Chapter 25
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 25
The Disciplinary Committee of Jerome Academy had arrived.
At the head of the group stood a girl with purple twintails and an eyepatch, wearing a modified uniform that looked more like military fatigues than school attire.
“Chepesi… Jerome.”
Eleina gritted her teeth, whispering the name under her breath.
Suppressing her rising anger, she addressed the girl. “What brings you all the way here?”
“What brings me here? Isn’t it obvious?”
Crunch.
Chepesi ground a piece of debris under her boot, her voice sharp and accusing. “What the hell were you thinking, starting something like this? Do you really want to pick a fight with us?”
“If that’s what it takes, we’d be more than happy to oblige.”
“You’re insane. Don’t tell me you’re acting this bold just because you’re relying on that fool standing next to you?”
Chepesi glared at me, but I simply shrugged and looked away, unfazed.
“A fool? That’s a bit harsh for a first meeting, Eyepatch Princess.”
“This is none of your business, outsider. Stay out of it.”
“I’m no outsider. I am the Student Council President of the Union. Everything that happens within the Union falls under my jurisdiction.”
“Hmph. You certainly talk a big game. Fine, whatever. It doesn’t matter if you’re here or not. Krowlin, sweep them all away.”
“Yes, President.”
At Chepesi’s nod, the members of the Jerome Disciplinary Committee, who had been standing in a rigid line behind her, began to move.
Scrape—.
The Jerome students advanced, dragging heavy wooden clubs across the pavement. Their menacing expressions and hulking builds were enough to give anyone pause.
As students of the military powerhouse Jerome, they were all technically affiliated with the national armed forces. They were a different breed entirely from the average student. Even in the game, their base physical stats far outstripped those of regular academies.
Gulp.
The Izelin students were visibly trembling. Philip stepped up beside Eleina, positioning himself as a shield to protect her.
I watched as the Jerome students slowly tightened their encirclement, then I took a calm step forward.
“What’s the plan, Chepesi? Are you really looking to start a brawl right here?”
“Why not? It’s not like we don’t have a reason. You’re the ones who broke the agreement first. You trespassed on Jerome Academy territory—land we acquired through a legitimate contract—destroyed property, and drove out our students.”
“Hah. That’s rich coming from a descendant of Jerome, the very people who declared war on Izelin while they were living in peace.”
“What of it? Survival of the fittest is the law of the world. If you’re weak, blame yourselves.”
Clang!
Whoosh—.
Chepesi kicked a steel rod lying at her feet into the air, catching it with a flashy, practiced motion. She leveled the rod at me and continued.
“Maybe you’ve forgotten because the Union has been so peaceful lately, but brawls like this used to be the norm.”
She wasn't wrong. In the early days of the Union’s founding, disputes between academies were often scenes of pure chaos. It made sense; the students of that era were veterans who had spent their lives fighting demons. They were far rougher and more violent than the current generation.
The Union had originally been established to train knights and mages for the front lines. In such a high-stakes environment, the poorly defined borders of each academy served as the perfect excuse for violence. To secure even a few extra meters of land, academies wouldn't hesitate to engage in full-scale riots. It was so brutal that fatalities weren't uncommon.
I shook my head slowly. “That’s ancient history. Private combat between academies has been strictly banned since the raid on the aviation academy sixty years ago.”
“Hmph. So what? You expect us to just back down?”
I met Chepesi’s irritable gaze with a polite, gentlemanly smile.
“No. Instead, I have a proposal for you, Chepesi.”
“A proposal?”
“Yes. And I think you’ll find it’s quite a good deal for you.”
Until that fatal incident sixty years ago, the Union had operated under a laissez-faire policy, leaving most matters to student autonomy. But after a dispute resulted in mass casualties, the authorities could no longer stand idly by.
Thus, a highly efficient and "humane" system was created to resolve conflicts in place of barbaric street brawls.
And that was…
“A Territory War.”
A Territory War.
According to the game’s lore, when disputes arose between lords in this world, actual all-out wars were rare. Even when they did fight, large-scale battles involving tens of thousands were almost nonexistent; the largest clashes usually involved only a few hundred people.
