T.M. Opera O was irritated.
From the moment she had been discussing Kitano Ryuichi with Symboli Rudolf, to when they heard the commotion in the cafeteria and came together—before she could even feel surprised at seeing Kitano, she noticed Holy King Halo and Miura Bourbon already gathered around him.
That only made her irritation grow stronger.
She didn't know the exact source of her feelings, but she was certain of one thing—her discomfort and anxiety intensified the moment her gaze landed on Mihono Bourbon and King Halo standing so close to Kitano Ryuichi.
And the reason was actually very simple—
Both Miura Bourbon and Holy King Halo had better figures than her.
It was a strange feeling. In the past, Opera O had never cared about differences in appearance or physique. After all, from the moment horse girls were born, none of them could be considered unattractive.
Every horse girl in this world possessed looks above that of ordinary people. Even if not breathtakingly beautiful, they were at least elegant and refined—appearance anxiety simply didn't exist.
Opera O herself wasn't among the most beautiful. Rather than "beautiful," her appearance leaned more toward "handsome." She understood her strengths well, and so she deliberately refined her presence and charisma.
The current "Overlord," whose aura could captivate countless people, was the result of her continuous self-discipline. Her unmatched confidence and composure were forged so she could stand before anyone without fear or hesitation.
But even so, she wasn't the type to feel jealous over appearance or body differences. Otherwise, how could she be so close with her follower, Narita Top Road—whose figure surpassed almost everyone in Tracen Academy?
Yet her current reaction surprised even herself.
Still—she simply couldn't endure that restless feeling.
Whenever she saw Miura Bourbon and Holy King Halo surrounding Kitano like that, a strange voice in her heart urged her to step forward and stop it.
And Opera O, who always followed her instincts, chose once again to obey that inner voice. She didn't understand why she had to step in—but at least it made her feel better.
"Since you are not yet a retainer of this somewhat self-doubting Princess, then surely a servant cannot make decisions on behalf of their liege, correct?"
"Princess…?"
Opera O's way of addressing Kitano made everyone present break into awkward expressions. Meanwhile, King Halo, seeing Kitano's embarrassed face, nearly burst out laughing.
For a moment, an absurd image flashed through her mind—Opera O in a suit carrying a bridal "Princess" Kitano in a wedding dress. The sheer impact of that image was overwhelming.
…Huh? Why did thinking about that suddenly make her feel a bit heavy-hearted?
For some reason, Halo's mood dipped just as quickly as it had lifted—but no one noticed. At that moment, after a brief silence, Mihono Bourbon finally responded in her usual expressionless tone:
"…Correct. Miura Bourbon has not yet confirmed Mr. Kitano as her highest authority."
"However, Miura Bourbon is currently transferring command authority to Mr. Kitano.
As long as he agrees, Miura Bourbon will move in accordance with his commands."
"Hahaha! What an interesting cybernetic retainer—so loyal to the Princess!"
Opera O laughed, clearly not bothered at all. She was never one to take offense. However, while she didn't object outright, she also didn't show approval.
She had her own plan—a plan she believed was perfect.
"But, oh loyal retainer of the beautiful Princess—at present, you are not yet her sworn knight.
And such a captivating Princess is destined to attract many excellent knights seeking to serve her."
"So if you do not possess the greatest strength, how can you become her foremost knight?"
"…There are so many things to complain about in that sentence, I don't even know where to start."
Now completely sidelined, Kitano Ryuichi had been reduced to the role of the straight man.
But even as he complained, he realized something troubling—these were all horse girls he had once trained, yet now, he couldn't understand their thoughts at all.
King Halo, openly hostile toward him.
Mihono Bourbon, strangely enthusiastic toward a stranger.
And Opera O, meddling as usual…
Well, Opera O had always been like that—but in the past, it was always about him.
Now she shouldn't even know him, so why was she so invested?
"Putting aside what you're calling me… I don't think I have that kind of charm to attract so many 'knights,' you know."
"And even if I did, what's so important about this 'first knight'? That just means the first assigned horse girl, right? Is it really that big a deal?"
Kitano genuinely didn't understand.
Even after so many loops, he had never trained more than one horse girl at a time. The reason was simple—he could barely manage one. Trying to handle multiple at once would be overestimating himself.
So he had always devoted everything to a single trainee. He never thought he had the talent or charisma to attract many horse girls.
In fact, several of his past trainees only agreed after long persistence. What "charm" could he possibly have?
And this "first slot"—was it really worth fighting over?
"Hahaha! Do not belittle yourself, oh beautiful Princess! Your charm lies not merely in appearance, but in your heart—the greatest treasure of all!"
Opera O, true to form, continued praising him enthusiastically—even though she barely knew him.
"And do not underestimate yourself! According to Her Majesty, you are the youngest new trainer at Tracen Academy, and your exam results rank among the top three in Central! At such a young age—calling you a genius would not be an exaggeration!"
"A Princess as brilliant and beautiful as you will surely never lack knights willing to devote everything to you!"
"…If I say I'm only good at theory, would you believe me?"
Kitano was completely speechless.
Sure enough, after Opera O's words, Mihono Bourbon looked at him with clear surprise, while even King Halo seemed shaken.
She had thought he was just an arrogant rookie—but now her impression was changing.
"So he's actually a trainer worthy of a first-class horse girl…?"
she thought, feeling an unexpected trace of pride.
Meanwhile, the surrounding horse girls erupted into excited chatter. Several of them were already visibly intrigued by Kitano's supposed achievements.
More and more curious eyes turned toward him, making Kitano break out in a cold sweat
.
Please don't believe this! I'm really just good at theory! If you had to redo the same exams over multiple loops, you'd do even better!
But of course—he couldn't say that.
Now he truly understood what it meant to suffer in silence.
"And as for the position of the first knight, my dear Princess—there is no need to explain its importance!"
"Just like King Arthur's Round Table, there can only be one chief knight—the strongest one! Your first knight will undoubtedly be your foremost champion—the closest and most powerful among all who serve you!"
"Such an important position cannot be decided carelessly—it determines who will stand as your ultimate protector!"
As her words fell, the atmosphere changed instantly.
The surrounding horse girls—already intrigued—now had their eyes gleaming like predators spotting prey, all staring at the increasingly overwhelmed Kitano.
"Strongest."
"Closest."
Those two words alone were irresistibly tempting to any horse girl—especially those with strong competitive and possessive instincts.
Mihoni Bourbon and King Halo's gazes shifted.
Even the onlookers grew more eager.
Seeing the moment was right, Opera O raised her voice even higher:
"Therefore! The position of the Princess's chief knight will not be contested by just one!"
"With so many knights vying for the honor, and only one position available—there is only one solution!"
"Gather all who seek to serve the Princess, and hold a royal contest before the throne!"
"The true strongest shall emerge—and become the Princess's chief knight!",