“Please don’t ask any strange questions, Yuuki Grossalia.”

“I’m sorry, Odette Sorey-sama.”

During the strategy time.

Odette Sorey and I were in the corner of the passageway, forehead to forehead.

“Did you bring a familiar, Yuuki?”

“No, for I did not know what the ‘Capital of Ancient Magic Civilization, Elysium’ was like. What about Odette-sama?”

“My familiar takes a long time to summon… and…”

Odette Sorey cleared her throat with a cough.

“… from here on out, let’s drop the honorifics.”

“Eh?”

“We are equal partners until we conquer the holy sword’s cave. Also, I have heard that honorifics slow down the transmission of information.”

“Okay, Odette.”

“Yes. I look forward to working with you, Yuuki.”

We looked at each other and nodded.

Then we checked the rough sketch given to us by Her Royal Highness Princess Iris.

This was given to all of us, and it depicted the structure of the holy sword’s cave.

“So, what’s the plan?”

“The layout of the cave is divided in two along the way. One is a straight path with many undead, and the other is a detour with relatively few.”

“There are lights inside so we won’t get lost. Which do you think is better, Yuuki? The detour? Or the shortcut?”

“I think the shortcut is fine.”

“Even with all the undead on the route… It will be fine…?”

“I can use ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’. The undead is slow. So I think I can get through in one go.”

“I can use ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’ too, but only for a short time. Other than that, I can also use ‘Dark Serpent Summoning, Snake Summon’ and ‘Earth God Boisterous Dance, Force of Earth’ of the ‘Ancient Magic’.”

“There are only skeletons and ghosts here. I’ll take care of it, then.”

“Alright. And…”

Odette took my hand and said,

“If we win, please become Iris’s knight.”

“… Eh?”

That was not what we had discussed.

Were we not supposed to have a final later if we won?

“I told you that I am Princess Iris’s childhood friend, didn’t I?”

“Yeah.”

“She’s… I can’t go into details, but she has been looked down upon by other princes and princesses because of her constitution and the fact that her mother is an illegitimate child.”

“I know about her constitution. I heard about it in the Baron’s territory.”

“Iris really trusts you, doesn’t she? That’s why I want you to be her knight escort.”

Odette held my hand.

“I just want Iris to be happy. Therefore, I think that those who are strong enough to protect her should become her knight escort. Just becoming her adjutant… is enough for me.”

“Okay, but we’ll talk about that later.”

As for me, I am not particularly hung up on becoming Princess Iris’s knight escort.

Besides… it’s also weird to say, “Yes, Is that so? Thank you”, after hearing something like this.

Odette must have her own reasons.

“It’s time. Let’s go.”

The mage, Demeter, and General Barnes are calling.

“Let’s talk about it after we’ve cleared the exam.”

“Alright. Yuuki.”

Odette and I received a final note from Demeter.

We then headed off to explore the holy sword’s cave.

“Now then, let the exam begin. Both sides, give it your all!!”

Demeter swung her arm down, signaling the start of the exam.

“── ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’!”

“Wait a minute!? I’m still chanting ── Kyaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!”

I am not going to wait.

I start running with Odette on my back.

The ceiling of the cave is high enough to run with one person on my back.

“I’m going to cover the distance. You can do the chanting as I run.”

“E-Even if you say that! I’ve never had a man carry me on his back before… W-What are you doing to a lady!?”

“We are partners during the exam, remember? Besides, it’s not uncommon to give a child a piggyback ride.”

“A child!? You’re the same age as me. So that makes you a child, too!”

Odette starts chanting on my back.

When I turned around, I saw that Gilvan Kiers and Guiel Wolfgang had just started chanting.

As I thought, to be able to activate it by just drawing a crest is a big deal.

The speed of activation is very different.

“Mmm! Mmmmm!”

Odette pulled my hair while chanting.

“I can see them. Three skeletons ahead. They have no weapons. Maybe it’s because we’re on the upper floor.”

“Mmm.”

Stop ruffling my hair.

I had Martha wash and comb my hair before the exam.

“Back off. Unholy dead!!”

I swung my dagger as I ran.

The tip of the dagger grazed the skeleton’s finger.

The next moment ──

‘──── Hiiiiiiiiiiii!?’

The skeletons opened the way all at once.

“What? The skeletons backed off…? Why?”

“The undead hate silver weapons.”

“I know that. But they don’t react so strongly!?”

“Now.”

Za, zazazazaza.

The skeletons are giving way. It’s now or never.

I started running in my ‘Body Strengthening, Boosted’ state.

“Wait ──── ! Yuuki ── ! Please explain ── !”

I can’t. This is a skill I brought from my previous life, after all.

My ‘Magical Blood, Mistel Blood’ has the power of ‘Purification’.

That is why the undead are purified when they touch a weapon with my blood on it.

In my previous life, if I were bleeding even a little, the undead would sense the presence of purification and run away. Because of this, people have also mistaken me as “Since the undead were afraid of him, then he must be their leader”.

In other words, this is one of the reasons for the nickname ‘Vampire King, Vampire Lord’.

I thought about hiding it this time, but it would be the same thing if I got hurt in the battle with the undead.

In that case, it’s better to just use it from the beginning and finish the exam quickly.

“Hold on tight, Odette.”

“Hey ──── Yuuki ──── !!”

As it is, I headed straight for the end of the cave with Odette on my back.