Chapter 23: Princess Anna (1)
At a port city in the north, far from the Academy, the scale surpassed even Roten Village, thriving on trade with the mainland.
The city’s bright lights contrasted with the pitch-black night sea. Unlike the mainland’s trendy teahouses, this was a man’s city, filled with more taverns than anything else.
“Hey, barkeep! My glass is empty!”
“Pour it yourself!”
“Listen to this guy talk. To a customer.”
“Customer? More like a crook!”
Men reeking of the sea gathered after work to drink. In a corner of one such rowdy tavern, a hooded figure and a silver-haired young man with a sword propped nearby took a seat.
“Princess, this place is too loud and dangerous. Let’s go to the governor’s residence now.”
“What’s the big deal? You’re here to protect me, Anton. And it’s supposed to be loud. Isn’t that what this place is like?”
Though her face was half-hidden by the hood, her visible lips seemed to glow, creating an illusion of radiance.
“So, what’s this called?”
“Roasted pork with seasoning.”
“Aha~”
Her skin was so pale it seemed transparent, her pink lips standing out vividly. Those lips, which looked like they’d only sip morning dew, were now approaching the tavern’s greasy roasted pork. Anton, sitting across from her, watched anxiously.
“Mmm! It’s got a strong flavor. Different from what we ate at the palace.”
“I’m glad it suits your taste, but…”
To anyone watching, she’d seem utterly out of place, like a noblewoman or more. She was, after all, a princess, so it wasn’t entirely wrong.
“Anton, stop looking so nervous and just enjoy. I prefer this over the stuffy palace. Don’t you feel more at ease here?”
“Yes, my origins are humble, so this feels familiar. But…”
Anton glanced around the tavern.
“If you were only going to places like this, I think we should’ve brought more people. You refused, though.”
“Don’t underestimate yourself, Anton. They say your skills rival the Executors.”
“Rival, but not surpass. Honestly, one of them would’ve been better as your escort.”
“Ugh… No way. Those guys are all weirdos.”
“Hating them is one thing, but your safety comes first, Princess.”
Princess Anna Kaien, the eldest daughter of Gaspar Kaien, the 17th king of the Lem Kingdom. As the king’s only daughter, she’d been treated like a jewel since birth. Even strolling the palace gardens required an entourage.
Raised like a hothouse flower, Anna’s spirit was that of a wildflower. Confined to the palace, she’d always envied the birds soaring freely. Her situation was much like other kingdoms’ princesses.
“Anton, I keep saying I hate that. I’m not a baby.”
But unlike others, she didn’t just dream—she forged her own path. She pleaded daily with her father, the king, to let her leave. Exasperated, the king gave her an impossible task to break her resolve.
—Earn the approval of Jorzan, the great wizard.
Jorzan was a rigid scholar who didn’t even acknowledge his own disciples. The king’s demand was a roundabout refusal. Yet, Anna didn’t give up and worked to win Jorzan’s favor.
“You’re not a baby. Honestly, I’m impressed.”
“Because I won over Jorzan?”
“Yes. Getting that cranky old man’s approval isn’t easy.”
“I do have some charm.”
Living only in the palace, Anna hadn’t realized she was a genius. Perhaps it was natural—even her father didn’t know her potential.
“Memorizing a spellbook meant for Mage Tower professors at thirteen—does that make sense?”
“Why bring that up now?”
Anna trailed off playfully, embarrassed. Anton was serious.
“At fifteen, you cast a 4th-circle spell that Jorzan’s disciples couldn’t use until twenty-five. And you did it self-taught.”
“Hehe.”
“I thought someone was secretly casting for you.”
With such absurd talent, Anna earned the great wizard’s approval at eighteen, which brought her here.
“Honestly, I didn’t think Father would keep his promise.”
“If he hadn’t, you’d probably have learned teleportation magic to escape.”
“Oh~ You caught me?”
“See? That’s why escorting you with the edict procession was the cheaper option.”
Her grand first outing was to deliver the Edict to Lansed Academy on the southern island, accompanied by Anton, a royal knight.
“But I was shocked when I saw the dean. I didn’t expect him to be so huge. He was fun, though.”
“Ugh…”
“You didn’t like him? He seemed friendly.”
At the mention of the dean, Anton shuddered.
“I can’t stand that guy. Thinking about him challenging me before graduation…”
“Really? Oh! I heard royal knights all face the dean once. So, did you win?”
Her golden eyes sparkled.
“If I’d won, I’d be the dean. Even an Executor would struggle against him. Maybe Duke Theron could.”
“He’s more impressive than I thought… I’m curious about an academy led by someone like that.”
“I’d advise against visiting. There’s nothing to see. Just a regular training ground.”
“That makes me want to go more. I should’ve delivered the Edict myself.”
They chatted on various topics, blending into the tavern’s atmosphere. Then, shouts erupted from the other side.
“What’d you say!”
“I called you an idiot!”
With liquor flowing, a scuffle broke out.
“What, you bastard!”
Crash!
