Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: 10. I Came, I Saw, I Won (1)
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Yuglasia Academy's grand auditorium.
There, Nerkia was shouting like this.
"Everyone except the first-years probably knows already. Before we head out to start the Imperial Tournament today, the dean and the other professors are going to give us a pep talk."
Pep talk, my foot—it was an event that tanked the students' morale with torturously boring speeches.
"But this year, I've been tasked with delivering the professors' message."
So Nerkia had been given all the professors' speeches, compressed into one.
"Before we head to the Imperial Tournament, here's what the professors wanted to say: They're still working on their congratulations, so hold on just a bit!"
Even the professors themselves never imagined Yuglasia's students losing to those from other academies.
Students who had already bested their own professors—losing to mere peers?
From the professors' perspective, that would be an utter humiliation.
"So I told them: If you take too long thinking it over, we might win the whole thing without ever hearing those congratulations!"
Those in leadership positions each have their own special talents.
Some lead from the front, charging ahead and drawing others to follow.
Some blend into the background, quietly orchestrating everything.
Some stay hidden in the shadows, pushing others forward while remaining unseen.
And some captivate hearts with overwhelming charisma.
But Nerkia was a leader who fit none of those molds.
When it was time for night self-study.
As student council president, he was the first to bolt.
When they said they'd skip self-study, he volunteered to be the traitor despite being president.
And during break, while other students showed up at the academy, he executed a plan to skip the academy altogether.
In other words, this guy was a leader with a knack for drawing aggro.
And within that talent for drawing aggro lay the gift of a silver tongue that could fool anyone.
"Alright, that wraps up what the professors—and I—had to say. No need for more words, right? Just to be safe, though, let's check."
Nerkia put on an annoyingly smug face, like something out of an old comedy sketch, and said,
"If there's anyone who still thinks we won't win, raise your hand and ask: 'Can we really win?'"
Silence fell over the auditorium the moment he spoke.
Nerkia looked down at the quiet crowd with a satisfied expression, then nodded.
"Good. No idiots thinking that way, it seems. Alright, let's go."
With that, Nerkia strode lightly toward the auditorium doors and stepped out.
Behind him came the standard-bearers holding flags emblazoned with Yuglasia's crest.
And behind them followed Yuglasia's students.
"Seeing it like this, it's kinda cool."
"Master? You not going?"
"I've gotta leave last. If I run into someone who knows me in the middle of the imperial capital, I'll get nabbed on the spot."
Facial blindness spares protagonists and their friends, mostly.
Even if the princess has left the empire, some of her underlings might still be in the capital and recognize me.
Sure, my face is common as dirt across the continent, but better safe than sorry.
The opponent is the Karan Empire.
Unlike fledgling nations born from revolution in some random kingdom, this one started as an empire by steamrolling neighbors from day one—a place fundamentally different!
A battle-loving nation on par with those super battle freaks, never once defeated in war since its founding!
A den of monsters, packed with insane royals from the emperor down, none of whom are remotely normal!
And one of those monsters is after me.
Worse, if caught, I'll be forcibly made one of them.
What the hell? Every choice leads to a gruesome bad end?
"Master, master. You're shaking? The floor's rattling like crazy."
"Urgh. Gotta calm down."
Just imagining that horrific fate had me trembling without realizing.
Relax, relax. Chill out.
Survive this year, and I'm golden. They only suspect newbies at first.
They might suspect me this year, but after next year and the year after, I'll just be the familiar Yuglasia professor.
Hold out till then, and the "hide in plain sight" plan succeeds!
Perfect timing too—the princess is away from the empire during that period.
"Alright, time for us to get ready to head out."
"Us? I got nothing to prep, though?"
"Pack a lunch at least."
"Eek? But my lunch is just magic stone scraps anyway! I wanna eat tasty stuff too!"
"Shut it and gather mana."
I've been using it willy-nilly since the semester started, and my mana reserves are running low.
Even if I told it to recharge in bat form, it insists on staying like this and keeps using mana, claiming I promised it could.
If enemies come at me with ranged attacks or sheer numbers like with Sia, I'm done for.
"Take magic stones morning, noon, and night. I'm no demon, so I'll allow them as snacks."
"Master, you think I'm a sucker? Acting like you're doing me a favor by letting me eat more stones? You have no idea how nasty they taste!"
"Of course! I don't eat magic stones!"
"Eeeek! If it weren't for next year, I'd quit, but I gotta save mana till then so we can slack off!"
It spouts classic tsundere lines like, "Hmph, this isn't for you, it's for me!" but comes off zero percent tsundere.
"Professor Niserwin, it's Professor Arhan."
"Oh, come in."
"Uh... good work, Professor Niserwin. For now, Professor Muam has led half the professors out already."
Professor Arhan recoiled at the sight of the iron bat fidgeting and grumbling on my desk but soon approached sheepishly and handed me the list of professors who'd left first.
"Are you leading the afternoon group, Professor Niserwin?"
Hell no. Am I crazy?
Today's Imperial Tournament schedule is just the opening declaration in the morning and a party in the afternoon with students, professors, and parents.
