The Useless Prince Is A Gangster

It's almost one month before the student council election tournament starts.

The biggest event in the Vanelwood kingdom.

Of course, the academy is preparing for it more carefully than usual—tighter security, strict rules, and passes. They can't risk protocol since many things are happening recently.

But right now, the main training arena was empty except for the bronze-rank students. Morning light spilled over the high stone walls, turning the sand gold and making every drop of sweat sparkle. Three bronze brooches flashed as their owners moved.

Annalena Keese darted around Joel's massive two-handed sword and pushed her sword; sparks formed when the steel met. Joel's face was red with effort; Annalena's short chestnut hair stuck to her forehead, but her eyes glinted with pure joy.

From the stands, Mori cupped his hands around his mouth like a drill sergeant.

"Annalena, quit dancing and hit him! Senior Joel, your guard's wide enough to ride a horse through! Leonhardt is coming back any day now; do you want him to see this sloppy footwork? Again! Faster!"

Annalena parried a downward cut that cratered the sand and yelled back, breathless but grinning, "We're trying, Captain Mori!"

Before Mori could fire off another word, a familiar lazy voice spoke right next to his ear.

"Captain Mori, huh? When did you get promoted?"

A strong arm wrapped around Mori's neck in the friendly, casual headlock.

Mori made a strangled squeak. His eyes bulged.

Leonhardt Caulem stood behind him, crimson eyes bright with amusement, the same undeniable crooked half-smile on his face.

Mori's voice shot up two octaves. "L-Leonhardt?! You're back?! People said you fought some beasts inside a dome, and—wait, is everyone okay? Lucian? Rin? Did you really—"

Leo tightened the headlock just enough to turn the rest into a wheeze.

"Breathe, Mori. And answer my question: what are you doing here? Yelling instead of swinging a sword?"

Down on the ground, Annalena and Joel had frozen mid-clash, mouths open like baby birds.

Annalena was the first to recover. She dropped her training sword, ran forward, and actually skidded right in front of the stand."

"You're really okay!" she blurted. "We heard rumors! Some said you have some demon listening to you!"

Joel, still holding his huge sword, added in a stunned whisper, "Welcome back, Leader."

Nimbus hopped into the seat gracefully, yawned, circled once, and flopped down like he didn't care about their yap.

Leo finally released Mori, who rubbed his neck but couldn't stop grinning like an idiot.

Leo looked at the three of them; they were sweaty and bruised but standing taller than they had three months ago. Something warm flickered across his face.

Mori puffed out his chest. "We trained every single morning, Leonhardt! No days off! We're not letting the bronze section look weak just because our leader was busy sleeping!"

Annalena bounced on her toes. "We even made a lot of progress—you're going to love it!"

Leo's eyebrow rose. "Progress, huh?" He hopped the railing without warning, landing lightly in a crouch. He straightened, rolled his shoulders once, and drew the practice katana from his item space.

"All three of you," he said, voice calm but carrying that dangerous edge they'd missed so much. "No mercy. No holding back. If you can make me take one step backward, a lavish breakfast is on me for a month."

Annalena's eyes sparkled with fierce delight. "You'll regret saying that, senpai!"

Joel hefted the two-handed sword, grinning for the first time in weeks. "We've been waiting for this."

Mori cracked his knuckles, already sliding into stance. "Let's remind the whole academy why bronze isn't the bottom anymore."

Four bronze brooches flashed at once.

Sand exploded upward as three bodies launched forward in perfect sync.

Up above in the stands, Rin Valarune entered quietly. No one noticed; three bronze-rank students were too busy trying to murder their leader with everything they had.

Nimbus spotted her first. The little panther leapt from his bench, landed in her lap the moment she sat, and immediately curled up.

Rin smiled, scratched behind his ears, and settled in to watch.

The arena had turned into a disaster zone of footprints, broken practice blades stuck upright in the sand, and three bronze-rank students sprawled like corpses.

Annalena lay on her back, arms spread like a starfish, gasping at the sky.

Joel was on all fours, a greatsword planted in front of him.

Mori had rolled onto his stomach and was weakly pounding the sand with one fist, muttering, "I'm dead… bury me with pancakes…"

Leo sat on the wooden bench, soaked in sweat, chest still heaving. A single thin cut on his cheekbone—they actually managed to touch him.

He wiped the blood with the back of his hand and let out a low laugh. "Fine. Breakfast is on me for a whole month. Happy now, you monsters? "

Three shaky thumbs-up rose from the sand.

Then a soft cotton towel appeared in front of his face, held by a very familiar hand.

Leo looked up—and forgot the world existed for a second.

Rin Valarune stood over him, her violet hair braided cutely. The academy uniform looked unfairly good on her, with the blazer sleeves rolled once. Her cheeks were as pink as a rose, but her pink eyes were warm, almost shy.

She pressed the towel gently to the cut on his cheek.

"You did amazing," she said, voice soft enough that only he could hear. "As always."

And everything is dead silence.

Annalena's head snapped up so fast something in her neck cracked. Joel's jaw hit the sand. Mori rolled over and stared like he'd seen a ghost.

Rin… smiling at Leonhardt Caulem?

The same Rin who, three months ago, had publicly sworn she'd never speak to him again?

Mori was to address it, his voice cracking. "Wait—wait—hold up. When did this happen?!"

Rin ignored them. She stepped behind the bench, slid her arms around Leo's neck from behind, and rested her chin on his shoulder. Then, deliberately, she lifted her left hand and showed them a simple platinum ring on her fourth finger.

Annalena actually squeaked. "IS THAT—?!"

"During the Royal Hunt," Rin announced, "Leo confessed to me in the middle of a war zone. He caught two snow-white bunnies for me because I said I like them. He put this ring on my finger and asked me to keep it forever."

Leo's ears went red, but he didn't pull away; he just closed his eyes like a man accepting his fate.

Annalena made a high-pitched squeaking noise. "I—I thought I still had a chance with senpai Leonhardt…!"

Rin's head snapped toward the tiny first-year, eyes narrowing into pink slits. "Excuse me?"

Joel started wheezing with laughter even though it clearly hurt his ribs. Mori slapped the sand, howling.

As Rin got up and argued with that girl, Nimbus hopped down from the bench and walked over to Leo. He noticed a small rolled-up paper was tied to his collar.

Leo took it and unrolled the note.

Inside written. 'Let's hunt those bastards.'

He looked up to the top row of the stands and saw Erin Dranemount leaning on the railing. She lifted one hand in a lazy wave, violet eyes gleaming with mischievousness as always.

Leo read it once more, folded the paper, and slipped it into his pocket.