"Principal! Principal! There's an emergency!"

The Academy's administrative director urgently burst into the principal's office.

"The Head Professor of Combat... Huh?"

There was no one at the principal's desk, which was piled high with documents like a mountain.

Strange. Where had the principal disappeared to? She should be here, clutching her head and sighing deeply as usual. And I have an urgent matter to report!

"Has anyone seen the Principal?"

But the administrative staff seemed equally clueless. Perhaps she went to observe classes? But it's lunchtime now.

The administrative director left the main building and rushed to the lecture hall right behind it.

"Has the Principal come here by any chance?"

He stopped a passing professor to ask, but was told she hadn't been there. How strange!

As the professor had said, after checking the entire lecture building, there was no sign of the Principal anywhere.

Could she possibly be at the Combat Department's outdoor training grounds?

"Administrative Director? What are you doing there?"

While contemplating which of the academy's many training grounds to check first, Professor Lina from the Combat Department passed by and asked.

She was carrying a bag filled with desserts from the café.

"I have something urgent to report to the Principal, but I can't find her."

"Ah, the Principal? Try the café. She's there."

"She's at the café? Thank you!"

The administrative director passed by Professor Lina and hurried toward the dessert café in the shopping district.

Being lunchtime, the café was bustling with students.

The administrative director managed to spot Principal Kirrin among the crowd.

Currently, Principal Kirrin was in the middle of devouring a whole strawberry cream cake placed on her table.

"Principal! What are you doing?!"

When the administrative director shouted, Principal Kirrin's ears shot up like a rabbit's and her eyes grew wide.

"W-what?"

"This is no time to be leisurely eating cake!"

"Then what should I be doing during lunch hour...?"

"Professor Dian has brought horses!"

"Really?!"

Principal Kirrin put down her fork, jumped up, and followed the administrative director at a run.

They headed to the stables located next to the Academy's combat riding training grounds.

Horses were emerging one after another from a large dimensional gate at the spacious pasture in front of the stables.

"Careful... careful! Bring them this way without startling them...!"

Under Professor Anna's supervision, teaching assistants from the Combat Department were leading the horses into the stables one by one, holding their reins.

"Principal. Welcome."

Professor Dian, who had been watching everything with his arms crossed, greeted Kirrin when he spotted her.

"What is all this...?"

"Is this your first time seeing horses?"

Despite Dian's joke, Kirrin was in no mood to laugh. She could hardly believe what she was seeing.

When Dian first raised the issue of needing combat horses, Kirrin had mentioned retired military horses.

If they brought in well-trained retired combat horses at a cheap price, it would be good for students to learn on, save budget, and reduce the effort needed to tame them.

However, Dian had argued that wasn't a good idea.

While a fully equipped imperial cavalry might be fine with that, field agents face all sorts of situations.

Riding well is important, but so is acquiring a horse in the first place. That's why they should teach everything from horse theft to butchering—everything about horses.

For this reason, Dian had decided to purchase only a few retired combat horses and fill the rest of the quota with untamed wild horses.

Students unfamiliar with horseback riding would start with ponies and retired combat horses to build fundamentals, while more advanced students would learn to ride wild horses.

Dian argued that if one could properly ride a wild horse, they could secure any horse anywhere.

He had boasted that he would bring quality wild horses within a few days.

Kirrin had many questions about how he would bring thirty-some wild horses and how they would be tamed...

"Where and how did you bring these from...?"

"Wild horses from the Bron Plateau. I had Knightley subdue the lead horse."

"Knightley...? An academy student who hasn't even graduated tamed wild horses...?"

It was hard to believe, but with horses filing in right before her eyes, she couldn't deny it either.

"Are these horses real, Orendi?"

"Would I lie to you, Principal?"

Orendi exclaimed excitedly.

"Knightley dropped onto the horse's back using instant teleportation and, with just a rope, managed to exhaust the leader's stamina!"

"She did that alone...?"

"Professor Dian ran alongside, encouraging her and catching her a few times when she nearly fell, but yes."

"That's impressive, student Knightley."

Kirrin sighed so deeply it seemed like she might dig a hole into the ground.

Did that man just put a duke's daughter on a wild horse without warning? If she had fallen, she could have been seriously injured at minimum!

The duke had stormed into the academy when she was hit with a wooden sword—if he learned his daughter had been put in a potentially fatal situation...

But Kirrin couldn't confront Dian strongly like she had at the comprehensive combat training grounds before.

Because Dian's position within the academy had become too secure with his achievements so far.

