Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: The Source of My Unease
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Chapter 127: The Source of My Unease
Perhaps it was because they had exhausted all their energy at the ball.
The entire party was in a state of languor.
The fox beastkin was curled up in a ball, enjoying a nap.
Aruru was acting no different than usual, but the girls around her had collapsed in a similar fashion.
“…”
Well, resting is good, but aren't they taking it a bit too seriously?
Even the princess, whose resolve was usually second to none, was basking in the tranquility of daily life.
To be honest, I wanted to join them.
I was that tired, but I held back because I had things to do. For now, I decided to set aside the unidentifiable feeling of anxiety and do a little progress check.
[Imperial Family’s Favorability]
[Current Level: Close]
[Reputation]
[Current Level: Intermediate 84200/100000]
My favorability had risen quite a bit.
Reaching ‘Close’ meant I would receive a minimum level of respect. The Emperor was already well-disposed toward me, but now I could expect even more.
My reputation had also climbed as high as it could for now.
I anticipated various benefits. I would surely receive special treatment everywhere—shops, restaurants, inns, you name it.
Steep discounts, top-tier service.
There was also the option of visiting nobles or wealthy merchants.
House me! Feed me!
That way, I could rest without spending a dime. To them, hosting the Hero’s party would be an honor.
If my reputation grew even higher, I could even demand funds for our activities, but from here on, the rate of increase was set to drop significantly.
It would only start climbing again after I performed more heroic deeds and the rumors spread.
Well, that was a kind of bonus; the important things lay elsewhere.
[Holy Sword’s Special Skills]
[Tier 1 – Shape-shifting]
[Tier 2 – Convert a portion of Mana into Divine Power]
[Tier 3 – Locked]
[Tier 4 – Locked]
Tier 1, Shape-shifting, was exactly what it sounded like.
Dagger, greatsword, spear, bow—I no longer had to stick to the form of a sword.
I could change it to my liking depending on the situation.
The enemies I would face from now on would each have their own unique weaknesses. Moreover, not all of them would be humanoid.
The image of me charging a colossal monster head-on with a sword just didn't seem right, did it? To conquer them with ease, it was wise to choose a weapon form that fit the task.
For example, changing the Holy Sword into a spear would increase its piercing power and grant me a charge skill. It felt like gathering energy and unleashing it all at once, and its destructive power was exceptional.
The Tier 2 skill was also quite useful.
To manifest a portion of my mana as divine power.
It might seem unnecessary with a Saintess around, but that was far from the truth.
There wasn't one Hero, but two.
If I entrusted the Holy Sword to the princess, and the Saintess focused her support on me, it seemed like it would be quite efficient.
Above all, there was the problem of unexpected events.
In those moments, I would have to fight alone without the support of my companions. That was when the Holy Sword’s Tier 2 skill would truly shine. It essentially gave me the attributes of a holy knight, so I would have nothing to fear.
The defining trait of a holy knight was that they were hard to kill.
If I just used a heal every time I got hurt, I would survive until the very end.
Finally…
I could convert my mana into divine power and transfer it to Luciel.
In certain situations, the Saintess's role becomes critically important. Turn Undead, Sunlight, Area Purification—these were key to our strategies.
And to add one more thing, the reverse was also possible.
When my own power ran out, I would just cling to Luciel and suck her divine power dry.
A so-called high-purity mana battery.
Looked at that way, maybe she really wasn't much different from a tool? In any case, all the Holy Sword's skills were designed to be incredibly useful.
I had to understand that fact to achieve maximum efficiency, and I was already more than capable of doing so.
The variables popping up one after another were a bit concerning, but even if the plot twisted, the core settings of the story wouldn't change.
Information was the most powerful weapon I possessed.
The dispositions of the characters, knowledge of the future, the weaknesses of the Demon King's Army… There were so many ways to use it, but among them, the existence of ‘that’ was the most crucial.
A bug.
A critical bug that allowed you to duplicate certain consumables up to 99 times.
When the time comes, I’ll have to check if it works here too.
Hmm, if it really works, it would be the sweetest deal of all… but would the system window turn a blind eye?
Finishing my thoughts, I headed to the annex palace's backyard. I then began to examine the Holy Sword's special skills one by one.
