Chapter 41: Group Project(5)
Chapter 41: Group Project(5)
No matter how angry you get, there are things you never touch. Family is at the top of that list.
Even the most generous person will snap if you insult their family. If they still hold back even then? That’s not being a saint; that’s being a doormat.
On top of that, I’m someone with deep-seated trauma regarding family. In my past life, my parents died in an accident, leaving me completely alone in an instant. I had no siblings, so my connection to family was severed entirely.
Of course, Aira couldn't possibly know I was a reincarnator, but so what? If she had even a shred of decency, she shouldn't have said something like that—especially as the daughter of a military house.
"...Wh-what? What did you just..."
Aira stammered, stunned by the sharp profanity that had just burst from my mouth. Her eyes were wide as saucers and her jaw hung open; the shock seemed to have hit her hard.
But I didn't care. I watched her stumble backward with eyes that had turned cold. As everyone knows, I’m usually not the type to swear.
But Aira had dragged those words out of me. When I snapped at Jackson during the first meeting, it was out of sheer absurdity, but this time, it was pure, unadulterated rage.
I stared directly at Aira, who was still too shocked to speak, and said exactly what was on my mind.
"What? Didn't you hear me? Should I call you a bitch again?"
"You... you...! How dare a lowly thing like you...! Do I look like a joke to you just because I was being nice?!"
Aira pointed a finger at me, trembling with fury. Seeing her face turn various shades of red and purple in real-time, it was clear she was genuinely enraged.
However, the one who had every right to be angrier was me. Aira had crossed a line that should never be crossed.
I barely suppressed the rage boiling inside me like an active volcano before I spoke. I tried my best to remain calm, but I couldn't stop my voice from dropping to a low, dangerous growl.
"Being nice? Cut the bullshit. Everything coming out of your mouth is just a temper tantrum. You try to drag someone along who clearly said no, and when that doesn't work, you bring up their family? And a soldier working at the border, no less, where they could die at any moment?"
"Th-that’s hardly a reason to use such foul language! Besides, knights and soldiers who aren't commanders are nothing more than house-guarding dogs! Why would anyone choose to be a soldier and throw their life away when they could have an easy job? That’s the part I don't understand!"
"Wow... seriously..."
Holy shit. I’m speechless. To think I’d hear the same kind of garbage I heard back in South Korea even after being reincarnated.
I don't know what kind of upbringing she had, but for the daughter of a military family to say such things, it was clear something was seriously wrong. Either her family was a mess, or her own personality was so warped that she’d misinterpreted everything she’d been taught.
I watched Aira huffing and puffing as I took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. My chest felt tight, as if I’d swallowed a dry lump of sweet potato.
"Are you really the daughter of the Mathews Marquis family? The daughter of a Border Lord in charge of the frontier?"
"Why would I lie about that? Don't you know impersonating a noble is a crime? Idiot..."
"The only idiot here is the one insulting soldiers. I wonder how people will react when word gets out that the daughter of a military house insulted her own troops. It’ll be quite a show, won't it?"
In terms of my past life, this was like the daughter of a four-star general insulting every soldier under her father's command. If that reached the soldiers' ears, their trust wouldn't just waver—it would be shattered.
"So what? They’re all beneath me anyway!"
"Did your parents or siblings never teach you to cherish your subordinates?"
"I was taught that to be a great leader, you must command those beneath you effectively. Is there a problem with that?"
"Sigh..."
No wonder their reputation is in the gutter. Realizing there was no point in arguing with her logic, I shook my head. Aira’s mindset was severely flawed.
Born into a Marquis family, she had a natural sense of elitism, and combined with her skewed idea of 'leadership,' it created a truly 'beautiful' synergy.
Add to that her age—seventeen. It seemed she insisted on being the group leader because she firmly believed she was the only one capable of 'controlling' everyone.
"...Let me give you a piece of advice. If you keep acting like this, something much worse is going to happen to you one day."
"You expect me to believe that? Who do you think you are?"
Even though I was giving her sincere advice, Aira looked at me with pure disbelief. However, 'fragging'—the killing of superiors—is a historical fact that remains unchanged across time and space.
Moreover, in dangerous places like the front lines or the borders, the murder of superiors happens frequently. Most cases involve a commander pushing their subordinates into a death trap to save their own skin, only to have their throat slit by their own men in return.
I wondered if Aira knew this. She probably felt bold enough to spout such nonsense because she’d never stepped foot on a battlefield where lives were on the line.
I contemplated how to properly educate this brat, but I gave up on words. No matter what I said, Aira wouldn't listen.
"Don't believe me if you don't want to. Just out of curiosity, you aren't planning on becoming a military commander later, are you?"
"Isn't that obvious? I am the daughter of Marquis Mathews. Once I complete the Military Science course at the Academy, I will be commissioned as a commander."
"Is that so? Congratulations. When that happens, the treatment you get will be several times worse than me swearing at you now."
I wanted to sneer and tell her she’d face something far worse than just insults. But that would be crossing a line, so I held back.
Even though she had insulted my family, giving her an excuse to cause more trouble would be a headache. More than anything, I wanted to get out of this situation as quickly as possible.
"You...! I don't know where you get your confidence, but you're finished. I'm going to tell my father right now! Do you hear me?!"
Aira shouted at the top of her lungs, clearly triggered by my bluntness. I replied nonchalantly.
"Go ahead, tell him. Anyway, I assume you have no intention of participating in the assignment?"
"Who would want to work with someone like you?! You think you're so special just because the professors are paying attention to you?"
