221-230

"Wait! I will talk!" One of the young men yelled out. Adel had an angelic like smile on her face as she knelt back down and looked at the young man.

"Then tell me which instructor told you that demi humans were not allowed to enter the academy?" Adel asked. But I swear that I can see horns on her head and a pointy tail coming off her backside. Her smile seemed beautiful, but it also seemed quite evil. At least to the two young men, that is.

"Instructor Freedman! He is Count Freedman's younger brother." The young man yelled out.

"Hey! You traitor! Ahhh!" The other young man yelled out. My tail accidentally smacked him in the face. I swear it was an accident. A really big giant accident. "Ouch! Stop hitting me with your tail, you dirty demi! Do you know who I am!? I am David Sullivan!"

"You talk big for a head sticking out of the ground. If I want to hit you, I will. What can you do to me? You couldn't even resist when I stuffed you into the ground. Even if I were to walk a scaled horse over here to use you as a bathroom, there is nothing you can do about it. Wait…. Sullivan… Are you Viscount Sullivan's son? Do you have a brother named Harold?" I asked. If it is who I think it is, then he deserves a punch as well.

"Yes, I am. Why scared now!? Now let me out and kneel before me, and maybe I will…. Ooofff!" Ahh, that feels so much better..

I looked over to see Adel giving me a thumbs up, causing me to grin as I dusted my hands off. "Now then. So It seems Count Freedman and Viscount Sullivan need me to visit them. But first, we need to talk with the Dean. I also wish to meet with this Instructor Freedman as well."

"Faith, you don't plan to beat him up, do you?" Adel asked. I could tell she was expecting a big fat yes from me.

"You think the Dean will get mad?" I do wonder, if I am taking out the trash, if he would be angry about me beating and dragging the instructor to Count Freedman's house.

"I am not sure. He might want to settle things internally." Adel answered, causing me to feel a bit dispirited. Well, I guess it doesn't matter. I only have this one day to really run around for a while because I will be put under house arrest here soon. So I do not think anyone will mind if I bend the rules just a tiny bit.

"Doesn't matter. I will just politely invite Instructor Freedman to his brother's house." I said with a big smile. Adel looked at me and laughed. With a shrug, I pushed the gates of the academy open and entered.

The Dean's building was deep in the academy, so it took almost thirty minutes to reach there by foot. The tall buildings that we passed were all of gothic style construction, with many different monsters carved here and there on the outer parts of the building. It was not exactly what I was expecting, but to be honest, it was very well made. The intricate sculpting of the monsters made them almost seem life like. If they were painted and not a faded white stone color, they would have looked very much alive.

When we walked into the Dean's building, the door to his office was guarded by an old man standing outside. "You are Faith Cyrilia and Princess Adel, correct?"

"Yes, we are," I replied with a slight bow. I was showing this man respect because his eyes did not show any signs of hostility or discrimination. He looked at me with the same eyes as he did toward Adel.

"Then please enter. The Dean is expecting you." The old man said with a nod as he smiled at me.

As I walked by him, I paused and looked at him. "Oh, by the way. The front gates to the academy needs two more guards. I can't explain in detail, but I do not think the academy should go unguarded."

"Hmm?" The old man looked at me with a questioning gaze before nodding his head. "I will send someone to deal with it but make sure you explain everything to the Dean."

"I will," I replied with a bow before entering the Dean's office.

"You are here." The Dean looked at me with a meaningful look. "So, what did you do at the gates?"

"I shoved two idiots into the ground so that only their heads were showing," I answered honestly.

"Haha! I figured as much. I knew that they could not stop you." The Dean answered with a smile.

"So you knew they were going to stop me, huh? Did you also know who ordered them to do such a thing?" I asked. i𝓷𝚗𝓻𝒆𝓪𝒅. co𝘮

"Yes. And don't worry. I already have him waiting in the side room. With everything that has been going on, I am sure you wish to deal with this little issue yourself. But for now, I have two things I wish to talk to you about. First is what happened in the dungeon, and second I want to know if you are willing to become an instructor as well as a student." The Dean paused and raised his hand at me. "Before you answer. I have my reasons for asking this, and the students who will be under your care have all been carefully selected.

"As you know, this kingdom is about to undergo a great change. I have been watching the flow of changes here and there between the two sides. So in order to prepare, I plan to make a small group of people who will be put personally under your command. Of course, I will also pay you for your troubles."

<strong>–AN:</strong> Hello all, I would like to announce that I have started a new Female Lead novel called: <strong>Reborn With A Demon or Goddess System</strong>. If you like this novel, I am sure you will like the new novel I am writing. As of now, you will need to search for it since AllFreeWebNovel has not approved it yet, which won't be until Monday. Please give it a read and leave a comment letting me know what you think.

Synopsis:

A girl who lived two lives before being reborn…

She was called both a Saintess and a Demoness in her previous lives…

A chess piece to be used by the gods and demons…

Bella, reborn for the third time, must understand the so-called Demon or Goddess system and uncover its mysteries while dealing with the political strife that is happening within her kingdom. All while trying to grasp the split personalities caused by the system.

Will she be able to win this game of chess against the gods and demons and take control of her own life?

"Why do you want me to command a small group of people? Just so you know, I am on King Gravos's side. He is a good ruler and has taken good care of me. I will not side with anyone else." I replied in a flat tone. I did not know where this old man was going with his train of thought.

"Don't worry. I am not asking you to go against the king. In fact, I am also on the king's side, which is why I am making this small group. You led your fellow teammates into a dungeon and destroyed its core on top of supplying hurt students with food and water who were trapped on the first floor. You have shown that you have the proper leadership skills to lead a group of specially trained students. I want you to train a group that will be able to jump into action outside the influence of either side. Each student will sign a blood seal contract with you making it so that they will only ever follow your orders.

