Chapter 103
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Preservative?
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“P-Preservative?”
Oshua stammered.
He absentmindedly reached for the back of his neck as if it were being pulled, but quickly composed himself.
No, he tried to.
‘Why can’t I see the guy’s face?’
Of course, the man looked human enough, but this wasn’t the Oshua who always greeted him with familiar warmth.
In my case, I had to accept this familiarity in a somewhat special way.
In a place like this, one would normally expect to see the fine, chitinous exoskeletons of noble ladies in evening gowns sparkling along their exposed backs.
But right now, I could see flesh.
Not even flesh-colored chitin.
All words cleanly vanished from my mind.
Because of that, my rice-taste temperament reared its head once more.
“Cut it out and behave. If some poor bastard gets caught up in this, what sin did he commit? Stop fooling people with that mug of yours.”
Oshua glanced back and forth between Charlotte below and me, then nodded as if convinced.
“Judging by that attitude, you must be the real deal?”
“You want me to neatly slice that pretty neck of yours again? Your eyesight’s bad, and now your memory too?”
Neck?
Most people tilted their heads in confusion, but those in the know turned stark white.
“Yep, that mouth confirms it’s really you.”
“Tch.”
I clicked my tongue and stomped on the demon’s head to vent.
“So, what’s the deal with that thing?”
“I’d have to dig into it to know for sure. Be nice if I could ask the princess.”
“Princess?”
Oshua scanned the surroundings in confusion before spotting the disheveled Lilian Princess and nodding in understanding.
“She bolted out of nowhere—guess something was up after all. Anyway…”
His eyes narrowed as he fixed them on me.
“You volunteered for this mess?”
He clicked his tongue again, having grasped the situation from just a small clue.
“Hard to believe.”
Oshua was one of the few who knew the Aiden from before the possession.
More precisely, he knew Aiden’s true personality.
“Quit yapping since we’re the same.”
“That attitude is so you, ugh. So it’s still alive? On purpose?”
The demon was slowly regenerating even with its head smashed.
Its life force was ridiculously tenacious, so I gave it a casual kick and tossed it toward Oshua.
“Didn’t know the capital had heretical mages, the palace demons, and the empire’s such a hopeless mess—but hey, things are running smoothly.”
“H-Hold on.”
Charlotte, who’d been mute as a fish, glared at me.
As she scolded me for speaking so freely before His Majesty the Emperor, I finally glanced at him.
“Are you truly Master Aiden?”
“That I am.”
Charlotte broke out in cold sweats like she had heatstroke.
The emperor sighed deeply, looking like his head was throbbing.
“So, I take it you picked up a sword and received a commendation for it?”
Sword?
I looked down at the rapier in my hand.
I’d tossed the scabbard aside right after, so it was nowhere in sight.
“Don’t need it. Give it back.”
“No need to return it. Keep it.”
“I only grabbed it to catch that rat. Should I have let it be?”
I stomped on the demon demonstratively.
The emperor let out a long sigh and rubbed his forehead.
“We’ll talk about this later.”
“No need to talk. I have no intention of accepting a commendation.”
I nodded toward Lilian Princess, who hesitated before kneeling.
“Third Princess Donapart Lilian Alexia greets the great sun rising over the empire. May glory long shine upon the imperial house.”
“Can you explain what happened?”
“Well…”
Lilian Princess glanced at the crowd.
Catching her signal, the emperor raised his voice with authority.
“Due to this unfortunate incident, the ball is hereby ended. All present are ordered to silence regarding what transpired here. Formal orders will follow later—heed this.”
Even as he said it, the demon’s existence was already exposed.
A gag order wouldn’t stop rumors from spreading one way or another.
The Holy Kingdom’s priest turning beet red only added fuel.
“To cover up a demon’s existence? Your Majesty! You must explain this in detail! The Holy Kingdom…”
“Remove him.”
“Forgive our rudeness, priest.”
“You lot! How dare you treat me like…”
Witnessing the priest dragged away sobbing, the ballroom’s guests ebbed out like the tide.
Chaos had brewed since the demon appeared, but its neutralized state had kept things quiet until now.
No one resisted the order to leave.
Except the Holy Kingdom’s priest.
The emperor voiced sudden exhaustion.
“Lilian Princess, explain exactly what happened.”
“Well…”
The princess’s eyes turned to me.
I nodded, and she began coherently.
“As I mentioned before, there were people targeting me.”
“Yes, I recall. And it was a demon?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but Knight Philia—no, Count Rojebert, who was my guard—seemed friendly with demon worshippers. I suspect the threats to my safety stem from that.”
“Was meeting Professor Aiden for that reason too?”
“At the time, he seemed the most trustworthy.”
“Anything else you know?”
Lilian Princess fell silent.
Sensing her reluctance, the emperor waved it off.
“Anyway, is this demon okay?”
“As if.”
Oshua took over.
“Putting aside its lack of combat prowess, it’s a big shot, right? You went all out, huh?”
