Passing through the moving walkway set up in the Academy grounds, the trio returned to the residential area. Leonis’s residence, the Hræsvelgr dorm, was at the back of the residential area, so it took some time to get there. On the way back, the three of them ran into other returning Academy student units and greeted them with high fives.
“That reminds me, where’s Miss Sakuya?” Leonis asked.
“Oh, she went back to her mansion in Old Town,” Riselia said, turning to look at him.
“So she went back to visit her family.”
She must have gone to visit her legal guardian, Raiou. Since Sakuya knew his true identity, he wanted to consult her about setting up an espionage unit that used the mysterious Sakura Orchid techniques. This way, he could compensate for yielding half of the Demon Wolf Pack to Gazoth.
…If I just started scouting members without speaking to her, I imagine she’d get mad at me.
Sakuya was, despite how she acted most of the time, the Sakura Orchid’s princess, so talking to her before doing anything was probably appropriate.
“Ah, our humble, beloved abode is coming into view, Lady Selia!” Regina pointed at the mansion style building built atop a hill. “But is it just me, or does it look even more abandoned?”
“R-right…,” Riselia said, her face screwed up nervously.
The walls of the Hræsvelgr dorm were covered in the vines of some strange plant Shary had planted, and a swarm of creepy bats were hanging from the roof’s eaves.
“…But it still feels like home.”
“True. I think the last time I slept in my bed was the day before Princess Chatres invited us over to the tea party. And that was, uh, how many days ago…?” Regina started counting the days on her fingers.
They were caught up in the Queen of Shadows Scheherazade’s plan in Elysion Academy, were swallowed by a Void tear where they fought the Spirit King, and ran into the other Leonis, who was unsealed in the old Rognas Kingdom ruins.
In terms of total time, the entire sequence of events only took eighty hours, but it did feel long enough for them to miss home.
“I wanna take a shower, already…,” Regina said, pinching the hem of her shirt with a finger and flapping it to cool herself.
“Regina, that’s improper,” Riselia chided her.
With that exchange, they arrived at the dorm’s front door.
“—Oh, you’ve returned, Lord Leonis!”
Leonis stopped in his tracks, hearing a telepathic message. He spotted a cackling skull hiding in the thicket. It was the Archmage and leader of the Three Champions of Rognas, Nefisgal. He’d been guarding the dorm ever since the Holy Light Festival, where he was stationed as a decoration in the yard as part of its setup as a haunted café.
“Yes. You’ve done well to guard this place in my absence, Nefisgal,” Leonis replied via telepathy.
Excalibur Academy was also attacked by the Voids during the Stampede, but the Three Champions of Rognas bravely protected the dorm. Incidentally, Amilas and Dorug were set in the back of the building.
“—That said, Lord Leonis, I have a report for you.”
“Mm? Speak it.”
“You see, about an hour ago, intruders entered the dorm…”
“Intruders?!” Leonis frowned. “Well, why didn’t you drive them away?”
“Uh, you see…”
The skull rattled inside the thicket. It almost seemed like Nefisgal, a seasoned veteran in his own right, was scared of something.
“Who could it be…?”
“What’s wrong, Leo?” Riselia asked as she unlocked the front door, turning to look at him quizzically.
“O-oh, nothing!”
“C’mon, kid, get in.”
At Regina’s urging, Leonis walked away from the thicket. They opened the door, and the moment he stepped inside, Leonis sensed something was wrong.
…Someone’s here.
He cautiously stepped out in front of his minion. But then—
“Oh, you’re finally back, Leo.”
A girl reclining on the living room sofa looked up at him, her crimson hair coming into view.
“You were late, so we helped ourselves in and made ourselves at home,” a girl with amethyst-colored hair then said, holding up a can of beer.
“What are you two doing here?!” Leonis called out irately.
✦ ✦ ✦
Veira the Dragon Lord and the Lord of the Seas, Rivaiz. Two of the most feared Dark Lords prophesized to bring destruction…were now lazily lounging on the sofa after a bath, dressed in nothing but their undergarments and a blouse over their limbs.
“Th-that’s my shirt…,” Riselia muttered, stupefied.
✦ ✦ ✦