"You can think of this as a way to gain the title of Magic Knight upon graduation. Only the most exceptional students will ever gain this title and gain the rights to a higher noble title. Faith, I am offering you this chance here and now. If you do not take it now, you will only be a normal student." Ah… this old man is crude. He is hanging a juicy steak in front of me and giving me no time to think about it.

"I will accept under one condition. The team I went into the dungeon with, each and every member, has already signed a blood seal contract with me. I want them all in this new team. We have fought countless battles together and are in sync with one another. I have been wanting to actually train them to become stronger, so this will give me the chance to do so." If I were to have a team of my own, I want them to all be in it. Our time together has made us a single family, and I would hate it if they were pushed aside for no reason when they are all excellent warriors..

"I agree with this. But I have a few I will be adding. Come in!" The Dean yelled out. A door to the side opened up, and Instructor Telive walked out along with four other people, two girls and two boys. 𝓲𝓷nr𝒆𝚊d. 𝘤𝑜𝘮

"It's good to see you again, Faith." Instructor Telive said as he bowed his head to me slightly.

"It has only been a day. You don't need to act like it has been years." I said with a chuckle, making Telive smile.

"When I heard you were called to the castle, I was a bit nervous. I am glad you were not detained for what happened." I see he was worried about me being imprisoned for killing the students.

"Ahhh… I will be put on trial and will be under house arrest soon." I replied. I mean, there was no hiding it as it would soon be announced.

"I see. At least you are only on house arrest." Instructor Telive let out a relieved sigh. I don't know why he was so worried. Or maybe he was just grateful that I was able to send them food during the time they were locked up. Either way, he was a good person.

"Instructor Telive will be your cover aid. He will also be under your command as well and will be training under you. If you need anything just ask him. As for the other four, they are the kids you rescued. They wished to lend you their aid and swear allegiance to you under the blood seal contract." The Dean cut in. I turned and looked at the others and remembered that they were indeed some of the people I saved on the first floor. The two girls were even….

I smiled and walked forward and looked all four of them in the eye. They all seemed to be very nervous but did not seem to have any kind of malice. "Names?"

"Frank!" "Jessica!" "Becky!" "Johan!"

They all answered in unison. I nodded as I said: "I will be using appraisal on you all now. I am just checking your current status."

They all looked at me in confusion, but I did not explain further as I cast appraisal on all of them. They were rather weak, but they seemed to have decent abilities in both sword and magic. It seems they did train at least a little.

"Well?" The Dean asked.

"They will need to move into my estate after they sign a blood seal contract with me. They will be trained in the mornings before classes at the academy and then after classes. They will first be undergoing basic physical training to get their bodies up to par.

" Then I will begin training them in magic and swordsmanship. The others had just come out of a long dive into a dungeon, so while these five train, it will give them a small break. In one month's time, we will begin proper training." I turned and looked at the five people. I was including instructor Telive as well. "You will all begin a training cycle of waking up at six am and training until eight am. You will go to classes and then back to training from as soon as you return to the estate up until the third bell. It will not be easy, so be prepared."

I really didn't have time to just train them easily. Even giving them a month is a bit too long since anything could happen between now and then. I just wanted to be able to get them prepared for what was to come even if it was only by a little.

"We are willing to endure!" Frank yelled out and saluted me. "You saved us. We felt hopeless. We thought we would die in that dungeon. But you came to our aide, healed us, fed us, and even freed us. We are completely in your debt. A life debt that we can never repay."

"Alright, go back to the room. There we will do the blood seal contract after I finish talking with the Dean." I still had things to do, so I had to move things along.

Instructor Telive brought the other four back into the side room, leaving Adel, myself, and the Dean to be the only ones left in the room. I then cast a soundproofing barrier around us since what we were going to talk about next should not be heard. I turned and looked at the Dean, my expression much more serious this time around. "Tell me, who told you that the dungeon was safe? Those two girls you saw, although they do not remember now, were put through experiences no girl should suffer through. Some monsters like orcs and goblins are not the kind of monsters you can let young girls, who had no idea how to properly fight, go up against." 𝑖𝓷𝘯r𝐞𝐚𝗱. 𝙘om

The Dean looked at me and folded his hands in front of him on top of his desk, and leaned forward. "It was one of the Prime Minister's people. I never thought he would go so far, but he sees you as a rock that is blocking his path and wants to get rid of you. My people were able to dig up this much, but there is no direct evidence that the Prime Minister was the one to order the man to lie. He is also in the next room over. He was abandoned just like how Count Freedman abandoned his brother to cause trouble for you.".

"Hmmm… I want you to do me a favor. You should be powerful enough to do this. Change that bastard who lied into a young girl and toss him into that dungeon." My eyes were cold. Magic that can make someone a girl or boy did exist. It was called morphing magic, a type of illusion magic, but it cost a lot of mana to use, so there were very few who could use it.

"I will make sure it is done. I had planned to do so myself." I watched as the Dean's aura changed. At least he knew how to be angry about the situation.

"Leaving the Prime Minister aside, I will be dealing with Count Freedman myself. I think it is time he lost his title." I paused and looked at Adel. "Adel, I will need you to play along with this one as well."

"Whatever Faith needs me to do, I will do," Adel answered back without any hesitation. I was not going to make her do anything she could not do. I was just planning on making it seem like the Count had kidnapped the kingdom's princess. Just enough to get rid of the Count once and for all. It might seem scheming and whatnot, but I am sick of it all. The people of this kingdom do not need people like the Count being in the upper echelon of the kingdom. And I know if he was just stripped of his title, he would only try to come back and attack me even more. So to get rid of him once and for all to make sure that no one I love is harmed, I will need to harden my heart and finish him off for good. But for this, I will need Adel's help.

