Chapter 11: Class F Agitator Part 1

What should I do about this problem?

By the time I was even thinking like this, it was clear; that guy was no ordinary person.

What was there to solve, anyway?

I was a student. Someone to be protected.

The ones responsible for resolving things were the faculty and the board members, not me. If they were going to pocket that expensive tuition, they’d better do their jobs.

So, what I needed to do wasn’t to solve the situation, but to report it. Of course, I couldn’t just report it blindly. I figured I needed at least some circumstantial evidence.

With that in mind, there was only one optimal approach I could take.

“No, but you know what he did…”

“Seriously? Wow, that guy’s hilarious.”

“But what’s even funnier is…”

It was information gathering.

I planned to start by identifying the ringleader.

During the break, I laid my head on the desk and pretended to be asleep.

That way, I could listen in on the conversations around me and assess the situation.

Luckily, I often acted this way, so there was no reason for anyone to suspect me.

Yeah, I didn’t have any friends.

But seeing how helpful that was in such a critical moment, did human relationships really need to be good?

…Anyway, after gathering intel using my brilliant method—

“I saw the kids from Class C looking down on us today.”

I roughly figured out who seemed suspicious.

The first one was Jeff.

Even when I first saw him, he openly expressed his inferiority complex.

At first, I thought it was just due to an inferiority complex. But seeing how he went back to acting this way even after that inferiority was once resolved through me, I began to suspect it might be intentional.

And the second one was…

“Oh, really? That must’ve been disappointing.”

The pink-haired extra.

That one was strangely sociable to the point of being involved in everything.

And yet, at the same time, it seemed like she didn’t belong to any particular group.

She was friendly and smiled brightly with everyone, but somehow, she remained on the fringes.

Even I, who had been eavesdropping on conversations since earlier, didn’t know that pink-haired extra’s name.

No one had ever called her by name.

For now, those two stood out.

Of course, there might still be others hiding behind them.

While I spent the morning lying down for intel-gathering…

“Johan.”

“……”

“Johan?”

“Huh? Oh, what?”

Someone called me.

Truthfully, I had noticed from the first time they called my name, but since I was pretending to be asleep, I had to play it off with appropriate acting.

Anyway, as I rubbed my eyes and sat up as part of that whole routine, what I saw was…

Who was that again?

I was sure we were in the same class, but I had no idea who she was.

I remembered her talking to a friend about a newly bought sword or something like that…

Honestly, it had nothing to do with the current situation, so I hadn’t even bothered to remember her name.

“……”

“Um, uh… Jesse?”

“It’s Melana.”

“Ah, right. Got confused for a second.”

Damn.

I was so close.

But why had she been staring at me like that from earlier?

Better add her to the list of suspects.

While I was silently on edge, Melana spoke with a displeased expression.

“Her Highness is calling for you.”

As expected, my instincts were right.

Wasn’t she basically like a messenger here to announce my death?

I tilted my head slightly and looked behind Melana. There stood Lobelia in front of the door, waving her hand.

Don’t pretend we’re close. Seriously.

And just as I was considering pretending not to recognize her—

– Imperial command.

She didn’t say it out loud, but it definitely felt like that’s what she was saying.

More precisely, she mouthed the words. Damn it. Fine, I’ll go. Just because I’m petty and bitter like that.

“What’s the matter, Your Highness?”

“What’s the matter? I thought you’d be desperately waiting for me. Was I mistaken?”

“Why would I be?”

“Well, I figured you’d be curious how I used the information you gave me.”

“Hmm…”

If someone had asked whether I was curious or not, then of course I was curious.

What had Lobelia done after learning that Kult was the leader?

Maybe by now, she had already torn apart the organization called Eden?

I even dreamed of such a hopeful future. Of course, without knowing how events would unfold, it was just a dream.

So yes, I was curious.

The faster Lobelia got rid of Eden, the safer I would be. Maybe I could even start roaming outside the Cradle again like before.

And more than anything, if the one who had been watching me disappeared, I could finally look after the safety of my family too.

But…

“Hmmmm…”

“I don’t understand what you’re hesitating about.”

I just didn’t want to get involved with Lobelia.

That was the truth.

And it made sense. My only enemy right now was Eden, but Lobelia had multiple enemies, Eden included.

They say you might go to get rid of a lump and come back with another.

This was exactly that kind of situation.

However, even I had to admit. It was strange of me to draw a line after throwing her some information and asking for protection.

“I couldn’t possibly! I was simply admiring Your Highness’s remarkable way of handling things.”

“Your tongue is as smooth as if it’s been dipped in oil. I like it.”

“Ah, yes……”

I was selfish, sure. But wasn’t I basically just planning to use Lobelia to get rid of Eden?

Well, that was true… but pushing all the risk onto her was starting to weigh on my conscience.

“Still, talking here doesn’t feel quite right. How about we have this conversation over lunch later?”

“……”

“It’s not the Imperial Palace, so don’t worry. It’s just a restaurant on Third Street.”

“Ah.”

“Or… are you afraid of stepping outside the Cradle?”

Honestly, after all the chaos last time, being scared was only natural.

But thinking about it rationally, it wasn’t such a bad offer.

“No. I’m fine with it.”

Lobelia would protect me.

