Chapter 224: Sword Master? (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 224: Sword Master? (3)
A strange ceiling… No, not quite.
Searching my memory, I realized I’d seen it before.
It was the same ceiling I’d stared at back in the early days of the Academy, after my fight with Silence.
The only difference was that this time, the RoFan female lead wasn't busy slapping her childhood friend.
“You’re in the Academy infirmary. Relax. We used hemostatics and performed emergency surgery. You lost so much blood it was almost a disaster. Of all things, you had to get hit by a sword in a very… unfortunate spot. I was going to tell you after you’d recovered a bit more, but…”
Instead of a slap, I had Boradori standing in front of me, spouting nonsense that made me realize exactly why Daisy had felt the urge to swing.
“It’s not like it was a bullet. How the hell does a sword hit someone there?”
“Ack! It could happen!”
I immediately punished her with a flick to the forehead. Boradori screamed and rolled around on the floor.
If the situation right before I lost consciousness wasn't a dream…
Then a flick delivered by a literal Sword Master had to hurt like absolute hell.
Boradori, who had been rolling pathetically on the ground, eventually stood up while clutching her forehead.
Seeing her face contorted with tears welling in her eyes made me feel a little better.
“Ugh… It’s already been two years since you fell asle—It’s a joke! Don’t hit me! Two days! It’s been two days!”
It must have really hurt, because the moment I moved to punish her "joke," she clutched her forehead and scrambled backward.
“I only came to explain things because they said it was about time you woke up!”
I was dumbfounded by her indignant shout.
“Then explain. Why are you dropping shitty jokes?”
“I was bored waiting!”
Using her superior as a cure for boredom. She was so audacious I ended up landing one more hit on her.
“……”
Clutching her now-bright-red forehead, Boradori couldn't even scream for a while. Finally, with an expression that carried all the grievances in the world, she began to fill me in on what had happened while I was out.
“First off, we drove out all the demons, ending with the Sword Demon you were fighting.”
“What happened to the Sword Demon?”
“What do you think? He got ganged up on by the Academy’s total combat force and was heroically pulverized.”
So, Sword Father finally passed away.
According to Boradori’s explanation, the Sword Emperor and Prince Ellen, as well as the High Elf twins, Asran, and numerous other swordsmen, had fought him while buffed by Daisy. Even then, he apparently held his ground quite well.
For some reason, he also seemed to be venting some sort of deep-seated resentment whenever he fought mages…
True to his title as the Sword Demon, he had maintained his pride in the sword until the very end, but…
“Once Daisy’s divine power massage cracked the gem containing the Sword Demon’s soul, he stopped moving.”
“I see…”
So that eye-like thing really was the main body.
Come to think of it, it did flash every time I set his sword on fire.
“The silver lining is that the damage to the Academy isn't that severe…”
Perhaps it was because we had prepared well. Or perhaps the students' skills had improved that much.
Despite dozens of demons appearing, the internal areas of the Academy didn't suffer much damage.
However.
“I heard the outskirts took a heavy hit.”
The outer districts—where the merchants who sold goods to students lived, and where the inns for visitors during weekends or major events like the Founding Festival were located—suffered significant damage.
“Not to mention property damage, quite a few people were caught in the crossfire and died.”
This was a different pattern than before.
Usually, the people Dark Mages used as decoys were those who couldn't even infiltrate the Academy.
Most were ideological criminals trying to change the Empire’s system or descendants of old kingdoms.
To avoid further tanking their already bottom-tier public perception, they tended to refrain from terrorizing civilians.
“The investigation showed they were hit by dark magic. It seems the goal was to cause as much damage as possible, even using brainwashing.”
Boradori frowned as she spoke.
“This is stuff that’s supposed to happen much later.”
“Don't you say that every single time?”
“It just means the future is being pulled forward that much faster.”
Originally, the Academy arc was supposed to feature the occasional mediocre Dark Mage, with most of the conflict being political or ideological.
The part where people actually start dying, the world begins to collapse, and demons come pouring out was supposed to be the post-Academy arc…
“Well, the moment demons showed up, everything already went to hell.”
“True, but…”
If there was any "balance patch" involved, it was the fact that because they appeared early, the demons were weaker than in the original work.
Even so, by the standards of ordinary people—no, even for the top-tier students of the Academy—they were monsters that one could barely survive against.
So, casualties were inevitable.
The problem was how to handle the aftermath.
“So, what is the Empire planning to do?”
And more importantly, how would they exploit this?
“What else? War.”
I nodded at Boradori’s words.
It was expected.
Right now, the Empire might seem like a punching bag, staying quiet while getting hit from all sides.
But that was only because the Empire was the Empire.
To be more precise, the problem arose because the land of Elleras was so massive it could barely sustain itself.
There were too many enemies and too many places to manage.
If they turned their attention elsewhere for even a moment, the nobility—who prioritized their own interests over the state—would run rampant. They had simply been choosing their battles.
The nation of Elleras was originally known across the continent as a notorious bully.
In the first place, that vast territory and the rebels that popped up whenever they felt like it were mostly the results of the Empire’s own karma.
And now, they had finally drawn their sword.
The Empire even had the moral high ground.
Did the terrorists have a justification? X
Were civilians attacked? O
Was there a Dark Mage backing the terrorists? O
Did the terrorists worship the Evil God? O
Were there beings that shouldn't exist on the continent, like demons, among the terrorists? O
At this point, not taking action would be a crime in itself.
