Chapter 41: School Opening (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 41: School Opening (1)
"I’m... back!"
Sniff.
Looking at the Academy’s defensive walls in the distance, Violet shed tears of emotion.
It was just a pile of stones.
Grand and imposing as it was, it didn't compare to the sword of light Daisy had brandished in the Holy Kingdom. In fact, even with those walls, the Imperial Academy was destined to be breached as easily as an automatic door in the near future.
Still, I love it.
A mountain of incidents awaited her, but at least they were incidents she remembered.
Of course, the Violet of the future would probably sing a different tune. But for now, the current Violet was so moved by her return that the mere sight of the ramparts brought her to tears.
"Sigh."
After basking in the moment for a while, Violet wiped her eyes with her sleeve and thought to herself.
At least the Holy Kingdom arc is over.
It felt like she’d suffered three—no, five times more than she was supposed to. But thanks to that, every crisis scheduled for the Holy Kingdom arc had been resolved. In other words, she could just tell herself she’d experienced all her future pain in advance.
Of course, I’ll have to deal with the aftermath.
But that was Daisy’s problem, not hers. The original plot was already trashed; there was nothing more she could do. Instead, a Daisy who had grown as much as the plot had been derailed could handle everything on her own.
Having witnessed the grand and beautiful miracle that made the hearts of the Leon Kingdom’s citizens race, Violet decided to let go of her lingering attachments.
The villains to come... Daisy would surely slice through them somehow.
The Demon King... Daisy would probably take care of him too.
Since returning from the Holy Kingdom, Violet’s faith in Daisy had grown more than her faith in the Goddess. She made up her mind to report everything that had happened and vent to her boss, who had spent the whole time coasting in safety.
So much damn stuff happened.
I had such a hard time!
It wasn't just a simple grumble; she had truly gone through hell! So, if he had a conscience, he’d do something for her!
With those thoughts, she waited for Adam, who had returned to the Leon Kingdom.
However.
"……Did you go off to war during the break?"
She was the one who had been dropped into the middle of a battlefield, so why did he look like the patient?
What’s more.
"So much damn stuff happened... I’m so exhausted."
"……"
Violet, having her intended lines stolen from her, could only listen to his complaints with a tearful face.
They say the "Correction Punch" is a tradition passed down from the very atmosphere of certain magical worlds.
But that’s the modern world, and this is a class-based fantasy world. Unless it’s an enemy, you can’t just punch a member of the royalty in the face.
That’s why I swung at the sword Ellen was holding, not at Ellen himself.
Apparently, that was a mistake.
Even in that situation, that crazy bastard Ellen tried to draw out mana to block it. Since a direct collision could have caused a truly massive accident, I guided the impact so that I would take the brunt of it instead of Prince Ellen.
"So that’s how you got injured?"
"Yeah."
Boradori’s eyes narrowed after hearing the full explanation. Is this why they say quick-witted brats are annoying?
"You’re leaving it like this on purpose, aren't you?"
"Obviously."
My arm was broken, and the external injuries looked severe, but there were no internal injuries or other complications. In short, what you saw was exactly what you got.
And in a fantasy world, such injuries were incredibly easy to fix. Despite that, there were two reasons I was playing the role of a critical patient.
One was to use the injury as an excuse to avoid being dragged away by the Sword Emperor.
"What does Prince Ellen say?"
"He feels a pang of guilt every time he sees me."
The other was to build up a "debt of the heart" with our precious little Prince.
"So, make sure you mark Daisy well."
These were injuries that could be healed with a single click from Daisy. Furthermore, if Daisy healed me, the guilt over my injuries might transform into gratitude toward her.
A terrifying thought.
A RoFan heroine can seduce a male lead just by breathing. I had to be careful, always careful.
"Don't worry. As soon as Daisy returned to the Academy, she’s been dragged here and there. She’s busy. Even without me, she’s not in a position to do anything."
True, both the Empire and the Academy must have been quite flustered by Daisy’s unprecedented actions. It was only a few months ago that a low-ranking noble of their own country awakened as a Saintess. Before they could even finish the paperwork for that, she had purged the corruption of the Holy Kingdom and returned as the de facto supreme religious leader.
"It’s not just the Empire."
"Well, considering the Holy Kingdom’s influence, the whole continent must be affected."
"There’s that, but there are also the kids who followed her, right?"
"Ah."
I’d forgotten because of the sudden events, but everyone in the Flower Arrangement Club except for the Narrow-Eyed President and Prince Ellen had followed her to the Holy Kingdom.
"It’s a relief things worked out. If they hadn't, it would’ve been an international incident."
I tried to imagine it.
Prince Ellen going to the Holy Kingdom just to follow Daisy, and then the Kingdom receiving news that he’d started a revolution there.
The mere thought gave me goosebumps and made my limbs tremble. Being mind-controlled by dark magic felt like a blessing in comparison.
"Ah."
Realizing that, another fact occurred to me.
"What is it?"
"I just remembered something I have to do."
"In that state?"
"This is nothing. Even if both my legs were broken, I couldn't miss this."
I was serious. Even if I had to crawl on the floor with shattered legs, there was something I had to see.
"What on earth is it?"
What else?
"Watching a house on fire."
