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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
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Chapter 110
After the freshman orientation, Lefia experienced a small change.
“Let’s go! Another exciting day! Let’s go to class, Lefia!”
“Let’s go, Lefia.”
An elf exchange student and an Imperial student were now attached to her side.
“Ah, alright, Eloise. I understand, so please let go of this… Heeek!”
Although Lefia hadn’t spent all her time indoors, she hadn’t been very physically active either.
Therefore, keeping up with the energetic Eloise, an elf and former military officer, and Lavrenti, a sharpshooter but also a well-trained soldier, was quite challenging for her.
“Let’s go a little slower! A little slower… Kyaaah!”
And it wasn’t just walking together, it was like having two special forces soldiers grabbing her arms and running.
It would have been perfectly fine to ask them to let go, but Lefia didn’t do that.
She knew they were wary of her, so she needed to do something to make them lower their guard. And contrary to her expectation of being lonely, being with someone like that felt quite good.
She thought that the Second Princess, regardless of her intentions, had ultimately exiled her.
But if there were people here who treated her this kindly, it wouldn’t be so bad.
“Hmm. Lefia, you’re too weak physically.”
“You two are incredibly fit! Huff! Puff!”
“No, Lefia. You’re definitely too weak.”
“Wait..!! Please, you two, just… please… stop!”
…And to be fair, it did seem a bit too much to just drag her around and make her run during her break.
After being tormented by the two professionals all day, Lefia was finally able to return to her dorm.
“See you tomorrow, Lefia!”
“See you tomorrow.”
“Eek…”
‘Is this just a ploy to get close to me? You’re not trying to torment me, are you? You’re really not, right?!’ These words kept swirling in her mouth, but she managed to hold them back.
But what if she was mistaken? Wouldn’t the other party be hurt by her suspicion? And to be honest, this approach was far better than that of ‘those’ people she met a while ago.
‘Foolish people. Do you think my sister wouldn’t see through this?’
Although distant from the position of a knight, the Second Princess was close to the throne.
Lefia knew this well. She had even considered switching sides to support her.
Perhaps if she understood politics and power better, she would have already done so.
‘…Right. Come to think of it, they said a delegation from Lasker would be arriving in a few days.’
Not long ago, hearing this news, she thought it was a rather sudden visit. There was no reason for Lasker to send a delegation to the Empire, nor were there any significant events to warrant it.
But recalling the events of the freshman welcoming party, the people she met there, and the conversations she had, she realized it might be one of the reasons.
Dishonorable. Unknightly. Unfit to lead Lasker. These were their reasons for choosing her over the Second Princess.
It was absurd. If they were going to make that choice, they should have supported her from the beginning. Why change their minds now? Was this a provocation?
Changing their allegiance after everything was done was already dishonorable and unknightly. Hearing those reasons from such people made her want to distance herself even more.
‘More than anything, I just wanted to live a different life.’
Lefia considered informing the Second Princess about this situation. The problem was, how would her own fate be affected if she did so?
She needed to know for sure before making a move. At the very least, she had to coordinate with the princess to minimize any backlash.
Should she try to contact this delegation? Could she convey something to her sister through them?
Lefia pondered these thoughts as she welcomed the next day.
“…Huh?!”
Lefia exclaimed in surprise at the news Eloise and Lavrenti brought her.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know the details, but I heard Karl was chosen to be part of the welcoming party for the delegation.”
No way! That’s impossible! I only found out about the delegation a few days ago!
Lefia blinked her eyes and unconsciously looked up at the sky through the window.
* * *
The delegation from the Lasker Kingdom finally entered the Empire.
After diligently traveling, they reached the vicinity of the Imperial Capital, where officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs greeted them warmly.
“Welcome, members of the delegation. We have been waiting for you.”
“Thank you for your hospitality.”
To be honest, it felt a bit sudden. It was customary for delegations to be announced at least a few months in advance, giving the receiving side time to prepare.
However, Lasker had only informed the Empire a month ago, which could be seen as a subtle way of expressing displeasure.
‘Frankly, even if the Empire’s preparations were intentionally inadequate, we wouldn’t have a say in it.’