“Couldn’t avoid it.”
I layered precision detection magic again, and Oshua whistled.
“How did we miss this? Even if you weren’t paying attention, it’s hard to overlook. Did it hijack my barrier?”
That meant one thing.
Demons hadn’t breached the barrier.
They’d been allowed inside from the start.
‘In the original story, demon worshippers were deeply entangled with the imperial family. Countless ones like the Rojebert family pretending to be imperial nobles.’
“We’ll pry it out later. That’s why I left it alive, Lilian Princess.”
“Y-Yes. Yes!?”
“Job’s done. Lay low and rest for a bit. I’ll handle the rest later.”
I wanted to talk more, but drowsiness like after sealing the tunnel washed over me.
Seemed like backlash from using power, but worse than before.
‘Not good.’
Unknowingly growing more extreme, resembling the original Aiden more.
Even accounting for growing more proficient with aura through use, the fatigue lingered heavily.
Recalling the original Aiden did nothing, this trend was bad.
I could lose my agency and flounder in ennui.
‘The protagonist of this story really is Aiden, huh.’
Masters were too powerful, dispatching foes before the plot even started.
Thus, the Sword Master aged, Oshua buried in research, other masters bound by their tales—none moved easily.
In the game, they only guided protagonists under specific conditions.
Never stepping up to resolve things.
Same for Aiden.
The academy’s master protagonists could first meet, yet he never interfered.
Clinging to his crumbling body, wrapped in deep ennui.
Nothing more.
I’d moved him somewhat, but limits were clear.
Mentally and physically.
‘Gotta raise the protagonists. Fast.’
I rubbed my forehead.
“Sword Master… please handle the cleanup. I trust you’ll ensure the princess’s safety.”
“…You’re ordering me around?”
“Time to work. With all this chaos, I’m running around without even a commendation—retirement isn’t everything, right?”
Even as Aiden, one couldn’t drop honorifics for the man who’d guarded the empire four centuries.
Though my respect was laced with sarcasm.
The Sword Master chuckled heartily and consented.
“Fine. But you refused the commendation? True?”
He stopped me as I turned to leave.
Behind me, the emperor watched with meaningful eyes.
‘Having him ask instead?’
Indeed, I’d have to answer the Sword Master.
I couldn’t accept a commendation.
Needed to stay academy professor, and fulfilling their wishes would erode my mind faster.
Some excuse…
The princess entered my view.
“A cute new student’s coming soon, so I’ll focus on that a bit more.”
“Oh ho?”
The Sword Master showed rare interest.
“Talented?”
“If you mean sword talent, it’s as you see.”
Regrettably, Lilian Princess had no gift for magic, sword, spirits, or even alchemy.
Alchemy depended on effort, but beyond a point, one genius idea leaped levels.
That was talent territory.
“I mean another student, but taking her along wouldn’t hurt. Sword stuff’s a no, of course.”
I eyed the silent emperor.
No clue what was up, but while gripping this sword, faces were clear.
“Well… think of it as holding one in place of the commendation. Otherwise, you’d keep bothering me.”
“Haha, sure, makes sense. Handle it your way.”
“Sword Master?”
The emperor interjected.
Though called the empire’s sun, the Sword Master was the emperor from four centuries ago’s uncle.
By rank, his voice outranked even the late previous emperor.
He knew it, retiring to avoid turmoil, but now he couldn’t play the reclusive elder.
“Attitude’s insolent, but haven’t you devoted yourself to the empire’s peace? No need for power struggles now. If that’s your will, so be it.”
“But…”
“Enough. I’m old. Don’t expect my old strength, Emperor.”
Implying he couldn’t be pressured by force, the emperor shut up.
Conversation wrapped, I signaled my exit and turned.
I set down the rapier.
It was the empire’s finest, forged from irreplaceable materials at great cost.
Wielding it meant pledging to the imperial family.
‘Tempting, but.’
No clue how, but faces looked human again.
In a way, most crucial.
‘But I won’t die without it.’
It was the imperial family’s greedy leash.
Original Aiden never drew it till death, so I shook off attachment and walked.
The emperor sighed, calling me back.
“With all this fuss, I’m at a loss.”
“…And?”
“You won’t even use honorifics when I speak?”
“Getting tired now.”
“Not sure if it’s a reward, but you seemed reluctant, so keep the sword. The commendation can be that.”
I shot a questioning look; he stared fixedly at the rapier stabbed in the floor.
“A tool belongs in its master’s hand.”
Meaning use it without pledging fealty.
“Too much.”
“So I’ll send a soldier by your side. I’ll know when you draw it. Just process the paperwork and send the sword.”
An even trade.
Look after Lilian Princess at the academy.
Keep an imperial plant nearby.
Annoyingly meticulous.
But even so…
“Handle it yourself.”
With that, I strode off.
Enduring the hassle, that sword might prove necessary for what lay ahead.