Chapter 37: Sub Quest (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 37: Sub Quest (1)
The continent was turned upside down.
Part of it was the reformation sparked in the Holy Kingdom spreading across the world.
But more than that, it was because the miracles that occurred in the Holy Kingdom had passed from person to person, transforming into a full-blown myth.
The aftermath eventually reached the Leon Kingdom, which was quite a distance from the Holy Kingdom.
The speed at which the rumors spread was faster than in any other nation.
And for good reason…
"The Saintess swung a sword of light so massive it reached the heavens?"
"That’s freaking badass…"
"Should I try switching to a Holy Knight even now?"
"Can we not do something like that with mana?"
The Saintess had brandished a pillar of light, thick and majestic, crafted from divine power that reached the very sky.
It was a sentence that set fire to the hearts of the citizens of Leon, the so-called Kingdom of Knights.
Even a knight with a substantial amount of mana finds it difficult to manifest a sword aura longer than three meters.
Though no one had seen it personally, it was said that one had to be a Sword Master to reach around ten meters.
But to create something as thick as a tower and tall enough to touch the heavens!
In Leon, where they revered the sword as much as—no, more than—the Goddess herself, the rumor that the Saintess’s big, beautiful sword had restored order to the Holy Kingdom couldn't help but make the people's hearts race.
And it wasn't just the commoners who felt this way.
The nobles of Leon, who worshipped the sword even more than the commoners, were no different. Neither were the royals.
And thanks to the fallout…
"I think we’ve done enough for today…"
"This isn't enough!"
"Ugh…"
I was getting the absolute crap kicked out of me.
"Here I come, Adam!"
"Please, just stop coming at me…"
Even the account from Violet—who had witnessed the scene firsthand, or rather, watched it right next to Daisy and the Pope—sounded like a scene out of a myth.
That story had been exaggerated by the bards of the Holy Kingdom.
The bards of the neighboring countries who heard those rumors added their own spice.
Then the bards of the country next to that, and the country next to that…
By the time it reached distant Leon, with layer upon layer of exaggeration, a single scene from a myth had transformed into an entire volume of mythology.
Thanks to those rumors, Prince Ellen had unilaterally resolved to become a man worthy of Daisy, and he was currently beating the life out of me, an innocent bystander.
As if twenty-four hours weren't enough, he went at it from morning till night!
Hey, even a sandbag bursts if you keep hitting it!
"It’s all your fault, Adam!"
While I was suffering through this miserable work life, the son of the CEO who was pummeling me had the audacity to blame me.
This is so dirty and petty, I should just retire… well, maybe not retire.
I’ll just apply for a vacation later.
There’s a high probability it’ll end up like Senior Lucia’s resignation letter, but I have to at least try.
"My fault for what?"
Of course, I couldn't let my true feelings show.
A model employee must be able to smile even in front of a boss forcing unfair labor upon them.
"If I had gone, we could have fought together!"
"What kind of crazy talk is that…"
But at Prince Ellen’s following remark, my true thoughts slipped out.
The Holy Kingdom might be different from a typical nation, but it was still recognized as a sovereign state.
In other words, the revolution that occurred was essentially a civil war.
If royalty from another country gets involved in a civil war, things get insanely complicated.
"Everyone went except for me!"
It seemed Prince Ellen was envious of his friends who had committed that very act of madness.
"Because those guys are lunatics…"
Since I’d already started, I decided to speak one more truth.
Honestly, any sane person would take my side.
Those guys who are crazy for a girl…
No matter how much I think about it, I just can't understand the RoFan brain.
"……"
"What? They say people badmouth the King when he’s not looking. Surely I can talk a little smack about my Academy friends."
He narrowed his eyes and looked at me awkwardly, so I spoke with confidence.
Prince Ellen shook his head as if that wasn't the issue, and after a long silence, he spoke cautiously.
"You don't… do that when I'm not around too, right?"
"……"
"Right?"
"……"
This guy Ellen… unlike a typical RoFan male lead, his intuition had sharpened quite a bit.
"It’s an emergency."
I had rushed over after being summoned out of the blue, only for the Captain to drop a rather mundane line.
It was supposed to be my precious sandbag maintenance time.
"Isn't it always an emergency?"
In the old days, that would have signaled a crisis.
But ever since entering the Academy, it was something I heard every other day.
When I gave him a look full of dissatisfaction, the Captain hesitated for a moment before adding one more word.
"It’s a super emergency."
The Captain, as if justifying the sudden summons, used the very term I used to signal a dire situation to convey the gravity of the matter.
A super emergency? Now that’s a real emergency.
"What is it?"
"The King has lost his damn mind."
"His Majesty?"
That is a big deal.
But isn't he a bit young for dementia?
"Yeah. Do you know what that crazy bastard is saying?"
I knew the Captain and the King shared a relationship similar to mine and Ellen’s.
Still, a King was a King, so he usually showed some respect.
It seemed the King had truly caused a massive incident this time.
To call him a "crazy bastard" right out of the gate.
"I have no idea."
"Dike, that lunatic, is throwing a fit saying he wants to meet the Saintess."
Dike.
It was a name you might find on a couple of first-years at the Academy, but it was rare to find in Leon.
After all, there weren't many crazy bastards who would dare use the same name as their country's King.
"Uh…"
The reports from the training officers go through the Captain to the Queen.
And the information that reaches the Queen naturally reaches the King as well.
In other words, His Majesty the King was well aware of the RoFan romance centered around the Saintess.
And the fact that Prince Ellen was part of it.
"Did the Queen perhaps try to block the information?"
I wondered if the Queen had tried to hide her son’s blundering.
"No. He knows everything."
I’d rather he didn't. I guess that wasn't the case.
"He knows everything and still says he wants to see her?"