"Aren't you talking about yourself? Who are you to boss us around? And the daughter of a Marquis? I know people much higher-ranking than you."
I didn't mention names. Even if I was close to them, I didn't want to use them like that.
"Grrr...!"
Aira gnashed her teeth and trembled as I hit her with the hard facts. Her face turned a noticeable shade of crimson from the heat of her anger.
Finding herself with nothing left to say, she let out a final scream. Not that it was threatening in the slightest.
"Fine! I can do just fine on my own, so I don't need any of you! Predicting the plot of Xenon Biography isn't even that hard...!"
"What about the group leader position? Surely you aren't planning to be the leader of a one-person group?"
"Whether you do it or those two commoners do it, I don't care! This is so frustrating!"
Aira threw a tantrum all by herself before spinning around and stomping away. Judging by her tightly clenched, tiny fists, she was absolutely livid.
Just as I was letting out a heavy sigh, thinking the storm had passed, Aira stopped in her tracks and whipped around to face me one last time. She screamed with spiteful venom.
"You're really in for it now! Do you even know who my father is?! He's 'Iron and Blood'! Iron and Blood!"
"I don't know, so just go. You're being too loud."
"Ugh...! You jerk...!"
When I waved my hand dismissively, Aira vanished as if she were running away. I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling like a hurricane had just swept through.
To be honest, while I hadn't expected her to insult my family, I had foreseen a confrontation eventually. She just accelerated the process.
'How should I explain this to the professor...'
I could only hope Professor Virus was flexible. If it were a simple disagreement, it would be one thing, but this situation erupted because Aira crossed a line.
'I hope other nobles don't think like Aira.'
Being a soldier is a profession that should never be looked down upon. They are heroes who willingly sacrifice their own freedom for the freedom of their country.
Even in South Korea in my past life, where the status of soldiers was relatively low, anyone who openly insulted them like Aira did would face public condemnation. In a place like the United States, where soldiers are treated like heroes, you’d be socially buried.
Furthermore, the Minerva Empire has such a vast territory that the casualty rate for soldiers is higher than in other nations. I had heard that their status was correspondingly high, so I couldn't understand why she would spout such drivel.
'Does she think war is a joke?'
Maybe she acts like that because she doesn't know what soldiers on the front lines actually face. She says those things because she’s never experienced it herself.
It’s a common phenomenon. During World War I, young men who enlisted dreaming of 'romance' experienced the living hell of trench warfare. If that was the 1900s, there was no need to explain what the Middle Ages were like.
Moreover, even my father, who was famous as the 'Red Lion,' once couldn't fall asleep without drinking. That was a story Nicole had told me recently.
'War, huh...'
There is a war arc in Xenon Biography. Originally, it was meant to be a scene showcasing Xenon’s heroic exploits, but after seeing Aira, I started to have second thoughts.
Would my descriptions cause people to take war too lightly? That vague concern crossed my mind.
Besides, the main enemies in Xenon Biography are demons, not humans. While there will be a war against demons, I didn't plan on including a war between humans.
'...I should definitely depict this in my next work.'
Though my plans had shifted because Xenon Biography became an unintended hit, I already had a concept for my next project.
If writing fantasy in a fantasy world is just a normal novel, wouldn't writing a modern-day story be considered fantasy here? That was the thought that birthed the idea.
I planned to start writing it bit by bit just before Xenon Biography concluded. Probably in about a year.
"So, what now? Do we just do it ourselves?"
While I was lost in thought, Leona spoke up in a blunt tone. I snapped out of it and looked at her.
She had her arms crossed with an indifferent expression. I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly and replied.
"We have no choice. Honestly, aren't you happy about it too?"
"I mean, yeah, but it’ll be hard to get a good grade. We’ll have to nail the presentation to make up for it. Are you confident?"
At Leona’s concerned question, I gave a small smirk and spoke with confidence.
"Of course."
I’m the author; how could I not be?
Leona looked surprised by my confident answer, then simply shrugged. It seemed she also realized that worrying about it wouldn't change anything.
"Quite confident, aren't you? I'll be watching."
"Are you planning to coast along too?"
"I’m not as shameless as that brat. Oh, by the way..."
She trailed off and stared at me intently. Just as I was about to tilt my head at her observant gaze, Leona finally spoke.
"...Did you say your last name was Ducard Maishal?"
"Yeah."
"Is your father's nickname by any chance the 'Red Lion'?"
My father really is quite famous, it seems. Even Leona, a beastkin, knew of him.
I nodded casually at her question. Leona’s expression turned a bit strange, and she muttered something almost inaudible.
"A penguin born from a lion... They say a tiger father begets a dog son, but a lion siring a penguin? The world is a strange place."
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Anyway, when is Benjamin coming back?"
"I'm here!"
Speak of the devil. As soon as Leona mentioned him, Benjamin returned. He came running back in a hurry, waving his arms like an excited puppy.
Despite having just come from the restroom, Benjamin noticed it was still just the three of us and asked with a worried look.
"U-um, has Lady Aira not arrived yet?"
"She came, but she left. She won't be working with us anymore."
"What?! Wh-what do you mean? Did something happen?"
"Something happened. But don't worry. I'll take care of it."
*
The group assignment proceeded smoothly after that.
"...And so, only the three of us ended up participating in the discussion. I simply couldn't tolerate her insulting soldiers—especially my own brother serving on the border."
"Hmm... I see. Normally, I should penalize the entire group for the sake of equality, but since this is a special case, I will only deduct points from student Aira."
"Thank you, Professor."
The following Monday, I paid a private visit to Professor Virus and made sure Aira got exactly what she deserved.