All the efforts I’ve put in up until today—the studies I’ve been doing, even while preparing for the battle with the evil god of emptiness. The time and care I put into studying were far more than I ever did during my high school days, and now all of it is just flying away.
Feeling down, I slouched my shoulders as I sat in a corner of the academy’s dining hall, and one of the staff members hurriedly approached me.
“Shall I prepare your usual order?”
I was too tired to speak, so I just nodded, and the staff member politely bowed and quickly left.
“What are you doing?”
And just as that question left my mouth, Arthur appeared.
Seeing his face, which showed no signs of fatigue from the night before, made me feel irritated, but I suppressed the words I was about to speak.
Alright, Arthur! With your keen observational skills, notice the change in me!
Being of royal blood, you should definitely be able to spot it!
And then get surprised and make me feel better! Hurry up!
“Is there something wrong with your body? If so, I can bring the Saintess.”
...Don’t you know?
You don’t know?
Why?
How can you not notice that my height has increased by 1.5 centimeters?
Did something happen to my eyes while fighting the evil god yesterday?
Seriously curious, I used my divine magic on Arthur’s eyes, but he furrowed his brows.
“Speak. Speak. Why is it that the one who would have already insulted me by now is saying nothing?”
“If you want to be scolded by a cute girl like me, shouldn’t you first kneel and show some respect? ♡ Isn’t it too much of a gift for a useless prince like you? ♡ Come on, quickly lick my feet and beg me to step on your head ♡ Majestic Prince ♡”
Getting annoyed by the tactless guy, I twirled my toes and said something, causing Arthur to chuckle.
What the hell? Why is he laughing when he’s being scolded? Did Arthur get infected by the fox’s virus?
Imagining Arthur begging me to step on his head, I shuddered and hugged myself.
“...Hm? Why are you looking at me like you do with Rina? What did I do?”
“Don’t talk to me. Perverted Prince ♡ Do I really have to speak to trash like you? ♡”
“Can’t I even ask how you are doing?!”
Arthur raised his voice in frustration, and not long after, Freya appeared behind him.
Having just moved around before coming here, she sat next to me naturally and tilted her head as she looked at me.
“Lucy. Did you grow taller?”
Waaah! Freya! You noticed this! I didn’t expect anyone to!
With joy filling me, I lifted my shoulders with a smile and grabbed Freya’s cheeks.
“Silly examiner. Do you see something different?”
“Mm. The height of your gaze has changed.”
“Hehe. Really? I knew it, right? I’ve changed, right? Right?”
As I playfully touched Freya’s face like clay, I saw her nodding and turned my head back to Arthur.
Hey, you. The guy with zero awareness. Don’t you have anything to say?
“...You grew taller?”
Wow, seriously, is he asking this because he doesn’t know, or is he pretending not to know just to irritate me?
Ah, no need to answer. Either way, his answer will be the same.
“What? ♡ Am I not allowed to grow taller? ♡ Should I live as a child for the rest of my life just to please the perverted prince? ♡”
“No, I didn’t mean—”
“If that’s not it, what else could it be? ♡ Are you mocking me for growing a little taller? ♡ Do you think that, just because I’m a little taller, you can look down on me? ♡ You’re a trash prince who has no ability and a horrible personality, aren’t you? ♡”
“I’m sorry! Please, stop! If this gets twisted, I feel like I’ll be killed by Benedict!”
Arthur, looking around nervously, slammed his head onto the desk, but my narrowed eyes didn’t return to normal.
It’s none of my business what happens to him if he gets caught by Benedict.
Actually, it’s better for me if he gets caught.
Benedict would never kill a friend of his daughter.
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He might corner him until he begs to be killed, but that’s about it.
Then, Arthur would get much stronger and become a more useful character, so why would I want to stop him?
It would actually be better for me if this got twisted.
“During the second semester exams, I’ll provide summaries and interpretations for all subjects!”
“Heh. Well, since the useless prince is showing this much effort, I guess I have no choice but to accept it.”
The offer was quite tempting, and since breakfast was being served, I nodded. Arthur let out a sigh of relief.