"Ahem…. What you do is what you do. As of now, we need to discuss a more important matter. What was it that you found in the dungeon." The Dean asked. I guess we were the first to ever make it to the end of a dungeon.

I did not hold anything back and explained everything that had happened. I went through all the aspects of the dungeon I knew about and explained things as best I could. After hearing my explanation, the Dean sat back in his seat and let out a sigh. "This Azengrade person concerns me. If he is powerful enough to tamper with dungeons which some of the greatest mages of this kingdom can not, then he is in a league of his own. We will need to be more cautious. But I have a question for you, Baroness Cyrilia."

Calling me by my title made me a little nervous about what he was about to ask. "Tell me, how do you know so much about the monsters in the dungeons?"

I frowned. I knew this was going to come up at some point. But I also knew I had no obligation to answer his questions. "That is something I can not answer."

"Hmmm…." The Dean looked me up and down, but I did not waver in the slightest as our eyes met. I hate to tell this old man, but he is no longer on the same level as me anymore. Before I dived into the dungeon, maybe I would have been forced to tell him, but now I no longer need to worry about anything.

"Dean, Faith's secrets are not something that will jeopardize our kingdom. She is someone who loves this kingdom more than anything. So I would appreciate it if you stopped and let things be." I heard Adel suddenly speak up. As soon as she did, the Dean lowered his eyes. "Then I will leave it at that. But I expect if I need information on certain monsters that appear in dungeons from now on, that you will assist me in letting us know what their habits might be so we can avoid such situations as this."

I smiled and bowed my head: "I will be happy to assist at any time."

"Good. Let's get your blood seal contracts finished. Then I will take care of the Prime Ministers man while you deal with count Freedman." The Dean finally said as he stood up.

In no time at all, I was finished with the blood seal contracts and sent Telive and the others to my estate to wait there for me while I finished up things with the Count. Looking at the Dean, I bowed my head once more as I said: "I thank you for your assistance. I will be here tomorrow for the opening ceremony."

"Yes, I expect a lot from you in the years ahead." The Dean replied while seeing us off. Adel and I walked to the gates with a certain Instructor being dragged behind us. This did gain a lot of attention from those around us but I did not care.

After we exited the gates of the Academy, Adel and I took a carriage to a certain Count's estate. Of course, we did not stop right outside his gates as we had to make preparations. "So Faith, what did you need me to do?"

I smiled and walked over to Adel. I reached down and grabbed the hem of her dress, causing her to blush and… with a bit of strength.

*Tear!*

"Faith! We are still too young." Adel cried out, causing my eyebrow to twitch as I flicked her forehead..

"What is going on in that head of yours? We need to make it seem like you were captured and imprisoned. So I am tearing parts of your dress. But only enough to make it look like you put up a fight and not to make people think something else happened. We still have to keep your reputation intact after all." I replied as I watched Adel's eyes water up as she held her forehead.

She looked up at me with rosy cheeks and said: "I knew that!"

"Okay, the tears are done now. We just need some dirt. One second." I said as I jumped out of the carriage and scooped up some dirt. I then re-entered the carriage and began smearing it all over Adel's dress. She could only sit there and pout. But she did as I asked, even as I asked her to stand up so I could get her backside as well. After smearing her arms and legs as well as her face, we were ready to go after I ruffled her hair with some dirt as well. "Now you look like someone who has been stuck in a dungeon for a while."

"I wish you had told me this all beforehand." Adel was still pouting.

"Ah yeah, I guess I should have…." I really should have. But her reactions were quite amusing, so I didn't. "So what I plan to do is phase you through the wall to the room that Sophie was locked up in. I plan to put piles of dirt around you to make it look like the Count was abusing you by throwing dirt all over you. Adel, I will also need you to turn on the waterworks as well."

"I can do that." Adel nodded her head. While she still seemed pretty upset with being suddenly turned into a ragged person, she still seemed more than willing to help.

The two of us flew out from the carriage, and using the trees as a means to hide our presence, I carried Adel in my arms, which seemed to have made her happy once more, and flew to the side of the building where the room Sophie was kept in was located. After using detection magic, I was able to make sure the room was clear. After wrapping Adel in my phase spell, we moved through the wall, where we began to place dirt all over the room, throwing it against the walls and floor to make it look like the Count had been going to town on the place.

Only after it looked sufficient enough to match Adel's current appearance did I tie her up with some rope by her hands and feet and cast a locking spell on the door to keep it from being opened. I, of course, did not want anything to happen to Adel in the process of all of this. But just to be sure, I had Mr. Blobs hide in Adel's hair to protect her just in case anything happened.

After everything was set, I phased back through the wall and went back to the carriage to grab my gift for the Count. Instructor Freedman was bound by both hands and feet and had a blindfold on as well as a gag in his mouth.

From there, I walked right up to the entrance of the estate, where two guards were standing guard. "Halt! What is the meaning of this!?"

"Meaning? I am just here to return the Count's brother to him. Move or get hurt, you pick." I replied while ignoring their presence.

"Stop right there!" One of the guards pointed their spear at me. I looked at it, reached out, and grabbed its tip, and with a squeeze, a crunching sound was heard as the metal spear tip crushed under my grip, leaving an imprint on my hand. 𝒾𝙣𝚗𝐫𝑒аd. ᴄom

"I think I said to move or get hurt. Last warning, what will you do?" These words and my cold frosty expression were all it took for the two guards to drop their weapons and run away. This was to be expected as these people were just normal folk. Their pay was not enough to risk their lives.

