I was Reincarnated as the Youngest Child of a Villainous Noble Family Who Controls the Kingdom from Behind the Scenes

After escorting the nobles out of the academy, we turned back through the underground passage.

Branmud, seemingly deeply frustrated, parted ways with us to continue guarding the nobles.

In its own way, that was a relief.

---

*"Alfis, those Grimritter—they’re the ones that Hezler had with him, right? I can’t believe they’d dare pull something this bold."*

*"Yeah. They must have something backing them up to get this carried away."*

*"More than that, their execution is too flawless. The security here is supposed to be airtight, and yet..."*

*"Well, they did find out about this underground passage, after all."*

As I spoke, my gaze fell on the corpse of Bonshan lying along the way.

This guy was probably just a rank-and-file member of the Sixth Division.

The Grimritter are organized into ten divisions, from the First to the Tenth—that’s their main force.

The Sixth Division specializes in infiltration and disruption, so they’re not a full-on combat unit.

This Bonshan is a perfect example.

A Magic Trapper fits that description to a tee.

---

What’s more, they had pinpointed our position and movements, deploying their forces accordingly.

By now, a flood of Sixth Division operatives must have already swarmed the academy.

*Pretty slick.*

*"Heh... They really did whatever they wanted, huh."*

*"...Alfis?"*

Lilisha rubbed her upper arm uneasily.

*"Do you think the students are alright? Especially Letitia... There’s a chance she might face enemies she can’t handle..."*

*"Worried?"*

*"N-Not at all! It’d just be a national loss if the princess died, you know? Is that so hard to understand?"*

*"You’re trying way too hard."*

Grumbling under her breath, Lilisha kept pace beside me.

Personally, I wasn’t worried about Letitia.

Once she awakened that *cheat-like skill* of hers, there weren’t many opponents who could keep up with her.

Lucille should be fine too—I drilled her on close-quarters combat.

The Sixth Division has that spear-throwing bastard, but even if she counters his throws, he’s still decent in melee.

*"If we don’t hurry, the casualties will keep piling up! These are the Grimritter we’re dealing with!"*

*"Relax. I already made a move."*

*"Huh?"*

I glanced at my now-empty bag.

The *thing* that was in here should already be on the move.

Took some effort to get it to listen, but thankfully, it’s pretty smart.

---

*"If we take the East Building, we can regroup with the captain."*

The rear unit of the Grimritter’s Sixth Division had successfully infiltrated the academy.

Thanks to the chaos the advance team had already stirred up, security was thin.

*Pathetically easy.*

Their intel dominance played a role, but they hadn’t expected the job to be *this* effortless.

Rumors said this academy’s instructors were top-tier, yet the advance team was apparently giving them a hard time.

Then again, the Sixth Division were specialists in disruption and sabotage—if the enemy got complacent about their own strength, they stood no chance.

Warfare wasn’t simple.

Combat ability, intel, terrain, matchups—everything mattered.

No matter how elite the mage corps or royal guards were, the Sixth Division already controlled the information flow.

*And this is the prestigious institution the Kingdom of Seilrand boasts about?*

If this was the state of the academy meant to nurture the nation’s future, the country itself must be a joke.

They supposedly won that recent border war, but *we* were clearly the better players.

After all, their kingdom had been dancing to our tune since back then.

If they wanted to blame anyone, they should blame their own king for trusting us.

---

*"Something’s off. No signs of people."*

*"Not even straggling students?"*

*"Too clean for a panic evacuation."*

The scattered chairs and desks suggested some level of chaos, yet now, not a soul remained.

This was *unnaturally* empty.

*"Could be a trap. Focus on mana detection."*

*"Umyu~"*

Who the hell just gave that ridiculous reply?

Looking down, they saw an unfamiliar creature at their feet.

*"The hell is this?"*

*"Umyu~"*

*"A slime? Why’s something like this in the academy?"*

*"Umyuuu..."*

A slime shaped like a young girl.

A type of monster they’d never seen before.

*"Probably escaped from the training grounds during the chaos."*

*"Makes sense. Pretty damn stupid of them."*

*"Must be nice having the luxury to keep trash mobs like this as pets."*

They sneered.

While the Sixth Division had trained until they coughed blood, these students were playing around with joke monsters.

Even if they were just kids, they clearly had no grasp of how the world worked.

*"So this really is just a playground, huh."*

*"Umyuuu..."*

*"Oh? Trying to act tough with that face? Heh..."*

*"Umyu~!"*

The slime girl’s expression shifted, but with that childish face, there was no intimidation to be had.

*Pathetic. Just dispose of it already.*

*"Move."*

*"UMYUAAGH!"*

Suddenly, the slime expanded radially.

The frontmost squad member’s upper half dissolved in an instant.

*"W-What the—?!"*

*"Umyuuu!"*

They reacted fast.

Surrounding the slime girl, they immediately launched their attacks.

Instant traps via magic circles, small arms from enchanted tools—they had every means at their disposal. That’s what made them combat professionals.

*"Umyu?!"*

The slime girl exploded from the trap’s detonation.

Furthermore, the enchanted knives they wielded were heat-infused—capable of evaporating even liquid-based foes.

No matter the enemy, they could adapt instantly. *That’s what it meant to be elite.*

Surely, this was the end of—

*"Umyu."*

The slime girl reformed instantly.

*Impossible.* Even for an amorphous entity, that blast should’ve vaporized her mass entirely.

*What the hell is this thing?!*

The slime spread across the floor, and they leapt back—

*"Guh... Aaagh... M-My body...!"*

*"Dammit...!"*

Those too slow to react had their legs melted away, sinking into the dissolving sea.

*What... What is this?!*

*"Y-You damn—!"*

*"Umyu."*

The slime girl appeared behind the last standing operative.

Turning, he met her gaze—and a chill surged from the depths of his being.

*These were the eyes of a predator.*

*"Umyuuuu..."*

From the very beginning, they had never been seen as anything but *prey*.

*No... We never should’ve fought this.*

*"D-Dammit! A monster like this...! I have to report to the captain!"*

He bolted.

If it came to speed, he wouldn’t lose.

The slime didn’t seem particularly fast.

*"Umyu."*

*"Gh...!"*

A slow, searing pain spread across his back.

*She was already on him.*

*"No way... No way... What the hell... What the hell IS this thing?!"*

Then—just as the agony peaked—his vision went black.