The girls’ dormitory of the Holfart Kingdom.
Livia and Anje received a letter delivered by Claire, and upon learning about Leon’s recent situation they grew worried.
“Leon‑san, it’s fine that you’re taking care of the pet Noel, but have you managed to make any friends?”
The letter wrote that the academy in the Republic is a terrible place, and that it’s better to learn foreign languages on site for quicker retention, among other things.
It went on to detail Noel the pet at length.
“A seventeen‑year‑old dog is quite senior. It says she’s a cute female… but even if you keep her, won’t she need care?”
Claire added a note.
‘Your master seems worried about that too. He says once the academy’s over he’ll go straight home and look after her. And… he still hasn’t made any friends.’
Livia’s shoulders slumped, looking sad.
“Leon‑san, that’s pitiful.”
Anje seemed to agree, but added,
“I think it’s also important to get along with the local students, but the Republic’s attitude is concerning. The embassy is pretty spineless, too.”
Livia was also uneasy.
“I heard the kingdom has lost twice in the past, yet they’re still overly confident, aren’t they?”
Anje grimaced.
“They apparently have a lot of confidence in themselves. The queen herself mentioned that their habit of provoking and making enemies is bothering her.”
In reality they’ve won several defensive battles, and the strength of the Alzel Republic is well known to neighboring states.
Because of that, Queen Mireille is handling things cautiously.
Still, the embassy’s timidity has become a problem.
Livia placed a hand on her chin and thought,
“…If they’re that strong, wouldn’t it make sense for their territory to be larger?”
Anje explained the downsides of expanding territory.
“Governing across the sky is a nightmare. They’ve never been a nation that strikes out from their own lands. Of course, they’re not invincible outside of defensive wars.”
Her point was that they’re weak outside of defense, so they don’t go on the offensive.
Indeed, when they tried to invade before, they were defeated.
“Strange country,” Livia remarked, and Anje could only nod.
“Yeah. But Alzel seems to worship a Sacred Tree in the middle of the continent. There’s a rumor they consider their continent a holy land and don’t want to leave it. Should we have Leon check on that?”
Since they had the chance, Anje wanted Leon to investigate that matter.
Livia was intrigued by the term Sacred Tree.
“A sacred tree? Does it have some special meaning?”
◇
“The Sacred Tree is basically a lump of energy,” Marie said, crouching in a cramped spot behind the stairs.
They were speaking in hushed tones because the five noisy troublemakers had been especially loud lately.
Marie apparently can’t stand me relying on her.
“Do you think if you all stepped up, I wouldn’t have to keep feeding Marie?” she snapped. “Or am I the one indirectly supporting you lot?”
Since Anje and Livia asked, we were looking into the Sacred Tree.
Checking with Marie, who knows game lore, we learned the Sacred Tree is an energy source.
“No, it’s a plant, right?”
“I don’t know. I’m not the type to care about setting details, I only know what the game explained. And that was over ten years ago. I’ve forgotten a lot.”
“So you know how to use its energy?”
“Isn’t that what it is? You know… free energy?”
Something like a perpetual motion machine?
In a past life that would’ve been classified as occult, but it’s basically the ultimate form of energy humanity dreams of.
“The Sacred Tree keeps generating energy, huh?”
“Yeah, something like that. No worries about power shortages.”
Alzel’s lack of energy problems—so that’s their secret strength.
“And… there was something about contracts. Since the Sacred Tree’s roots are in Alzel’s soil, there’s some binding force when you make a pact or something.”
“Be clearer.”
“I’ve already forgotten it.”
When we gave the sulky Marie a reward bun, she happily accepted and ate it.
She’s more gluttonous than our Noel.
“The priestess of the Sacred Tree… there’s a whole lot of lore there, huh?”
After finishing the bun, Marie licked cream off her finger and asked me,
“Are you okay over there? How’s Anpai‑kun doing?”
“Stop calling me that, it’s kind of sad… Watching you two, I feel like I’m seeing a fresh‑off the‑boat couple, not just a feeling.”
“Isn’t that a fresh couple, not just a feeling?”
The protagonist, Relia, has no issues.
She ignores the five popular exchange students and aims straight for Emil.
That kind of earnestness is what makes a protagonist.
Some reincarnated idiots could learn a thing or two.
Seeing Marie finish her bun and look happy right in front of me…
“The protagonist’s doing fine. If you just watch, things will go smoothly. Don’t go poking around.”
“What the hell, why are you talking to me?”
“Put your hand on your chest and think—who do you blame for the trouble you’re in?”
Marie looked frustrated, and after finishing her business and with a full belly, she left the spot.
I watched her go, then hurried home to tend to Noel.
◇
Leon’s house.
Luxion was caring for Noel.
“Here’s a perfectly formulated nutrient paste. Eat up.”
Obeying Luxion’s command, Noel dutifully ate, as if still eager to stay strong.
“…Your master is currently in a critical condition, unconscious. But don’t worry. I’ll support his recovery from the shadows, and the Master is providing financial aid.”
Noel lifted her head and gave Luxion a lick.
Luxion glanced at Noel’s face.
