"At ease!"

This is awfully stiff…… well I guess that’s how military schools are.

Now I have to do troublesome greetings and listen to the self-introductions of the students I’ll probably forget about later anyways.

The university is broken down into groups of 20 students each. There are times the entire student body will perform an activity together, but most functions are done in their teams of 20.

"I don’t really care though……"

It has only been about five seconds since the introductions began and I’m already losing the motivation to continue.

That’s because these 20 people are all wearing hats and pants…… and they’re all guys.

Moreover, this team was just established this year and most of them haven’t received much education.

Now that I think about it, it’s obvious that would be the case since this team is the core class, in other words the kids who are supposed to be raised into military commanders.

I’m sure there won’t be too many cultured girls who would willingly strive to become a commander.

Why would they be curious about an environment filled with boys anyways?

Although the university is the place for the heirs of nobles, there are many children of nobles who are not with hereditary ranks. 

Jilk, Clarice and Gretel are exceptional. 

There aren’t very many kids here who are from high class noble families affiliated with the military.

Plenty of those kids can become military commanders even without going through school.

The kids here are mostly the second sons from poorer, lower class noble families or the son of some knight family in a distant countryside or the sons of influential persons in the region.

The thing which was contrastingly a failure was the personal training conducted outside.

The purpose of this university is to raise commanders so there isn’t particularly a need for them to be master martial artists, and they would get enough training to function as a soldier so it wouldn’t be a big focus in their lessons.

However, they would not be able to maintain command if they’re defeated as quickly, so they need the minimum amount of practice.

That was when they asked me to provide them with an example.

As Myla is occupied with teachings in the classroom, I am forced to call Irijina for field training.

The atmosphere was also strange when Irijina took part in the training.

"I’ll be teaching you how to fight with spears!! The enemy will come like zoom, so you block with a clang, then you twirl with a whoosh and then finish with a thrust like boom! Get it!?"

"When you’re using a spear while riding a horse, make your horse run like bappahh and then with a sudden jerk like-……"

Even I don’t understand anything she’s saying. It’s impossible for Irijina to explain anything verbally.

The sun is setting now and I was just about to leave the university and have a drink with Irijina before going back home, although Irijina would be the only one drinking liquor as I don't drink alcohol but a very deluxe carriage stops in front of the school. 

"Mister Hiro. It is admirable for you to be doing inspections."

It was Marquis Cyril de Montfort himself who appeared in front of me.

"Actually, I came here tonight to invite you to a ball which will be held in the mansion of one of my acquaintances. It is a little bit on the spur of the moment, but please consider this as a replacement for your welcoming party. If you are so inclined, please travel with me to the party in this carriage. Any others who you would like to accompany you are welcome to join and I will also send them to the mansion."

"Haa…… but in these clothes……"

I realized after that was said.

The clothes I wore to do the first inspection of the school were of formal wear.

It isn’t the grandest ceremonial outfit but it isn’t bad enough to be considered rude if I showed up amongst nobles in this.

……he probably knew that and was aiming for the return trip.

Now, I won’t be able to make an excuse to say that it would take too long to change clothes.

"Hm? We’re going to drink at a ball?"

Irijina, don’t say anything.

Sensing my hesitation, Cyril de Montfort switches target to Irijina.

"Well, look, it doesn’t do your body well to remain outside in the cold, please take your follower along and get in. There will be the finest quality of alcohol."

"Looks like there will be alcohol there!!"

Irijina gets attracted by the alcohol and gets on the carriage.

I resignedly get in the carriage as well, but being the rational person that I am, I’m not baited by the alcohol like the simple-minded Irijina.

I still haven’t decided to go yet.

"Mister Hiro, pleased to make your acquaintance."

"It is an honor to meet you."

"Mister Hiro, this will be tonight’s venue – the head of agricultural affairs, Count Irhid’s mansion. The rest of your party have been brought here as well."

"Such a sudden request really caught me off guard……"

"Haau, me too."

The ones who came were  Suzy and Lucy – Suzy is acting as my wife and Lucy, the former refugee and prostitute as Suzy's attendant. 

