An Offer You Can't Refuse

"Sit."

The voice was deep and resonant. Though low and ordinary in tone, that single word carried an overwhelming force none of us dared resist. The three of us froze instantly and obeyed without hesitation.

Leopold Dagamba. Principal of the Imperial Academy and the man once called the Empire's strongest swordsman. He had grown old and stepped down from that title long ago, yet his presence and sheer pressure remained impossible to ignore.

"First, I want to thank you. Not only did you help the professors subdue Darose, but I hear you also eliminated a Demon in the underground aqueduct."

Leopold spoke with a kindly smile. He was smiling, yet the oppressive weight in the air refused to fade.

"All three of you performed admirably. Truly excellent. However, there are a few matters I need to confirm, which is why I called you here."

"What is it?" Rachel asked, steadily devouring the snacks laid out before her. It was an impolite attitude, but the principal already knew her circumstances and said nothing about it.

"Exactly how did you manage it?"

The question wasn't aimed at all three of us. It was directed at one person alone—me.

"The professors who explored the central section of the underground aqueduct reported that the battle didn't last long. It appears you handled everything at maximum speed in a very short time."

His calm gaze pierced straight into me.

"Lady Cassandra?"

"Yes, Principal."

"How did you come to enter the underground aqueduct?"

Lady Cassandra hesitated briefly and glanced at me. I gestured for her to speak honestly. Leopold Dagamba was an old, cunning fox of the Empire, seasoned by age. Clumsy lies before this man would only backfire. Honesty was the wiser path.

"Asbel asked for my help. He said Fankel Brown was acting strangely. That we had to capture him to prevent a greater tragedy. So I went along."

"I see. Miss Rachel, subduing Darose at precisely the right moment was very ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠well done. Did Asbel also instruct you to assist the professors if a fight broke out?"

"Yeah. Asbel told me to stay there. To help out if things got ugly."

When Rachel nodded and answered, Principal Leopold slowly nodded in return.

"Both of you did well. You may leave. As principal, I promise each of you a reward—anything within my power here at the academy. I won't demand an answer now. When you think of a wish later, inform me through the professors."

"Th-thank you."

"I want meat! Lots and lots of meat!"

Leopold smiled at Rachel's outburst.

"Then I'll have plenty of fine aged beef sent to you. Both of you have worked hard. You may go now. I have something to discuss with Asbel in private."

"Yes, Principal."

The two of them bowed and left the office. Rachel kept glancing back at me with a reluctant whine in her eyes, clearly wanting to stay, but when I gestured for her to leave she nodded gloomily and stepped out.

Once the door closed, only Leopold and I remained in the principal's office.

"The Arcane Neuron is growing. Inside your body."

He struck without warning. At Leopold's level, noticing it faster than Marquis Catel was hardly surprising.

"Floating your sword through the air and carrying it with you, the fact that I only recently learned the name of a scion from the Lichtenauer Ducal Estate, and a knight who wields blades turning out to be a grand mage—especially the manifestation of the Arcane Neuron, which appears only in a chosen few."

Principal Leopold slowly moved behind me and placed both hands on my shoulders.

"Just who are you, Asbel Lichtenauer?"

I swallowed hard. His presence had been extraordinary even on a monitor, but facing it in reality surpassed imagination.

"What kind of answer would you like to hear?"

"Your method for dealing with Demons. How did you know about it? Last night I sent someone to the Catel Marquisate for discreet inquiries. They told me you were also the one who cured the Marquis's wife."

Principal Leopold was smiling. He had maintained that smile throughout. Yet the atmosphere was anything but light.

"Now. Answer me. Depending on what you say, I'll have to decide how to handle you. It's best not to lie. My intuition is exceptionally sharp. I can detect a lie immediately. The mana within a person's body reveals ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠far more than you might think."

The hands resting on my shoulders weren't simply placed there. He was reading my mana. One wrong word and I was finished. My mind spun at full speed.

They call it rotten water, yet here I am worrying about this?

This is the first time even for me—being dragged before Principal Leopold at this stage and getting asked these questions!

The realistic difficulty had completely overturned the story progression I knew. An event where Leopold questioned me like this at this point had never occurred on any difficulty level. The Evil Dragon Cult event was supposed to begin as a late-game main storyline after academy graduation.

I need to think carefully. I have to get this right.

Experiencing this event was definitely a first, but I had no intention of rolling over. Leopold was an essential character for growth. He served as a core NPC for countless side quests and main storylines, so my mind held a vast amount of data on him—his likes, personality, preferences, family ties, past history, everything.

