Time had passed since the narcotics trafficking scandal that shook the academy. It was hardly more than a few months, but the only students who still remembered it vividly were those directly involved and racked with guilt, and the teachers were also desperate to forget that the cause of it all was one of their own.
And as for Pearlman—the wolf in teacher’s clothing who was strict on some occasions, gentle at others, and rising in popularity—it was only a matter of time before his name was forgotten.
But some people still remembered him vividly. I was one of them. And while I sometimes let myself get lost in the peaceful days of my second life, I wasn’t carefree enough to completely forget about the enemies who threatened the peace.
And as for the others who still remembered—
“Huff…huff…! I can do this all day!”
“And so can I…Princess Colette!”
—they were my two royal friends, Colette and Albert.
Colette imbued her practice sword with magic and unleashed it at her opponent, her tight, muscular body dancing as she swung. And Albert, while aware of his inferiority in strength, kept pace with the combat-superior Colette, aiming to support her to the best of his abilities.
They were facing off against me.
Realizing his reserve energy was insufficient, Albert opened the entirety of his magic and charged at me. He was trying to provoke me into giving Colette an opening to strike me.
Not constricted by the notion of how a woman or man should be, he respected people for their talent—it was a tolerant worldview that I admired. The guy had balls, to eagerly play the part of a pawn not out of weak-mindedness, but out of statistical pragmatism.
I twisted my upper body to dodge the broad sideswipe of his sword. His attack missed me, but Albert let his momentum carry him behind me, flanking me with Colette on the other side.
Meanwhile, Colette understood his sudden move. Albert had telegraphed it to her clearly. They were both talented warriors and had arrived at the same answer simultaneously. I didn’t know about Albert behind me, but from Colette’s gaze, I could tell the two had exchanged a glance.
A magic energy nurtured by her bloodline, talent, and hard work surged inside of her. It would be an attack I couldn’t block with one hand while fending off Albert with the other. And because of that—
I spun backward before Colette could strike.
“Wha—! Bffehh?!”
My wide movement confused Albert, but the jab to his chin made him cry out in pain immediately after. I had kicked him while I was spinning backward. The force of my kick sent Albert’s lightweight body flying… Then there was a resounding thud behind the spot where he once stood.
I let my momentum carry me back to my original position, giving me ample time to fix my stance and block Colette’s sword.
“Oof…!”
“Excellent swing, Princess. I see you’ve improved not only your swordplay, but your magic as well.”
I had taken the impact of her blade, but it was Colette who was gasping for air. Colette swung at me, and I blocked her sword. As we repeated the dance, our respective confidences reached an equilibrium, then reversed.
The moment Colette let me see the intense pressure and fatigue she was under, I repelled her sword with vigor.
“Ah!” she yelped, shocked from the sudden surge of numbness in her.
Her practice sword flew, hitting the stone floor with a pretty clank. Meanwhile, I thrust my practice blade at her with ample breath and grace.
“You put up a valiant fight, Princess. Your spirit and strategy have improved yet again. I am deeply impressed.”
With a soft smile, I sheathed my practice sword and offered Colette my hand. Her dropped jaw twisted into a smile as she took it.
“Dammit all! I lost again!” Colette screamed loud and bitter to console herself. Then she grinned again. “That was…amazing! I was sure we’d win this time, but not even the two of us together could touch you!”
“Ow-w-w…I agree, Princess. While I didn’t think we could beat Miss Mylene, I thought we would at least last a little longer… I’m shocked that she still had the energy to defeat us, even though she was going easy on us.”
As I helped Colette off the ground, Albert approached us, rubbing his chin. Their praise made me itch a little, but I forced a composed expression onto my face and said back to them, “Well, if I had to describe my fighting style, it assumes a siege of multiple opponents.”
My sword technique was inspired by my mercenary days where one versus a crowd—or a crowd versus a crowd—was the norm. In my past life before my current one as Mylene, I’d taken these sorts of battles for granted.
When I was going up against Albert and Colette, who had never really practiced as a team before, I could easily defeat them both while still dividing a fraction of my magic between them.
“Cooperative combat is a highly specialized skill,” I explained. “Its biggest asset is the ability to attack simultaneously, but to succeed at landing a joint strike, you must both be hyperaware of your opponent’s position—sometimes that even got in your way, right? And while it’s true that I held back my magic, I suspect neither of you unleashed your full potential either.”
“Hmm… You know, you’re right,” Colette said. “I suppose landing a simple cooperative attack requires a burst of energy.”
“And our opponent’s positioning did indeed add more clutter to our minds,” Albert agreed.
“Exactly. You both are fast learners. I am incredibly pleased.”
I couldn’t help but smile at my two capable pupils. After the fight with Gods of the Moon, Colette and Albert had begged me to train them. Before the ordeal, I used to train after class as a habit, and Albert and Colette often joined me, but since Colette and I were nothing more than friendly rivals, while we might spar or offer casual words of advice, I was not in a position to actually teach her anything.
But now, Colette had humbled herself and begged me to teach her magic and the sword.
“We don’t want to suffer the same humiliation twice,” she replied in earnest. “Of course I’m desperate to learn.”
And it was Pearlman who had changed her. Learning of the existence of a cult with magic beyond human knowledge and being kidnapped by them had forced Colette to swallow her pride as my friendly rival and beg to become my student.
“I feel the same way,” Albert said. “Next time, I want to be able to stand proud and help you, Miss Mylene.”
The crisis had also made Albert uncomfortably aware of his inadequacy. His valiant spirit defied his angelic looks—and I couldn’t have been prouder.
“At the very least…,” I began, “with that fighting style, you shouldn’t need any help from me. As I’ve said a thousand times, Albert, you are the prince of Eltania. You must understand that your life does not belong you alone.”