The Royal Magic Academy of the Kingdom of Rugenda.

Apparently, it has a fairly magnificent student dormitory for students who enroll from faraway regions.

Children with magical power are extremely valuable human resources to their respective countries.
Given that, it makes perfect sense that their educational institutions would maintain security on par with the royal palace.

In any country, magic academies, knight training schools, and similar institutions are said to rigorously enforce state-of-the-art safety measures.
That was likely why Crown Prince Oswald recommended that Nagi enroll in the magic academy.

However, Nagi’s enrollment was officially decided only ten days before this year’s entrance ceremony.
Naturally, there wasn’t enough time to prepare a dorm room for her.

‘…But did it really have to turn out like this?’

Nagi understood that preparing a comfortable living space for a growing child was far more difficult than simply adding a few seats to a classroom.

Still, even if there were no vacancies in the academy dormitory, purchasing an entire mansion near the academy for her use was far beyond what she had expected.
She was told it was at the royal palace’s instruction, but was it really okay to buy such a massive estate with a sprawling garden so casually?

"Alright, Nagi.
From today onward, this is our home."

"…Big brother, can I ask one thing first?
Why are the people greeting us in what look like servant outfits all members of the Second Unit?"

Being forced to immediately point that out the moment she and Lainil teleported into the entrance hall of their new residence felt a little cruel.

Standing neatly in formation and saluting them were six members of the Second Unit of the Magic Knight Order, whose faces and names Nagi had only just managed to fully match over the past couple of weeks.

But seeing those men, who normally wore stylish uniforms, dressed in immaculate butler suits and simple vest-style servant attire—

‘This is bad, I’m about to get a nosebleed.’

—was an overwhelming feast for the eyes.

As Nagi struggled desperately to suppress her excitement, Lainil answered with a smile.

"That’s because the only ones who know you’re a saint are the members of the Second Unit.
There’s a big difference in motivation when guarding someone if you know that fact.
Once everything is made public, the First and Third Units will be rotated in as well, but until then, the Second Unit will be exclusively assigned to you."

"Ah… I see."

Nagi nodded in complete understanding.

The Second Unit of the Magic Knight Order had confirmed that when Yuliane Flockhart was captured, she spat out the parting words, ‘We already killed the real saint.’
Even though a gag order had been swiftly imposed by Oswald, the members of the Second Unit had already shared the information that a girl who matched the conditions of the ‘real saint who was killed’ had been found covered in blood.

There was no way to completely gloss over that, and by Isaac’s decision, the Second Unit members were informed of the truth that ‘Vice-Captain Lainil’s sister is the real saint.’
Of course, they were obeying the gag order, but their attitude toward Nagi had become strangely complicated as a result.

The members of the First and Third Units had initially been slightly put off by Lainil’s extreme sister complex, but they quickly followed Soleil’s lead and began calling her ‘Nagi-chan,’ doting on her openly.
Nagi herself had found her thoughts drifting toward the diversity of humanity as she faced their overwhelming parade of handsome men.

‘I even blurted out and asked Soleil if the Magic Knight Order recruits based on looks.
Apparently, people with higher magical aptitude tend to become more attractive.
Well, that explains why the strongest military force in the country is basically a handsome paradise…’

Soleil had once said that people with excessively high magical aptitude tended to be feared by others.
But perhaps it wasn’t their magic that intimidated people, but the sheer pressure of their good looks.
As someone who used to be an ordinary Japanese person on the inside, Nagi could understand that feeling all too well.

However.

The saying ‘You get tired of beauty in three days’ might have been a lie, but it seemed that even overwhelming attractiveness was something people eventually grew used to.
At the very least, Nagi no longer panicked every morning when she washed her face and looked in the mirror, thinking, ‘Who is this beautiful girl?!’

The fact that her heart still raced every time she saw Siegwald was simply because she was a girl in love with him, and had nothing to do with his looks.
She could now smile and greet Lainil no matter how suddenly they crossed paths, and Isaac was fine too since he was more of a muscular gentleman than just a pretty face.

The members of the First and Third Units were all impressively handsome in their own ways, but they seemed far more interested in the fact that she was ‘Vice-Captain Lainil’s sister.’
Every time they met her, they gave her pretty candies or small sweets.
Aside from their extreme level of attractiveness, it felt like being surrounded by friendly neighborhood big brothers.
Because of that, she no longer felt particularly nervous around them.

But the members of the Second Unit were different.

At first, every time they saw Nagi, they would snap to attention and almost salute, then suddenly start stretching, or abruptly hold hands and begin dancing together.
It was an amusing spectacle entirely unbecoming of such handsome men.
They also couldn’t quite bring themselves to call her ‘Nagi-chan’ like the others did.

Judging by their behavior, Nagi didn’t think they disliked her.
But as a result, they had earned the extremely unfortunate label among their comrades of ‘the Second Unit that suddenly acts weird in front of Nagi.’
She felt terribly sorry about that.
Once the truth was eventually made public, she hoped they would proudly declare, ‘We in the Second Unit knew from the start!’ with full confidence.

Still, everyone in this mansion shared the same secret.
There was no need for them to behave strangely here.

Nagi bowed her head politely to them.

"I’m very sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused you until now.
Once my situation is made public, I think I’ll be able to speak normally with the members of the First and Third Units as well, so until then, I look forward to working with you."

There was no response.
For a moment, Nagi wondered if they had actually been angry at her all along, despite their odd behavior.
Just as she hesitantly began to raise her head, the entrance hall erupted.

"YEEEAAAHHH!!"

‘Hyaah?!’

She only realized that the thunderous roar was an enthusiastic response from the Second Unit after she staggered from the sheer pressure and was caught by Lainil.

