Last Gun Alchemist

Maxwell had only just stepped out of the Craft & Research Seekers clubhouse when Cherry suddenly grabbed him and pulled him down with her.

"Huh?"

Caught completely off guard, Maxwell stumbled forward before managing to steady himself.

Around them, students from different years had already lowered their heads in greeting toward the young man standing ahead.

Cherry did the same.

"Greetings to the Second Prince."

Her voice came out quickly, carrying none of the relaxed tone she had managed to use while speaking with Maxwell inside the clubhouse.

Maxwell glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"What’s going on, Cherry?"

He looked genuinely confused.

Cherry raised her eyes just enough to look at him.

"T-That’s... the Second Prince."

She replied in a low voice, as though the answer alone should have explained everything.

"So?"

Maxwell’s confusion only deepened.

Cherry’s eyes widened slightly.

Maxwell glanced toward Prince Daniel before looking at all the students bowing around them.

"We have that Tristin guy in our year, and Stella too, but I don’t see this much respect being shown to either of them."

There wasn’t any mockery in his voice.

He was honestly confused.

And what Maxwell said wasn’t exactly wrong.

Prince Tristin and Princess Stella were both treated the way members of Britannia’s Royal Family should be treated. Students respected their status, addressed them properly, and understood the difference between themselves and members of the royal bloodline.

However, what Maxwell was seeing now felt different.

Students from every year had bowed.

Even several upperclassmen who normally carried themselves with confidence had immediately stopped what they were doing to greet the Second Prince.

There was clearly something more behind that difference.

"Sir Maxwell."

Cherry’s fingers tightened slightly around his sleeve.

Her expression had become more worried.

"Please..."

She glanced toward the people surrounding Prince Daniel before quickly looking back at Maxwell.

"I’ll explain later."

Maxwell studied her face.

Seeing how nervous she had suddenly become, he decided not to push the matter.

"Okay."

That was enough for Cherry.

Once the formal greeting ended, students gradually raised their heads and continued with their day.

Some still glanced toward the Second Prince as they walked away, but nobody openly remained around simply to watch what he was doing.

After all, whatever business had brought him here clearly involved Vera Ashenlocke.

"Prince Daniel."

Vera’s voice came out plain as she tilted her head slightly.

She stared at him for a few seconds before looking around the Mix Arena as though she were searching for something.

"What flooded a big fish like you here?"

Her eyes wandered toward the surrounding buildings.

Then toward the stone pathways.

Then back toward Daniel.

"There aren’t any big waves in this place, though."

She spoke as though they were genuinely standing beside a large body of water and she couldn’t understand how a fish of his size had somehow washed ashore.

Several of Daniels’ followers froze.

One of the students kneeling at his right side immediately raised his head.

"How d..."

Daniel’s eyes moved toward him.

That was all it took.

The student’s mouth snapped shut before the rest of his words could escape.

He lowered his head again, still holding the large bouquet of roses in both hands.

Daniel returned his attention to Vera.

"I’m sorry for the foolishness of my stupid follower."

His earlier warm smile returned so smoothly that it almost seemed as though the interruption had never happened.

He placed one hand against his chest.

"Would two bouquets of flowers be enough to calm your anger?"

Snap!

The fingers of his other hand came together.

The two students holding the bouquets immediately rose and stepped closer, presenting the flowers at either side of their prince.

Red roses filled Vera’s sight.

She looked at them.

Then at Daniel.

Her expression remained unchanged.

Daniel continued before she could answer.

"I’ll also take you for a ride in the Royal Phantom Rolls."

His smile widened slightly.

"I can personally escort you back to your residence, and during the journey, we can finally catch up."

After saying that, his eyes moved past Vera.

"Huh?"

Daniel blinked.

His gaze searched the space behind her.

"Wasn’t Diane also there?"

Vera continued staring at him plainly.

She knew exactly where Diane had gone.

The moment Diane’s sleepy light-blue eyes landed on Daniels...

She ran.

There hadn’t even been a warning.

One moment, Diane had been standing beside Vera.

The next, she was already slipping into the dispersing crowd with more energy than Vera had seen her use throughout most of the day.

Ezra had disappeared as well.

Although his reason was probably different.

The moment Ezra saw the flowers, the attendants, and Prince Daniel standing directly in Vera’s path, he seemed to understand exactly why the prince had come and his senses told him.

Staying here would only bring annoying trouble to his side.

Then he left.

Quietly.

So quietly, in fact, that Lucy and Cyrus were still standing among the dispersing students wondering where he had gone.

Lucy looked left.

Then right.

"...Where did my Master go?"

Cyrus stared at the place where Ezra had been standing only moments earlier.

"I don’t know." He blinked. "He was literally just here."

Neither had noticed the exact moment Ezra disappeared into the crowd.

Back near Vera, Daniel eventually stopped searching for Diane.

"Well, it doesn’t matter."

He reached toward the student standing on his left and took one of the bouquets.

Then he personally extended it toward Vera.

His warm smile remained.

Vera looked down at the flowers.

"I don’t want them."

Her answer came without hesitation.

Daniel’s hand remained stretched out.

While Vera was already looking away.

"Also, it’s closing hour..."

She began walking.

"...so, I’ll be taking my leave now, Prince Two."

Her voice remained as dry as before.

She hadn’t even made it several steps when one of Daniel’s maids moved.

The woman stepped directly into Vera’s path, making her stop.

Her black eyes slowly rose from the maid’s shoes to her face.

The maid stood without moving.

"This is harassment, you know."

Vera said blankly.

The maid didn’t respond.

Neither did she move aside.

Vera quietly examined her.

There was no hesitation in the woman’s stance, and even though she wasn’t openly releasing Cognis, Vera could tell that she wasn’t an ordinary attendant.

