The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

What Leo demonstrated was his sword aura.

For the kids living in the backstreets, with little in the way of entertainment, witnessing a sword aura was nothing short of a spectacle. Mastering swordsmanship to the point of wielding an aura was no easy feat, after all.

Even at the academy, while many main characters in the storyline were sword users, in reality, far more students opted to train with firearms. Guns were easier to use, simpler to master, and had practical applications in everyday life.

Surrounded by children sitting in a semicircle, Leo displayed the unique swordsmanship of the Grace family. The children stared at him with their mouths agape.

“When I grow up, I want to be like him...”

“Don’t be dumb. He goes to the academy. We could never even dream of that.”

“Haha...”

Hearing their exchange, Leo could neither agree nor deny it.

Telling them they could go to the academy would plant false hope.

Conversely, saying they couldn’t would crush even the faintest glimmer of aspiration.

Watching the children’s interaction, Charlotte clasped her hands tightly against her chest.

Meanwhile, off to the side, a young girl was speaking to Sophia.

“Big sister, what do you do? Do you also go to the academy like him? Can you do that too?”

“Hey, she’s a girl. Girls don’t do that stuff. Academy girls just cover their mouths and go ‘Oh ho ho ho’ when they laugh.”

Ah, what a bold declaration of sexism.

The truth was that most girls at the academy were perfectly capable of defending themselves.

Although, to be fair, as students progressed to higher grades, the number of girls focused on finding and courting potential husbands increased. It wasn’t uncommon to see such couples strolling around, laughing just like that.

“Hmph.”

Sophia, however, smiled and casually swept her hair back.

“It seems you’re underestimating me because you don’t know my capabilities.”

That confident tone of hers... I’d heard it in the original story before.

Although the context was entirely different, Sophia’s habit of flaunting herself in front of children seemed to fit her character.

Perhaps it was her connection to the church. She seemed softer and more indulgent when dealing with kids.

Drawing her sword with an air of theatricality, Sophia whispered a prayer. Her blade shimmered as a holy aura enveloped it. As expected of a knight of the church, her aura had a distinctly different feel from Leo’s.

“Wow!”

The kids, who had turned back toward her after watching Leo’s demonstration, couldn’t help but gasp.

“Hyaah!”

Sophia swung her sword with a flourish, leaving behind a trail of glittering light like a stream of stars.

That’s just for show.

Her use of sword aura was clearly designed to impress rather than for practical combat. The more specific and elaborate the effect, the harder it was to control. Creating intricate forms with aura required immense mastery, which was why techniques like Claire’s or Bella’s saber-like aura manipulation were so rare.

Still, for entertaining the kids, nothing could beat such a dazzling display.

Encouraged by their cheers, Sophia performed a few more tricks, even leaping into the air at one point. She concluded her performance with an elegant salute, earning enthusiastic applause from the children.

Sophia beamed with pride, her expression strangely fitting for the occasion.

Once Leo and Sophia finished their impromptu show, the children’s eyes naturally turned to Charlotte and me.

Their expectant gazes were almost palpable.

Neither of us was wearing our academy uniforms, yet the children seemed to have figured out we were students too.

“...Haa.”

Unable to withstand the pressure, Charlotte eventually borrowed Leo’s sword.

Though it wasn’t her usual thin blade, Charlotte was confident in her swordsmanship. Even if she couldn’t display her full skillset with the unfamiliar weapon, it was enough to earn applause from the children.

The real problem arose when their attention shifted to me.

...Hmm.

I did have a pistol.

It wasn’t impossible to put on a show with it, after all.

Stepping forward, I pulled a coin from my pocket.

With a flick of my fingers, I tossed the coin into the air.

Then, in one swift motion, I drew my pistol and fired.

Bang!

The coin landed on the ground, completely untouched. Not even a scratch along its edge.

The kids stared at the coin, then back at me, their eyes wide with wonder.

Heh.

It wasn’t like I’d planned to hit it on the first try anyway.

Let’s try that again.

---

“I had a lot of fun today,” Charlotte said as we exited the alley.

Taking the advice of our earlier guide, we decided to leave before the sun completely set.

In hindsight, the most problematic part of the day was probably when I fired my gun.

While it had been satisfying to hit the coin mid-air multiple times, the noise of gunfire had naturally caused a commotion. The guide had come running back, pale as a sheet, convinced someone had been killed.

Considering the nature of the backstreets, hearing a gunshot would understandably lead one to assume the worst.

Even though the police rarely patrolled these alleys, a reported gunshot would prompt at least a cursory investigation. That would spell trouble.

To reassure him, I handed the guide a card from my pocket.

The card bore no name, but it was made of high-quality paper and stamped with the intricate emblem of the Fangryphon Imperial family.

The crest was embossed with anti-forgery details that were nearly impossible to replicate without the original seal.

I told the guide to present the card to the police if they came. Upon seeing it, his face turned from pale to outright blue.

With a shrug, I rejoined my companions and left the alley.

Leo and Sophia seemed a little bewildered by the exchange, but Charlotte, in contrast, appeared oddly pleased.

Perhaps she found the experience exhilarating, a refreshing break from her strictly “royal” lifestyle.

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” I remarked.

“....”

Charlotte’s smile faltered slightly at my words.

Looking at me with an apologetic expression, she hesitated before speaking.

“I’m sorry. I got carried away... I completely forgot that you might have wanted to spend time with Leo.”

“....”

Ah, right.

The only reason I’d been dragged into this was because Charlotte had insisted on helping me.

“That’s not it,” I replied seriously, though Charlotte seemed lost in her own assumptions.

“I’ll arrange a time for you and Leo to spend together soon. Of course, I’ll keep it a secret from Alice.”

If I genuinely had feelings for Leo, I wouldn’t just keep it a secret from Alice—I’d ensure no one knew.

“After all, there’s such a wide gap between a baron’s son and a princess...”

No, that wasn’t the issue here.

If anything, the Emperor would likely approve of me marrying someone I liked. He’d never been the type to meddle in such affairs.

He was the kind of man who sowed seeds in courtesans with the sole intent of producing competent offspring. If I told him I had a child, he’d probably celebrate rather than disapprove.

Fangryphon’s Imperial family didn’t lack for wealth or political clout. Even a baron’s son would be considered a decent match.

But explaining that to Charlotte would only fan the flames of her misunderstanding, so I chose to stay silent.

“What are you two talking about?” Leo suddenly asked, breaking into our conversation.

“Did I hear my name?”

“Oh, it’s nothing!” Charlotte answered hastily.

“We were just discussing what happened in the alley earlier. Right, Sylvia?”

Well, that wasn’t a lie.

But telling Leo the full truth would turn this from a simple misunderstanding into an uncontrollable wildfire.

...Meanwhile, Sophia’s gaze felt particularly piercing.

She wasn’t glaring, but it was clear she had her own misconceptions about the situation.

Not that I could blame her.

After all, I *had* been keeping an eye on Leo.

But it wasn’t out of affection.

It was because of *her.*

Yet explaining that would only lead to further complications.

As October began, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this month was going to be anything but smooth.