"It feels more like he’s going to push for it."
It was a super emergency.
My biggest justification was that the Kingdom’s policy was against Prince Ellen and Daisy getting together.
If the King, the head of the Kingdom, starts supporting it, I’d have to support their romance too.
That would mean I’d have to be part of that godforsaken RoFan development…
"Fortunately, the Queen is blocking him for now, but the atmosphere is ominous."
It was an unexpected variable.
The ripple effect Daisy’s big, beautiful pillar of light had on Leon far exceeded my expectations.
"Even within our ranks and the Intelligence Bureau, people are saying the Saintess wouldn't be a bad match."
"Even after seeing the men swarming around her?"
"Those numbers are the problem. Since there’s no overwhelming frontrunner, the opinion is that our Prince might have a shot given his background."
"……"
It was a valid point.
According to the Super-Fan, Codename Boradori.
The original work was a novel that still had no main male lead even after hundreds of chapters.
Since the novel itself was centered on a turn-based battle between various male leads, it was all about walking a tightrope.
The male leads featured were all guys with mediocre power but overflowing personal talent.
From an outside perspective, now that they hadn't fully blossomed their talents, they would all look like middling candidates.
Back when she was just a country noble girl in the Empire, there was no merit.
When she first awakened as a Saintess, the conditions were better than before, but it was questionable whether our Prince needed to jump into that mess while risking religious complications.
But now, she had pacified that religion, and the rumors of her using a magnificent sword of light that reached the heavens had apparently made some people lose their minds.
"You don't feel that way, do you, Captain?"
"I trust your judgment. Unless you’ve changed your mind, you still feel the same, right?"
"Yes. Daisy is dangerous."
One might wonder how dangerous a single soldier—no, a Saintess—could be.
But before she is a Saintess, Daisy is a RoFan heroine.
The center of all the world’s forced drama and absurdity.
Even though she is constantly growing.
And even though that growth rate made even Violet, the noble original-work purist, say things like, "Daisy is going to be the one to take down the Demon King…"!
"There’s no need to be hostile, but there’s also no need to bring her into the fold."
Setting aside the fact that she was a RoFan heroine, Daisy was already a poisoned chalice.
There was still no reason to get close to her.
"Right. Then for now, I’ll handle Dike."
Perhaps it was because I had worked so hard, but the Captain nodded with a look of full confidence.
Honestly, I was touched.
To think he would defy the will of the King, the pinnacle of the nation, based on a single word from his subordinate.
"So, you do as you always do."
"Yes, sir."
"Handle Prince Ellen well."
"Ah…"
As soon as the Captain finished speaking, Senior Lucia’s excited voice came through the communication device.
—Adam! Prince Ellen is looking for you~
At her unusually nasal, cheerful tone, I resolved to have a sparring match with Princess Hestia as soon as my schedule was over.
The end of the two-month vacation was just around the corner.
During that time, which felt both long and short, two swords were ruined.
Prince Ellen’s petty revenge was intense enough to snap two swords—not just ordinary ones, but sturdy dwarf-made weapons.
But that was finally over.
"You're dead, Academy."
He called it revenge, but more accurately, it was training for growth.
He was already destined to be the strongest in the world when it came to swordsmanship even if left alone.
But since he swung his sword as if in secluded cultivation, his growth rate made even the Captain, a Sword Master, click his tongue in amazement.
Even I, who had endured as a professional sandbag since childhood, was at the point where the sandbag was about to burst.
Now, it wasn't just me; the Academy would have to deal with this finished monster.
Bring it on, Academy.
Bring it on, you Academy terrorists!
The walking tactical nuke, Ellen Leon, is coming!
"We’re heading out."
"Right. Suffer for just three and a half more years."
"It was fun, what a shame."
"Please, just leave."
"You’ll be back for winter break anyway, right?"
"Hey! I heard Imperial wine is famous. Bring some back as a gift next time."
Seeing off the Captain and the seniors at the royal castle, I boarded the carriage bound for the Academy.
After a while, Prince Ellen arrived after saying his goodbyes to his family.
The carriage departed immediately, leaving the royal castle behind.
Day 1.
We traveled quickly along the well-paved royal roads.
Day 2.
Thanks to moving as scheduled, we arrived at a nearby territory.
We spent a comfortable day receiving the hospitality of the local lord.
Day 3.
Unexpected rain forced us to camp out.
However, since it was the journey of a prince from a powerful nation, we were able to spend the day relatively comfortably with the help of various convenience-focused magic tools.
And so, Day 4.
The speed was a bit slow due to the roads being turned into a muddy mess by the previous day's rain.
But since we had rested the day before, we could leisurely reach the next territory as long as no accidents occurred.
Yes, as long as no accidents occurred.
"Wow…"
But an accident did occur.
And quite surprisingly at that.
"Bandits?"
As soon as I stepped out of the carriage, I checked the flag attached to it.
It hadn't rained that much yesterday, but there was a chance a downpour while we slept could have blown the flag away.
"It’s right there."
The national flag was fluttering in the wind.
A massive greatsword thrust between two crossed swords.
A flag with just three swords and no animals like other nations.
Anyone could see it was the flag of the Leon Kingdom.
And yet, bandits blocked the path after seeing that?
Were they idiots who didn't recognize the Kingdom’s flag, or were they truly insane?
If not that…
"We have committed a mortal sin."
Looking at the bandits who clearly had a story to tell.
My heart was full of the desire to say, "Then die," but…
"What is the matter?"
Because of Prince Ellen, who had already clicked 'Accept' on the sub story, I had no choice but to proceed with the forced quest while swallowing my tears.
Illustration 1. Daisy holding a rose, drawn by the illustrator who drew the poorly drawn cover.