From the form of a sword to the form of a spear.
As I focused my mind, a sacred light gathered at the spear's tip.
“Hmm…”
Everything was normal.
I executed it skillfully on my first try. Yet, why did the back of my head feel so itchy?
This unidentifiable sense of unease I’d been feeling since yesterday…
After wrestling with it for a while, I finally recalled a certain element of anxiety.
The Academy, the Demon King’s Army’s spy, Cedric.
These three keywords swirled in my mind.
The spy was a variable in and of itself, and Cedric, whose fate had been altered by my influence, was also a variable. I could have dealt with him if I had wanted to, but I had intentionally left him alone.
His situation was of relatively low importance. Prioritizing events with my party came first.
Chloe’s strange dream…
So, if Cedric were to be corrupted like the original story’s Jace, my calculation was that the situation wouldn't necessarily turn out for the worse.
Having him as an ally when he harbored such animosity toward me was unsettling.
He was bound to cause some trouble, which would be a constant distraction. In that case, it was better for him to just switch over to the Demon King's side.
It was wise to eliminate sources of anxiety beforehand, but at this stage, I couldn't dispose of Cedric carelessly.
He was, after all, the heir to a major noble family.
For now, he was treated as my equal. Since he hadn't yet committed a crime worthy of death, taking action was problematic.
It wasn't impossible if I put my mind to it, but after weighing the pros and cons, doing nothing was the best course of action.
A useless fellow…
Even if Cedric betrayed humanity, I had nothing to lose.
We would be down one hero candidate and gain a powerful enemy on par with one of the Four Heavenly Kings, but in doing so, the remaining hero candidates would likely grow even more united.
It was the same when the original Jace fell to darkness.
In other words, my aim was to accept a small loss for a greater gain.
In the end, he was the only one who stood to lose.
I would boldly skip the option of saving Cedric.
Why should I have to look after that eyesore?
Besides, the whole salvation meta was long past its prime!
And for a guy, no less? I couldn't help but feel a visceral rejection.
Well, he was still a main character, so I felt a bit off about it, but the idea of Cedric being corrupted was, at the end of the day, just speculation.
Even that speculation was something I only found plausible after hearing about Chloe's strange dream.
No one knew what would happen. In times like these, it was best to assume the worst…
I slowly went over the flow of the original story.
Jace’s fall had been orchestrated in secret. The spy from the Demon King's Army had waited until Jace was expelled. Only then did they make contact, secretly taking away the utterly broken Jace.
I had vaguely assumed it would be the same this time, but Cedric wasn't powerless like that Jace had been.
“…”
Would he really disappear quietly?
It seemed more likely he’d cause a scene on his way out, didn't it?
Early next year, the Academy would be attacked by the Demon King's Army. One of the Four Heavenly Kings was scheduled to lead a surprise assault with their subordinates.
In other words, nothing was supposed to happen until then, but since the flow of events had been completely warped, I couldn't be certain of anything anymore.
Of course, a large-scale attack wouldn't happen at this point in time. The Demon King's Army was, in its own way, courteous, and adhered to the rules of an RPG.
A system where the weak ones attack first.
It was as if they were helping the Hero's party grow, throwing experience points their way.
Well, there were exceptions, but that was generally how it went. Following that logic, it seemed unlikely that anything too major would happen.
A fact that shouldn't be overlooked.
The Hero Academy was a considerably powerful military organization.
Students below B-rank were mediocre, but from A-rank upwards, they were combat-ready and could pull their own weight.
There were also more than ten S-rank powerhouses, and some of the faculty, including the men in black suits, were quite strong. Above all, the Student Council President was protecting the Academy.
Landegarde of the Dragonkin.
He hadn't appeared yet, but his strength easily surpassed the S-rank.
Hmm, maybe a little weaker than my father?
In any case, he was a formidable warrior that humanity could proudly present. As such, the Hero Academy possessed a power that couldn't be ignored.
Of course, things were a bit different now.
Five S-rankers were currently living the sweet life at the Imperial Palace. I had essentially taken about 30% of the Academy's top fighting force… but, well, it should be fine, right?
The remaining 70% was still formidable.
