Epilogue
"Ash Leben. If we had been taken hostage, it would have been a significant loss for the Kingdom of Lacquercia. I am truly grateful for your brave actions."
"Haha... Thank you, but this isn't just my achievement alone."
"Indeed. This victory belongs to all of us who refused to bow to the terrorists!"
As I watched the terrorists, who had been tightly bound while unconscious from magical intoxication, being escorted by the knights, an elderly man, who seemed to be an upper-class noble, approached me with a somewhat condescending tone.
I didn’t want to get involved in any more troublesome matters. Thinking this, I quickly changed the subject, and the old man left with a satisfied whisper, "This is our victory."
Muttering... That old man had been clutching his head in the back, hysterically mumbling, "How did this happen!" and yet, he managed to speak with such shameless arrogance.
After watching the plump old man leave, I let out a heavy sigh. At that moment, Fine hurried over to me with a worried expression on her face.
"Ash-san, is something wrong?"
"No, I was just thinking that dealing with high-ranking officials is a hassle. But more importantly, are you alright, Fine?"
"I'm fine. I'm just treating everyone with magic."
Though Fine said this, she looked fatigued.
It was only natural, considering she had been healing people who were gravely injured just a moment ago with holy magic.
"Honestly, the knights brought healers and potions with them, so you didn't have to treat everyone alone, Fine."
"...Even so, I couldn’t leave people suffering in front of me."
"I see. In that case, I won’t say anything more."
As expected of someone who, according to the developers, "aimed to be the quintessential heroine of an otome game." She was a far cry from me, someone who only knows how to punch and kick.
"Fine, the ball is canceled, and tomorrow there will be an emergency school closure. All students are to stay in the dormitory, where the knights will provide security. Ian and the others have already returned to the dorms. They said to say 'hello' to you."
"I see..."
Fine looked around, took a deep breath, and said, "Understood."
However, her face remained clouded, and she didn’t look well at all.
"Are you tired from using too much magic?"
"N-No! It's just... I’m worried about what will happen to those kids..."
"Ah... I see..."
Though the background of their kidnapping by the terrorist organization is known, they had attacked a party attended by the royal family, so they would certainly face some form of punishment.
But there was a way to handle it.
"After this, we’ve become benefactors to many important people. If we appeal to them and ask for leniency, we might be able to get them some mercy."
"I hope so..."
Despite my words, Fien's face remained dark.
"Fine, I’m going to jump for a moment, so make sure you don’t bite your tongue."
"Eh!?!? W-Wait a minute—"
I picked up Fine in a princess carry and swiftly scaled the exterior wall of the grand hall, moving us to the empty rooftop.
Since the terrorists had been taken away, the number of knights had decreased, and no one noticed our presence.
At this rate, even if we made some flashy moves, no one would spot us.
"Um, Ash-san...?"
"Fine, I told you that at the end of the ball, there would be a dance party, right?"
"Y-Yes, that's what I heard."
"Well, the thing is... It's already well past midnight, and there's no one around, but still, this is the most noticeable spot in the academy tonight. So—"
At that point, I realized how incredibly embarrassing what I was about to say was, and with my heart nearly boiling over, I desperately tried to force the words out.
"...So, um. Let’s have that dance party here. To give that dress of yours a chance to shine."
As I awkwardly extended my right hand toward Fine, she blinked in surprise for a moment, but then, with a soft chuckle, she took my hand.
And so, we danced against the backdrop of the gentle moonlight.
There was no background music, and since neither of us were skilled, our dance was terribly clumsy. But even so, in that moment, we were freed from things like status, the academy, and the future—everything troublesome—and we danced freely beneath the night sky.
***
"Damn it! Why must I, of all people, walk through this filthy place?"
I, Alberich A. Lacquercia, the second prince of the Kingdom of Lacquercia, was being forced to walk through the grimy underground sewers with Eugen and my beloved Elise.
Elise was in a dazed state and couldn’t even stand or walk on her own. Because of that, I had to lend her my shoulder to help her move, which only slowed our pace. However...
"Everyone, please allow us to carry Lady Elise. Please, do not strain yourselves."
"I would never trust you with Elise! You may not be members of the Republican Liberation Front, but the fact remains that you’re the ones who were pretending to be my brother's attendants—people of unknown origin!"
When the rebels attacked the lecture hall, causing chaos, we—myself and Elise—had been led into these sewers by these very people, who had disguised themselves as my brother's attendants. And now, along with their comrades waiting for us in the sewers, they intended to guide us to a "safe place."
Unlike the rebels, they did address me as 'Your Highness,' but that didn’t mean they were trustworthy allies.
"Enough with the secrecy! You should come clean. Who are you, and what do you intend to do with me?"
"...I suppose it’s fine to tell you here."
With those words, the leader of these people, a man dressed like an adventurer with a black hood, turned to face us and began speaking, revealing his face.
"We are the 'Rüven Vaschia Alliance Army.' We sympathize more than anyone with the misfortune that has befallen Your Highness. We are outraged by the torture inflicted on Elise Ringstadt by the Kingdom of Lacquercia, and we—"
The man paused before continuing.
"—are the ones who know how to solve the misfortune that has befallen Lady Elise."