Even a Dog or a Cow Can Enter the Academy
Wilhelm paused mid-stroke with his pen. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then held back and returned to his work. Five minutes later, he finally set the pen down. He pressed hard on his brow before speaking.
“Cain.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Do you really have to sleep here?”
“I haven’t slept at all.”
Where the hell did the guy who was snoring just moments ago disappear to? Wilhelm wanted to hurl the pen in his hand and tell him to get lost immediately. But reason held him firmly in check. The moment that pen left his hand, his own neck would fly too.
“Why does it have to be here, of all places?”
“I need to keep an eye on whether Your Highness is actually working hard.”
“Why the hell does it have to be you doing the watching?”
Besides, he would work hard even without being watched. The second he slacked off, Cain’s fist would come flying. He’d rather take a mace to the face than another beating.
At least a mace might kill him. A fist just left him in agony without the mercy of death. Anyone who hadn’t experienced it could never, ever understand how hellish that was.
“A guest is coming.”
“A guest?”
The servants and guards outside hadn’t said a word. Yet exactly ten seconds later, a knock sounded at the door.
“Brother. It’s me.”
“Arhen?”
Wilhelm set his pen down and glanced at Cain. His own relationship with Cain was… manageable, at least. But Arhen and Cain… that was an entirely different story. The moment they saw each other, Arhen would openly show his displeasure. Especially after everything with Estelle. It was inevitable.
Should he tell him to come back later? He asked with his eyes. Cain simply rose from his seat and sat properly again. It was a signal that he would play along, so the guest could enter.
“Come in.”
The door opened and Arhen stepped inside. His eyes immediately met Cain’s.
“Cain.”
“I greet the Third Prince.”
“Why are you here…”
“I called for him.”
At Wilhelm’s answer, Arhen stepped forward, his face openly twisted with displeasure.
“I know you two are close. But does it really have to be like this?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I mean, it doesn’t seem right to summon a commoner all the way into the imperial palace, brother.”
You crazy bastard. He didn’t summon him—the guy came on his own. If you don’t even know that much, just shut up. You’ll get yourself killed.
Wilhelm quickly glanced at Cain sitting beside him. He could see the rage meter rising in real time. Once that gauge hit the end, it would explode with a bang. And Arhen would burst right along with it, scattering across the floor.
“Just state your business. I’m busy.”
“I just came from meeting Estelle.”
He had heard. Estelle Lunarian. The young lady of a Kasen Kingdom family. Born to an utterly ordinary house with nothing to boast about. But her appearance was anything but ordinary.
“You’re being awfully familiar with a foreign noble.”
“We met briefly once before. Today was just a sick visit.”
Arhen turned his head and glared at Cain. His gaze practically screamed, This is all your fault.
“Nnghhaaam.”
Cain’s response sounded more like he was wondering why a dog was barking.
“…Anyway, while I was there, Saint Liberio said something.”
“What did he say?”
“They’re assigning the Holy War Knight Commander as additional personnel and sending her to the academy.”
“What?”
The Holy War Knight Commander was the Holy Kingdom’s strongest military asset. Not on Cain’s level, but still a powerhouse who had slain countless demons.
She could wield both mana and, albeit faintly, holy power. For someone who was supposed to protect the Holy Kingdom and the Pope to be sent to the academy?
“This is the first I’m hearing of it.”
“With the incident at the party and the appearance of a high demon on top of it, maybe the Holy Kingdom decided it was too dangerous? The Continental Academy will be full of important figures from the alliance, after all.”
That was true. Wilhelm scratched the bridge of his nose. From the empire alone, there was the Third Prince Arhen and the Margrave Evan.
From Kasen, Prince Prinz. From the Holy Kingdom, Saint Liberio. And many more from prestigious noble families. All of them were scheduled to enter the Continental Academy.
There was no way the demons would pass up such a golden opportunity. They could take hostages, negotiate—anything was possible.
“But brother. Don’t you think this is a problem?”
“What problem?”
“The academy was built on imperial land, yet the Holy Kingdom is stationing their strongest sword there.”
“So you’re saying we should do the same?”
“Kasen will probably send additional forces soon as well.”
Just as the Holy Kingdom had its Holy War Knight Commander, Kasen surely had someone of comparable strength.
“Then our empire…”
Wilhelm reflexively looked at Cain. Honestly, in the entire empire—no, across the entire alliance—there was probably no one stronger than the man sitting right there.
“Have you lost your mind, brother?”
But Arhen immediately shot the idea down.
“If we send that bastard, it’ll only make things worse. Instead of showing the empire’s dignity, we’ll just end up humiliated.”
“Then who do you suggest we send?”
“I was thinking of asking our uncle.”
“The Grand General?”
Wilhelm and Arhen’s maternal uncle, and the empire’s Grand General. A man whose martial prowess was on par with the Holy War Knight Commander. The empire’s greatest swordsman, who had achieved many feats during the demon wars.
Of course, he’s nowhere near Cain’s level.
It was unfortunate for the Grand General, but comparing him to Cain simply didn’t make sense. Both the Holy War Knight Commander and the Grand General stood at the top. They might lead from the front, but not always.
Cain, on the other hand, had always fought alone. In terms of pure strength or demon kill count, there was no comparison. The only thing he lacked was status and authority.
“The Grand General must be busy.”
“No. I asked him a few days ago and he said that since the demons have been pushed back, he has some free time.”
“I see.”
He never said anything like that to me.
Thinking of Eclaven Condottiere, the Grand General’s name, Wilhelm could only close his mouth at the bitter taste. Though he was their uncle, their relationship was quite distant.