Fists, bottles, and chairs flew, the violence spreading and sparking a chain reaction.
“Can’t you drink quietly?”
“Who’re you, punk?”
“What? Punk?”
Soon, the entire tavern became a brawl. Anton, fed up, spoke to Anna.
“We should go.”
“Yeah. It’s getting scary.”
Thankfully, Anna stood, and they headed for the door, avoiding the chaos.
“Hey, you bastard! Die!”
“Idiot, you think that’ll hit?”
A bottle unexpectedly flew toward Anna’s head. Anton’s shoulder twitched, and the bottle veered in midair, smashing against the wall.
Crash!
No one noticed, too caught up in the fight. Anton glared, his hand inching toward his sword.
“Anton, stop.”
“…”
She grabbed his hand as it reached for the hilt.
“Stop. It wasn’t on purpose.”
The tavern’s patrons didn’t know that, without Anna’s intervention, Anton’s sword would’ve cut them all down.
“Let’s go. I want to see the night sea.”
“Yes, I’ll follow your wish.”
Leaving the noisy tavern, they walked the dark streets, heading toward a lone path stretching to the sea—the breakwater.
“Princess, watch your step.”
“Don’t worry.”
At the breakwater’s end, they could see the waves up close.
“Wow…”
Nothing was visible in the distance.
Crash.
Only the sound of waves. Anna stood still, gazing at the far sea.
Crash.
Nearby, a boy who’d come out for some air spotted the two at the breakwater’s end.
Who are they? They look super suspicious.
A sudden gust blew, and Anna’s hood fell, her golden hair fluttering in the night breeze.
“Oh…”
That night, the boy, who’d come to the port by chance, never forgot the sight until he died at eighty.
A cloudless night sky. Among countless stars, the lowest, brightest one seemed to smile at him.
A fleeting moment, but one the boy would never forget.
Crash.
While the boy was lost in the vision, Anna turned, pulling her hood back up.
“I can’t help it—I’m too curious. I want to visit the Academy. Okay?”
Her radiant smile was hard for even Anton to refuse.
“Fine. It’s safe there, at least.”
“Hehe~ This’ll be fun.”
Anna was already excited about what awaited at the Academy.
***
A notice went up at the Academy. An Instructor casually posted it in a corner, not making it look important, as if only those meant to see it would.
“Hey! Did you see the bulletin board?!”
But its contents were earth-shattering for the cadets.
[Regarding the Selection of Cadets for the Executor Training Program.]
The notice didn’t detail the evaluation process, only stating a selection ceremony would be held in the main auditorium in a week.
“No way! They’re picking Executors?! From our class!”
“Don’t get excited. It’s just candidates, and they might only pick from senior classes.”
“Still! We have a shot!”
Those who knew the Executors’ fame understood what this meant.
“Crazy. Will someone from our class become an Executor?”
“There’s one, isn’t there?”
The cadets’ gazes turned to me as I headed to eat.
I’d seen the notice earlier but wasn’t interested. Only Jack was making a fuss beside me.
“Executors! I really want to be picked.”
“What’s that? Why’s everyone freaking out since morning?”
“You don’t know? What kind of life have you lived? You’re not a spy, are you?”
“…”
I wasn’t a spy, but I felt a slight pang. I wasn’t a citizen of this kingdom, after all.
“Executors are knights who serve directly under His Majesty, following only the king’s orders.”
“Aren’t those royal knights?”
“Similar, but different. Royal knights guard; Executors execute.”
“So, what’s that mean?”
At my question, Jack raised his thumb and made a throat-slitting gesture.
“They handle purges, assassinations—special missions.”
“Ah.”
The explanation stirred an unpleasant memory. Jack’s description matched the role of Robern’s Knight Order, which had killed me. That soured my view of the Executors.
“Why would you want that?”
“Because of the insane power! They’re practically just below the royal family, no matter their original status!”
For someone like Jack from a common background, it was a dream that turned the impossible into reality.
“Plus, Executors are so cool. Citizens call them the kingdom’s greatest force, rivaling even Duke Theron.”
“Oh, our duke. That strong? Pretty high level.”
“Exactly! I can’t believe they’re selecting now. Whatever the criteria, I’ll give it my all!”
Jack was fired up. Unlike before, training with me had given him confidence.
“Wow, sounds tough~ Good luck.”
Naturally, I wasn’t interested and just cheered Jack on.
“But why do you sound so uninterested, like it’s someone else’s problem?”
“Because it is. I have zero interest in that.”
I stated firmly. My goal was to survive the Academy, not become an Executor.
But Jack tilted his head.
“Uh… Young Master, did you actually read the notice?”
“What?”
“At the bottom…”
Hearing something from Jack, my eyes widened.
“What?!”
I turned back and ran to the bulletin board.
“Move!”
Pushing through the gathered cadets, I reached the notice. As Jack said, I looked closely and saw, written small at the bottom:
Evan Lafard is exempt from the cadet selection evaluation for the Executor training program. By the dean’s authority, he is hereby designated as a candidate. —Dean Duke Valendo—