Even a small force represented precious manpower that should have been farming the fields. There was nothing more inefficient than wasting lives in petty skirmishes. Thus, the Territory War was established, where chosen representatives would compete to settle the matter. It was a conflict resolution method designed to determine a clear winner and loser without the waste of traditional warfare.
In that sense, the Academy Union—composed of the sovereign territories of each academy—was a collection of mini-domains. With students constantly clashing, the Student Council had been forced to establish a new ordinance. From then on, when problems between academies became unsolvable, they were settled through Territory Wars.
Of course, after the Student Council dissolved and power solidified around the current Four Great Academies, these wars became rare, and the ordinance grew obsolete.
‘Regardless, the Territory War is still a right guaranteed by the Union’s ten basic ordinances.’
And this time, I planned to use it to the fullest.
Surprised by the unexpected suggestion, Chepesi tilted her head. “A Territory War?”
“Exactly. A duel between representatives chosen by each academy. It allows us to settle this dispute cleanly, without the mess of a group brawl.”
“Hmph. And why should I bother? We can crush you right here and now. Why should I choose such a tedious method?”
I calmly dismantled her argument.
“Because nothing will change even if you win a fight today. You can’t legally shut down Izelin Academy, you can’t forcibly evict the students, and you certainly can’t demolish the buildings. It would be a lot of effort for zero gain.”
“…”
“This incident would simply be recorded as a brutal case of mass assault by Jerome Academy. You’ll incur the wrath of the student body and various nations for disrupting the peace of the Union. That wouldn't be good for your reputation, would it?”
“How naive. If no one finds out, it never happened. Who do you think is going to care about what happens at some backwater academy?”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll take full responsibility for spreading the news far and wide. Even I can manage that much.”
As I provoked her with a relaxed smile, Chepesi ground her teeth. “You bastard…”
“However, a Territory War is different. If you win an official Territory War, certified by an observer, you can legally demand the merger and acquisition of Izelin Academy.”
“…”
“If that happens, you won’t have to wait for the results of the next competitive exhibition, nor will you have to wait for Izelin to go bankrupt after losing its subsidies. And you won’t have to resort to a thuggish brawl. It’s a win-win for you.”
Chepesi fell into deep thought. From her perspective, there was no reason to refuse. Regardless of the context, it was an undeniable fact that Izelin had broken the contract and trespassed on Jerome’s territory. Using that as a pretext to demand a Territory War and securing a legal victory was the perfect outcome.
She likely calculated that there was no chance of losing—not even one in a million.
After a moment, Chepesi nodded. “…Fine. I accept your proposal. When is the date?”
I looked up at the sun and grinned. “No need to drag it out. One week from now. Same time, same place.”
*
On the way back to Jerome Academy after the confrontation with Roen.
Although she had gone to the trouble of mobilizing the Disciplinary Committee only to return empty-handed, Chepesi’s face was bright. With a slightly flushed expression, she turned to Krowlin, who was walking a step behind her.
“Hey, Krowlin. How was my acting?”
“It was perfect, President. Even I was almost fooled.”
Krowlin, despite his terrifying face, offered her a rare compliment.
“Enough flattery. In any case, things got resolved much faster and easier than I expected. It’s all thanks to that idiot Roen. Heh heh.”
“Yes. I didn’t expect them to be the ones to propose a Territory War first.”
In truth, the reason Chepesi had gathered the entire Disciplinary Committee was to intimidate Izelin and steer the situation toward a Territory War herself. No matter how much the Union valued the "survival of the fittest," times had changed; mass brawls were bad for business.
She had planned to use their breach of contract as leverage to demand a formal duel, but Roen had conveniently handed it to her on a silver platter.
‘That fool.’
To think the best solution he could come up with was a Territory War—it was exactly what she wanted. Of course, she knew that accepting too eagerly would make her intentions obvious, so she had put on a little show. It seemed to have worked perfectly.
“So… one week from now.”
Chepesi nodded, looking satisfied. “Yes. With this, Father will finally have to recognize my abilities.”
She clutched the royal pendant around her neck, her eyes gleaming. Survival of the fittest—the Kingdom of Jerome revered this value above all else, and that standard was applied ruthlessly, even to the royal bloodline.
