Chapter 225: Sword Master? (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 225: Sword Master? (4)
In front of everyone’s eyes, a brilliant aura begins to bloom.
Brilliantly… in the color of the sunset…
“Is aura usually that color?”
“Usually, it’s blue.”
“Well, they say it varies from person to person.”
“Is that so?”
“There are no Sword Masters here. Who would know?”
“True.”
Amidst the murmuring crowd, someone voiced a doubt.
“But wait, is aura supposed to be this hot?”
“It is getting pretty sweltering.”
“……”
As the suspicion spread, I remained silent.
After all, I couldn’t exactly tell them that while I claimed to be showing them the symbol of a Sword Master, I had actually added a bit of ‘magic flavoring.’
And unlike the snacks from my previous life that claimed to contain 0.00000003% of an ingredient—a concentration so low you wouldn't die even if it were cyanide—this had a concentration of at least 30%.
If I got caught now, I’d be the disgrace of the Swordsmanship Department.
Fortunately, being typical meatheads of the Swordsmanship Department, they didn't seem to realize it was magic…
“Huh? Isn't that just magic?”
Unfortunately, there was one person here who was an expert in magic—someone who got beaten every time he picked up a sword, yet refused to put it down.
…Damn it. I should have made him transfer to the Magic Department sooner.
“Magic?”
“It came out of a sword, though. Doesn't that make it swordsmanship?”
“But he usually breathes fire and insists that’s magic, doesn't he?”
“That’s also true.”
The atmosphere began to shift.
Feeling their gazes demanding an explanation, I tried to think of a way to persuade them.
“……”
It was all very tedious and pedantic. I didn't think I could convince them that way.
So, what should my answer be?
Memories of my past life proved very helpful here.
“Are any of you Sword Masters?”
“What?”
“A bunch of nobodies who don't know a thing about Sword Masters…”
“No, but this isn't a normal aura, is it?”
“But it is an aura, right?”
“……”
“If you have a problem with it, prove it in a duel.”
Then die.
As a rule, no sane person would challenge a Sword Master.
But where were we?
The Fatally Charming RoFan World, a place where even the most level-headed people lose their minds.
And in such a RoFan World, there was no way the brainless students of the Swordsmanship Department could be sane.
“Whew…”
Only after knocking down thirty students was my aura finally acknowledged.
Or more accurately, it would be more correct to say I had eliminated all the forces spreading the slanderous claim that it was magic.
“Admit it. This is aura.”
“We admit it!”
By gaining the recognition of the survivors, I was officially recognized as a Sword Master.
Of course, this was all part of the plan.
There were only a handful of people in the Swordsmanship Department who could stop me now, and I knew exactly where they all were.
First, the Sword Emperor was furious about the recent incident at the Academy. In a rare moment of alignment with the Empire, he was leading the charge in punishing those involved.
The High Elf twins were holed up in their dormitory to "treat injuries from the battle with the demons" (though in reality, one was just being lazy and the other was too scared to come out).
Ellen, fitting for a RoFan male lead candidate, was busy progressing through the main story with the rest of the RoFan party.
There were variables like Sososo, who I didn't know was still here, and the Ancestor, who had unintentionally heckled me…
But Sososo, who in the original work didn't become a Sword Master until long after leaving the Academy, and the sword-wielding Ancestor were no longer a match for me.
…Sword Father. Are you watching from heaven?
The will of your sword is being carried on like this.
…I felt like I could hear a resentful wail from somewhere, but I decided it was just my imagination.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake. Why is this here?”
As if to prove it, the corpse of the Sword Father—no, the Axe Demon—lay before me.
“I picked it up.”
“Why do you say that like you found a stray cat on your way home from work?”
The state of the Axe Demon couldn't be called good, even as a figure of speech.
Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that it had arms and legs attached to a blade, one might have thought it was just scrap metal picked up from an antique shop.
It truly looked the part of someone who had met a glorious end after being ganged up on by the RoFan party, the Sword Masters, and the Academy students.
Unfortunately, the Sword Father, who had maintained his pride as a swordsman—no, as a sword—until the very end, had his corpse snatched away by a wicked Dwarf.
“So, are you going to do it or not?”
“No, I’m doing it. I have to use it right away.”
Come to think of it, our Sword Father wished for my growth until the moment he died.
Since that will wouldn't change just because he died, he probably secretly hopes from hell that I’ll make good use of his body.
“I heard once that a person truly dies when they are forgotten.”
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting all of a sudden?”
“In that case, when does a sword die?”
When its sharpness fades? No.
When the blade breaks? No.
“It’s when it is no longer held in a person’s hand.”
“Seriously, what is wrong with you…”
I didn't bother explaining further to a Dwarf who lacked sword-sensitivity.
Our Sword Father will live on, not just in our hearts, but as our tool.
“So, what’s the plan?”
“You said this guy was more of a physical entity than a magical one, despite being a demon.”
“That’s right.”
That was why the effects of magic swords worked so poorly on him.
“Then we just keep it simple.”
Saying that, Old Man Derf raised his hammer.
“Melt it. Beat it. Melt it again.”
Old Man Derf chuckled, saying it was actually easier to handle than the magic swords he had to process before.
Was it my imagination again?
I felt like I could hear a bizarre crying sound echoing through the forge.
Codename Boradori
What kind of country was the Empire?
Based only on what she had experienced since entering the Academy, it was an incompetent place where incidents happened once or twice a month.
It was a nation where the enemy forces changed almost every time, making it seem like the whole world was against them.
