The Illusion of Equality
Grancia Academy.
On the surface, it was established as a place where commoners and nobles could share academic pursuits and mingle regardless of social status.
But that was just a nice way of putting it. In reality, education and knowledge were exclusive jewels that the aristocracy would never willingly share.
There were only two reasons why such an anachronistic and paradoxical place existed in this world.
First, it allowed the upper class to indulge in their sense of superiority by utterly crushing the commoners beneath their heels.
And the second reason...
...was to allow Alice, the protagonist of this game, to meet the male capture targets.
'Since Alice is a mere commoner, she'd never get to meet those high and mighty nobles if not for a bizarre place like this.'
I bit my lower lip, thinking of the female lead.
In the romance fantasy genre, contradictory settings like this were common.
Because the narrative and emotional chemistry between characters took precedence over world-building logic, minor historical or logical inconsistencies were simply swept under the rug.
"...Saintess, do you have any idea what it means for you to attend Grancia Academy?"
"It must be the guidance of the Lord."
"No. If the most important figure of the Holy Kingdom attends an academy in the heart of the Empire, you become a hostage by default."
I let out a deep sigh, explaining the situation to the invisible Saintess.
This woman, surprisingly, lacked basic common sense and knowledge about aristocratic society.
Having lived like a greenhouse flower in the Holy Kingdom of Valentia, she had likely been kept far away from courtly intrigues.
"Of course, you have your bodyguard, and harming you would be tantamount to declaring war on the Holy Kingdom of Valentia, so the chances of anything dangerous happening are low, but..."
"...But you are saying one can never be too sure."
"Yes. There are factions among the Empire's nobility who do not look kindly upon the Holy Kingdom of Valentia."
I calmly laid out the truth to Astoria.
You can measure the depth of water, but you can never measure the depth of a human heart.
In politics, it was common to smile to someone's face while hiding a dagger behind your back to eliminate them.
"I am sure it will be fine!"
Despite my concerns, the Saintess spoke in a bright, cheerful voice.
"This is a task ordained by the Lord. True faith means harboring a benevolent heart without a single shred of doubt."
"...Your life could be at risk. There might be some lunatic who tries to kidnap you and use you for their own ends."
Since I didn't believe in gods, I tried to dissuade Astoria using more direct, blunt language.
Even with the Crown Prince's protection, she would be in danger if anyone dissatisfied with the current power structure decided to make a move.
"Brother, what makes you worry so much?"
"If someone assassinates you and frames the Imperial Family, it will trigger a war. Even a child knows that."
"It will be fine."
"Saintess...!"
I raised my voice at the Saintess, who wasn't listening to a word I said.
This otome romance fantasy game world was not a forgiving place.
Even if the female lead, Alice, had all sorts of high-ranking nobles flocking to her to play out their romantic fantasies, that was her privilege.
For ordinary people like the Saintess and me, who actually had to live in this world, it was a cold and ruthless place.
"...Because if such a thing were to happen, I believe Brother Theodore will protect me."
At that moment, an unexpected response slipped from the Saintess's mouth.
She was a mysterious woman whose face was completely transparent, forcing me to read her emotions solely through her voice and gestures.
Yet, she declared with absolute certainty, without a single doubt, that I would protect her if anything went wrong.
"Why do you think that?"
"Because you are a kind person, Brother."
At my question, the Saintess took a sip of the black tea placed before her.
Watching the liquid she swallowed instantly turn transparent, I was once again reminded that this was definitely a rendering bug.
"Is that really your only reason?"
"An ordinary person wouldn't worry about someone like me, nor would they try to fix my transparent body."
"...Excuse me?"
I blurted out, dumbfounded.
She trusted me just because of that?
Why did she assume I would protect her if she faced assassination or if war broke out in the Empire?
Had she lost her mind?
We had only known each other for a few days.
"My, the aroma of this tea is wonderful. May I ask where you get these tea leaves later?"
"...Saintess."
"Well, to be precise, it is also because I witnessed your swordsmanship at the social gathering with my own eyes."
When I gave her a flat look for trying to change the subject, Astoria finally confessed her real reason.
"The Baskerville family, known as the Sword of the Empire... I realized for the first time that the rumors about the most talented among them were true."
