Chapter 54
Although Rutis’s intense spear attack stabbed my solar plexus and left me momentarily stunned, that was all the impact it had. No matter what, I’m not so out of my mind as to have a fit over an innocent remark. If that were the case, I would have flipped the Principal’s office upside down on my very first day out here.
Honestly, the fact that I ended up on the civil servant path is something I often make as a self-deprecating joke, so I’m fine with it. To me, becoming a civil servant feels a lot like going to graduate school. It’s just that I wasn’t expecting to have my brain short-circuited by some unexpected individual’s unfiltered comments at such a random time.
‘If only he wasn’t royalty.’
If he weren’t a member of the royal family, I would have slapped him hard without a second thought. The fact that Rutis is the prince of Armein, the nation known for its second-greatest military power after the Empire, calls for extra patience—a real brain melter.
If there were a legal opportunity to smack Rutis, I’d be willing to pay up to five gold coins. Just shut up and take my money.
“Looking at you all, it seems skipping the Academy was actually a pretty decent choice.”
Apart from these thoughts, I noticed a few people were still being cautious, so I decided to self-destruct first. The advisor isn’t mad, so no worries.
Then I saw Louise and Erich’s faces relax, and I felt touched knowing there were some people who considered my feelings. The other three were so flat-faced I couldn’t tell what they were thinking. And there’s no point discussing Rutis— that bastard.
“Well, enough chit-chat. Don’t mind me and just carry on with what you were doing.”
I changed the topic out of fear about what Rutis might say next, and as I watched the members go back to their studies, an unpleasant memory resurfaced.
“I’ve got a position secured for you. When you arrive, they’ll let you know what to do.”
Maybe it was the talk about the Academy that triggered this, but a memory that was a fountain of all evil bubbled up. It was the Lord’s ridiculous statement from four years ago. “Find a position? Just show up and they’ll tell you what to do?”
‘I was such a fool for trusting him.’
The “position” turned out to be a VIP seat on a one-way ticket to hell, and the team leader supposed to assign my tasks died shortly after I joined. Even those who were medium experienced took off soon after, leaving the team in total chaos. To make matters worse, I got promoted to team leader because my family was the highest-ranked.
Even now, just thinking about it gives me a headache, as I quietly closed my eyes to the memory of scrambling to manage a chaos-ridden team without ever learning from anyone first.
Of course, a newbie civil servant like me couldn’t handle that responsibility. Thankfully, the Minister back then was a big help. I was genuinely grateful at the time, but now? Fuck.
‘Getting promoted in a strange way really twisted everything.’
Even after becoming a team manager, I went from 4th unit manager to executive manager. In the three promotions, I never had a single normal advancement. And that’s not even touching on the wild events that happened in between. When luck runs awry, it really goes downhill from there.
With a heavy heart, I glanced at the club members whose futures were still undecided. Most of them didn’t need jobs because they were high-ups, but if any of you end up needing employment, for the love of God, get proper jobs!
As time passed, I noticed a somewhat unique scene unfold before me.
“So, the argument that individuals cannot defeat a nation while its head is alive remains solid. No matter how strong an individual might be in battle, it’s ultimately the nation as a whole that will triumph in war.”
“So that’s what it meant.”
Lather spoke with milder expressions than usual, nodding along as he listened attentively to Louise. A prince from the United Kingdom of Yuben was teaching noble history to a noble from Kefellofen! Apparently, he was even going beyond the exam scope. Just how far is he planning to go with this?
‘Is this legitimate?’
Shouldn’t it be the opposite? Regardless of whether the Empire’s history is part of the aristocracy’s education, shouldn’t local nobles know better? I was momentarily overwhelmed by a strange feeling but reasoned it out when I saw Louise’s serious face.
Yeah, it was two years ago, so she might not be up to speed. Empire history usually emphasizes the repercussions of events instead of the events themselves, so there are plenty of areas to dig into that can be pretty complex. The Empire prioritized a royal-centric view in its teachings, even banging in recent incidents into their textbooks.
“Hmm?”
As I watched what seemed like an unusual history class, Lather halted for the first time.
“Six Swords? This is my first time hearing about it.”
Ah.
“This content was updated this year. If you looked at last year’s book, you might have missed it.”
“Oh, is that so? What a relief. I was worried I’d been studying the wrong material.”
I answered Lather’s question. The Empire hadn’t fully revealed information about them, but I was as familiar with this revision as I could get— after all, it had ties with me. I even got contacted by the Ministry of Education about this.
This wasn’t bad news for me. A name that had been kept under wraps due to unavoidable circumstances was finally coming to light. Considering many names have sunk into obscurity forever, waiting two years isn’t too shabby.
