The finals ended.
Unlike last semester, where vacation followed immediately, the second term had one last event: the graduation exam for the senior class.
As the academy's grandest festival, the atmosphere was electric.
Shirone placed 6th in Class Four's written exams.
Dante was first, followed by Sabina, Closer, Boyle, and Pandora. Below Shirone were Iruki and Neid, both shell-shocked by their poor theory scores.
But when combined with practical scores, Shirone jumped to 3rd overall.
Dante was first, Iruki second.
Still, since Shirone had defeated Dante in the arena, many students argued he should be the top graduate.
Yet his reputation wasn't what it once was.
With his origins exposed, some of his followers drifted away—some even hurling insults.
Shirone hid the pain
Kilaine kept her promise, publishing no more articles about him. Olivia said she'd even visited Shirone's parents to apologize on her knees.
Shirone told himself this too would pass.
But the single article in Spirit Magazine returned with a storm beyond imagination.
Clank! Clank!
Forty fully armed knights marched through Tormia's noble district, escorting a single carriage.
Gilded and large enough to live in, the carriage bore a golden lion emblem—symbol of only one nation.
Even nobles dared not frown at the procession.
When the carriage stopped at the academy gates, the guards panicked.
The security chief sprinted to the headmaster's office, pale as death.
Security Chief: "Headmistress! Disaster has struck!"
Olivia, annoyed by the lack of decorum, set aside her irritation when she saw his near-tearful face.
Olivia: "What is it?"
Instead of explaining, he thrust a document at her.
She read it slowly, then sighed, pressing her fingers to her forehead.
Olivia: "Sigh…"
Security Chief: "Wh-what do we do? Should we let them in?"
Olivia: "Of course. How could we turn them away? Escort them. I'll greet them shortly."
As he rushed off, Olivia muttered.
Olivia: "So it's happened after all."
She had expected trouble—but not from someone this formidable.
Perhaps this was for the best.
Given Shirone's nature, he might despise it—but for his future, it could be a blessing.
Olivia: "Well… I'd better go."
She changed quickly and headed out.
Students froze as the carriage rolled through campus.
Never before had armed knights entered the school.
Student 1: "What's going on? Is there a war?"
Student 2: "Why are knights here?"
The crowd swelled to hundreds as the carriage halted before the central building.
Knights stood guard, hands on their swords.
Alpheas arrived first, but even the former headmaster didn't ease their vigilance.
Then the carriage door burst open.
An elderly man with sharp eyes stepped out, unfurling a gold-edged scroll.
Ordos: "I am Ordos, Administrative Executive of the Kazura Kingdom, here by the King's decree!"
The students instinctively stepped back.
The voice of the old man, who looked like he could drop dead any day now, was louder than the young man's shouts. But once they grasped the meaning behind his words, that much wasn't even surprising.
The Kazura Kingdom was a nation located north of the Tormia Kingdom.
Why would an administrative officer serving the king's orders come to a provincial school, let alone a royal magic academy?
The students' doubts were resolved by Ordos' following words.
"Is Arian Shirone present here?! If so, step forward at once to heed the king's command!"
The students scrambled to find Shirone as if it were some urgent duty.
But Shirone was nowhere to be seen.
Only after the initial confusion settled did a strange thought arise—why would an envoy from the Kazura Kingdom be looking for Shirone?
Alpheas turned to a nearby student and spoke.
"Could you go and fetch Shirone? It seems to be a pressing matter."
"Huh? Ah, yes!"
The student dashed off to find Shirone.
Of course, there was no way to know where he was, and searching the vast campus was nearly impossible. But in the midst of the chaos, the student moved on instinct.
"Arian Shirone! Is Shirone not present here?! This is the king's command! Step forward at once and obey!"
Ordos bellowed, his voice thick with displeasure.
Naturally, as an envoy of the Kazura Kingdom, he held a position that none present could defy.
No matter how prestigious Alpheas was in magical society, his authority was still granted by the state. No organization could supersede a nation.
And since this was practically the act of a foreign king himself, the noble-born students—steeped in imperial theory—didn't dare make a sound.