I compiled all that information in an instant and extracted the optimal response for this exact situation.

"Do you want the truth? Or the answer you wish to hear?"

I answered his question with a question of my own. Principal Leopold's eyes widened. His expression clearly read, Well, look at this one.

"Hmm. That is quite the troublesome question. I posed the query, yet you return it as another question."

Principal Leopold chuckled with clear interest. He paused briefly, but I already knew exactly what he would say.

If this was the Leopold Dagamba I knew...

"Give me the answer I desire."

That was what he would say. Because what he valued above all else in this world was the peace of the Empire and the Academy.

"I read about Demons in my father's family archives."

"Haha! That's quite plausible. The Lichtenauer Ducal House was indeed a legendary family during the Dragon Blood War. It would be perfectly natural for them to possess records on Demons. So even if you read it by chance, there's no reason to suspect foul play."

The hands gripping my shoulders tightened slightly.

"Even if it's a fabricated tale, it's remarkably convincing, Asbel."

"If you want the truth, I can tell you. But it will be difficult to believe, and even if you hear it, one crucial fact remains unchanged."

"And what is that?"

"That I stand on the Empire's side. I have no connection whatsoever to the Evil Dragon Cult. My position is that I must stop them and protect the Empire and its people."

"How can I trust that?"

"You don't have to. No matter what I say right now, your suspicions won't vanish. But if I fail to stop the Evil Dragon Cult, I will die."

"Die?"

"Without question. A permanent death."

I let out a weary sigh.

"My situation is like a wild boar fleeing a wildfire—I must desperately block the Evil Dragon Cult. Therefore, there's no need for you to obstruct me, keep me under surveillance, or make things troublesome for either of us. Because I am not the person you suspect."

"The person I suspect... How can you speak with such certainty about what I'm thinking?"

"You're wondering if I might be a spy planted by the cult. After all, aside from the Black Iron Knights and the combat mages of the Black Magic Tower—Uroboros's Children—only members of the Evil Dragon Cult would possess detailed knowledge of Fragments of Corruption and Demons."

The pressure from the hands on my shoulders eased slightly. With my current specs, I couldn't even touch a hair on this man's head. To survive, I had no choice but to wield my words ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like a blade.

"They deliberately create one or two Demons and have their spy eliminate them to build trust, allowing deeper infiltration into the organization. That was the classic tactic used by Evil Dragon Cult members during the Dragon Blood War. You're suspecting that I'm treading the exact same path, aren't you?"

"You know an astonishing amount. Almost as if you've researched it thoroughly."

"If you're that suspicious, please bring the Tears of Pelokis. I'll drink it in front of you. Cult members all carry a special form of Fragment of Corruption within their bodies and wield dark mana. Drinking the Tears of Pelokis will suppress that dark mana and trigger an immediate reaction, making it conclusive."

At my words, Principal Leopold stared down at me quietly, then walked to his desk, retrieved a bottle of the Tears of Pelokis without difficulty, and handed it over.

"Drink."

I emptied the entire bottle without hesitation and set it down for him to see.

The principal observed my condition for a long time. After nearly ten minutes of careful scrutiny, he finally nodded.

"It's the truth. There is no Fragment of Corruption inside you. Which means... you are not a cult member."

"You'll believe me, then?"

"I have no choice but to believe you. You were not lying. I can tell immediately from your mana signature. I apologize for suspecting you."

Principal Leopold offered a courteous apology. I released a long breath of relief.

"Thank you for believing me."

"You're still just a student. Only nineteen years old, yet you know how to hunt Demons."

His chuckling tone made me smile awkwardly.

"I'm not yet at the level to face a true Demon. The one I defeated this time had only mutated recently. The original host's abilities were also quite weak, which made it simple to handle. It was far more difficult when I faced the Demon born from Marquis Catel's wife, whose original power was exceptionally strong."

"Correct. A newly born Demon's strength is dictated by the original host's abilities. However... once it consumes divine artifacts and its core begins to enlarge, the situation changes entirely. It was truly fortunate that you suppressed it early, Asbel."

Principal Leopold lit a cigar.

"Which brings me to this... I want you to become the seventh-year class president."

"Pardon?"

"Isn't it obvious? We cannot allow a valuable asset capable of hunting Demons to waste ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠away as an ordinary student. We must put you to use. Don't worry about the election. With a few words from me, I can redirect the support currently flowing to Rachel and focus it on you instead. So? Will you do it, or not?"

Principal Leopold wore a sly, wicked smile.

It was an offer I couldn't refuse.