I walked right through the gates and made my way towards the main house. The estate was big, and the road was slightly bumpy, so a lot of noise came from behind me as I dragged the Count's brother by a rope that was attached to his foot.

It took me almost thirty minutes to reach the main house, which I kindly let myself in by kicking the door down. This quickly caught everyone's attention. "Who are you!? Do you know whose house this is!?"

Always the same lines. You would think the Count would have told people to be on the lookout for me. Luckily the Count was quick to see what was going on and when he saw me, his face paled. "Faith Cyrilia! What do you think you are doing!?"

"What am I doing? Returning some trash to you." I said as I threw his brother at him. A grunt was heard as the body hit the floor. Count Freedman looked at the man on the floor and frowned as he turned to look back at me. "What is the meaning of this? What has my brother done wrong to be treated in such a way? You better give me a good answer or…."

"Help! Someone save me!"

I was having a hard time not laughing. I mean, Adel's timing was perfect. The sound of desperation in her voice and the way she screamed out made it all seem too real. And Count Freedman's face was perfect as well. The shocked, confused expression that said: "I have no idea what is going on!" Made it hard not to laugh.

Of course, I know that Adel is perfectly fine. Mr. Blobs is keeping me up to date on things. But I must say those two work well together. There was no barrier to their understanding of each other's intentions. "Someone save me!"

I guess it was now my turn to act as well. I raised an eyebrow and looked at Count Freedman with cold eyes. "Why do I hear Adel's voice? Count Freedman, what have you done to this kingdom's Princess!?"

"What!? No! I have no idea what is going on! I haven't kidnapped anyone since that damn fox demi!" Count Freedman yelled out. I sneered and waved my hand as my eyes lit up, using wind magic to blow all the guards away. "You! What are you doing!?".

"Rescuing the Princess from the hands of the evil mastermind!" With that, a giant magic circle formed on the floor, and a large pillar of flame shot up through the ceiling of the estate. I had to make a big show out of it after all since I needed the guards to show up.

"You! Stop this instant!" Count Freedman began writing a magic circle in front of him, which I kindly waited for him to do since I needed to make it seem like he was trying to stop me from saving Adel. If it wasn't for the fact that this was real life, I would have to say that Count Freedman's acting ability of being a stupid noble was Grade A. No, wait, he is just a stupid noble. 𝘪n𝐧𝓻eа𝒅. 𝘤o𝘮

"Halt! What is going on here!?" I heard a loud yell from behind me. A bunch of knights rushed right into the manor, one of which, is on a monster I have never seen before. It was like a lion but not. It was very fluffy and pretty with its white fur coat and long droopy ears. I suddenly want to have one. "What is going on he…."

"Someone, please! Anyone! Save me!" Adel's plea for help was right on cue!

"Sir knight, Princess Adel is being held captive by Count Freedman!" I yelled out, causing the knight's eyes to grow wide. He raised his hand and yelled out: "Capture the Count and everyone else in the estate! And you!" The Knight looked at me with a suspicious gaze as he said: "You come with me."

I nodded and watched as the knight climbed off the fluff and walked past me. He had an aura about him that made it hard to say no to his orders. It made me wonder which knight order he was from.

I followed behind him as we made our way to the room Adel was held in. I quickly undid my barrier as the knight slashed the door to pieces with his sword, revealing a dirt covered room and Adel, who was in disarray. When Adel saw me, tears streamed from her eyes as she yelled out: "Faith!"

"Adel!" I called back and rushed past the knight. I ran over and hugged Adel. "Are you okay!? Did he do anything weird to you!? I am sorry I was late."

"I'm fine. He just kept throwing dirt at me. I do not know why. But he kept screaming: You filthy royal, this is where you belong in the dirt. When my forces are big enough, I will take you all down." Adel cried out as she sobbed. I quickly undid her ropes and began wiping her face clean while sneakily de-summoning Mr. Blobs. The Knight behind me had been quiet this entire time. So I was unsure of what he was thinking.

"But still, you have been put through such a horrible event. I will be sure to ask His Majesty to give the Count the harshest punishment possible. No one is allowed to touch my best friend." I said coldly while wiping Adel's tears.

"Ahem…" The knight behind me coughed, causing me to turn my head. "We will need you both to come to the Knights station and make a statement. But I will escort you back first to allow Her Highness to get changed and cleaned up.."

I nodded my head at the Knight. Now that I was looking at him, he was quite handsome. Dirty blond hair, deep blue eyes with a chiseled jawline. I guess she would make many girls swoon. "Thank you. With you around, we will feel much safer."

I could hear the screams and yelling downstairs as Count Freedman and his family were being dragged out. But when I saw kids also being dragged away, I looked over at Adel for her to only shake her head at me, telling me not to say anything. I just hoped nothing bad would happen to them. They were still young, after all…

The knights had already gotten a carriage from the estate for us to use. I helped Adel onto the carriage and sat down next to her. But just when I thought we would not get a chance to be alone to talk about what had just happened, the Knight from before also boarded with us. He looked at us and asked: "So care to explain?"

Adel pursed her lips and turned her head away, not wanting to answer his question. Her reaction kind of made me confused as Adel was acting strangely in front of this knight. I looked between the two with a confused expression, only to receive a chuckle from the knight.

"You have every right to be confused as my existence is a secret. In the public's eye, I am the leader of the Royal White Knights, but in truth, I am Adel's Uncle. My name is David now with no last name." David explained, causing me to widen my eyes. I still did not completely understand what was going on, but it seemed that there was much more to all of this than I should know. So I do not understand why he was telling me of all people.