"Shirone! Must I wait any longer?!"
"I've brought Shirone."
A beautiful voice cut through Ordos' metallic tone.
Olivia, the current headmaster of Alpheas Magic Academy, walked forward, holding Shirone's hand.
Since Shirone always visited the Supernatural Spiritual Science Research Club after classes, finding him hadn't been difficult.
Iruki and Neid followed closely behind.
Shirone looked around in bewilderment.
Nearly the entire student body had gathered, and before him stood a massive carriage and escort knights whose strength was evident at a glance.
On the way here, Olivia had only told him that someone was looking for him.
"Shirone, go to that man. He's an envoy from the Kazura Kingdom."
"Huh? An envoy?"
Only then did Shirone startle, looking up at Olivia in surprise.
Though he had come to trust her after she had intervened during Kilaine's schemes, hearing about a royal envoy still made him uneasy.
Olivia patted his back reassuringly.
"It's alright. You'll understand once you go."
Trusting her, Shirone took a deep breath and approached Ordos.
Ordos glared at him with sunken eyes.
Though they were merely hollow, Shirone felt as if his skull were being pierced. The moment he thought no lie could escape those eyes, Ordos spoke in his grating voice.
"Are you Arian Shirone?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Lying here would be an insult to the Kazura Kingdom! I ask again—are you certain you are Arian Shirone?!"
"Yes! I'm certain!"
Shirone shouted without thinking.
He didn't know why Ordos had to yell so loudly even at close range, but it was undeniably effective.
His mind went blank, and answers spilled out as if under hypnosis.
Ordos extended a hand toward his subordinate behind him.
The aide handed over a scroll bearing the royal seal. Unfurling it, Ordos arrogantly raised his head and declared:
"Arian Shirone! Before I relay the king's command, I have some questions for you. Know that if you lie or bear false witness, your life may be forfeited. Understood?!"
"Yes, I understand."
Shirone didn't like Ordos' attitude—summoning someone only to threaten their life—but since it was the king's order, he had no choice but to comply.
Besides, he had lived without sin. He had nothing to fear.
"Arian Shirone. Are you the son of a hunter who lived on the slopes of the Valley of Dawn?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"Arian Shirone, the child picked up from a stable by Arian Vincent and Arian Olina—is that you?"
Commoners didn't have meaningful surnames.
The fact that Vincent and Olina shared the same surname was simply because they were of the Arian ethnicity. Though little-known to the public, any ethnologist would recognize it as a commoner's name.
In short, Ordos' words held not an ounce of consideration for Shirone.
There was no need to emphasize that he was a child picked up from a stable—the entire kingdom already knew Shirone was a commoner.
"Yes, that's correct."
Shirone sighed as he answered.
He could feel the students' disgusted gazes, but he had already braced himself.
Yet Ordos persisted, as if he couldn't bear not humiliating Shirone further, hammering home every unpleasant detail.
"You were raised by the hunter Vincent after being abandoned in a stable at two months old, in the Thornvein Mines of the Origin Mountains. You learned hunting skills from your father, then later served as a lowly footman in the Ozent household for two years before becoming their guest and enrolling in this magic academy. Is all of this true?"
Someone in the crowd burst into laughter.
"Pfft—hahaha! A footman?!"
The laughter died when eyes turned toward them, but it was clear others were snickering inwardly.
A footman was a servant who scrubbed floors in noble households.
Neid glanced around, memorizing the face of the student who had laughed.
Iruki also frowned, visibly upset by Ordos' words.
Shirone sighed again.
At first, he had been too stunned to react, but now he fully understood his position.
Everyone was mocking him.
It was horrifying—just moments ago, these were friends who had laughed and chatted with him, yet now they looked at him as if he were vermin.
"Answer me, Shirone! Is all of this true?"
"Yes… it's true."
The moment Shirone spoke, the students erupted into murmurs.
Most were scornful and mocking; only a handful looked at him with pity.
Among those listening from the outskirts of the crowd were Canis and Arin, who belonged to that minority.
