Chapter 351

“Princess Ha-shal-leur!”

At the professor’s residence in the Academy.

As soon as I opened the door, Rana, who had popped out, greeted me with a bright smile. It seemed she had come early after hearing about my move.

“It’s been a while, Rana. Almost a month, right? How have you been?”

“I was so bored!”

Rana ran over and tightly hugged my waist.

Not just a light embrace, but clinging so close that she rubbed her face against me.

…It was a bit awkward.

What’s this? Did she become more affectionate while I was away…?

She used to follow me around calling me “big sister,” but she never clung to me like this before.

Was it a mistake to leave Rana with Lillietz?

Every time she moved her head, her pink hair brushed against my chest, making it itch.

…I must smell like sweat.

“Uh… I see, you must have been really bored. Sorry.”

I held her head and gently stroked it as I pulled her away.

Rana giggled, shaking her head. Cute.

“Then from now on, let’s go everywhere together! If you get hurt, I’ll heal you!”

“…Sure, let’s do that.”

“Really?!”

Rana, seemingly surprised, asked again, and I nodded.

Taking her to the battlefield still feels a bit uneasy… but I need to train her too.

Even if she can only use healing miracles, high-level healing miracles can become incredibly powerful in terms of range, speed, and efficiency.

At the very least, if I can raise her to the level of a high-ranking priest, she’ll be able to hold her own anywhere.

After calming down the excited Rana, I went to the bathroom to wash up.

The return journey was more comfortable than usual, so I wasn’t too dirty, but I still smelled of sweat.

Especially, the armor I had taken off reeked of sweat and blood.

Asha had repaired the damaged parts, but she hadn’t washed it.

Leonor took the armor to have it cleaned.

She sniffed the inside and immediately made a disgusted face. Was the stench that bad…? I couldn’t tell.

Since Leonor took not just the armor but also the undergarments, I had to change into the Imperial Knight uniform after my bath.

The uniform suited me well, though.

Thinking about it, this uniform is closer to what I used to wear in my original world, but strangely, I find the Ka`har clothing more comfortable.

Is the sense of familiarity a feeling that comes from the body’s memory rather than the mind?

—

After changing, I left the residence and headed to the Academy’s administrative office.

I needed to find out where Damien and Milia were.

Walking through the main corridor with a lit cigarette in my mouth.

“Gasp…!”

Gasps echoed from various points in the corridor. Since the civil war ended, the Academy had started to normalize, and there were more students around than I expected.

There were even some new faces. Did they admit new students?

“The blue-eyed Ka`har female warrior…?! Could it be, is that really her…?”

Even if they were new, as citizens of the Empire, they would know who I was.

They just didn’t expect me to appear so suddenly.

“The Winter Slayer…!”

“So the rumors about her becoming a professor in the Knight Department were true…?”

The nickname “Winter Slayer” had spread even here. I liked that.

I hoped they’d call me that from now on.

“I heard the Winter Slayer has red skin, six arms, and is a 3-meter-tall muscle giant… but seeing her in person, she’s completely different…?”

…Did they seriously believe that rumor? Are they okay in the head?

How is that even human? That’s just a monster.

“Isn’t she cool? Those sharp eyes, icy cold gaze, and chiseled jawline…!”

Some girls were squealing while looking at me from a distance.

I didn’t really want to understand why their faces were turning red. It’s better than guys doing it, though…

Fortunately, the male students didn’t comment on my appearance.

Given the vast gap in skill and status between us, they wouldn’t dare.

Back when I was just a special student, they might have talked, but not now.

To them, my status as a Count and future Marquis of the Empire is more significant than being a princess of a barbarian tribe.

Frankly, if anyone dared to talk about my appearance, I could slap them, challenge them to a duel for their rudeness, and cut off their heads without any repercussions.

So they kept their mouths shut.

Ignoring their stares wasn’t too hard.

I’ve gotten used to it after experiencing it so often.

Soon, I arrived at the administrative office.

—

The female staff at the office was sweating bullets but answered my questions diligently.

Most of these staff are commoners hired for their administrative knowledge rather than nobles. She seemed to be the same.

She was used to dealing with noble students, but meeting someone who ranks among the top ten nobles in the Empire was a first for her.

She turned pale the moment she recognized me, which was almost pitiful.

According to her, Damien and Milia had submitted withdrawal requests but were rejected.

While noble students might get away with it, commoners usually sign a contract to serve in the Imperial Army after graduation in exchange for tuition support. I hadn’t heard of that before.

In any case, those who receive tuition support are restricted from withdrawing.

It makes sense. The Empire invests in training them to become knights, so if they drop out and run away, the Empire loses out.

“So they have to keep attending the Academy? For another two and a half years? They’ve already reached master-level skills. This is a waste of time.”

“Eek! N-no, that’s not it!”

Frowning as the situation seemed troublesome, I leaned closer and asked again, causing the staff to tremble and shake her head desperately.

Her deer-like eyes were welling up with tears.

“…You don’t need to be so scared. It’s not like I’m threatening you or anything. Right?”

I tapped the cigarette ash into the ashtray and clicked my tongue.

Really, why is she so scared? It looks bad. Someone might think I’m forcing her with my power.

“I-I’ll correct it…!”

The staff, barely composed, continued her explanation.

In principle, withdrawal is impossible, but Damien and Milia could opt for “early graduation” to leave the Academy.

Originally, even with early graduation, they would have to serve in the Imperial Army, but…

“The Imperial Knight Order? That’s a problem… They already swore to be my knights. This would mean the Imperial Knight Order is taking my knights away. And they’re master-level fighters at that.”

That can’t happen.

“If it’s about the Imperial Knight Order… should I ask Emperor Leopold for a favor?”

“No! If they’re Count Median’s knights, they’re practically Imperial knights anyway!”

The staff, now looking like she might faint, actively intervened, and the two were immediately transferred to my command.

The process was quick. Satisfying.

“Thanks. Now, could you call Damien and Milia for me? There’s somewhere I need to take them.”

“Yes! I’ll inform them right away!”

The staff, bowing deeply, called another employee to summon Damien and Milia.

I leaned back on the guest sofa in the office and leisurely smoked while waiting for them to arrive.

“By the way, I noticed some new faces earlier. Did they admit new students?”

“Ah, yes. That’s correct. Many existing students were dispatched to the frontlines and perished, and the Imperial Knight Order also suffered heavy losses. The demand for knight candidates has increased significantly.”

Well, with both knights and soldiers melting away in the north, they’d need a lot of new recruits.

The 3rd Legion, once considered inferior to the 1st and 2nd Legions, has now become the Empire’s strongest.

If it weren’t for the private armies of the Great Lords preserving their strength, the Empire might have fallen already.

“So the Academy has changed its policy, opting to recruit more students instead of selecting a hundred or so through exams as before.”

It wasn’t a bad change.

While the overall level of students might drop with the inclusion of mediocre candidates, to me, they all seemed about the same.

Even the hundred or so new students selected through exams couldn’t handle kobolds, let alone trolls.

So increasing the numbers might be better.

—

Soon, Damien and Milia arrived at the office.

After thanking the staff for her help, I took the two and left the Academy.

On the carriage ride to Asha’s workshop, I explained that they were officially assigned as my knights and that they would stay at the mansion I was to receive tomorrow.

Milia seemed a bit hesitant and tried to refuse, but I convinced her by explaining that all my elite knights would be stationed at the mansion, so she reluctantly nodded.

Of course, she was just being polite and wasn’t actually opposed to it, as she couldn’t hide her joy afterward.

She smiled brightly and thanked me repeatedly.