A Sleepless Night
—{I'm here.}
—{This is unexpected, Young Master Lishite. To think you'd be the one contacting me first.}
As expected, Milliam answered the call promptly.
I bowed my head towards the majestic voice emanating from the communication artifact.
“Greetings, Your Majesty. I trust you’ve been well.”
—{Of course. Why wouldn't I be?}
“Even with the changing seasons and the arrival of pristine winter, I beg your forgiveness for my incompetence in not paying my respects…”
—{Tsk, tsk… Spare me the formalities and get to the point.}
As I was launching into my prepared, honeyed introduction, Milliam cut me off with his characteristic chuckle.
I was grateful.
These formalities always felt awkward.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll get straight to it.”
I composed myself and began to speak.
Well… to be honest, all I had to say was that I wanted the princesses to be able to stay at the Imperial Palace during the ranking competition.
“I have a request, Your Majesty.”
—{…Out of the blue? You want Lucy and Nerine to stay at the palace?}
Milliam let out a questioning hum after hearing my request.
Yeah, he probably thinks I’m drunk or something.
If I were him, I'd probably think a mere young master suddenly calling me directly with such a strange request was crazy.
But I had no other choice.
This was the best way to ensure Lucy’s safety.
—{I fail to understand your intentions behind this request.}
“I have no ulterior motives, Your Majesty. I simply wish for Her Highnesses to have a chance to rest after the grueling exam period at the Academy…”
—{As I recall, the ranking competition also factors into academic standing, does it not? Do you take breaks during your exams?}
“…”
So he wasn’t going to let that slide.
I tried to cherry-pick the easy parts and gloss over the complicated bits, but I got caught red-handed.
I bit my lip and clicked my tongue softly.
‘Well… Milliam also attended the Academy in his younger days. I guess my excuse was too flimsy.’
As I racked my brain for a way out of this situation, Milliam spoke again.
—{Very well, I understand.}
“Pardon…? Are you saying you’ll grant my request…?”
—{Indeed.}
Milliam agreed casually.
—{I owe you a debt from before. It’s only right that I grant you a request if you have one.}
—{It’s not a difficult request to fulfill either.}
—{Although, I must admit, the intent behind it is rather unclear.}
‘Well, if you were going to agree so easily, you shouldn’t have pointed out the flaws in my excuse.’
He was keeping me on edge for no reason.
I let out a sigh of relief and wiped my brow.
—{Is something going to happen during the ranking competition?}
—{It’s hard to believe you’d make such a request without any particular reason.}
Milliam inquired in a suggestive tone.
He may have phrased it as a question, but there was a hint of certainty in his voice.
‘…As expected, this guy is too sharp for his own good.’
I averted my gaze awkwardly and replied.
“I don’t know what you mean, Your Majesty. As I mentioned before, I simply wish for the princesses to have a chance to rest…”
—{Tsk, tsk… Alright, alright. If you say so.}
Milliam cut me off with his characteristic chuckle.
He laughed for a while before clearing his throat with a cough.
—{Ahem, so is that all? I must be getting back to work.}
—{As you know, this position doesn’t afford me much free time.}
“Yes, Your Majesty. I shall pay my respects again in the spring.”
—{Tsk, tsk… Spring is too far away. Visit when the Academy is on break. Lucy will be delighted.}
With those words, Milliam ended the call.
.
.
.
“At least… the most pressing issue is out of the way for now.”
Ariel and Rachel would be heading back to the main residence by carriage tomorrow.
And Lucy… The Imperial Family would be sending someone for her soon.
Now, all that remained was to prepare for the actual invasion.
“Hmm…”
What do I need to get ready?
I tapped my fingers on the desk, lost in thought.
A rough sketch of Reynolds Academy began to form in my mind.
First, there was the main gate, where the twins would be attacking.
As I had decided earlier, I could leave that to Allen and Korn.
Those two would be more than enough to repel the attack.
“The real problem is the rear gate, isn’t it…?”
If the invasion were to begin, the rear gate would be the most vulnerable point.
Unlike the main gate, which would be guarded by powerful individuals like Allen and Korn, or the Academy building itself, where the instructors would be stationed…
The rear gate wouldn’t have any decent manpower.
At best, there would be a few guards and student disciplinary committee members…
It couldn’t be helped. The rear gate was located on the outskirts of the Academy grounds, far from the main building.
The guards would put up a fight, but…
Well, if they could have repelled the invasion with just their strength, the tragedy in the original story wouldn’t have happened.
“This is tricky…”
The instructors would prioritize the safety of the students.
So they would most likely be defending the Academy building.
There wouldn’t be many instructors with enough leeway to spare manpower for the rear gate.
Which meant… I’d have to rely on the people around me to hold down the fort against the monsters pouring in from the rear gate…
The problem was, the enemy forces weren’t exactly small in number.
“…I think the novel mentioned at least a few thousand…”
I muttered to myself, rubbing my tired eyes.
I didn’t want to get involved in anything dangerous… but it seemed unavoidable this time.
If the defense failed, countless students would be injured or killed.
I couldn’t just stand by and watch.
As I let out a soft sigh, a scene from the original story flashed through my mind.
—I… I couldn’t protect them…
—I’m… I’m supposed to be the hero…
—They all died because of me.
—It’s my fault… If only I had been stronger… this wouldn’t have happened…
After the invasion had ended.
Those were Allen’s lines, despairing over the carnage that unfolded before his eyes.
He had sobbed uncontrollably, mourning the corpses scattered across the ground.
“…I won’t let that future come to pass.”
Back when I was still Naru.
“Sorrow-erasing heroes” was a novel that held a special place in my heart.
It was a gift from my brother, Chanho.
A dear friend who had kept me company during my lonely childhood.
A story about children struggling to bring light to a world consumed by darkness.
I truly cherished it.
I loved the emotions that resonated with me every time I turned a page.
When I joined the protagonists on their adventures, overcame hardships with them, and shared moments of friendship…
I could escape from my loneliness, if only for a moment.
I could find solace in my pain-filled life.
Even if the current, immature Allen had hurt me…
The affection I held for him from the past wouldn’t disappear.
Of course, I was still upset with him, but I didn’t want him to be unhappy.
“…That’s why… I want to protect them.”
Who would ever want to see a story they cherish end in tragedy?
I was no different.
I wanted to be, even if just a little, a source of strength for their growth.
“Is it selfish of me…?”
Even if it was selfish, I didn’t care.
I had resolved to not stand idly by as tragedy struck, and I would do my best to help.
“…I hope everything goes smoothly.”
I murmured a small wish as I closed my eyes.
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