So this is the world where scheming people live – looks like I’ve been caught hook, line and sinker in some terrifying scheme.

"Well, I guess I’ll go since I’ve come all the way here anyways. I’ll try to enjoy myself."

I put my arm around Suzy, who is wearing an elegant dress, and act as her escort.

Lucy is coming as Suzy’s attendant and isn’t wearing a dress as pretty as Suzy’s but she still looks lovely.

She usually isn’t too concerned with what she wears so seeing her in this kind of outfit is a fresh look and makes her even more attractive.

"Well everyone, he may not have been formally invited but Mister Hiro himself and his wife was able to make time from their trip to here to come on short notice."

Everyone raises voices to express their surprise and awe as Suzy and I lock arms and enter the banquet hall.

For some reason, Cyril is walking in front and leading us.

"My, my, this is my first time meeting him. His wife is also gorgeous."

As soon as the three of us look at each other and smile, the large doors of the hall opened. Only the invitees of the party were supposed to proceed inside but there was a loud sound which accompanied the movement of the doors.

***

"What happened, it’s so noisy."

"Our mood is dampened now."

The nobles furrow their brows and the servants complain when the door is swung open with a bang.

But they don’t continue grumbling for long.

"The palace guards!? Whose mansion do you think this-…… uwaah, what are you doing!?"

I can hear the knight assigned as the security for the party scream and then run in on all fours covered in blood.

"Ruffians! H-help……gyaah! "

The knight crawls into the hall and the pathetic man dies soon after he was pierced in the back with a sword.

"Ooh…… how cruel!"

"Ah……"

Most of the people here are civil officials who have never seen a person die so they cover their eyes, while many wives faint on the spot.

"Lucy, Suzy hide behind me."

"Right!" "‘Kay!"

Irijina jumped between us  and the crowd. 

"Nobody move!"

Counting the man who pulled the sword out from the dead knight’s body, there are 10 men who walk into the hall together.

All of them are wearing chainmail and holding swords.

As expected, none of them had weapons like bows or spears.

"The palace guards? ……what on earth is-!?"

"What the heck is going on!?"

I can’t blame the nobles for being shocked.

All of them look just like the guards that protect the capital.

"Are they palace guards?"

"They’re imposters."

I answer Suzy’s anxiously asked question immediately.

Maybe something else.

"We belong to the palace guards! Where is the chairman!!?"

"Oh yeah, where is Marquis Cyril ?"

"Didn’t he go to the room in the back as soon as the commotion started?"

I guess Cyril ran to the back room as soon as he heard the shouting.

That’s quite the leg speed if he didn’t know this was going to happen.

The fake guards realize immediately from the noisy nobles that Kenneth isn’t here anymore.

The men make a sour look and click their tongues.

"Now that it’s come to this…… there’s no stopping even though we only have a small group!!"

The men tear off the crest of the palace guards on their uniforms.

"The area within my spear’s reach is my barrier! Only death awaits those who get too close!"

Irijina stands up against the hoodlum.

Oh right, this girl was the one who did a swordplay performance as a sideshow for the banquet a little earlier.

"The area within my sword’s reach is my barrier! Only death awaits those who get too close!"

He swings his needle around quickly. It does look like it’ll hurt if you get stabbed by it.

Irijina's hits the hoodlum’s arm, drawing blood and a scream of pain.

That’s one point, you would win …… if you were in a match that is.

The clamoring knight lost the will to fight along with his weapon and get stabbed in the stomach while his hands remained pushed out in front of the enemy.

After a while, the corpses of 10 ruffians and several nobles are lying on the floor while some other nobles get injured and are wailing loudly. It was probably like a scene from hell to them, and with Irijina and me in the center of all that, they looked at me in terror and disgust.

The face of the master of the mansion turned pale when Cyril glared at him, but he starts walking forward with a trembling voice.

Cyril lowers his head to me, which prompts the other nobles to also thank me.

I don’t really care either way.

And you were really just hiding away somewhere the whole time.

It might have been a wise decision on his part since he probably would have gotten in the way of the fight, but this doesn’t feel right to me.

More importantly, I’m worried about something