Chapter 96: Second Year (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 96: Second Year (3)
Sending someone away to die also meant that things would become quite awkward if they didn't actually die.
Of course, one would wonder if there were any lunatics crazy enough to send assassins into the Empire.
"There are more than you’d think..."
Assassins were a given in a RoFan world.
Even before considering the RoFan aspect, there were always those who figured it didn't matter if it was the Empire or whatever, as long as they didn't get caught.
"The probability of several kingdoms aiming for that seems high."
Uncle Aeryun didn't deny that fact.
"They really see the Empire as a pushover, don't they?"
As long as there’s no evidence.
It was a method that worked surprisingly well.
The Empire was a great power that even Leon and Dale couldn't treat lightly.
And a small-to-medium kingdom was sending assassins there?
It was madness.
That’s exactly why people would think:
—I heard Kingdom X sent assassins to the Imperial Academy to kill their own prince.
—Kingdom X wouldn't do something that insane unless they'd lost their minds.
—Isn't this just a conspiracy by the Empire to pressure Kingdom X?
—That sounds more plausible.
Indeed.
The Academy got trashed so often that people forgot, but the Empire was the strongest power on the continent.
Though it lived quietly now, just over a hundred years ago, it was a nation that had waged wars of conquest against numerous countries across the continent.
It was a country born from antagonizing, fighting, and ultimately triumphed over countless nations.
It wasn't for nothing that people occasionally came to the Academy to commit acts of terror in league with dark mages, shouting for the revival of old kingdoms. Among the remaining kingdoms, quite a few were still hostile toward the Empire, unable to forget the wars of the past.
In fact, even countries that hadn't fought the Empire were often hostile.
That was the Empire.
Because it reigned as the greatest and strongest nation, it was in a position where it couldn't help but be the target of envy and jealousy from others.
Therefore, without definitive evidence, any accusation was likely to backfire.
Furthermore, hadn't there been several incidents at the Academy this year already?
The Empire might be accused of scapegoating other nations for its own internal problems.
"Know your place," Uncle Aeryun muttered, grinding his teeth.
Seeing him look genuinely pissed off, I saw a glimmer of hope.
"Are you going to reject them?"
Dangerous bombs were coming; there was no need to accept them, right?
"No, I'm accepting them."
He’s actually taking them.
It seemed his anger had been channeled in a different direction.
"Let them try their little schemes. I'll block them all. I'll find the evidence, turn it into a political issue, and squeeze them for everything they've got!"
"Don't ask me for help."
At my words, Uncle Aeryun looked at me with a shocked expression.
It was the look one might give a traitor who had sold out their motherland.
"Aren't we a community of fate in this club?"
"I wouldn't go that far."
This club was just a gathering of people who were all suffering in their own way, agreeing to help each other out if they had the spare time.
"Then what is this club even for?!"
"Officially, it's a Gourmet Tour Club."
"That hasn't been finalized yet!"
It still wasn't finalized?
I told him we should just go with the Sacred After-School Dessert Club.
"No, I mean, we're busy enough dealing with dark mages. Do we really have time to worry about other kingdoms?"
"Heh... hehehe..."
At my deadpan remark, Uncle Aeryun let out a creepy laugh.
"One learns through experience. Do you know what I've realized through my experiences so far?"
"No clue."
"It's that there is absolutely nothing I can do!"
Taylor had mentioned that Uncle Aeryun was considered a legendary figure in the Empire.
Truly, it was a sharp insight befitting such a reputation.
"Whether I give it my all or not, I can't stop those dark mage bastards from moving."
To think he could reach such a truth without even knowing this world was a RoFan.
His wisdom truly matched his aged face.
"Since I can't stop it anyway, I trust that when something happens, you and Daisy will take care of it."
Wait, Daisy might be an Imperial citizen, but I'm not.
"You're working people too hard..."
Does this man have no conscience?
"You look like you're searching for my conscience, but fortunately, considering the stuff you plundered from the Empire last year, I don't need to find it."
"I did plunder quite a bit."
Even if it was for Daisy's potions, the items were valuable enough that the Finance Minister himself postponed his nephew's wedding just to lend us the venue.
"And aren't we a community of fate?"
"I've told you several times, we're not."
"No, I'm not talking about the club."
"Is there something else?"
What kind of nonsense was he going to spout now?
As I looked at him with that expression, Uncle Aeryun checked a few documents and tossed one in front of me.
"...I've seen this face somewhere."
Looking at the photo, the face seemed familiar.
I remembered it, but I couldn't quite place it. I checked the name.
—Rizel Dersian.
Still not ringing a bell, I tilted my head.
"You don't remember?"
"It feels like I should, but I don't. Who is he?"
"The guy you beat up."
"Me?"
Damn, who was it?
Since he's a freshman, he wouldn't be in the Swordsmanship Department.
He's an Imperial, so if I hit him, it means I hit him here in the Empire.
"Is he a dark mage?"
"Not that far gone."
"Then who?"
"Your girlfriend's cousin."
"Daisy's?"
"No. Your other girlfriend."
"...Ah."
I remembered.
The cousin of Senior Loreliya, whom I met during the Empire's Founding Festival.
Come to think of it, it was because of this guy that Senior Loreliya asked me to be her fake boyfriend.
"...He's enrolling next year?"
"That's right."
"In the Swordsmanship Department?"
"He's a swordsman who's quite highly anticipated by the collateral branch."
"Hmm..."
Recalling the memory, Senior Loreliya didn't seem to like this guy at all.