This was her chance to prove her worth.
*
After the Jerome students retreated.
I dragged my exhausted body back to Izelin’s reception room. Philip, walking beside me, was practically vibrating with excitement.
“Lord Roen, you were incredible! To make those Jerome thugs back down and force them into a Territory War!”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Philip. Chepesi likely came here with that goal in mind from the start.”
“Huh? Then her reaction earlier was…”
“She’s quite the actress. She could make a career out of it. Anyway, enough of that.”
I leaned back into the sofa and held out my hand. “Philip, bring me the student roster for Izelin Academy.”
Philip quickly returned with a thick, dictionary-sized book. “Ah, yes. Here it is.”
I took it, then turned to Ciel. “Ciel.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
Ciel reached into her bag and pulled out a slim booklet. The cover read: Jerome Academy Student Roster.
“…!”
Philip and Eleina’s eyes nearly popped out of their heads. A student roster—containing names, backgrounds, traits, talents, and grades—was the most guarded asset of any academy. It wasn't information that could be easily obtained.
But I was an exception.
“What are you so surprised about? The Student Council is provided with this level of information. Though, you were clever to bring it, Ciel.”
I hadn’t even asked for it, yet she had it ready. She won't even bring me a glass of water without being asked, yet she’s terrifyingly competent in matters like this. I couldn’t help but feel a certain calculated malice in her efficiency…
“But Lord Roen,” Eleina asked, her voice laced with concern, “what is the exact procedure for a Territory War?”
“Five representatives from each academy,” I explained briefly. “They fight in sequence. The first side to secure three wins is the victor.”
“A best-of-five format… If we plan our strategy well, we might actually have a chance.”
“Right. We’ll have to make every move count.”
Since each person can only fight once, it’s possible to steal points by matching your weakest links against the enemy’s strongest. Of course, that only works when the two sides are somewhat comparable in strength.
Eleina bit her lip. “If I may ask, Lord Roen… what do you think our actual chances of winning are?”
“There’s no point in sugarcoating it. It’s zero percent.”
“…?”
It was the only logical conclusion when comparing the two academies. If the odds were even remotely close, Chepesi wouldn’t have accepted the proposal so easily. In a head-to-head clash of raw strength, we could never win. It would be like a child trying to wrestle a giant.
“But with me involved, the variables change. We can win, no matter what. I’ll end this cleanly.”
At my confident declaration, Philip asked cautiously, “Lord Roen, do you perhaps have connections with a powerful fighter from another academy?”
Only students of the respective academies can serve as representatives, but a single outsider can be invited to participate as a "guest" representative. Using this, it would be possible to secure at least one guaranteed win.
Seeing my confidence, Philip assumed I had a ringer in mind, but…
“No. I will be participating as the invited representative.”
“…!”
All three of them froze. Ciel was the first to break the silence.
“Lord Roen, I would rather step forward myself.”
“That’s enough, Ciel. I can’t hide behind your skirt forever.”
“…”
“Don’t worry so much. I’m stronger than I look. Let’s not mention this again.”
“Understood. In that case, what strategy do you plan to use to win this war?”
“I’m about to figure that out now.”
Everything has a counter. In the right circumstances, even an absolute powerhouse can be toppled by a "weaker" opponent. This concept of matchups could be applied in countless ways, depending on the traits, skills, and talents of each character in Myrillin Saga.
And I held the cheat sheet for every single one of those matchups. As long as I prepared perfectly, the word "defeat" didn't exist in my dictionary.
Flip—.
I laid the student rosters of the two academies side by side and began to work.
“Well then, shall we begin?”
*
The following week was a blur.
I spent my days so busy I barely had time to breathe. Between my usual murderous lecture schedule and my evenings at Izelin Academy formulating battle plans, I was running on fumes.
I conducted tactical training with our chosen representatives and kept a constant eye on Jerome’s movements. Finally, I secured a high-profile individual to serve as the official observer for the war.
Just like that, the week of preparation vanished.
Ciel, having packed our gear, looked at the calendar and spoke quietly. “It’s today.”
“Yes. Let’s get going.”
The day of the decisive battle had finally arrived.