“If that happens, I’ll really use the Imperial Knights to kill you. Got it?”
Rowen stared down at his friend. Soon, a faint smile spread across Rowen’s lips. He lightly tapped Nigel’s shoulder as if to reassure him.
“Don’t worry.”
“…….”
“I’ll take it to my grave. I didn’t see anything. Satisfied?”
At Rowen’s answer, Nigel finally let out a small sigh of relief. As the tension drained away, his legs gave out and he flopped down onto the bed.
After spending days running away under threat to his life and worrying, he was finally relieved to have regained his true form, even if just like this.
However, unlike before, Rowen’s expression had hardened strangely.
“But Nigel.”
“……What.”
“I don’t think this is something we can just sweep under the rug and move on from.”
Rowen’s voice dropped low. His usual lighthearted tone was completely gone.
“You’re the Crown Prince, and you were cursed and turned into a frog for several days. That means both the Academy’s barrier and your mana defense barrier were penetrated. Just who the hell did this?”
Rowen’s blue eyes gleamed coldly. It was both concern as a friend and murderous fury as a knight protecting the Crown Prince.
“We need to find the culprit. Even if we’re keeping the events of the past few days secret.”
Nigel looked up at Rowen.
Yes, this reaction. Not simply complying with orders, but getting angry—who dares to touch you? Nigel twisted his lips into a smile.
If it’s this guy, he’ll become my hands and feet, the perfect tool for catching the culprit.
“Right, you’re correct.”
“Do you have someone in mind?”
“I do. Very likely suspects.”
“I’ll tell Sir Rodrick right away—”
“No, not the knights. I told you earlier. If word gets out, my reputation will be ruined.”
Nigel cut off Rowen’s words and sprang up from his seat. He had erased his helpless appearance from moments ago and returned to the arrogant face of the Crown Prince.
“We’ll find the culprit. But I have no intention of informing anyone else about this. So just me, and you. Only the two of us will move.”
“……Just the two of us?”
“Right. Your role is important.”
Nigel approached Rowen and tapped his shoulder.
“The culprit is definitely in the Alchemy Department. One of those gloomy bastards must have dared to feed a cursed potion to the Crown Prince.”
“The Alchemy Department?”
“Right. Let’s start investigating there first.”
Nigel declared with a confident voice.
“Fine, but……”
“But what?”
Rowen added one more condition to the contract.
“Don’t go anywhere alone. Nigel, you’ll accompany me wherever you go. I’m worried that someone who wants to harm you is inside the Academy.”
“…You’re so nagging.”
Though Nigel spoke curtly, he nodded his head slightly as if he didn’t dislike such a Rowen. Confirming this, Rowen smiled brightly.
“Then let’s go out for now. My knights are waiting outside.”
Saying that, Nigel confidently rose from the bed wearing the shirt he’d borrowed from Rowen.
***
Walking past the half-destroyed door that had become wooden scraps, the corridor came into view.
As expected, outside the door was packed with people waiting for Nigel to come out.
“Your Highness!”
Sir Rodrick was the first to run up to Nigel. Clank, clank. The sound of heavy iron armor was chilling. He looked like he was about to burst into tears as soon as he confirmed Nigel Kaiserion’s safety.
“Are you… feeling better now?”
Having already heard the explanation inside Rowen’s room that he had been ‘bedridden with a headache,’ Rodrick’s question had changed from demanding his whereabouts to worrying about his health.
“I can walk without trouble. Thanks to Rowen taking good care of me.”
Nigel answered calmly while glancing at Rowen standing beside him. Rowen silently nodded as if nonchalant, but there was tension in his clasped hands.
The seasoned old knight scanned the young Crown Prince’s appearance. The loose shirt hastily borrowed from Rowen Ashfield. And the jet-black hair that had always been neatly combed back, never tolerating dishevelment, caught his eye.
It’s definitely related to Rowen Ashfield— At Rodrick’s probing gaze, Nigel inwardly thought that overly perceptive vassals were troublesome.
“…I didn’t do anything dangerous, so don’t worry.”
“Her Majesty was very worried. The Imperial Palace was about to summon even the mages to prepare for any possible situation.”
“There’s no need to cause more commotion here, Sir Rodrick. It was just a chronic condition acting up.”
“But Your Highness. The Academy’s environment doesn’t seem suitable for Your Highness’s recovery. Even now, if we escort you back to the Imperial Palace for a thorough examination….”
