"Umm… Master, there's a visitor request."

I looked up from my pillow. "A visitor? At this hour?"

"Yes. Right now."

I glanced at the clock. The hour hand pointed at 10 p.m.

Right now?

Who in their right mind was visiting at this time?

"If Master permits," Alicia continued, "they said they can come in immediately. It's, um… Teacher Samantha."

"Aha…"

The image of a red cape and a blazing greatsword came to mind. The woman who calmly stood between a Demon Count and death itself.

"…Alright. If it's her, let her in."

"Yes. Oh, and—Cadet Kael also requested a visit."

"No need for him. And reject anyone from the Four Ducal Houses… except Ariana."

"Understood."

A short while later, the door opened and Samantha Everhart entered. Alicia served warm tea and snacks, then slipped outside, closing the door behind her.

The room fell silent.

Warm tea sat between us, but the atmosphere was anything but warm.

Samantha wasn't the type to waste time—yet even she seemed unsure how to begin.

Finally, she spoke.

"…Cadet Lucien. Are you feeling alright?"

"Thanks to your intervention, yes."

"Good. There are several things I need to ask."

Straight to the point. Typical Samantha.

Her gaze sharpened.

"First… I'd like to know the origin of that First-Order Divine Bullet."

Ah. So that's what this was about.

That filthy, overpriced, 500-point, one-time-use diamond bullet.

The Holy Empire's "ultimate ammunition."

Samantha reached into her pocket.

"Here."

She placed something on the table.

A bullet—clear as crystal, unblemished, shimmering faintly with holy energy.

My eyes widened slightly.

A fully restored First-Order Divine Bullet.

"I retrieved it," she said. "I was told they can be reused if supplied with enough energy, so I kept it from being wasted."

"…Thank you."

I hadn't known that.

Apparently the system forgot to include "reusable artifact capable of anti-demon warfare" in the description.

"The technology of the Holy Empire truly was remarkable," she said, examining the bullet. "To reuse ammunition of this level… it's almost absurd."

"Indeed." I nodded.

"But—" Her gaze intensified. "About its origin?"

Silence.

I couldn't say I bought it from a magical point shop no one else can see.

And it was too rare—far too rare—to expect her to just drop the inquiry.

"Cadet Lucien?"

"…I found it."

"…What?"

Her eyes narrowed.

That look said very clearly: Are you insulting my intelligence?

Under her pressure, it was the first excuse that slipped out—and I instantly regretted it.

But once spoken… no way was I taking it back.

I just stayed silent, pretending that was all there was to say.

Samantha stared for a long moment… then exhaled.

"…Sigh. Fine. If you don't want to answer, then don't. Everyone has their secrets."

She stood, but before leaving, placed a lacquered box on the table.

"This is your reward for the incident. Be sure to check it."

With that, she turned and left without another word.

The door closed softly.

The tea had gone cold.

But my mind was burning.

***

Once teacher Samantha left, the room fell silent again.

My eyes drifted to the box she had set down.

"Well… let's see what the Academy thinks my life is worth."

I opened the lid.

Inside was a single transparent vial, filled with a rich purple liquid that shimmered faintly under the lantern light.

A potion?

I activated the system.

[Item Inspection – Berserk Potion]

Purity: High

Effect: Upon consumption, Strength +10 (permanent)

Side Effects:

• Extreme pain during absorption

• Tastes like regret, suffering, and possibly rotten socks

I stared at it blankly.

"…Huh?"

I checked again.

Permanent strength increase. +10.

"…The hell?"

For reference—earning +1 stat he would have to do extreme exercise for few months

And they just gave me a potion worth +10…?

I leaned back, dumbfounded.

"Is the Academy always this generous… or did teacher Samantha personally add a zero by mistake?"

A +10 stat boost at my current level was massive. Not just noticeable. Game-changing. For someone like me whose strength stat is below 20, this boost would be significant.

But then my eyes landed on the note again.

"Causes extreme pain. Tastes bad."

…What kind of "bad" are we talking about here?

Bad like bitter herbs?

Bad like licking a dungeon floor?

Or bad like I-built-this-using-wrongly-processed-demon-glands bad?

And why the hell is "extreme pain" just casually included like a side effect on cough syrup?

Still—

I held the vial gently between my fingers.

This was no ordinary potion.

Not even something money could easily buy.

For a moment, I simply stared at it.

"…Guess they acknowledged me more than I expected."

I placed the potion aside.

Not because I didn't want the power—

but because the description said "causes extreme pain."

If I was going to swallow something that could make me scream loud enough to summon the academy guards, I'd better be prepared.

Later.

When I had time, privacy… and maybe a gag or something to bite on.

*****

"He found it?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"You're hiding the truth," the woman said, her voice calm but razor-edged.

She set her teacup down with a delicate clink—a sound far too soft for the pressure in the room.

Her eyes were sharp, golden like tempered steel, framed by long lashes and an expression carved from nobility and calculation.

She was First Princess Seraphina Aurelian, the empire's heir candidate and one of the most feared political forces in the continent.

"Before we discuss Lucien Ashborne," she continued, "what of the press?"

"We had the eyewitnesses—knights and cadets alike—sign confidentiality agreements. The Fern Kingdom and all partnered media outlets were instructed to report it as a dungeon breach. However…" the aide swallowed, "there was one investigative reporter who managed to film the test subjects when they reached the surface."

"It's fine," the princess replied, smiling faintly. "I've handled it."

Samantha Everhart stood to the side, perfectly still—but she understood exactly what that meant. Handled did not mean bribed, silenced, or intimidated.

It meant erased.

The Shadow Knights—the fanatical agents who served only the Princess—must have taken care of it, quietly and efficiently.

A faint stir of discomfort passed through Samantha.

But she did not show it.

The current emperor was a legend—an unparalleled strategist who raised the Aurelian Empire to its throne atop the continent.

But he was old now.

Sick.

Barely present in matters of state.

And so this woman—

This elegant, ruthless princess—

was one of the true powers behind the throne.

Cold. Calculating. Utterly competent.

A ruler born in all but name.

"Knight Commander Samantha."

"If I may—former Knight Commander," Samantha corrected politely.

"Teacher Samantha, then?" Seraphina smiled without warmth.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Samantha had once served under the Emperor as Knight Commander.

But she followed the Princess now, because the Emperor himself had entrusted her to Seraphina's side.

And she would honor that trust.

The princess sipped her tea again.

"That cadet, Lucien Ashborne," she said, voice lilting with amusement. "He seems to have many secrets, doesn't he?"

"Likely," Samantha admitted. "But prying into them will not be easy."

"Why not?"

Samantha's lips curved faintly, as if the irony amused her.

"He is a man who deliberately destroyed his reputation. He tore down his own name, made himself hated by the Four Great Ducal Houses, and buried himself in infamy—all so no one would bother digging deeper."

She paused, then added under her breath:

"…Though technically, it's only three ducal houses. He's on good terms with one."

If Lucien were here, he would have knelt and begged for that clarification to be louder.

Princess Seraphina tilted her head, blonde hair cascading like silk as she smiled—beautiful and dangerous all at once.

"Well… now I'm very interested."

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