Chapter 129
Chapter 129
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Proud Imperial Academy
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‘Proud Imperial Academy, you like it, huh.’
The boy swallowed the blood pooling in his mouth. If it spilled out and flew somewhere from another hit, things could get even worse than now.
“Ha, not even a beggar, seriously. If you’re from nobility, shouldn’t you carry around some gold? What’s this silver crap.”
“And not just once or twice—how do you even score so high with a brain like that? Huh? Doesn’t the obvious answer pop up, like ‘you look like you need to carry some money to stay safe’?”
The empty money pouch smacked against the boy’s face and fell.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he leaned against the wall and hung his head.
Blood dripping from his nose splattered onto the grass below, staining the tips red.
The Imperial Academy, where only nobles of pure human lineage could enroll.
Its rules clearly stated that all students must shed their family prestige and treat each other as individuals, but that was never going to happen.
It was just a hollow rule.
Even if everyone wore anonymous masks from the start, factions would form, and hierarchies would emerge one way or another.
A single rule couldn’t overturn that.
This was the Imperial Academy, where kids entered as young as their early teens—sometimes even younger—and stayed for up to over ten years.
A microcosm of the outside world, where rules formed based on age, youth, or experience.
“If we search you again out of the blue and not even a single gold comes up, it won’t end fun for you.”
“Hey, enough. Let’s go. We can sneak a drink with this.”
The sound of spit hitting the ground and grass crunching underfoot.
Those noises gradually faded away.
Afraid they might pretend to leave, wait, and then come back swinging if he lifted his head—saying something like “when did we ever lose sight of that face?”—he kept his head down for a long while before wiping his eyes with his sleeve.
After catching his breath like that, the boy slowly bent down to pick up his pouch when a shadow fell over his head.
“Oh…….”
A faint lavender scent.
That aroma diluted his aimless rage and shame, and the boy, still crouched, looked up.
“Are you okay?”
A woman with light purple hair loosely braided. In her gentle, clear deep-purple eyes, the boy’s blood-streaked face reflected back, so he covered it with both hands.
“I-I’m fine.”
He didn’t know why, but it was embarrassing. He hadn’t done anything wrong, yet he felt like a child caught red-handed in mischief.
‘If only she’d just passed by without noticing…….’
It would’ve been more comforting if she’d ignored him like he was invisible.
The hem of her skirt settling heavily at his feet felt burdensome, the warmth of her sitting down beside him was frightening, and the hand pulling away his covering ones was hot.
“It’s okay. It’s okay.”
Why couldn’t he shake off those fingers gripping his wrists? As the boy slowly uncovered his face, the woman began wiping it with her sleeve.
“I can’t do much, but I can share a cup of tasty tea and some cookies now and then, and listen to your stories. Got it?”
The lavender scent brushing his nose.
A cookie wrapped in paper slowly drawn from her bosom, placed gently in his hand.
As wind blew, loosening a few strands of light purple hair, she slowly tucked them behind her ear with her pale, slender hand.
“…What’s your name?”
The boy drank in the sight with his eyes and found himself speaking without thinking. The woman, with her slightly drooping brows and teardrop mark under her eye that made her look so kind, smiled faintly and replied.
“My name is Violet.”
* * *
“Your skin is so smooth, and your hair’s in such great condition—you’d look pretty no matter the style. I can do whatever I want today, right?”
Gadia spoke as all ten of the woman’s fingers parted her hair like a comb.
“Do as you like.”
If Adelian hadn’t told her beforehand, she wouldn’t have believed this was the same woman she’d met last time.
‘She stuck in my memory as a pure, innocent girl like a white lily.’
When the woman, who seemed several years more mature than Gadia’s recollection, first arrived, Gadia hadn’t shown it but had been quite surprised.
‘Even her figure seems different.’
She remembered a more delicate build back then, but now it felt more voluptuous.
Gadia watched Violet—no, Paiyan—braiding her silver hair into intricate knots like decorations in the mirror, then spoke.
“About your disguise. Can you adjust your body shape too?”
“Oh my. Sharp eyes, miss. The boss doesn’t seem to know. Yeah, within a modest range.”
Half-employed by Adelian, apparently.
That explained the maid who wasn’t overly deferential.
What was amusing was that it didn’t feel bad at all. Disappointed by Bervert, who’d been so meticulously polite and whom she’d grown fond of, this type suited her better.
Plus, for someone infiltrating the academy to undermine Bervert’s position, she did excellent work.
“Done. It’s really pretty. Like a piece of art, miss.”
Gadia slowly turned her head as Paiyan held up the mirror, showing her silver hair braided into elaborate strands adorning the back.
Quality fit for a royal ball. Hard to imagine from a mercenary ex-adventurer, judging by her current look.
Gadia gazed at herself, then voiced a sudden curiosity.
“How’s the work going?”
This whole thing was Adelian’s childish, impulsive idea.
Gadia didn’t know the reason, but perhaps he saw the doppelganger fiasco as a direct challenge to the Kruger family.
‘He smirked suspiciously and said he’d explain after graduation.’
Maybe that’s why he was checking Bervert from within the academy—though Gadia still couldn’t guess how.
