Chapter 35

Ain stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly held the letter containing the secret given to him by his mother.

When he was informed, he checked and was very surprised.

It's all thanks to everyone's support, really, thank you very much.

The tour of the Royal Kingsland Academy took some time.

The vast grounds with several dedicated facilities were new to Ain, and Dill, who also knew this, gave detailed tours and explanations.

"Well, that's all. The tour and explanation of the main facilities are now complete, right?"

"Thanks. I didn't expect there to be so many things, but it seems like I'll use only a few places."

"Indeed, that's true. However, the library and the magic practice building are very convenient, so I think they are easier to use than trying or researching in the castle."

The academy has a huge library, and its collection is one of the largest in Ishtalika.

"There are areas where only one group can view, so why don't you go and see them next time?"

"Huh, even books that aren't in the castle?"

"Yes. In fact, there are even valuable materials that are the only copies in Ishtalika, which are stored here. They are strictly guarded and protected by several spells to prevent deterioration."

Ain thought there might be some clues about the Dullahan or the mysterious magic stone.

Since it's a free class system, he decided to use it to do some research.

"Then I'll go next time."

"Don't forget your student ID. You can't enter without it."

"Got it. By the way, are you going to guard me all the time while I'm at the academy?"

"I won't be with you all the time, but I'll be with you as much as possible. I'm also in the first year, so my classes are flexible, but the senior years have many obligations despite their freedom."

The security within the academy is also part of Dill's apprentice examination. As a royal academy, it is a very safe place. Ideally, as a prince, it would be best to have someone always by his side. However, since it's within the academy and Dill is also a student, it's difficult to be with him all the time.

Ain is optimistic and thinks that having some time to spend alone is not a problem.

"Alright. Grandfather said it's relatively safe here. And those people over there, I don't know what year they are, but they're in the first group?"

"That's correct. Those who are free to move in groups of a few people are in the first group, regardless of their year."

"Got it. By the way..."

Ain saw students spending time freely outside. The two girls he saw just now.

Ain, who knew little about Dill, decided to ask him about something he usually wouldn't talk about.

"Dill, which one do you prefer?"

He asked Dill while looking at the two girls.

"Um, my preference...?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sometimes it's good to ask these things and get to know you better."

"M, m, m. Well, if you put it that way..."

Ain was happy that Dill seemed willing to answer without hesitation.

"It's just me, so go ahead. Tell me."

"...I don't prefer either."

"Huh? Really? They're cute, though."

Both girls were cute and had good figures. Being told that he didn't prefer either made Ain think Dill had high standards.

"Hmm, then it's fine. So, what kind of person do you like?"

"...At the very least, I prefer a woman who is stronger than me."

"Huh?"

"Preferably, someone as tall as Marshal Lloyd, my father. A strong build would also be more attractive."

Ain, surprised by the unexpected answer, took a few moments to respond.

"So, you like a woman as strong and built as Lloyd?"

"Yes. I want to be dominated."

"Oh, I see... It might be hard to meet someone like that, but I'll support you."

"Thank you, Ain! Most people say it's impossible when I talk about this."

Ain understood. It's hard to imagine where to find a woman as strong and built as Lloyd.

"It's a bit early, but let's go to the lounge and have a light meal. It'll be troublesome if people come later."

"Understood. I'll guide you."

Ain, who had asked the question, thought it would be troublesome to delve deeper into the topic, so he decided to move and change the subject.

It was a bit early for lunch, but it wasn't a problem. They decided to have a light meal before the peak time.

Chris would come to pick him up in the afternoon, so Ain would return to the castle after spending some time.

Dill had to stay at the academy in the afternoon, so only Ain would return.

*

"Yes, I'm from a rural area. I am very happy to be able to study and improve with all of you in such a prestigious and wonderful academy."

At the same time that Ain was being shown around the academy by Dill.

At the nearby Liebe Girls' Academy, Crowne, who had transferred, was talking to the female students in her class.

"Oh, if you say that, we will be overshadowed, Crowne-sama."

"That's right. I am very happy to be able to make friends with someone as beautiful as Crowne-sama."

"I hear that you were recommended by Chancellor Warren and scored almost perfect on the required tasks. We were all looking forward to meeting you."