"Didn't expect that. Shirone was a commoner?"
"Tch, what does it matter? Nobles are the worst. All they know is flaunting their family names."
Canis and Arin were also parentless. Abandoned on the streets as children, they had grown up in the slums of the capital, Radum, so they naturally resented the nobles mocking Shirone.
"Still, not all of them are like that. Iruki and Neid aren't, and Dante's group looks pissed too. Especially Dante—didn't expect him to care."
Arin's ability to sense emotions meant it was likely true.
Canis glared at Dante before muttering,
"Tch, what do those magic-obsessed freaks care about lineage? For aspiring mages, that's normal. No—actually, that pisses me off too. Born with a silver spoon, yet acting all sympathetic?"
Arin chuckled dryly.
Shirone at least had the title of a commoner, but they were rootless bastards. Canis' rough words couldn't hide that even he was affected by Dante's attitude—treating people based on magic alone.
"Hey… Amy's coming."
Arin pointed to two girls sprinting toward them—Amy and her best friend, Seriel.
"Amy, what the hell's going on?"
Seriel panted but couldn't stop talking.
The student Alpheas had sent had first gone to Amy, Shirone's known lover.
Of course, Seriel wouldn't miss such a dramatic scene either.
"No idea! We'll find out when we get there."
Amy and Seriel pushed through the crowd.
Since Shirone's official lover had arrived, the students silently made way.
"Shirone! What's—?!"
Amy's words caught in her throat as she broke through the crowd.
Knights with murderous glares surrounded them, and the stern old man was still shouting.
Shirone stood with his head slightly bowed, listening—like a criminal awaiting sentencing.
Ordos' humiliation of Shirone escalated.
He began recounting stories from magazines before moving on to privately gathered anecdotes.
Tales of Shirone living with nomadic children, wandering the mountains for days just to find a single meal—all of it spilled out.
For the students, it was all new and absurd. And the more they heard, the more Shirone's commoner status sank in.
Ordos' scroll likely contained only the king's decree.
At this point, it was impressive how he had memorized eighteen years' worth of details.
Shirone, meanwhile, was on the verge of collapse.
Having his secrets exposed in front of friends he'd spent a year with felt worse than being stripped naked.
"Is all of this true?! Answer me, Shirone!"
Shirone was so agitated he didn't even realize his fists were clenched. By the time he regained his senses, he was on the brink of exploding.
Forcing himself to calm down, he nodded resignedly.
"Yes… it's true."
The students burst into laughter.
With the barrage of humiliating questions, no one held back anymore.
It wasn't even that funny. But to nobles raised in privilege, the past of Shirone—the top student of the advanced class—was hilarious.
Seriel glanced worriedly at Amy.
She, too, had first learned Shirone was a commoner from a magazine.
Honestly, it had been a shock. She'd even felt a little betrayed that Amy hadn't told her.
But Seriel chose happiness.
She couldn't hate Amy and Shirone—not when every moment with them had been so precious.
But the other students had no such memories.
To them, Shirone was an untouchable genius—an obstacle they wished would just disappear from their lives.
"Amy…"
Amy finally snapped.
"You bastards! What's so damn funny?!"
She rolled up her sleeves and stormed toward the students.
She was furious at Shirone's so-called friends for just standing by.
At that moment, Ordos delivered the king's command.
"Arian Shirone, kneel and receive the decree!"
Amy froze. Shirone dropped to one knee, listening.
Ordos' voice boomed as if his previous words had been whispers.
It felt like his throat would tear.
"By the order of Orcamp IV, King of Kazura! Arian Shirone's records match those of the Kazura Kingdom's archives! You are highly likely to be the First Prince, who was sent into hiding during the kingdom's crisis eighteen years ago! Thus, you are hereby summoned to the kingdom to prove your claim to the throne! So declares Orcamp IV!"
Iruki and Neid shouted in unison.
"WHAAAAAT?!"
The other students were equally stunned.
When the foreign envoy had grilled Shirone about his past, they'd assumed it was a recruitment offer.
Though rare, nations sometimes scouted talent from abroad.
