Sabbath Festival
Time flew by quickly, and the day of the Sabbath Festival finally arrived.
-Bang! Boom!!
Fireworks shot up into the sky with loud noises, exploding with a roar and creating clouds of various colors.
The academy was open to the public, and the academy was busier than ever with countless people and merchants visiting.
And.
"Ugh..."
As many people enjoyed the festival with smiles, a low groan escaped Leje's lips as she watched the scene.
It was only natural.
No matter how much she was a princess of the Dukedom, or a talent who would become the world's strongest swordsman in the future, her true nature was that of a fifteen-year-old girl who loved to have fun.
The fact that she couldn't enjoy such a festival right in front of her was, in a way, a cruel thing for her.
"This is so frustrating! Why does the Disciplinary Committee have to be on duty even on a day like this!!"
"Incidents don't stop happening just because it's a festival."
"But! It's a festival! Everyone should be enjoying it!!"
Shouting with a voice full of frustration, Leje looked at Rudell.
Her gaze was filled with the desire to quit the Disciplinary Committee and enjoy the festival right away.
"Now, now... Calm down. We can still enjoy it in the afternoon. We can have fun together after our shift is over, so just be patient until then."
Rudell said with a low chuckle at her appearance.
Considering her responsible personality, she wouldn't actually try to skip out on her duties, but as is often the case with things in the world, there was no guarantee.
"Really...?"
"Have you ever seen me lie?"
Leje narrowed her eyes at his words, and Rudell nodded in response.
"Hehe..."
As if her mood had finally improved, Leje let out a low chuckle and walked out among the people.
"Phew..."
And a short sigh escaped Rudell's lips as he watched her.
Several hours had passed since the festival began, but there was still no sign of the Cult making a move.
It was easy to deduce the reason.
The Princess hadn't arrived at the academy yet.
Since their target was the Princess, there was no reason for them to move if she didn't arrive.
It would be great if the Princess never came, but there was no doubt that it was a vain hope.
Of course, Rudell had made thorough preparations, but...
'Still, it's a bit unsettling...'
No matter what, it was inevitable that he would be nervous.
And then...
"What's wrong? You look pale."
"Huh? Oh, it's nothing."
Rudell shook his head with a flustered look at Leje's sudden question.
Leje narrowed her eyes at his answer for a moment, but soon shrugged and moved on.
Letting out a quiet sigh of relief, Rudell followed behind her.
"By the way, there are an awful lot of people here. It's like everyone in the Royal Capital has gathered."
"It's not that easy for ordinary people to see the inside of the academy."
The academy's entry process was notoriously strict, comparable to the entry process for the royal palace.
The Sabbath Festival and the Founding Day Festival were the only two days when the academy was open to the public without any special procedures, so it was natural that there would be a lot of people.
"Wow... It smells so good..."
Leje sniffed the air as she walked down the street, drawn by a smell coming from somewhere.
The source of the smell was none other than the stalls lining the road they were patrolling.
From ordinary sandwiches to sweet snacks like crepes and ice cream.
Other foods like hot dogs, hamburgers, and chicken skewers also gave off appetizing smells.
"Just be patient. We can enjoy it to our heart's content after our shift is over."
"Ugh..."
For the sake of the Disciplinary Committee and the academy's image, now was the time to endure.
Leje let out a low groan and moved on, putting her disappointment behind her at Rudell's words.
"Hey! Excessive soliciting is against the rules!"
"Throw your trash in the trash can!"
"This is the Ragrind unit. We've found a lost child."
And so, for a long time, the two of them patrolled the area and carried out various tasks.
"But you know, it seems pretty quiet considering how many people there are, don't you think?"
"What nonsense are you talking about again..."
Rudell, who was picking up a piece of trash that someone had thrown away and putting it in the trash can, said so, and Leje spoke in a dumbfounded voice.
"No, I mean, usually when this many people gather, wouldn't it be natural for at least one incident to occur?"
"Don't say such nonsense. Haven't you heard the saying that words have power...?"