Based on her usual dialogue, it felt like the collateral branch was using this guy as a centerpiece to give the main family grief.
"I can wreck him, right?"
I threw the question out casually.
"I'd appreciate it if you did."
Seeing him nod lightly, it seemed Uncle Aeryun had some grievances of his own.
Well, it couldn't be helped.
"Just this once."
I spoke with a small sigh.
"Seeing how that guy acts, you won't be able to stop at just once."
Seeing Uncle Aeryun's confident smirk, the kid was clearly no ordinary piece of work.
The Academy during the break was peaceful.
I heard that some weirdos were occasionally caught outside the Academy grounds.
But it seemed that no terrorists or dark mages were being discovered.
"It's strange. It really feels like incidents only happen when Daisy is around..."
Uncle Aeryun let out a deep sigh as he spoke.
Having been dragged all the way to the Holy Kingdom and suffering through that ordeal, he seemed to feel it even more acutely.
"Have you heard of the 'calm before the storm'?"
"Shut up."
Since he kept trying to glimpse the truths of the world, I decided to lightly divert his attention.
In reality, a storm was indeed scheduled.
"Let's just fail half of them."
There were roughly six princes and nine princesses from other nations.
A total of fifteen royals.
At this point, it felt like an intentional act of malice from the universe.
"It's not as easy as it sounds."
Being royalty meant they had received rigorous education since childhood.
No matter how much the Imperial Academy prioritized talent, as long as a royal wasn't a complete idiot, it was normal for them to pass.
Topping the class was hard, but getting in wasn't.
"If they find out we failed them for political reasons, they'll throw a fit."
"Then forget the royals. What about the other nobles?"
The foreign royals were a handful, but there were also quite a few high-ranking Imperial nobles on the list.
"That side has plenty of problems too."
But he said it was a no-go.
Since they were Imperial nobles, they knew the Academy's requirements too well. If we handled them sloppily, they'd file formal complaints immediately.
"Then what about high-ranking nobles from other countries?"
"That group is at least manageable. But there are some ambiguous ones."
"Like what?"
"They could be agents protecting their royalty, just like us. If we only pass the royals and fail the agents..."
"Don't agents usually ask for cooperation in advance?"
"It's not unheard of. But those under threat of assassination can't easily ask for help."
Sending a royal with the intent to have them killed usually meant the kingdom had already fallen into the hands of another royal faction.
They were being sent here with their hands and feet tied.
We could end up cutting off their last remaining hope.
"It can't be helped then. Let's just accept them all and leave it to fate."
"This bastard... just because it's not his country..."
"Of course. Let the Empire handle Imperial business."
"Sigh... Should I?"
"Pardon?"
He was giving up surprisingly fast today.
"You just told me to leave it to fate."
"I did say that, but are you sure it's okay?"
"It's not okay. But what can I do? Either way, the guys will fall for Daisy and join the Flower Arrangement Club, and the girls will cling to you asking to be your fake boyfriend, right?"
"Hey, I'll give you Daisy, but why are you dragging me into this?"
"To use your favorite term... Big Data?"
"You use that term when data has actually been collected."
We only have two data points; what kind of 'Big Data' is that?
"Is that so? Then I'll say it again next year once the data has piled up."
Uncle Aeryun nodded, tossing out ominous foreshadowing.
"Anyway, I've realized. There is nothing I, as an individual, can do against this massive, inexplicable wave! Didn't you say it yourself? Don't try to understand it."
Come to think of it, I might have said something like that during the Founding Festival.
But still.
"What are you going to write in the report to your superiors?"
Unlike us, who were overflowing with RoFan sensibility through direct experience, the high-ranking officials of the Empire wouldn't understand such things.
"I'll just write something appropriate."
"Is that even possible?"
"Of course. Who do you think I am?"
"A thick-skinned man who looks at least forty but boldly claims to be in his twenties?"
"...W-Who looks forty!"
Seeing him flinch for a moment, it seemed he still had a shred of conscience left.
Report.
Reporter: Aeryun Klein.
Aeryun Klein, Chief Administrator of the Academy, Intelligence Bureau.
Regarding the request for information from the Intelligence Bureau concerning next year's Academy freshmen.
As a field agent, I am submitting information that may be helpful based on field experience.
Who should be accepted, and who should be rejected?
The answer to your inquiry is simple.
Those who pass the Academy entrance exam should be accepted.
Those who fail should not.
The Academy was established as a place of learning.
And it still upholds that founding principle today.
Although a series of unfortunate incidents have recently occurred at the Academy, the Empire ultimately resolved every single one of them.
We are not weak.
We will not be shaken by the petty tricks of small kingdoms.
No matter what they are plotting, we simply need to stand firm in our position.
This is what I, as a field agent, send...
The Director of the Intelligence Bureau frowned as he read Aeryun's report.
"What is he even saying?"
An agent who had worked with Aeryun a few times answered.
"He's saying he'll handle it himself, so just let it proceed."
"Will that work?"
"It's Aeryun Klein. It'll probably work, right?"
"He's had a few failures lately."
"If you're going by that standard, has anything at the Academy ever been a 'success'?"
"True."
The Director pondered the agent's words.
"In these matters, you have to trust the man on the ground."
He, too, had been a field agent in the past.
He had experienced many times how infuriating it was when superiors didn't trust the words of those in the field.
"Proceed!"
He chose to trust Aeryun's words.
Of course.
"What if it fails?"
"He'll be the one taking responsibility!"
Just like the superiors before him, he had absolutely no intention of taking responsibility himself.