Chapter 14: Anyway, I'll Serve You Awesomely (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 14: Anyway, I'll Serve You Awesomely (3)
I was momentarily speechless at the strike that suddenly lunged for my vitals.
I mean, for a man titled the Sword Emperor to pull a surprise attack...
“I gave it my all, though.”
I was being serious.
I had truly unleashed the ultimate secret of the Defeat Sword.
Even the Captain would have acknowledged it.
However, it seemed that even the Sword Emperor, the sovereign of the blade, found it difficult to comprehend the Defeat Sword.
Well, it is a bit of a complex concept.
“From where I stand, it looked more like you were putting all your effort into not winning.”
His words pierced right to the heart of the matter.
But a victory right in front of my eyes wasn't everything.
For the sake of my future, the Minor Sword Emperor needed to grow.
Didn't Violet, the novel-possessor, say it herself?
That in the original work, Princess Hestia—who was absolutely obsessed with the sword—eventually gave it up.
I might claim I don't care about the original plot, but I couldn't afford to lose an unpaid slave who could clean up the incidents bound to explode in the future.
If you quit, I’m screwed.
Seriously, I’m doomed.
“Never in my life have I tried this hard.”
I meant it.
And I would continue to do so.
All so our dear Minor Sword Emperor could grow big and strong and toil away in Ellen’s place.
Of course, I wasn't just saying this for nothing.
I planned to mobilize the entire Royal Instructor training curriculum to ensure his interest in the sword wouldn't just stay level, but intensify.
As a bonus, I’d give his romantic endeavors a massive push.
Prince Ellen?
Once he returns to the Kingdom, there will be plenty of young noble ladies eager to throw themselves at him.
I’m sure there are a few even here at the Academy if I look.
They say first loves never come true anyway, so I should make sure the RoFan female lead remains nothing more than a bittersweet memory of his youth.
Of course, this is only because this world is a RoFan.
Is it true that our poor Prince Ellen is a sub-male lead caught in the demonic clutches of a RoFan plot? Yes, it is.
From what I’ve heard of the future, his screen time up until the Academy arc makes him feel almost like a villain.
But that only accounts for about 50% of the weight of the situation.
According to Violet, isn't she terrified the original story might change because the "cheetah" is already running?
Then what’s the problem with the other 50%?
It was a matter of common sense.
I mean, Daisy is the daughter of an Imperial Baron.
It wouldn't matter if the Minor Sword Emperor, the Border Count’s kid, or the future Merchant Guild Master married her.
And while Prince Esid’s romance could be packaged as a love that transcends social status...
Prince Ellen and the Magic Spammer’s side are national-level issues.
Dating is fine, but if a prince from another country wants to marry a noble lady from a different kingdom, things get complicated.
It wasn't impossible, of course.
But the moment the Imperial Prince and the others who lost the race for her heart decided to throw a tantrum, it would inevitably escalate into a diplomatic crisis.
Therefore, Prince Ellen’s first love had to be stopped.
This wasn't just my judgment; it was the Captain’s.
Furthermore, it was a mission handed down from the Royal Family itself.
“…Is that so?”
Did my sincerity get through to him?
The Sword Emperor still looked deeply suspicious, but he eventually nodded.
“If you say so, then I suppose it is.”
To be honest, the Sword Emperor couldn't really say much.
It would be one thing if I had lost on purpose, but I did win.
Even to an outside observer, it looked like a nail-bitingly close duel.
Even Prince Ellen saw it that way, and even someone with the Sword Emperor’s insight could only harbor suspicions.
In terms of the Defeat Sword alone, it was a power born of genius that surpassed even the Captain.
“In that case, I’d like to make a proposal.”
He called it a proposal, but it didn't feel like something I could refuse.
Or more accurately, he looked certain that I wouldn't refuse.
“I’ve recently taken charge of a club.”
“Oh…”
A club with the Sword Emperor as its advisor?
This was information I hadn't heard from Violet.
Has destiny changed? Or did she skip it because it wasn't important?
