As always, time passes faster than anything else.
It was no different for Rudell and Leje.
Seasons changed, and after several cycles, three years had gone by.
*
On a sunny afternoon, warm sunlight poured down.
The hallway, crowded with many students, was filled with a tense atmosphere.
The breathless gazes of the students were directed towards a boy and girl walking through the hallway.
“…”
With hair as pale blue as a winter sky and deep blue eyes that had an ethereal glow, the girl’s stunning beauty felt like a masterpiece crafted with utmost care, almost intimidating to those who looked upon her.
Meanwhile…
“Hello, Vice President Weinstein!”
“Hello!”
Waving back at the greeting students, the boy showed a friendly smile.
With light brown hair reminiscent of hazelnuts, thick horn-rimmed glasses, and bright emerald green eyes peeking out, he appeared completely harmless.
Compared to the icy demeanor of the girl beside him, he seemed much more approachable, causing the atmosphere around the students to feel lighter when addressing him.
With that, the two of them, leaving countless students behind, headed somewhere down the long hallway.
A little while later, they stopped in front of a huge door.
The boy turned the doorknob, and with a heavy creak, the door opened to reveal a familiar sight.
A spacious room large enough to fit an entire classroom.
Inside the room, there was just a table to greet guests and a desk for work.
Yet, the emptiness of the room made it feel even more oppressive.
As the girl crossed the room with her footsteps, she settled down at the desk…
“Sigh… I’m tired.”
With a weary face, she leaned back in her chair, completely relaxed.
As the daughter of the prestigious Duke Lagrind and the president of Philsberg Academy’s student council, her actions were hardly appropriate, but she shrugged it off and found a comfortable position.
“You know… What would others think if they saw you like this?”
Seeing her, the boy let out a short sigh.
The Steel Duchess, the vampire of the Lagrind family, the cold-blooded witch…
Those menacing nicknames hardly matched the girl sitting before him.
What kind of reactions would others have if they saw this?
“Isn’t that exactly why you’re here?”
“Seriously…”
The girl’s response, as if questioning the obvious, made the boy shake his head while sighing again.
But soon enough, he stepped forward and picked up a massive stack of documents from the table, placing them on the girl’s desk.
An overwhelming amount of papers…
“Goodness… Is all of this the approval paperwork?”
“I’ve filtered out everything I could, so I just need you to handle the last approval.”
“I knew I could count on you.”
The girl, staring blankly at the documents, said that, and as she began signing her name, the boy chuckled in response.
“Thanks, but it’s nothing special—just childhood friends.”
*
Hours later…
Leje finally finished her work late at night.
“Yawn… Is this really the end of the paperwork?”
“Yep, good job.”
She stretched and spoke as she neatly arranged the last document on her desk, while Rudell responded with a gentle smile.
Then, he stood up and opened a small side door on one wall with a question.
“Aren’t you hungry? Want something to eat?”
“Hmm… Toast, please.”
“Got it, just wait a moment.”
Leje nodded at his question, and before Rudell, who entered through the door, was a tiny kitchen.
It was a room originally used as a storage area for unused items during Kaylee’s presidency, but it had been renovated into a kitchen since Leje became president.
“Let’s see… bread, eggs, lettuce, and ham…”
While rummaging through the pantry for ingredients, he turned on the stove.
“Hmm~♩ Hmm-hmm~♬”
Singing a little tune, Rudell began cooking, and before long, he emerged with a plate of delicious-looking toast.
“Mmm~ It smells great.”
“Here, eat it while it’s hot.”
With her eyes sparkling from the enticing aroma, Leje smiled as Rudell set the plate in front of her.
“Thank you very much!”
She shouted excitedly, picked up the toast, took a big bite, and moaned in delight as she savored the taste.
“Mmm~ So good! Yours is the best, as always!”
“It’s just plain toast, nothing special.”
Though he said that, Rudell’s lips curled into a grin.
What cook would dislike hearing praise for their food?
“Sigh… Why do I have to suffer as student council president, I wonder.”
“You know you’ve said that over three hundred times, right?”
Leje took over the student council position from Kaylee at the beginning of last year.
Despite the various troubles, she was faithfully handling her duties as president.
“By the way, how about you? Any new news?”
“Still the same.”
In response to her follow-up question, Rudell nodded.
The news in question was about the Church of the Eaters of Death.
It had been three years since they mysteriously vanished.
However, nations and factions across the continent were still on edge.
They understood that the group wouldn’t back down easily.
Some claimed they had completely retreated, leading to a new era of peace, but to Rudell, that was an utterly foolish statement.
One way or another, they would certainly return.
Rudell was confident in that belief.
“Time really flies. Can you believe it’s been three years since they disappeared like the wind…?”
“They will return someday.”
“Yeah, probably…”
Leje was well aware of that fact, too.
As she munched on the toast, she threw the last piece into her mouth…
“Oh, by the way, have you heard that story?”
“What story?”
“They say a prophecy has been received, and the Hero Selection Tournament might be held soon.”
“The Hero Selection Tournament? What’s that?”
What’s this now?
With that thought, Rudell tilted his head.
At least in the knowledge he possessed, such a thing did not exist.
This event must have spawned from the divergence of the original story and the world line…
“Have you heard of the Holy Sword?”
“The Holy Sword?”
Now that he thought about it, there did seem to be something like that…
With a low groan, Rudell racked his brain, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall much besides that there was something.
“Yeah, there’s a legend that the divine beings gathered their powers little by little to create a shard. They say those who place highly in the Hero Selection Tournament can gain the right to wield the Holy Sword. If chosen there, they become a hero.”
“So something like that exists…”
In short, it was a power-up event.
Having sorted that out simply, Rudell nodded, and then Leje said, looking at him.
“I’m thinking of participating too.”
“You too?”
“Yep. As you know, I’m super strong.”
“True.”
Rudell could only nod at her confident assertion.
Over the past three years, she had dedicated herself to honing her swordsmanship.
Between her classes at the academy and sparring with Kurt and Paris, among others, she had pushed herself to the limits.
The fruits of her efforts had led her to a point where only Kurt and Paris, the escort knight of Jade, and Duke Artorius—known as the Iron-Blood Duke—could rival her in swordsmanship within the kingdom.
Even if one expanded the scope to the entire continent, the number of worthy opponents she could face was less than ten fingers worth…
If she participated in the Hero Selection Tournament, obtaining the right to wield the Holy Sword wouldn’t be too difficult.
“I’ve been thinking about how to become stronger, and it seems the only option is to pull the Holy Sword.”
“Hmm…”
At her words, Rudell let out a low groan.
If she truly became a hero, that would be an ideal situation.
This event was something they absolutely couldn’t miss for the upcoming challenges.
“If that’s what you want, it wouldn’t be bad to give it a shot. I’ll support you.”
“I knew you’d say that.”
Leje beamed at Rudell’s response and looked at him brightly.
As the night deepened, they continued their conversation.
