Kuro no Maou

While saying lazy words like that, the first prince of Avalon and the leader of Rank 5 party『Wing Road』, Nero Julius Elrod was walking within the school premises.

The place he was heading was to the library which not only Royal Spada Academy, but also the country Spada itself boats about. The library, not only had books since long ago, but also the biggest book collection among other countries.

Though it is located as a library of a single school, but everyone calls it Great Library as a part of paying respect.

「Damn that Safi, do your document search on your own......」

The reason why Nero was heading to the Great Library was because he was asked help from one of his party member, Safiel Maya Hydra.

Plain jobs like this are suited more for his too-serious sister, but Nell is currently in classes along with Charlotte, and therefore cannot move freely.

Of course, the sword-wielding muscle-brained Kai is out of question.

So eventually, only Nero, who is good and also has brilliant mind, if only one ignores his attitude to find things bothersome, was the one left.

「What is ‘you are of wasting time, right’, my ass, I was actually fully enjoying my own free time in my own way」

That is what people call wasting time, but looks like Nero was still a child to understand that.

Anyhow, Nero headed to help Safi though while complaining, surely within the bottom of his heart, he might have been feeling tired with boredom.

He might be wanting for a peaceful daily life, but somewhere within his heart a self-contradicting feeling evading boredom, sometimes appears out to torment him as distress.

Oh well, it’s nothing that sentimental right now.

「*Sigh*, so need to find a damn fucking book in this holy shitty big place, eh」

“Truly depressing”, while muttering that, Nero absentmindedly kept on staring the Great Library in front of him.

As the Great Library was made using the conventional architecture techniques, so its outer appearance is just like a temple.

He crossed the corridor with round pillars with white entasis standing on the sides, and arrived in front of a double door, at that time,

「Hm, that girl is......」

Nero’s red eyes caught sight of a person he has seen.

From the opposite side than himself, a girl was heading towards the front entrance.

The figure of girls wearing uniform was quite a common thing in this Academy, but her short light blue hair, and shining golden eyes, somehow had a divine charm hidden in them.

Nero did remember this girl with a white face and facial features just like a doll.

「Hey you, so you were a student of here」

Nero called out to the girl who passed by him and put her hands on the door.

「......Who are you?」

The girl asked about his identity, but, seeing the face of the girl once again from up close, he was convinced that it wasn’t a wrong person.

She was the girl whom he saved from a dangerous spot after getting called out by 2 skirt chasers in the plaza.

「Now that you say that, I didn’t name myself at that time, though I thought you might have known me——」

It was already surprising for Nero to find someone in Spada who didn’t know him, but what surprised him more was that she didn’t remember him in spite of being saved from trouble at the right time.

Nero only remembers that though he had saved various other girls from stuff like that, but later they approached him passionately and he was fed up from it.

There were also times some girls determined his lineage, though he hadn’t named himself, and even pushed into the Avalon Royal Castle.

「Do you seriously not remember me?」

「Yes」

Her eyes weren’t of happiness upon being called by a charming man, but were filled vigilance towards a suspicious person trying to woo her.

“If I did something the wrong way, maybe I too would get beaten by the wand just like those two playboys”, thinking that Nero decided to choose his words carefully.

「1 week ago, weren’t you being troubled by some playboys from our school?」

If this event in itself was on the verge of being forgotten, then even Nero cannot do anything about it.

But,

「Ah」

There was hope, looks like the Black Gods of Pandora were smiling at him.

「So you remember it?」

「You are the one who was trying to woo me at that time」

「No, not that one!」

Just when he thought they were smiling, it turned out to be a prank by god.

The girl’s reply was truly above outside of his expectations, and it made him feel vexed upon being grouped with those playboys.

「Remember it correctly, when you were quarrelling with those two while hitting them with your wand, I saved you, right?」

「Yeah, that third playboy was——」

「No, I wasn’t the playboy but saved you, didn’t I just say, hey remember when I intervened the other two easily backed off, right? OK?」

「Huh」

The girl’s face still showed no signs of being convinced, while Nero sighed within.

Though she remembered him, but he never had guessed that she would remember him this vaguely.

「But, you’re quite interesting, what’s your name?」

「I’m not someone whose name you should know」

She’s getting more interesting, Nero, unexpectedly let out a smile to this girl who was feigning innocence.

Thinking back on it, it’s the first time he had actually met someone who would take on such a cold attitude to him.

Nero had a high status, good appearance, and ability too, for better or for worse there was no one who would ignore him, at least until now.

That’s why Nero had some interest sprouted towards this girl who was had an indifferent attitude.

「Sorry, it’s manners to name oneself before asking, right. I’m Nero, Nero Julius Elrod」

「......I’m Fiona Soleil」

The girl named herself as that.

Seems like, though she was indifferent she wasn’t manner less, seeing her behavior Nero felt a good impression about her.

