Voyeurism and a Bold Plan (1)

From that day on, I worked and worked to become as cool as my grandfather.

I wanted to be a "hidden powerhouse."

It was so thrilling to watch people look down on my grandfather, only to tremble in fear and treat him with the utmost respect the moment his title, the "Sword Saint," was mentioned. It sent shivers down my spine.

At some point, I became completely addicted to that thrill.

"Innocence Academy? Is there anything left for you to learn there?"

"They say there is no end to learning, Grandpa."

"Hooh... I see. Going to the academy to learn a bit more about the world wouldn't be a bad idea."

"But can I enroll quietly? I don't want to ride on your coattails and gain unearned fame without proving myself first."

"Hmm... You make a fair point. To think you've grown enough to have such deep thoughts... You've grown up so much, Kaen. Since the public doesn't even know you're my successor, there shouldn't be any issues."

And so, after begging and pleading with my grandfather, I finally managed to enter Innocence Academy.

Innocence Academy. A place where the elite of my age gathered—I decided it was the perfect stage to satisfy my craving for that thrill.

During the class placement exam, I deliberately threw the match to land in a mediocre rank.

"I... I lost my grip on my sword... Urgh. That was a mistake!"

The acting I pulled off right when I needed to fail was, even looking back now, a masterpiece.

Feeling pleased with how smoothly everything had gone, I returned to my seat to watch the rest of the exam.

That was when, right after Cadet Eisel Ludwig—a powerhouse who, unlike me, unleashed her full strength without hesitation—he made his appearance.

An unknown blind man had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and defeated Amon Caligus of the continent's prestigious Four Great Elemental Families.

Naturally, the surrounding cadets erupted into a flurry of shocked whispers.

"Amon lost?"

"Wow. That Caligus actually lost?"

"How did he break those gauntlets?"

Even if the other cadets didn't notice, I saw it clearly.

A dispel. And with a single sword, no less.

He had shattered Amon's magic with his blade.

What was even more shocking was that I couldn't feel a single thing from the swordsmanship of that blind man named Zeto.

His sword was somehow entirely empty.

Only then did the realization hit me.

'Could it be... is he hiding his strength too?'

He hadn't hidden it completely, but he had shown just enough to make it clear that he wasn't revealing his full hand.

There was no way someone with such dry, ordinary swordsmanship could dispel magic so easily.

I could say this with confidence because I had seen my grandfather shatter magic before.

Though the public didn't know, my grandfather could also perform a dispel with his sword.

I had tried to learn it myself... but it wasn't that easy.

Anxiety began to creep in. A powerful rival had appeared.

'Originally, I was planning to make a dramatic leap from Class C to Class A during the main exam to grab everyone's attention...'

My plans had been completely derailed.

From then on, I decided to watch his every move from a distance.

Since he was a blind man with his eyes covered by a white blindfold, keeping tabs on him was easy.

But upon closer inspection, he was truly malicious. He was far worse than me.

When I saw him going to the training grounds in the middle of the night to practice the basic drills I had mastered when I was six, I couldn't help but marvel.

'How on earth is he acting out such terrible mana control? And ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠why is he still acting when there's no one left in the training grounds?'

Considering his level, his mastery over mana had to be far superior.

Even I could manifest sword qi. There was no way someone who could dispel magic with a sword at an even younger age than me couldn't manifest sword qi.

'I don't understand him at all.'

After observing him for several days, I finally figured him out completely.

'He wants to enter Class A, show a glimpse of his talent, and then shock everyone by growing even further through "sheer effort"?'

A hollow laugh escaped my lips. Just reciting my evaluation of him gave me goosebumps.

A blind man. Yet, he walks perfectly fine and wields a sword. That was his first layer of mystique.

'What a ruthless bastard...'

He was planning to use even his own weakness and disability for his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠"concept."

He had shown a glimpse of a high realm during the class placement exam—the cadets' first impression of him—to secure a spot in Class A. It meant he intended to shine even brighter within the already radiant Class A.

By intentionally showing his clumsy sides, he would emphasize that he wasn't actually anything special, only to later claim he gained strength through "hard work," proving he could grow even further.

'...How can someone be so incredibly insidious!'

On top of that, he was constantly flirting with female cadets his age every single day, exuding an inexplicable air of leisure.

"Huu..."

I was watching him from afar again today.

I hid myself every time to avoid being spotted.

Lately, however, I kept getting the feeling that my presence was being detected by someone who "shouldn't be able to see."

Even while talking to Cadet Eisel, his head would occasionally turn toward where I was hiding.

It looked like a casual turn of the head, but knowing his true strength, I couldn't view it so simply.

'Why...? My Shadow Erasure should be flawless.'

Shadow Erasure was a technique I had developed on my own.

It erased one's presence and hid the body to the absolute limit. It sounded simple, but it was by no means an "easy" technique.

'This is strange... Does this mean his true strength surpasses mine...?'

If so, that changed things.

Even if I made it into Class A during the main exam, if he also planned to unleash his true power then...

All the attention that should have been focused on me might get stolen by him.

After all, hiding one's power and then revealing it was the coolest thing ever.

He had chosen to hide his power and then pretend to grow stronger through effort.

One might call it simplistic, but since he was blind, it might actually draw an even stronger reaction from people.

'In that case, I'll have to use Grandpa's swordsmanship...'

The moment I used the Sword Saint's swordsmanship, it was a given that I would grab everyone's attention.

Because I was his sole successor. My name would spread across the world.

'...But.'

No matter how much I thought about it, using my grandfather's swordsmanship was reserved only for emergencies.