“I’ve decided to teach the sword to a few people there.”
A Swordsmanship Club, then.
To be honest, it was a club I had considered.
However, excluding this year, the general consensus was that its level was slightly lower than the Royal Academy’s.
Thinking it wouldn't be much help at my level, I had planned to hone my skills through individual training rather than club activities.
But if the Sword Emperor was the advisor, that changed things.
“So, I’d like you to join the Flower Arrangement Club.”
“I’m not doing it.”
Fuck, I had a bad feeling about this.
I thought it would be the Swordsmanship Club since he said he was teaching the sword.
“What?”
The Sword Emperor’s eyes widened in shock, as if he never expected his request to be rejected.
“I need some time to myself.”
Even if the Sword God himself—not just the Emperor—offered to teach me, I wasn't joining a Flower Arrangement Club.
Wait, fuck. Now that I think about it, the Sword God (to-be) actually is in that club.
“Is there anything else you’d like to say?”
“No, but…”
“Then, I’ll be going now.”
“……”
Leaving the Sword Emperor behind with a look of utter disbelief, I walked out of the office and headed straight for the dormitory.
And then…
“Emergency!”
—Was the password for the communication device ‘Emergency’?
I immediately contacted the home country.
The Captain, his face contorted at my shout of "emergency," let out a long, heavy sigh.
—Look, today is the day for the regular meeting. You could have just waited a bit. Why the hell are you calling on the emergency line and screaming about an emergency?
—It’s bad for my heart.
I wanted to soothe the grumbling Captain, but life rarely goes as planned.
“The Sword Emperor has become a club advisor and plans to teach the members swordsmanship.”
—Dammit. I already felt like we were going to lose all our talent to the Imperial Academy. This is the finishing blow.
The nobles within the Kingdom had been hesitating, testing the waters.
But with Prince Ellen going to study at the Imperial Academy, the atmosphere was shifting toward other nobles considering the same.
And now, the Sword Emperor was going to teach swordsmanship through club activities on top of his regular classes?
For a swordsman, there was no bait more alluring than that.
Usually, that is.
“But Captain, the name of that club is the Flower Arrangement Club.”
—Was the name of the Imperial Swordsmanship Club ‘Flower Arrangement’?
“Don't try to escape reality. You know exactly what kind of club it is better than anyone.”
—No, why?!
The fact that "Fuck" wasn't the first word out of his mouth made me realize once again that this was a fantasy world.
Wait, it’s a RoFan world. Maybe the platform’s censorship is so strict they can't use profanity?
“I don’t know.”
I wanted to say, "That’s the fate of a RoFan," but it wasn't long ago that I told Violet I would live in reality.
So, I had to give a realistic answer.
Honestly, if I were to think with a sane mind why the Sword Emperor would go to the Flower Arrangement Club instead of the Swordsmanship Club…
“Isn't it because of his grandson?”
—I heard he abandoned his whole family. Is he finally looking out for the kid because he’s his grandson?
Since it was a somewhat plausible answer, the Captain began to consider it seriously.
—Isn't this all your fault? I told you to take it easy. Why did you have to win like that?
“You said he was the Minor Sword Emperor. You said he was a genius who would inherit the Sword Emperor’s name. I was caught off guard because he was so weak.”
This was a tragedy caused by the Captain’s poor investigation.
When I made my case, the Captain scowled and muttered.
—How was I supposed to know he’d be that weak? I thought he’d be at least around your level.
He apparently didn't realize the monster we created would be so effective in the outside world.
Come to think of it, Violet said that if Prince Ellen was a hydrogen bomb, I was about an atomic bomb.
Dammit, it feels like only yesterday my wooden sword exploded instead of my talent.
The talent that failed to explode back then is certainly making up for it now!
“So for now, I’ve started the operation.”
—Operation? On whom?
“The Minor Sword Emperor.”
—Is that really necessary?
The "is it necessary" came up again, but unlike Violet, the Captain was my superior.
“The reason is this.”