Not only the nations with poor relations with the Empire but even the border states sensitive to military movements had no choice but to nod in agreement.
Powerful nations like Leon and Dale, and even the Holy Kingdom—which preached peace every time a war broke out—had to acknowledge this war.
Actually, the Holy Kingdom would probably draw their own swords and jump in.
“They’ve already started.”
“The Heresy Inquisitors?”
“Yeah. They’re going absolutely wild right now.”
Apparently, they had already mobilized.
Even though I had only been out for two days, not two weeks, they were already racking up achievements in their frenzy.
I remembered there being quite a bit of concern when it was first announced that the Heresy Inquisitors were coming to the Academy.
People were just wary because the Inquisitors themselves were creepy, but when it came to getting the job done, they were incredibly efficient.
“Other than that, nothing else special… Ah, wait. There was that.”
Boradori, who had been recounting the many events of those short two days, stood up as if she were finished. Then, with a look of sudden realization, she sat back down to add one more thing.
“One more unexpected thing did happen.”
“What is it?”
“Esid announced his candidacy for the Academy Student Council President election.”
“Really?”
If it’s Esid… he’s got a good shot.
Besides being a RoFan male lead, he had high popularity among the second and first years for some reason.
“…You really don't know why?”
“How should I know?”
“Wow…”
Boradori looked at me with an exasperated expression but soon shook her head and informed me that Esid had an opponent.
“Someone’s going up against the Prince? What, are they a RoFan villainess or something?”
“Based on the original work, they did play a similar role.”
“Seriously?”
I wondered if things were following the original plot after all, but apparently, that wasn't quite it either.
“So who is it?”
“Your girlfriend.”
“Daisy?”
Come to think of it, someone like Daisy would certainly be a match for Esid.
“No, I said a villain. And you’re two-timing anyway…”
“You didn't say villain. You said they played a similar role.”
“Well, they’re a villainess, but not exactly a bad person…”
He was being vague, but I wasn't stupid enough to miss the hint.
“Senior Loreliya? Why?”
“There’s a very complex and tragic story behind it…”
Every human being is born with a complex and tragic story.
And even if I heard it, it wasn't like I could do anything about it.
Therefore.
“One-line summary.”
“The Imperial Family is already in 'mad dog mode' and is about to purge the nobles, so the Noble Faction is terrified that things will get dangerous if even the leadership of the Academy falls to the Imperial Family.”
“That’s not one line.”
“It’s impossible to summarize in one line!”
“Fair enough.”
“Phew…”
Cooling her temper, Boradori scratched her head and continued her condensed explanation.
“Anyway! So the Noble Faction pushed Senior Loreliya forward as their leader! They’re trying to force her to become Student Council President!”
“Does that even work?”
“Do you think it would?”
“Probably not.”
“So, true to the Noble Faction, they’re planning to use a very 'noble-like' solution.”
A very noble-like solution.
“Blackmail? Bribery? Is there anything else?”
“There’s more. And apparently, they’re doing all of it.”
It seemed the world had turned into a complete mess while I was asleep.
Even if it was a Student Council President election in a traditional RoFan setting, I had something more important to deal with right now.
“Wait, you’re going to the training ground the moment you wake up?”
“I became a Sword Master. I need to get used to it before I forget the feeling.”
As my lover, Daisy had apparently given me a divine power massage while I was asleep.
Uncle Aeryun also seemed to have a guilty conscience, as he had prioritized providing blood transfusions and other support.
Thanks to the Holy Water I’d been chugging beforehand, my body wasn't exactly perfect… but it was at a level where moving wasn't a problem.
So, I had to try using Aura—the symbol of a Sword Master, which contained the tearful sacrifice of our Sword Father.
“Liar!”
…Or so I said, but as I arrived at the training ground and was exchanging greetings, a voice rang out.
Sososo, who had been eavesdropping from afar, was in despair.
“Ellen is a Sword Master, and now even you, Adam, have become one?!”
“What?!”
A sharp voice pierced through from the opposite corner.
“You reached the realm of my father, which even I haven't?!”
“……”
Seriously, Ancestor. Please just give up on the sword and walk the path of magic…
Why do you keep holding a sword and getting beaten, only to obsess over it even more?
Before you were a dragon-simp’s descendant, you were a descendant of a dragon…
…I couldn't bring myself to say that to an ancestor, especially a royal one, so I swallowed the words.
Instead.
“Behold. This is the Aura of a Sword Master.”
I decided to show the students of the Swordsmanship Department the realm that everyone dreams of but few can reach.
“……”
…Huh?
“When are you going to show us?”
“Are you making us wait on purpose?”
“I guess it would be annoying if people kept coming up to ask for a demonstration.”
The swordsmanship students muttered as they watched me standing there with my sword drawn.
But I couldn't really hear them.
Wait, I was trying to use Aura just now.
It just didn't come out.
“……”
Feeling cold sweat trickling down my back, I tried my best to recall the fight with the Sword Demon.
What was I thinking then? How did I use my mana…
…Now that I think about it, I wasn't thinking at all.
That’s why they called it the "State of Nothingness" or whatever bullshit.
“……”
Just as the questioning gazes began to gather.
Asran delivered his sharpest strike of the year.
“Wait, can you actually not use it?”
For a swordsman, he was being cowardly—stabbing me with his tongue instead of a blade.
Just as the look in everyone’s eyes shifted to 'No way, right?'…
I finally remembered. I recalled the flow of Aura.
“……”
And I was able to show them… a brilliantly shining Aura.
…For now.