Academy Sparring Festival: The Spy's Hasty Gambit
Yesterday afternoon, as the first-year matches of the Academy Sparring Festival were underway at Terastial Academy, Dean Eleonora summoned the chief instructors overseeing each grade's swordsmanship department.
"You called for us, Dean?"
From Willis Graham, who handled the first-years, to Kallifa of the second-years and Exis Chester of the third-years, all the chief instructors filed into the dean's office. Eleonora greeted them in her usual elderly woman guise.
"Oh, come on in, everyone. Make yourselves comfortable."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Thank you."
Once the three chief instructors had taken their seats, Eleonora spoke to them in a quiet tone.
"I called you here because there's something I need to confidentially inform the swordsmanship department's chief instructors about."
Exis, the third-year instructor, tilted his head at Eleonora's words.
"Confidentially? Is there something specific you wish to discuss?"
"No, no, it's not a request or anything like that. It's just not something for an official announcement, that's all. It's a matter I can only share with you all."
The instructors' attention sharpened at the mention of exclusive information meant just for them.
"What is it you wish to say...?"
"You all know that I've brought in the Sword Star, Hakodate Karin, as an advisor for the swordsmanship department, right?"
The instructors nodded in unison at the dean's words. It had been quite the shock when they first heard, but since Karin had suddenly appeared at the entrance ceremony and her presence had been explained, they had accepted it relatively easily. The dean had assured them that the advisor wouldn't meddle in their teaching methods on a day-to-day basis, so they felt no real resistance to this abrupt addition. They figured it was probably just a nominal role, and they wouldn't see much of Karin outside special events...
Who could have guessed?
"Lady Karin, in her role as advisor, will be coming to evaluate you instructors' guidance."
"!"
No one had expected Karin—who they'd assumed was just lending her name in a ceremonial capacity—to personally come evaluate the instructors.
"Is that true?"
"Yes. I thought it best to give you all advance notice, so I called you here. She's scheduled to arrive in five days, so please prepare accordingly."
"Does this evaluation mean we'll be showing how we teach the students?"
"No, it seems she wants to gauge your personal levels."
"She'll be evaluating our swordsmanship?"
"That's the gist of it, simply put."
"Oh? The Sword Star herself evaluating my sword?"
The sudden evaluation caught them off guard, but Exis and Kallifa reacted positively. Sure, being judged could be nerve-wracking, but when the judge was the Sword Star, it was a different story entirely. The instructors were teachers now, but they still harbored ambitions to grow. Those who walked the path of the sword knew there was no true end; even Karin, deemed perfected in the present day, was a lifelong goal they honed themselves toward. For them, having the very embodiment of that aspiration evaluate their skills felt more like a reward than a chore.
A chance to ask the Sword Star for pointers on refining my technique...!
I wonder what she'll say about my sword...
But Willis, the only one in the room, couldn't muster the same enthusiasm.
...Why is the Sword Star getting involved?
That question hit him first and foremost.
# Willis Graham. He was a retired knight from the Empire's border regions. The story about his leg injury forcing his retirement was entirely true. However, his relocation to the Magic Kingdom to become an academy instructor hadn't been his choice.
The Empire had no intention of letting him go quietly after his sudden retirement from the chatty borderlands. They wanted to squeeze every last drop of value from him. And so, they devised a plan: deploy him to steal Magic Kingdom intelligence and undermine their military strength.
—We must strike the Magic Kingdom. With the Archmage changed and their national power weakened, now's our chance.
The Empire, overlord of the north, craved war with the Magic Kingdom. Always, to secure an ice-free port. They waged wars against countless nations for those vital harbors. After the previous Archmage's death, the relatively weakened Magic Kingdom looked like prime prey.
But the Empire wasn't hasty. Rather than a simple territorial grab, they plotted a grand operation to conquer the Magic Kingdom outright—securing ports and wielding massive influence over world affairs. It wouldn't be easy with the Empire's forces alone, but targeting the Magic Kingdom meant reliable allies.
—If the Holy Kingdom joins us, the plan's chance of failure drops dramatically.
The Holy Kingdom, that is. They had perpetually poor relations with the Magic Kingdom, with frequent wars between them. Though currently in a temporary truce with restored diplomatic ties, tensions could erupt anytime. Leverage that, and the Empire could not only win but decisively crush their foe. They'd have to cede significant conquered territory to the Holy Kingdom as payment, but it didn't matter. They'd secure the desired ports, absorb the Magic Kingdom's power, and emerge even stronger.
Thus, as the Empire prepared for war from a macroscopic view rather than a petty one, one nagging issue arose.
—The war will drag on, and that makes the academies a problem.
That was Terastial Academy. The Empire's war plan spanned years at minimum. The Magic Kingdom was vast; conquering every inch would take time. During that period, graduates from Terastial and other academies would bolster the kingdom's forces. They couldn't allow that.
