Life Doesn't Always Go Your Way (1)
Sprawling across the vast empire's territory, right at its heart, lay the capital Aldenor.
And in the center of Aldenor stood the imperial palace, where a certain woman resided.
With long silver hair cascading down her back, golden eyes scanning through documents, she quietly moved her pen, methodically working through the mountain of paperwork piled before her.
"Your Highness, new reports have come in from the north."
Her name was Kali Aldheim.
In the current empire, long after the emperor had stepped back from the front lines, she ruled as its de facto sovereign—the imperial princess.
"Enter."
At her permission, a subordinate cautiously opened the door and stepped inside.
Kali glanced at him briefly before returning her gaze to the documents, asking in a tone as if something odd had caught her attention.
"Why the long face? If you've brought news of victory, you should be smiling."
".... How did you know?"
Even though he hadn't yet mentioned the north's victory, Kali spoke as if she already knew.
In response to his bewildered reaction, Kali—still keeping her eyes fixed on the papers—replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"It was that kind of war from the start. The tundra lacks abundant supplies, so a solid defense would have crumbled them on their own."
"Had they failed even at that, I might have been greatly disappointed in Lia Agehis herself."
The princess showed no particular joy at the expected victory.
Instead, she turned her interest to what came after the war, inquiring further.
"What's the damage to the Northern Barrier? Will it require imperial support?"
She had predicted the north's win, but this was an entirely different matter.
Even if the tundra forces were inferior to the north's, they had a khan known to be Swordmaster level.
Two powerhouses of considerable caliber clashing head-on made it hard to gauge the extent of the damage.
It wouldn't have been surprising if the barrier had been on the verge of collapse, so Kali was prepared not to be shocked by whatever answer came.
But the response that followed was more than enough to surprise her.
"That is.... There were no casualties...."
"... No casualties?"
"Yes. That's correct."
Only then did Kali set down her pen, having reviewed documents throughout the report.
She lifted her gaze, her eyes gleaming with interest as she focused on his words.
"Continue."
No casualties. Not a single loss.
No reports of deaths or injuries, no damage to the barrier, no depletion of supplies—nothing followed.
Winning a war without any losses? It was absurd. Even for her, it was hard to accept.
"They held a duel."
"The terms were: if they won, we'd hand over the resources they wanted; if they lost, they'd withdraw."
What an outrageous stunt.
It was a war they were guaranteed to win.
There was no reason for the north to propose such a duel.
"Whose idea was it?"
"The north proposed it first."
The north had made that offer first?
The only one in the north capable of making a decision that bordered on staking their fate was Countess Agehis alone.
"Countess Agehis wouldn't have made that call."
But she wouldn't have proposed it either.
The countess cherished her people, but that didn't make her foolish or emotional.
If they dueled, she would have to step up herself, and her defeat would unleash consequences no one in the north could handle. She surely knew that.
It was someone else. Someone who had earned enough trust from Countess Agehis to sway her.
"Who was it? This person?"
Who had let personal feelings lead to such a dangerous judgment?
Countless names flashed through her mind—key figures holding vital positions in the north.
Just as she prepared to punish whoever it was severely, his answer wasn't among the northern officials she'd considered.
"A Swordmaster named Ian, they say."
"A Swordmaster?"
Swordmasters were few in number, matching their overwhelming strength.
She had met every Swordmaster in the empire personally and knew all their names, but there was no Ian among them.
In other words, no Swordmaster named Ian existed in the empire.
Until now.
"A new Swordmaster has appeared?"
"Yes. He suddenly showed up, challenged the tundra's khan to a duel to decide the outcome, and defeated the khan and their warriors in a single blow."
"A single blow..."
"Yes. That's why there wasn't even a single clash."
Unbelievable.
But at the same time, all the questions cleared up.
With two Swordmaster-level asymmetries on the north's side, a duel was a viable strategy.
Even if one lost, the other could step in, and finishing off an exhausted foe wouldn't be hard.
"That's fortunate in many ways."
The north achieving victory without a scratch was cause for celebration.
A new powerhouse at Swordmaster level emerging in the empire was equally joyous.
Especially one who could confidently defeat another Swordmaster—and even had Lia's acknowledgment of his overwhelming prowess.
"Afterward, the Agehis side sent some supplies to the tundra at the Swordmaster's request."
"For what reason?"
"He argued it's better to foster friendly relations than leave potential future enemies unchecked."
"Well.... That's not entirely wrong."
Honestly, it was an ambiguous call. Handing over supplies didn't guarantee they'd stay non-hostile.
But maintaining good relations with this man named Ian made the minor resource cost a worthwhile investment.
"Anything else unusual?"
"One more thing."
"What is it?"
"Someone from the tundra came down, delivered an apology along with valuable materials, and formally requested trade with the empire."
"Looks like that Swordmaster's proposal had quite the effect."
