Philip was still Liche’s knight, but there was only one agent who could enter the academy together.

Liche’s 1st-grade winter vacation. There was a small confrontation between Anna and Philip over the position of Liche’s agent.

“Anyone can be the agent.”

This was Liche’s attempt to ease the tension after seeing the conflict between the two.

Liche had brought Philip as her agent because she didn’t know when Hekanka would possess Philip.

Upon Liche’s words, Anna cheered, and Philip felt discouraged.

Thus, every semester, before the start of each school term, Philip and Anna quarreled over the agent position.

This semester was Anna’s victory.

“Ah, Miss Anna… Give me one more chance…”

“No.”

“Stubborn…”

In the end, Philip became a poor servant who had a master but couldn’t serve him and stayed at the Rodwick mansion.

Deon picked up Philip in that state.

After staying until Liche’s school opening ceremony after graduation, Deon took Philip back to the Rodwick territory.

“I can’t stand my sister’s knight being a weakling.”

A weakling. Although Deon also had skills that he wouldn’t lose anywhere. Philip couldn’t deny Deon’s words.

About a week after returning to the Rodwick territory.

The day Deon followed Philip without thinking while he went for an evening walk arrived.

Creak.

Eeek.

Kuwoong.

Without any mental preparation, they arrived at the place, the Demon Forest.

Was it someone not in their right mind, or no, someone very remarkable who would casually take a walk in the Demon Forest?

Looking at the closing entrance of the forest, Philip’s spine chilled, but it was already too late.

Monsters that found prey rushed from all directions.

“Y-Young master. Aren’t you going to use your abilities?”

Philip asked Deon while barely cutting down the monster rushing toward him.

Miss Liche would probably be here, wouldn’t it be easier to deal with the monsters by stopping their breath with your abilities?

“I won’t.”

For some reason, Deon stubbornly faced the monsters only with his sword.

Philip struggled beside him, wielding his sword to protect his life as best as he could.

After one night passed, morning came.

Unlike Deon, who seemed to be taking a walk and leaving the forest, Philip dragged his heavy steps, feeling drained.

Gazing at the dazzling morning sunlight, Philip made a resolution. Ah, I must never follow the young master into the forest again.

Anyway.

Philip looked at Deon’s agile jawline as he drank water.

At 18, Deon was now taller than Philip. A body trained in swordsmanship that could be felt even beyond the loose shoulders and tightness beyond the clothes. His sharp and somewhat decadent beauty went without saying.

“Young master, how many did you catch today?”

“…….”

“Well, last night, there was a communication from Miss Liche.”

“What?”

Still in a position where he had to cling to the real power of the Rodwick family to hear the young master’s answer.

Admiring the young master’s consistency, Philip reported the communication content.

“She said you should participate in this Crescellphone competition.”

“…Crescellphone?”

Deon thought for a moment and then asked, “What about the greenhouse?”
From one day, Liche, who hadn’t stayed in the territory for more than two months due to her intensified missing hobby, suddenly decided to participate in a Crescellphone competition?

Philip, as if knowing Deon would have questions, conveyed what he heard from Liche.

“Now it seems okay to entrust it to someone else.”

“What got into you?”

There was a slight dissatisfaction in Deon’s red eyes.

Unlike the monotonous competitions within the Rocha Empire, Crescellphone was a competition where quite skilled individuals participated.

Moreover, the competition took place near the border between the Rocha Empire and the Pan Continent, not far from the Rom Desert where monsters appeared.

“What if you get hurt?”

“Well… Master, if Miss wanted someone to get hurt, she would have, but the one who should get hurt… No, it’s nothing.”

Seeing Deon’s intensified spirit, Philip, who felt a chill down his spine, changed the subject.

“Participating in a competition whose name I’ve only heard of. Miss Liche, now I might want to learn more about it. Master, have you ever attended a Crescellphone?”

“No.”

Although any academy student with skills above the 6th grade could participate in Crescellphone, there were exceptions.

‘No ability users from the Rocha Empire’s Four Dukedoms are allowed to participate.’

Exceptional ability users born with significantly strong abilities.

This rule was established as the purpose of the competition was to test the students’ pure skills, and it also prevented ability users from monopolizing the competition.

However, it wasn’t that ability users couldn’t participate in Crescellphone at all.

Deon recalled a letter he received a few days ago.

To the esteemed Deorcadian Rodwick,

If conditions allow, please take on the role of the instructor for this Crescellphone examination…