Afterward, he gathered information on the circumstances from Laila, Egg, and the others.
Egg's memories only went up to being attacked by those girls, while Laila's memories ended at the point where she was defeated by the bald man. By the time they regained consciousness, both found themselves lying in beds in this Babel infirmary.
From then on, several organizations visited the room to question Laila and the others in detail. One was Babel, and the other was the Holy Amelia Kingdom's Investigation Department.
However, they already seemed to have a rough grasp of the situation, so the questioning was little more than a formality to confirm the facts.
"In the end, it seems I was just a big fish in a small pond."
When he shrugged and muttered that with a self-derisive sneer,
"Ah, well... I actually kind of knew about that."
Egg stated a fact that struck Somni like a bolt from the blue, acting as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"You knew?"
"Yeah, it's pretty well-known, to be honest. No, I'm not saying you're weak, Somni. It's just that having the skill to become Prince Gilbert's Guardian Knight, or making it to the top four in that Sacred Martial Arts Tournament... was a bit of a stretch, you know...?"
Scratching his cheek with an index finger, Egg replied with clear awkwardness.
"I see. Everyone knew, then..."
What an absolute farce. Everything he had believed to be his own hard-earned strength had been entirely staged by his father. On top of that, the only ones who hadn't realized it were complete amateurs in combat and Somni himself. There couldn't possibly be a more perfect clown.
"Well, I'm kind of in the same boat, honestly. The only reason I passed the entrance exam for the Royal Knight Academy was because of my parents' connections—it was just a fixed match against a commoner. Well, in my case, my parents casually spilled the beans later anyway."
Egg forced out those words without even bothering to conceal his disgust.
"Is that so..."
Come to think of it, when he had first met Egg shortly after entering the Knight Academy, his impression of him had been that of a simple, earnest boy devoted purely to swinging his sword. Yet before he knew it, that image had been replaced with that of a skirt-chaser who barely even bothered to train. Egg must have had his own circumstances to deal with.
"So? What are you gonna do now, Somni?"
It seemed the general situation had been explained to Egg as well. Now that he had been effectively dismissed as that damn prince's Guardian Knight, there was no longer any real reason for him to enroll in Babel.
However, running back home with his tail between his legs was something his pride simply wouldn't permit. Above all, the thought of ever living under his father's divine protection again was utterly intolerable. That was why—
"I'm staying in Babel. Even if I fail this year, I'll work in this city and take the exam again next year."
He didn't yet know how to become genuinely strong. But he knew he couldn't just allow himself to be swept along like this anymore.
"..."
For a brief moment, Egg looked at Somni in silence, but then—
"Somni, so you've made up your mind, too."
He murmured in a quiet tone entirely unlike his usual self, before falling silent with an expression more solemn than Somni had ever seen on his face.
Just as he was feeling bewildered by Egg's uncharacteristic demeanor, the door swung open and an elderly gentleman entered the room.
Taking off his hat with his right hand, the gentleman placed it over his chest and offered a slight bow.
"Somni Barrel, my master requests an audience with you. Please come with me."
The elderly gentleman's words were mild, yet for some reason, Somni felt an overwhelming presence that brooked no refusal.
"Y-Yes."
He found himself nodding before he could think.
Egg, standing beside him, wore a tense expression and started to speak, but—
"Fret not. My master is no mere insect like the foolish prince of the Holy Amelia Kingdom. He is a far, far more noble individual. I promise you, Somni will come to no harm."
With a passionate tone and a raised right palm, the elderly gentleman cut him off.
To openly refer to the royalty of the Holy Amelia Kingdom as an insect... Naturally, no ordinary subject of the Holy Amelia Kingdom would dare utter such words. From that behavior alone, it was safe to assume he stood in opposition to Gilbert. If so, perhaps he could be trusted. Besides, Somni had a distinct feeling he couldn't refuse this gentleman's invitation anyway.
"Understood. But only me."
Holding Egg back with his right hand as the other boy still seemed ready to protest, Somni looked the old gentleman straight in the eye and stated his terms.
"Yes, of course."
The elderly gentleman narrowed his eyes with a subtle nod, gestured with his chin for Somni to follow, and began to walk.