Upon discovering me, Kilpus stood frozen, his face pale as if time had stopped. His mouth hung open, and he simply stared.

Lili, having shut the door and straightened her posture, placed her right fist over her chest and spoke with dignity.

“Your Majesty. These four individuals from Squad Three, Team One, engaged in battle with the homunculi of the Egil Republic.”

That statement was the finishing blow, my dear disciple.

Ah. He clutched his chest.

Is he going to be alright? Please don’t collapse on me out of nowhere.

“A-Ah…”

Kilpus’ lips turned a shade of purple.

He seemed to have aged all at once. My apologies.

Lili turned her gaze toward Miku.

“I will introduce them in order. Starting from the left, Miku Orunkaim.”

“It is an honor to meet you, King Kilpus.”

Miku pinched the hem of her skirt with her fingertips and gracefully bent her knees.

Kilpus managed to regain his composure.

“Ah, so you are… Is your father, Lord Orunkaim, in good health?”

“Yes, very much so. My father, Mald, is over seventy years old now, but he cannot seem to sit still. Ever since the ceasefire, he has been spending his days hunting mountain beasts.”

As expected of a noble’s daughter. Though to me, who knows her usual self, this was just another one of her many masks.

Miku let out a slightly troubled smile.

“I would feel more at ease if he could take things a little slower, though.”

“Haha. That is a fair concern. It is never good to make one’s family worry.”

Don’t say that while looking at me.

“But I doubt Lord Orunkaim would get caught up in anything reckless. He once carried a great axe and charged through battlefields alongside the Sword Saint, Blythe.”

“Fufu, I am honored.”

Even so, Miku is far better at keeping up appearances than I am.

Lili shifted her gaze to Oujin.

“Next is an exchange student from the Eastern Nation, Ryoka Oujin.”

“I have crossed the seas to study the swordsmanship of your nation’s hero, Lord Blythe.”

Oujin bowed deeply at the waist.

His movements were elegant.

“Hmm. Then learn well. The Kingdom of Galliant wishes to foster friendly relations with the Eastern Nations in the future. If you bring back Blythe’s legacy to your homeland, it may serve as a bridge for diplomacy. I look forward to seeing your achievements, Ryoka Oujin.”

“I-I am most honored…!”

Lili then turned her attention to Void.

“Next is Void Scale, from the slums of the port tourism city, Elva. Due to his outstanding academic performance, his tuition has been waived.”

Wait, what!? N-No one told me that!

Miku also looked shocked, her expression completely breaking character. Having just challenged him to a test, she must be regretting it immensely.

But Void…

“…Now this is a surprise. I never expected the chairman of this place to be you.”

Void folded his arms, looking at Kilpus with a bitter expression. Unlike Miku, there was no reverence for a king in his eyes, nor the respect Oujin had shown.

I could understand why.

Elva was the city with the largest wealth disparity in the Kingdom of Galliant. The picturesque coastal areas were turned into a tourism hub for wealthy nobles to amass even more riches, while commoners and those beneath them were pushed inland.

At the very core, near the mountains, lay the darkness of Elva—the slums. Those deemed even lower than commoners were all cast into that pit.

Kilpus had yet to resolve the issue of Elva’s slums.

Wealth was power. The noble-run tourism industry was too strong, and as king, he couldn’t simply send in his military to intervene. It was a problem that gave him constant headaches.

Kilpus nodded.

“Until now, both manpower and finances were heavily tied up in conflicts with the Republic, leaving little room to address Elva’s situation. I apologize. However, I promise you this—I will change Elva, even if it takes time.”

“Heh. Don’t dodge the issue with vague words. It’s fine, really. You don’t have to pretend to care. No one in the slums expects anything anyway.”

Though his words were spoken lightly, the sarcasm cut deep. Yet, no one objected. No one could.

Even Lili, whose duty was to protect the king, let Void’s rudeness slide with only a bitter expression.

Kilpus spoke in a quiet, almost whispering tone.

“You could have vented your anger. You are a mature one, Void Scale.”

“A kid can’t survive on their own in that place.”

“…I see. But believe me in this—Elva is not beyond saving. I will not let you suffer further disappointment.”

Void looked slightly surprised, then closed his eyes and laughed.

“Yeah, sure.”

That was all.

There were only two ways to solve the slum problem in Elva—either expose the corruption within the noble-run organizations and justify military intervention, or abolish the nobility system in the Kingdom of Galliant altogether.

The former was uncertain, as the existence of corruption was still unproven. The latter, in the current climate where the Republic remained a threat, was impossible. It would shake the very foundation of the nation and spark immense resistance from the nobles beyond just those in Elva.

I had no idea what Kilpus was truly thinking, but Void’s words were likely correct.

As if to break the heavy atmosphere, Lili pushed me forward, making me stand directly before Kilpus.

“Lastly, this is Eremia Neu, who, due to his excellent grades, was granted exemptions for both primary and intermediate division and, despite being only ten years old, is now enrolled in the advanced division. Additionally, he was the one who severed the homunculus’s arm.”

Having been suddenly thrown into the conversation mid-thought, I flinched violently.

“…O-Oh, um… Nice to meet you…?”

The weight in the air dissipated almost instantly.

My greeting had been so clumsy that it shattered the tension completely. But hey, I’m ten. This is normal.

Besides, at this point, it was ridiculous. Whether from my perspective or his, we were father and son.

Trying to hide his discomfort behind a forced smile, Kilpus raised a hand toward me and nodded.

“A-Ah. Y-Yes. Neu-kun. Hmm. You are excellent in both academics and martial arts. That is truly commendable.”

Calm down, old man. What if someone finds out? Maybe I should bring up the slum issue again just to see him sink.

After taking a deep breath, Kilpus looked up once more. With a wry smile, he said,

“But in all seriousness, don’t do anything too reckless. No matter how skilled you are, you are still only ten. I’m sure your mother would be very worried.”

“I-I understand! …Sir!”

Don’t bring her up.

She’s the only person in this life I can’t talk back to. Queen Mother Alina.

Father and son sighed in unison.

Then, Kilpus smiled again.

“I leave it to you all. —And, well done, General Ituka.”

With her usual composure, Lili murmured,

“Yes. No. I am no longer a general. I am merely an instructor now.”

“Ah, yes, that is right. Instructor Ituka.”

“Indeed.”

Watching everyone in the room—except Lili—flustered for different reasons, I couldn’t help but find it strangely amusing.