Samantha didn't waste time with pleasantries. She sat back in her chair, the file on Kael still open in front of her.

"I heard some things from Kael during his hearing," she stated, her tone flat.

I sat comfortably, crossing my legs. "Things? He was suspended for hitting me. I assume he had a lot to say to justify it."

"He claims you admitted to knowing about the attack on CrystalVale beforehand," Samantha said, watching my face closely. "He said you treated the civilian casualties as 'acceptable losses.'"

I didn't flinch. I kept my expression bored.

"So, what exactly do you want to ask, Instructor?"

"I have many questions," she said, tapping her finger on the desk. "But let's start with the basics. Is what he said true?"

I shrugged.

"I had some information that something was going to happen that day," I admitted. "But I had no idea it would turn out so big. I expected a disruption, maybe a small breach. Not an invasion."

Samantha's eyes narrowed.

"How?" she asked sharply. "How did a first-year cadet come across intel that the Imperial Security Bureau missed? Even the Shadow Guards didn't see this coming."

"I have my ways," I said simply.

"Can you enlighten me, Cadet Lucien?" she pressed. "If there are leaks in our security, or if you have access to an information network we don't know about, the Academy needs to know."

"It would be difficult, Professor," I replied, checking my nails. "Let's just say I pay attention to things others ignore."

Samantha stared at me for a long moment. She realized I wasn't going to give up my 'source' (which was actually game knowledge).

She sighed, leaning back.

"Fine. If you don't want to say, I don't have the authority to press further without a warrant. And why you didn't inform the authorities or anyone else is also your own decision to make, Cadet Lucien."

Her voice hardened.

"But you are a cadet of the Imperial Academy. You are being trained to become a warrior to defend the Empire. It was your moral obligation to inform someone if you suspected a threat to the capital."

I let out a short, dry laugh.

"Professor, don't play the morality card with me. It doesn't work."

"It is not a card, it is a duty—"

"And who said I didn't inform anyone?" I cut her off.

Samantha froze. Her mouth snapped shut.

"What?"

"I said, who told you I stayed silent?" I looked her dead in the eye. "I informed you."

Samantha blinked. She looked confused for a second, her mind racing. Then, her eyes widened. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper—a plain letter she had received two days before the event.

'Warning: Possible attack at CrystalVale. Your students are in danger.'

It was unsigned. No seal. No mana signature.

She looked at the paper, then at me.

"So…" she whispered. "You were the one who sneaked this onto my desk?"

"If there isn't another Lucien running around, then yes, it was me," I confirmed.

"Why anonymously? Why not come to me directly?"

"If a first year cadet came to saying that a possible terrorist attack going to happen, without proof, would you have believed me?" I asked. "Or would you have sent me to the counseling office?"

Samantha stayed silent. She knew the answer. She would have been skeptical.

"So I sent a tip," I continued. "I informed the strongest Knight in the Empire. I made sure you were on alert. That's why you were able to react so fast when the barrier broke, isn't it?"

Samantha looked down at the letter. It was true. Because of this note, she had kept her armor on and her squad on standby that day. If she hadn't, she wouldn't have arrived in time to save us.

"I did what I could," I said, standing up. "I passed the intel to the person most capable of handling it. I think from there, it was your duty to handle the rest."

I adjusted my bag on my shoulder.

"Is there anything else, Instructor?"

Samantha looked at me. For the first time, she didn't look at me like a student or a troublemaker. She looked at me like an equal.

"No," she said quietly, closing the drawer. "That will be all, Cadet. You are dismissed."

I nodded and walked out of the office.

As the door closed, Samantha picked up the letter again.

"Lucien Ashborne…" she muttered, shaking her head. "I really can't figure you out."

***

I walked back into the cafeteria, scanning the crowd until I found the silver head of hair near the window.

I slid into the seat opposite Ariana. She had already started eating, but she paused with a fork halfway to her mouth when she saw me.

"You're back," she said, lowering the fork. "That took longer than I thought. What was that for? Why did she summon you to her office?"

I picked up an apple from her tray and took a bite.

"Nothing serious," I replied, chewing. "Just clearing up some details regarding Kael's suspension. She wanted to verify some… administrative points."