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"I am not understanding. So why are you telling me all of this if this is all supposed to be a secret?" I asked while holding my head. I could feel the headache forming.

"You are Adel's friend. And before she moved in with you, you were all she talked about, Faith this Faith that. Even her secret room has nothing but… Ooooff!" I sat there stunned as I watched Adel do a beautiful punch to David's stomach. I mean, it was so quick and powerful that it even dented his armor! I guess this is proof of Adel's level rising.

"You have grown stronger, I see…." David's brow twitched as he tried to compose himself.

"Don't say unnecessary things, Uncle," Adel said with a snort..

"Ahem… Anyway… Now tell me what that was all about. I know for a fact that no one can kidnap you, so why are you suddenly like this?" David asked.

"Ahh, that was my idea. I was taking down Count Freedman. He has messed with me so much that I finally had to deal with him. Plus, he is part of a faction that I can not forgive." I replied.

"Hmmm? Well, you sure did make it so that he will never be able to talk himself out of this one." David replied with a sigh. "But now what do you plan to do? His whole family will be executed along with him."

"About that. Can you do something about the children?" I asked. I did not wish to see kids die for no reason. "Like erase their memories or something?"

"If that is what you wish, I can do that. But they will be the only ones able to get a pardon like that. They will be able to live lives as commoners, but they will be orphans." David answered. 𝗶𝚗𝙣𝘳𝐞𝑎𝒅. 𝐜om

"Well, about that. They can do odd jobs around my factory to better their lives, and there are quite a few single childless women who work for me that I might be able to have them take a few of them in. This way, they can grow up to have a loving family." I just did not want to see the young kids who were younger than me end up in a worse situation. Yes, I know this is my fault that they will end up like this, but at the same time, I had to deal with Count Freedman. I just never thought about what would happen after, so before they are sent to die with their family, I wanted to do what I could to keep them alive and help them out if possible.

"Alright, we will contact you once they have been processed. Should I send them to your estate afterward?" David asked.

"Yes, please. I will contact Thurul and see if he can set them up at the factory. The older ones can make a living, and I will see what I can do for the younger kids who can not work." I was not sure if everything would pan out, but I could try. I could even add a few incentives to those willing to take in some of the kids, like higher pay. There were not many, just six kids. Two of which were very young.

"Okay, I will do that then. To be honest, it also did not sit well with me to have the kids killed with the rest of the family." David replied as he let out a sigh of relief.

The carriage came to a stop at the front door of my estate's manor. With Adel in tow, I walked through the doors where Annie was waiting for me. "Young Miss, you have many people waiting for you out in the garden."

"I know. Please offer them some snacks and drinks while they wait. I still have a few things to finish up." I answered as I motioned to Annie to look behind me. When she saw Adel and then the knight, she bowed her head and went to do what I asked. She didn't even flinch at seeing Adel covered in dirt with a torn dress. "Adel, go get changed. I will talk with Sir David."

"Okay…. But…." She turned to David and narrowed her eyes: "Say anything you shouldn't, and I will…." She shook her fist at him before turning around and walking upstairs.

Watching her leave, I chuckled and looked back at David: "So you are her uncle, huh?"

"Yeah, it may be hard to believe, but most think I am dead. Luckily I was not seen by many in my younger days." David replied.

"So the Prime Minister?"

"He has no idea who I am. In fact, he still tries to order me around to this day. Not long ago, he even tried to pull me to his side. But sadly for him, I have never had an interest in power. My duty and my only love in life is my lifestyle as a knight. So you can feel reassured that I will not be doing anything that will go against my brother. I wouldn't dare do so, or my cute niece and nephew might get angry with me." I can see that David was the type to hold family bonds close. I just never thought that I would be told a secret like this, to begin with. I mean, why me of all people?

"You do not need to feel confused as to why I am telling you all of this. My brother has asked me if anything were to happen that I support you at all costs. I am actually here to be your guard to make sure you do not run away during your house arrest as well." David replied, causing me to hold my head. Was this king still trying to stick me with the role of an heir to the throne!? I could only sigh. From the moment I met him he kept mentioning things about me taking the throne.

"That man is just…" I let out another long sigh.

"Haha! He is just like that. He sees talent and wants to nurture them. But from what I have heard and seen, you do have what it takes."

I puffed out my cheeks and crossed my arms across my chest. "Either way, I don't want it. I do not mind helping out Adel or Lance when they need it, but they can keep the crown. I want nothing to do with it."

"Oh? So you are willing to help either or, huh?" David's lips curled up into a wide grin. I think he might be misunderstanding something, but I can not put my finger on what he was misunderstanding. I could be wrong, but my senses towards these kinds of things are pretty good… I think… maybe…

"I'm back!" Adel yelled out. I turned to see her running over with her face red and sweat forming on her brow. It made me wonder just how fast she had to move to work up such a sweat.

"Eh? What's this? Were you afraid I would say a bunch of embarrassing things about you? Like how you used to shout: I'm marrying brother Lance when I grow up!" David said in a teasing tone..

"Uncle!" Adel yelled out, her cheeks puffed out and her fist balling up. I am sure if he said one more thing, he was going to get punched again.

"Alright. Since we are all ready, let's go make our statements and then come back. I am supposed to be under house arrest after all." I said, trying to stop anything from happening before it happened.

"Okay, let's do that then." With that, we were led back out into the carriage and taken to the white knights' barracks, where we had our statements taken. Adel recounted her 'horrifying experience' of being tormented by Count Freedman. Count Freedman kept yelling: "She's lying!" But no one would think the girl full of snot and tears was lying, especially when it was the kingdom's most favored princess. As he was dragged out of the room, I could have sworn I saw a few knights getting in some sneaky pop shots at him.