Coincidence or foresight, it didn't matter—this was good news too.
"The trade matter will be handled by Countess Agehis, who knows the north's situation better than I. No need to worry."
Checking the results once trade fully commenced would suffice. It wasn't something for her to fret over now.
What truly demanded her attention was something else entirely.
"More than that, I'm curious about this new Swordmaster. Any other details?"
Swordmaster.
Investigating these rare, elite beings was top priority.
Their power was invaluable when allied, but a threat otherwise.
He seemed pro-empire for aiding the north, but she needed to know exactly who he was.
"He was spotted in the Dark District near Riltonburn Territory."
"Ah, that place."
Its massive scale for an underworld hub had long been on her radar.
But with deep ties to central nobles—including a marquis—she'd held off for now.
Like moths to a flame, once the corrupt nobles gathered, she could purge them all at once.
"We confirmed minor friction with the Ulpis Cartel, but details are unclear."
"Hmm... Anything else?"
"After his clash with the Ulpis Cartel, their boss Gillion lost an arm. Many of his guard dogs have vanished too—likely killed by that Swordmaster."
"Ho...."
"And he took a woman called the champion of that district. They've been traveling together since."
The Ulpis Cartel was no pushover.
With a marquis backing them, they'd surely made some noise about it, yet he ignored them and dealt a massive blow before leaving.
"Intriguing."
Amusing.
Unlike any Swordmaster she'd met before.
It sparked a peculiar curiosity in her.
"He's shown unpredictable moves all around."
"Unpredictable.... Naturally. No one reaches Swordmaster by being ordinary."
The Swordmasters she knew were all far from mundane.
Impossible to read their thoughts or predict their actions.
This one was almost refreshingly straightforward by comparison.
"Makes me want to meet him."
A new Swordmaster who appeared on this land and accomplished feats worthy of awe in such a short time.
The more she heard, the more her interest grew.
"Do we know where he's headed?"
"We confirmed he's riding a carriage provided by the Agehis side toward the capital."
"Perfect timing."
Heading to the capital? It was as if the gods themselves had arranged the opportunity.
Hurry and let her meet him.
"Go to him at once and relay this."
Her golden eyes sparkled with keen curiosity.
A smile of anticipation played on her lips as she spoke.
"We eagerly await our meeting with him."
A few more days passed riding in the carriage.
During the day, I'd zone out gazing at the scenery from inside or chat with Carmen; at night, I'd crash at an inn.
Around that time, the carriage gradually slowed to a stop.
"Have we arrived?"
I could tell from the surroundings.
The 'bustle' here felt entirely different from the territories we'd passed—visible even to the eye.
As if he'd been waiting, Allerton nodded.
"Yes. This is the capital Aldenor, and the Academy you mentioned is right there."
Turning in the direction he pointed, I saw a massive castle.
Like something out of a wizard novel—a HogXwarts-level behemoth, grand and imposing.
No doubt about it. This was the Academy.
"You've had a hard journey. Thank you."
"Not at all. It was an honor to accompany you."
As Carmen and I dismounted, Allerton bowed to me before riding off.
After watching them go for a moment, I slowly took in the Academy.
The empire's top institution, gathering the best talents to groom future elites.
Why was I, a college grad, here? Simple.
The heroine's here.
The original story's heroine was at this place.
Meet her, grasp the plot's progress.
Where we were at, what events remained.
Only then could I map out my survival plan clearly.
"Halt."
As I approached the main gate, knights guarding it blocked the way with spears.
Then a man who looked like an administrator stepped forward from behind them and questioned me.
"What is your business?"
"I'd like to see one of the cadets."
"Did you notify us in advance?"
"No."
"In that case, we'll contact the dean for verification and guide you after."
He pulled out a notebook from his pocket.
Drew a pen too, ready to jot notes, then began questioning.
"The name of the cadet you're here to see?"
"Aris Misteilteyn."
"Your relationship to the cadet?"
"I received a small favor from her before enrollment. Here to repay it."
"We'll check immediately. Please wait here."
With that, the administrator left.
Verifying Aris's identity and getting her permission would take time.
What could I do? Unless forcing my way in, I had no choice but to wait patiently.
So I sat by the gate, resigned to wait quietly—when suddenly, the administrator who'd just left came running back.
Looking thoroughly flustered.
"Um.... Is the person you're looking for definitely Aris Misteilteyn?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
His shaken eyes made my heart sink too.
What? What the hell was wrong?
Something had happened, no doubt.
Otherwise, he wouldn't look so hesitant to reply.
".... My deepest apologies, but it seems you haven't heard."
He seemed to wrestle with how to say it before finally opening his mouth.
After a pause, he glanced at me cautiously and continued delicately.
A story I never saw coming.
"The cadet in question dropped out. On her first day of enrollment."
.... What the hell is that supposed to mean?