I stared at him as he conversed with Cadet Eisel, wearing a sly smile, and fell into deep thought.

'What is a way for me to draw people's attention even more intensely than him...?'

I ran into Eisel on my way out after practicing late in the training grounds.

We were walking together and chatting for a bit.

However, lately, I had been frequently getting the feeling that someone was watching me.

'Is it because the level of my Keen Senses skill went up?'

So, I naturally turned my head to check the spots where someone might be watching me from.

'That is...'

I hadn't been able to spot them before, but this time, I saw someone.

What caught my eye was a person hiding behind a tree in the distance, watching us.

Their hair color was rather unusual, making them easily stand out even in the dark of night.

'Pink hair? If it's pink hair... it has to be Kaen...'

Kaen. She was indeed one of the main characters in this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠game.

However, since it wasn't her time to take center stage yet, I hadn't paid much attention to her.

Kaen was the sole successor of the Sword Saint. She had grown up under his wing and learned his swordsmanship.

Since she called the Sword Saint her grandfather, I had naturally assumed she was his granddaughter, but it was later revealed that they weren't blood-related.

Still, for the legendary "Sword Saint" to personally take her in as his successor, she was a woman with a terrifying talent for the sword.

If there was one flaw to the otherwise perfect Kaen, it was her obsessive commitment to her "concept."

In various works of fiction, you often see characters who are incredibly strong but hide their power.

The type commonly referred to as "hidden powerhouses" or "closet badasses."

In the game, she was exactly that kind of character.

Usually, such characters hide their strength due to some tragic backstory, only to unleash their immense power when forced into a corner.

But she was slightly different.

Kaen was a massive... well, attention seeker.

The only reason she hid her strength was to draw as much attention to herself as possible.

Specifically, I recalled that she loved the unique thrill of turning the tables when revealing her hidden power.

Moreover, Kaen was a highly calculating individual.

She went to great lengths to orchestrate situations she deemed "cool."

During the class placement exam, she had deliberately thrown the match to land in Class C, only to plan a dramatic performance during the main exam—where class reassignments were possible—to secure a spot in Class A.

So why was someone like her watching Eisel and me?

"...So, how was the exchange meeting?"

Eisel, walking beside me, asked.

"It was... well, I'm learning a lot."

"What are you learning? ...Did you say it was a medical exchange meeting?"

"I ended up learning acupuncture. Fortunately, it seems to suit me quite well."

As we talked about the exchange meeting, the image of Priscilla in her underwear flickered in my mind, making my face flush for no reason.

"Ah... Acupuncture... How unusual. I'm quite curious about how a blind man like you is learning acupuncture."

Eisel narrowed her eyes and spoke in a noticeably lowered voice.

"Uh... well... she was very kind in teaching me. Haha..."

I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.

If I told her the truth—that I had learned by directly feeling her body—Eisel would undoubtedly get the wrong idea.

"...Whatever. I know a cafe nearby, let's go together."

I thought we would part ways here, but Eisel suddenly invited me to a cafe.

'A cafe? Did Eisel have a cafe she liked?'

Though I was curious, it was rare for Eisel to make the first move.

"Sure, I'd love to."

I nodded, accepting her invitation.

The cafe Eisel brought me to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was a beautifully decorated place with a wonderful atmosphere.

Even I didn't know every single shop in the city, so this was my first time here.

Eisel and I walked inside and took a seat at a quiet table away from the other patrons.

"I'll go order. You chose the menu last time. Coffee is fine, right?"

Eisel stood up, referencing what had happened at Harold's shop.

"Coffee... Yes, that's fine."

Drinking coffee late at night seemed a bit odd, but since I planned to head outside the academy again later anyway, it didn't really matter.

Once I had an item of sentimental value, I could place an order with the blacksmith.

'I wonder how long it will take.'

While I was briefly lost in thought about the Demon Blade, Eisel returned with two cups of coffee.

She gently placed one of the cups into my hand, which was resting on the table.

"Thank you."

"It's nothing."

Eisel immediately took a sip of her coffee.

I wasn't sure if she actually liked coffee, but since she was treating me, I drank mine without a word.

"..."

"..."

We didn't say much as we continued to drink our coffee.

This happened quite often with Eisel.

We didn't talk much, but there was a comfortable silence where we were both content just being in each other's presence.

Well, I didn't mind it at all.

As I was finishing my coffee, however, my body suddenly began to feel incredibly heavy.

'What's... going on?'

My head, which had been upright, began to tilt to the side. It wasn't of my own volition.

Just as I sensed something was wrong and was about to ask Eisel, she spoke first.

"By any chance... did the coffee taste strange?"

"The coffee...?"

It tasted normal to me. Just a bittersweet flavor.

"There's alcohol in this coffee. Interesting, isn't it? It's my first time seeing alcohol mixed with coffee too. You can barely taste the alcohol, so it's quite nice."

At Eisel's words, my head began to throb.

I had absolutely no memory of drinking alcohol since occupying this body.

"Alcohol...? You should have told me that beforehand..."

My head swayed violently before slumping onto the table.

*Thud.*

"I might... be weak to... alcohol..."

I couldn't finish my sentence.

My consciousness... was rapidly fading away...

"Ah, so you're weak to alcohol... Don't tell me you're already asleep?"

I asked Zeto a question that I knew would receive no answer.

Before me, he lay slumped over the table, his head resting on its surface after swaying unsteadily.

I poked his shoulder with my finger.

"Sigh... I guess I have no choice but to take you back to the dormitory myself."

A giggle escaped my lips at the thought of my successful plan.

"Hehehe."

You're still weak to alcohol, Zeto.