The lives of the Research Society members have been altered…

While I was hysterically feeling responsible for that, we finally arrived at the gate of the Royal Capital.

The students from both the Magic and Knight Academies were waiting there.

Before the training started, the students from the Magic Academy and the Knight Academy were hostile to each other. But now one can see that they were talking to each other here and there.

The fact that I can occasionally hear laughter means they have mutually accepted each other. Although I think this is one of the most important aspects of the training session… There are about two groups of four Knight Academy students looking awfully depressed.

And close to those students, there were students from the Magic Academy looking puzzled at the sight.

Or rather, they were all members of the Research Society.

“Ah! Your Highness, s.h.i.+n-kun, Sicily, Maria! Thanks for your hard work!”

“Thanks for the hard work, Alice. What happened?”

“Well, you see… Because we found out how much our magic power has increased, we got carried away using it…”

“And then the students from the Knight Academy started feeling depressed.”

“That’s why I said not to get too carried away…”

“I just got a little carried away. I am reflecting upon it now.”

The people in Alice’s group didn’t look like they acted with prudence. I wonder if they only used magic to subjugate demons? And then the Knight Academy students who didn’t get a turn became depressed…

“In the beginning, we followed s.h.i.+n-dono’s instructions and controlled our use of magic. Even so, we were able to subdue small-sized demons with one blow…”

“But! Because I thought this wouldn’t do, in the latter half of the training, we suppressed our magic power considerably!”

“And by doing that, it looks like you guys hurt their pride even more…”

“That became more evident halfway through the training.”

Students from the Knight Academy, just like Kreis and the rest, looked like they also had a high sense of pride. Because of the circ.u.mstances, I wonder if the students felt like they were not at all necessary.

“Nevertheless, it’s a little satisfying, because those fellows were all looking at us really hatefully!”

“Well… It certainly did feel quite good.”

“It’s good to show them our usefulness once in a while. That’s why we didn’t prevent our groups from doing so. I am now reflecting on it.”

“I, on the other hand, did not receive any hateful glances directed towards me…”

The students from the Knight Academy… are they really that starved for attention of girls?

I wonder about the situation of Tony, Julius, and the others.

“As for us, I was acquainted with people from our group.”

“I [Sessha] am also acquainted with some of the people degozaru.”

“I didn’t know anyone from their side, Sir.”

“Me, too.”

Oh, right. Tony’s family was originally a family of Knights. He probably got acquainted with them when he was learning swordsmans.h.i.+p in the past.

“And they told us that ‘students from the Magic Academy are all weak and only know how to run away!’ as soon as we met them…”

“Because I’m always together with His Highness degozaru, it was my first time seeing it degozaru… And then the atmosphere worsened immediately degozaru.”

“Then, when the time came to subdue demons, we got all serious about it, Sir. And then…”

“Someone who looked like Freed-san’s rival was there… And because of the rivalry with Freed-san, who is now able to use magic, he got fired up…”

[T/N: In case you guys have forgotten, Freed is Tony’s last name.]

“Nevertheless, it was unreasonable for us to use it repeatedly degozaru…”

“Because it broke down the cooperation, the instructor got angry many times, Sir.”

“Although I wanted to use support magic, I was unable to get the right timing to cast it… Even though there were several dangerous situations…”

“In those situations, excitement occurred again, and then got us reprimanded… That kind of cycle kept happening degozaru.”

“That person was a little persistent in regards to Freed-kun, Sir.”

I see, a person who was Tony’s old rival. And because Tony is now also able to use magic, he got really fired-up. How hot-blooded.

“Nn. He has always been like that since we were young. Before I got a chance to respond, he was already charging.”

“Because he considered you as his rival, I guess it couldn’t be helped?”

“Although we got along really well when we were still young…”

“Eh? Is that so.”

“I wonder if it’s because of that? In the past, the person he really liked confessed her feelings to me.”

“That’s definitely the reason why!”

What a cruel thing to do to an adolescent boy!

“And so, in the end, we continued to subjugate demons using our magic.”

“The students from the Knight Academy didn’t get any chance at all, Sir!”

“That really was a little bit dangerous…”

I wonder if they deemed it dangerous to let the students from the Knight Academy join in on the subjugation. That’s humiliating.

“What about s.h.i.+n-kun’s group?”

“As for our group, we had s.h.i.+n and Sicily who kept flirting with each other.”

“Wh—! What are you saying, Maria?!”

“Th-th-th-th-that’s right! What do you mean by ‘kept flirting with each other…"”

“No, you guys did flirt.”

“Gus!?”