“Not showing results right away, but the seeds I’ve sown are sturdy. Give it time, and they’ll ripen big.”
Gadia smirked as Paiyan happily grabbed her handbag, urging her to class.
“Since my leaving starts your mission, are you rushing me out?”
“Ah, pretend you don’t know, miss. Shh.”
Her grinning face, enjoying the work so much, shattered the mask of the kind, gentle older sister figure.
A sinister, sharp smile.
As Gadia’s gaze narrowed, Paiyan dramatically gasped “Oh my” and covered her mouth, switching back to a caring smile.
“Hey, without faculty around, it’s just kids from ten to twenty-five. How bad can their mischief be, miss?”
“…Your age?”
“A secret?”
No one had ever matched her in banter before, so Gadia felt a fresh shock and, unusually, lifted the corner of her mouth.
* * *
“So, you’re getting along well?”
[Yeah. Unlike the boss, we click great.]
If you were a guy, probably not.
I furrowed my brow, oddly feeling like I’d lost to something incomprehensible.
“No, I sent you to work, not to chit-chat with my sister?”
[As if. Who do you think I am? Huh? I’m Paiyan.]
“Sorry, I don’t know your accomplishments well.”
All I’ve got is ogre-slaying and cyclops-busting—no fame to my name!
[…You’re such a jerk.]
“Me? You?”
[This jerk……]
I’m Kang.
Though the name feels a bit foreign lately with the buoyancy boost. Doesn’t feel settled as Adelian or Kang Suho.
“So, heard anything?”
Let’s talk business before I get lost in thought. I stirred honey into my lemon tea with a spoon as Paiyan’s excited voice came through the Seiren.
[It’s fun, boss. Turns out nobles aren’t all that.]
“That noble you’re badmouthing? He’s listening with ears wide open.”
[Ah, oops.]
Oops, my foot. Her voice was thrilled, thrilled.
“Write it all down without missing anything. I don’t trust myself sorting it from your chatter.”
[Got it. But it’s fun. Bervert? She doesn’t know me yet, so I’m operating solo. That little witch has some real influence.]
Figures. Bervert’s one of the few in the Evil God Cult operating publicly.
Most hide, wandering the continent for worship, hunting relics and artifacts like the chaser I met in the airship, or executing traitors.
But Bervert attends the academy—the Imperial Academy at that—under pretexts like recruitment and brainwashing.
‘Must be a powerhouse faction even in the cult.’
How fun to screw over such a Bervert.
[Tormenting girls like her is my specialty.]
“I’ll trust the expert. I’m out.”
I cut the Seiren link and sipped my lemon tea.
One invitation was from the temple, and the weekly gambling night was time-sensitive, so that needed time.
‘One of them’s definitely Bervert.’
If it’s the arena, risky.
I can only bring one guard openly.
If the rest are all Evil God Cult minions.
‘Outnumbered.’
But I haven’t forgotten the hero spirit from my childhood.
Heroes usually mean five-plus beating one monster.
Villains in numbers?
Then the hero side brings a mecha-level heavyweight to sweep them.
‘I’ll take Rachel openly, hide Cain and Zero.’
Justice always wins.
Winning makes it justice.
‘Or if Bervert’s invite is a booze-up disguised as a simple wine tasting.’
Easier.
Not an arena where they can outright shank me, so they must have some lingering attachment.
Whether to use me or reach for my party through me as a foothold.
Not stabbing my throat right away.
Unless it escalates extremely, they’d probably just drug or magic me to cloud my will and control.
‘I trust you. Buoyancy.’
I thought of my reliable yet troublesome buoyancy.
“No, do you have to wear that?”
“It’s trending in the capital lately.”
“Still, the clothes are too…….”
Luna’s tastes run to sweatpants, sure.
I shrugged at my shirt—buttons a bit loose but otherwise fine—and dark pants.
“So what should I wear, then, Luna?”
“It’s a tasting, so booze involved, and you’re a target—better not stand out. How about this with the fluffy feathers…….”
“No way.”
Put it on Zero, Zero.
I glanced at Zero, and his massive frame shivered.
“G-Guards shouldn’t wear stuff that stands out…….”
“Nonsense. Guards pull aggro. Me?”
―Correct. The one at the front must draw eyes and ears.
“Leaf’s right. Frontliners handle it.”
Luna nodded at Leaf as Zero wailed in protest.
“My skills are backline usually!”
“You use sword too.”
“Bow, druid arts, and if no one’s watching, I can shapeshift to Bahadi or Gamur for spirit magic!”
Picking outfits for tonight’s wine tasting was already a hassle.
Bervert, you didn’t send that invite anticipating mental attacks like this, right?
“Ah, why’s the arena next! And why can’t I come today!”
“‘Cause you’re throwing tantrums.”
Meanwhile, still-stressed Rachel yelled, Luna and Leaf held a feathered shirt to Zero—who eyed me pleading for rescue—and in this chaos, I shot a slightly envious look at the sole survivor, Cain, as Luna approached.
“Time to head out soon.”
“Yeah? I’ll be back.”
I beckoned to Zero, tears dotting one eye in grievance, and Cain.