But Shirone—a prince? And not just any prince, but the First Prince, the direct heir to the throne.
The students who had mocked Shirone turned pale, whispering among themselves.
"What the hell is this? Why Shirone?"
"No idea. The First Prince? Of the Kazura Kingdom?"
"W-well… someone of Shirone's talent couldn't just be a commoner."
One sharp comment silenced them all.
It made sense.
While commoners could produce geniuses, talent was often hereditary. Most students here had inherited their gifts from noble parents.
Only now did they realize—just because Shirone was raised by commoners didn't mean his bloodline was common.
No, if his birth parents had been commoners, they wouldn't have left him in the mountains.
"Dammit, what do we do? Kazura's our ally! What if Shirone really becomes king? What if he retaliates?"
"D-don't be stupid! It's not even confirmed yet!"
"Not confirmed?! You think the kingdom would announce this without proof? They must've investigated thoroughly before sending an envoy!"
It was a fair assumption.
This wasn't just any proclamation—it was a royal decree. If Shirone wasn't the prince, it would be a national disgrace.
Yet they had announced it publicly, meaning the higher-ups were at least 99% certain.
"I don't know! Ugh, damn it! We're screwed!"
Neid smirked at the panicking students.
Not that Shirone would retaliate—he wasn't the type.
No, if he really became king, he wouldn't bother with petty grudges.
But the students couldn't know that.
Even first-rate nobles were still subjects of the crown.
Some families transcended nations, but most were mere vassals.
With Shirone on the verge of becoming royalty, their unease was understandable.
"Answer me, Shirone! The king's command is absolute!"
Ordos shouted again when Shirone hesitated.
But Shirone truly didn't know how to respond.
He had only dueled Dante.
That had been published in Kilaine's paper, spreading across the kingdom.
That was as far as Shirone had imagined.
He never thought his birth parents would see it and come looking.
And if those parents were royalty—not just nobles—it was a miracle his mind hadn't shut down.
Shirone glanced around, searching for someone who could make sense of this madness.
Most of the students wore dazed expressions, and neither Neid nor Iruki had any advice to offer.
What could friends possibly say when biological parents come to claim their child? It was a matter of blood—and worse, one tangled with royalty.
Alpheas glanced at Olivia.
They had expected the news of Kilaine to bring repercussions, but the scale was far greater than anticipated.
Alpheas: "The Kingdom of Kazura? This is the biggest catch among all the candidates so far."
Olivia: "And that means their credibility is high, too. Even from what I've seen, Shirone's talent is extraordinary. I thought that if the knights investigated, his real parents might actually be found—but royalty? I never imagined…"
Though they hadn't told Shirone, several noble families had secretly requested his personal records after the news of Kilaine left.
Given how common political marriages were among nobles, illegitimate children were surprisingly frequent.
Most abandoned offspring were ignored, but if the child possessed the kingdom's greatest talent? That changed everything.
Even if some details didn't align, nobles were arrogant enough to convince themselves the child was theirs.
Seriel: "Eek! No way! Shirone was a prince?! This is exactly like the stories I've imagined! Amy, look, I've got goosebumps—see?!"
Seriel had already floated off into another world.
Shirone, a prince.
Wasn't this the kind of romance no book could ever replicate?
Seriel: "Huh? Wait, then that means…"
Her eyes widened as she whipped her head toward Amy.
Seriel: "Amy! You're going to be queen?!"
Amy: "Shut up! What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Amy clamped a hand over Seriel's mouth, her expression fierce.
Already overwhelmed, Amy found Seriel's chatter nothing but noise.
Whether Shirone was royalty or not didn't matter. All she cared about was his turmoil—facing the parents who'd abandoned him.
Shirone met Amy's gaze.
Seeing his tearful expression, Amy's eyes softened with pity.
A king's decree couldn't be refused. Shirone knew that. He just wanted reassurance that his choice was right.
Amy nodded.
Shirone stared at her, as if asking again, and only after seeing her smile did he turn to Ordos.
Shirone: "I… will obey the king's summons."
Ordos approached as if this were the obvious answer.