Before meeting Cain, Wilhelm had been the trash prince, and the Grand General had been deeply disappointed in his behavior. Instead, he had favored the smart and capable Arhen. That preference had continued to this day, solidifying their relationship.
He probably still thinks I’m just acting.
It was a regrettable misunderstanding, but Wilhelm had no particular desire to clear it up.
“Since it’s my request, uncle will listen. He’ll gladly agree this time too.”
“You really plan to have the Grand General stationed at the academy.”
“The Holy Kingdom already called their Holy War Knight Commander! Kasen is sending someone of equal strength! Does it make any sense for our empire to just sit on our hands?!”
…
It was utter nonsense. He couldn’t understand it. But even if he objected, Arhen wouldn’t listen. Arhen was a prince. Wilhelm was a prince too. He might be the older brother, but he held no real authority over him.
To Arhen, he was still just the worthless older brother. The emperor was still bedridden with illness. The First Prince had completely withdrawn from public activities. So Arhen would do whatever he wanted. After all, he was convinced he would become the crown prince.
“Do as you wish.”
“Really, brother? No taking it back later.”
“You’d better not cancel on me later either.”
That was the end of the brothers’ conversation.
“Ah.”
Arhen, who had been about to leave the office, turned back around.
“Hey.”
He spoke to Cain, who was sitting quietly.
“I acknowledge that you worked hard for the alliance. Your achievements were truly remarkable.”
…
“But don’t cross the line.”
Instead of answering, Cain simply stared into empty space. Arhen took on a satisfied expression, apparently thinking Cain had been shocked by his words.
Ah. I want to hunt demons.
The person in question wasn’t thinking anything of the sort.
Click—
After the sound of the door closing, Wilhelm called out to Cain.
“Cain. What do you think?”
“It’s because of Estelle.”
“It’s because of a woman.”
They could talk all they wanted about protecting the academy or whatever. They could dress it up with talk of pride and dignity. But in the end, Arhen, Liberio, and Prinz were all just trying to prove their superiority.
I’m such an amazing man that I can summon people like this! I’m a far more suitable partner for Estelle than you lot could ever be!
That was what they were trying to show off by calling in their own people.
“Prince.”
“Yeah?”
“If they act like shit, can I beat them?”
At first, Wilhelm thought he was talking about Arhen. But the moment he saw the madness gleaming in Cain’s eyes, he realized his little brother wasn’t the only target.
“The Holy Kingdom’s Holy War Knight Commander. Kasen’s still-unknown powerhouse. And even the Grand General?”
“I won’t kill them.”
“If I told you not to, would you stop?”
Cain didn’t answer Wilhelm’s question. He simply replaced it with a chilling smile.
At the same time.
“Are you fully prepared?”
The cardinal had come out personally to see someone off. In the Holy Kingdom, a cardinal held a position equivalent to a great noble. A faithful servant of light who attended the Pope directly. For such a person to personally see someone off was no small matter.
“Yes, Your Eminence.”
“If you need anything upon arriving in the Eper Empire, please let us know. The College of Cardinals will do everything in its power to prepare it for you, Knight Commander.”
But if the person being seen off was the Knight Commander—the greatest sword of the Holy War Knights—then the story changed.
“Are you sure this is wise? While there was a request from Saint Liberio, to be honest, both our College of Cardinals and His Holiness have many doubts about sending the Knight Commander herself.”
The empire wasn’t foolish. They would prepare thoroughly. Especially after the attack at the party, they would spare no effort.
“Demons exist everywhere. Perhaps they called for her out of that concern?”
“That may be true, but…”
“More importantly. The item I requested…”
At the Knight Commander’s words, the cardinal gestured. A moment later, an attendant priest brought something over. It was a very luxurious small wooden box.
Click—
The commander opened the box, checked its contents, and smiled.
“I obtained it with great difficulty, avoiding His Holiness’s eyes.”
“As expected. You are truly impressive, Your Eminence.”
Was it filled with jewels and gold coins? No. What filled the box was none other than cigarettes.
“Are they that good?”
The cardinal looked at the smiling Holy War Knight Commander. Her silver hair and blue eyes, characteristic of the elf race, stood out strikingly. Though she was a half-elf, her ears weren’t particularly pointed. She could wield not only mana but even faint traces of holy power.
At first, I was bewildered that someone like her would be stationed at a mere academy.
But he soon learned the other reasons Liberio had sent her. One was to teach the ‘hero’ who would come to the academy. The other was to provide a leash to restrain the mad dog.
They say that empire’s Cain is strong, but if the alliance’s powerhouses gather, they should be able to suppress him. It seems the saint is calling everyone for that purpose.
Even in the Holy Kingdom, Cain was not a welcome presence. He had killed far too many demons. Because of that, the Holy Kingdom’s influence had relatively decreased. With fewer places to shine, the kingdom had been left floating in the air. On top of that, he was even being called God’s Right Hand.
To attach God’s name so casually.
Even if they didn’t make him an enemy, they needed to keep him in check. That was why they were sending the Holy War Knight Commander.
“When you go to the empire, you will encounter a man named Cain.”
“I am aware.”
“Do not treat him as an enemy, but if pressure is needed, apply it. His Holiness has given his permission.”
“Mmm…!”
The cardinal, who had been about to say more, tilted his head. Had a flush just appeared on the Knight Commander’s face?
“First, first… the moment we meet, I must get his signature…”
“Knight Commander? Signature?”
“For my personal collection! …I mean. It’s a written pledge that I will behave quietly.”
“Ah, I see.”
That would be ideal, but why did he feel so uneasy?
That was what the cardinal thought as he looked at the woman before him—Luciel Savior, the Holy War Knight Commander.
…Why does she look so happy?