On the first day of the school year, the headmaster brought me into his office and said:
"I want you to give a speech. Yes, a speech to welcome the students. Besides, you are my grandson, and your father is the prince—or should I say, the king. So I want you to say something. If you're willing! And also, Aruna has come. So, I want you to give it your all."
As if giving a speech was that easy. And on top of that—it's for today. But how? It's hard to prepare one in just an hour. He could've told me yesterday. I had two choices: either improvise or write something down quickly on paper. So, I decided to improvise. Besides, I had something else to do—I had to go change clothes, because in this outfit I didn't look good. And especially since Aruna was here. Luckily, I had already asked the tailor to prepare a nice suit for me. A black shirt and trousers. Nothing fancy, but stylish enough.
After picking it up from the tailor, I hurried home to change, then headed straight to the academy. Only thirty minutes remained before the king himself would appear to give his speech. I needed to find a seat quickly so I wouldn't miss it. For many people, listening might feel pointless, but for me it was an opportunity to learn from his words and use them to shape my own speech. He also read aloud the names of students and the classes they were assigned to. I sincerely hoped I would be with Aruna. The old man told me she was enrolled here, but I wondered how that was possible since she should only be around fourteen. Maybe, just like me, she had used chronomancy.
Thirty minutes passed, and the speech began. As I thought, the king started announcing the names of students, class by class. A-1, A-2, A-3, A-4, A-5, and finally the Special Class—reserved for high-ranking nobles and prodigies in magic. Of course, I was placed in the Special Class. Then, right after my name, I heard "Aruna Kamatsu."
I leapt up instantly to see her—but the girl I spotted was unrecognizable. Surely, it wasn't her. She bore a strange mark on her neck. And yet, I was certain I had heard her name. Then, the headmaster repeated it: "Aruna Kamatsu." As soon as he finished, the sound of a chair scraping echoed. This time, I knew. It was her. Why? Because I remembered that mark.
I was so happy that my eyes filled with tears. My friend—my very first friend. The one who helped me become more social, who gave me the courage to speak in front of many people, who taught me how to bond with others. I would always owe her everything...
After a moment, the king declared:
"As you all know, I have three children. One of them is the king. But he refused his title. Still, he is king—just as I am. When I die, he will take my place. And this future king has a son, and he is here. He is the son of Ray Kamatsu: Henray Kamatsu."
At once, the whole crowd turned to stare at me. Their eyes were filled with menace and greed. I averted my gaze, terrified, unable to face them.
After that awkward silence, I stepped forward toward the king to deliver my speech. Stressed, but a little confident, I raised my voice and began:
"As you all know, I am Henray Kamatsu. And I am the son of Ray Kamatsu."
Suddenly, someone shouted: "We already knew that, you idiot!"
So, I used a spell to shut him up, then continued my speech:
"As I was saying, I am the son of Ray. Which means I carry royal blood. But my whole life... ehhh... I lived in the countryside. I never knew I was noble. One day, I discovered through my cousin that my father was a master swordsman. But I still didn't know I came from royal blood. So, in short—even though I grew up in the countryside, you'd better respect me! Or I'll kick your asses. Is that clear?"
After that speech, we went into our classes and began the first lesson. It was about introducing ourselves and learning some basic elemental magic spells. Then, the second lesson focused on using one of our enhancement skills. I was surprised that Aruna had the Physical Enhancement skill—just like me. Sometimes, fate really works in strange ways.
After class, I rushed back to the manor to change into the academy uniform that had been given to us, ready to wear it the next day. Then, I went out to train. After an hour of running, it was now five in the afternoon. I stopped at the roundabout—the place I had arranged to meet Aruna. Ten minutes later, I saw her.
Her long grayish hair shimmered in the fading light. Her figure was slim yet perfect. And as always, she looked beautiful. I approached her to greet her, but she didn't recognize me (since I had only sent her a note with the time and place, she hadn't seen my face). Once I told her it was me, we started talking and laughing, until suddenly we heard the screams of a girl.
As we rushed closer, I noticed trails of blood and the cries growing louder. When we reached the spot, we saw bandits trying to kidnap an elf. Alarmed, I drew the sword the king had given me and charged, with Aruna at my side.
In the middle of the fight, one of the bandits grabbed Aruna and covered her mouth. Exhausted from wielding such a heavy sword, I decided to create my own.
[Sword Creation, Ecliptic Magic. Sword forged in Xaryo (a metal one hundred times stronger than titanium, yet light as air).]
And then—Boom!
The spell activated successfully.
[Skill: Rapid Assassination – activated.]
I lunged back into battle. The first bandit was a novice—he attacked recklessly without defending, which made him easy prey. All I had to do was dodge and strike.
The second was more cautious, attacking while defending, but his guard was full of openings. I feinted, slipped past, and struck him down with a slash to the head.
The last one—he was trickier. For him, I summoned clones to overwhelm his defenses. I knew he'd either jump or teleport, so I transformed my sword into a dagger and slit his throat.
Finally, Aruna and the elf girl were safe. They both thanked me. But the elf, still trembling, asked in a low voice, full of curiosity:
"But… who are you?"