Of course, if enemies beyond even her control showed up, it would be meaningless.

But still…

– Oh, but they might still swarm this way, so why don’t you head outside once in a while and show your face around?

My father’s words came back to me.

I was the bait to keep enemies from flooding into the territory.

That’s how I would protect my family.

How I’d protect Chris who we’d barely managed to save and the rest of our retainers.

With that goal in mind, moving alongside Lobelia wasn’t a bad idea.

Unless I planned to lock myself away forever or follow behind Lobelia for the rest of my life, those people would be waiting for the moment I left the Cradle.

“Good. A bold answer. I’ll see you at the front gate at lunchtime.”

“Yes. Please get home safely, Your Highness.”

I bowed my head politely while observing the atmosphere around me.

The encounter with Lobelia had been unexpected, but there was clearly an advantage to be gained from it.

Lobelia stood at the peak of power and held the firm academic standing of Class S.

In that case, wouldn’t the one instigating Class F see her as the biggest threat?

Now then, who was it? Who was the culprit?

Was it Jeff? Or the pink-haired one? Or maybe Melana, who had glared at me with those strange eyes earlier?

As I lifted my bowed head, I turned around to confirm the faces that had been watching me.

Just for a fleeting moment.

“Whew.”

I was sure of it.

Jeff was biting his lip.

The pink-haired one wore a displeased expression.

Melana’s face looked twisted.

“Guess I’ve been wasting my time.”

I wasn’t sure…

Could it be all three of them?

It seemed the case was still shrouded in mystery.

***

Lunchtime.

I had tried to make the most of the break to gather information but hadn’t managed to uncover anything useful.

Maybe I really did need to do some legwork? Perhaps trying to dig up info in a limited area had been the problem.

Still, that too had its limits.

The more tense the atmosphere grew within Class F, the more likely the culprit’s actions would come to light.

At that critical moment—

Just as the ticking time bomb began to blink—

Before things exploded, I would need to identify the culprit and report them to the staff.

If not that, then…

“You’re early. Have you been waiting long?”

I could just dump it all on the main character.

Honestly, that sounded like the best option.

Of course, she had a lot on her plate. She had to keep tabs on all the crazy factions, fight political battles in the imperial court, and still study hard.

In the end, though, it was still her who would stop Class F’s rebellion. So, I figured I didn’t need to feel guilty about dumping it on her.

Yeah, after I heard what Eden was up to today, I’d casually drop some information her way.

“How could I possibly keep an imperial member waiting? I ran straight here as soon as class ended.”

“How courteous. I like it.”

What on earth would it take for this woman not to like me?

Lobelia’s kindness felt like it was trying to entrap me.

I really needed to clear up this misunderstanding somehow, but the more I got tangled up with her, the less chance I had to do so.

Had I already missed my window?

What if Lobelia already considered me something like a friend?

Just imagining it was horrifying.

“Well then, shall we go, Oracle?”

My heart pounded. It wasn’t because I was walking beside a beautiful woman or anything like that.

I was just scared to be out and about lately, with all the nonsense seemingly aimed at me.

Surely I wouldn’t turn a corner and have one of Eden’s fanatics suddenly jump out and stab me, right?

With that uneasy thought in mind, I followed behind Lobelia.

Around the time I started wondering if the so-called “excitement” felt by the usual supporting characters who followed Lobelia was actually just fear of getting stabbed at any moment.

“Oh…”

We arrived at the restaurant.

It looked rather upscale. So this was what they called royal taste?

Well, she didn’t have anything urgent to deal with, so there was no reason for her to choose some cheap place to eat.

And surely her servants had pointed her to a decent spot anyway.

“Let’s go in.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The sophisticated atmosphere and the delicious aroma wafting in from the kitchen seemed to ease my nerves.

Is this how I discover a new hidden gem of a restaurant? I was a noble, after all, so I rarely had to worry about money when it came to meals.

If the food turned out to be good, I figured I could always come back alone once things calmed down.

It would be perfect then, especially with no one annoying in front of me.

“Here we are, Oracle. Looks like our guest has already arrived, fortunately.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I had been glancing around at the interior when I turned my head at Lobelia’s words and suddenly froze.

“…Guest?”

Lobelia stood in front of the private room door, smiling sweetly.

That smile felt downright chilling.

“Oh, don’t tell me you were hoping for a one-on-one date with me? If that’s what you were expecting, then I’m sorry to disappoint.”

“No, it’s not like that…”

Honestly, that kind of thing hadn’t even crossed my mind.

A date? Yeah, right. This felt no different than a tense sit-down with a detective.

What really bothered me was that there was someone else here and Lobelia hadn’t mentioned it.

“Well, it wouldn’t do to keep our guest waiting too long, so shall we head in?”

“…Ah.”

Just as I was about to take a cautious step back with a strange sense of unease creeping in, Lobelia pushed the door open with that same sweet smile.

And in that instant, a flood of pure white filled my vision.

Snow-white hair. Pale white skin. And a white bandage covering his eyes.

A sickly boy who looked like he might disappear at any moment.

The leader of Eden.

The “Prophet” Kult Hereticus.

“What the hell is this crazy bitch thinking?”

“Wow.”

I lost all sense of decorum in that moment.