The forest at night was dangerous.
Especially when it was raining as if the sky had been torn open, the danger doubled.
It’s hard to even see a foot ahead, but I actually consider that a bit of luck.
The pouring rain will at least help wash away some of the traces.
“Could we rest for a bit over there?”
“If we delay any longer, we’ll end up with holes all through our guts.”
“Eek… I-I’m sorry.”
She was completely terrified.
Normally, I never would have said something like that.
Even though we were still in a foreign land, the girl on my back was royalty.
Insulting royalty is punishable by death, no exceptions.
“If you’re sorry, keep your mouth shut and hold on tight.”
Maybe the warning worked. She clamped her mouth shut, and her small frail hands wrapped around my neck.
After running for quite a while, I spotted a large stone monument.
There were about thirty pursuers trailing behind us.
That can’t be all of them. These were probably just the ones assigned to scouting or driving us in.
With the rain covering our movements, I began retracing our path as quietly as possible.
After about five minutes, I detected a group through their mana.
Pointed ears and dark skin. They were dark elves.
Not quite as close to the forest as true elves, but still familiar enough with it. Looks like they were sent as the advance party.
I drew up my mana and took out a throwing knife.
“Captain, it’s hard to track them in this rain.”
“We’re already in neutral territory. Pushing the pursuit any further…”
“Cut the whining and find them no matter—ugh!”
Thud—
The throwing knife I released pierced straight through the head of the dark elf who seemed to be the captain.
“Henenxia!”
I didn’t expect him to go down this easily. Was he careless?
Then again, they probably never imagined that prey on the run would suddenly turn into the hunter.
“It came from the west. Head west!”
Tsk, I thought the rain would keep them from seeing it, but an elf is still an elf.
Unfortunately, our position was exposed, but taking out the commander makes it far from a loss.
Suppressing my presence even further, I quietly began to chant.
A blue mist started to creep upward.
The rain had eased compared to before, but no matter how much it fell, the blue mist did not dissipate.
“Rao, this is definitely that guy…”
“Hey, Rao, were we tracking a blue mist?”
Are these idiots serious? They came all this way without even knowing what they were chasing?
That’s honestly a bit deflating.
“If the princess’s escort is the Blue Mist, then this mission—”
“Shut it! Henenxia is already dead. Blue Mist or whatever, our mission is to kill the princess.”
The female elf who appeared to be the vice-captain snapped at them with a scowl, but their hesitation was obvious.
It didn’t look like they were going to turn back, and I didn’t have time to waste, so it was about time to wrap this up.
I slipped throwing blades into both hands, poured mana into them, and let them fly.
Thud— thud— thud—
I threw eight blades, but only seven elves fell.
Seems my condition has slipped a bit after the long journey.
“Don’t bunch up! Spread out!”
Tsk, the vice-captain tried to recover the situation with a shout, but it was a clear mistake.
Once they scatter, it only makes it easier to pick them off one by one.
Moving through the mist, I calmly drove my dagger into the back of each dark elf’s neck, one at a time.
It took only ten minutes to eliminate all thirty dark elves.
Thud—
In case any of them had useful information, I retrieved my blades and finished them off, then returned to where the princess was.
I pulled out my dagger, dispelled the distortion barrier, and went to the pit where I had hidden her….and honestly, the sight left me speechless.
The princess was fast asleep with a robe pulled over her.
She’s got it unbelievably easy.
Was the princess fifteen? Or was it sixteen?
Anyway, she’s not even of age yet, and having grown up like a greenhouse flower in the palace, it’s understandable that this journey would be exhausting. But the fact that she can sleep in a situation like this is impressive.
No, maybe it’s actually a good thing.
If she had seen me covered in dark elf blood, she probably would have screamed for sure.
Using the pouring rain, I washed off most of the blood, then shook the princess awake.
“Ah, just a little more rest…”
“If you’d like the pursuers to collect Your Highness’s head, you’re welcome to keep sleeping.”
At my words, she snapped fully awake and immediately got up.