Rodrick still seemed uneasy and recommended returning to the Imperial Palace. But Nigel firmly shook his head.
“No. The festival is right around the corner. The person in charge can’t leave his post.”
“Your Highness….”
“I’ll take care of my own health. And….”
Nigel stared directly at Rodrick.
“Since you’ve confirmed my safety, please relay that to Her Majesty as well. That I am well and have finished preparing to carry out the Mardinia Festival perfectly.”
Only after a long moment could Sir Rodrick open his mouth with a sunken voice.
“……I understand.”
It was a deferral.
“I believe Your Highness the Crown Prince must have deeper intentions.”
The knight bowed his head respectfully before raising it. In his raised eyes, doubt that still hadn’t been completely washed away clung thickly.
From the start, Nigel never thought he would completely understand his three-day absence with just the crude excuse about the festival.
“I’m grateful you understand me, Sir.”
Nigel nodded once.
This is enough. For now, this much is sufficient.
In any case, the fact that he’d been turned into a frog and wandered around the Academy for the past three days would be buried forever. Nigel needed just a little bit of time.
After revealing who was behind this commotion and punishing them, he could cover everything up.
It was when Rowen, standing beside Nigel, was inwardly sighing with relief.
“Your Highness.”
Hm? Nigel’s footsteps stopped abruptly. Then he turned his head to look at Knight Rodrick standing behind him.
“May I offer a piece of advice?”
As expected, he won’t just let it go.
When Nigel nodded, Rodrick spoke. Rodrick’s voice was quiet, but heavy and firm like a lump of iron.
“Her Majesty was very worried.”
“…….”
She would be. Seeing how the Academy’s headmaster helped with trembling indicated how many times and in how many different ways Mother had contacted Silvanus over those three days.
Nigel Kaiserion met Rodrick’s gaze while maintaining a calm expression. Sir Rodrick widened the corners of his mouth as if he knew what Nigel was thinking right now.
“Since I’ve confirmed Your Highness the Crown Prince’s safety with my own eyes, Her Majesty will be at ease now. However, she would be even more relieved if Nigel-nim sent a letter directly.”
“A letter?”
“Yes. She would like it.”
“…Even though she’s scheduled to visit the Academy in a few days anyway?”
“So it’s already been arranged. But I think there’s still enough time to send a letter.”
“…I thought it would be better to show her directly at the festival that I’m doing well.”
“Because what Her Majesty the Emperor expects isn’t the Mardinia Festival.”
Then what? Nigel’s head tilted slightly. Sir Rodrick’s wrinkled eyes curved slightly as he looked at the young Crown Prince.
“No grand prose is needed. Her Majesty will like anything if it’s a letter from Nigel-nim.”
“…You don’t know this, Sir, but we’re not the kind of relationship that exchanges letters.”
Nigel let out words mixed with a sigh.
He knew well enough that other students at the Academy stayed in daily contact with their families back home. That exchanging letters and parcels to soothe homesickness and sharing trivial daily lives was what normal families did.
But the Imperial Family is different.
Mother is always burdened with state affairs. Nigel didn’t want to send unnecessary letters to that busy schedule and show his mother himself adapting to the Academy.
“Rather than formal letters, she would prefer to see directly that I’ve properly adapted at the Academy.”
Nigel added with a cold face.
“Because I know Mother well.”
“…I see.”
Rodrick, wearing a faint smile, nodded.
“Nigel-nim may think that way. But please try it once. If you value this old man’s advice.”
“…….”
Nigel closed his mouth and stared at the Imperial Family’s longtime knight. There was nothing wrong with what Sir Rodrick had said.
Sometimes even Nigel himself had wondered if they would have been this distant if he weren’t the Crown Prince, if he were just an ordinary son.
But that was only a hypothetical and had no effect on reality.
Rodrick didn’t urge him any further. He gazed at his young lord with deep eyes for a moment, then slowly bowed in greeting.
“Then I shall return to the Imperial Palace now. There is someone anxiously waiting for news of Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
When Nigel nodded without a word, Rodrick lightly turned around despite his heavy armor and walked down the Academy corridor. Clack clack clack. Knights followed in a line behind him.
Nigel fixed his gaze on the backs of the knights leaving the dormitory building and said to Rowen beside him.
“Let’s head to the Alchemy Department first.”
