Chapter 33: The RoFan Female Lead is Strong (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 33: The RoFan Female Lead is Strong (3)
Seeing the battle-crazed princess charge at me out of nowhere to pick a fight, it really felt like I was back in the Leon Kingdom.
“Are you sure about this?”
“I’m a woman who grows stronger with every passing day!”
Seeing her so full of herself, she must have had some kind of epiphany. Well, seeing as her usual wild energy seemed more refined, it was clear she actually had grown.
“I beat Prince Ellen in the final exams, you know?”
“What?”
With that single sentence, Princess Hestia’s eyes shook violently. She looked as if she couldn't believe her ears.
“No, I won the overall ranking for the first semester!”
That was true. Unfortunately, Prince Ellen had taken the top spot for the first-year Swordsmanship Department by a narrow margin in the overall first-semester grades. I had hoped for extra points related to resolving the terror incident, but since they planned to give me a separate reward instead of academic credit, I only received a moderate amount of bonus points.
“…Is that true?”
Prince Ellen, who had taken first place, muttered with a dissatisfied expression, but Princess Hestia looked even more devastated. Admitting she won the overall ranking was essentially an admission of Ellen's defeat in the finals.
Given Hestia’s personality—the type who believes only the final victory matters—it probably felt to her like Ellen had lost to me.
“N-no way…”
Princess Hestia had been coming after me because I was at least a measurable target, unlike Ellen, who was starting to look like a lost cause. But to hear that I had beaten Ellen while she was away…
“I-is this the power of the Sword Emperor?”
In a sense, I couldn't deny it, as the Sword Emperor’s help had been significant. Even if he treated me like a sandbag, it was true that it helped my skills. The only reason I could hold out during the practical exam was that I had experienced the Sword Emperor’s blade multiple times. If I hadn't known his sword, I definitely would have collapsed two minutes earlier.
“I… I should go study abroad too…”
“Do you think that’s possible?”
Before being a princess of Leon, she was someone graduating from the academy after the second semester. There was no way a study abroad program would work out so suddenly.
“Ugh, uuuugh…”
She glared at me with a face full of resentment, but there was only one thing she could do.
“Let’s see that great skill of yours!”
Meeting that gaze filled with competitive fire, I let out a small sigh and nodded.
“Gah!”
I won a complete victory by lightly tapping the crown of Princess Hestia’s head about fifteen times.
“You could’ve gone a little easy on her.”
After easily winning Princess Hestia’s challenge, she fled like Team Rocket, shouting that she’d definitely win next time. With that over, I went through the formal procedures for returning to the kingdom.
Prince Ellen was dragged away by the King and Queen. Meanwhile, I had to meet with the Commander to handle the work that had piled up.
“That’s just how Princess Hestia is.”
Princess Hestia was like a weed. It wasn't exactly a fitting expression for a princess, but she was the type to burn with even more passion and strive for victory the more she was stepped on. That was why I couldn't understand the original work’s timeline, where she supposedly gave up the sword after being frustrated by Prince Ellen.
I wondered how on earth Ellen could have been a 'cold city man' and why Hestia would ever lay down her sword.
“I know that. But keep it in moderation. You’ve been back in the kingdom for half a year; do you really want to be grabbed by the collar by Lucia?”
The reality before my eyes was more important than the now-useless original timeline. I let out a sigh as the Commander mentioned Senior Lucia and decided to ask about the kingdom’s political situation.
“Speaking of which, I heard Senior Lucia is running for student council president. Is that true?”
Even before entering the academy, I’d heard there was a rivalry between the institutions, but after living there, I realized they cared far more than I expected. Specifically, the Swordsmanship Department was obsessed with the Leon Royal Academy, and the Magic Department was obsessed with the Dale Royal Academy. Even if I just sat still in the middle of the Empire, information about my home academy would find its way to my ears.
“It’s true.”
“Senior isn't really the type for that kind of thing, though.”
“Of course not. Would that girl ever volunteer for something so bothersome? The Princess just wanted the thrill of power without the responsibility, so Lucia was forcibly drafted.”
I could see the picture clearly. Princess Hestia didn't want to deal with the tedious duties of a student council president, but there was something she wanted to achieve using the position's authority.
“But won't it be difficult?”
“No? If anything, it’s so easy it’s a problem.”
“Really?”
“The student support is incredible.”
Even with a princess as her backer, it shouldn't be that easy.
“Is Senior Lucia that popular?”
“She is. Lucia is the one who calms the Princess down before she causes an accident, and Lucia is the one who cleans up after the accident happens.”
“Aha.”
In short, she was the person who prevented natural disasters from occurring and minimized the damage when they couldn't be stopped.
“Why isn't there someone like Senior Lucia in the Empire?”
“That’s why you’re doing it.”
“And that’s the problem.”
I wanted to live an easy life, but I went to study in the Empire only to end up acting as a suppressor. The more I thought about it, the more it pissed me off. What the hell are those Empire bastards even doing?
“You’ve worked hard. But really, do you think incidents like that will keep happening?”
I felt a momentary surge of irritation at the Commander’s oblivious, carefree attitude, but I quickly calmed myself. To be honest, that was the normal reaction. Who would ever imagine that the academy in the heart of the Empire was destined to be breached like a revolving door?
