The Trump Card: Crossdressing Infiltration!
After dinner we all piled into my room, and the women launched straight into an excited chatter.
"Eheheh, Saintess! You sang so well earlier!"
Lumina jumped on Aki's compliment.
"Heheh, facts! Not bad at all, Saintess!"
Auntie laughed with her usual haughty grace. It was captivating.
"Hmph. This much is only natural. Aki, your dancing was something else. Especially those hip movements..."
"Oh my~♥"
"And Lumina — that shuffle dance of yours. No human could keep up."
"BWAHAHAHAHA!"
The women heaped praise on each other, knitting themselves tighter with every compliment. It was a nice sight. A really nice sight, except—
"Uh, the vibe's great, and I'm glad you're all getting along, but... why my room?"
Do it in your own rooms. Please. I already watched the whole bonding montage while we were out together.
Auntie turned her head and cut me down with a look of ice.
"To come up with a plan, obviously! Well, nephew? What now? You said you were going to fix this."
Heeung. Auntie's so cold. Not that I mind. I actually like it.
The women watched me like this was some kind of exam. Time to lay out the plan I'd been turning over.
"First, we take down Baron Xia Jinping. He's the top priority."
Lumina frowned.
"But he's a Baron, yeah? How the hell do we get to him?"
"Baron Xia Jinping is pretty well-connected in the game... I mean, in this capital. Plenty of people look the other way no matter how much corruption he pulls."
Aki's hand shot up like a student dying to be called on.
"Yes, I know! Word even trickled all the way to Weaverful sometimes! He's super famous!"
Famous didn't cover it — he was infamous. The one thing Xia Jinping had over James was that at least he didn't bother maintaining a fake public image. James, by comparison, had the kind of cunning you'd expect from a career politician.
"Hold on. I understand that Baron Xia Jinping is a major obstacle if we want James gone. But he's the Vice Principal of Legion Academy."
That was the problem. Just as Auntie had pointed out, Xia Jinping was Vice Principal of Legion Academy. Thanks to that title, he lived on campus — the most secure place in the city — and neatly sidestepped every assassination threat that came his way.
"Yeah. Even if it's mostly honorary, as Vice Principal he comes and goes as he pleases and nips any potential assassination attempts in the bud."
That was classic Xia Jinping. On the surface he was a walking billboard for corruption, the kind of man who'd crush even his own allies. In reality, he used his head just enough to cover his own ass.
That's how a piece of shit like him is still breathing.
As far as I knew, Baron Xia Jinping's strength sat in the Expert range. Sounds impressive until you realize that level is a dime a dozen in the capital. Hell, even that drunk who'd wrecked the café had been late-stage Expert.
He's only Regular Knight level. A head-on fight still wouldn't be easy, though.
Unlike Runners, who were all more or less the same, the gaps between Experts were massive. Even a single rank of difference meant the weaker one was almost guaranteed to lose unless they created some kind of variable.
That's why when I fought Calsas, I had to finish it on the ground.
I needed that kind of variable. And I needed a way to make it stick, right now.
Auntie nodded.
"Legion Academy is a military institution. Security's tight."
Nowhere had better security than an academy. Sure, academy novels had incidents breaking out every other page and campuses getting wrecked left and right — but that was a cliché. In reality, it was one of the safest places you could find.
"I've already thought about that. Ahem."
"Infiltration, I assume?"
"Yes. That's Auntie for you."
When I praised her, she added a little more.
"Legion Academy is a military school, but it's famously not that strict about checkpoints."
Lumina's rabbit ears perked up as she tilted her head.
"Why's that?"
"They're well known for encouraging religious activity. And religion implies a certain degree of freedom."
Auntie's answer only left Lumina looking more confused. Fair enough. She was a beastkin — she wouldn't know the history of religious persecution in human civilization. Probably didn't care, either.
"Religion and... freedom? Those are the same thing?"
Aki smiled pleasantly and slipped into the conversation.
"But I heard Baron Xia Jinping used to be a Regular Knight. Aren't Regular Knights, like, superhumans?"
So they'd even tacked on a former Regular Knight backstory. In the Empire, Regular Knight meant a formally commissioned knight — the rank that actually took the field under a commander's orders and tore through battlefields. It was the lowest rung of the knight ranks, so it might look like bottom-tier trash, but to ordinary people they were superheroes. The combat power of a single one could match a state-of-the-art fighter jet.
I understood Aki's concern. Even if I lucked into a successful infiltration, I'd still have to go toe-to-toe with someone at Regular Knight level. But I had something, didn't I? Titles. A whole arsenal of them.
"Which is why... I have a favor to ask you all."
"Us? You wanna storm the place together? That's it, right?!"
Lumina rushed in like she wanted an answer yesterday. I just shook my head.
"No. I'm the Hero, so taking care of Xia Jinping is my job."
"Weren't we supposed to fight together, though?"
"Anywhere else, maybe. But the Academy has too many eyes, and I don't want the Hero Party's reputation taking a hit."
This was already an era where plenty of Heroes were turning into rioters and thugs. I had to be extra careful.
Sensitive times, sure, but still better than South Korea. Over there they give human rights to novel characters and fanart.
I sighed and went on.
"So even if I take Xia Jinping down, I have to do it alone."