Even though we had finished here, I was not about to let this visit just be all about making a statement either. "Sir David, can I look around?"

"Hmmm? You want to look at this stinky place?" David asked. He seemed to be confused as to why a girl my age would want to look around a knight's barracks.

"Faith is an aspiring knight. She wants to work her way up through the ranks and command her own troops." Adel answered for me. I sometimes feel Adel knows all my secrets.

"Ahh! Then look away. Take this pass here. It will let you see the ends and outs of the entire facility." David handed me a wooden token with magic imbued in it. I guess it was sort of a pass to walk around restricted areas, or at least some of them anyway.

I thanked David and walked out of the office, and made my way over to the training area that I spotted earlier. I wanted to see just how the knights here trained. What surprised me was the number of female knights that were actually running around. They ran around in high ponytails that bobbed up and down. Their swords clanged against the rest of their armor. The male knights paid them no mind either, which was far from what I was expecting. I figured there would be some jeering from the male knights, but they all took things very seriously. But now that I think about it, Sei was also a knight.

When I got to the training ground, the scent of blood and sweat filled my nose. I walked in to see knights in different areas all battling one another honing their kills. I was very surprised at how violent they were. There were even a few covered in blood. But as I looked around, I saw quite a few mages nearby healing some of the other knights. It seemed they were not afraid of dying when battling since they had people to heal them close by. 𝓲nn𝑟𝚎𝙖𝘥. 𝐜𝚘𝐦

While it may seem like a bunch of barbarians trying to kill each other, I noticed they never aimed for vitals. But even if they were not aiming for them, that did not mean they could not. So this training was indeed very good as it hardened people against taking damage as well as honed their senses when fighting. I highly doubt you could find this training anywhere else outside facilities like this.

But…. "I want to try…." I said, pursing my lips. I really wanted to test myself against knights who were battling it out with everything they had.

"You want to fight them?" Adel asked. I nodded my head as I clenched my fist. This was, after all, one of my goals, to become a full pledged knight. While I was a provisional knight now, I still wanted to become a full fledged knight in the future, and my highest goal was magic knight. Adel grabbed my arm and pulled me off towards a group of knights not far from us. "Sir Tomas, can my friend here join for a round?"

"Hmmm? Oh, if it isn't little Adel! Long time no see!" A man with a curly mustache called out excitedly. He looked around his mid thirties and was handsome in his own right but that mustache…. First of all, how do you even get it to curl like that? It was like two loops, and then it came to sharp points aiming at his eyes. And why? Why would you even grow a mustache like that!? I mean, it ruined his good looks and made him look like a weirdo. If I saw him on the street, I would definitely call the police on him! That is just how much it made him look like some pervert. What's more, is that he even reached up and stroked it! He pulled on it, and it sprang back in place!

I couldn't take it. I had to avert my eyes. I might just end up laughing too hard and end up causing him to be angry at me. "Captain, you're making the little lady over there break down. I keep telling you that your mustache looks foolish." One of the knights next to him teased. But at least I now know I was not the only one who thought this way!

"What the hell do you mean my mustache is causing her to break down!? My mustache breathes elegance!" Sir Tomas snapped back. He even pulled on it again. Oh god, this was getting to be too much. I could see that Adel had already turned around and was giggling away.

"Captain, look, even the princess can't hold it in anymore. Just shave it off already!" The knight shot back. He had a huge grin on his face causing Sir Tomas to snort in dissatisfaction.

"You are just jealous! They are just shaking in reverence of my handsome stature. My Muna is a symbol of pride and my elegance as a knight that will always save a lady in need." Sit Tomas retorted while once again making his mustache spring back into place. 𝘪𝙣𝓃𝒓𝗲𝒶𝗱. 𝐜o𝗺

"Pfft…. I can't! It's too much!" I couldn't help it! He had actually named it! I burst out laughing right there on the spot. Adel had leaned into me, holding her stomach. She was already in tears.

"See, I told you!" The knight began laughing as well, causing Sir Tomas to snort in anger. "None of you understand!".

A few minutes later….

"So you wish to spar against one of my knights? You know this is no game, right? While we do have healers, you can still be run through or even have a limb chopped off." Sir Tomas explained. But I still nodded my head. I wasn't really worried about being hurt.

"If you wish to, then I do not mind. But you will need to sign a waiver. I do not want to be held responsible for whatever happens after." Sir Tomas said as he waved his hand at one of the mages. They quickly presented a scroll that had words engraved with magic on it.

I read it through, and it only stated that any injuries that could not be healed through magic would not be the fault of the white knights and that my little life was my own, yaddi yadda, etc etc, blah blah…. In other words, I signed it without hesitation.

That was how I found myself standing in front of a big burly knight with a large sword in his hand. "Missy, are you sure you want to do this?" The big burly knight named Stan asked.

"Yep! I want to see just how strong a knight is. I won't be using any magic either. I will only be using my natural strength." Although I say this, my strength was a bit off the charts. I am more worried about me hurting him than him hurting me.

"If that is what you want…." Sir Stan looked very conflicted about fighting me. But this just means I need to make it so he can't feel conflicted at all.

Adel was at the side and looked at the two of us before shouting out: "Begin!"

As soon as those words were said, I shot forth and swung my sword at Sir Stan's side. He was quick to go for the block, but I was putting my all into this attack, so as soon as our swords collided, I heard a yelp from in front of me, and a large body suddenly went flying off into the distance…. A loud crashing sound was heard, and screams coming from the other knights soon followed after. "Stan!"

I froze in place, and as if my neck was mechanical, it slowly turned to look at the figure now embedded into the wall. I then turned to look at Adel, who only shrugged at me. Then I looked at Sir Tomas, who was pulling on his mustache. Really!? In a time like this, does he really need to be doing the springy dance!?

