Chapter 34
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Possessor (2)
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Dane von Pendragon.
The noble daughter of the Pendragon ducal house, inheritor of the bloodline of the empire's legendary hero Kyle. Within the academy, she was called the Silent Noblewoman or the Ghost Duchess, exuding an aura of untouchable elegance.
But right now, she was facing the greatest crisis of her life.
Boom!Crack!
A deafening roar like a building collapsing echoed from the grand hall beyond the window. The glass panes rattled, and the black tea in her cup, savored elegantly during teatime, sloshed like waves.
"......"
Dane set down her teacup and furrowed her brow. The other students had already rushed out to line up upon hearing the imperial inspector had arrived, but she remained unmoved.
Imperial titles and honors meant nothing to her in the first place.
'No, fuck. What the hell is this dogshit development?!'
She rested her chin on her hand, gazing gracefully out the window from her seat by it. To onlookers, she appeared the epitome of a noble lady, lost in profound worry for the empire's welfare. But the reality was far different.
Her inner thoughts were wallowing in the gutter.
'Special inspection? Are you kidding me? At this point in the story, the male and female leads should be flirting, then freak out over the news of the northern beastkin invasion and spark their romance.'
In her anxiety, she nearly bit her thumbnail out of habit but caught herself, aware of her surroundings, and gracefully lifted her teacup instead.
'I know this stale pool of [Shining Romance Academy] inside out. There's no such plot in the original story. I binged it from episode 1 to the end, keyboard-warring in the comments the whole time, and the word "inspector" never even showed up!'
Dying from overwork at her previous life's job and waking up transmigrated as a noble lady with no hellish commutes or overtime—how thrilled she'd been.
Opening her eyes, she'd become the empire's top golden spoon, the daughter of the Pendragon duke.
Money? Overflowing to rot. Status? Everyone knelt except the imperial family. Talent? Thanks to her hero's bloodline, her mana affinity was so high it flowed in just by breathing, and swinging a sword casually unleashed sword aura.
She had one goal: Graduate the academy with minimal effort, return home, blow the ducal fortune on leisure, and fuse with her bed in a life of blissful idleness.
And she'd pulled it off flawlessly so far.
Sleeping through classes, forfeiting practical spars with the excuse of fearing she'd hurt classmates by losing control of her power.
She'd even earned the nickname "the Benevolent Duchess."
Of course, her written scores were perfect since she had the original novel memorized, keeping her from expulsion.
Now in her fourth year, graduation was in sight. Just a bit longer until her unemployed paradise— so what the hell was this?!
Kaboom!!!!!
Another explosion rocked the air, dust billowing from the grand hall's roof.
"......Crazy."
A curse utterly devoid of refinement slipped from her lips.
'Why's the genre suddenly thriller? Unlimited authority inspector? This screams bloodbath plot. What about my sweet retirement? My bed?!'
She set down her teacup and stealthily rose. Her instincts screamed: Get tangled in that, and you're fucked. One slip, and her honey pot shatters.
She slipped away like a fugitive, hiding in the tree shade behind flower beds with a clear view of the hall. She needed to assess the situation.
And there, she witnessed it.
"Spare me! I was wrong! Master!!"
"Kowtow."
"Yes sir!! I will!!"
Yuria, the academy's mad dog, was slamming her head into the ground.
Who was Yuria?
The notorious troublemaker who'd pulverized professors and seniors with magic in her first year, and knocked out the imperial inspection team in her third just for being "noisy."
In the original story, she'd appeared as a broken sub-villain, a ticking bomb tormenting the heroine.
Yet here she was, kowtowing before the imperial inspector.
'That blonde woman's mana feels off.'
Thanks to her hero bloodline, Dane could see it. The mana enveloping the blonde wasn't human-scale. It was a natural disaster incarnate.
And beside her, the man in the black longcoat.
'What kind of inspector is that? He looks like a serial killer who's butchered hundreds! Why's the genre like this? Isn't this a romance? Why's it suddenly live-action Blood and Iron Lord?!'
That wasn't an inspector's gaze. It held the deranged intensity of that tyrannical boss who'd ranted at staff a week before deadline: "Don't think about going home today."
With trembling hands, she traced the air.
"St... Status window!!"
"....?????"
The status window flashed red and shattered. This was a first.
'Fuck. Gotta bolt.'
Cold sweat trickled down her spine.
Cross paths with him, and it's over. Her comfy life, her lie-ins, her teatimes—all ground to dust by that man.
Dane spun on her heel.
"Miss? Where are you going? It's class time..."
Her exclusive maid, waiting behind the tree, approached. Dane paled, clutching her forehead and staggering.
"Anna. Suddenly dizzy... Feels like my anemia's flared up."
"Oh dear! Are you alright?"
"I'm feeling awful today... I need to head back early."
"Understood. I'll escort you to the dorm."
"No, it's fine. I hate noise, so I'll go quietly alone. Stay and grab my bag."
"B-But..."
"Please."
She flashed a wistful smile, and Anna nodded, touched.
'Perfect.'
The moment she turned into the woodland path, feigning unsteadiness, Dane prepared to sprint.