"…Nagi.
The Second Unit is, even among us, particularly energetic—no, not that—lively.
They might not be best suited for playing servants, but I can guarantee their cooking skills.
Feel free to ask them to make anything you like."

"Oh, really?
That’s amazing, I’m so happy."

It seemed that as long as Nagi was under the protection of the Magic Knight Order, she was guaranteed delicious meals.
What a blessing that was.

She had been momentarily overwhelmed by their intense, athletic energy, but for Nagi, anyone who could cook good food was fundamentally a good person.
Being able to prepare proper meals by investing time, effort, and care was something worthy of sincere respect.
It wasn’t possible without genuine consideration for the person who would be eating it.

Since being taken under their protection, Nagi had gradually learned more about her situation.

The Magic Knight Order was guarding her purely under orders from the royal palace.
So while it was only natural for her to feel grateful for their work, their wages were thankfully paid by the palace.

‘Thank you all, always.
And to the people at the royal palace who pay all of you… well, please do your best.
After all, you’re maintaining the ultimate biological weapon known as a saint, and protecting your country, so consider it a necessary expense.’

Nagi was still an ignorant child, and she felt deep gratitude toward the Magic Knight Order members who visibly protected her.
But the royal family, aside from the crown prince, whom she had never even seen, were still just vague ‘important people of the country’ to her.

She looked again at the members of the Second Unit standing before her.

The captain of the Second Unit was a man named Erwin Flecker, who gave off a strong ‘cool older guy’ vibe with a slightly roguish appearance.
However, his gently drooping eyes were always calm, and despite his powerfully built physique, he didn’t feel intimidating at all.
He carried a composed air that made him seem extremely dependable.

Reassured that she could recall each of their names when she looked at their faces, Nagi asked them again.

"Captain Erwin.
Vice-Captain Ceres.
Mr. Theobald.
Mr. Karl.
Mr. Matthias.
Mr. Luca.
I know it’s very late to ask this, but is it really that difficult for you to treat me simply as my brother’s sister, like the members of the First and Third Units do?"

It wasn’t that she wanted them to call her ‘Nagi-chan.’
Being treated with excessive formality by a group of handsome adult men just made her feel oddly uncomfortable.

After a brief silence, Captain Erwin spoke on behalf of the group.

"If it were an order, we would comply.
However… we are those who protect the saint.
Knowing who you are, we cannot bring ourselves to act disrespectfully toward our master."

"…Master?"

Nagi blinked in confusion.

"Isn’t your master the king?"

"By direct order of His Majesty the King, we of the Magic Knight Order have been commanded to designate you, the rightful saint of this country, as our master and protect you with our lives."

What an unbelievable situation.
Nagi went pale and nearly collapsed.

"O… our wages…"

"Calm down, Nagi.
The royal palace pays our wages.
I told you before that saints are treated on par with royalty, didn’t I?
All knights swear loyalty to the royal family, and in that context, the Magic Knight Order has simply been assigned exclusively to you."

At Lainil’s explanation, Nagi recalled that he had indeed said something like that.

But if that was the case—

"Even if it’s the king’s order, making such fine knights call someone like me, who isn’t even royalty, their master…
I feel like I’ve made you draw the shortest straw possible, and I’m really sorry."

"No, that’s wrong.
Nagi, becoming a saint’s escort knight is more honorable than serving in the royal guard.
It’s the opposite of drawing the short straw.
And stop saying ‘someone like me.’
As your brother, I won’t allow anyone to belittle you, not even yourself."

She had been scolded by Lainil for the first time.
It was scary, but she knew his words came from concern for her, which made her a little happy.

Unsure whether she should sulk from being scolded or rejoice at his words, Nagi hesitated as one of the previously silent Second Unit members spoke up.

It was a young man named Karl Major, with glossy chestnut hair, amber eyes, and a teardrop beauty mark as his charm point.
He looked around twenty years old, with a slender, supple build, and an air of delicacy that hardly seemed knightly.

"Hey, Captain.
I think ‘Nagi-chan’ feels uncomfortable when we go all-out saint mode on her, and she’d prefer it if we talked to her normally when possible.
—Am I wrong?"

Startled by his direct question, Nagi nodded vigorously.

"Y-yes.
That’s exactly right!"

"See?
Then I think part of our job is making sure our master feels comfortable.
It’d be risky outside, sure, but inside this mansion, wouldn’t it be fine to treat Nagi-chan like a normal girl?"

What a wonderful suggestion.

Without thinking, Nagi clasped her hands together and looked at Erwin with eyes full of ‘please.’
After another moment of silence, the Second Unit captain scratched the back of his head with his large hand and sighed.

"Ah…
Vice-Captain Lainil.
May we have permission to accept Karl Major’s proposal?"

"That’s fine.
You’ve always said you don’t like stiff formality anyway.
If Nagi herself wants it, do as you please."

‘Yessss!
Avoiding honorific speech from a group of older handsome men!
Honestly, if they stay quiet, they’re basically a group of host club guys!
The pressure is too much!
Way too much!’

As Nagi celebrated internally at Lainil’s words, Vice-Captain Ceres Tyler, who had long, silky red hair tied into a single ponytail, rolled his left arm as if loosening stiff shoulders.

"That’s a relief.
I mean, if the saint really wanted us in full proper mode, we’d keep it up no problem."

Then he shifted his expression slightly and looked straight at Nagi.

"Still, you don’t seem like an ordinary saint.
I hear you healed one injury after another among our guys with healing magic.
Thanks for that."

Looking at Ceres smiling broadly at her with his reddish-brown eyes, Nagi felt a fresh shiver run through her.

That’s right.

A handsome man’s friendly smile possessed truly terrifying destructive power.

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