Strongest Survival by Otome Game’s Heroine

Reunion at the Opening Ceremony

One year had passed since that dungeon exploration. Currently Elena and I enrolled with the academy as fellow new student.

――Acting as bodyguard for three years inside the sorcery academy――.

That was the request that Elena made to me who was an adventurer.

The detail of the contract had been worked out with Dalton and the others too, but the general outline of the contract was as aforementioned below.

First――.

Guarding the first princess Elena inside the academy starting from when she enrolled into the academy for three years until she graduated.

The duration of the contract was for three years, but shortening the contract would be considered in case a big problem of the royal family got taken care of. According to Elena’s thinking, apparently the majority of the problem would get solved if the crown prince graduated after two years. I would be bound by contract for a long period, but I would be allowed to work as adventurer if Elena gave her permission.

Second――.

Removing danger inside the academy.

If my strength was needed for the safety of the royal family including the crown prince, not just Elena, I would be allowed to use force. To be more specific it included the arrest of noble whose crime was certain, and also removing threat with force. To do that I would be temporarily bestowed with the authority of [Black Ops’ high ranked combat maid] like Sera.

Third――.

Viro would also get inserted into the academy during my activity inside the academy.

This wasn’t something that I asked for, but apparently the tasks of gathering information inside the academy and giving me support and the like were entrusted to Viro who was tentatively going to join the Black Ops. Because of that this request was a separate matter from the princess’s request to me individually. It was also a request from the black ops to the “Rainbow Sword”.

Fourth――.

Because I would guard Elena during class too, I enrolled into the academy not as servant or maid, but as her classmate.

This was the biggest problem for me. In order for me to enroll into the sorcery academy where only noble could enroll, I ended up becoming an [adopted daughter] of Sera’s Leyton Baronet House.

I wondered whether such thing would really get permitted, but according to what I heard, this was apparently a publicly allowed trick to make a child with good prospect into the adopted child of a subordinate noble house when a student from high ranked noble house wanted to bring an attendant who was close to their age to the academy.

But, the adoption in such case was temporary. In case the child showed that they had no prospect, the adoption would be dissolved after graduation. In case they showed prospect, they would stay as the adopted child of the low ranked noble and worked for the high ranked noble.

To be honest, my impression about noble wasn’t so good, but if it was necessary in order to protect Elena then I’d accept it.

If I had to become noble then I thought it should be fine even if I become Dalton’s adopted child, but his title as noble was limited to his generation only, so his relative wouldn’t be considered as noble.

.

After that discussion, I was able to obtain some time to move around freely.

I returned once to master(Serjura)’s place and got scolded for fighting against rank 6. After that master trained me in light sorcery saying that it would become necessary later. I also asked her to check my newly obtained Battle Skill [Iron Rose]. Master seemed to be interested with it too.

The next person who I visited was Galbas. I handed the special material to him and asked him to strengthen my weapon.

While I was there I also asked him about Gil and Shuri’s condition. It seemed the two joined an adventurer party of their acquaintance and they were getting trained there. I felt a bit relieved to hear that.

I spent time like that until things calmed down, and then I became Sera’s adopted daughter in the capital and got educated to be the princess’s close attendant.

I got reunited with Seo after so long during that time. He got really depressed when he learned that he was shorter than me and that I had become his big sister although it was only because of the temporary adoption.

.

And now, I was observing the opening ceremony from the side stage.

There was no grouping in this academy. The budget and curriculum for education of each noble house were different, so it would be pointless to teach everyone the same thing together.

For low ranked noble, the academy was a place for them to improve themselves until they reached the required education standard, and to show off their capability to other people there. For high ranked noble, the academy was a place for them to learn about society and politic, and to find capable people.

And so, there was no need for [class division] into more than ten classes like in that woman’s “knowledge”, but there was a clear “division” among the students who participated in the opening ceremony.

The high ranked nobles who were few in number occupied the special seats at the front row, while the low ranked nobles who were only great in number occupied the back rows. Their positioning were neatly divided by their rank.

I too originally should attend the opening ceremony from the seat of low ranked noble, but I was the princess’s close attendant, and I was appointed as bodyguard by [royal family’s decree], so there was no need for me to appear in the opening ceremony.

「There isn’t anyone who look noticeably suspicious……but」

Even from the side stage, it was clear to see that the presence of Elena and Carla in the auditorium was a cut above the rest.

There were more than 6000 low ranked noble houses and nearly 600 middle ranked noble houses. In contrast there were only 36 new students that came from high ranked noble houses including the royal family. Their number was already extremely few, and yet nobody dared to approach them, which caused an empty area to be created around them.

Student who stood out other than them was only that girl at the seating for middle ranked noble who was being protected by Seo.

That girl who had the name [Alicia] like me was too innocent……she was throwing around her charm at the male students around her with the cheerfulness that didn’t read the mood at all.

……It felt like I had met her somewhere in the past. I especially felt a bit of déjà vu at the way she was looking for protection only from boys like that. Perhaps that was because I felt something “out of place” from her behavior.

.

The ceremony progressed and the crown prince Ervan finished giving his greeting toward the new students. After that Elena finished her greeting as the new student representative.

There was no sign of anything suspicious around Elena. The securities wouldn’t even imagine that there would be anyone who tried something in this kind of public place, but Elena and I were on our guard not only against the nobles of the noble faction.

We were on our guard because Grave who declared that he would attack the princess was hiding somewhere in this country.

Even Grave wouldn’t be so foolish to attack Elena in the palace that had strict security. That was why I was thinking that the chance was high that he would make his attempt while Elena was staying in this academy.