“You… You really aren’t very self-conscious, are you?”

“Self-conscious about what!”

“If that is not considered as flirting, I wonder how lovey-dovey you guys would look like when you are actually flirting?”

“Ho-how it will look like, you ask…”

“Ahh…”

How would I know that kind of thing?!

“Haaa… How easy-going, Sir.”

“Well, since we were just following s.h.i.+n during the training, there was some kind of cooperation going on.”

“s.h.i.+n-dono probably had it all under control.”

“This time, however, s.h.i.+n usually placed a brake on himself.”

“Since he usually takes the initiative and act recklessly!”

Taking initiative and acting recklessly… That’s probably how it is…

“Hmmm? Walford-kun is looking quite depressed?”

“Eh, it’s true. What happened?”

“Ah, it’s because s.h.i.+n did various things, so he’s feeling responsible for us.”

“Responsible? Why is that degozaru?”

Since they asked why I was depressed, I told them about what Gus had said earlier. About the course of their lives being dictated the moment they graduate.

“Ah, you’re talking about that. Julius and I already knew about it.”

“We heard it from His Highness degozaru.”

“I guess it’s only natural for the both of you to hear it from Gus.”

It’s probably normal for Thor and Julius.

“Eh? So that means our paths has already been decided after we graduate?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry about that, but that seems to be the case…”

“I did it! My future is now secured!”

“Alice?”

An unexpected response came from Alice.

“I mean, even though you get admitted to the Advanced Magic Academy, it doesn’t mean that your future is set, right?”

“However, the students from the Knight Military Training Academy can immediately get enlisted right after graduation.”

“Since that academy is specifically for training up and coming Officers and Soldiers. It is a special Advanced Academy. However, the students from the Magic, Economic and Law Academies have to choose their careers after graduation.”

“That’s why I said I’m sorry. Because I have selfishly took away everyone’s chances to choose…”

“Sorry about what? Isn’t the unit directly under His Highness? Furthermore, it’s different from the army. Isn’t that super special treatment? There’s no way I can be a part of that under normal circ.u.mstances!”

“It is as you’ve said, it’s exceptional special treatment.”

“How awesome, Sir. And I can also be a part of it!”

“I wonder if this is just a dream…”

“If I tell my family about it, they’ll probably be really happy.”

Eh? Everyone is happy about it?

“Is this something everyone should be happy about?”

“Walford-kun, you probably don’t know how wonderful this situation is.”

“No… It’s because I don’t understand that I’m asking you guys…”

And then Rin shrugged her shoulders and shook her head from side to side, as if saying ‘good grief.’

“Earls.h.i.+de Kingdom’s Special Forces under the direct control of the Crown Price. This is already considered as special treatment. Furthermore, the Special Forces will only move in case of a special emergency, and are in-charge of supervising other countries… So it means that there’s a great chance that we’ll be deployed to other countries.”

“Not just in the Kingdom, but other countries as well?”

I’m feeling more and more apologetic…

“We will become a Special Force which saves the world in times of crisis. There is romance in that.”

“Romance being part of the Special Forces, you say…”

Sometimes, even Rin says something strange!

“In addition, for us to get such special treatment means…”

“It means?”

“We can also expect considerable wages!”

It’s about that!?

Ah! Everyone started nodding!

“In other words… this is the expressway to being an elite?”

“That’s what it means. Geez, as I thought, it’s really a good thing that I decided to join this Research Society.”

“You said it! Meeting s.h.i.+n-kun is the best luck I’ve ever had!”

“Didn’t it turn out just like I said? That there’s nothing for you to be worried about?”

“I see. If everyone is happy about how it turned out, it would be weird for me to be depressed…”

“That’s how it is.”

Haaa~ Although I was depressed that I’ve taken everyone’s chance to choose their own future… No one seemed to mind it, how lucky.

“Ah, but won’t it be a problem for Mark? You will lose your chance to inherit the workshop.”

“Ah, it’ll be okay with my family since my dad is still active and healthy. There will be no problem if my child is the one to inherit the workshop, Sir.”

“Mark’s child will be the one to inherit the workshop?”

“Well, isn’t that alright? I mean, isn’t the partner already decided?”

“Fufu, it is as you’ve said. Olivia-san will take responsibility, right?”

“Wha—! Wai—! Maria-san! Sicily-san!”

“Hmm, so Bean and Stone have that kind of relations.h.i.+p?”

“Ah, it’s like that after all? I thought they had that kind of relations.h.i.+p when I saw them exiting the workshop together one morning.”

“Heee~ Well done, Mark.”

