The talk

After the physical education class, Kaede and the other girls went to the changing room to change their clothes. Also, the girls from the next class had already begun to change their clothes there. There is Kaori in it, too, and Kaede, who acquainted with her, called out to her while changing clothes.

"Ah, Kaori-san! Could it be that your class after this is P.E class?"

"Yeah, how was that?"

Kaede's eyes shined at the words.

"Listen, listen. The transfer student, Yuuya-kun, is amazing, you know!"

"Eh? Yuuya-san?"

"Yes, yes! Today's boy's class was football, but the ball that Akira kicked flew towards us who were watching. More precisely, the ball happened flew towards me! I thought, ah, it will hit me! But, Yuuya-kun kicked the ball back with an amazing movement. Moreover, the ball went straight to the goal! Wasn't it amazing!?"

"A-amazing movement, you said?"

The confused Kaori asked Kaede, who spoke with excitement. Then, Yukine, who dressed next to Kaede, spoke up while taking off her P.E uniform.

"…Hmm. As Kaede said. It's like in a manga or an anime… It was like a movement in such a world."

"Right!? It was really amazing!"

"Is that so…?"

"It was cool, you know!"

"Yup, yup. I mean… Don't you feel that he's like a "Prince"?"

"Oh, I know that. I feel like that kind of atmosphere from Yuuya-kun, too."

Following Kaede and Yukine, other girls began to talk about Yuuya. By looking at the situation, Kaori knew that Yuuya was accustomed to the class and was relieved. And then, Kaede blurted something out of the blue.

"I wonder if Yuuya-kun has a girlfriend."

"Eh!? Y-Yuuya-san, has a girlfriend…?"

"Ah, no! I also don't know the truth, you know? It's just that he's so cool."

"Ah… y-you're right."

Kaori, who was surprised hearing Kaede's words, was relieved by the words that followed after, but this time she tilted her head in puzzlement as to why she was relieved after knowing that.

"Ah, if I don't hurry, the class will start!"

"Really!? Sorry to keep you here."

"No, don't worry about it."

"Do your best in physical education!"

After looking at the clock, Kaede and the others realized that it had been quite a while, rushed to change their clothes, and immediately jumped out of the changing room.

"What is this feeling…?" Kaori murmured after Kaede and the others came out of the room. She was just confused by the emotions she had never experienced before.

＊＊＊

"…Lexia-sama has returned safely."

"… What?"

It was at the royal capital "Montres" located in the center of Alceria Kingdom. A man had received a report in a room at the royal castle located in that royal capital.

"In other words, you have failed?"

"…That's what it's all about."

"…Tell me more about what happened."

"Yes… it went well until we separated Lexia-sama from the knights who escorted her, but the place where she ran to was…"the Great Devil's Nest".

"What?"

The man frowned at the words of the person wearing the hood.

"Great Devil's Nest… Why did she go into that land?"

"It seems Lexia-sama herself didn't know that she went to the "Great Devil's Nest", and the people who were on the task were also chasing her too far, and as a result… they're all dead."

"Fool… The monsters of that land are unusually strong. That… Wait, you mean Lexia survived?"

"Yes… It seems that the escort knights who survived from the attacks of my brethren protected Lexia-sama."

"…I don't understand. They all set their feet in the "Great Devil's Nest", but why was only Lexia is safe and my assassins were killed? Did a monster attack them? Or did the knights chase them in time and kill the assassins?"

"My apologies, the information I got is only up to there…"

"Sigh… Useless."

The person wearing the hood told that apologetically. The man looked down on him and closed his eyes, but he immediately opened it up and turned a sharp glance at the hooded figure who was lowered his head in front of him.

"Could it be… Did they tell about my identity?"

"…I can't say for sure, but I don't think there's any concern about that."

The man then sat on a luxurious chair and poured the glass of liquor that he had on his hand into his mouth. And then, threw the glass to the person wearing the hood in front of him.

"You can't say, you said? Don't spit out anything silly. Who you think picked you bastards up and raised you, filthy orphans?"

"… It was Your Highness."

"Then don't ever open your mouth about my information even if you die… Sigh. Considering that there's no soldier coming here, it seems that they still do not know about this."

As the man says, the identities of the people that attacked Lexia weren't confirmed yet. It was also because the goblin general had disfigured them to the point that they cannot be recognized anymore, but above all, they did not divulge a single word of information about the man, who was their lord, to Lexia.

"But there's no doubt that this will make them more vigilant. Lexia's own strength is known, but the knights who follow her are also troublesome. Do you understand?"

"…Yes."

"This failure is bigger than you think. If my mistake is known, it will shake my position…"

The person wearing the hood can only be silent, hearing the man's words.

"…Next. If you screw up your next mission… You won't be of use anymore."

"I'll keep that in mind…"

"Good then, you can leave now."

"Ha!"