To put it bluntly, the Baskerville family served as guard dogs, protecting and upholding the authority of the Imperial Family.
Had she caught wind of the fact that I had been trained and educated for that very purpose since childhood?
If so, her logic wasn't entirely baseless.
'Though in my case, my swordsmanship is special because I combine it with a glitch to achieve superhuman speed.'
Specifically, the Draw-Sheathe Glitch.
Unlike bugs that occurred unexpectedly, a glitch was an error intentionally triggered by the player.
By exploiting the bug that boosted speed the moment the sword was drawn from its scabbard, I was able to move far better than anyone else.
It didn't work with just any weapon; it was a specific exploit that only triggered when the scabbard was enchanted with wind magic.
"...My brothers must have spread some strange rumors. I am not actually that skilled."
I lied, wanting to avoid any unnecessary trouble.
After all, while I had some skill, I relied heavily on glitches to make up for my shortcomings.
"But when you cut that broom last time, your sword was too fast to even see."
"..."
"In any case, as a sword that protects the Empire, I trust you will protect someone like me to prevent a war."
"You have your holy knight."
"Sigrid cannot accompany me to every class. Besides, there is also the word of the Lord."
I frowned slightly as the Saintess brought up her god.
Since I didn't believe in religion or gods for personal reasons, no matter how much Astoria talked about the Lord, it failed to inspire any trust in me.
"Let's make one thing clear."
I let out a heavy sigh and signed the parchment the Saintess handed to me.
Since the Crown Prince and the Saintess were pressuring me, I had no choice but to play along on the surface.
In the end, lineage and status determined everything in this world, and no matter how much I struggled, that reality wouldn't change.
"I am only protecting you as a sword of the Empire, Saintess. There are no personal feelings involved."
"I know!"
As I filled out the application form for Grancia Academy, Saintess Astoria let out a joyful giggle, clearly delighted.
"Cardinal, let me tell you an interesting story."
Astoria stared at the young man before her, recalling a conversation she had overheard in the past.
It was a casual chat between the Cardinal, who had adopted her as an orphan, and a few knights over drinks.
The Cardinal had later relayed the story to her.
"Do you know who the best swordsman in our Baskerville family is?"
"Why, isn't it obviously you two?"
"No. Actually, our youngest brother is the best with a blade. He already surpassed us when we were adults and he was still a child."
During an event where the Cardinal traveled around the Holy Kingdom of Valentia to heal the sick and offer prayers, two men passing by had protected him from an attack.
After easily subduing the assassins who targeted the Cardinal, the two men had made those absurd claims.
"Oh? Even better than you two?"
"Yes. So if you ever need a bodyguard, you'd be much better off taking our youngest."
Lehock Baskerville and Kyle Baskerville.
Strangely, they had shown great humility when speaking of their younger brother.
"Still, isn't it a bit much to entrust a young boy with the duty of a bodyguard?"
"No, that kid is a monster. Cardinal, if you saw his swordsmanship in person, you'd be speechless."
"He has this obsession with strength that doesn't suit a kid, so we wanted to help him change if we got the chance."
"His actual personality is incredibly sweet... but he's obsessed with the sword. It's almost like he's possessed by something."
What kind of person could elicit such praise?
The Baskerville family's martial prowess was famous even in the neighboring Holy Kingdom.
The idea that the strongest among them was the youngest brother felt almost surreal.
"Then I shall mention it to my daughter. A day may come when she must embark on a journey according to the Lord's revelation."
Astoria hadn't actually met Theodore's brothers herself; she had only heard the story second-hand, so she wasn't technically lying.
'His body is definitely well-trained. His hands are covered in scars and calluses, too.'
Astoria stared at Theodore's body from head to toe before letting out a soft cough.
Since when had she started ogling a man's physique like this?
With the Lord's revelation received and believing this was her chance to cure her transparent body, she couldn't help but keep her eyes on Theodore.
If they entered the academy together and she pushed him just a little to act as her bodyguard, he would remain by her side.
'I heard he's surprisingly gentle, so it should be fine. He has already shown me consideration in his own way.'
Saintess Astoria was planning to use a slightly underhanded, calculated method to keep Theodore bound to her.