In the end, Kilpus did not ask us anything about the homunculi. It seemed he simply wanted to see the faces of the four students considered to have great potential for the future.

—However, the worst moments always come suddenly.

Just as we were answering a few of Kilpus’s questions and about to conclude the meeting in a relaxed atmosphere, he spoke to us just as we were standing up to leave.

“Ah, that’s right, Orunkaim-kun. There was one thing I forgot to ask—”

“Yes, what is it, Your Majesty?”

Miku turned back gracefully with a smile.

But Kilpus’s expression was now harsh, completely different from before. Then, in a low voice, he murmured the words.

“—Who are you?”

“...!?”

It happened in an instant.

Lili drew her sword from her waist and slashed at Miku with lightning speed.

“—!!”

With her first strike, she severed Miku’s scabbard belt, disarming her, and immediately pursued her as Miku leaped back.

A strike without intent to kill. She had likely controlled her speed, intending to stop the blade just at the neck. But that was her mistake.

Before the blade could reach Miku’s neck, she flipped her skirt and performed a backward somersault, landing soundlessly on Kilpus’s desk.

“Sorry about this.”

Amidst her billowing skirt, she drew a main gauche hidden in her left thigh holster and aimed its tip at King Kilpus’s throat.

I gasped.

“Kilpus—!”

“So, it was as I suspected.”

But at that moment, Void had already pushed past me and was rushing forward.

“Like hell I’ll let you do that, dumbass!”

Just before Miku could thrust, Void kicked the desk violently, causing her to lose balance and tumble backward onto the carpet of the headmaster’s office.

“Ugh…!”

“Ha! Just as I thought, you damn traitor!”

Miku sprang back onto her feet, kicking up her legs, and as if avoiding Lili’s follow-up strike, she leaped backward, smashing through the window of the chairman’s office and disappearing outside in a spray of glass shards.

“……”

“……”

Everything happened so quickly that Oujin and I were left standing there in stunned silence.

Only Miku’s rapier, severed from her belt by Lili, remained on the floor.

“W-what… was that…?”

Lili and Void immediately rushed to the window, followed shortly after by Oujin and me, peering down into the distance.

Her figure was already gone. Even though she had fallen from the fourth floor, considering how she had survived that cave-in during the dungeon incident, she was probably fine.

No, more importantly—what the hell just happened?

Even though it had happened right before my eyes, I couldn’t understand. No—I refused to understand. My brain rejected the truth. It didn’t want to believe it.

Damn it. My head was spinning.

Miku… tried to assassinate my father—King Kilpus?

And as if they had anticipated it, Lili and Void moved to stop her, and the moment Miku realized she was at a disadvantage, she vanished?

My heart was pounding like mad.

I could even hear my own pulse.

“…Oujin, tell me… Is this a dream…?”

“…I don’t know either… Why would Orunkaim-san…?”

Lili, unfazed as always, began issuing orders to Void.

“I’ll pursue her. Scale, can I entrust His Majesty’s protection to you? Oujin, Eremia, assist Scale.”

Void crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes.

“Fine. I’ll take care of it. This is kinda within my ‘territory’ anyway. You better do your job too, General.”

“Instructor.”

Before she even finished speaking, Lili leaped out of the fourth-floor window.

She pressed down her uniform skirt, landed on the dormitory’s rain gutter to soften her fall, and rolled upon hitting the ground to disperse the impact.

Then, she immediately got up and took off running in search of Miku.

In the chairman’s office, only Kilpus, Void, Oujin, and I remained.

Kilpus let out a long sigh, like a weary old man.

I stepped toward him and glared.

“Hey, Father, what the hell is going on?! Why did Miku try to take your life?!”

Only after shouting did I realize my mistake.

Damn it. I had lost control of my tone. I had never dropped my formal front in front of Kilpus since my previous life.

But Kilpus didn’t seem to mind at all and simply sank into the headmaster’s chair with another heavy sigh.

“Ah…”

Shit. Was he refusing to answer? Or was he thinking?

Kilpus simply stared at a single point, his mouth shut tight.

“W-wait a second, Eremia. Did you just call King Kilpus… your father…?”

“Ah…”

I scratched my head roughly.

“Tch—!”

Damn it. Another mistake. I had screwed up twice. Oujin and Void were still here.

Shit. I was too flustered and said something I shouldn’t have. Now they knew I was royalty.

Ah, this was a mess.

“Explain it to me, Eremia, so I can understand.”

But the one who answered Oujin’s question was neither me nor Kilpus.

“That’s the deal. Eremia Neu is actually this country’s third prince—Eremi Oldingham.”

—It was Void.