Chapter 28

#028 The Curriculum of Pride and Prejudice (4)

"Nice to see you, Prince Penethian."

"......Hello, Princess Sarnes."

Kristel was as diligent as ever today, and I was as much of a cold fish as ever.

"It's our first time having class outdoors. It should be fun, right?"

Cardinal Boutier smiled warmly. I relaxed my stiff face a bit and nodded in agreement.

I was a homebody to begin with, so I had no complaints about having classes indoors, but stepping outside made it feel like a morning walk, which was pleasant.

Moreover, it was my first time setting foot on the outdoor training ground.

Since the first day of possession, when I saw the prince swinging his sword here, I had never even glanced in this direction, making it all the more unfamiliar.

There were dents in the ground, possibly from sword strikes, and on one side, practice swords were densely planted.

"Prince, keep it up!"

-Screech!

"Ganael, be quiet."

Another difference from usual was that there were spectators for the class.

For some reason, the cardinal allowed the nearby attendants to join, and thanks to this, Ganael and Bénguillaume were out in the shade with Demy in a flower cart.

Natalie, the cardinal's attendant, was also with them.

Kristel's abilities had not been officially announced yet, but seeing the crowd, I thought they might be planning to announce it soon.

I waved lightly to the three people and a spirit.

"Our mage is still not ready."

The cardinal said it as if it were nothing, then gestured softly to Kristel.

"Would you like to try using your ability? Since we're outside and this side is a forest, you can use it as freely as you like."

Kristel nodded energetically, her turquoise eyes sparkling.

Her firmly tied pink hair seemed to show her determination.

I took a few steps back.

-Splash, splash

A small droplet appeared on her palm.

I heard Ganael exclaim, "Wow."

Kristel smiled, then continued to move her fingers in a wavy motion.

The droplet's volume swelled rapidly.

The transparent and clean water mass grew from the size of a bowling ball to that of a washbasin.

"How is the ether consumption?"

"It doesn't feel like it's draining much."

Kristel answered the cardinal's question.

"I've never made it this big at home, but it feels good."

The protagonist's voice was refreshing. She seemed very satisfied with her ability.

Watching her, I suddenly wondered about her motivation.

While I lived with the goal of returning home safely, she seemed to be different.

Offering her power to the empire was like stepping into the spotlight.

I diligently recalled the personality of "our Kristel" that Yinse had told me about.

While maintaining a distant relationship with her, it was important to understand the protagonist's behavior patterns.

-Swish...

"Wow!"

Kristel transformed the giant droplet into a long stream of water, and Ganael exclaimed.

The water stream drew circles in the air, then moved like a snake.

Kristel laughed out loud, enjoying the sensation of controlling it with her fingertips.

When she suddenly stretched out her arm,

-Swish!

The water stream, now as wide as a stream, shot quickly toward the opposite side of the training ground.

Everyone's gaze followed the water's end.

It felt like being a soccer fan watching only the ball. Then,

-Splash!

Someone's sword cut through the water. I was shocked by the unbelievable feat.

To be precise, it was a sword strike that cut through the water, but at first glance, it looked like the sword had sliced the water.

The shattered droplets sparkled like glass shards in the sunlight.

It was as if in slow motion.

"Your Highness."

Then, a familiar baritone voice rang out.

The man who appeared, surrounded by the scattering droplets like a camera filter, looked like a piece of fan art that Yinse had shown me.

Water dripped from the sword in his left hand.

Behind the young man stood a middle-aged man who seemed to be an attendant and Sir Elizabeth.

She greeted me with a nod over her shoulder, looking oddly excited.

"Welcome, Sedric. You're right on time."

The cardinal smiled warmly at the prince.

I hadn't expected him, but I certainly didn't want him here. Life...

*

"The one who will assist in the class as a mage today is my son."

The cardinal introduced the prince with a proud tone.

The prince scanned us with his haughty orange eyes.

-Screech

Then, Demy, who was in the shade, let out a small cry. It seemed even he found the prince intimidating.

At the ball, the prince introduced himself as a magiknight.