Since this was a fantasy world, I couldn't give a presentation using PowerPoint.
But I could certainly talk his ear off.
“Therefore, I believe the best way to turn Prince Ellen’s first love into a mere memory is to pair her up with someone else.”
—Why the Minor Sword Emperor, of all people?
“First of all, even if it’s a romantic endeavor, it’s unacceptable for the Prince of Leon to lose to Dale.”
—Naturally.
No matter how much we manipulated things, Leon losing to Dale was out of the question.
“And it’s not wise to create friction with Ilias.”
—True.
Ilias, one of the three great merchant guilds of the continent.
There was no reason for the state to foster a bad relationship with them.
“And the second son of House Rias is a lost cause.”
—Why?
“He’s just digging holes in the ground.”
Gerard, the second son of the Border Count, was a "cheetah" acknowledged by Violet.
In other words… he was destined to just mess around during the Academy arc.
“That’s why I thought the best people to work on were Prince Esid and the Minor Sword Emperor, Asran.”
—Is the Imperial Prince too difficult to handle?
“There’s that, but it was also easier to create points of contact with the Minor Sword Emperor.”
Since we were bound to keep crossing paths through the medium of the sword, it was easier to set things in motion.
“As for the Prince, it seems he has a separate helper.”
I could feel it during our conversation.
Violet… that brat was on the Prince’s side.
While not as intense as female-oriented fiction, I’d often seen comments in male-oriented novels arguing over who the "true heroine" was.
From my conversation with Violet, I could roughly guess which male lead she was rooting for.
“Even if it fails, getting involved with that side won't cause any problems. So, I’ve decided to push the Minor Sword Emperor.”
The Minor Sword Emperor, Asran.
He was only inferior to me; he was still a possessor of exceptional swordsmanship.
He got excited easily, but he had a good face and a very decent personality.
When it came to friendships, he didn't care about status as long as they were fellow swordsmen.
He showed a positive influence, naturally leading other students to practice the rule that status doesn't matter at the Academy—a rule that usually existed only in name.
He acted like a proper RoFan male lead candidate, and his growth potential was guaranteed.
“Please give me your approval.”
—…Are you confident?
“Is there anyone among the instructors who works harder than me?”
To my bold declaration, the Captain answered immediately.
—Daniel.
Dammit, he used a cheat code.
In this RoFan world, one could argue that I, who was assisting the male lead candidate Prince Ellen, was doing more work.
But in reality, I couldn't beat Senior Daniel, who was handling all sorts of affairs while assisting the Crown Prince back in the Leon Kingdom.
“…And after Senior Daniel?”
—It would be you.
So I’m still treated as the number two even within the Kingdom.
So I’m still treated as the number two even within the Kingdom.
For some reason, the thought struck me twice, but it must have been my imagination.
It felt like I was becoming more and more of a perpetual runner-up, but the Great Leader once said:
Being second is also a great achievement.
—Fine, I’ll have to trust the judgment of the man on the ground.
The Captain seemed to concede, deciding to support the judgment of the number two.
—So, what do you need us to do?
“Ah, well, first of all.”
I recalled the information Violet had given me.
The image of her throwing a fit, claiming I had just stolen information without cooperating, flashed through my mind, but I mentally gave her the middle finger and brushed it off.
“First, until the midterm exams…”
The real incidents would begin from the promised midterm exams.
So, until then.
“First, have the remaining instructors open up some encyclopedias and start learning about flowers.”
—Flowers?
“It’s the Flower Arrangement Club, after all.”
Since Daisy supposedly likes flowers, I planned to have flowers that only grow in the Kingdom delivered directly from their source.
“And have the Intelligence Bureau start securing tickets.”
—What kind of tickets?
“Plays, performances. Everything held within the Academy’s restricted zone.”
According to the possessor, these male leads are all useless husks.
For the sake of the Minor Sword Emperor, one of those hopeless cases who can't even manage a proper kiss before graduation.
“Let’s go with the classics.”
I planned to prepare a standard date course to start with.