— — — — — —
Yukina Himeragi blinked in surprise. "Wait, they're picking directly from the reserves? That's… new."
Normally, bodyguard assignments were only given to graduates—those who had completed training and passed evaluations. Selecting directly from the students? That was unheard of.
"Yeah, and I heard both Sword Shaman and Shamanic War Dancer can apply this time. Doesn't that sound kinda weird?" Sayaka Kirasaka couldn't help but comment, frowning a little.
"Wait, Sword Shamans too?" Yukina looked even more surprised.
Within the Lion King Agency, training diverged based on one's talents and combat style. Sword Shamans specialized in direct combat, while Shamanic War Dancers focused on hexes and long-range techniques.
Typically, bodyguard missions were assigned to Shamanic Dancers. Their skill set made them more effective against assassins, poisons, and other covert threats. Their efficiency in protecting VIPs was far superior to the Sword Shamans. No wonder Yukina was surprised.
"But the real kicker," Sayaka continued, taking a big bite out of her sandwich, cheeks puffed out, "is that this mission's a long-term assignment. Like, it could last years!"
"If it goes through, it'll probably set a new record for mission duration. We're talking about jumping from six months to two or three years in one shot."
"Well, even so…" Yukina paused to think, then calmly said, "There's no way something like this would be handed to underclassmen like us."
"Exactly," Sayaka agreed.
"We're still only in the second half of sixth grade. This kind of mission is obviously meant for the third-years who are about to become official Sword Shamans. No matter how you slice it, this isn't for us."
Sayaka downed the last of her milk and playfully held up her fingers. "Unless they're picking cute girls, there's no chance we'd get chosen."
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Crisp, echoing applause rang out across the cafeteria.
Everyone turned toward the source of the sound.
Standing there was a beautiful elf with light green hair and sharp, pointed ears.
It was none other than Yukari Endou, the Lion King Agency's elite martial arts instructor.
"Uh-oh, we're screwed—it's Endou-sensei. That means something's up…"
"Don't tell me it's another weird mission."
"Please not another survival test! I really don't wanna eat bugs again!"
"And no more 'seduce your roommate to test their willpower' nonsense either! Like, how are girls supposed to seduce other girls?! That's not a willpower test—that's torture!"
The murmurs of panic around her reached Yukina's ears, but the loudest whisper came from right next to her—Sayaka's desperate muttering:
"Please don't see me. Please don't see me. I totally didn't grab an extra milk… please don't notice me!"
Yukina let out a sigh and gently patted Sayaka on the shoulder in consolation.
Meanwhile, Endou scanned the cafeteria, briefly pausing when her gaze landed on Yukina and Sayaka. Then, she moved on, still surveying the crowd.
"Yukina-chan… did she just look at us a little longer than normal? She totally did, right?!" Sayaka's voice was pitched with panic. "We should skip class today. Seriously. Let's just hide in the forest for a couple days."
"I mean…" Yukina winced. "If they catch us, wouldn't it be worse?"
Sayaka immediately went silent.
At that moment, Endou clapped again and said cheerfully, "Alright, girls! Just a quick announcement—today's special class is cancelled."
The cafeteria went quiet for three seconds, then erupted into loud cheers.
But as the celebration reached full swing, Endou's voice suddenly echoed across the cafeteria, magically amplified so everyone could hear:
"Instead, we'll be having a special little quiz today."
Dead silence. The cheering stopped mid-soundbite. Everyone's faces instantly turned red.
"No need to worry—it's nothing too hard," Endou continued with a bright smile. "In fact, some of the older students will be taking it with you."
'That's exactly why we should worry!' Sayaka screamed internally. The same quiz as the little kids?! Something is off.
Endou glanced at Sayaka and added, "Relax. It's just a simple personality test this time."
'Last time you said that, the "simple test" involved dressing as a maid and trying to seduce Yukina! You call that simple?!' Sayaka screamed again—in her head, thankfully.
Suddenly, Endou turned directly toward her.
"Sayaka, do you have a problem with that?"
"N–No! Not at all! I didn't say anything!" Sayaka shot to her feet like a rocket, straightening up with forced enthusiasm.
The other students couldn't help but laugh—but immediately tried to muffle it, shooting wary glances toward Endou.
"Good," Endou grinned. "The test will be supervised directly by me and one of the Three Saints. You'll take it in the Hall."
Then she turned back to the others. "Line up by your dorm numbers and proceed to Classroom 6 for your evaluations. That's all."
As soon as she finished speaking, Endou's figure dissolved into hundreds of fluttering paper slips and vanished—clearly just a shikigami.
Sayaka sat back down with a defeated face, clearly on the verge of tears.
"Sorry, Yukina… I dragged you into this…"
"It's fine," Yukina said with a warm smile, gently patting Sayaka's head. "Didn't Sensei say it's just a personality test?"
"Yukina…!" Sayaka looked at her like she was an angel descending from heaven.
Yukina smiled helplessly, quickly finished her breakfast, and stood up. "Alright, let's head to the Hall."
"Mhm~" Sayaka gave a little hum and followed her out.
— — —
Outside the High God Forest
As Ryo stepped out of the car, he saw two members of the Lion King Agency waiting for him.
One was Endou—the same green-haired elf from earlier.
The other was a girl with striking white hair and dusty blue eyes. Despite her youthful face, she carried herself with a grace and calm that betrayed her age. She was one of the Three Saints: Shirona Kuraki.
Both wore elegant kimonos and bowed politely as Ryo Yagami and his companion, Koyomi Shizuka, got out.
"Yukari Endou and Shirona Kuraki of the Lion King Agency, at your service, Your Majesty."
Ryo glanced at the two of them, raising an eyebrow. "An elf… and a shrine maiden with two consciousnesses. The Lion King Agency sure has a knack for producing some interesting girls."
Neither Endou nor Shirona responded to the comment. They were painfully aware of the man before them—Ryo Yagami, the one who had defeated the Third Primogenitor. Every word needed to be chosen carefully around a man like him.
Meanwhile, Koyomi, having noted the silent exchange, stepped closer to Ryo and spoke in a low voice. "While you're touring the High God Forest, would Your Majesty be interested in serving as a guest examiner for one of the assessments today?"
Ryo arched an eyebrow, giving Koyomi a sly, unreadable smile. "Since you're the one asking, how could I say no?"
(Come to think of it, the list of candidates I approved had already been sent to the Lion King Agency. That would mean the two being tested today are Yukina Himeragi and Sayaka Kirasaka, huh?)
With that thought, Ryo's expression turned intrigued.
Koyomi's face remained composed as she bowed slightly. "Then please, follow me."
.
.
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