[Zero's Pov]
"Uuuh..."
"Oh, you're awake. Good. It was hard enough to convince Ms. Turner that she didn't need to be here during our sessions, so if you would have gotten hurt for real that would've been a problem."
Waking up, I was met by the voice of my teacher who had just pulled a fast one on me, and a strangely soft sensation under my head. Opening my eyes, I was met by a blushing Sarah above me, leading to a quick realization.
"It's because you needed to rest! And there is no bed in here..."
Though I wasn't against getting to lie in her lap for a bit more, I forced myself to sit back up and smiled at her, "Thank you."
Even while upholding as much royal dignity as she could, Sarah still had to divert her eyes from me when she answered, "As I said, it's because you needed to rest. No need to thank me."
Switching my attention to the man who had successfully blown Zero's fuse, he wore a somewhat stiff expression, most likely fully aware that his little plan had been too much.
"So, it does appear that you carry an affinity for healing, and, quite a strong one at that. So, I guess we should see this as everything having a happy ending. Haha...haha...ha"
Receiving judging looks from both me and the princess, his laughter quickly simmered out into silence. With him sitting on the same chair as before, he scratched his cheek a bit because of the awkward situation.
"Okay, fine. I admit that maybe it was a bit rash, but it was the best way to instantly find out if you have an affinity or not. This is still better than having to wait several weeks before we can even start training you. Wasn't it you who said you would do everything you could? Then what kind of teacher would I be if I didn't do the same?"
'That's some twisted logic right there...'
Though I didn't quite buy his explanation, Saint Zero wasn't one to take his kindness for granted, "I understand. I also wouldn't want to wait several weeks before I can start training, so thank you, Dr. Smith."
Then he stood up, "Then, let's get started right away. Oh, I am also going to propose to the other teachers that it would be beneficial for you if you just focus on healing this week. As long as that's okay with you."
"You mean that I would practice healing instead of attending the other lessons?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. I think you would do well on your own if you just get started. Also, I need to observe that... situation of yours a bit more."
With all three of us now standing up, Sarah's face turned a bit cold, "Just what kind of situation are you talking about, Dr. Smith?"
Suddenly, a weird kind of tension was brought into the air around us, as they both watched each other intently, as if they were trying to make sure they were thinking of the same thing.
In the end, Mikael made the first move, "Ah, I guess it would be weird if the royal family didn't know about the circumstances around Zero. That does make a lot of sense."
It was a clear bait of a sentence, meant to try and see if Sarah would say anything to give away the extent of what she knew. However, the princess wasn't foreign to wordplay, as it would inevitably become a big part of her future occupation.
"Yes, I and my father are aware to an extent of Zero and his struggles. But can I interpret this as you being Zero's appointed doctor? That does bring the royal family a lot of relief. If there's anyone we can trust, it would be you."
"That's true, hahaha..."
"Hihihi..."
And the results? Absolutely nothing. In the end, they both had to give up, neither of them wanting to become at odds with the church by accidentally spilling the secret that must be kept hidden.
And me? I was just standing there enjoying the show, fully aware that I could end it whenever I wanted by telling them that they both knew the secret.
****
[3rd Person Pov]
"Are you sure about this, Aksel? Though I don't think it will be that dangerous for a [B]-ranker like you, we are still not sure about the situation over there."
"I am sure, your holiness. How can I call myself the father of that child if I don't work at least as hard as he does? I will depart to Schiltach first thing tomorrow morning. If the reports are accurate, it might not be long until monsters start to penetrate the inner sectors."
Sitting on a golden chair, a seemingly young man with golden hair and golden eyes was watching Aksel with skeptical eyes, even carrying a slight hint of sadness. "Haa... I understand. Aksel the Admirable is still as stubborn as ever. Do remember though, you are going there as a healer, not a fighter. I will not accept hearing rumors about you fighting on the frontlines."
Bowing his head, Aksel was just about to answer the pope when he suddenly continued on, "And this is not for your sake, Aksel. It's for Zero. That child has suffered enough, so the least we can do is allow him to have his father by his side until he moves on to join Theia."
To Aksel, it was clear that his old friend wasn't speaking the whole truth, as the pope's worries leaked through his words. However, the priest had learned from the best of the best, and therefore he smiled brightly.
"I understand. I will return when things seem stable again. Thank you, your holiness."
Waving his hand, the pope wasn't amused by the priest's overacting, "Stop this. Just call me Leo like always, you silly man."
And smiling warmly at each other for a moment, they both prayed in their hearts for Aksel's safe return, both thinking of a certain child that carried a burden too heavy for his age.
As Aksel left the pope alone in the temple-like church, Leo could only sigh. "Haaa... What's that foolish king up to? He is still as reckless as when he was a child. Forced unity, huh? Can people truly unite if they don't believe in each other?"
Somehow, he thought of a child which he had gotten a recent rapport about, a word-for-word explanation of what had happened during the dueling event at the academy.
"This isn't how we unite, was it?"
****
[Ezral's Pov]
'Shit!'
Things had gotten complicated ever since James left Kurat, with Mensch using him as an excuse to send patrols that, in reality, were just undercover spies. In the end, I had been left with no other choice but to close the borders, forcing us to slow down the development of military power to make sure the other nations didn't notice.
And the worst part was that next week, I would have to report this to my lord, and tell him that things have gotten slightly complicated.
Taking a seat in the armchair that I had now become used to sitting in while thinking, I still had to smile a bit. After all, not all was bad, something that could also be said to be thanks to that stupid but loveable human.
Somehow, they had found traces of him in Aldon, as a random guardian of some dungeon had seemingly met him entering it. This meant that now a lot of their eyes were on Aldon instead of Kurat, and this meant that our plans could at least still progress, albeit slowly.
Also, there was something happening on the eastern border of Mensch, with one of my spies reported that they were having trouble with monsters for some reason moving closer and closer to the inner defensive lines.
'It's a lot more chaotic this time, isn't it? 300 years ago wasn't like this at all... I guess it's the first time we are trying to go about this way though.'
Last time we had invaded Tella, our lord had forcefully transported all of the counts at once, leaving us and him weakened. In our arrogance, we had thought it simple to conquer the planet even if we weren't at full power, but our plans had been spoiled when a certain party of heroes emerged.
'Tch! How hateful that I still remember their names...'
Leo the pope, Trelis Aldon, Frederick, Lily the sparrow, and the hero himself, the Lightbringer of that time.
This time, we had been instructed by our lord that capturing this time's Lightbringer was the number one priority, as he had some kind of plan to use him for our sake. Of course, if we saw it impossible to capture him, we were to get rid of him completely.
With our plan this time, it was also a priority to get a stable base on Tella, a base that we could then use to extend our reach steadily and safely, as this would allow our lord to send over one count at a time. So it wasn't that strange that things felt more complicated this time around.
However, the biggest reason was still something else. Or rather, someone else. A person who managed to create ripples wherever he went, and a person I would love to get on my side.
'James, you loveable bastard... I wonder what you're doing now...'