BFBG 04

Chapter 04

Wyverns rained down in droves.

‘Who is that?’

In the meantime, an unidentified figure stood there.

Whether it was because they didn’t want their identity exposed, or because they absolutely couldn’t let it be exposed—

Their entire body, including their face, was concealed with mana.

Because of that, lowering one’s guard recklessly wasn’t an option.

‘Judging by the fact they saved us, there’s a high chance they’re not an enemy… but…’

Someone covering their whole body in mana likely had some kind of issue with their identity.

Whether they were a benefactor who saved their lives or not, now wasn’t the time to relax.

“Do not lower your guard. There’s no guarantee they aren’t an enemy yet.”

The vice-captain warned the knights waiting behind him and gripped his sword again.

So they could respond immediately if anything happened.

He focused all his attention on the swordsman.

“Put away your sword. It is rude toward our savior.”

At that moment, a voice came from inside the carriage.

Simultaneously, the carriage door opened and a woman stepped outside.

“P-Princess! It’s dangerous! Please get back inside—!”

The Third Princess of the Canarian Kingdom.

Aris Bell Canarian.

“There is little difference between inside and outside.”

Aris spoke coldly to the vice-captain, who hurriedly blocked her path.

“With the Knight Commander absent, there is no one here who can stop that swordsman.”

“Th-that’s…”

She was right.

Guarding against him or not—

With their current strength, they couldn’t stop that swordsman.

“Whether you’re here or not, nothing changes. Isn’t that so?”

“Urgh…”

“If you understand, step aside.”

“…Yes.”

At Aris’s words, the vice-captain lowered his sword and stepped back.

Then Aris slowly approached the unidentified swordsman.

“Princess, even so, getting close is—!”

“I ordered you to stand back.”

The princess’s imposing presence made the vice-captain hesitate and retreat another step.

“I should first offer my gratitude. For saving us…”

And just as the princess greeted the swordsman with dignified poise—

KIIIIIIIEEEEEK!

Suddenly, a wyvern nearby moved.

‘It was still alive?!’

At the same time as its roar, flames burst from the wyvern’s mouth.

Its target—

The princess.

“PRINCESS!!”

The vice-captain moved immediately.

But the distance was too great.

He couldn’t make it in time.

‘Damn it…!’

At this rate, the princess would die.

Just as the vice-captain bit his lip in despair—

The mysterious swordsman moved in front of the princess.

BOOOOOOM!

Then—

He embraced the princess and blocked the flames with his own back.

The knight stared in shock.

‘That mana barrier is unbelievably powerful.’

Even after taking the fireball head-on at point-blank range—

Not the slightest tremor could be sensed.

A mana output at a truly astonishing level.

‘Even while using mana to hide his identity, there isn’t the slightest instability…’

Judging purely by mana strength—

Perhaps he surpassed even the Knight Commander.

The vice-captain looked at the swordsman holding the princess, his heart trembling with awe.

“……”

Unexpectedly, the princess remained calm.

She had nearly died to a wyvern.

It wouldn’t have been strange if her legs gave out or she froze in panic.

Yet she showed no sign of fear.

‘Hmm. There’s an Adam’s apple… A man?’

In truth, Aris was extremely calm right now.

Calmer and more composed than anyone else present.

‘Judging from his skin, he can’t be older than his early twenties.’

When the mysterious swordsman blocked the wyvern’s fireball barehanded, his mana concealment faltered ever so slightly.

In that brief moment—

His jawline and neck became visible.

There was an Adam’s apple.

His skin was youthful.

The mysterious swordsman was a man around Aris’s age.

‘Was there ever a swordsman this skilled at such an age?’

Not a single person came to mind.

Someone this talented at such a young age should already be famous.

‘Covering his face… Is he from the underworld? Or…’

As Aris’s imagination wandered—

The man suddenly looked to the left.

