Chapter 224: Conception (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 224: Conception (3)
I started by taking a shower.
"So you're saying the former academy principal's contact info was among the missed calls?"
Toweling off my damp hair, I asked Vixbig. She poured out a torrent of words, as if she had organized her thoughts while I was showering.
[Yes. I checked multiple times, and I'm certain. This is definitely a missed call from the former principal's number.]
"I get who called. But who exactly is the former principal?"
[You don't know... the former principal...? Someone that famous? Master Sword Demon, did you come from another world or something? I, Vixbig, am utterly shocked.]
Her tone dripped with disbelief. But in this situation, I was the one who was flabbergasted.
Just how famous was the former principal for her to react like this? To the point of immediately treating me like an alien just because I didn't know who she was? Well... I actually was from another world, so I couldn't really complain.
'Why was someone so famous never mentioned even once in the game, though?'
I found it puzzling. Back when I was a player, information on Medea, the current principal, had been quite extensive. Thanks to her self-sacrificing spirit in throwing herself into battle for the students right after the war broke out, she was recorded as the greatest principal in history.
At one point, the online community had been plastered with all sorts of random posts about Medea. Things like "Medea is still would, even over seventy."
'Still, isn't that taking it a bit too far?'
I at least knew the general outline for popular characters like her. But the former principal? There hadn't been a single word about her in the game. Strictly speaking, that meant she wasn't famous—at least, not from my perspective as a gamer.
[How could you not know who the former principal is...? Truly, truly shocking. I, Vixbig, even joined her fan club!]
So my general knowledge wasn't lacking after all? She was just a fan of the former principal. Come to think of it, it had been strange from the start.
No matter how advanced an AI was, recognizing someone instantly just from an unsaved phone number was unreasonable. It popped up immediately because it was a number she already had saved. A huff of laughter escaped my lips.
'I should have realized sooner.'
Feeling the tension deflate, I perched on the windowsill. The night breeze gently ruffled my hair. Nothing beat air-drying when it came to hair.
"Setting aside why the former principal reached out to me, just explain who she is."
A contact from the former principal. It was a little surprising, but not shocking.
My call log was already full of prominent figures from politics and business. Well, given my current status as a Seven Star Hero, that was only natural.
I was literally receiving greetings three times a day from the President of the United States. She might have just sent a formal congratulatory message as a former principal. Honestly, I didn't find the call all that extraordinary.
'Out of the blue, sure, but still.'
Vixbig's speech burst forth like a dam during monsoon season.
[The former principal's name is Meain Poison. She is commonly known as All-Power Meain—an epithet earned because her individual combat strength equals that of ten thousand heroes. Among the current generation, no hero possesses greater martial prowess.]
"Poison...? Is she family with the current principal?"
[Yes, they are twin sisters. Lady Meain is the older sister.]
The predecessor and successor being twin sisters. Now that was somewhat surprising. What kind of family was the Poison Clan? You'd think a house that produced two academy principals would be widely spoken of, yet there were surprisingly few rumors. Meanwhile, Vixbig babbled on.
[Furthermore, Lady Meain's greatness isn't limited to mere combat power!]
She was thoroughly excited. Vixbig expressed her inner fangirl toward Meain without filter. Her usual grumbling about everything being a hassle was nowhere to be seen.
[Her intellect was exceptional enough for her to serve as the principal of Joaquin Academy. Truly, she could be called a near-perfect hero endowed with both intellect and brawn!]
"Question. If she's such a strong hero, why isn't she among the Seven Stars? From what you're saying, it sounds like Lady Meain is stronger than the Sword Emperor."
[To answer your second question first, Lady Meain is indeed stronger than the Sword Emperor. Though an unofficial account, it is a fact that the Sword Emperor himself readily admitted. Even so, the gap in their strength isn't large. It would be a difference of a single clash at most.]
"Whatever the case, the Sword Emperor was known as the strongest of humanity, yet she's stronger than him? That's a contradiction, then."
I could almost feel Vixbig curling her lips into a grin.
[That connects to your first question. Why isn't such an incredible person a Seven Star Hero? And why doesn't she claim the title of humanity's strongest? That is because Lady Meain is...!]
She paused dramatically, like the climax of an oration. What kind of grand reason could it be? Building it up like this naturally raised my expectations.
[Because she is the ultimate embodiment of laziness! 'Everything is too much hassle, so I shall depart the mundane world.' Ah, isn't that truly magnificent? How utterly romantic! Ever since I heard those words, I, Vixbig, have striven tirelessly to be just like Lady Meain!]
"..."
A tight ache throbbed at the back of my neck. The reason she refused to become a Seven Star... You mean she didn't join the fight when Basmon, the 6th Corps Commander, invaded simply because it was too much hassle? Even though she was stronger than the Sword Emperor? My cheek twitched in sheer disbelief.
'Come to think of it, Medea mentioned before how she became principal...'
That her predecessor dumped the position on her and vanished without a second thought. I thought it was just a figure of speech back then, but it was the literal truth.
I had temporarily forgotten that normal people were a rare breed in this world.
Even this AI possessed a twisted mindset. She respected Meain for being at the absolute pinnacle of laziness. A screw was definitely loose in her system. It clearly required an audit.
I should bring this up with Ryozo. If I did, Vixbig wouldn't be able to escape a full format.