Incidentally, even after he named his family name, telling her about being a royalty of Avalon, the expressionless face of the girl didn’t change even a bit, which Nero felt likeable.

「So Fiona, what is the work you have here, in this Great Library? If you want to search for something, I will help you」

Though both were helping, but he thought that it would be more worthwhile to help this Fiona who he met just now, rather than helping Safi who would always push him around.

Of course, judging this girl’s cold attitude so she wouldn’t ask anyone, hence he tried to ask her himself.

「There is something I would like to ask」

However, unexpectedly proactive words came from Fiona.

「What is it?」

Nero looked straight into the eyes of Fiona, with a spirit saying that he would answer anything other than the state secret of Avalon.

The golden eyes which looked back at him didn’t had any emotions wavering, rather he even had a hunch that she could completely see through him.

「There must be a place where the prohibited books are place in this library, do you know where it is?」

“Holy! That’s one damn question”, though Nero’s facial expression remained the same, but inside he was shocked.

However, he had guessed from before that this to-the-end expressionless girl would ask something damned.

Originally the place where prohibited books are sealed is a place students have no work in, and also, it is publicly banned to go in there.

In the first place, the information related to the inner parts of Great Library’s prohibited area is not something mere students would even know about.

Fiona appearance, the expressionless face, seems like it isn’t expecting an answer to her question.

And yet, the details of question weren’t something out of just curiosity.

The right answer here would be「I don’t know」, and even if he did knew about that place he shouldn’t tell her.

However, while making his red mantle, the proof of being an elite cadet, flutter and putting the hand on the door, he boldly declared.

「’Kay, I will guide you, follow me」

.

.

.

Around the time the bell of noon rang, Nero finished the guiding of Underworld Great Library in safe health, and they both returned to the entrance.

「——Well, it’s something like this, are you satisfied now lady?」

「Yeah, it made a good reference, thank you very much」

Nero made use of his presence detector and evaded the eye s of people, and went around the prohibited Great Library’s deepest parts.

Though he didn’t enter the sealed area, but just guided her till the door, after all Fiona’s request was to tell her about this place’s position, so he did his job.

Of course, if she wanted to enter that place, then even Nero would have to prepare stuff in advance.

It ain’t a prohibited sealed area for show, there are barriers for sensing intruders and stopping casted over in multitude.

Fortunately, the patrol of security guard isn’t that much, so one can enter without being noticed by others.

But for that, quite a bit of magical ability is needed for both the person themselves and also the Magic Item for breaking through barriers.

The people who could do that would only be some people in the whole academy including Nero, at least it is impossible for Fiona, a person at the level who loves beginner’s wand, to even try to intrude here.

「Just for your information, don’t try to enter that place, it’s still good if you get caught, but if you are caught by some nasty barrier then it won’t end on the level of just being hurtful」

Still, he thought of hammering down the nail sticking out.

「Eh? Yes, you’re right, and I wasn’t thinking of entering that place」

Nero thought his warning would go useless, but there was nothing more he could say for now.

Well, if something occurred he would do something about it, or so he thought while being overly positive.

「By the way, it’s already noon, wanna come to the School Cafeteria? I will treat you?」

「No, it’s fine」

Fiona denied his invitation, thinking back this is the first time to even be rejected upon being invited.

Rather than a shock he was just lightly surprised, and he again understood that Fiona isn’t the sort of girl who would fawn over him, and this made him more elated.

「I see, that’s unfortunate」

「Well then, I will take my leave now」

Like that, Fiona boldly left the library, as if not she wasn’t even regretting the fact that she rejected his invitation.

Nero sent her off while watching the cool and cold Fiona’s back with a wry smile on his face.

「You got dumped magnificently」

Suddenly he was called out to from behind.

「Safi, eh」

Turning back, he saw the first person he made promise with, Safiel, standing there.

「It’s the first time I’ve seen you being treated coldly by a girl」

「Yeah, right」

Having the truth pointed out, Nero let out a bitter laugh.

「But, wasn’t she a great girl?」

「I don’t care」

Safi turned her head away as if not interested and continued saying, “so it’s like that”.

「Well then, if there is an explanation about why you broke my promise and played with another girl, I would like to hear it」

「......Ah」

Nero reaction just now was about the fact that he forgot, rather than the promise, but what would await him if he broke the promise.

「It is, you see, that」

「What?」

「It was more interesting to be besides Fiona」

He didn’t find any good excuses, so he tried to confess the truth.

「I see, I’ve heard your words loud and clear——」

Like that Safi, while smiling, touched her glasses.

The glasses which had the work of sealing the ‘power’ present in those eerie purple eyes,

「『Demon Eyes』Release」

Were removed.

「I’m really very sorryyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!」

While regretting that next time he would deceive in a better way, Nero shouted the words of apology to Safi.

AUTHOR’S NOTE:

Everyone’s lovable handsome Prince Nero made his appearance! This time too he acted like a gentleman!!