That means he's both a mage and a knight, so there was no reason for him not to appear today.

The one that Sir L'Amour called one of the "strongest mages in the empire" yesterday was probably the prince.

He seemed to have no flaws, being the main male lead.

He's good with swords, good with magic, and has a son...

If he could just use ether, he'd be the perfect all-rounder to assist the protagonist.

"Then, we'll wait in the shade."

Sir Elizabeth hurriedly headed toward Ganael.

The smell of savory popcorn wafted from her, suggesting she had brought snacks.

The prince's attendant followed her.

Anyway, the situation wasn't entirely bad for me.

While it would have been best for me not to be here, the fact that the two were about to reconnect after the engagement fell through was a positive sign.

Although the early plot had deviated, the overall flow of the story seemed intact.

My thoughts were confirmed when the prince and Kristel exchanged a long gaze.

Yes, it's fine for an all-rounder companion to also be a lover.

"Nice to see you, Prince."

"......"

But even to Kristel's greeting, the prince only acknowledged with a brief nod, not even opening his mouth.

The protagonist's expression subtly changed, showing the true class of a cold fish.

I inwardly sighed. He's ignoring people completely. That's a bit tough...

"Hello, Prince."

"You're always sticking your nose in."

Thinking he would ignore me, I greeted him, but he immediately shot back.

How old is he to keep using informal language?

No, even if he were older than me, this tone was problematic.

"Let's be clear. You're participating in my class."

As I responded, Kristel looked up at me, and the prince looked down at me from the front.

I felt I might have overstepped. I should have been a non-entity in front of them.

"Let's finish the greetings and start the practice. Kristel, Sedric, come to the center."

The savior was the cardinal. Her gentle voice made me turn away without hesitation.

Joining the audience of five, Bénguillaume offered me a cup of rose tea with frozen rose petals, as if we were on a picnic.

"Nice to see you, Prince Penethian. I am David Capusson, the head attendant of Prince Sedric."

The attendant who followed the prince greeted me with a dignified manner.

Even though it was our first meeting, I could tell he was a polite person, unlike the prince.

"Hello, David. Nice to meet you."

I smiled and nodded, then signaled to Sir Elizabeth.

She understood and moved a few steps away.

Confirming that no one was paying attention to us, I whispered my question.

"How is Sadi?"

Sir Elizabeth's expression became subtle at my question.

She frowned and pursed her lips, revealing a complex mood.

"......Hmm, she's doing very well. She's very healthy."

"Is that so? I noticed that two spirits were sealed in the palace until yesterday. Using that much ether must have been a big hit for a child."

"She took good care of herself and is fine now. She's drinking good tea, too."

"That's a relief."

"It was dandelion tea, I think..."

-Boom!

-Splash!

A loud noise erupted. The heads of the audience and I turned to the center of the training ground simultaneously.

A water column as thick as the prince's body was stopped by the practice swords stuck in the ground.

The scene was jaw-dropping. I heard the cardinal's voice from a distance.

"The difference between a mage and a holy knight is simple. Those who use special ether of water, fire, air, and earth attributes become holy knights, while those who use other powers are classified as mages. Especially Sedric's magic power,"

The prince, holding a sword in his left hand, raised his right hand.

"reacts to metal."

-Swoosh!

As he drew a diagonal line with his fingertips, the remaining swords stuck on one side were pulled out and aimed at Kristel.

The audience jumped up in surprise. But the protagonist was not to be underestimated.

-Swish!

-Clang, Clang!

Instead of from her fingertips, a wall of water rose from the ground, deflecting the swords.

The rapid rise created a white mist around it.

She smiled and clenched her right hand into a fist.

The water shield instantly transformed into a spherical shape. Her adaptability was impressive.

"You're being too harsh on a beginner."

Kristel criticized the prince while spreading her hands.

A massive water mass flew toward the prince at incredible speed.

Instead of dodging, the prince adjusted his grip on the sword in his left hand and slashed the air without hesitation.

-Swoosh!

-Boom!

A grand sword strike collided with the water. The spherical water mass shattered like mist from the heat at the sword's tip.

The air in the