All the students who had previously run out started trickling back into the dining hall. They saw the entire room was a mess, shattered glass was everywhere, and several broken tables and chairs were visible, but there was no sign of the monster that had attacked them earlier. About half an hour later, Geoffrey, Ainsley, and Irwin entered with Minerva, Galdorf, and several other instructors, including the knight-instructors.
Ard turned to look at his three friends. He was shocked to see Geoffrey, Ainsley, and Irwin looking completely disheveled and covered in splatters of green blood.
"Hey... why are you guys such a mess?" Ard asked.
"Outside, inside the academy building, in the garden, and even at the horse stables, there were some goblins and trolls. We fought them alongside the Class S seniors," Irwin replied.
"Oh, I see. So the monsters weren't just here," Ard said.
"Nope, there were lots outside too... but strangely, only at the academy," Geoffrey replied.
"That's right. We even checked the city, but it was perfectly normal there," Ainsley added.
"Why didn't you go outside, bro?" Geoffrey asked.
"He and Princess Eva finished off the Two-Headed Cyclops here," Mirea chimed in.
"Huh... really?" Geoffrey, Ainsley, and Irwin asked in unison.
"You guys didn't see it? The two of them... it was incredible. They killed that monster in an instant," Patricia added.
"It's true, I'll admit it this time. They were both amazing... including Eva," Beatrice added grudgingly.
"Hehe... finally, the Princess admits it," Rosalind replied, pleased.
"We were all thrown back earlier. It seems the monster that came in here was a boss-class monster," Milia said.
"Yeah, luckily Ard and Eva were here... we were saved this time," Claudia added.
"Prin... ah... Ard is truly amazing," Alicia said, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Ard.
Ard turned to see Galdorf talking with Minerva and the other instructors. Their faces looked tense, but Galdorf turned to glance at Ard and nodded. Ard nodded back. Ard then also saw Abel standing at the far door and nodded at him. Ard, of course, returned Abel's nod, and then Abel immediately left. Ard picked up his cup and drank his tea, finishing his lunch. Then he stood up, carrying his plate to place it on the special table for used dishes.
As he stood in front of the table, Eva, also carrying her plate, stood next to Ard. They both put their plates on the table.
"Ard... that monster just now," Eva said.
"Yeah... a monster like the ones that attacked our village 3,000 years ago, and the vanguard of the demon army," Ard replied.
"That means the Demon God's seal really has been broken, doesn't it? It's clear that monster wasn't just any monster, considering the horns," Eva replied.
"Yep, someone is controlling it, but the problem is, who and what their goal is," Ard replied.
"There's something seriously wrong with this academy. In all nine of my lives, I've never experienced anything like this, and it's only the first year," Eva added.
"I see. Sorry, I don't know anything about the academy in my nine lives," Ard replied.
"No problem, that's why I'm telling you," Eva replied.
"But didn't you say last night that the key to opening the gate sealing the Demon God is Exgrandal and Exelion?" Ard asked in a whisper.
"Yes, that's why I don't understand what's happening right now, and if what Geoffrey, Irwin, and Ainsley said is true, then our academy was just attacked by the front lines of the demon army," Eva answered.
"Hmm... judging by how messed up they are... they're probably not lying, and if they say the city wasn't attacked, then only the academy was attacked... from the inside," Ard said.
"Yeah, you're right. So, what should we do now?" Eva asked.
"We need to observe the situation first. It's highly likely that the person who brought the demon army here is in this academy, and they are clearly a minion of the Demon God," Ard answered. "This proves that what my brother Abel said is true: a dark cult is nested inside this academy, and that means there's no one I can trust besides Abel and Eva," Ard muttered in his heart.
"Fine, I understand," Eva replied.
"One more thing: don't trust anyone, including Irwin. I don't mean to suspect him, but right now we can't trust anyone but each other until everything is revealed, understood?" Ard asked.
"Understood. I understand completely. Let's head back; we've been standing here too long with the dishes," Eva answered.
"Okay, let's go," Ard replied.
Both of them turned around, and "Whoa," they immediately jumped backward in surprise, seeing Galdorf standing right behind them, having appeared from who knows where.
"Excuse me, Princess. May I speak with you privately (turning to look at Ard) and you as well?" Galdorf said, smiling at both of them.
"Certainly. Where can we talk?" Eva asked.
"Please follow me to my office," Galdorf replied.
Galdorf led Ard and Eva out of the dining hall, accompanied by the stares of Alicia, Milia, Beatrice, Rosalind, Patricia, Geoffrey, Ainsley, and Irwin.
"Where are they going?" Alicia asked.
"I don't know. Just let them go. Maybe the Headmaster wants to talk to them," Geoffrey answered.
"Ugh... I want to go too," Beatrice grumbled.
"Don't, Princess. Don't cause trouble," Rosalind replied.
"Um... are they in trouble?" Patricia asked nervously.
"I hope not," Milia answered.
"Relax. Just let them be. They'll be back soon enough," Ainsley said, pushing up his glasses.
"Well... maybe we should head back to class," Irwin suggested.
But before they could move, "Wait," they turned to see Minerva walking toward them with Mirea and Claudia, followed by the other instructors.
"Before you leave, we need your statements. We've already taken statements from the Student Council," Minerva said.
"Yes, Ma'am," everyone replied.
***
Meanwhile, a short while later in the Headmaster's office, Ard sat next to Eva on a sofa, and Galdorf was across from them. Upon entering, Ard had briefly seen Galdorf lock the door, and before sitting down, he closed the window curtains almost completely.
"Alright, before we speak, could you please show me your swords? Exgrandal and Exelion?" Galdorf asked.
Ard and Eva gasped in surprise. They looked at each other, then opened their dimensional boxes and drew out their two swords. After that, they held up their swords for Galdorf, who lowered his glasses, to see. Galdorf's face, initially calm, tensed for a moment, then changed to one of profound admiration as he looked at the two identical, yet differently colored, swords before him.
"Extraordinary. But this confirms the prophecy from 1,000 years ago: if a silver-haired princess is born into the Orthus Imperial family and a black-haired prince is born into the Fredonia Royal family, it means that the Demon Lord Azroth and the First Empress Evelina have been reincarnated. The Demon God's seal has been broken, and they, who are actually the heroes from 3,000 years ago, will kill the Demon God," Galdorf stated.
Ard and Eva felt a chill run down their spines hearing Galdorf confirm they were Azroth and Evelina. Then Galdorf turned to look at Ard and bowed his head low, making Ard uncomfortable and uneasy.
"Welcome to the academy, Prince Arden Larsen Fredonia, third prince of the Fredonia Kingdom," Galdorf greeted.
"Ugh... exposed again... but at least he didn't use the 'trash' tag," Ard mumbled in his heart.