At the start of the holidays, Leonard doesn't get to rest as he would have wished. Exhausted, he leans against a wall, his clothes torn, his mana almost completely drained.
Unlike the others, he lives with Lamia, who oversees his personal training with an iron fist.
"Your defense is terrible. How do you ever expect to defend your lands one day? Your speed isn't impressive, and your attacks are weak."
She strikes him again and again, forcing him to spit blood onto the ground from the pain. He can't keep up with her movements: Lamia is too fast, too unpredictable.
"Wouldn't you rather find yourself a partner instead of dealing with me? The tournament won't be that tough..."
Lamia suddenly appears behind him and delivers a brutal blow to his head.
"That's where you're wrong. The heirs of the Empire, the Saints of the Holy Kingdom, the warriors of the Alliance... do you really think they're weak? On the contrary: in your current state, they'll crush you. And you absolutely must avoid embarrassing that idiot of a father."
She continues her relentless assault. The training goes on with fierce, unyielding precision.
On the other side, Leslie arrives in the grand throne room. Without hesitation, she bows her head before her father and kneels.
"I'm back, Father... I've improved, and my grades should satisfy you... Ahh, Father, I'd like to ask you to put all this away, because I absolutely don't want you to start embarrassing me."
King Leston is a war hero and the ruler of this country. He is known for his strength, equal to that of the hero Lux, but what makes him most famous is his laid-back attitude toward his children. Just today, there are already balloons and preparations for a grand celebration of Leslie's first days at school. He has done the same for his son with his first steps, or when Leslie cast her first fireball.
"But Leslie... it's a week of festivities... And come on, don't speak so coldly to your poor father... Say 'Dad'."
Leslie could have become a spoiled child without her mother. And right on cue, she appears, dressed in training attire. Few noble women are allowed to fight with a sword or use magic after marriage, except in cases of extreme danger. One of the exceptions is Queen Cordelia, who holds considerable sway over her husband. She is strict with her children for their own good and fights to establish rights for noble women. She often clashes with the stubborn old members of the aristocracy.
"My love, I warned you she wouldn't like it... Put it all away and focus on the upcoming festival instead. Sorry, Leslie—you know your father. And your brother is no better: he's in the treasure room looking for something to reward you with."
Leslie stands up and rubs her head.
"Neither of them can ever be serious... Mother, I love them, but sometimes they embarrass me so much!"
Cordelia walks calmly with Leslie, leaving the king to tidy up his surprise.
"So? How is school going, Leslie? I heard Lamia is your teacher. She's one of a kind, and I've always liked her personality. Even your father sees her more as a daughter than as an insult to the kingdom... And I knew her mother—we were friends. She might have been happy for her daughter if she saw her fulfilling her dream... Ahh, she deserved better."
Leslie listens to her mother, then fiddles with her fingers.
"Everything's fine at the academy... I've made friends: Aria, Sasha, Ben, Oria... The whole class has its own personality, but they're amazing! Except Miore! She's unbearable—she puts me down all the time and mocks me... I'm not just anyone, and yet she's always stronger than me even though she's a commoner!"
Cordelia listens with amusement, then they continue their conversation in the tearoom.
Across the kingdom, Oria walks calmly through the sewers—a place she hadn't missed. She passes through one door, then another, before reaching an immense hall filled with weapons and soldiers in red armor.
Before the death of the Demon King and the arrival of the Devourers, they were known as the most dangerous criminals in the world: the faithful of the fallen gods, the Faxia group.
"Oria, as planned, you've managed to enter the academy and observe their best elements... Do you think they'll be able to stop us if we carry out our plan?"
Oria crosses her arms and lets out a heavy sigh. She doesn't want to endanger innocents, but she doesn't have much choice... These criminals saved her from death, and she owes them a debt. A family—even a horrible one—is still a family.
"Your plan will work easily, but the aftermath will be complicated, boss... The teachers are dangerous, and the king, despite his laid-back attitude, remains a warrior. He wasn't able to wipe out the half-demon people by luck; on the contrary, it was raw strength."
Silence falls, but the boss bursts into hearty laughter, confident that his plan will succeed.
In the capital, Ben hesitates a lot in a flower shop. It's finally free time after so long, and he's about to see his childhood friend again... His love for her is immense. He's been thinking about this reunion for a while. She had wished him good luck for the start of school.
After choosing several bouquets, he arrives at the residence of an elderly count: Count Thomas Dwell, who has served the kingdom fervently for years.
When he knocks on the door, a maid opens it. It's Cassidy, Thomas's head maid. She's two years older than Ben.
"Ben? Since you're only arriving now, I guess you passed the test? That's amazing! You at the academy and me as head maid... We've come so far since the orphanage... But tell me~ are these flowers for me? That's really sweet, thank you."
Ben can't hide his flushed face. He's known Cassidy for so long, and his love only grows stronger each time.
"Yes... yes, they're for you, Cassy! I... uh... I... do you want to join the festival with me?!"
Cassidy looks amused, but a desire for Ben is evident.
"Of course, Benny. Let's do it... We'll meet again in a week, and I'll take time off just for you."
Ben, overjoyed, hands her the flowers and leaves. Cassidy turns around, places the flowers in a vase, then faces Thomas, who is reading a book.
"So adorable... Ben invited me next week, so I'll be away... Nothing is more important than my Ben... Forget about my Devourer job for a while, okay? That's not a request."
Thomas chuckles and agrees, knowing exactly how Cassidy thinks.
"Don't worry... I can handle the rest alone. Hahaha."
He closes the book, leaving silence to settle.
End of chapter.