Crowne, who had lived in the noble society, wondered how much of this was flattery and how much was genuine.

"If you don't mind, would you like to meet my brother? I'm sure he would think very highly of Crowne-sama!"

Ah, so the same trouble is here too. Crowne, who was used to dealing with such matters, thought.

The man is a noble, and the prestige of the August family, a noble family in Heim, does not apply here. That's why Warren's influence is significant.

"That's too much. A noble gentleman and a mere commoner don't match. It's a great honor, but I am still lacking as a lady."

"That's not true. Since you were recognized by Chancellor Warren, there's no way anyone would treat you rudely, especially someone as beautiful as Crowne-sama."

Being called beautiful and cute is flattering, but Crowne didn't feel particularly happy about it.

It was the same as the exchanges at parties she had experienced before.

"I am honored to hear that. However, if I make a mistake, it will cause trouble for Chancellor Warren..."

By saying this, Crowne thought the other girl wouldn't be able to push too hard. At least, it wasn't a lie that she was under Warren's protection.

"Hey, noble lady. Since Chancellor Warren's opinion matters, it wouldn't be right to push Crowne-sama too hard."

"Yes... I'm sorry, Crowne-sama. I just thought it might be a good match."

"It's alright. I'm very happy to be thought of so highly."

Crowne thought they probably intended to make her a concubine. A non-noble woman couldn't be a wife.

Besides, Crowne hadn't taken them seriously from the beginning, so it was good that the matter was settled smoothly.

When she was in Heim, she often felt depressed when people pushed the conversation without considering the atmosphere.

Liebe Girls' Academy is a good place. Despite the strict rules, it is an excellent place to cultivate a proper lady. Crowne's goals are very high. Therefore, achieving high grades at Liebe Girls' Academy and completing the tasks given by Warren are both necessary.

"...I look forward to working with all of you."

As a transfer student, the period she would attend the academy was not long. In that time, she had to learn at more than twice the pace of her peers. Crowne decided to do her best and ended her first day at the academy.

*

"Princess Katima, I have brought the item you ordered."

"Meow! Finally, it's here!"

While Ain and Crowne were facing the future of Ishtalika on their first day at the academy, Katima was in her room at the castle, receiving a delivery.

It was a large, thick book that she had been searching for for years, scouring the entire continent of Ishtal.

For this one book, Katima spent about two-thirds of the money she could freely use in a year.

She had no regrets, and it was one of the best things she had ever bought.

"Yes, good job! Thank you, meow."

"Not at all. Please take your time."

The servant handed her the packaged box. She knew the book she wanted was inside, but the excitement was overwhelming.

She carefully opened the package, being careful not to damage the book, and took it out of the box.

"Indeed, a fine piece, meow."

It was a book written by a famous elf who dedicated his life to it.

For now, she put aside her strong interest in the contents and focused on the exterior, which exuded a certain aura.

The leather cover was made by a famous dwarf craftsman. Simply calling it a leather cover would be a disservice.

The beautiful and solemn leather cover was either embossed or carved, but the technique was unknown.

The material was likely the skin of a small, scaleless dragon that had lived for a long time. It was a thick and sturdy material, about 1 cm thick.

The three-dimensional construction made from this thick skin was a valuable piece in itself.

Even Katima, known for her research, would handle such a fine piece with care.

She put on a pair of small gloves made for her and carefully opened the book.

"...As expected, it's not easy to read, meow."

The famous elf, who might have lived for hundreds or even thousands of years, was a diligent and research-focused man. It was unknown whether he was still alive or had passed away.

After he was said to have retired, his whereabouts became unknown.

The language he used was called "Ancient Elvish," a special language used by ancient elves during oral transmission.

Katima, who was dedicated to research, had studied several Ancient Elvish words and understood their content.

However, she knew only a few dozen words, and it was difficult to decipher sentences.

She continued to hum and try to read the book, but it was incomprehensible.

"This book is said to be particularly detailed about matters related to the Demon King... There should be some information about Dullahan too, meow."

She understood the title to some extent. She had sought and purchased this high-end book as a compilation of matters related to the Demon King. Therefore, she understood the word "Demon King" written on the cover.

"...Bingo, meow."

And she found it. Despite not being able to read the text, the book had illustrations, and she discovered a page that could serve as a reference.

