“You saw it, right? Headmaster Cosmos! Murmur is absolutely not the flesh and blood of the Demon God!”
Nicasia, who had been clenching her fists, finally spoke with a bright smile.
“I wonder how you’ll take the fact that an elementary school kid perfectly understood the nature of the Black Mudman.”
“You know that’s just a petty nitpick, right?”
“A very petty and ridiculous nitpick. There was no crisis for Murmur that they hoped for, and she didn’t use black magic or blood magic. What she summoned wasn’t a demon but a very cute spirit.”
Headmaster Cosmos spoke with a relaxed expression but wasn’t looking at Nicasia.
The woman’s eyes, shining through her sparkling white hair, were watching something entirely different from Murmur.
“Haaa… If the noisy nobles find out what Murmur accomplished in today’s collaborative task, they won’t insist she’s the flesh and blood of the Demon God.”
Nicasia, who had been praying and tense enough to sweat, uncharacteristically gulped down peach black tea.
In this situation where it was clear her friend was free from suspicion, how could she not be happy?
“…I told you, Headmaster Cosmos. Murmur is just a cute kid.”
As she spoke, Nicasia looked bitterly at Esme and Torlin, who were surrounded by many students, leaving Murmur half alone.
“I wish more people would realize that.”
“… …Long ago, people knew. Sadly, humans remember sad and painful things longer than happy ones.”
Headmaster Cosmos muttered with a subtle emotion, not looking at Murmur even in this joyful moment.
“…Headmaster Cosmos?”
By now, Nicasia couldn’t help but notice.
“What are you looking at?”
“Caught me?”
“You’re turning your head completely away.”
Headmaster Cosmos smirked and turned her head. As she waved her right hand, Murmur’s image faded, and Citrine’s image appeared.
“…Huh?”
The moment Citrine’s image appeared, Nicasia instinctively felt uncomfortable.
Nicasia, who couldn’t look favorably at Citrine’s strange behavior towards Murmur, found their personalities fundamentally incompatible and couldn’t feel any affection for Citrine.
In fact, it was commendable that she hadn’t outright said she disliked her.
“…I’ll go first. Tell me the location!”
Seeing Citrine being attacked by Rowan, Nicasia stood up without any hesitation or torment.
Was it because protecting the people from evil demons is the duty of the royal family?
Or was it because of the sense of justice burning in Nicasia’s heart?
“Are you really going to go?”
“Yes, I can’t just sit and watch someone being attacked by a demon.”
“You’re not even close to her.”
“Even if I despised and hated Citrine, that’s separate from this situation. I can make that distinction.”
Headmaster Cosmos slightly raised the corner of her mouth. Unlike the princess who passionately spoke of justice with her hand on her chest, there were still fools somewhere in the empire or kingdom, bloodshot-eyed, eager to eliminate enemies in the name of demons.
Ironically, those same fools were the ones shouting for Murmur’s expulsion, claiming she was the flesh and blood of the Demon God. Headmaster Cosmos, well aware of this, found Princess Nicasia admirable.
How different she was from the crown princess, who loved to get her hands bloody.
But still, as an adult, she had to do what was necessary.
“You’ll be facing ‘Primeordial Rex.’ Are you still okay with that?”
Headmaster Cosmos pointed at Rowan, who had kicked Citrine’s stomach.
Nicasia swallowed hard and nodded.
“I’m… a royal too. I know how dangerous and extreme the thoughts of ‘Primeordial Rex’ are.”
“They’ll try to kill you without caring that you’re in elementary school. Look now. See how fiercely they’re trying to kill that little Citrine?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m strong.”
Headmaster Cosmos smiled as she looked at Nicasia’s determined expression.
“Respected Princess.”
“…Ah, yes! Headmaster Cosmos.”
“Please do what you wish.”
Nicasia lightly caught the small crystal ball Headmaster Cosmos threw from her chest pocket and nodded. Without needing detailed instructions, the map that appeared on the crystal ball showed exactly where Citrine was being attacked by Rowan in the Star Shadow Forest.
“Excuse me!”
Without even bowing, Nicasia quickly ran out the door.
“…Such admirable students.”
Headmaster Cosmos glanced at Sylvia, who was closing the wide-open door, and began to focus on the images of Murmur and Citrine.
“Will everything be okay?”
“Murmur showed great performance in the collaborative task, but she didn’t use any of the suspicious magic they hoped for. That should be enough to shut them up.”
“You know that’s not what I’m asking.”
Headmaster Cosmos reached for the drink she couldn’t have in front of Nicasia.
“If Her Highness Nicasia weren’t by my side, I’d be sweating over there by now.”
“…Sweating? You must be joking.”
