Chapter 22: Buttoning the First Button (5)
How on earth did it come to this?
The more I thought about it, the more a corner of my head throbbed as if it were going to split open.
Suppressing a sigh with all my might, I looked across from me.
Beyond my gaze sat Princess Velita, smiling serenely as if she knew nothing at all.
Yeah.
Princess Velita—she was right in front of me.
“……”
Beside her, a blue-haired male student and a red-haired female student flanked her like guards.
The man wore a look of absolute leisure, while the woman’s expression was so emotionless she could have been a wax doll.
It was a stark contrast to Allen, who sat stiff and uneasy, making no attempt to hide his discomfort.
“First of all…”
As I carefully opened my mouth, everyone’s gaze—Velita’s included—focused on me.
The others’ stares didn’t matter, but hers felt like insects crawling over my skin.
How exactly did things end up this way?
Only after I asked myself again did I recall that everything had started because of the Dungeon Field Class.
‘Right, the Dungeon Field Class.’
There were two things I kept in mind when forming a group.
The first was to put Cecilia in the same group.
The second was to gather people who wouldn’t object to that decision.
The first reason was simple.
In my previous life, she had ended up right behind me in order, but there was no guarantee such a coincidence would happen again this time.
The second reason was also clear.
Public opinion of Cecilia wasn’t very favorable.
Though she would one day be hailed as a hero, for now she was little more than the subject of ridicule.
On top of that, her abilities and grades were unimpressive, so most people would be reluctant to team up with her.
In my previous life, she had ended up forming a group only with the remaining unchosen students.
‘Good.’
Once the outline was set, I moved quickly.
Fortunately, Allen readily accepted my proposal.
When I then asked if it was okay to bring Cecilia into our group, he replied,
[It’s not for me to say, but I’m not exactly someone others welcome either, so I don’t mind at all. Do as you wish, Lian.]
That response reminded me that while Cecilia’s reputation was infamous, Allen too was quietly avoided by others.
So, I thought, after bringing in Cecilia, I just needed to find about two more decent people, including a mage.
That was when it happened.
[Hello.]
Velita Levymne Bestrang.
Out of nowhere, she approached us—drawing the eyes of countless people like a cloud trailing behind her.
[Have we met somewhere before? You look so familiar.]
[Ah, look at me! I’m Velita Levymne Bestrang. You can just call me Velita. And you are…?]
[Lian Gwendil, you say?]
[By any chance, are you related to Sir Artiac Gwendil? His younger brother? Oh my, what a coincidence! No wonder you two look alike!]
She spoke with the easy familiarity of someone who had known about me for a long time.
Naturally, I could only smile and respond in kind.
It didn’t matter that my brother Artiac Gwendil, though a member of the Imperial Knights, served the First Imperial Prince and had almost no reason to interact with her.
It didn’t matter that, as half-brothers, we looked so different that people constantly questioned whether we were truly related.
What mattered was that she knew me—and had chosen to speak to me.
‘…But why?’
I couldn’t guess.
And then, like she was quietly aiming a dagger, she said,
[So, Sir Lian Gwendil.]
[Since this is fate, why don’t we form a group for the upcoming Dungeon Field Class?]
The first time I heard that, I nearly let a curse slip.
Without missing a beat, she introduced the two beside her.
[Ah, this is Tesrad, and this is Anette. Tesrad’s from the Wands dormitory, and Anette’s from the Dots dormitory.]
Truth be told, she didn’t need to introduce them.
How could I possibly forget?
Tesrad Krypton.
Anette Ganetsa.
Both were destined to become her loyal aides—people who, at her word, would take countless lives without batting an eye.
[And you’re from Crooks, right, Sir Gwendil?]
[And the person beside you… wow! Hilts? What a coincidence! All five dormitories gathered in one place!]
She clapped in apparent amazement.
Her little performance was nothing but laughable to me.
In my previous life, she always moved in a group with her aides.
In other words, bringing these two along now meant she had already investigated Allen and me before approaching.
‘…Whatever the reason, I’ve caught her attention.’
But why?
At least it wasn’t because of the Brand.
‘If my head’s still on my shoulders, it’s not about the Brand.’
In my previous life, the Brand had driven her to mobilize every military officer in the country to hunt me down.
Back then, the Brand was widely known, so she couldn’t touch me recklessly…
But if she had known at this point, assassins would have already come for me multiple times.
So another question arose.
Why was she approaching me?
‘…Whatever it is, I won’t let it play out like before.’
Whatever the Velita of my previous life might have been, I had no intention of yielding easily to the Velita of now.
Still, she was someone who could threaten my life at any moment, so I had long since discarded the foolish notion of underestimating her.
‘For now…’
With my thoughts tangled, I forced a deferential smile.
“Of course, Your Highness.”
For now, I could only give her the answer she wanted.
Hearing my reply, Velita wore the same picture-perfect smile as always.
And then…
“Is something wrong?”