"Th, Thief!!"
"..."
Leje's face crumpled at someone's shout from not far away.
"See? I told you so."
At her reaction, Rudell shrugged with a faint smile and turned his gaze in the direction of the sound.
And what Rudell saw was a woman lying on the ground and a man running away in the distance with a bag that appeared to be hers.
"That damn mouth of yours..."
"Save the nagging for later, let's catch that guy first."
Replying to Leje, who had an annoyed expression, Rudell immediately started running through the crowd.
"Disciplinary Committee! Stop right there!"
"Surrender quietly and you won't get hurt!"
"Are you crazy! Like I'd surrender quietly!"
The man with the bag shouted back at their calls and dashed through the crowd like lightning.
His speed and reflexes were hard to believe for an ordinary person.
He was definitely a magic user.
"Situation report. Theft incident occurred in the shopping district. The suspect is a magic user."
"Leave this to me."
While Rudell reported the situation through the communication magic tool he was wearing, Leje shouted and leaped into the air.
Jumping between the roofs of nearby stalls, Leje quickly closed the distance with the man.
"D, Damn it...!!"
"Last warning! Surrender quietly..."
"Eat shit!!"
However, despite her warning, the man shouted and didn't slow down.
"Sigh..."
A sigh escaped Leje's lips as she watched him.
But only for a moment, she used the roof of a nearby stall as a foothold and jumped, shouting loudly.
"Rudell!"
"Leave it to me!!"
At her shout, Rudell activated his magic and chanted a spell.
"Shield!"
At the same time, a force field made of blue light appeared under Leje's feet, and she stepped on it, launching herself like a cannonball.
"Wh, What-!?"
A surprised voice escaped the man's lips as he saw her, but it was already too late.
"Hiya!!"
"Ugh-!?"
Leje's diving tackle crashed into the man's body, and with a short cry, his body slammed into the ground.
The force was so strong that the man's body was dragged along the ground for at least a few meters, unable to withstand the force of Leje's impact.
"You should have stopped when I told you nicely."
The man, who had been dragged along leaving a long trail, didn't move as if he had fainted, and Leje, who got up from his body, clicked her tongue and said.
Of course, whether the man could hear it was a different story.
"This is the Ragrind unit. We've apprehended the culprit. Please send the arrest team."
Rudell, who had followed her, requested backup through the communication magic tool...
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?"
"Yeah, nice assist."
Leje gave a thumbs-up to his following question.
With a faint smile, Rudell picked up the bag that had fallen on the ground and handed it to the woman who had followed them.
"Here's your bag. Be careful because there are a lot of thieves like that during the festival."
"Th, Thank you! Thank you so much!"
When the woman thanked Rudell and Leje, the people around them started cheering and clapping.
Leje held her head high as if it were natural, and Rudell bowed his head towards the people beside her.
Meanwhile, the Disciplinary Committee's arrest team arrived at the scene and carried the unconscious man on a stretcher.
It looked more like they were taking a patient rather than a criminal...
Rudell let out a bitter chuckle as he watched the man being carried away.
And then it happened.
[Ah, this is the Student Council President. Can you hear me, Ragrind unit?]
"Yes, we can hear you. Please speak."
What was it this time?
With that thought, Rudell answered the communicator.
[The Princess will be arriving soon. You guys should start getting ready too.]
'It's finally happening.'
Rudell's expression hardened at the news, and Leje also looked at him with a tense face.
[So come back now. Another unit will be sent to patrol your area.]
"Understood."
With a beep, the communication ended, and Rudell let out a short sigh and looked at Leje.
"It's finally happening."
"Yeah... It would be better if she didn't come..."
It would have been considered a very rude remark if anyone else had heard it, but at this moment, Rudell felt the same way.
If she didn't come, the possibility of the event occurring would be 0%.
But things had already happened, and there was no turning back.
All that was left was to do his best and hope that everything would go according to plan.
And so, Rudell and Leje started walking along the crowded street.
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