———She just stares at me.
"———Entered?!"
A woman who definitely does not belong to the planet Earth, the third closest planet to the Sun.
With hair so white is seems transparent and a dress so black it does not exist, she places her hands in front of her crotch and clasps them politely.
A sullen and pale face, with a proper demeanor that is quite unsettling, the beautiful female in front of me doesn't move an inch.
"———Yes. You are of the Aron family, correct?"
"Y-yes. . . ?"
"———Good. My name is Extella."
The name sounded foreign.
I would guess upon Japanese origin from her looks, but that's just plain wrong.
In Shukufuku, it wasn't uncommon to have numerous migrants come in.
This was how Taka-sensei was hired, after all.
Even so, how would such a human being appear in house without a trace!
The traditional wooden door leading into Sustrous Aron's personal residence is shut as it should be at this hour, and somehow, not a sound was made!
"Aron, you, along with 50 other young masters, have been entered into an exam."
"———W-what the heck are you talking about———?"
My vision wasn't quite all there, nor my mind.
I had just fallen into a rapid eye movement slumber, in the middle of a pleasant dream.
It's completely my fault.
The time on the clock sat onto the nightstand to the right of me flickers two.
I have no excuses to be going to bed at such a time.
". . . ."
She doesn't say anything and just stares at me for about twenty seconds.
In the black of night, such a figure naturally caused me to jump straight out of my sheets and pressed onto the wall behind me.
However, instead of grabbing some sort of makeshift weapon, I'm huddled up against the wall, shielding my body with a heavy blanket, the same one I used to wet as a baby.
This is just some incredibly messed up dream, so hopefully I can wake up soon.
—The general consensus I come to, and force myself to agree with, no matter how unsettling the woman may be.
No matter how those red, predatory eyes stab wounds into my eyes. . . !
"———This exam is a competition between descendants. You have been selected on behalf of the Aron family.
The remaining twelve will be awarded as the new Knights of the Roundtable."
What is she talking about?!
Really, what the hell is she talking about?!
And for some stupid reason, I'm nodding my head?
As if I understand a single word flowing through her pale lips.
She speaks like a machine, with perfect tonality, unbroken words and robotic prose.
Even now, she looks at me without blinking once.
"A battle to the death between promising Knights for the will of the the Grand Order, I intend for you to accept this offer.
And so———I shall ask of you. Will you participate in this exam, Aron?"