I was going to watch someone else’s house burn down.
Ignoring Boradori, who still had many questions and things to confirm, I ordered a coffee from the snack bar and ran straight to the warehouse where the Shadows gathered.
Unfortunately, no one was there, but since I visited every day, I was bound to see people coming and going. So, without fail, I waited for them in the warehouse with a cup of coffee in hand.
"To... to drink water mixed with coffee..."
Watching the Fire Spammer make a comment like a reincarnated Italian, I sipped my Iced Americano. As expected of someone from a country of Magic Spammers full of prejudice, she couldn't accept the glory of an 'Ah-Ah.'
"It’s delicious."
It was sweet. Even without sugar, a sweetness rose up along with the deep aroma. This was why I visited the warehouse every day. A smile naturally formed on my lips.
"You... you..."
The Fire Spammer glared at me at that faint smile as if she were frustrated.
"I don't even have the strength to be angry..."
Perhaps she didn't even have the energy to keep her eyes open, as she collapsed with her face on the desk.
"Is no one else coming?"
The Fire Spammer was actually in better shape than most. That’s why she could take refuge and rest here. Others were in situations where they couldn't even show their faces, and in Uncle Aeryun’s case, no one had even seen him since the RoFan group returned to the Academy.
With a face like his, he’d stand out even in a school uniform, yet there was no news. He might have been dragged to the Imperial Capital as soon as they returned.
"They should have blocked it better."
"You... you brat..."
I muttered in a small voice, but only the Fire Spammer and I were in the club room. I’d said it for her to hear anyway.
"Your Prince, too..."
"He was just trying to save people and got caught by an evil dark mage."
"……"
From my perspective, it was a nightmare, but to a third party, it could be seen as a heroic act. So, if I, the victim, shielded him, the Fire Spammer couldn't say a word.
"Ou-our Prince, too. The corrupt Holy Kingdom..."
The Fire Spammer tried to defend her Prince with a tearful face.
"But does that justify participating in another country’s revolution? If a problem arises in the Empire later, I guess he’ll join the Imperial revolution too."
"N-no!"
Boradori had said that the trip to the Holy Kingdom was, in a different sense, comparable to or even worse than Silence’s terrorism. It must have been true, as the limp Fire Spammer suddenly bolted upright and shouted.
"But if Daisy is there, it might be possible."
"Ah..."
She must have really lost her mind, as she couldn't even counter me like usual and just looked miserable. If I played my cards right, I could actually make her cry.
"Even if a revolution doesn't happen, Daisy will probably go back to the Holy Kingdom during winter break. Your Prince will follow her there too, won't he?"
"Wh-why are you doing this to me..."
I couldn't tell if she was talking to me or her Prince, but eventually, tears pooled in her eyes and dripped onto the floor.
"Sweet."
They say tears are salty, but the coffee felt even sweeter.
"You son of a bitch!"
Unable to take it anymore, fireballs manifested around the Fire Spammer. To use chantless fire magic of that level without even a spark... she truly was the guardian of the Dale royalty.
However, I also knew a spell that could nullify her magic with a single sentence.
"That’s why you need to hurry up and confess."
"Eh?"
Her face turned as red as the flames she’d just swallowed. I let out a sigh.
"This year’s winter break... is already too late."
"Is he really going...?"
"If you don't plan on following Daisy next year, you have to at least stake your claim with a confession."
"B-but if I get rejected..."
It was frustrating to see the Fire Spammer looking miserable for a different reason.
"Does being rejected end your role as a guardian? As a guardian, the royal family will force you to stay by his side anyway."
"W-well, that’s true..."
"Magic spa— I mean, your Prince Arwen doesn't see you as a woman. So you have to confess first to make him perceive you as one. Even if you’re rejected, you have to hang around and work on his affection levels!"
"R-really?"
"It’s an analysis from a romance expert, not me. It’s a better judgment than anything we could come up with."
I remembered it being a method from a manga or webtoon I saw in my past life... though I think the ending was the protagonist dating the heroine who gave the advice instead of the one who confessed...
"Oh..."
I decided not to tell her that, for the sake of her confidence.
"I’m telling you, I’ll help."
I was serious. Honestly, it was a bit of a crisis. Ever since our King took an interest in Daisy’s big, beautiful sword. Even setting that aside, the moment the royal family calculated that Daisy’s value had risen enough that she wouldn't be a bad match for Prince Ellen.
It probably wouldn't happen, but if the Prince of Dale stayed near Daisy, this sentiment was bound to surface:
Leon cannot lose to Dale!
What was once a possibility was now starting to feel like a certainty. Therefore, it was best to clear away the Dale royalty and their Magic Spammer as quickly as possible.
"R-really?"
And besides that, my desire to protect the Fire Spammer’s pure love wasn't a lie.
"Of course. Aren't we allies?"
The Fire Spammer, Lady Loreliya, and I were allies in the anti-Daisy romance front.
"Th-that’s right!"
To keep the pledge of helping each other’s romances, I had a duty to protect the love of the Fire Spammer and Senior Loreliya...
"I have given up."
"Pardon?"
"I have decided to concede gracefully. Lady Daisy is a more fitting match for His Highness than I am."
...And just like that, my duty vanished.