Chapter 116
Chapter 116
After the fierce battle with the Majin, including Isabel, I went straight to bed. It felt like I had slept soundly for just one night, but perhaps because exhaustion had been piling up, a full four weeks had slipped by in the blink of an eye.
That made me feel a little wronged. During vacation, everyone else must have been running around sightseeing and doing this and that. But all I had done was fight demons and Majin, and drive off monsters.
Even though I knew it couldn’t be helped given the circumstances, in the end it left my stomach aching with regret.
And then, a few days later, without any leisure left to enjoy what remained, the start of the third semester was right around the corner.
It was about time to depart for the Imperial Capital where the Academy was located, but I heard the teleport gate in the Leipzig Territory would take longer to repair. So we boarded a carriage prepared by the lord and moved to the neighboring territory, Freiburg.
“So, how does it feel to have become the hero of our territory?”
Petra, who was sitting across from me during the journey, spoke with a small smile. I waved my hand as if to tell her not to tease me and let out a bitter laugh.
On the morning I woke up, the moment I stepped outside to stretch and take a walk, I received a salute from the entire knight order.
When I wondered what that was about, the answer came back that it was an expression of gratitude for my exploits.
Well, even by my own reckoning, I had worked hard. Not only had I revived the lord who had returned half-dead, but I had also taken down countless monsters that invaded the territory.
On top of that, I had even fought against and defeated powerful individuals mixed in among the monster horde.
A mage who controlled numerous golems, and a Sword Master–level powerhouse.
They said that everyone on the battlefield had witnessed that fierce fight. Dazzling light had burst forth, and vibrations strong enough to shake the earth had reverberated.
The knights and soldiers on the city wall fought desperately against the monsters, but realizing that the course of the war would hinge on the outcome of our battle, they held their breath and waited for the result.
In the end, I defeated three Majin, and they were able to protect their homeland safely.
One good change was that there were no longer people who reacted with outright rejection at the fact that I was Petra’s fiancé.
The bad change was that now they had started whispering about it behind my back. They said things like, just how much must he love Petra to come here alone in person, drive off monsters, and defeat a Master-level powerhouse.
Because of my status, they couldn’t speak openly, but such conversations could be heard all around the mansion.
“…Do you have something you want to say?”
Petra, one of the parties involved, didn’t seem to notice it at all.
“No, it’s nothing.”
I turned my gaze back toward the window. Just then, something leaned against my shoulder, and when I turned my head, Alice, who had been nodding off, had finally given in and fallen fast asleep against my shoulder.
“…She must be tired. She stayed up all night taking care of you.”
When I collapsed, Alice and Petra had taken turns watching over me day and night. They stayed by my side until I woke up at dawn, so normally this would be the time she should be sleeping.
At that, Werner, who was sitting across from her, opened his mouth with a wry smile.
“I told them I’d help so we could divide the time more comfortably, but they said I wasn’t reliable enough and turned me down.”
He spoke lightly as if it were nothing, but inside he must have felt complicated. After all, despite being around the same age, Petra and Alice had reached realms far beyond his own.
Werner said a few more words, then closed his mouth and turned his gaze out the window. Seeing that, I slightly revised my future plans.
‘This must have spurred him on. If I give him a little push, he should be able to grow even more.’
He, too, carried the blood of a noble royal family. Later on, he would acquire strength that lagged behind no one in the party, but for now his heart must have been unsettled.
The carriage ran for half a day before finally reaching Freiburg. Without delay, we headed for the teleport gate, returned to the Imperial Capital, and went straight to the Academy.
“It’s been a while.”
Familiar, welcome faces greeted us after nearly a month.
My body hadn’t fully recovered yet, and a considerable amount of fatigue had piled up from traveling by carriage, so we decided to talk in detail once the semester started tomorrow and dispersed as we were.
Back in my dorm room after a long time. As I lay back on the soft bed and stared at the ceiling, a familiar voice came from beside me.
“Master, are you feeling better now?”
River, dressed in a pure white dress, was perched on top of the desk, swinging her legs and looking down at me.
“I’m mostly better. The problem is you.”
Through several battles, I had overused Excalibur’s power.
From the start, she must have squeezed herself to her limits to answer my demands when she wasn’t in proper condition. That was why, after each battle, she had to enter a temporary rest period.
“You said last time that we’re planning to go to the Holy Kingdom this semester, right?”
“Yeah.”
“…Those people who call themselves priests are probably going to pester you, Master. They’ll ask what the holy spirit dwelling in the sword says, what happened in the past, and what will happen in the future.”
She looked apologetic to me about what would happen ahead. As the owner of the holy sword, it was only natural that I would draw attention in the Holy Kingdom.
I sat up and lightly flicked her forehead with my finger.
“Ugh?”
Startled by my sudden mischief, River rubbed her forehead. It didn’t hurt, but she looked puzzled as to why I had suddenly done that. I grinned and opened my mouth.
“No matter what those Holy Kingdom guys say, I don’t care. Given my status, they won’t be able to pester me recklessly.”
On our side, we had been turning a blind eye to the Holy Kingdom’s unreasonable demands. That meant we could secure a few advantageous conditions.
There were two reasons for going somewhere we didn’t strictly have to go.