She looked like she was about to cry, but I pretended not to notice.
After walking with the princess for about twenty minutes, the mana I had spread out picked up numerous presences.
This time, not behind us…but ahead.
As expected, it seems there are also those from the Eastern Continent aiming for the princess’s head.
“Why did we stop?”
“It seems there are enemies ahead as well.”
Of course, since we’re near the center of the border, there’s a chance they could be allies. But giving false hope would only make things worse if I were wrong.
“Ahead too?”
“For now, please get on my back.”
The rain had begun to lighten.
With it easing, there’s a higher chance they’ll pick up on the sound of her footsteps and launch an attack.
As we moved forward as quietly as possible, I spotted knights clad in heavy armor.
“We’ve received word that the dark elves sent as the advance party from the Western Continent have been wiped out.”
Why is it that bad premonitions never miss?
Their armor and shields had all identifying emblems removed, but judging by their speech and accent, they weren’t from the Empire. They were likely from Saxony or the Ferot Kingdom.
“Are those people enemies too?”
“They are.”
I knew from the mission briefing that this wouldn’t be easy, but I didn’t expect it to be this difficult.
“There’s a swamp ahead, so proceed with caution as you search.”
Hmm, the commander’s voice sounded familiar.
If my memory serves me right, that’s Pale, the third Knight Commander of Ferot.
The youngest knight commander in Ferot known as a prodigy with a high chance of becoming a Swordmaster within the next ten years.
They really went all out.
“Then… are we surrounded? What do we do?”
When I turned my head to look back, the princess’s eyes were brimming with tears.
She doesn’t know that I already dealt with the pursuers behind us, so she probably thinks this is the end.
Of course, since I only took care of the advance party, she’s not entirely wrong.
“What do you mean, what do we do? We break through.”
“Break through here?”
Instead of answering, I opened my subspace, took out a rope, and tied the princess to me, securing us together.
Honestly, the situation isn’t good.
At this point, I figured I’d have to be ready to leave behind at least an arm or a leg as I began to chant.
“Commander! Where did this fog suddenly come from—”
“It’s raining, so what’s so strange about fog for… wait, blue mist?”
“Commander? What is it?”
“Everyone, group up and prepare! The one escorting the Princess of Quasar is an agent of the Imperial Special Intelligence Bureau.”
Oh? So someone at the level of Ferot’s third Knight Commander knows about me.
“Blue Mist? Is that your name?”
“Not my name. More like a code… well, you can think of it as a nickname.”
“A nickname?”
“There might be a bit of blood, so please try not to scream.”
At the same time as the warning, I drew two daggers and charged forward.
The strongest black agent of the Beluga Empire’s Special Intelligence Bureau.
Codename: Blue Mist.
That’s me.
***
The same dream again.
Still dreaming about something from two years ago. Was that mission really that brutal?
The right arm I lost back then throbed.
It always does when I have this dream.
I calmed myself by rubbing my shoulder a few times, put on my prosthetic arm, and headed down to the first floor.
After a quick wash, I had a simple breakfast of the soup I’d made yesterday and some bread, then got dressed.
I sat on the sofa and read the newspaper for a bit, checked the time, and left the house.
The sky was heavy with dark clouds, as if it might rain at any moment.
Was it really because of the dream, or just the weather?
I considered taking an umbrella but decided it was too much of a hassle and quickened my pace instead.
Fortunately, just as I reached my destination, it started to rain.
[Sainty Academy]
This place, with its elegantly scripted signboard, is my workplace.
Judging by the rainfall, it looked like it would pour all day, so I’d probably have to hold classes indoors.
I stopped by the faculty office, signed the attendance sheet, and went to my seat.
“Good morning.”
“Can you really call it a good morning with weather like this?”
Derren, the magic instructor sitting next to me, grumbled.
“Still, since we’ll be indoors, isn’t it a bit more comfortable?”
“Classes aside, you can’t go fishing in this kind of weather. The boats won’t even go out.”
“That’s definitely a bit of a shame.”
