Chapter 26

"What's this 'Z-Class'!?! What do you mean!?!"

"I don't know either! And by the way, there was no such class until last year!"

The two of them were shouting loudly. Suddenly, a person appeared in front of them.

"Hey, you two. You're energetic this morning, aren't you?"

The person who appeared with a bright smile was the prince of this country, "Yuri." The moment he appeared, the girls among the examinees let out not cheers but high-pitched screams. Despite still being a child, he was already so popular that he had a fan club.

Behind him was someone Luisha had never seen before. The tall, slender person was dressed normally, but there was one unusual aspect: their head. The person was wearing a full-face helmet, and their face was completely hidden. They had a sword at their waist that matched the helmet, but it only protected the head, making for a rather strange appearance.

As Luisha stared at the person, Yuri, noticing this, introduced him.

"Oh, this is the first time Luisha has met him. Let me introduce you, this is my bodyguard, 'Ibuki Ironheart.' Please be nice to both of us."

When Yuri introduced him, the person in the helmet, called Ibuki, moved closer to Luisha. Overwhelmed, Luisha hesitantly extended her hand and greeted him, "H-hello..."

The person in the helmet grabbed the extended hand firmly and started talking.

"Hey there! Thank you so much! I'm Ibuki, the young master's bodyguard. Please call me Ibuki-kun casually! Ah! How about some candy as a token of our meeting? Don't be shy! Ah, Sharo-kun, do you want some candy too? What? You don't want any? Don't say that, just eat it!"

"......Eh?"

Luisha's mind was in complete chaos, unable to keep up with the sudden cheerful chatter from the person in the helmet. Seeing this, Yuri chuckled softly.

"Hehe, isn't he funny, Luisha? Ibuki always wears a helmet to keep his face hidden as a bodyguard. He's a strange guy, but he's a good person, so please get along with him."

"Nice to meet you~!"

"U-um, nice to meet you, Ibuki."

After introducing themselves, Luisha and Ibuki finished their greetings. Then, Sharo, who had been silent until now, spoke to Yuri with a hint of anger.

"Hey, Yuri! What's going on with that!?"

"Oh, you mean the 'Z-Class'? I kept it a secret to surprise you. Shocked, right?"

"Of course I'm shocked!"

Satisfied with Sharo's outburst, Yuri began to explain to the confused pair.

"The 'Z-Class' is a new class starting this year. Normally, classes are decided based on academic performance, but this class is different. This class is for those with 'special talents' that others don't have. In other words... the Z-Class is a collection of top-class eccentrics."