"Administrative points?" Ariana raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like code for 'Lucien did something sneaky again.'"

"I resent that accusation. I was a model citizen."

Just then, my [Detection] skill pinged.

I felt several strong mana signatures approaching from behind.

I didn't turn around immediately. I took another bite of the apple.

"Can we sit here?"

A clear, regal voice spoke from behind my shoulder.

I stopped chewing.

I turned around slowly.

It was Princess Celestia.

She wasn't alone. Elisha the elf archer, Mariella the mage, and the mountain of muscle, Bordon, were standing behind her.

The entire Protagonist Party was here—well, except for the Protagonist himself.

The cafeteria went quiet in our immediate vicinity. Everyone was watching. The Royal faction approaching the Villain faction. Usually, this meant a fight was about to break out.

I looked at Celestia. Then I looked at the empty seats around our large table.

They stood there, shifting slightly under my gaze. It was a little embarrassing for them, standing with trays in their hands, waiting for my permission.

"It's not like I bought the seats," I said, shrugging. "Suit yourself."

Celestia nodded and sat down gracefully. Bordon took the seat next to me—the bench creaked in protest under his weight. Elisha and Mariella sat opposite Ariana.

For a full minute, no one spoke.

The only sounds were the clinking of silverware and the distant chatter of other students. The tension at the table was thick enough to cut with a knife. Elisha was eyeing me warily, as if I might pull a shotgun out of my sandwich. Bordon was just eating aggressively.

Celestia wiped her mouth with a napkin and decided to break the silence.

She looked between me and Ariana.

"So," she said, her tone deceptively light. "You two are dating."

Clatter.

Ariana dropped her spoon. It hit the plastic tray with a loud bang. Her face turned instant crimson.

"I—uh—we—" she stammered, looking like she wanted to dive under the table.

I didn't flinch. I just swallowed my food and looked at the Princess.

"Yes," I said calmly. "We are dating."

Celestia blinked. She expected a deflection or a joke.

"I see," she smiled, and this time it reached her eyes. "I had my suspicions after the bridge incident, but it's good to hear it confirmed."

"Finally!" Mariella burst out, unable to hold back. "I knew it! The way you were looking at him in the infirmary yesterday? It was so obvious!"

"M-Mariella!" Ariana squeaked.

"Don't try to hide it, Ari," Elisha chimed in, leaning forward and resting her chin on her hand. The hostility from earlier was gone, replaced by a mischievous glint. "You were about to run to infirmary when he fainted. If not for instructor Samantha's interjection you would have skipped the test too. That's not 'just friends' behavior."

Ariana covered her face with her hands, peeking through her fingers.

"You guys are the worst…"

"We're just happy for you," Celestia said softly. "It's been a long time since we saw you… well, present."

The mood at the table shifted. The political tension evaporated, replaced by something resembling normalcy.

Elisha, Mariella, Celestia, and Ariana—they were all from high nobility. They had attended the same galas and tea parties since they were children. They were practically childhood friends.

But after Ariana's family issues and her subsequent withdrawal into her shell, that connection had been severed. She had become the ghostly 'Potions Girl' in the back of the class.

Now, she was back.

"So, who confessed first?" Mariella asked, grinning. "Was it Lucien? He seems like the type to just demand it."

"Hey," I interjected. "I can be romantic."

"Doubt it," Elisha snorted. "Did you threaten her into dating you?"

"No!" Ariana lowered her hands, suddenly defensive on my behalf. "He… he was very sweet. He took me to the bridge and… and told me he didn't want to be alone."

"Awwwww!" Mariella cooed.

Even Bordon stopped eating to nod approvingly. "Smooth."

I felt a slight heat on my own neck now.

"Okay, that's enough interrogation," I grumbled, taking a drink of water.

The girls laughed.

Ariana looked around the table. She looked at Mariella giggling, Elisha teasing, and Celestia smiling warmly.

She realized she wasn't just Lucien's shadow anymore. She wasn't the outcast.

She looked at me, and I gave her a small nod.

She smiled, a genuine, bright smile.

"Yeah," she said softly. "He was very sweet."

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