“Well, about that, please don’t make fun of me, Sir!”

Even in Mark’s family, it didn’t seem it would be a serious problem.

However, in case of an emergency, Gus would probably allow him. There’s not really a reason to prevent them from doing what they want.

“Since I’ll be part of the Special Forces, I want to learn more and more magic. Specifically, I want to learn ‘Gate."”

“Rin thinks of nothing but that magic.”

That’s right. Since they will be part of the Special Forces who would be responsible for saving the world in times of crisis, I wonder if it would be okay if they’re taught stronger magic?

“s.h.i.+n… Even though I said I would be responsible of containing the information, I’m already near my limit, alright? So please don’t think of doing anything strange, okay?”

“…These days, I think Gus has been really on-point with what’s on my mind.”

“No, in the case of s.h.i.+n-kun…”

“It’s really easy to tell because it’s written plainly on your face!”

“Did you not realize it before? You were wearing an expression as if you were in the midst of plotting something, you know?”

What did they say!? I was also found out by everyone else!?

“That said, I wasn’t making any strange expressions!”

“Then, what is it?”

“No, I was thinking that it wouldn’t do if the Special Forces in-charge of saving the world from crisis weren’t strong enough. And then…”

“That’s why I’m saying… that there are limits to certain things!”

Unexpectedly, Gus cried out.

While s.h.i.+n and the others were talking about the future of the Research Society, Kreis and the other members of s.h.i.+n’s party approached the two groups of depressed Knights.

“Aren’t you guys a little too depressed?”

“Isn’t it only natural… I mean what the h.e.l.l was that? I felt like I wasn’t needed at all!”

A person, who was in the same group as Alice and the others, lamented.

“Since this fellow is impatient and likes to rush into things, the other members treated me like I was useless as well.”

“Do-don’t say something like that… I just didn’t want to lose to that fellow…”

“Isn’t it just because of a personal grudge regarding a woman! Furthermore, the woman also suffered an unrequited love!”

“But you see…”

A person who was in the same group as Tony, Tony’s old rival, burst into tears.

“Because it was a rare chance for me see girls, I wanted to show her my good side… And also because I wanted to get closer to her…”

“The reason you’re depressed is too pathetic.”

“It’s not as if you’re the one to talk!”

When Kreis commented on what was said, Miranda reprimanded him.

“What’s that about? Did something also happen to you guys, Kreis?”

“Walford-kun was also part of our group.”

“s.h.i.+n Walford, you say! You must have had a hard time…”

“Nothing like that happened, or rather, it was us who were being taken care of. On top of that, in the end Walford-kun showed his cool side and got the girl. And because of that, apart from me, the other three other people got depressed.”

“Miranda! Do-don’t say strange things!”

The students from the Knight Academy who has never seen Kreis act that way looked on, wide-eyed.

And because of that, they got curious about what happened with Kreis’ group.

“Then? What happened afterwards?”

“Ah, in the middle of the training… a demonized tiger appeared…”

“Ti—! Tiger!?”

“Isn’t that a disaster cla.s.s demon?!”

“And then, Walford-kun immediately took care of it, with a sword to boot.”

With Miranda’s remark, the students from the Knight Academy started to murmur.

“…Hey, isn’t that guy the top student of the Magic Academy? What is he doing defeating a demonized tiger with a sword?”

“Walford-kun’s swordsmans.h.i.+p master… seems to have been Michel Collin-sama.”

“Sword Saint-sama!?”

“Are you serious!?”

“In addition, there was a really cute girl from the Magic Academy who was part of our group, and the three guys fell madly in love with that girl… Apparently, that girl is Walford-kun’s girlfriend. And because the two of them kept being lovey-dovey with each other, the three guys were jealous all throughout the training…”

“I-I wasn’t jealous or anything! Kni-Knights, it is the duty of Knights to protect women!”

“Speaking of girls, there was another one from the Magic Academy.”

“Ab-about that…”

“Also, in the end, the students were tasked to subjugate a demonized bear…”

“Bear!?”

“Exactly how deep did you guys go?!”

“Well, in the last fight, when I was about to be struck by the bear… At that time, I was saved by Walford-kun…”

Kreis was remembering what happened then, and his face turned blue.

When the students from the Knight Academy heard about it, they looked at Kreis with sympathetic eyes.

“Couldn’t do anything about the demonized tiger, the girl was stolen, and was rescued…”

“When I compare myself to that…”

“Ah, we had it easier compared to him…”

“…Even though I had no intention of encouraging these guys…”

This time, Kreis’ status had fallen to the extreme.