Let's review the "minor" achievements Dian had accomplished since "appearing" with a recommendation letter from the Imperial Castle:

1. Completely overhauled the Combat Department, which Kirrin had been too cautious to touch, making it more practical

2. Turned the hostile Duke Toulouse into an ally the moment they met

3. Brought in a priest from the Order—a Oracle Priest no less—in just half a day when they thought they'd never get one again

4. Realized the shopping district project with active support from the Imperial Castle, which they had avoided for fear of imperial disapproval

5. Somehow acquired thirty docile wild horses without spending a single copper coin

Dian had single-handedly accomplished projects that would require the full efforts of any decent academy.

So Kirrin, being "merely" the principal, was in no position to tell Dian what to do.

And even more significant was Kirrin's feelings toward Dian.

Since Duke Toulouse had left the academy laughing heartily, Kirrin had been relying on Dian considerably.

This person can save me. He can save me from the terrible future of being dismissed and returning to my clan's forest.

That feeling had grown with subsequent events, and Kirrin was now concretely considering giving the principal position to Dian and stepping down to become a regular subject professor.

If that happened, the Imperial Castle would be happy to have the capable Dian replace the troublesome Kirrin, Kirrin would be happy not to return to her clan's forest while still being an academy professor, and Dian would be happy with the promotion.

Of course, she wasn't sure how her father would feel about her demotion from principal to professor, but perhaps if she explained that there was this capable talent at the Imperial Castle and they had to make major position changes, it would be acceptable?

And she did have something in mind as a kind of "safety measure" for that.

That was marri—

"Principal? Did you eat something?"

"What?"

"What's that on your face?"

Suddenly, Dian reached out and touched the corner of Kirrin's mouth.

"What's this, cream?"

On Dian's finger was cream from the cake she had been devouring at the dessert café earlier.

"Your black skin makes the white really stand out."

Dian chuckled and licked the cream off his finger.

"Mmm, delicious. This is from the dessert café in the shopping district, right? Their cakes are really tast— Principal!"

Dian quickly caught Kirrin as she staggered and nearly collapsed from extreme dizziness.

"What's wrong?"

"Because of you... Ah!"

In her disoriented state, Kirrin suddenly realized she had misspoken and hurriedly closed her mouth, almost biting her tongue.

"Hmm, Principal."

Dian, still holding Kirrin, narrowed his eyes suspiciously and spoke in a meaningful tone.

"W-what...?!"

Kirrin's heart pounded and her ears began to flutter, afraid that Dian might pick up on her slip.

They were close enough that she could feel his breath. If he discovered her true feelings here, it would be unbearable! And there were other professors and assistants around!

"How much cake did you eat?"

"Huh?"

But what came out of Dian's mouth was something completely different.

"What do you mean...?"

"The cake—how much did you eat by yourself? You didn't finish a whole cake, did you?"

"N-no, about half..."

"That's why you're like this."

Dian smiled and gently pushed the bridge of Kirrin's nose with his finger.

"You ate half a cake of that sweet stuff by yourself, so your blood sugar spiked suddenly, making you unbearably sleepy."

"What's blood sugar...?"

"It's like sugar mixed in your blood. When you eat a lot of sweets, it temporarily shoots up."

"I don't really understand, but I'll keep that in mind..."

"Now stand up on your own."

Only then did Kirrin realize she was still leaning in Dian's arms.

"Professor!"

Just then, they saw Professor Lina running toward them with a bag full of desserts.

"I bought snacks! Have some while you work!"

Professor Lina, swift as befitting an infiltration professor, rushed in at incredible speed and linked her arm with Dian's, causing Kirrin to be flung in the opposite direction.

"Look at these. I have cake slices, financiers, madeleines, and coffee too..."

"Oh! Snacks!"

As Professor Lina showed the contents of her bag to Dian, chattering away, Professor Orendi ran over with a delighted expression.

"Professor Anna! Come quickly! Professor Lina brought snacks!"

"Wow, those look delicious. Let's all take a break!"

Excluded from the scene where professors were gathering excitedly around the desserts, Kirrin stood awkwardly, watching Dian enjoy himself.

Dian really is better suited to be principal. I should step down as soon as possible.

But... if I offer to step down to professor, will the 2nd Princess accept my proposal at face value?

Might she use our past friction as an excuse to dismiss me outright?

I probably need a "second safety measure."

Until now, I've been cautious and avoided taking initiative for fear of dismissal, but now I have Dian supporting me from behind.

It's not too late to build achievements while I still have the principal's authority.

Then when I want to step down to professor later, the 2nd Princess won't be able to dismiss me coldly.

She'll consider me valuable enough to keep as a professor at minimum.

Dian promised to protect me and has kept that promise so far, so he'll probably be a strong ally even if I try various things.

Now is the right time. I can't miss this opportunity.

Alright, Kirrin!!

Trust Dian and go for it boldly!!