There was no other choice. Though domestic affairs were settled, the turmoil hadn’t ended.
In this situation, if the Empire withdrew its neutral stance and intervened in Lasker’s affairs, no one could predict the political consequences.
Therefore, the newly crowned Second Princess decided to hastily send a delegation to the Empire. Their mission was to inquire about the Empire’s intentions and secure a promise of non-intervention in Lasker’s affairs.
The Empire likely anticipated this. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Special Affairs gathered information at an astonishing speed, so they must have some understanding of Lasker’s intentions.
It was uncertain what demands the Empire would make based on this knowledge.
Nevertheless, their acceptance of the delegation suggested there might not be much to worry about—or so the head of the Lasker delegation thought until his gaze fell upon a young man standing beside the Imperial officials.
“…If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask who you are?”
He didn’t seem to be a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official. The reason for this thought was the strong aura of a highly skilled warrior emanating from him.
He was someone who could easily compete with, or perhaps even surpass, Lasker’s most renowned knights.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
And when the young man introduced himself, everyone from Lasker was shocked.
“My name is Karl Adelheit of the Friedrich County.”
Friedrich County.
Upon hearing that name, the head of the delegation, the escorting knights, everyone recalled a single person. A man who displayed unbelievable martial prowess 20 years ago.
Some called him by the strange nickname ‘Baba Yaga,’ but most in Lasker remembered him as—
The Knight Crusher. The Kingdom’s Nightmare. The Ghost of Friedrich County.
“…It’s a pleasure to meet you, the renowned Medal of Honor recipient.”
Why was this man here? No matter how prestigious his Medal of Honor was, the Empire couldn’t be unaware of the strained relationship between Lasker and the Friedrich County.
‘Could it be…’
Was the Empire trying to take a different stance towards Lasker?
Were they trying to convey their intentions through this young man?
Were they signaling a potential return to hostility?
The delegation head’s concerns were not unfounded.
The words that Karl uttered next could not be dismissed as a mere slip of the tongue from a young nobleman.
“These must be the knights escorting the delegation. Hmm. Even just by looking, their presence is impressive. I heard you’re staying here today and entering the palace tomorrow. If possible, I would like to spar with the knights here. Would that be possible?”
This was absurd. A conflict with the delegation, for any reason, was unthinkable.
Even if it were a ‘friendly match,’ it would be incredibly awkward in the current situation.
Yet, the Imperial officials, though seemingly embarrassed, didn’t stop him.
Instead, they looked at the delegation and asked, ‘So, what do you say?’
Something was definitely amiss. There was no reason for the Empire to act this way.
Wasn’t this an insult to a delegation that came with diplomatic intentions?
‘Did we do something to offend them? What could have happened?’
While the head of the delegation racked his brain, the escorting knights took the initiative.
“…It’s a bit sudden, but if the opportunity arises, and if there are no issues between our two nations, we would like to accept the friendly match.”
“Is that so? Ah, for the record, the Empire has no issues.”
It was clear. Something had happened, something the delegation was unaware of, that had greatly displeased the Empire.
Otherwise, even the Imperial officials wouldn’t be acting this way!
The head of the delegation wanted to stop the knights. Understanding the situation was the priority.
However, the problem was that their opponent was from Friedrich County.
‘These people!’
The knights’ eyes burned with the desire to compete and win.
Did they want to erase their past defeats?
To break free from the specter of the Knight Crusher?
To wash away the shame and shock of that moment?
After much deliberation, the head of the delegation reluctantly nodded.
“Very well. Then, the format of the friendly match…”
“How about a winner-stays-on format? The winner of a match continues to fight the next opponent.”
“Sounds good. Then, what about the number of participants?”
“That’s up to Lasker. Two, three, or even more, it’s all fine.”
Thud—
Karl took off his coat and casually tossed it on the ground, then spun his greatsword once.
After the Kanfras, now honor-obsessed Knights.
Seriously, when will my peaceful life come? I finally left the battlefield and returned to my normal life. This shouldn’t be happening at the academy.
It’s like a happy college student returning from military service getting emotionally scarred.
“Oh, and for the record, the Empire is only sending me.”
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
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