He opened the door.
"Rember this."
"You are not training to fight monsters."
"You are training to survive a world that has already lost."
And with that...
He walked out.
The door closed.
The bell rang.
Break ti.
The classroom instantly ca alive.
"Let’s go eat!"
"I’m starving!"
"Finally, a break!"
Students stood up and rushed outside.
Rowan remained seated, leaning back in his chair, eyes half-closed.
Then he felt it.
A presence.
Standing right in front of him.
...Again?
Rowan slowly opened his eyes.
Velqira.
What the hell is she doing here again?
"Do you have a problem with ?" Rowan said, frowning.
Velqira didn’t answer.
Instead, she suddenly grabbed his wrist.
"Hey—!"
"Co with ," she said.
She pulled him up from his seat and dragged him toward the door.
"Oi! What the hell?!"
The entire class froze.
"...Did the princess just grab him?"
"Is that nobody holding hands with the princess?"
"No way. No way. No way."
"I’m going to kill him."
"That lucky bastard..."
Students whispered, gasped, and stared in disbelief as she dragged him out of the classroom.
They passed through the hallway.
Other students from different classes noticed.
"Is that the princess?"
"Who’s that guy?"
"Why is she holding his hand?"
"I’m so jealous..."
Rowan clicked his tongue.
Even if I don’t care about her status... she’s still a princess.
And worse—
She looks too much like my past lover.
That’s why I’m avoiding her.
Velqira climbed the stairs, still pulling him along.
Up.
Up.
Up.
Rowan stopped resisting.
Where the hell is she taking ?
They reached the rooftop.
The door opened.
A gust of wind swept across the open space, scattering a flock of birds into the sky.
She dragged him to a bench near the edge.
"What do you want now?" Rowan said.
Velqira finally let go of his wrist.
She lowered her head.
Her face was red.
"...Please sit. I’ll go get sothing for us to eat."
Rowan blinked.
She turned and hurried back toward the door.
Rowan stared after her.
Then slowly sat down on the bench.
...What is she planning?
Velqira returned through the rooftop door with two lunchboxes in her hands.
The wind brushed against her uniform as she walked toward Rowan.
She stopped in front of him... then slowly sat down beside him on the bench.
Without eting his eyes, she stretched one lunchbox toward him.
"Take it... please."
Rowan accepted it and opened the lid.
Rice and skewers.
"...Thanks."
He picked up the skewers.
"Well, don’t mind . I’m starving. I’m digging in."
He started eating.
Velqira didn’t move.
She didn’t open her lunchbox.
She just sat there, watching him quietly.
Rowan noticed.
Why is she not eating?
This is awkward.
Really awkward.
He kept chewing, pretending not to care, but the silence pressed on him.
Velqira kept her face straight, staring forward.
Then she lowered her head, looking at her feet.
She breathed in.
Breathed out.
Rowan watched her quietly.
Just as she was about to look at him, he turned away and continued eating.
She stood up.
"I want to say sothing to you."
Rowan paused.
She faced him, her eyes serious.
"How are you so strong?"
Rowan didn’t answer.
She clenched her fists.
She took a step closer.
"Do you know what you did that day?"
Her voice trembled.
"You moved faster than anything I had ever seen. That speed... that control... and that was when you were holding back."
Rowan slowly stood up.
Velqira continued.
"I trained myself. Again and again. My father sent countless tutors. I pushed my body to the limit. I searched for soone who could match the strength I saw that day."
She shook her head.
"There was no one."
Rowan turned to face her.
"You’re mistaken," he said calmly.
"I think you saw soone else. Soone who looked like ."
Her eyes widened.
"And besides... I’m a Sword Saint. You saw my blessing. Isn’t that a shaful blessing? You heard what the teacher said."
He scoffed lightly.
"You said I defeated assassins. That wasn’t ."
Silence.
The wind passed between them.
Velqira stared at him.
He’s denying it.
But those eyes...
The sa eyes.
The sa presence.
The sa pressure.
She rembered the blood.
The two assassins lying dead.
The boy who stood in front of her like a wall.
She whispered,
"I did my research. Your father is one of the highest-ranked adventurers in the kingdom. But even he shouldn’t be able to raise a child like you."
Rowan looked away.
"...You should stop digging into people’s pasts, Princess."
Velqira clenched her lunchbox.
"You’re hiding sothing."
Rowan’s eyes darkened.
"And you’re asking questions you shouldn’t."
"But... but I saw you," Velqira said.
Rowan stood up.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about," he replied coldly.
"And there are things you shouldn’t concern yourself with."
"Eat your al. Break is almost over."
He turned and walked away.
Velqira watched his back as he descended the stairs.
If she keeps stressing like this... maybe I have to erase her mory.
But that day... I only saw him in a vision. I was half-conscious.
Now I’ve t her again.
Should I erase her mory instead?
He shook his head.
No. That would be wrong.
Rowan walked down the stairs with both hands in his pockets.
His expression was calm.
But his senses were sharp.
Then two boys stepped into his path.
He stopped.
Another blocked his other side.
So that’s how it is.
"Move," Rowan said.
One of them sneered.
"Talking big, huh? You’re just a Sword Saint."
The boy stepped forward.
"You know who I am? I’m Vincent. A Sword God."
Rowan sighed.
"That’s amusing. Now get out of my way."
Vincent clenched his fist.
"Shut up, you bastard. Do you know what you’ve done?"
"You committed a cri."
Another boy crossed his arms.
"You dared to touch the princess."
Silence fell.
Rowan took a step forward.
"This is the last ti I’ll say it."
"Move."
The air around him shifted.
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