Namely, recharging my extra life, the Blessing of Invisibility, and restoring River. Because the holy sword was special, it couldn’t be reforged by ordinary means.
According to what was written in the original work, only by immersing its main body in Lake Dozmary, a sacred place bestowed by the goddess, could it recover its original power.
Lake Dozmary was where the legend of Excalibur began. Since it was simply a matter of dipping Excalibur in and taking it out, the Holy Kingdom wouldn’t have any reason to refuse.
Even if things somehow went awry, I could negotiate using some information about demons and Majin. Depending on the value, I might even demand something else.
‘For example, a sacred relic sleeping deep within the Holy Kingdom’s treasure vault.’
I wasn’t hoping for Athena’s shield that reflected all magic in the world, or the Holy Grail that purified all impurity. Those were things the Holy Kingdom would protect with their lives.
But even lower-tier sacred relics surpassed most high-grade artifacts in performance. Since unforeseen variables had emerged on the Majin side, we also needed to prepare various things.
“Until then, you should get plenty of rest too.”
Surely demons or Majin wouldn’t appear on the way to the Holy Kingdom. And even if they did, it was a place overflowing with people who could use holy power. They would be annihilated in an instant without me having to lift a finger.
Well, no matter what, they weren’t that stupid.
“As announced in the second semester, this third semester we will be conducting external activities. Departure is scheduled for one week from now, so each party leader is to prepare a plan and schedule and submit them by tomorrow.”
The third semester began.
Other classes held opening parties and various events, but our class, with Delke as the homeroom teacher, skipped all that miscellaneous stuff entirely.
‘I like this kind of thing.’
No matter how much I enjoyed Academy life, I had no intention of bothering with all that. Alice, sitting next to me, was already nodding off, fully prepared to head to dreamland.
‘She must be really tired.’
She had altered her lifestyle for nearly a month because of me, so she probably hadn’t returned to normal yet. Her head was wobbling as if her neck might snap, so I simply grabbed the crown of her head and gently pressed it down onto the desk.
“…….”
Perhaps she liked that angle quite a bit, because she stopped moving entirely and sank deeply into sleep. Just as I was about to smile softly at the sight, Delke, who was standing at the podium, spoke toward me.
“Ah, Ostia student, please follow me to the staff office.”
“…Understood.”
With that, the third-semester orientation ended. As I stood up to head to the staff office at Delke’s words, Alice, her eyes half-open, lifted her head and grabbed my sleeve.
“…Where are you going?”
“The staff office. Delke called for me.”
“…Okay.”
Realizing it was nothing serious, she let go of my sleeve and lay back down to sleep again.
As I scratched my cheek, wondering if it was really okay to leave her like that, Werner, who was sitting in the seat ahead, winked at me.
I bowed my head lightly as if asking him to look after Alice, then left the classroom.
The moment I entered the staff office, the atmosphere shifted. Perhaps word had spread about the commotion I caused in the magic department’s staff office last semester, because the flow of the air grew slightly tense.
I didn’t particularly care and leisurely made my way to Delke’s desk.
“Ah, you’re here. It’s not a good place to talk, so let’s move.”
Seemingly a sensitive topic to bring up with so many eyes on us, he led me to the counseling room. Only after we were alone did he let out a low sigh and look at me.
“Things among the teachers have been uneasy lately.”
“You mean factions?”
“Yeah. As the First Prince and Second Prince have started clashing in earnest, it’s affected their factions as well. Someone insignificant like me doesn’t matter, but every time someone tries to do something, they nitpick at every little thing. It’s hard to stay at ease.”
Complaining that people his age were acting far too childish, he grumbled. I snorted softly and opened my mouth.
“Why are you insignificant, Teacher? You’ve got quite the connection.”
“…It seems people around me have taken it as me having joined the Third Prince’s line. Along with that Gawain teacher from the magic department.”
“That person must be having a hard time too.”
Since it wasn’t my concern whether subordinates suffered or not, I brushed it off lightly. Delke clicked his tongue with a bitter smile.
“The most vicious one is the Third Prince, you know.”
“If there are any guys going around badmouthing me, at least write up a list and pass it along. When I have time later, I’ll clean it up all at once.”
There was no need to get my hands dirty myself. If I persuaded them with a few words, they would lower their tails on their own. At that, Delke burst into hearty laughter and nodded.
“Now then, to the main point…….”
“Wasn’t what you just said the main point?”
“…Did you think I called you out just to vent?”
At his remark about whether I really saw him as that petty a person, I nodded without hesitation. He let out a deep sigh with a crumpled face.
“Damn it, in my next life I should be born into the imperial family too…….”
“Do your best.”
There was nothing effort couldn’t achieve. Wasn’t I inhabiting Leios’s body like this?
“Anyway.”
Perhaps because the conversation had strayed in an unnecessary direction, Delke cleared his throat and spoke again.
“I heard the Headmaster already told you in advance, about the Holy Kingdom matter.”
“Yes. We’re going as the Academy’s representative team, including my party.”
“It’s almost certain that I’ll be going as the supervising teacher. And this is the main point…….”
He continued with a grin. At what he said, I couldn’t help but make a dumbfounded expression.
“…You’re saying they tried to sway you into stabbing me in the back?”