Instructor Derren was a fishing buddy I sometimes go out with.
“Since we can’t fish, want to grab a drink instead?”
“Tsk tsk, inviting another instructor out for drinks first thing in the morning. Is that really appropriate?”
Media, the swordsmanship instructor seated across from us, chimed in with a reproach.
She used to be a knight in the neighboring territory of Erentra, but took a leave of absence to care for her sick mother.
Then, during that leave, the lord was caught smuggling, the estate changed hands, and she ended up without a place to return to, before eventually becoming an instructor at Sainty Academy.
“What’s wrong with that? It’s not like I said we’d drink during class.”
“If the head instructor or the Headmaster heard that, you’d be in serious trouble.”
Here we go again.
Instructor Media had a rather rigid personality, befitting her background as a knight.
She and Instructor Derren often argue, but if you watch closely, it almost seems like there’s a bit of interest there.
At this rate, I might have to start preparing a wedding gift before long.
Watching the two of them bicker like a couple made my eyes ache, so I left the faculty office a bit early.
“Oh? Instructor Vio.”
“Good morning, Headmaster.”
A white-haired gentleman with an unmistakably kind impression at first glance.
This man was Greus Nordic, the founder and headmaster of Sainty Academy.
A sixth-circle mage. He once served as the chief of staff of the imperial mage corps.
He also holds the title of viscount and owns his own estate but entrusted it to a steward and returned to his hometown of Sainty to establish the academy for its development. He was a genuinely admirable noble.
“I was just on my way to call for you. Good timing.”
“For me?”
“Yes, you. Come along for now. You still have some time before your class, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
I followed the headmaster to his office.
“Would you like a cup of tea? I received some as a gift the other day.”
“I’d be happy to, thank you.”
A moment later, the headmaster brought out a steaming cup of tea.
I took a sip, and its fragrant, refreshing taste was quite pleasant.
“It smells wonderful.”
“Does it? It’s made from Nemesis flowers from the Galliot region. It’s quite rare to find around here.”
“I see. By the way, what did you need me for today…?”
“Well, as you know, Sainty Academy was officially recognized as a formal academy starting last year, correct?”
Originally, it had been a private academy funded out of Headmaster Greus’s own pocket, but since last year it had been officially recognized by the state and converted into a national academy.
“Yes, it passed the evaluation last year, didn’t it?”
The evaluation process was quite strict, with inspectors coming in person, but once you pass, the benefits are substantial.
The state provides funding each quarter, and all staff are converted into civil servants.
“We were able to pass the evaluation rather easily last time partly because we were well prepared, but the biggest factor was the performance of our graduates.”
So that’s why it wasn’t as difficult as I’d heard.
“I see.”
“Your contribution was especially significant. The students you taught are all doing quite well now, aren’t they?”
“You flatter me. More importantly, it’s almost time for my class, so I should be going…”
“Ah, listen to me rambling. My apologies, I’ve gone on too long. Just a moment.”
The headmaster stood up, walked over to his desk piled high with documents, and returned with a single sheet of paper.
It wasn’t the usual recycled paper but high-quality parchment.
“What is this?”
“A personnel transfer order.”
“A personnel transfer order?”
“That’s right. Starting next semester, Veliyard Academy is establishing a ranger class, and they’ve requested that you be sent there as an instructor.”
I was momentarily taken aback.
Why me?
“I prefer Sainty Academy.”
I’m not particularly attached to being an instructor.
I only applied after seeing a posting when I grew bored with my retired, repetitive daily life.
It started as nothing more than a way to pass the time, and now I’m being assigned to the capital…
“Haha, I appreciate you saying that, but isn’t this place too small for you to fully realize your potential? Go somewhere broader and make full use of your abilities.”
I tried to come up with any excuse to refuse, but when I was told it was an order from the imperial court, even my refusal was refused.
“The students will surely be disappointed. Still, since this is for your success, they’ll understand. I too wish you the very best.”
Success, my ass.
I don’t want this!!!
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