"He's okay!" I heard a knight yell out. But I still felt kind of nervous as I have just damaged a wall at the knights' barracks. I mean, I swung with quite a bit of strength because he looked strong!

"That's good." Sir Tomas replied while clapping his hands. He then turned to me and asked: " I would like for you to train my knights?"

"Wait! Why are you asking me to train your knights?" I asked in confusion. All I did was swing my sword and wack one of his men into a wall. I was not anywhere close to being as good with a sword as these knights.

"Because we don't have anyone who can spar with your strength. With your strength, we can be taught how to deal with suddenly being smashed across the battlefield like a rag doll. We need to be able to train ourselves to be able to control our balance even in such situations as this." Now I understand but still.

"I would love to help, but I will be under house arrest soon and will be training my academy team as well before and after my classes," I explained.

"No problem, give us your address, and we will come to you." Sir Tomas replied before turning to everyone and shouting: "Everyone, listen up, get in line so you can get smashed like Stan did. I will not hear no for an answer. If you do not get smashed today, I will make sure you lose a month's pay!"

Wait!? What!? What is he doing!? Oi! Why are you all lining up with big smiles on your faces!? Is this really a knights' barracks and not some kind of masochist farm!? I was starting to have my doubts about knights. I am starting to think they were all big Ms who loved to be punished more than anything. But I, of course, kept this thought to myself since this was also a good chance for me as well. "I do not mind, but I want one of your best swordsmen to train my team and me as well! Give and take, right?"

"Ah! Right! Give and take." Hey Sir Tomas, the way your brow is twitching is not really making your words seem sincere. Did he expect me to do this all for free?

"Tomas, Faith is not making such a heavy demand. You were not just thinking of just taking advantage of her since she was little, right? I would suggest that you do not do that because you might die." I heard David's voice coming from behind us. I turned to see him walking over with a stern look on his face. His gaze slowly moved to Adel, who was somehow now standing behind Sir Tomas with her foot brought back. Is she secretly a ninja!? She was right next to me moments ago! My mouth went into an O shape as I watched her bring it straight up between Sir Tomas's legs. And then David's voice filled the air before a loud high, pitched scream was heard. "Ah… I was too late…."

"<strong>HiyaaahhhIii!</strong>"

"Humph! How dare you try to take advantage of my Faith!" Adel snorted with a satisfied look on her face as she watched Sir Tomas holding a certain area on his body as he lay on the ground frothing from the mouth.

"Well, I guess we can call him Tammy from now on…." David joked as he let out a long sigh. "Adel, can you not incapacitate my men with your jealous rage?"

"What jealous rage!? He was trying to make use of his status to push things on to Faith! Who does he think he is!?" Adel yelled out in anger.

"Adel, it's fine. All it is is whacking people. " I cut in, trying to calm her down. But Adel still seemed unconvinced..

"No! If he is not willing to even offer to pay upfront, then he is just trying to take advantage of you. There is no free ride in this world. If he wants your help, he has to pay you at least ten gold per lesson!" Adel shot back, causing me to chuckle. I wonder if she realizes that even her uncle probably can't offer ten gold per lesson to someone.

"Adel… Ten gold is a little." David's voice quivered slightly at Adel's words. See, I was right! He can't! 𝙞𝘯𝘯𝙧𝒆𝘢𝐝. C𝑜ｍ

"What!? Is my Faith not worth ten gold? Is she not worth that much money just because she is young and a demihuman? Is my Faith not young, pretty, and amazing!? I mean, she is so perfect that…." Adel somehow went into a rant, causing me to wave my hand to put a mute spell on her. She was still flailing her arms about as her mouth opened and closed. She was pointing and furrowing her brow at David as if she was scolding him. In fact, I think she was scolding him.

I walked over to her and placed my finger on her lips as I removed the mute spell from her. "Enough."

"Mmm…" Adel nodded obediently as she lowered her head.

"I will help because I want to. I do not care about money, but the way he went about it was a bit forceful. But I think he was thinking only about the benefit of the knights' order, so I will let it slide. I think one of your kicks was enough punishment for the time being." I said softly. Adel nodded her head in agreement, to which I smiled and turned back around. "So for now, just have your people go to my house early mornings and in the evenings. I will do what I can to help."

"Huh? Ah…. yes… I will do that." David seemed to be confused as to what was going on, but I did not care to clarify things.

"Now then, let's head back home. I am under house arrest from this day forward. At least until my trial is over." I said as I took Adel by the hand and began walking out of the training area. David quickly came out of his stupor and followed after us. He was, after all, in charge of watching over me.

Luckily everything was settled quite easily. I know Count Freedman's punishment will soon cause a stir amongst the other nobles, and the Prime Minister might even try to intervene, but sadly for him, the target this time was not someone he could just sweep under the rug. After all, the one he 'kidnapped' was the only princess of the kingdom. He would not be able to cover up for the Count and would probably have to throw his chess piece away.

As for Count Freedman trying to get himself out of this on his own, that was basically impossible unless he took his own life or had someone break him out of the dungeon. There would be no way of him getting out of this without dying. And I do not think someone like him can live out on the lamb. He was too used to his rich lifestyle. But then again, anyone who wished to keep their life would be able to adjust and suffer if it meant keeping their lives. So I guess we can only wait and see.

When we got home, I finally got to stand in front of everyone. With the new additions to the team, I also passed out some system stones and ability stones I had set aside for just in case situations. A lot dropped after all, and luckily I did, or else I would have to make another trip to the castle to get some. "Alright, I am sure everyone has become acquainted since I have been gone. So I will get straight to the point. You five are to be up at first light tomorrow. No one is to be late, or you will have to do double the routine at night."