Then, the person wearing the hood disappeared from the place as if melting in the darkness. The man leans his back on the chair, then muttering something with a disputing mind.

"Dirty blood… Your presence in the royal family… is a hindrance to me… I'll definitely kill you next time."

The muttering had swallowed up in the darkness.

＊＊＊

The location has changed, and Lexia is resting in her own bed in the royal castle of Alceria Kingdom. On Lexia's side, a middle-aged knight ─ Owen, asked her with a worried expression.

"Excuse me, Lexia-sama. How is your condition?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

After a mysterious group attacked Lexia, she returned safely to the royal capital and has reported the matter about the incident. Still, the King couldn't make a big move because there was not much information about the mysterious group.

"…Are you really sure?"

"…Yes. I don't want my father to worry about it anymore. I'm safe like this, so that's enough."

Owen realizes that there is no use to asking about her condition for more than this and decided to asked Lexia for another matter.

"Lexia-sama. Could you tell me what had happened in that Great Devil's Nest?"

"I already said it when I woke up, didn't I? I have no idea about who that group was or who sent them. And, it was the Goblin General who killed them all…"

"That's strange. When we rushed there, we didn't see the Goblin General. And considering the situation, it's hard to believe that only Lexia-sama was being overlooked…"

"Even if you say so…"

While saying that Lexia remembered something, the appearance of a certain young man crossed her mind even though it's also a bit vague because of the shock and the fatigue that she received after attacked by the Goblin General.

"Come to think of it…! I was saved by a man!"

"A man?" said Owen with a wondered expression on his face.

"Yes, he was about the same age as me."

"As Lexia-sama!? He beat the Goblin General at an age that seemed to have just come of age…"

Owen was deeply surprised by Lexia's words. Even for Owen, he could barely subdue a Goblin Elite alone, and it wasn't very unthinkable to defeat the Goblin General that is above it in terms of rank and power. Moreover, Owen is a talented person so that his name is not only known in this Alceria kingdom but also other countries.

Unlike in Japan, in this country, one's could be recognized as an adult at the age of fifteen, and it is hard to believe that a young man of that age has a much higher ability than Owen.

However, Lexia herself was aware of how far her words were from common sense, so she immediately tried to deny it.

"B-but, it could be what I saw was only a mistake or illusion due to my despair, yeah, maybe that."

"No, that's not true."

"Eh?"

Lexia, who never thought she would also be denied, let out her voice involuntarily.

"Actually, when we perceived Lexia-sama's presence, there was another presence near you. However, that presence was disappeared cleanly for some reason, so I thought that I misunderstood it."

"W-well then, that man is real…"

"Yes, I don't know who it is, but he certainly existed. So, how does he look?"

"Well, let me see… A beautiful black hair and black eyes. I kind of feel like he was like a foreign aristocrat."

"Black hair and black eyes, huh? It's certainly rare in this Alceria Kingdom… Moreover, if he's a foreign noble, it might be a little troublesome."

"Troublesome?"

"…No, we can't find anything, for now, let's stop speculating things. It's not clear why that young man erased his presence, but I think there's no such thing as hostility or harm from him, and I think thus far, there's no need to be very vigilant about him."

Owen couldn't welcome more people targeting Lexia. However, considering that he didn't kill Lexia under those circumstances, he thought it would be too early to conclude that he was an adversary, so he decided internally to take the same precautions as the other nobles.

Not knowing about the decision Owen had made, Lexia looked out the window and sighed.

"I wonder who he was… If I could see him again…"

Lexia breathe out a small sigh again.

"He saved me, and I must thank him immediately!"

"Wha-?"

Owen raised such a voice at Lexia's words and had a bad feeling at the same time.

And yes, that feeling was right.

"I've decided. Let's go to the "Great Devil's Nest" once again! We may be able to meet that person again!"

"L-Lexia-sama!? That's dangerous! And you also just got attacked by assassins…"

"It's fine. We're going to "Great Devil's Nest", right? So, no one will come after me."

"The problem is with that "Great Devil's Nest" itself. You've just experienced it yourself, right? That's very dangerous!"

"Yes. But if you come with me, I'll be fine, right?"

"Even if I'm with you, the "Great Devil's Nest" is still a very dangerous place. First of all, what are you going to say to His Majesty!?"

Owen is undoubtedly strong, but the story changes when it comes to whether his strength is acceptable in the "Great Devil's Nest". He might be able to deal with it if a Goblin Elite attacked them, but if it were a Goblin General, that would be impossible. Before that, he didn't think that the King would send out his beloved daughter, who was just attacked.

"It's okay. I'll convince father. And it is not good for the royal family to not express their gratitude after being saved… I want to meet him in person and say my gratitude!"

"B-but…!"

"I've already decided. I've already decided to do so, and I'll go to my father right away!"

"P-please wait, Lexia-sama…!"

In the end, Owen couldn't stop Lexia, and Lexia went to talk directly to her father, the King.