“Too harsh! Aren’t you seeing me too strongly?”
Sylvia puffed her cheeks and looked at Headmaster Cosmos.
“I’ve seen things at the academy, and I’ve seen things while serving you, Headmaster.”
“Hmm… People naturally exert more strength than they have in a crisis.”
“Enough. Really.”
Headmaster Cosmos smiled and took a sip of the fragrant drink.
“By the way, the really interesting thing is…”
Crossing her legs, Headmaster Cosmos looked at Murmur.
There was a reason she maintained a relaxed smile even in this urgent situation where an academy student was being attacked by a demon.
She knew Citrine’s strength. She knew Citrine wouldn’t be killed instantly by Rowan and wouldn’t be easily injured.
In the first place, an ‘injured student’ wasn’t a big issue for her. She had that kind of ‘power.’
“…You’re running to save someone again, as if it’s natural.”
“Huh? Really? Murmur is running exactly to where Citrine is.”
Sylvia looked at Headmaster Cosmos in surprise.
“How is this possible?”
“Well… Maybe the gods were impressed by a demon with a kind heart wanting to save a friend.”
Headmaster Cosmos let out a bitter laugh at her own joke.
* * *
“Ugh…!”
Citrine, gasping painfully, urgently dropped the shield she had been clutching.
The shield, heated to the point of emitting white steam, rolled fiercely on the ground, and Rowan lightly stomped on it, shattering it.
“Haa… Haa…!”
“You’re holding up better than expected for a little mouse.”
“Haa… Did you think I’d just let you kill me?”
Citrine, who had retreated, was in tatters.
Her always well-groomed red hair was tangled and covered in dust and dirt, and bright red blood was dripping from her right shoulder.
Around her, expensive items she had hastily taken from the cart were shattered and scattered like trash.
Citrine, who thought herself a fool, wasn’t naive enough to simply offer her neck to Rowan.
‘Just… just buy a little more time. The academy professors aren’t fools.’
With fingers that could barely move, Citrine forced herself to burn through her remaining stamina.
“How foolish.”
“Is that your self-introduction, unable to defeat a fifth-grade little girl?”
“Why do you struggle so? You won’t survive here. Can’t you even calculate that much?”
Rowan took a step closer to Citrine.
“I’ll return those words to you. I’m smarter than you and can calculate things you can’t even think of.”
“Typical mouse-like struggle and foolish words from someone who refuses the glory of the Nectar era.”
Rowan reached out towards Citrine with a haughty expression.
‘If I can just block that…!’
Citrine quickly covered her chest with her left hand, wearing a gem-encrusted gauntlet.
─ Bang!
A purple light shot straight from Rowan’s fingertips, striking Citrine’s chest. White smoke eerily rose between them, and Citrine spat out bright red blood, collapsing to the ground.
“Ugh… Cough…! Wh-why…?”
Contrary to Citrine’s expectation of successfully blocking, her gauntlet shattered into pieces, scattering on the ground. She should have been grateful it ended with just burns.
“You didn’t even realize I’ve been toying with you for four years.”
“Haa… Haa…”
“Not even thinking of releasing your transformation magic at this moment, you truly are trash unworthy of the glory the Nectar era will bring.”
Citrine spat blood from her nose and mouth, clutching the ground with hands that could no longer exert strength.
There was only one thing left for her, with no stamina or magic remaining.
“That glory… enjoy it alone. Citrine… will die as the adopted daughter of the Crimson Brand Duchess.”
This was Citrine’s choice.
Choosing and being chosen to be someone’s child, she showed the greatest pride she could.
It wasn’t the spirit a fifth-grade elementary student should have.
“Then die, you lit─”
“Don’t talk to Murmur’s friend like that…!”
Rowan, who had raised his arm high, easily deflected the water and wind fusion spirit, Siphrine, with a magic sword, but the problem was next.
He couldn’t deflect the earth spirit, Talorin, thrown heavily at his face, and then one, two, the frost spirits, Jack Frost, thrown recklessly, slowed his body’s agility.
“Mu… Murmur? How…?”
Citrine was more bewildered than joyful.
How was this possible?
How could she know Citrine was here, let alone that she was in danger?
“Using… crude magic. Disgusting traitor.”
Rowan stepped back, glaring at Murmur with open anger.
“Crude magic is enough for Murmur to defeat you.”
“Nonsense.”
“You just got hit, didn’t you? You better be prepared. Murmur came to protect her friend.”
Murmur, looking at an adult three times her size, showed no intention of backing down.
Seeing her, Citrine could only think one thing.
‘Murmur… is my…’
The cool demon king who appeared riding a skeleton horse.
In this moment, Citrine realized for whom she had lived until now and whom she should serve in the future.