"I see, this is a new appearance, meow. Interesting... Nice to meet you, meow. You are the Dullahan inside Ain, meow?"

The Dullahan depicted as one of the Demon King's subordinates. This meant that the owner of the magic stone absorbed by Ain was this illustrated Dullahan. It had a strong and handsome face. Despite being in the form of a knight in grand armor, the Dullahan was a type of fairy. The illustrated Dullahan was a handsome man with long silver hair.

Ain, who also had a good face, seemed somewhat similar to him.

"Meow... Even knowing the appearance, I still want to read it properly, meow."

She felt frustrated. It was sad that she couldn't read the book she had finally obtained.

"Can't be helped, meow. I'll go to the laboratory and gather materials, and I need to order new materials, meow."

Despite not being able to read it, the subject matter increased her research enthusiasm. She was determined to decipher the text, not only because she had spent a lot of money but also because it would be embarrassing to not understand it.

She took out a piece of paper from her desk and started listing what she needed.

After finishing the list, she began flipping through the book again.

"Indeed, it's a good book, meow. The illustrations are beautifully drawn, and I want to decipher it soon... Meow?"

Her finger stopped on a certain page. The page depicted a woman wearing a hood.

Although her eyes were not visible, her mouth suggested she was quite beautiful.

She was dressed in a black robe and wore several jewels, which were likely magical artifacts. She held a large staff, indicating she was a mage.

"Is this woman also one of the Demon King's subordinates, meow? Or perhaps a wife? Well, it's fine, meow. I'll save it for after I decipher it! ...Still, it's a challenge to find materials, meow. If there were elves connected to the ancient elves nearby, meow... sigh, it's difficult, meow."

The language known as "Ancient Elvish" was primarily transmitted orally. Therefore, it was rare for it to be written down, as in this book.

The tribes that understood this language were few, and it would take years to find one.

Considering this, it was not very realistic.

However, for Katima, this book contained only pages that piqued her interest. She vowed to decipher it.

At that moment, a knock was heard at the door.

Katima, who had resolved to decipher it, received a visitor. She answered the knock.

"Who is it, meow?"

"It's me."

The person at the door was Chris.

"Come in, meow."

"Excuse me. Princess Katima, the Empress is calling for you. She's angry because you're late for your scheduled meeting..."

"Oh no, meow. I was working, meow... Sorry, Chris! Could you put this box away for me, meow?"

Katima, who turned pale at Chris's report, hurried to Lalarua's room. As she rushed out, she asked Chris to put away the box containing the book.

"Running is dangerous... but it's too late now. Sigh... Katima, if you could just calm down a bit, it would help me a lot."

For Chris, who often dealt with incidents caused by Katima, it would be easier if she were a bit more composed.

However, she first decided to do the cleaning she was asked to do.

"Putting away a box is easy for me. Let's see..."

Chris, seeing the packaging box, realized Katima had bought something expensive again. She decided to keep the box just in case and planned to take it to the entrance of the laboratory later.

"Aha, so you bought a book, Katima. ...Oh, the book is still open. I'll close it for you."

Katima had left the book open when she rushed out.

Thinking it would be better to close such an expensive book, Chris went to it. She went to the book that Katima couldn't decipher at all.

"Wow, I haven't seen these characters in a long time. How did you get such an old book... It must have been expensive. Let's see, what's the title... 'Considerations on the Truth of the Demon King and His Subordinates.' Wow... What a dangerous book, Katima."

Chris could read the book's text. The tribe she was born into still followed old teachings.

She was interested in the "Ancient Elvish" she hadn't seen in a long time, but her interest waned after reading the title.

As a result, she didn't flip through the pages and closed the book.

"Alright, it's closed. This should be fine."

Chris then picked up the box used for packaging. She also needed to prepare to pick up Ain, but first, she decided to go to Katima's laboratory and place the box at the entrance.

"But there were female subordinates of the Demon King. I've never heard of humans being among them... No, wait."

Chris, who had received some education about the Demon King in her tribe, found it curious.

According to her memory, the Demon King did not have human subordinates. However, as she thought about it, she reached a conclusion.

"Oh, I see... It must be an 'Eldritch.' That makes sense, it looked different from a regular lich."

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