"Boss, you are a demon!" Steven, of all people, was the first to yell out in protest. I guess he wasn't a morning person.

"I wasn't talking about you unless you want to join them. This was only for Frank, Jessica, Becky and Johan, and Instructor Telive." I said with a small smirk causing Steven to blush.

"Everyone else gets a month's break. You all suffered greatly during our dungeon dive and worked very hard, so rest up. We will be doing it again in the future. But in one month more training will be held. I will also be having a knight from the white knights come and train us all in swordsmanship. I will try to get some other trainers as well for the other schools of weaponry."

"Boss, what is our goal now?" Amanda asked.

"To grow as strong as possible. So make sure you take classes seriously. If you have issues in a subject that you are taking, ask for help. Remember, we will not only be training our bodies but our minds as well. Knowledge is also another form of power." I replied with a smile. While it may not sound like power at all but knowledge was a key thing to have when doing anything, from daily tasks to battle.

Morning songbirds filled the air as I looked up at the clear blue skies with a few white puffy clouds overhead. I was getting stared at left and right, but that is to be expected with the six knights standing behind me and the metal shackles on my wrist. Not to mention I was surrounded by a large group of students as well.

I could hear the murmurs of those we passed, trying to figure out who I was. I could only shed a silent tear since my school life now seemed to be over. But this was all for the greater good, and I already had a large group of friends. More than I could ever ask for. Luckily David stationed himself outside the academy gates with no intention of entering the grounds. He took my cuffs off, allowing me to walk unimpeded into the academy as a free girl.

"Boss, was all this fanfare really necessary?" Hailey asked. She did not seem to understand why I was inflicting this self punishment on myself. But it was all necessary to show that I was truly under house arrest, with going to the academy as the only exception..

"Yes, it is. If I wish to keep those nobles at bay, they will need to believe that I am under house arrest. This should also give me some peace during this time. So I plan to make the best of the situation. After my classes, I will head straight to the library!" The time had finally come to get back to my roots and lose myself in the wonderful world of books. I have been waiting for this day for a long time now.

"Well, if you say so. But I am surprised that they held off on the opening ceremony until now." Hailey was right, they did hold off on it, but that was only because of the incident in the dungeon. Otherwise, it would have been a few days ago.

"Ummm!" A nervous cry came out from the side, causing me to turn to see a young man with blushing cheeks standing there.

"Yes?" I have no idea why he was so nervous. It's not like I did anything to him.

But to my surprise, he suddenly bowed his head to me deeply as he yelled out: "Thank you for saving my baby sister!"

"Umm, your welcome?" I was unsure of how to answer, so I answered in more of a question than anything. I can only guess that his sister was amongst the girls who had suffered greatly in the dungeon. Luckily they will never know the truth as they have had those memories washed away and their bodies returned to new. They only know that they barely escaped death.

"You may not think much of it, and I respect you for this but truly thank you." The young man bowed once more before turning around and leaving. I guess I am not seen as bad as I thought I would be. Although I could still feel a few hostile gazes on me, but I do not care. They were probably all the Prime Minister's people.

We all gathered in an auditorium, where we sat and waited for the Dean to finish his long boring speech. Something about making sure we take our time here seriously and make sure we do everything we can for the kingdom. In other words, pure brainwashing. It wouldn't be so bad if it was not for the fact that it had been going on and on for twenty minutes now, and my eyelids were starting to go heavy. 𝘪𝓷𝘯𝙧ℯ𝗮𝘥. 𝗰૦ｍ

"I will now call our entrance exam's top student up here to say a few words. Faith Cyrilia, please come up!" I could have sworn I heard my name called as I slowly opened my eyes and yawned. I looked around to see many eyes on me. "Hmm?"

"Faith, you are being called up," Adel said while nudging me from the side.

"Oh?" I stood up and stretched lazily as I made my way to the stage. I had no idea why I was being called up, so when I got up on stage, I stood there staring at the Dean to tell me what was going on. But a few seconds passed, and the Dean had not said anything. "Ummm…. You called me up here?"

I could hear some chuckling from down below. I didn't even need to turn to see who it was. It was definitely Steven. The Dean suddenly let out a drawn out sigh as he said: "Say a few words. You are the top student in this year's entrance exam."

"Oh!" I suddenly realized what was going on. I wondered why he stepped aside. I guess falling asleep during someone's boring speech is not always the best of ideas. I could feel my cheeks heat up as I turned and looked out at the students down below. "Well… I had no idea I was supposed to give some sort of speech, so I will just say this. Life is hard. No matter what your birth is or your status, life will always be hard but remember this, it is precious, and this is why you should make good use of your time and better yourselves. Dealing with things that do not allow you to reach the goals you set for yourself are just useless distractions that might stop you on your path. So before you act and do something that might ruin your future, always make sure you ask yourself. Is this the right course of action to reach my goals? Where do I see myself in the near future if I do this or that? Never give up on the dreams you have had since you were young. Work hard and make use of this time to reach those goals. Besides that, never forget those who helped you achieve those goals."

With my small speech over, I turned and bowed to the Dean before leaving the stage. I once more stretched. I had no idea what I just spat out, but it sounded good. Maybe it will make those who the prime minister is using as a puppet think twice before acting out of line. But all in all, life truly was precious. I knew that more than anyone. Yet I still keep throwing myself into dangerous situations. Me, someone who used to be nothing more than a simple high school student, has turned into a strange being that was nowhere near her old self. Well, in some aspects. But for the first time in my two lives, I will finish my schooling and make something of myself and meet the goals I have set since young.