However, Violet knew.
That this was the very foundation of the Empire.
In a sense, it was a matter of probability. Even in a RoFan, there had to be a minimum level of plausibility.
A certain ignorant boss of hers always spoke of "Dark Mages" as if they were a single faction, but Dark Mages were divided into the Demon Faction and the Magic Faction, with countless sub-factions within them.
And the third-party forces that held hands with each of those factions could number in the dozens, or perhaps even hundreds, even by a broad count.
And almost all of those factions were entities that had been destroyed by the Empire or had suffered equivalent damage.
The Empire was that powerful. Beyond its influence over the continent, it was a nation that had spent more than half of its history since its founding on wars of conquest.
A nation so powerful it had conquered nearly half the continent.
A nation that had no choice but to stop the war to rule the conquered lands.
And because the conquered lands were so vast… a nation that could not manage them perfectly.
That was the nation known as the Empire, and that was why it could serve as the stage for the RoFan Like a Flower Blooming in Barren Land.
The Empire could not move easily.
Therefore, the RoFan party took its place.
Facing countless acts of malice, growing and moving forward—that was what a RoFan was all about.
‘But…’
Violet thought as she looked at the scene before her.
‘It’s changed too much.’
The Empire, which shouldn't be able to move easily, was now in a situation where it had no choice but to move.
Normally, the Heresy Inquisitors of the Holy Kingdom, who should be hindering the Empire’s military actions, were now stepping forward first, claiming they would be the vanguard of a holy war.
Not only that, but Leon and Dale, who should also be keeping the Empire in check, were prepared to send support if necessary. Even the various heterogeneous species, whom the Empire usually had to be wary of, were supporting the Empire.
That was how significant the Academy terror attack was.
Just as even North Korea condemned the terrorists immediately after 9/11.
Even the surrounding countries that usually had poor relations with the Empire were either keeping quiet or condemning the Dark Mages and supporting the Empire’s military actions.
And the reason it turned out this way was partly due to the damage from the Academy terror, but also because everyone knew the Empire’s blade was pointed inward, not outward.
The so-called "Land Leveling."
The work of purifying the soil before farming was about to begin, and the aftermath was bound to spread among the nobles of the Academy.
Consequently, the students of the Noble Faction, who had become the prey, were feeling a sense of crisis.
The Empire moved its troops citing the Dark Mages, but no one would complain if they used that as a pretext for a purge.
Driven by the fear that their families might be annihilated or fall into ruin at any moment, the Noble Faction students moved desperately.
They used Loreliya as a figurehead without her consent.
Using her as a shield, they carried out their backroom machinations.
To be honest, in a situation where the Imperial Family couldn't be stopped, it seemed better to side with Esid…
Perhaps it was because the core of the faction was a member of Loreliya’s branch family, or perhaps they judged they couldn't become close aides because Esid was already surrounded by powerful individuals.
The Noble Faction grew at a frightening pace, seasoned with agitation, fabrication, and threats.
“That guy is connected to the Dark Mages.”
“T-that’s a frame-up! This, this is—!”
“Daisy.”
“Divine Beam!”
“Aaaaaagh!”
Just like that, they were hit by a second Dark Mage Gate and ruined.
“N-no, I didn't know!”
“‘I didn't know’ is informal.”
I might get pushed around by my boss, Mr. Adam Kim.
But I’m not at a level where I can be looked down upon elsewhere.
Even if he’s from a collateral branch of a Ducal house, a junior a whole year below me using informal speech?
“I didn't know, ma’am!”
“Too late, kid.”
Rizel Dersian.
A member of a branch of House Jeyka, but someone who hindered the main family at every turn.
An ungrateful brat from the Dersian family who thought, Maybe we’re about ready to overtake the main house… Like his family, he was arrogant and acted like a big shot for being the runner-up in the Swordsmanship Department despite having no real talent.
He was just a swordsman who got taken down by a Magic Department student anyway.
Recalling how he used to say at the beginning of the Academy that the Magic Department was no match for the Swordsmanship Department made me feel annoyed for no reason.
Therefore.
“Right. You might not have known.”
Actually, I knew he really didn't know, but…
“If you talk to an expert, you might be able to clear up this injustice.”
“An expert?”
“Hello, friend. I am a Heresy Inquisitor from the Holy Kingdom…”
“Just kill me instead!”
“Oh my. We aren't that scary.”
I decided to just hand him over to the Heresy Inquisitors.
After handing over Rizel Dersian—who was scheduled to be a villain in the Student Council President election arc a year later—and his faction to the Inquisitors in cooperation with Daisy.
“So that’s what happened. What do you plan to do now?”
I went to see the villainess(?), Senior Loreliya, with whom I had already finished discussions.
“Well. It must feel unfair, but since this happened within your faction, you’ll have to take responsibility.”
“Right. I’ll declare that I won’t run for Student Council President, undergo a proper investigation, and live quietly…”
I already knew this.
This was also a story that would have happened in the original work, though a bit further in the future.
After that event, the character Loreliya disappeared from the original work.
And Esid, having declared a perfect annulment of their engagement, would proudly confess to Daisy… well, he couldn't even do that there; he just stayed by her side with a clearer conscience.
“I’m not satisfied with just that.”
Loreliya was someone whose talent and reputation were far too valuable to let her exit now.
Especially in a situation where the Academy was a complete mess like it was now.
“What?”
So, while I had the chance, I had to put a leash on her.
“Senior, why don't you work on a project with me?”
A very sturdy leash that she could never refuse.