She’s strong.

Vera’s eyes shifted toward the second maid.

The other woman was watching her just as carefully.

Both of them are strong Alchemists.

Vera reached that conclusion without allowing anything to show on her face.

"Please don’t see it like that."

Daniel spoke behind her.

Vera glanced over her shoulder.

The Second Prince looked almost wounded, wearing the expression of an innocent young man whose feelings were being cruelly rejected.

"You know you’re a very slippery person."

His voice became softer.

"So sometimes I have to act like this just to stop you from leaving."

Vera stared at him.

For several seconds, she said nothing.

Then her head tilted.

"You sound like you’re moaning."

Daniel’s smile stiffened.

Vera continued in exactly the same dry tone.

"Is something wrong with your voice?"

"..."

The people surrounding Daniel froze.

One of his followers immediately lowered his head.

His shoulders shook once.

Another student pressed his lips together so tightly that his cheeks moved.

Someone else turned his face away.

None of them dared laugh.

But several were clearly fighting for their lives not to.

Daniel felt as though someone had driven a nail directly into his chest.

Unfortunately for him, not everyone found Vera’s words funny.

Several followers immediately glared at her.

Their hostility appeared almost the instant the words left her mouth.

Daniel’s expression changed.

"Vera."

He spoke more firmly this time.

"You’ll become my fiancée soon."

Vera’s eyes remained on him.

"Especially now that I’ve already sent the marriage request to your family."

Daniel stepped forward.

The earlier softness in his expression gradually returned as he stretched one hand toward her.

"And once I rule the throne of Britannia..."

His smile returned.

"...you’ll become my queen."

Vera stared at his extended hand.

"So, you can’t keep talking to me like that."

There was a brief silence.

Then Vera blinked.

"You’re talking like the King is dead or something."

Daniel’s expression froze.

Several students nearby immediately lowered their eyes.

Vera wasn’t finished.

"Also..."

She raised one finger.

"Isn’t your brother, the First Prince, still alive?"

A second finger rose.

"We also have the First Princess."

Another.

"And the Second Princess."

She lowered her hand.

Her black eyes remained completely plain.

"So, what makes you think you’re some kind of main character?"

Daniel’s lips parted slightly.

"Delusional Prince Two."

The words landed harder than they had any right to.

Daniels actually shifted one step backward.

The followers around him looked at their prince.

Then Vera.

Then back toward Daniels.

A vein slowly became visible near the side of his forehead.

His fingers tightened.

Still...

He forced himself to remain calm.

Vera watched him struggle.

"You know..."

Her voice came again.

"...it must actually be amazing being you."

Daniels narrowed his eyes.

Vera turned slightly toward him.

"Being delusional and seeing absolutely no problem with being delu-lu."

One of Daniels’ followers immediately looked down.

His lips disappeared between his teeth.

Vera turned toward the maid, still blocking her path.

"I mean..."

She tilted her head.

"Doesn’t your Prince Two deserve a round of applause?"

The maid remained silent.

Vera looked toward the rest of Daniels’ followers.

"No."

Her hand made a small motion toward their prince.

"You should all be applauding him."

Her blank black eyes returned to Daniels.

The prince’s jaw had tightened.

He was using nearly everything he had to keep himself calm.

But Vera didn’t care.

She turned around totally unbothered and was leaving.

The maid was still standing in her way, but Vera simply walked forward as though the woman wasn’t there.

She knew the Royal Academy’s rules.

That attendants weren’t permitted to attack or physically harm a student, not even for a reason.

Especially not someone like Vera Ashenlocke.

However...

The maid served Daniels.

And for people like her, an order from the Second Prince wasn’t something to question.

Even if that order eventually meant death.

"Stop her now!"

Daniel finally roared with his composure shattering completely.

Several nearby students immediately turned their heads.

The maid moved.

"I’m sorry, Lady of Ash."

Her voice remained calm.

Her body shot forward to stop Vera.

Vera’s eyes moved toward her.

There was still no panic on her face.

Before the maid could reach her...

A hand landed on her.

The movement looked almost casual.

Yet the maid stopped instantly.

Her eyes widened.

She tried to move forward.

Nothing happened.

The hand resting on her had locked her in place.

"That’s enough."

An older woman’s voice entered the scene.

Silence followed.

Vera’s maid stood beside Daniel’s attendant.

Her grip remained firm, preventing the woman from taking even another half-step toward Vera.

Daniel’s people stared.

Even Daniel himself looked surprised.

Since when did she appear?

Several of them immediately looked around.

None had noticed her approach.

The older maid calmly turned toward the Second Prince.

"Your Highness."

She bowed respectfully.

Her posture remained proper despite one hand still keeping Daniel’s maid completely pinned.

"The family has received your letter."

Daniel’s expression changed slightly.

The maid continued.

"As well as numerous letters from other influential gentlemen."

Several people nearby immediately became attentive.

Vera’s expression remained unchanged.

"So there has been no final decision."

The maid’s voice stayed respectful, but the meaning behind her words was clear.

Daniel’s marriage request wasn’t the only one.

And nothing had been decided yet.

"And with that..."

Vera immediately stepped forward before anyone could turn the matter into another long conversation.

"I’m leaving."

She walked away without adding another word.

The older maid watched her mistress leave before finally releasing Daniel’s attendant.

The prince’s maid immediately regained her balance and stepped back.

Vera’s maid then turned toward Daniel.

She gave him another proper bow.

"Your Highness."

After showing the respect expected toward a prince of Britannia, she turned around and followed Vera.

Daniel remained where he stood.

The roses were still there.

His followers were still there.

But Vera Ashenlocke was already walking away.

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