Chapter 105
Chapter 105
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Academy's Three Kingdoms
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The academy that returned after ending the war was more boisterous than expected.
The cadet officers who hadn't been able to hide their gloom during the Chimera War were now starting to accept things boldly, having gained experience.
Their focus was the new power realignment.
The factions had cracked with the split of the core figures: Casper, Joshua, Denian, and Ruan.
'The era of warring states has begun.'
Comparing to Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Casper was Cao Cao. Joshua and Denian were Yuan Shao. Ruan was about Sun Quan.
As for Dorothy, she was like the elder of Hanzhong. I was a talent from the wilds.
Banningss said excitedly.
"Joshua and Denian must be grinding their teeth. They've set themselves against Casper."
"Think we'll see a Battle of Guandu?"
"Battle of Guandu? What's that?"
"It's a thing."
It really was unfolding similarly. The overall situation favored Yuan Shao's side, but Cao Cao's pool of talent was too deep.
Most of the cadet officers were still backing Casper.
In response, Joshua and Denian rolled out an extreme measure.
"That guy's no Wade. He's just a fool imitating him."
"Th-that true?"
"That's what I'm telling you."
Casper turned red then purple, bellowing at the top of his lungs.
"Cut the nonsense, Joshua! Who says I'm not Wade!?"
"Ha! You gonna admit it now? After the fact? Your disgrace wasn't just seen by me and Denian—every soldier and officer there witnessed it. Want me to fetch them?"
I hadn't been there, so I didn't know the details, but clearly something had gone down. Casper was sweating bullets, visibly flustered.
"Th-that was a clever scheme to turn the tide of a bad battle!"
"Bullshit!"
Things were getting even more entertaining.
Unable to hold back, I pulled out some Eo jerky and chewed away while watching.
"Then prove it! Bring Eonia Mirabel! I'll believe you if you do!"
It was a dead end for Casper.
But he shouted as if he'd been waiting for it.
"Fine! I'll bring her right now!"
"What!?"
The classroom buzzed.
Casper must have anticipated the grilling and prepared in advance. Before long, a woman in gray armor appeared.
The armor bore the crest of the Milias Marquis family.
"E-Eonia Mirabel!"
"He really brought her!"
A female warrior with her face covered. She had some real skill, radiating a menacing aura.
'This isn't Eonia at all.'
Eo didn't give off this kind of intimidating vibe normally.
When she was with me, she had this cute clumsiness, and even dealing with outsiders, she'd stay guarded without letting her hostility leak out—she refined it sharply inside.
But this woman was leaking hostility outright. Partly on purpose, but at her core, she wasn't the type to contain it.
'The type that scatters hostility freely... that screams mercenary.'
Still, to think there was a female mercenary of this caliber.
'I could ask my master about her identity.'
Master was the pinnacle among female mercenaries. She'd know about others in the field.
"There, proof enough?"
"Sh-she's really Eonia Mirabel...?"
"Damn right!"
Joshua and Denian were struck dumb.
"In the last war, I figured we wouldn't need her, so I didn't bring her. But if I had, I could've taken that Fisher Partin down with a single spear thrust!"
At the mention of Fisher, the hitherto silent Ruan openly showed his displeasure.
"I've heard enough... Cut the act, Casper!"
"Ruan...!"
"I don't know where you scraped this one up from, but you're seriously saying she could take on that monster?"
"Yeah!"
"Hmph! Fine then. I'll put her to the test! Training grounds, now!"
"What!?"
"I'll test her skills myself! Whether she's really Eonia Mirabel, whether she could kill Fisher Partin with a single spear!"
Casper broke out in sweat again, like a summer downpour.
Tragedy up close, comedy from afar—it fit perfectly. Must be hell for Casper, but hilarious for me.
I'd already pulled out my second piece of jerky.
They moved to the training grounds, where Ruan raised his sword and pointed it at the fake Eo.
"Come at me, faker."
"..."
The fake Eo seemed genuinely pissed and launched a serious attack.
'Stronger than she looks.'
She seemed on par with me, maybe a touch stronger.
The spear didn't suit her, making her movements awkward, but with her main weapon, even I'd have a hard time guaranteeing a win.
Which also meant she was no match for Fisher Partin.
After dozens of exchanges, Ruan said in exasperation.
"You think this is enough to kill that monster with one spear? Don't make me laugh!"
To back Ruan up, Casper quickly covered.
"Can't you tell? Eonia's just holding back. If she went all out on you, you'd drop dead in seconds."
"Then kill me!"
"I'm not falling for that provocation, Ruan. There, proof enough?"
The cadet officers nodded. He'd brought an Eonia after all, and she was plenty strong.
Most had been Casper supporters from the start, so they bought it.
The moment of Cao Cao's victory at Guandu.
The defeated Yuan Shao—Denian and Joshua—splintered apart, while Sun Quan—Ruan—who couldn't accept the result broke off alone to build his own faction.
Unification under Cao Cao was just around the corner.
That's when Liu Bei showed up...