After finishing her meal, Noel waddled back to her bed and settled down.
She fell asleep as soon as she was done eating.
“Good girl. If the Master were this obedient, he’d be cute… Oh? Some new intel just came in.”
Luxion checked the drones’ reports, then left the house and headed straight to Leon.
◇
Behind the school building.
Brad, summoned by Pierre, stared in disbelief at the group of boys surrounding him.
“Cut the stupid stunt. I’ve got my own position here, you know?”
When Brad arrived behind the school, he never expected it to turn out like this.
(So, what now?)
The opponents were nobles from another country.
He’d thought they wouldn’t summon foreign exchange students—especially noble kids—and then assault them.
But the wooden sticks the henchmen wielded were just for show.
Pierre wore a lecherous grin.
“You’re a nuisance. Don’t you think you’re being welcomed?”
The surrounding male students seemed unsure whether they even knew what they were doing.
Brad kept his cool.
“This could become a diplomatic incident. That’d be a problem for you too, right?”
Pierre’s cronies laughed.
“Diplomatic incident, huh?”
“This guy still doesn’t get it.”
“Maybe you think you’re on equal footing with Alzel?”
He’d heard about it at the embassy, but never imagined it’d be this bad.
Pierre leaned in.
“Diplomatic issues are fine. Do you really think the Fevel family, one of the Six Great Houses, would be scared of a little Holfart scum? You’re getting on my nerves.”
Brad felt a surge of panic inside.
(What the hell are these guys? Do they even know what they’re doing? This is…)
…They really seemed to want war.
When Pierre shouted “Do it!”, his henchmen lunged at Brad.
“Adventurer scum!”
Unlike the Holfart Kingdom, where adventurers can become nobles, Alzel’s nobles look down on adventurers.
The henchmen swung wooden swords, and Brad responded,
“That’s all you got?”
He dodged the swings, knocked one guy down and snatched his wooden sword.
He then knocked another down, causing the rest to keep their distance.
(They’re weak?)
Brad took down two more, surprised by how different the fight felt.
Normally Brad excels at magic, not close‑quarters combat.
Even so, the opponents only had enough power to give him a mild workout.
Pierre grew irritated.
“What are you doing? Just get it over with!”
The henchmen thrust their palms toward Brad.
“Fireball!”
They launched magic.
Brad was genuinely baffled.
“Using magic in a fight?”
He dropped his wooden sword and cast magic.
He crouched, planted his hands on the ground, and a wall of earth rose around him.
The fireballs slammed into the earthen barrier and fizzled out.
Then Brad used a low‑damage spell.
“Water Whip!”
A whip of water lashed the henchmen, drenching them.
Pierre winced.
Brad stood up.
“Sorry about that. Magic’s more my thing.”
He usually stays low‑key around Julius and the others, but Brad wasn’t weak.
By Leon’s standards he’s considered fragile, but to a regular person he’s more than strong enough.
Pierre covered his face with his right hand.
“…You’re really useless, you lot.”
One henchman apologized while getting up.
“S‑sorry, Pierre‑san.”
Brad stayed on guard, noticing a faint glow on Pierre’s right palm.
(What’s that?)
The light grew, forming a pattern—like a crest—glowing green.
Pierre pulled his hand away, smiling.
“You got cocky, you trashy weakling.”
From the ground around Pierre, sharp wooden roots sprouted, twisting and pointing at Brad.
Brad tried to raise another earth wall—
“Whoa!”
Even his magic didn’t react.
Especially earth‑type spells—no response at all, as if rejected.
He fled, but the roots kept thrusting up from the soil.
Pierre sneered, saying,
“Told you not to underestimate the Fevel family, one of the Six Great Houses.”
Brad quickly prepared another spell.
“If earth won’t work—”
Flames erupted in both hands.
But the power was weaker than usual.
(Why? It feels like something’s blocking me…)
He tried to burn the incoming roots, but the fire was too weak, so he aimed at Pierre instead.
A fireball shot from his hand, but Pierre
“What, that’s all?”
Water surged from the ground, forming a wall that extinguished the fireball.
Brad couldn’t grasp it.
(He doesn’t even look like he’s using magic. What’s going on?)
A feeling of unease rose in his legs—vines coiled around his ankles, tightening.
He tried to pull them off, but more vines sprouted and tangled him.
Pierre stepped closer, his henchmen surrounding Brad with weapons.
“…You really got carried away, didn’t you?”
Seeing Pierre’s smug face, Brad clenched his teeth. He was almost crouched.
Pierre kicked Brad’s head with a thin foot.
“Ugh!”
He kept stomping on Brad repeatedly.
“What’s wrong? Where’s that fighting spirit you had a moment ago?”
Brad glared at Pierre.
Pierre lifted his bangs, exposing his forehead, a thin sheen of sweat on his skin.
“The real nobles, blessed by the Sacred Tree, aren’t to be beaten by pretenders like you.”
—In the Alzel Republic, “nobles” are those who have the Sacred Tree’s blessing, which is the key difference from Holfart’s nobles.
Pierre ordered his henchmen,
“Attack.”
The armed henchmen closed in, raising their weapons toward Brad.