Chapter 8

After school, I was told by a teacher that I had been summoned to the principal's reception room. What could the old principal want? Surely, he hasn't taken the story that I'm the Demon King at face value, has he?

However, the person waiting in the reception room was not the old principal I had expected.

"Nice to meet you, Yumiera. I'm Ronald, the new principal."

"Nice to meet you, Yumiera Dorkness. What happened to the previous principal?"

"He retired due to certain circumstances. You probably won't see him again, so don't worry about it."

Saying this, the new principal Ronald smiled warmly. He was much younger than his predecessor, perhaps not even 30 years old.

His smile seemed forced, as if he were simply reproducing a textbook example of a reassuring smile.

"I've come to the academy on the king's orders. I'm aware of the rumors about the Demon King, so you can rest assured."

He must be the person the queen mentioned. The fact that he knows about the Demon King suggests he has the king's trust.

"Prince Edwin is quite a problem. To think he would talk about state secrets in public. You must have had a tough time."

Thinking about how I'm currently being avoided by almost all the students in the academy, I made a bitter face, but he continued talking without a care.

"The prince isn't usually so impulsive. Recently, he's been acting out, or rather, unstable. The two who usually support him are the same."

"Has something happened to the prince and his friends?"

Recently, something must have made them unstable. Most likely, the cause is me.

"Haha, so you're saying that?

Well, let me tell you about their situation. The prince and his two best friends have never known defeat. They were excellent from a young age, standing out among their peers. At the same time, they had high self-esteem, but it didn't have a negative effect as long as they didn't know what it was like to lose.

However, someone came along and shattered their pride. They probably didn't want to admit it. They thought of the one who defeated them as the Demon King and tried to maintain their mental stability."

So, I was the cause after all.

But because of me, the game's scenario has taken a very different turn.

I never expected things to go exactly according to the scenario, but for it to be this different from the beginning might have a significant impact.

"I understand their situation, but can't something be done about the students being afraid of me?"

"Once a rumor starts, it's almost impossible to stop. The official stance of the country denies the revival of the Demon King, but many people still believe it.

The same goes for the rumors about you. It's best to assume they won't go away. After all, your strength adds credibility to the rumors. There are even concerns at the palace that you might be dangerous."

Well, from an outsider's perspective, I am a mysterious level 99 character who suddenly appeared, so I can understand why.

"I think few people won't be afraid of you. I'm a bit scared too."

Principal Ronald said this without showing any fear. I started to find his unwavering smile scary.

"Ah, the king knows that you can't be the Demon King, so you can rest assured."

Hearing this, I thought it was strange that the king, who should have considered the Demon King's revival two years early, didn't suspect me from the beginning.

Perhaps there was some unshakeable evidence that I wasn't the Demon King.

"Does the royal family have detailed information about the Demon King?"

"No comment."

He deepened his smile in response. Was that a yes?

Principal Ronald is well-informed about things like Prince Edwin's childhood and the king's thoughts, information that only the country's top officials would know.

He must hold a significant position despite his young age. It's also curious that he didn't mention his family name during the introduction.

I was wondering who he really was, but it seems he already knew.

"I'm just the principal. I also serve as a liaison between you and the king.

If you have any questions for the king, let me know. Depending on the matter, I can provide an immediate response."

The fact that he can provide immediate responses suggests he has the king's independent authority. This person is indeed quite important.

"Wow, so you're not just a strong person. The queen must have a good reason to trust you. My job will be easier too."

It seems he read my thoughts again. I didn't say anything, and my expression didn't change.

I'm worried that he might know about my past life and other secrets, which makes me uncomfortable.

"Shall we discuss the future now?

Well, today is mainly about getting to know each other, but I have something to ask you. I want you to participate in the field training as part of the organizing team."

Field training is essentially about leveling up. The academy organizes monster hunts for the students' safety.

I suppose this means I'm supposed to help with the level-up of the Demon King slaying group, including Prince Edwin.

"Understood. Should I support the prince and his group?"

"No, that's not it. I want you to participate in a different group."

When I looked puzzled, he asked me a question.

"On the contrary, can you fight alongside them?"

Ah, I see.

"Well, it's a problem that needs to be resolved eventually, but it won't be easy to fix right away."

If things continue like this, we won't be able to work together to defeat the Demon King. I need to find a way to make them understand that I'm on their side.

"Understood. But there might be some conflict with the group assignments."

On one side, we have the popular prince, and on the other, me, who is seen as the Demon King. It's obvious which group the students would prefer.

"I plan to divide the groups as usual, by central and provincial nobles. You're from the provinces, right?"

"That's quite a rough division."

"There's a reason for it. There's a significant difference in enthusiasm for leveling up between the central and provincial nobles."

I see, it's true that many central nobles don't actively try to level up. After graduating, they usually inherit their family's estate or become officials, so a high level doesn't offer much advantage.

On the other hand, provincial nobles, especially those with small territories, often deal with monsters themselves. Even the younger siblings who can't inherit the family estate often become soldiers.

"Will the prince and his group be okay with such a lackluster group?"

"We have a separate plan for their level-up, aiming for at least level 40 by the second year."

Level 40 seems insufficient for fighting the Demon King. In the game, the appropriate level was 60-70.

"Level 40... I'd like them to reach around level 60."

"Captain Adolph is level 60? That's a bit unrealistic to achieve in two years."

Hmm, thinking about it, level 40 is quite an achievement.

If I support them, it might be possible, but let's put that on hold for now.

"Understood. What specifically do I need to do?"

"I'd like you to assist the supervising teacher in emergency situations. The location is a forest near the capital, so I don't expect much to happen."

The forest near the capital is the first stage of the game. Indeed, the monsters there are quite weak. I don't think I'll have much to do.

"Can I just watch the battles without doing anything?"

"Well, you could say that. I've heard that your method of leveling up is quite unusual, so please don't do anything strange, okay?"

Hmm? What does he mean by my leveling up being unusual? Not using protective charms and fighting alone might be a bit odd.

But isn't it normal to blow the monster-summoning whistle as hard as I can?