"Anyone wanna join me?"
It was Yubel, a commoner cadet officer.
He'd fought in the Chimera War with solid results, and in this war, he'd racked up a kill on an enemy officer, earning a promotion.
He rallied the unaffiliated cadet officers, along with the commoners in existing factions, to form his own group.
"I'm gonna become a general no matter what. When that happens, we'll all shine. So please, believe in me."
He even tried to recruit Dorothy on the spot, but she stuck to her isolated island.
When that failed, he seemed about to approach me too, but shook his head.
He knew if I joined a faction, I'd end up the leader, not him.
And so the three forces of Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Quan took shape.
The faction wars were just getting started.
"Whew! Watched a whole drama."
I stretched and got ready to head home.
For all their grand talk, what happened today was a good thing.
Just a third-rate political farce put on by the kids.
Even the instructor watching from the podium looked bored.
"All done? Then I'll pass on the announcements."
The instructor started talking about the upcoming victory party.
"It's a victory party, so it won't be too strict socially, but you're basically the stars, so it'd be best to bring a partner if you can. Not having one isn't the end of the world. There'll be young ladies gunning for you. Handle that yourselves."
At the mention of the victory party, the kids steeled themselves in their own ways.
This party was that important.
*
*
*
I'd been to parties before, but I was certain this victory party would be the trickiest yet.
Because I'd ended up as a sub-main character.
No more holing up in a corner and killing time in a daze.
'Above all, the partner issue.'
Taking one meant finding someone suitable, which I didn't have. Skipping one meant a flood of dance requests, just like the instructor said.
I'd planned to ask Beryl casually, but surprisingly, she'd gotten a partner offer from Ruan.
No way she'd accept mine when the Ruan she always liked had asked her.
'The only candidate left is Erina...'
But showing up with Erina would kick off a predictable storm.
Estelle was from Crossing, so no dice.
Too lazy to think further, I asked Duke Helian to find me a suitable partner. He boldly promised to handle it.
With the partner issue handed off to him, I turned to the pressing matter at hand.
Olaf, who'd been handling the army's withdrawal, had just returned with Ash and a mystery woman in tow.
'Ash Dranbalt...'
One of Als's friends in the game, a playboy character.
SSR grade—not top-tier, but with the rare cavalry specialty 'Frontline Disruption,' he got hired often.
Right now, the only officer under me who could effectively command cavalry was Eonia.
Even she couldn't handle tactics beyond charges, so I couldn't leave it to her with full confidence. Recruiting Ash would be a huge boon.
The question was how trustworthy he was. In the game, they first met at Pensilon Academy, but now it was prisoner relations.
'How to handle them?'
From the perspective of recruiting Ash later, releasing both unconditionally would be cleanest.
Problem was, it was too clean. Having caught them with effort, I couldn't help wanting something more.
What I had in mind was a trade.
Release Ash, hold the woman as a hostage. Better to build friendship with Ash later from Als's academy position.
The key was making it happen.
I'd gathered all my retainers for a pressure interrogation, but my master had just gone into labor pains, so Anton, Ymir, and Gaspar were tied up tending to her.
With only Lutger, Eo, and Olaf present for the interrogation, I was about to lay out my plan when the woman made the first move.
She shouted.
"Kill me or make me a slave for all I care. Just please release this man!"
It was the counteroffer I'd been hoping for. I barely held back a laugh.
"Oh ho, such loyalty? It's like a retainer desperate to help their lord escape."
"..."
I'd hit the mark—she clamped her mouth shut.
'Ash as the lord? Looks like they've got some hidden backstory too.'
I'd only known Ash as a playboy from Toonkai. First time hearing he had a secret identity.
'She led the cavalry detachment that raided my HQ. Ash being one of them fits.'
No ordinary officer would get that assignment. Meant she already held significant rank in the army.
"Your identities are getting me curious. Not planning to share?"
The woman sealed her lips tight.
I sneered.
"Don't underestimate me. Well, it's Crossing intel division's info anyway... That guy over there. Ash, right?"
Their eyes went wide.
"What, that's obvious. You don't think the captured Toonkai officers and soldiers would know how many there were."
As I watched their faces, the woman wore an 'impossible' expression. Seemed like no one short of a high-ranking officer knew their true identities.
"Well, that's the only info we've got, so yeah, we've been struggling. Hey, woman. To accept your offer, I at least need to know who you two are. I've got no plans to mistreat you. If you stay silent to the end, I'll just hand you back to Crossing military. But they're tenacious. To uncover your identities, they'll stop at nothing. Interrogated by that Juras Pamillion? Spill to me or not. Up to you which is wiser. Oh, and remember—I'm an independent force."
They exchanged glances.
Soon Ash spoke.
"Ash Payton. Fifth prince of Toonkai."
So Dranbalt had been an alias.
The woman followed.
"Lisitea Dearwind. Warrior chief of the Florand tribe."
One bombshell revelation after another.
I was certain I'd hooked bigger fish than expected.