'Lock myself in the dorm, pretend to be sick for three days. Won't come out till the inspection's over.'
With a smug smile, she headed down the path to the dorms.
And the next morning.
Due to Erendel's siege magic half-destroying the auditorium the day before, classes moved outdoors to the training grounds.
The atmosphere was brutal. Students stood in line like cattle marched to slaughter, terrified.
Thwack!
"Gahhh!"
A dull impact sent a student flying like a feather.
"Next."
I beckoned the next one. Erendel watched from the podium, arms crossed, as I handled one-on-one spars... or rather, one-sided beatdowns and evaluations.
"Stance is garbage. Mana control is trash. You sure you're fourth year? First-years move faster than you."
"S-Sorry! Ugh...!"
"Don't cry. It's annoying. Go to the corner and do endurance training."
Number thirty already. Not a single decent one. What can you do? Toss 'em all in hell boot camp later and remake them.
"Boring. Time for someone interesting."
I flipped the roster. And reached the name I'd noted.
"Next. Dane von Pendragon."
"......"
Silence. No response.
"Dane von Pendragon. Absent?"
Another call, but only silence from the students. I turned to the sweating professor beside me.
"Professor."
"Yes, Inspector!"
"Where's the Pendragon duchess?"
"W-Well... um..."
He rummaged papers, looking troubled.
"Lady Pendragon... took sick leave today."
"Sick leave?"
"Yes. Her chronic anemia and dizziness worsened since yesterday... She's recovering in the dorms. She's always been frail..."
"Heh..."
A hollow laugh escaped. What? Frail? Chronic illness? Anemia? The hero's descendant?
In this fantasy world, bloodlines aren't ignored.
Especially a hero's—physical prowess on another level. Mana fills on breath alone, muscles grow in sleep, poisons? No issue. Cheat genes.
And she's collapsing from anemia? More believable if a dragon fainted from heat.
"What a lie."
Erendel, sipping tea beside me, dropped the fact casually.
"That Kyle guy's blood? He chased demon armies across the continent in a three-day marathon without panting. Obvious excuse."
True to hero descent, sharp senses. Instinctively dodging danger, huh? Too bad— if running worked, I wouldn't be here.
"Can't force a sick student to come."
I nodded magnanimously. The professor brightened.
"Right? As expected of the merciful inspector."
"Of course. Very merciful."
I grinned, stretching.
"If the patient's not coming, the doctor makes a house call."
"...Pardon?"
"Erendel."
"Yeah?"
"You and Yuria handle the rest. I'll visit the sick student."
"Don't overdo it. You'll give her a heart attack."
Erendel clicked her tongue but didn't stop me.
"No worries. I'll examine her very... kindly. Professor, lead to the dorms."
"But she's the duke's daughter..."
"Oh?"
I flashed my imperial badge before his eyes.
"Then it's a special inspection zone now. Open the door."
Power's for times like this. Empire's talent rotting from fake illness—who cares about gender or status?
I grabbed the professor by the collar and marched to the dorms.
"Let's go. Wake the sleeping beauty in the woods."
Empire Academy women's dorms, top floor, single room.
Thick blackout curtains blocked all light. A fur blanket covered the bed.
"Mmm... Ahh... Yes, this is happiness. This is living. This is life."
Dane rolled in the sheets, moaning blissfully.
Sweets and tea on the table, a half-read new romance novel in hand. Outside, students screamed under beatings; here, serene peace.
'Crazy to go out there?'
She nibbled a cookie, scoffing.
After yesterday's carnage, only muscle-brains would walk into it. Her three years surviving office politics by instinct warned her.
That inspector was a walking disaster making life hell.
'Faking anemia was genius.'
Per original settings, her overactive mana circuits made her a bit frail. Not debilitating, but exaggerated into tragic invalid cosplay? Perfect cover.
"Fuck, this is sweet. Like calling in sick and scrolling phone at home."
She jiggled her legs, turning a page.
"Rest today, tomorrow emerge pale, apologize tearfully for missing out. Professors watch my back anyway."
Flawless plan. Survive to graduation, then ducal sloth forever.
Crunch.
Cheerful cookie munch as the novel's hero was about to confess.
Boom!!!!!!
"....?"
A massive blast. Double locks and magic barriers on the dorm door exploded—not just broken, the whole thing flew inward.
Kaboom!
Door smashed the table.
"......?"
Dane froze, half-chewed cookie in mouth, statue-still.
Dust and splinters parted, revealing a black shadow.
'Thief? Burglar? This is the academy women's dorm?'
Smoke cleared. The black longcoat man from the hall yesterday emerged, mad eyes and all.
"....."
"......"
Their eyes met midair.
Silence fell.
He slowly scanned the room.
Dark from curtains, cookie crumbs on bed, fallen novel, rosy-cheeked duchess with chocolate on her lips.
His lip twitched in disbelief.
"Wow."
He exclaimed.
"Reports said a critically ill patient struggling to breathe."
He strode over, picking up the novel.
"....."
"Appetite's great, huh? Healthy hobbies too. Was gonna leave if you were really sick."
Her lips quivered, silent scream escaping.
"Come out."
'Fuck...'
I'm screwed.