—Plant spies to paralyze the academies' functions. Trigger incidents too severe for internal recovery.
To ensure smooth manpower depletion before the war's end, they needed to cripple the academies in advance. For this, the Empire began infiltrating retired knights like Willis Graham into every academy in the Magic Kingdom. They sent them in irregularly, one or two at a time every few months to avoid suspicion. Willis was one who slipped into Terastial.
Originally, Willis had planned a quiet retirement: settle down in the countryside with a family, living leisurely. But the Empire feigned approval only to threaten his family behind his back, blackmailing him into espionage.
—What the hell...? What do you think you're doing!?
—Willis Graham, this is your final order. Disobey, and imagine what becomes of your wife and two daughters.
With his leg crippled, Willis couldn't heroically defy their oppression to save his family. If he hadn't been exceptionally talented, he wouldn't have been singled out as a spy. His middling excellence had caught their eye. Thus, denied even a clean retirement, he disguised himself as a swordsmanship instructor at Terastial Academy.
The forged documents the Empire provided erased any traces that might hinder infiltration from his border knight days. To preempt suspicion, rumors of his exemplary active-duty service had been spread in the borderlands beforehand. Eleonora had initially questioned his record but approved his hiring after verification.
Willis's infiltration succeeded. He just needed to bide his time and complete the mission when ordered. But then the Sword Star Hakodate Karin suddenly became the swordsmanship advisor—and now she was coming to evaluate the instructors personally.
Hakodate Karin is coming?
As advisor, she'd surely reviewed all instructor files. And now she wanted to inspect them in person? Too big a variable. She might not suspect anything, but if she did... it was trouble. Willis had to complete his mission. His family's safety depended on it. But if Karin suspected something and came sniffing around, he couldn't. He'd planned to proceed slowly, but now he had to accelerate before her arrival. Even if she suspected nothing, her prolonged presence at the academy would derail everything. Better to execute the original plan sooner, even hastily—it raised his success odds.
"Then, in five days, all you instructors gather together. That's fine with you too, Instructor Willis?"
"...Yes, no issue. Even with my leg like this, having the Sword Star evaluate my sword as a swordsman is something I've always dreamed of."
"Hehe, good. I was worried it might be too much pressure, but that was needless concern. I've said all I needed to, so feel free to go, instructors."
The moment he left the dean's office, Willis advanced and revised his plan. With major changes to the original scheme, he sprang into action. To locate the plan's linchpin: Clarice Levatein.
# And so, now Willis Graham had come to the training grounds to hasten his plan. He aimed to exploit the Empire's northern ruler, Duke Levatein's precious daughter. A scandal with Clarice could engulf the entire Levatein family, paralyzing the force guarding the Magic Kingdom's north in one stroke.
Confirming her enrollment at Terastial, the Empire had ordered Willis to use her. To ensure success, he'd tested approaches on Clarice several times. She'd never caught on. With timing merely accelerated, if he stuck to plan and got close to her, an academy-shaking incident would erupt. It would ripple to her family, and the Magic Kingdom wouldn't let it slide easily...
I can plunge both the academy and House Levatein into chaos at once.
Success would yield hugely appealing results for the Empire.
But there was a wrinkle.
Why are these two here...?
Seong Hyun-jin, first-year champion and runner-up in the entrance exam, and Serena Eldark, who had outranked him in both entrance and placement exams. It was a bewildering sight. They weren't even swordsmanship department students—why were they with Clarice? From observing her lately, she wasn't the type to attract crowds; quirky and not particularly sociable, she didn't even seem popular with her own department mates. So Willis's confusion at seeing out-of-department students like Seong Hyun-jin and Serena was understandable. Especially since Seong Hyun-jin might even resent her for forfeiting their match without fighting.
What's going on here?
Meanwhile, Seong Hyun-jin eyed Willis intently, deep in thought.
"I've seen him somewhere..."
"That's Willis, the swordsmanship department's chief instructor."
Serena spoke as if reminding him they'd seen him together, jogging his memory.
"Ah, right, that's him."
"...Seong Hyun-jin and Serena Eldark are here too, I see."
Willis addressed them naturally for the moment. This encounter was fleeting anyway; guide the situation right, and he could separate Clarice.
Wearing a kindly smile, Willis said,
"I came looking for Clarice."
"Me? You had business with me?"
"Yes. I've given you private lessons before, haven't I? I've got time today, so let's do one now. Come along."
"Ah..."
Having tested on Clarice multiple times with no issues, Willis figured he just needed to lead her away. Take her somewhere quiet, execute the plan. That was the thought.
But.
"Can't do it right now."
Not Clarice refusing, but someone blocking the way.
"We're busy."
It was Seong Hyun-jin.