“The useless prince wearing eyes as decorations... Let’s skip that part and talk about what kind of perverted things you did after I fell asleep yesterday.”
“I didn’t do anything! What could I have done when the little kid next to you treats me like a criminal!”
“Oh? So, if the silly examiner wasn’t around, you’d have done something?”
“Please, stop. Enough already.”
Having vented my frustration on Arthur, I shrugged and let out a small laugh.
After checking that our conversation had ended, the attendant who had been watching from behind quietly came over and placed the food in front of me.
Crisp bacon fried in oil. And golden-brown bread soaked in the bacon’s oil. A perfectly cooked half-boiled egg. Plus, handmade sausages from the academy’s dining hall!
As I picked up a piece of bacon with my fork and threw it into my mouth, the rich, salty, savory, and umami taste flooded my senses.
Ah! The taste of this is why I come to the dining hall for breakfast every day.
I don’t know why, but this intense flavor never gets old, even when I eat it every day.
“Hey. I want the same thing.”
“Me too. Get one for me.”
After the attendant left to get their orders, Arthur turned his head and rested his chin on his hand.
“Nothing happened after you fell asleep yesterday. By then, all the issues were already resolved. If anything, the professors and the responsible individuals were in a panic.”
While it’s true that no one was sacrificed in the events that happened yesterday, it doesn’t mean the incident is gone.
The followers of the evil god of emptiness clearly tried to seize the academy, intending to create many casualties.
So, someone needs to take responsibility for this incident.
“Most of the newly hired professors will be dismissed. The First Queen said she would personally visit those who submitted their resignation letters, so they will return to the old academy. However, since it will take time to restore the previous order, they decided to close the academy and carry out repairs.”
The result of this was the announcement I saw earlier about the academy’s leave of absence.
“Thanks to that, we’ll have to take exams four times in the second semester.”
Arthur chuckled lightly, saying the third-year students were probably screaming right now, and then he looked at the meal brought by the attendant and subtly leaned back.
“It looks delicious.”
“Yeah, it does.”
As Arthur and Freya savored the aroma of the food on their plates, the attendant who had delivered the meal approached me again, this time with an expression that seemed to be afraid of being associated with me.
“Master.”
Having noticed him, I wasn’t surprised when I heard Karia’s voice in my ear.
“There are a few people who want to meet you. After you finish your meal, could you come over to where I am?”
“Stupid woman. Don’t you think you should say who wants to meet me first?”
“I don’t have time for that. Ah, damn it. Fine, don’t talk. The one who tailored your clothes and the blacksmith Inuki.”
If it’s the person who tailored my clothes, it must be that old woman. I was planning to visit her anyway, so this works out perfectly.
Since I grew by 1.5 centimeters, I need to get my clothes altered, and I never expected she would find me first!
Heh. Nice. I’ll ask her to alter my clothes. And then...
...
Wait. Inuki?
The blacksmith Inuki?
The Inuki I know?!
The hidden NPC with incredible blacksmithing skills?!
When I showed my shock at the name Inuki, Karia nodded.
“It’s probably the Inuki you know. There’s only one skilled blacksmith by the name of Inuki.”
“Why would that old, useless guy want to find me?”
“He said he wants to make something for you.”
Inuki is looking for me and wants to make something for me?! Really?!
That old man, who would argue about everything in the game, even after completing all the related quests, now wants to come and strike the anvil for me?!
“He’s a decent guy when it comes to skill, so you can ask him to make anything.”
Karia, I don’t need you to explain. I know just how skilled that old man is.
He wouldn’t be a hidden NPC if he didn’t have extraordinary skills!
Wow! What should I ask him to make? Armor? Armor sounds good, right?
If I bring him some great metal and ask for armor, I feel like something amazing will come out.
As I pondered the best option with a fork, Karia continued speaking quietly.
“And, Master. The First Queen also wants to meet you.”
“What?”
“She apparently sent a messenger to the Aln family as soon as she returned yesterday.”
The fork slipped from my hand and made a loud noise when it hit the dish.
...
Did I just get targeted by that medieval Trump lady?