“Just because it happened once doesn't mean it won't happen again.”
“Oh, come on. The Empire isn't that incompetent.”
The Commander laughed jokingly, but I wondered if he’d still be laughing a few months from now.
“Anyway, it sounds like Senior Lucia is a lock for the Kingdom Academy. And I heard the Blue Tower Master’s disciple is going for it in Dale?”
“How did you know?”
“Rumors are everywhere at the academy.”
Judging by his expression, the information was accurate.
“I heard your current student council president is planning to serve another term. Is that right?”
“Unless there’s a major variable.”
According to Violet, the student council president wouldn't change until next year’s election—specifically, until some of the RoFan group members decided to run. It was truly a pity. Considering how hard he must have been worked during the first-semester terror incident, he was destined to be run ragged every time something happened from now on. To think he can't even escape and has to hold the presidency until graduation.
“You’re not interested, are you?”
“Do I look insane?”
Unless I had lost my mind, there was no way I’d do something as bothersome as being student council president. And even if Prince Ellen suddenly recommended me like Hestia did to Lucia, the chances of an international student becoming the president of the Imperial Academy—not the Leon Royal Academy—were practically zero.
“So, is it true?”
I narrowed my eyes and glared at the Commander. The reason I brought up academy talk as soon as I returned to the kingdom was for one specific reason.
“Are they really doing the Academic Exchange Event?”
A strange rumor had been circulating among the academies. A rumor that, centered around the Imperial Academy, they were trying to create an event where students from famous academies across the continent, like Leon and Dale, would interact.
Our original work fanatic, Violet, had snorted at the rumor, saying it wasn't in the original story. But since the original work had already been twisted, it wouldn't be strange to pay the price for it.
And my suspicion…
“…It seems so.”
Unfortunately, it seemed I was exactly right.
“There is someone at the Royal Academy who is strongly supporting the exchange event.”
Regrettably, a certain face naturally came to mind.
“Senior Lucia?”
“To be precise, it’s Princess Hestia using Lucia as a front.”
“……”
It was an irreverent thought, but maybe it would have been better if Princess Hestia had followed the original plot. According to Boradori, the Hestia who gave up the sword was a modest, quiet character.
“What’s the reaction from Dale?”
“They seem more positive than expected.”
“The timing? This year? Next year?”
“It was almost decided for this autumn, but it was suspended due to the terror attacks and other incidents.”
Hearing that, it felt like the Academic Exchange Event was something that was already in motion in the original work. However, it was likely postponed due to the incident at the Imperial Academy and eventually canceled as more incidents followed.
But in this timeline, Silence—who was supposed to keep causing trouble—was retired early. On top of that, several influential figures from other academies, including Princess Hestia, were pushing for the exchange.
“It’s highly likely it will be held in the Empire during the Founding Festival.”
The fact that the Commander was saying this meant the Royal Family was also reviewing it positively. Of course, since it was an exchange between multiple academies, it wouldn't happen just because our Royal Family supported it. But for some reason, Dale seemed to be strongly supporting it as well. And the Empire, wanting to restore its pride damaged by the terror attacks, was spreading its influence to other kingdoms.
“Unless something happens, it looks like it’s going ahead.”
It looked like another time bomb, guaranteed to cause trouble, was about to be added to the schedule.
#2 Holy Kingdom Correspondent, Codename Boradori.
It’s common knowledge in fantasy that the Holy Kingdom is rotten to the core. Of course, it was a common trope that was hard to fully wrap one's head around. Thinking back to the Middle Ages of my previous life, the corruption of the clergy wasn't that strange. But unlike my previous life, doesn't a Goddess actually exist here? I even heard she pops up occasionally to give Daisy prophecies; with that kind of power, she should just strike down the corrupt priests. As expected, the Goddess of this world is definitely incompetent.
In contrast, our Daisy was very competent. In the original work, she noticed the corruption of the Holy Kingdom and worked hard to normalize it. Even now, she noticed the current state of the corrupt Holy Kingdom and worked hard to normalize it.
However, despite the same description, the problem was that the process was unfolding in the exact opposite way.
“……Daisy?”
In the original work, Daisy would discover the rotten parts of the Holy Kingdom with her friends and try to expose them by borrowing the power of the male leads.
“Confess your sins.”
“Urgh!”
The current Daisy, however, confronted a corrupt priest right on the spot. She grabbed him by the collar, choking him until he could barely breathe. With cold eyes and a low, chilling voice, she spoke to the priest caught in the act.
“Before the heavens, do you feel no shame?”
I was momentarily speechless. No, Daisy. This is way too radical… You’re still in the process of becoming the Saintess, and that guy still has room to wiggle out. In the original work, she went through all sorts of trouble because of that, only doing the groundwork this summer break and finally completing the normalization of the Holy Kingdom in the second semester of her second year!
“In the name of the Goddess, I shall condemn you!”
A brilliant light began to fill the area around Daisy. Truly, it was a light so radiant it could create faith where there was none. That light began to gather in the hand that wasn't holding the collar—Daisy’s left fist.
“S-Saintess!”
“Please, wait a moment!”
The other priests seemed to realize what Daisy was planning to do. They rushed toward her to stop her, but…
“Holy Judgment!”
“Aaaaaagh!”
As Adam put it, the Holy Punch began to judge the corrupt priests.