“Ah.”
It seemed she had noticed my mind drifting elsewhere, even though it was only for the briefest moment.
Was she determined not to give me even a moment to gather my thoughts?
She smiled gently, watching me as if urging me to speak.
“No.”
I simply returned her smile in a low voice.
‘I’ll have to redraw my plans first.’
That was what I thought as I swallowed a sigh.
A sound.
It felt like I had heard something from somewhere.
‘Hm?’
What sound was that?
As I idly wondered, I suddenly realized something.
I wasn’t afraid at all.
Even with her—who had once caused me a horrific death—sitting right in front of me, my mind was perfectly calm, without the slightest tremor.
The fear and disgust I had felt just moments ago now seemed like nothing but an illusion, leaving me with no emotions at all.
‘…What is this?’
I couldn’t figure out the exact reason.
Or perhaps…
“……”
I deliberately shifted my focus to somewhere other than my collarbone.
Was it just my imagination?
For some reason, I felt like my mind was clearer than usual.
“It’s nothing.”
I was crossing the faculty building.
It was to meet Professor Shagas.
He had told me before that he wished to repay my help, and that I could come to him anytime if I needed something.
And now was exactly that time.
‘I’d hoped to save this for later, but it can’t be helped.’
Ras Sink Shagas.
A man called the hero of the Plains War and, in the future, known as a demon hunter.
And, I could confidently say, one of the strongest men on the continent, with few rivals to speak of.
Losing the chance to ask for his help in such a way was honestly a bitter pill to swallow.
But even if it meant using a great opportunity for something small, it was far better than failing to use it when it truly mattered.
It was one of the precious lessons I had learned from my previous life.
‘First, I’ll ask him to assign me a position right behind Cecilia when we enter.’
Of course, if I made such a request without any reason, he would naturally be suspicious.
If an accident happened soon after she entered the dungeon, his suspicion would only deepen.
Being suspected by him was the last thing I wanted.
That’s why…
“Ah, my benefactor. What brings you here?”
“It’s been a while, Yuran.”
Yuran.
Like him, she was a demon hunter—his disciple and successor.
She was the one I had to persuade first.
“I heard from the Sister—you were attacked unexpectedly. Is that true?”
“Do you mean Sister Roberta?”
Yuran nodded.
Were they close enough to talk about such things?
‘Now that I think about it, I did ask her to visit the Cathedral.’
It seemed that incident had brought them closer.
Sister Roberta was someone who respected faith and devotion directed toward beings other than Ilionel.
She was also a deeply considerate and compassionate person, so it was no surprise she got along with Yuran easily.
“Are you alright?”
“Thank you for your concern. Fortunately, I’m perfectly fine.”
“Good. I also heard there was another benefactor. Is she also safe?”
“Senior Lancia is also unharmed.”
Only then did Yuran’s worried look vanish, replaced by a refreshed expression.
She nodded vigorously, relieved.
“Mm. I had heard about it, but I wanted to hear it directly from you.”
“I’ll pass your regards to her. By the way, Yuran, is Professor Shagas inside?”
“My master? He had some business, but he’ll be back soon.”
She gestured with her finger over her shoulder toward the direction of Professor Shagas’s office.
“Would you like to come in and wait? Treating guests is an important duty—especially my master’s guest.”
“Then I’ll take you up on that.”
Following her lead, I headed to the professor’s office, which I had visited once before.
“Please have a seat. I’ll prepare something for you.”
With practiced ease, she offered me a seat and began preparing tea and refreshments with a familiar grace.
Watching her back, which even seemed somewhat reverent, I drifted into thought for a moment.
‘I’ve felt it before, but she really does seem like someone from a noble family.’
Her lack of fluency in the imperial tongue had kept it from standing out until now, but there was undeniably a certain dignified air in her words and actions, one difficult to approach.
On top of that, she possessed strength far beyond her age and abilities that were extraordinary in many ways.
Back in her homeland, she must have held a noble status—or at least something close to it.
“Here you go. My master has terrible taste in clothes, but excellent taste in tea.”
“Thank you.”
After handing me the tea, Yuran sat carefully across from me.
Instead of reaching for the cup, I met her gaze, noticing how she was staring at me intently, clearly with something to say.
“You look like you have something you want to tell me.”
“That is so.”
“I’m listening.”
Yuran nodded.
“My benefactor. You carry a scent.”
“Do you mean the scent of the Sky Guide you mentioned before?”
“No, not that.”
She whispered.
“The scent of a demon.”
For a moment, it seemed like her eyes flickered faintly red.
“Their fishy stench is on you.”
At her reaction—one I had been hoping for—I smiled faintly.
“Yuran.”
“Speak.”
“Can we talk for a moment?”
From my coat, I took out a fragment of a mask, a dagger, and strands of hair that were still brown.
She stared straight at me as I did so.
“I need your help, Yuran.”
You owe me a debt.
I reminded her of that fact with a heavy voice.