The Demon King's head.
Above the heat of the increasingly steamy bath, I pictured the bastard.
"Tch."
Splash!
The water rippled violently at my pretense of swinging a sword.
Knock, knock.
"Is something the matter?"
Suddenly embarrassed for no reason, I cleared my throat a few times and got out of the bath.
"...Nothing, Lucy. Bring me something to dry off with and some clothes." "Yes."
When I stepped into the hall, I saw that the light in the study was off.
Was he already asleep?
Perhaps she noticed where I was looking, because Lucy quietly explained.
"The duke went out to prepare for tomorrow's entrance exam."
Huh?
Even counting only this life, the duke had graduated ages ago. Why was he preparing for an entrance exam?
Even if he was preparing for my exam, there wasn't anything he could do.
He wasn't the sort to offer a bribe, either.
The entrance exam wasn't even that difficult.
The difficult part was meeting the qualifications.
"I understand. I'll go to bed early tonight as well, so finish up and get some rest." "Thank you for your consideration, Young Master."
Lucy gave me a bright smile before scampering off toward the bathwater.
I thought it had been a good idea to go to bed early that day.
Because sleep didn't come easily.
It was partly because I felt like I was starting over, and partly because of the reason for the duke's absence.
What on earth could have been so important that he needed to leave the ducal estate at such a late hour?
I had thought we were going together tomorrow.
...And sooner than I expected, I found the answer to that question.
[Welcome, future talents who will one day bear the kingdom's weight. Before the entrance exam begins, the faculty will be introduced, followed by a representative address.]
A voice amplified by magic rang out, and someone walked toward the front of the platform.
Thud. Thud.
...That face was extremely familiar.
The crowd began to murmur.
And no wonder. The man who had come forward as a professor was a famous figure across the continent.
[Ah, ah. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Duke William Helleim, Head of House Helleim, and I have been appointed as this year's swordsmanship professor.]
"Gasp. Why is the head of a swordsmanship house at the academy?" "I heard his son is enrolling."
I could hear the whispers even from where I stood.
"Oh, no. Our son is doomed. He has to compete against the eldest son of House Helleim." "Mother?"
Then my eyes met the duke's on the platform.
A sudden, ominous feeling washed over me.
Oh, don't tell me.
[There is my proud son, Arthur Helleim. Everyone, please look over there.]
Crash.
Why did my ominous premonitions never miss?
Countless eyes turned toward me.
"Ahaha. Yes, that's me."
That damned son-obsessed fool.
It might have been better to come wearing that cursed golden armor.
[The examination will now begin.]
At the headmaster's words, countless fireworks exploded.
Whoosh— Boom!
They were made with magic. Even though they looked like that, they were actually Fifth-Circle spells.
Which meant I couldn't use them.
More importantly, it had been a very long time since I'd seen that headmaster.
If my grandfather, Arthur Graham, had been the foremost figure in the world of swordsmanship, then the academy's headmaster was his counterpart in the world of magic.
The king hadn't killed the headmaster because the man was practically glued to the academy.
...Though he was eventually killed by the Demon King's Army anyway.
"Woooah!" "At last, I can finally...!"
As beautiful lights painted the blue sky, everyone steeled themselves for what lay ahead.
I was no different from them.
In this life, I would reach the pinnacle without fail.
And save them.
"Young Master Arthur."
Just then, someone called my name and grabbed my shoulder.
It was the voice of a young girl.
When I looked over, I found the haughty princess standing there.
"Ah, Your Highness the Princess. The young master of House Helleim greets the kingdom's second star."
She was someone I would never have crossed paths with in my previous life.
Unlike now, I hadn't been an adopted son back then. I had merely been a guest, which meant that, strictly speaking, I had been a commoner.
The princess, on the other hand, was royalty.
On top of that, her magical talent was exceptional, making her someone from an entirely different world than a magic failure like me.
But this life was different.
Duke Helleim was close to the king and frequently visited the kingdom.
Whenever he did, he always brought me along, saying he would show me around the royal palace.
Until the adults finished their business—which was funny, considering I was an adult too—I would play with the princess or prince around my age.
—What's your deal? Hmph, you're adopted? Then you're a commoner.
That had been my first impression of the princess up close.
—Princess!
I could still hear the king's thunderous roar as clearly as if it had been yesterday.
That proud princess had cried her eyes out that day.
Apparently, it was the first time she'd ever been scolded.
When I visited again after growing a little older, she treated me more warmly, perhaps out of a sense of responsibility for what she'd said last time—or perhaps because she'd been scolded.
That only made things more uncomfortable.
—Here, take this. —This is... a real sword, isn't it? Where did you get it? —It's fine. Everything in the kingdom belongs to me anyway.
Maybe she'd heard that I trained with a sword, because she'd even stolen a knight's sword from a training ground inside the royal palace.
—Your Highness! Please give me back my sword!
When I visited last year, around the age of thirteen, she kept touching my well-built body as if it were some kind of curiosity.
—Wow. So men's bodies are this hard.
—Not all men are like that.
—Hmph! Don't get cocky just because you're a commoner. The real young master I know is far more impressive than you! He's great at magic, and he's so cool. You, on the other hand, have nothing going for you except that smug face.
—...His Majesty the King told me to inform him if Your Highness called me a commoner one more time. Not that I intend to report it, of course. In any case, I'll be leaving first.
—Wait, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!
A summary of everything that had happened swept through my mind.
Ah, this was exhausting.
Not wanting to get involved with her, I gave her impeccable formal courtesy and tried to leave.
"You idiot. Students don't act that formal with one another at the academy."
Oh, was that right?
Even before my regression, I'd spent so many years living after graduation that I'd forgotten.
"Even so, we're not students yet."
I offered the excuse halfheartedly, and her face flushed.
"Y-You're going to pass anyway!" "Of course, Your Highness. With your magical talent, you'll not only pass, but come in first place." "Obviously. I'm already a Third-Circle mage." "As expected of Your Highness."
After I bowed my head a few times, some of the hostility faded from her face.
"Ahem. Then let's go to the examination hall together." "?" "Why are you just staring at me like an idiot? I said let's go."
Murmur, murmur.
As the sharpness in her voice grew louder, the crowd's attention naturally turned toward us.
Hmm. This was bad.
It wasn't enough to show the people of the kingdom only my best side, and now this.
"Your Highness. As you know, I'm applying to the swordsmanship department. Haven't you visited the ducal estate several times and spoken with me? Ah, of course, you wouldn't remember speaking with someone as lowly as me."
"I-I know! Of course I remember! But you still have to escort me!"
Escort her?
I glanced at the knight standing right behind her, guarding her in plain sight.
He must have noticed my gaze, because he gave me an awkward little bow.
I knew I'd seen him somewhere before. He was the knight whose sword the princess had stolen when we were children.
'You've been through a lot.'
'Not at all. You too, Young Master...'
We exchanged a brief, sympathetic conversation with our eyes, and the sharp-eyed princess suddenly yelled.
"What was that look?"