"Can you handle it, nephew?"
"I have a way. Crossdressing."
I couldn't believe those words had just come out of my mouth. The reality check was already hitting and I hadn't even done anything. The women all stared in shock. The surprising part? Three seconds later, their faces lit up like festivals.
"A GIIIIIIIRL?!"
Early evening. The guard post at Legion Academy's main gate.
Sharia approached in her full Saintess robes, radiating authority, with someone trailing at her side. A cadet called out for them to halt.
"Halt! Excuse me, but what business brings you here?"
"I am the Elite Class Saintess. Is Baron Xia Jinping in?"
"Yes, he is."
"I've come to make an investment with Baron Xia Jinping. That should be sufficient, no?"
Sharia spoke like she'd already known everything. When the cadet looked puzzled, another cadet behind him clicked his tongue.
"Hey, just let her through. What are you doing?"
"Huh? What's an investment?"
"Ugh, you illiterate trash. She's here to give Baron Xia Jinping a present. That little girl next to her? That's the present."
The cadet pointed at the hooded figure beside Sharia. The first cadet snorted and stepped aside. Beyond the checkpoint, the Academy sprawled into view. So this was what an academy was really like. There'd be pretty female professors and instructors in there too.
"You'll have to go in alone from here. Are you sure you'll be all right?"
"Yes, Auntie."
A glimpse of Lashu in drag. Orange magitech lenses glowed over his distinctive eyes, hiding them. A hair-growth spell scroll had given him a braided bun. Add some padding and a white dress, and he was a dead ringer for a pretty young girl.
Lashu berated himself.
Fuck. I'm a pretty girl?! No. I'm a man!
Every breath, every second, was a rolling wave of post-nut clarity.
He entered the Academy alone. The cadet escorting him threw a sleazy look his way.
"Where are you from?"
"The... south."
The voice-modulation magic didn't last long, but it was enough for now.
"Got a boyfriend?"
"No."
"Well yeah, if you had a boyfriend and still showed up here you'd be a total fucking slut. Heheh!"
Lashu lowered his head. Not from embarrassment — the extra hair just made his head heavy. The cadet sidled in close and groped Lashu's ass.
This son of a bitch?
Lashu ground his teeth, but the cadet just kept talking.
"I don't usually go for short girls. Damn, though, you're pretty."
"I-I, um..."
"Are you shy? Aww, that's adorable as hell. If it weren't for the Baron, I'd... heheh."
The cadet squirmed with delight. Lashu was seeing red.
You fucking bastard. You're dead. You hear me? Dead.
They arrived at the Vice Principal's office. The cadet bowed like a gentleman.
"Do enjoy yourself."
"Thank you."
Hand on the doorknob, Lashu hesitated. A real fight was about to break out. Would he survive? Then again, it might be easier than expected.
I'm not a weakling anymore. Time to show them my kind of fight.
He shouted his usual battle cry and turned the knob.
I opened the door and stepped inside. A plump, middle-aged Eastern man was drinking. Our eyes met.
"The hell are you?"
"I-I, um... the Saintess brought me. The, uh, investment..."
I answered as demurely as I could. Crossdressing, even as a mission. This was some real fucked-up shit.
Xia Jinping thought for a moment, then smiled, his narrow eyes tightening.
"Hahaha. Even the Saintesses are kissing my ass now? Well, I am a Baron. Though they'd do better offering up their own bodies instead of dragging little girls into it. Heheheh."
He stood. Taller than I'd expected. His gut was fucking huge too. He walked over and reached out — straight for my chest. No. The padding.
Grab. Squeeze, squeeze.
"Nnh!"
"What's your name, pretty thing?"
"He-heuk..."
"There, there. Don't be nervous. It's okay. Just think of me as a friendly older brother and relax!"
I was speechless.
"Older brother" my ass. I'm going to kill you slowly, you piece of shit. Revolutionary-style!
I gave him the name the girls and I had agonized over. Why was I actually nervous?
"It's... Lasha."
"Lasha! Pretty name. And these tits feel great. Now, those thighs..."
Grab. Squeeze, squeeze. Xia Jinping groped my thighs too, then tilted his head.
"Hmm. A bit thick."
"Heh, I... I exercise a little..."
"Why would a woman need to exercise? That's what men are for — to protect you! Khihihihi! Next up..."
His eyes dropped to my crotch. Absolutely disgusting. Even I felt this sick, and I was a guy. What must the women who'd suffered this have felt?
Especially that café manager. Her husband is Xia Jinping? Every single day must be a nightmare.
Fresh sympathy welled up, along with the urge to save her. Having to marry this thing that barely qualified as a person. Poor woman.
I eased away from Xia Jinping.
"Come now, Baron. Shouldn't you save the fun for later?"
That was not me talking. That was NOT me! Fuuuuck!
I ground my teeth internally as Xia Jinping raked his eyes over my body even more lecherously.
"That just makes me more curious!"
Grab. Stroke, stroke. He finally groped between my legs. The touch felt like absolute shit. Enough. He was close enough. This was my chance!
"Huh? Wh-what? There's something—"
"GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF ME, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"
CRACK!
I drove a fist straight into Xia Jinping's eye at point-blank range. As he staggered back, I dropped the disguise. Watching blood pour from one of his eyes, I roared.