Then immediately released Aris, stepped back—

Stared at her silently for about two seconds—

And kicked off the ground.

“W-Wait a moment! If you leave like this—!”

The man disappeared in an instant.

His speed was so great that he vanished completely before Aris could finish speaking.

“I haven’t even properly thanked him…”

Not being able to thank him bothered her.

But more than that—

It hurt to lose someone with such talent so easily.

‘A man like a bolt of lightning…’

Filled with regret, Aris stared at the place where he had vanished.

Then she discovered something unexpected there.

“This button…”

A button from a Garam Academy uniform.

If this was lying here…

‘Could that man… be an incoming student of Garam Academy, like me?’

* * *

When I returned, Reaper stared at me with overwhelming emotion in his eyes.

‘Why’s he acting like this?’

His gaze was way too intense.

How should I describe it?

Like someone looking at the benefactor who saved their entire life.

No, seriously—it was burdensome.

“As expected of Master.”

While I was thinking that, Reaper spoke with a moved voice.

“To think your mana control could be so meticulous despite changing bodies and losing all your abilities… I can only say I’m in awe.”

…What is he talking about?

“In the past, when Yodalla made a mistake, Master once said this:

‘Plans are naturally meant to change when faced with reality.’”

I obviously didn’t remember saying that.

Though it did sound like something Jeyraon would say.

“I thought those words were merely to comfort Yodalla.

Failing to follow a plan—

I believed that was nothing but an excuse used by losers.

Trash incapable of seeing the bigger picture.”

I couldn’t grasp where this conversation was going.

What exactly was he trying to say?

“But I was wrong.

The foolish one was me.

I was obsessed with perfection and merely deceived myself into believing I was perfect.”

He looked ready to cry.

The textbook expression of someone ten seconds away from shedding tears of admiration.

‘No, seriously—what’s with this guy?’

I did nothing.

I just let Reaper move my body.

I genuinely did nothing.

So what exactly impressed him?

“The opponent was the notoriously suspicious Third Princess.

Showing your face openly there would only increase suspicion.”

Showing my face openly?

What was that supposed to mean?

“By not revealing your face directly and only slightly raising your head to expose your jawline and Adam’s apple—

You prevented any suspicion that you intentionally showed your face.

At the same time, you heightened curiosity and interest in the other party.

A truly perfect strategy.”

Exposed my jawline?

Me?

“The most astonishing part is your delicate mana control that ignored my puppet technique.

You haven’t even been in this body long, so handling mana should still feel unfamiliar.

Yet you neutralized my puppet technique so perfectly…”

I never neutralized anything.

I just let my whole body move according to his puppet control—

‘Ah… maybe then?’

When I hugged the princess and took the fireball with my back—

I unconsciously looked toward the flames.

‘If I think about Reaper’s original plan… exposing my face to the princess was probably the goal.’

But because I turned my head back—

The angle shifted, revealing only my jawline and neck instead of my full face.

Something like that.

‘Sounds plausible.’

It was only my hypothesis—

But surprisingly convincing.

‘But how did I resist Reaper’s puppet technique… Ah.’

Am I stupid?

‘My mind stat… was EX-rank, wasn’t it?’

If I wanted to resist, I could.

Maybe while dodging the fireball, I instinctively resisted a little.

“Still, one thing puzzles me.

Adding variation to erase suspicion and increase mystery—

Even after reconsidering it, it’s brilliant, but…”

As I was piecing things together—

Reaper asked with eyes full of curiosity.

“How do you plan to let the princess know afterward that you were the one who saved her?”

A jawline alone wasn’t enough to identify someone.

Unless the princess were some martial arts master with exceptional observation skills—

Which she wasn’t.

*‘Reaper can’t operate inside the academy.

And I can’t reveal my identity by showing that power again…’*

As Reaper said—

At present, there was no natural way to tell the princess I was her savior.

What could I even say to convince him?

“You wouldn’t create a forced situation that would arouse suspicion.

