It started off with such pompous prose filled with lofty phrases and poetic expressions.
Who could have guessed it was from the Crown Princess? The contents were rather dull as a result.
To summarize briefly,
It essentially conveyed, ‘I will keep my promise, so do your best too.’
In a rather cringe-worthy manner, it included phrases like [I believe in you] and [I trust your autonomy and judgment], but left him feeling unimpressed.
Some might say that receiving such lofty praise from Isis is a three-generational honor, but to Lee Han, it was just an annoying form of attention.
After skimming through the content, he noticed the letter had dissolved in the water.
It was almost thorough in its destruction of evidence.
“She claims to have a strong interest in alchemy and magic, and here we are.”
Lee Han burned the envelope with a lighter.
It burned quite well indeed.
“…Where should I start?”
The entrance ceremony was in four days.
He would finally get to meet all the key figures from that point on.
However, his sister hadn’t specifically told him how to gauge them.
It probably meant she was leaving everything to his subjective judgment.
Perhaps she had considered his dislike for orders.
Thus, this meant he had to act autonomously, leading Lee Han to ponder how he should proceed, jotting down notes on a whiteboard.
It was a way of mapping out his thoughts, similar to a habit he had from his previous life as a non-commissioned officer.
When unreasonable orders rained down from superiors, he would organize a systematic approach to manage them.
…A rather ironic habit he had cultivated.
However, at this moment, it was quite a useful habit.
Maybe it was because his thoughts were more organized, but Lee Han soon realized the first task he had to undertake.
“I need to get them to come close to me first. And if there’s one common trait among the protagonists in fantasy novels or reincarnation stories, it’s that they are overwhelmingly curious.”
Curiosity kills the cat.
And fittingly, the protagonists in such tales are often reckless fools unable to resist their own curiosity, charging headfirst into dangerous situations.
Day after day, they find themselves kidnapped, stabbed, or in perilous situations, yet they cannot contain their curiosity.
They are afflicted with an ailment that compels them to engage directly rather than hold back.
So…
“Let’s see how I can play this out?”
Lee Han gently wrote down the names of the two individuals beneath his thought.
It was the situation where their true nature would shine through most, coupled with the worst possible circumstances.
“Hmm, not bad.”
An almost refreshing smile automatically spread across Lee Han’s face.
It was a fulfilling act to pass on the pain he had experienced to someone else.
The word [Tactical Maneuver] was particularly conspicuous on the whiteboard.
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