The parents from the Empire's Four Great Prestigious Academies are all major imperial figures, so the hosts—the imperial family—will naturally attend too. Perfect spot for me to get caught.
Why would I go?
"No, I still have business here, so I'll head out at dawn tomorrow. Could you handle the afternoon group, Professor Arhan?"
"Understood."
Thanks to Professor Arhan's polite bow as he left, I could skip the afternoon party.
Thus, day one—one of the most dangerous days—is cleared!
Just skip out early on the last day, and I'm risk-free!
#1 Their Circumstances: A Certain Crown Prince's Circumstances.
"Too many risks."
I clutch my aching head and pore over the documents.
But every option is hopeless.
"Risks? Is there a problem with the security for the upcoming Imperial Tournament?"
My long-time retainer speaks up from the side, but he hasn't grasped the full picture.
"No, even if the Imperial Tournament is a prime spot for terrorism, His Imperial Majesty won't be taken down that easily."
Even without guards, ordinary assassins would get crushed by him alone.
Right now, I need to worry about my own neck first.
"A letter from big sis. She says she'll be back before the tournament ends. Still no sign of that Ast guy?"
My retainer, who's been with me forever, widens his eyes and nods, proving his loyalty.
"I see... Your Highness. No, my lord whom I've served so long... Where shall we prepare your grave?"
And as someone who's served me that long, he knows sis well enough to declare my death a certainty.
"Right? I'm dead meat, huh?"
"Yes, it's confirmed. She'll probably time her return to the tournament's end just for that."
"Timing? What timing?"
"Declaring at the closing ceremony that the empire's crown prince is dead. With Her Highness the princess, she'll pin it on Howling remnants or anti-empire forces."
"No, sis might not even bother mentioning Howling remnants or anti-empire forces."
Howling's remnants were wiped out in a perfect encirclement.
Everyone except the one who pulled it off got caught!
"No, as you know, Her Highness handles internal palace affairs on par with Count Arten. If you die the moment she returns, it'll be hard for her to go hunting for Ast."
True enough.
"Plus, she can scour the empire 'avenging' you legally, and if needed, get other nations' cooperation."
"Yeah, claim traces led abroad and ask for investigative help..."
"Then mobilize their manpower to find Ast."
"And my corpse lays the foundation."
"Yes, exactly."
I seriously wonder if this nodding retainer is really mine, but from a third-party view, I'd reach the same conclusion.
In short, I'm as good as...
"I don't wanna dieeeee!"
"Too late for that."
"Hey, I spent my whole life clawing my way to crown prince, and now that I am one, it's instant death flag?"
"You achieved your dream, though. I still haven't fulfilled my childhood wish."
"What's that?"
"Dragon Slayer."
"Win a fight with sis, and you might get called that."
"Pfft, I'd sooner fight a dragon than Her Highness."
Fair. Even I'd pick dragon over sis.
No joke—fighting sis is dragon-level.
"Why not ditch the crown prince gig and run?"
"Thought of that, but her people are watching me."
"How good are they?"
"Dunno, just spotted 'em. Who knows? Rumor has it she has a Swordmaster knight order under her. If true..."
"Oh, that rumor from the capital? Honestly, anything with her name on it sounds plausible—it's scary how believable it is."
"Right? Officially, she has more Swordmasters following her than anyone."
"Yeah, we spread rumors during the capital showdown about our hidden Swordmaster to match her, but the numbers don't lie."
Exactly. We faked having one extra Swordmaster, but sis is rumored to have a whole knight order.
Absurd as it sounds, the capital showdown lends it eerie credibility.
Even against units trained by imperial legends, her vastly outnumbered forces crushed Merdia's elite—who rivaled the empire militarily—ten-to-one, and imperial strategy rooms still can't explain it!
And against units led by Merdia's famed general, whom she'd forced to retreat multiple times.
"Can't you sneak me out at night?"
That's why I couldn't dismiss the Swordmaster knight order rumor.
If Swordmasters are really watching me, the second I bolt, I'll be bound head to toe and dragged before her.
"Your Highness, I don't want to die yet."
"Your sword was for me, wasn't it?"
"Even so, defying Her Highness? Better to end it cleanly with my life."
"Hey, you get to die easy? What about me?"
"Your Highness, just accept it gracefully. Even suicide might not work— she could revive you with forbidden rituals and kill you repeatedly till Ast is found."
"Don't say that. Did sis really study rituals?!"
She learned ancient rituals for fun when bored.
Oh, and she wields a sword masterfully and casts magic too, sis does.
"So, I'm dying?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Face reality. A confirmed dead man like you has at least 10 pages allocated for death scenes."
"Damn it, what's with that specific page count?!"
Bantering with my dubious-yet-loyal retainer, the Imperial Tournament dawned upon us.
"Shit, tournament starting means sis arrives before it ends!"
"Your Highness, give up and go. His Majesty's opening speech is imminent!"
I had no idea then.
That my one shot at survival was right here.
Over a thousand students raised by the Ast I'd sought stood before my eyes.