Master surely prepared a natural method to reveal your identity…

Yet with my poor mind, I cannot imagine what that meth—”

That was when Reaper’s eyes widened.

“The uniform button…”

His gaze fixed on my neck.

The top button of my academy uniform.

‘It fell off.’

Probably during the fight with the wyverns.

‘At this rate I’ll get demerits for improper uniform wear.’

I should probably tell Reaper to get me a replacement.

“I see.

So that was your method.”

While I thought that—

Reaper looked deeply moved.

His body trembled as if overwhelmed with reverence.

“I understand everything now.

Yes.

I understand everything.”

Suddenly, Reaper knelt on one knee and bowed his head.

“The Third Princess’s suspicious personality.

Her current circumstances.

The absence of her personal Knight Commander due to those circumstances.

And even anticipating that said commander’s fiery personality would lead him to use forceful methods…

You prepared this variation by accounting for the values, attitudes, and personalities of everyone involved.”

Things were getting more absurd by the second.

Was there any situation better suited to the phrase ‘it keeps escalating’?

‘…Whatever.’

Better not think about it.

That seemed healthier for my sanity.

“In that case, delaying entry into the kingdom would be best.”

By delaying entry—

He probably meant preparing a new button for me.

A replacement was definitely necessary.

“Mm. That sounds wise.”

I answered like that and returned to the carriage.

* * *

“Then, Master. I’ll take my leave here.”

‘…Huh?’

Twenty minutes away from the checkpoint of Severial, the royal capital where Garam Academy was located—

Reaper suddenly said something strange.

“Take care of yourself.”

Before I could stop him—

He vanished.

‘…How can you leave now?’

I understood why he had to go.

The royal capital was filled with monsters in human form.

Considering the risk of exposing his identity, leaving now made sense.

That wasn’t why I was flustered.

‘At least prepare my replacement button before leaving!’

He left knowing full well I’d get demerits for an incomplete uniform.

And he just… left?

‘Does he not know Garam Academy has a punishment point system?’

Did he think it was only one button?

This was bad.

‘Ugh.’

Then why say we’d delay entry?

I seriously didn’t get him.

‘Ah… It’s insanely hard to erase demerit points at Garam Academy…’

Thinking I’d start my first day already penalized made irritation rise naturally.

‘Sigh.’

Still—

What could I do?

He was already gone.

‘…I’ll endure it.’

The demerit system was harsh.

But not impossible to recover from.

If I worked hard, I could make up for it.

Thinking positively, I headed toward immigration inspection.

About twenty minutes passed as I slowly moved forward in line.

Finally—

It was my turn.

“Please present your travel permit.”

I took out my admission letter from my bag.

And just as I was about to hand it to the inspector—

“Excuse me. I’d like to check something for a moment.”

Behind the inspector—

Meaning, from inside the capital—

A huge man approached.

‘The commander of the Wild Tiger Knights… Lionel…?’

Well over two meters tall.

A long scar across his right cheek.

And a massive greatsword matching his enormous frame.

No doubt.

This man was Lionel, commander of the Seventh Knight Order—the Wild Tiger Knights serving Princess Aris.

“I simply need to confirm something.”

“Even if you are a Knight Commander of the Canarian Kingdom, interfering during immigration inspection is—”

“Haha. It’ll only take a moment.”

Lionel brushed aside the inspectors’ objections as though they were nothing.

Using sheer force—

He approached me.

Then stopped directly before me and stared.

“As expected. Even your frame is extraordinary.

There’s no need to see more.”

After observing me for about five seconds—

He smiled broadly, clearly amused.

“Sorry, but could you spare me a little time?”

“…Huh? Why all of a sudden?”

“Our young lady said she has something she needs to return to you.”

As Lionel said that—

His eyes moved to my neck.

To the collar of my uniform—

Where the missing button should have been.

“…Ah.”

Only then—

Did I understand everything.