The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL]-Chapter 978: The Great Pileup

It was like slow motion.

Well, not so much for those with enhanced senses, but very much so for the newest lady who just got there.

From the exact moment her footing allegedly slipped, everything seemed to stretch. Each second pulled longer than it should, as though time itself had decided to linger just to witness the downfall that would eventually lead to her bright future.

Her body tilted, first subtly, then with increasing certainty, until there was no denying it anymore.

She was falling.

Falling as planned.

A gentle misstep, a slight turn, just enough imbalance to appear natural, and then—at precisely the right moment—she would fall forward into the arms of the one she had chosen.

Graceful.

Effortless.

Perfect.

That had been the plan.

But somewhere between the tilt and the turn, unbeknownst to her, something shifted.

Because, instead of a controlled descent, her body began to spin thanks to the incredibly polished floors.

Like a top that had been flicked just a little too hard, wobbling as it lost control, one foot dragged behind, the other twisted, and her center of gravity tipped just enough to send her trajectory drifting—

Across the hall, her parents saw it happen in the same slow motion she was probably experiencing.

And in that exact moment, both of them reacted.

Their hands lifted slightly, reaching out in silent horror as they realized what their daughter clearly had not.

She had miscalculated.

Badly.

And she was no longer falling toward her intended target.

But the excited lady herself didn’t realize any of that.

Because as far as she was concerned, everything was still unfolding exactly as planned.

Right up until the moment—

She was caught.

Firm.

Steady.

Supported.

Perfect.

Or at least, it should have been.

Relief flooded her all at once, her entire body easing as the expected outcome was achieved. She prepared to open her eyes with just enough wetness, prepared to thank her savior for this fortunate scenario.

Because how incredibly fortunate that she had ended up in someone’s arms—

Huh?

Wait a minute.

Something felt off.

The hall had gone quiet.

Too quiet.

Slowly, the alleged damsel in distress cautiously opened her eyes.

Why did everyone look—

So stunned?

Then she blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then faster.

Because the face right above her—

Was not the one she had expected.

Instead of the incredibly popular figure she had been reaching for, she was met with a radiant face that looked almost painfully apologetic.

And very, very blonde.

"I’m sorry, my lady," he said gently, his tone soft and sincere, his expression carrying that same harmless, almost sheepish innocence. "I ate snacks with my hands in the hovercraft and didn’t want to damage your dress."

"..."

Her mind went blank.

Because nothing about this situation made sense.

Not the explanation.

Not the position she was in.

Not the fact that she wasn’t actually being held the way she thought she was.

Because while she believed she had been caught in someone’s arms beautifully, the reality was far more questionable.

Someone had indeed caught her.

But with his leg.

LEG.

It was awkward.

It was strange.

And yet, the enterprising young woman, who had been raised to handle situations like this with precision and grace, found herself completely unprepared for what had befallen her.

Because the face in front of her was—

Adorable.

Disarmingly so.

She blinked up at him again, her thoughts stalling, her body still bent at an angle that felt increasingly unsafe, her back threatening to give out at any moment.

Thump.

Thump.

Her heart began to race.

Faster.

Louder.

From where she was, she couldn’t see how strange the situation looked to everyone else. She couldn’t see the angle, the imbalance, or the way she was essentially folded in a way that defied dignity.

All she could see was him.

Warmth rushed to her face, her pulse spiking as her thoughts spiraled wildly, dangerously close to panic.

Was this what a heart attack felt like?

But before anything could escalate further, a much larger hand suddenly appeared.

She couldn’t exactly see where it came from, but it was firm, deliberate, and annoyingly blocked her precious view!

Then, as if surprising her, a faint shimmer of spiritual energy settled into place like a barrier meant to keep them apart.

"Eh?"

The warmth of her newfound sun vanished almost instantly, replaced by confusion as the view that had just become her entire world was abruptly taken away.

"Kyle?" Ollie blinked, clearly surprised as well.

"Lady, are you—"

But before the confused blonde could finish, and before she could even begin to answer with everything she had—

A shadow loomed.

Large.

Sudden.

And rapidly descending.

Another person was falling. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Directly toward her.

"!!!"

Instinct snapped back all at once.

With a startled gasp, she forced herself upright in sheer panic, straightening immediately because there was absolutely no way she was about to become the landing spot for what was clearly going to be a full, unrestrained faceplant.

Waaah—

Nooo!

__

There were lamentations and piling bodies within the span of about ten minutes as the inexplicable threat came from everywhere.

There were children running around. Women—and even men—were falling like wobbling towers in every direction possible, each "accident" somehow more dramatic than the last. Flowing gowns twisted, sleeves flailed, and more than a few individuals collapsed with suspicious precision, all while a very determined group did their absolute best to stay upright and alive.

Kyle Nox had reached his limit.

He eventually turned to his boss for a plan because he was that close to taking someone’s eye out.

While he did expect something to the tune of annoying nobles, he hadn’t expected a full-on attack on his little star, who couldn’t even use his grubby hands at the moment!

But just when the frustrated boyfriend, who was so close to just wrapping Ollie in a blanket while hauling him out, thought it was already bad enough, he didn’t particularly expect to hear something rather chilling as he looked over to the Imperial Crown Prince and his wife.

"What do we have here?"

Kyle stilled.

It didn’t come from their group.

No.

That definitely came from someone else. Like that figure standing confidently before their group.

Tall.

Annoying.

And most importantly, someone who wasn’t even supposed to be there.

"It’s been a long time," the figure continued, voice smooth, almost conversational, as though everything were normal. "Have you seen my cousin?"