Elena walked down from the stage after she finished her speech. I used that timing to slip among the academy servants to return to her side. It was then “someone” tried to grab my hand to stop me.

「Wait, you’re――」

In that instant, I performed body strengthening in a single breath and slapped away that hand. Then I swept that attacker’s feet and thrust my hidden weapon between the man’s eyes when he fell on the ground.

I turned my half-narrowed eyes toward that familiar face. He was the man who I caught sight behind the crown prince this morning. He squeezed out his voice even while he looked like he was enduring the pain.

「……I wanted to meet you.」

「…………」

I couldn’t understand what his words actually meant. I drew out my memory of him from inside my mind.

「If I remember correctly……you are an entourage of his highness the crown prince. And why are someone like you trying to make contact with me?」

「We had also met before! At the capital together with Er……his highness and the adventurer bodyguards-! ……Do you not remember me?」

「……I remember.」

The noble boys who became the impetus of my reunion with Feld. One of the boys who was together with the crown prince and tried really hard to talk with me right from the start was him.

「I heard from Er that you are with the “Rainbow Sword” and that you’ve become a strong adventurer. I tried to meet you but I couldn’t because you are under her highness’s protection……. Why are someone like you became noble and her highness’s close attendant!?」

He tried to get up in excitement even while I was pushing him down. I shut him up with my killing intent and hidden weapon.

「I’m the one asking question here.」

There was no guarantee that someone close to the crown prince definitely belonged to the royal family faction. Even if he was an ally, what was his reason to approach me when we had only met once in the past?

I put even more killing intent into my gaze in order to find that out. In respond he gritted his teeth to endure that and met my gaze with a strong will in his eyes.

「I am Mihail Melrose of Melrose House that is in control of Claydale Kingdom’s [black ops]. Are you still going to point your blade at me after knowing that?」

「……Very well.」

I quietly pulled away the blade from him after hearing that “family name”.

Melrose……the family that the spirit said might be related to me by blood.

When Sera talked to me about the adoption, I heard how Melrose house was the main house that Leyton House served but……for that name to come out here. Furthermore it was a margrave house that was in control of the black ops, which meant it was a major house in the same level of Dandall.

It looked like Elena had stopped the information about me from spreading, but if it Melrose House was in control of black ops just like he said, it wouldn’t be strange if my information leaked out from Sera’s surrounding.

His answer was different from my expectation, but I decided that it would be hasty to turn him into my enemy just because he was a [Melrose].

I would need to investigate a little to make sure his story checked out, but if he was someone from black ops then he was an ally at present.

I separated from him soundlessly and tidied up my messed up skirt while standing up. Then I offered my hand to Mihail who was on the ground. He was staring fixedly at me the whole time and his hand was about to take my hand for an instant, but then he pulled it back and averted his blushing face.

「I can stand on my own. ……Kuh」

Mihail’s face distorted in agony when he tried to stand up. I didn’t really know how to hold back against ordinary person so I might have cracked his bone somewhere. I formed magic inside my head and pointed my hand to Mihail.

「――High Heal――」

The light that came out healed his body. Mihail looked at me with surprise and stood up. Then he checked that there was nothing wrong with his body before exhaling as though to let out the murkiness inside himself.

「Thank you……I guess. That strength……as expected are you her highness’s bodyguard? Did you switch profession from adventurer to black ops?」

「The request came through the black ops, but my employer is Elena-sama herself. I am not a member of the “black ops” under your control. If you wish to know any more than that then please ask her directly.」

Mihail’s eyes widened slightly when he heard the word [request] from my mouth.

「So her highness has recruited you. I heard that a member of Rainbow Sword had obtained a special power but, don’t tell me that person is you……?」

「Don’t ask any question. If you are really the person who you claim to be, you will be able to obtain that information on your own right? Also I’ll apologize for pushing you down but, I recommend that you stop trying to touch other person’s body suddenly from now on.」

「That was-, ……I apologize.」

I didn’t know what the custom was in the world of nobility, but if he did something like that in the underworld, it was no different than showing hostility.

Perhaps Mihail had his reason for doing that, but he obediently bowed his head to apologize with a red face.

I didn’t know which part of my words would cause him to go red like that but, there was also a part of my action that went a bit too far so surely it would be better for both of us to forget this matter already.

「Then, later. One day we might meet again for work.」

「W-wait a second-」

I turned my back to him to walk away, but he called out to me so I turned toward him just a little. For some reason Mihail looked nervous and then he opened his mouth after steeling himself.

「Can you……tell me your name?」

「……Aria.」

「I……see. You’re “Aria”.」

He muttered that and smiled just a little. From that face it felt like I could catch a slight glimpse of similarity with “mother”, just a little. Even though they were different in gender and age……was this because of “blood relationship”?

Did he also sense something similar from me? My figure was reflected on his eyes, but it was like he was seeing someone else through me. That was the feeling that I got.

「Aria……I’ll give you a little bit of information as “black ops”. In this academy, the students from house of baron and higher rank will have to go to a field trip to observe a knight order’s exercises outside the academy immediately after enrollment. Her highness will most likely have to participate in this activity too. The black ops wish to act as security too in this activity, but this time it will be the knight order that get to be in charge of the security, so the black ops will act as support. ……Be careful.」

「……Understood.」

Knight order, black ops, these two organizations protected this country from the surface and from behind the scene. They were the sword and the shield of the country and the royal family.

But if……the crown prince and Elena got into a feud with each other, I wonder “which side” they would choose.