They should be able to handle most situations on their own.
Suddenly, a certain girl came to mind.
Chloe, Cedric's half-sister.
I was a little worried about her, but there was nothing I could do. Even if something happened, with her cunning personality, she wouldn't be taken down easily.
For now, it was important to finish my schedule here. After that, I would stop by the Academy to check on the situation.
Finishing my thoughts, I wished for tomorrow to come quickly.
I had a meeting scheduled with the Emperor, and I planned to squeeze out everything I possibly could from him.
***
Morning came.
Perhaps because we had rested well all day yesterday.
The party was as lively as ever.
Correction.
The princess was a bundle of nerves.
“Oh… what should I do?”
She was claiming to be in a panic, apparently unable to calm down because she was about to meet the Emperor.
I completely understood how she felt.
This time, a long and important conversation would unfold.
It wasn't quite a summit meeting… but from the princess's perspective, it was no different.
Everything depended on her.
A single word could create or destroy the means to rebuild her kingdom.
The Emperor would test her, and the scale of his support would change based on the result.
Yes, it was only natural to be nervous.
I tried to put myself in her shoes. If I were the princess, I'd be tearing my hair out too.
But…
You weren't like this in the original story, were you?
The princess in the original story was composed. She worried, yes, but she didn't fly into a panic like this.
Looking at her now, it seemed she'd had a restless night. Why on earth was there such a difference?
I quickly figured out the truth.
Her gaze, which seemed to be pleading for help, for encouragement.
I could feel everything from the way the girl looked at me.
Hmm, so my existence was the variable after all…
If she had been alone, she would have steeled her resolve, but with someone to rely on, she was unconsciously trying to lean on me.
What to do about this?
I had spoiled her rotten. Doting on her because she was my favorite character had come back to bite me.
I was happy that she trusted me, but…
Well, whatever. It would be strange to change course now, wouldn't it?
She might look like this, but she was a girl who delivered when it counted.
Once she was actually in the situation, she would return to her true self.
A moment later, the rest of the party, excluding the princess, approached. They were dressed as if they were going out to play, which was exactly what they were doing. As I mentioned before, the Imperial Princess had sent them an invitation.
“Huh? Why the long face?”
The fox beastkin tapped the girl, who was groaning in distress, on the butt.
The princess was so lost in her worries that she didn't even react to the impertinence.
Aruru shrugged her shoulders, then came to stand before me, wagging her tail.
“We’re going to head out first! See you later, then.”
She flashed a bright smile.
Then, as always, she left her scent on me.
My little cutie.
You know you have an important mission, right?
I'll fleece the Emperor, so you go fleece the Imperial Princess.
“Okay!”
She's always quick to answer.
In any case, it seemed the Imperial Princess would take good care of her, regardless of her efforts.
“I hope you get a good result.”
With Ceria’s encouragement, the girls went on their way.
Left alone, the princess stared blankly at their retreating backs.
*Ugh, I want to go play without a care in the world too!*
*This is a golden opportunity to get tons of gifts from the Imperial Princess…*
Her look of longing was brief, as she cautiously glanced my way.
Her expression was one of desperate yearning.
As if recalling the memory of the ball, she seemed to want me to take the lead.
“Esterize.”
“Y-Yes…?”
“Have confidence. You will definitely do well.”
“…”
She reluctantly nodded.
The pressure was too intense, so my words had little effect. With a feeling of resignation, I took her hand.
“I’m right here with you.”
“—!”
Her face flushed red at that simple touch.
She reacted as if she had already forgotten that we had danced together.
“Of course, I can’t help you this time.”
“—??”
“You know what I mean, right?”
The Emperor was the leader who ruled an empire, and the princess was the leader who had gathered the remnants of a fallen kingdom. The gap between them was incomparable, but this was still a matter they had to resolve on their own.
“Yes. I’ll do my best.”
Her voice was filled with resolve.
As if she understood my words, the look in her eyes changed.
The form might be a bit different, but in the end, the princess’s goal was also to fleece the Emperor.
Of course, she had to abandon any hope that it would go smoothly.
In her case, it was more akin to an unsecured loan.
After our spirited pep talk, we headed for the palace where the Emperor resided.