Ordos: "Royal protocols differ from noble ones. Kazura's are especially strict—mind your conduct. Complete your school's leave of absence, then bring the parents who raised you."
Shirone: "Huh? Right now?"
Ordos: "What's the use of questions? This is the king's command! The sooner you depart, the better!"
Shirone's vision darkened.
He'd never even heard of Kazura's protocols, and the sudden order to leave school and return home was suffocating. Worse, no one explained what awaited him in the kingdom.
Wouldn't basic knowledge prevent mistakes?
Shirone: "Please… just a little more time—!"
Ordos: "You dare defy the king?!"
Shirone clenched his jaw.
What hurt most wasn't Ordos' attitude—as an official, his arrogance was expected.
It was the royal decree itself.
If they were really his parents… they shouldn't summon a child they'd abandoned for 18 years like this.
He didn't expect apologies, but if they felt any guilt, shouldn't they at least accommodate him?
For the sake of the parents who had raised him—
Alpheas nudged Olivia.
Alpheas: "You should step in. This isn't working."
Olivia: "Hmm…"
She'd been ready to intervene.
Kazura's strictness stemmed from being a young nation—only 100 years independent. But Ordos' behavior was excessive, even for reclaiming a royal heir. Likely, the palace hadn't ordered this.
Given that they'd probably instructed accommodations for Shirone, Ordos' rigidity was either innate stubbornness or arrogance.
Olivia: "Then grant him at least a day. His parents know nothing. Persuading them will take time."
Ordos' face reddened.
Though infamous for his temper, he wasn't this obstinate in his homeland. But here—in Tormia, a rival nation masked as an ally, under the gaze of nobles at a magic academy—yielding would damage Kazura's reputation.
A pity for Shirone, but Ordos was loyal to his kingdom.
And Shirone's parents were commoners. Delaying for nobles was one thing, but for peasants? That wounded his pride.
Ordos: "Denied. The king's word is absolute! You leave now—!"
Then—a voice cut through from the gates.
???: "Shirone's parents' identities have already been secured."
Students turned, parting the crowd. Shirone's eyes widened.
Someone unexpected strode forward.
Before anyone could question her identity, her beauty captivated them.
A slender frame, delicate features, and cascading blue curls like ocean waves.
Student 1: "Wow… who's that?"
Student 2: "Wait, I know her! She's that famous musician from the kingdom!"
Shirone gaped.
It was Rian's sister—Ozent Reina.
Beside her, the stern-faced butler Temuran stood guard.
Reina ignored Shirone, walking straight to Ordos.
Reina: "Greetings, Mr. Ordos. Your reputation precedes you."
Ordos scowled at the disruption but held his tongue—Reina's noble aura was unmistakable.
Ordos: "And you are?"
Reina: "Reina of House Ozent. I've come as proxy for the family head, Ozent Biscoff, and as Shirone's legal guardian."
House Ozent's reputation as a respected military family forced Ordos to tread carefully.
Ordos: "Very well. Then we'll discuss Shirone's transfer. First—"
Reina: "First." She interrupted. "We request three days' preparation. Shirone is a guest invited by the kingdom, yet knows nothing of Kazura's protocols. Our head butler, Louis, departed for Kazura yesterday. If we finalize entry procedures there, no time will be wasted. Meanwhile, we'll teach Shirone royal etiquette. Henceforth, all matters concerning him will be handled by House Ozent's dedicated team."
Ordos hesitated.
His personal authority was useless now—this had become a diplomatic affair.
Ordos: "…Agreed. I'll leave this to you. For any issues, consult my aide, Daltos. I'll return to Kazura to relay your terms."
Reina: "Then we'll meet at the palace."
After formalities, Ordos boarded his carriage. The knights escorted him away with the same pomp as before.
Shirone stood stunned, tears welling. Reina's arrival felt like salvation.
Shirone: "Reina… noona…?"
But Reina remained stern, discussing logistics with Temuran. Only after dismissing him did she turn—her icy expression melting into a warm smile.
Reina: "Long time no see, Shirone. Been well?"