"Your Highness Linen, I'm not sure what you mean. Could you be a bit more direct?"
Ken frowned, mentally revisiting his plan. He couldn't find anything wrong with it. Could it be he had underestimated the influence of the Flame Rose princess, Hysteria?
But if she were really as favored by her emperor as the rumors claimed, would she have been sent off like a hostage to study abroad in the Zijinghua Empire?
Besides, he had Prince Linen of Zijinghua himself backing him.
In response, Linen gave a cold, sardonic smile. Then, in a composed tone, he began to speak:
"You're not wrong. But this continent is steeped in suffering, and the Tower of Chronomancy isn't the only force capable of influencing Eden Academy. I believe—"
He had barely spoken a few lines when Ken already felt dizzy from the verbal gymnastics. He quickly cut him off.
"Your Highness, I don't follow. Weren't we talking about the Flame Rose princess? What does this have to do with the Tower or the academy?"
"You don't follow? You think you understand?"
Linen shook his head.
"Ken, have you still not realized who it is you've been overlooking?"
Someone I overlooked?
Linen had already spelled it out. If Ken couldn't figure it out now, he truly was hopeless.
"You mean that common-born girl? The little nobody from the mud—Elena?"
Ken had already done a thorough background check on her and found nothing remarkable. Her record was plain and unimpressive. If there was anything noteworthy at all, it was her inexplicable friendship with Prince Linen of Zijinghua.
Wait… the prince's friendship?
Why would someone so high above as His Highness extend himself toward a lowborn girl?
Ken felt a chill of realization.
"Not entirely beyond saving."
Linen snorted.
"Think again. The Tower of Chronomancy activated you, a planted asset inside the academy, just to target someone. One is the Flame Rose princess and a rising star of Arcane magic. The other is a countryside nobody. Does that really add up?"
Linen's words made cold sweat bead down Ken's spine.
Piecing it together with what Linen had said earlier, he came to a realization so jarring it made his head spin:
"That girl—Elena—has forces backing her too? But what kind of force could possibly be in play at the level of the Tower and the Zijinghua Empire?"
"You really want to know?"
Linen narrowed his eyes.
"Well, as my teammate, I suppose I could tell you. The truth is, behind Elena is actually—"
"N-No! Please, Your Highness! Spare me—I don't want to know! I acted without your permission earlier, and for that, I sincerely apologize!"
Ken waved his hands frantically. Sweat soaked his brow, and his legs beneath his robes were trembling uncontrollably.
Right now, he was beyond thankful that Linen had chosen him as a teammate. If he'd gone ahead with his plan, hoping for recognition from a Twelve-Ring mage, he might've ended up incurring the wrath—and abandonment—of three major powers instead.
Linen simply watched as Ken digested all this, finally letting out a quiet breath.
Damn, finally convinced him.
Do you even understand the value of a rise-from-nothing protagonist?!
Elena's whole shtick was that she had no backers at the beginning. That's what made her an "underdog" archetype. Sure, she might later "suddenly" discover a whole crew of hidden big-shot relatives, but come on—no one knew Luffy's grandpa was a Marine hero when he first set out to sea, or that the guy who lost an arm saving him was a Yonko.
The Tower's early targeting of Elena obviously had some other motive. If this world followed a single timeline, Linen might've had trouble convincing Ken. But thanks to the convenient comparison provided by Hysteria, who did come with an imperial pedigree, the overly cautious Ken—so trained to be wary of noble power—had taken the bait.
Otherwise, with Ken being at least Three-Ring and specialized in poison magic, if he'd truly decided to go all-in on attacking the girls, Linen would've been under serious pressure.
But for now, at least, that danger was averted.
"Remember—if you ever touch either of them again without my say-so, don't expect me to protect you."
Linen tossed the warning over his shoulder and walked off.
Ken nodded silently, only calling out just as Linen was about to disappear from view.
"Your Highness, then when will we—"
"I'll arrange it."
Linen cut him off and strode straight toward the classroom.
With how things stood between them now, they weren't even close to being friends—just teammates, barely. If he made a move too early, he wouldn't get the "backstab" trigger he wanted.
Ken was a good card to play, but like a tissue, he might be single-use. Linen needed to choose the moment for maximum gain.
Until then, secrecy was paramount.
"Aaaah! It's Prince—uh, Classmate Linen!"
"Linen, you're so dreamy! So dreamy!!" (unsettling shrieking ensues)
"There was someone else with him earlier, right? Who was that?"
"No idea. Probably just some shady, forgettable NPC."
As voices echoed around him and he passed through a corridor formed by swaying figures of upperclasswomen in black stockings, Linen let out a resigned sigh.
He had wanted to return to class quietly and get through the first day low-key—but apparently, his "hardware" made that impossible.
Still, in a way, everyone knowing who he was might actually help him stay hidden.
Back in the classroom a few minutes prior, after Linen and Ken had left, Elena was the only one still seated. Hysteria had also found an excuse to step out.
But this time, she hadn't gone off to stalk the two boys. She just felt overwhelmed and needed a bit of fresh air.
Before long, a few well-dressed male students slipped out too—furtively, like they had something to hide.
Their direction seemed to match the one Shia had taken.
Elena's instincts, honed by a childhood spent in the lower quarters, flared in warning. Without hesitation, she activated her ability.
Her face paled. She stood up immediately.
"Is something wrong, Elena?"
Linen had just returned to the room and caught her startled expression.
"Linen! Something's wrong!"
Elena was panting, strands of damp hair clinging to her cheek, unaware of how flushed she looked.
"What's wrong? Take a breath. Tell me slowly."
Linen gently smoothed the stray strands from her face, his voice calm and steady.
Elena flushed even deeper but didn't flinch. Forcing her voice to stay even, she said:
"Shia… she left the classroom and hasn't come back. I was just about to go look for her."
"Hysteria leaving during the break? Isn't that pretty normal?"
Elena hesitated, then chose to share what she'd heard using her ability.
"But there were a few others who followed her out… I heard them talking. They—they said they wanted her to join their study group."
"What did you say?!"
Linen was instantly furious.
Hysteria was in his group. Which meant—by all logic—she was his person.
Trying to recruit her away? That was a direct challenge!
And worst of all, given the massive misunderstanding Hysteria currently had about him, she might actually agree.
If that happened, all the effort he'd put in so far would've just ended up benefiting someone else.
Absolutely not!
Those bastards must die!!!
Without a second thought, Linen grabbed Elena's hand and stormed out of the room.