Oujin's face had gone pale. His lips were practically purple. In stark contrast, Void remained as composed as ever.

That expression of his. It's almost funny.

Oujin muttered in a trembling voice.

“So this really was a close call...”

“Of course it was. A foreign nation sending assassins after the king of another country—what else could that mean?”

Honestly, hearing it put into words like that did make my blood run cold for a moment.

“Well, don't be so scared. Aside from the ones directly involved—Kilpus and Riona—the only ones who know are me, Void, and Lili. So as long as you keep your mouth shut, there's nothing to worry about.”

“I mean, that's true, but...”

I exchanged a glance with Riona before placing a hand on Oujin’s shoulder.

With a grin.

“Riona saved your life from the Homunculus, didn't she? You know, Oujin, the price of a life is always steep.”

“Ugh...”

He clutched his stomach, groaning.

Poor guy.

“Well, don’t be so pessimistic. Think of it as a valuable lesson you learned by enrolling here. So cherish that memory and take it with you to your grave.”

“...Like I even have a choice. If my careless words were to trigger a world war, there's no way I could live with that kind of guilt.”

Don't speak like you're fading away. It's seriously hilarious.

And that's exactly why Void keeps messing with you. No, wait. That wasn't him teasing you—he was serious. The way he looked, with those clear, innocent eyes, he was dead serious about taking you to a brothel in the slums.

What a guy. His methods are completely off the mark, though.

Just like how Blythe, in my previous life, mercilessly tried to throw the newly picked-up Lili into a brothel to work as an apprentice.

Seriously, what do people think other people's wills are for?

...Wait, that was me.

“At least you understand. That’s right. There is no other choice. If you speak out, Riona will be killed.”

Riona, the one most affected by all this, placed her other hand on Oujin’s opposite shoulder, a playful glint in her eye. With her free hand, she raised a finger to her lips.

“So, Ryoka-chan, you have to keep quiet about everything you learned here, okay? Even after you go back home, you can’t tell a soul. The fate of the world—and my life—depends on it.”

This girl.

She was clearly just enjoying herself and making things worse for him.

What a terrible woman.

“...Uuugh...”

“I’m entrusting my life to you, okay? Take good care of it.”

Oujin's knees buckled under the weight on his shoulders, and he collapsed, burying his face in his hands.

“...I wish I hadn't noticed… I wish I could’ve stayed oblivious...”

Riona and I looked down at him and commented.

“For someone who wields such an impressive sword, he sure has a weak stomach.”

“Totally.”

Well, whatever.

I called out to Oujin.

“All you have to do is make sure no one finds out. In this particular matter, both the victims and the perpetrators want the same thing—to keep it a secret. So there’s no issue, is there?”

“...Ugh… That’s something a villain would say...”

How rude.

“Well, well, Ryoka-chan is just too honest, unlike El-tan.”

I scowled and glared up at Riona.

“You're the last person who should be saying that, you bundle of dishonesty.”

“El-tan, you’re so mean~! But from now on, I’m going to be completely devoted, you know? Let’s get married!”

“Rejected. —Anyway, Oujin.”

Riona and I extended our hands to the collapsed Oujin.

He let out a long, deep sigh before finally resigning himself and taking one of our hands each.

We pulled him up, helping him stand.

And with that, Team One, Group Three, was back to normal.

“Looking forward to working together, Ryoka-chan.”

“Yeah. Same here, Belz—”

“Just Riona’s fine!”

Oujin hesitated, his face turning red before he corrected himself.

“R-Riona-san.”

The sheer innocence is almost exasperating. Even a ten-year-old has more composure than this.

“...You know, if you blush every time you say her name, your mind’s going to snap by the time we graduate. Just how many years do you think we’ll be spending together? Are you seriously planning to keep calling her with an honorific even in the heat of battle like during the Homunculus fight?”

“I-I get it! I’ll work on it.”

Even the way he said that already sounded hopeless.

Oujin let out a strained chuckle.

“But yeah, you’re absolutely right. I really am inexperienced. I need to learn from someone—maybe not Void, but at the very least, I should aim to be more like Eremia.”

“Then why not try getting a girlfriend? Thanks to your performance in the dungeon curriculum, I bet you're pretty popular right now. So? How is it? Surely you've been getting love letters?”

Riona smiled wryly.

“Love letters, El-tan~?”

“What?”

“That’s so old-fashioned. These days, it’s all about using magic to send stylish messages.”

“Magic? Not everyone can use that, right?”

I have no magical aptitude. Neither in my past life nor this one.

In fact, if you searched all of Class One, the only one who could use magic was Fix Ougus. That was a talent granted to only a select few.

Riona raised a finger and explained.

“It’s done with a magic pen sold by mages. You can write messages or draw pictures directly in the air. You can place them anywhere, so imagine entering your dorm room and suddenly—bam!—a sparkling love message appears. It disappears quickly, though. But that fleeting nature makes it all the more romantic. It’s a must-have among the girls in the royal capital.”

She mimed writing in the air with her finger.

“Disappearing... So, it's for covering up evidence? How devious.”

“The way you put that!”

“What’s wrong with using paper?”

“Love magic letters can be decorated in all sorts of ways! The colors are amazing, and if you have a good sense of art, you can even make them three-dimensional. If you pay extra, a mage can even set it up to appear at a specific time and place.”

That could have military applications. I should mention it to Kilpus later.

Still, I can't believe this is what the world has come to while I was dead. I don’t know anything outside the castle, it seems.

“I see. I’m out of touch with youth culture.”

“You're the youngest one here...”

“—So, Ryoka-chan, have you received lots of love messages?”

Oujin froze. And then, he burst into flames.

Looks like she hit the mark.

Not even once have I received one of those.

...Well, except for a marriage proposal just a minute ago, which skipped over the whole confession part, but aside from that, I guess being ten means people aren't taking it too seriously.

Healthy and wholesome—very good. Except for the one unhealthy girl standing right next to me.