Perhaps reading my narrowed eyes, Vixbig hastily tried to backtrack.
[O-Of course, I am a diligent AI when working for humanity. My admiration for Lady Meain Poison isn't merely because she's a slacker! I respect her because she left a distinct mark on the academy!]
She was uncanny at reading the room. In my mind, the danger rating for this AI rose another notch.
"So, even though I didn't tell you to, you naturally texted the former principal on your own initiative while I was showering, right?"
[Flinch.]
Pressing my fingers against my eyelids, I spoke.
"Don't freeze up. What did you send?"
[It is a supreme honor that the respected Lady Meain Poison has contacted me first. For what reason has such an esteemed personage—]
"Summarize."
[—Please reply when you see this message.]
"And her reply?"
[It hasn't come yet...]
Ping~
[...or rather, it just arrived.]
Impeccable timing.
"What does it say?"
[She says she wants to meet face-to-face soon regarding the new special class. She'll visit in person, so please wait for her.]
"...How does she know about creating the special class? Has word leaked already?"
[Impossible. I am wiretapping all CCTVs and home appliances, so there are no leaks. The parties involved are maintaining strict secrecy as well.]
"Then how does the elderly former principal know?"
[It doesn't mention that... Ah, but scrolling down, there's a postscript.]
"Read it."
[P.S. When the two of us meet, I pray you don't bring your Daixo sashimi knife.]
Vixbig delivered the ultimatum in a lowered voice.
[To the Demon King of Swords,]
[Respectfully, Meain Poison.]
* * *
A week passed. It was a hectic week, so much so that the events in Hawaii felt like a midsummer night's dream. No phrase could be more fitting than "busy beyond belief."
During the day, I attended classes without fail, and once the sun began to set, I handled backlogged official duties. Furthermore, only four days remained until the establishment of the special class. Ah, right. Today was practically over, so it was three days now.
"I'm so busy I'm losing track of time."
Still, the silver lining was that I had dedicated helpers for all three areas: academics, official duties, and class creation.
For academics, there was Ryozo. She was giving me private tutoring after school.
'Maybe I should take studying a bit easy...'
Ryozo shot down my desire to slack off in a heartbeat. She insisted that the higher a person rises, the more knowledgeable they must be, claiming that wisdom stems from knowledge.
I had no counterargument. So, I quietly devoted myself to my studies as well.
"You only need to memorize the Theory of Blessing Specifics and history from AD 563 to AD 741. Only this will be on the exam."
"Not 'it might come out,' but it 'will' come out?"
Ryozo tapped her temple with the eraser on the end of her pencil.
"I memorized all the past exam questions from the last twenty years. Doing that gives you a general sense of the pattern—what gets tested and what doesn't."
Good grief.
In this way, she clearly highlighted only the key points and skipped unnecessary content entirely. It was Ryozo's consideration, knowing full well that I was pressed for time.
"Studying just for tests isn't really building true knowledge, but it's necessary nonetheless. These are essay questions written by Joaquin Academy professors, after all—not multiple-choice guessing. It will definitely come in handy when you handle your Seven Star duties."
Vixbig assisted with my official duties as a Seven Star Hero. Though an AI claiming to be a slacker, she worked diligently on assigned tasks.
"Beep! I, Vixbig, declare a strike today!"
On days she whined especially hard, I would let her hear the sound of a scraping blade. Then Vixbig would process paperwork briskly without another word.
"Sob sob... my life..."
Questionable mindset aside, thanks to her, the stacks of paperwork accumulated far less.
Creating the new class fell to Weapon. He submitted reports brimming with unsolicited additions and his own ideas. Weapon was particularly motivated about this matter.
"Di... no, Heavenly Sword! Submitting the progress report!"
"Can't you just call me Director like you used to? It makes me really uncomfortable."
"Ah, understood... got it."
Thus, all I had to do was receive flawless reports and sign them—fulfilling the role of the final approver.
Inside the archives provided by the principal for handling my official business...
"Haaah..."
Completely exhausted, I slumped over my desk. I once again felt deeply grateful to Ryozo, Weapon, and Vixbig. If not for those three, I wouldn't even have had time to lie sprawled out like this.
Lying there like a zombie, I eventually picked up the pen again. Even if they handled the process, the final approval ultimately rested with me. Consequently, there was still a mountain of work to process—and that wasn't a metaphor; an actual mountain rose high atop the desk.
A dry chuckle escaped my lips. No wonder Medea had wanted to step down from the principal position as soon as possible. The heavy dark circles under her eyes that even makeup couldn't conceal—that dark exhaustion had now settled beneath my eyes as well.
My blistered right hand worked the quill. The feather swayed gently.
'I thought people only used quills for show, but I was wrong.'
They were surprisingly practical and light.
As twilight fell pitch-black outside, moonlight flickered across the glass window. Stars crumbled like fine grains across the deep night sky. Only the rustle of scratching paper resonated in the evening silence.
Knock, knock.
A knock broke through the quiet. Keeping my eyes fixed on the document, I spoke.
"Come in."
The visitors were predictable—either Weapon or a few Association officials. As if answering my call, the gap in the doorway slowly widened.
Creeeak.
Glancing up to see who it was, the fluttering feather froze instantly—for the person stepping inside was entirely unexpected.