“It’s important information, so you should pay close attention.”
A name remembered by a foreign prince? That should count as a notable achievement I think.
*
Lather, still gazing at Carl, returned his eyes to the textbook.
‘Six Swords.’
It wasn’t a name mentioned extensively in the textbook. Only a few lines covered it, but that short content couldn’t be ignored.
With the Six Swords, they were the six heroes who sacrificed their lives in the last battle of the Great Northern War, which the Empire termed the Grand Extermination Campaign.
‘That’s odd.’
The United Kingdom of Yuben had also been seriously monitoring Kagan, the traitor. As I explained to Louise, Kagan’s death was an incident that reinforced the idea of an individual not being able to defeat a larger group.
Up until the Empire killed Kagan, a disturbing sentiment had spread across the continent—that unrestrained superhumans who were not impacted by the state could shake nations. Fortunately, that sentiment faded when the Empire took actions to eliminate Kagan. But boy, that was a hair-raising time.
I was confident there was no shortage of information regarding Kagan.
‘It surely must have been the Advisor who killed Kagan.’
In that final battle, the Empire was led by the Invincible Duke, and it was Carl who killed Kagan. What the Empire chose to emphasize was that Kagan fell during a battle led by the Invincible Duke, enhancing the narrative of his leadership in victory.
While the Empire didn’t completely erase Carl’s accomplishments, they kept them on the down-low to cast a more favorable spotlight on the Invincible Duke. In fact, even within the Empire, the lower nobility and the public didn’t hear much about who actually killed Kagan.
Then suddenly, amidst this silence, the mention of the Six Swords comes up? Especially when they aren’t even publicizing Kagan’s killer? Part of me wondered if Carl was included among them, but that didn’t seem to be the case either.
‘There’s something amiss.’
Now, out of the blue, the mention of the Six Swords could undermine the Invincible Duke’s accomplishments. Yet the person who killed Kagan wasn’t included among them. Something was definitely up, but I couldn’t figure out the Empire’s intentions—well, more accurately, the current Emperor’s motivations.
I never thought I’d uncover such a bombshell in this year’s textbooks. They probably hadn’t been able to verify the revision within my own realm either. After all, the Empire’s amendments tend to slip through largely unnoticed.
“Lather? What’s wrong?”
“I was just lost in thought. Please continue.”
I came back to reality only after Louise called to me, looking like I had slightly panicked over the unexpected information.
‘There’s nothing I can do.’
There’s a limit to what I can discover while stuck at the Academy. It would be more efficient to relay this to my homeland and let them handle the research.
Lather’s gaze shifted to Carl, who was looking out the window. He was known as the Emperor’s hunting dog and was said to have a close relationship with the Invincible Duke. Carl might actually have better insights on this bewildering incident. I almost wanted to ask him directly.
*
I could feel Lather’s intense gaze. By now, he must be turning this over in his head. He probably suspected that there’s a hidden scheme behind this year’s revision.
‘And indeed, there is.’
The Emperor’s obsession with authority bled heavily into this amendment. This Emperor doesn’t flinch when it comes to exile. It seemed he considered it time to start reining in the influence of his father-in-law, the Invincible Duke.
Once people start discussing the Six Swords, the background behind Kagan’s slaying would gradually unravel, which in turn would dilute the Invincible Duke’s stature, the one who triumphed in the war that ensued. The clout that he had monopolized would begin to distribute.
‘What a hassle.’
Each move a politician makes carries a greater significance, which gives me a headache. I’m just glad that those guys are finally stepping into the light. The only thing weighing on my mind is the potential fallout for the Invincible Duke.
But since the Emperor just means to apply a light check, nothing should come of it. If the Emperor really intended to do something serious to the Invincible Duke, he wouldn’t throw these minor warning hints out. This seems more like a polite reminder: ‘I’m keeping an eye on you, so watch yourself.’
Considering the Emperor’s usual style, this was quite a simple and calm form of control. If Lather thought about it more straightforwardly, he would likely piece it all together on his own. Next time I see the Invincible Duke, I ought to send my regards. After all, he’s done a lot for me over the years.
A universal truth in all realms is that time flies during exam periods. It feels like just yesterday when the club members were gathering to study, but theory exams have already concluded.
Yes, just the “theory” exams, mind you.
“It’s so reassuring to have all of you here.”
“We are always grateful for the Prosecutor’s consideration.”
The day after the theory exam wrapped, I summoned Villar to the clubroom to discuss a critical matter.
“The Academy was quite pleased to help coordinate with the three nations, after all. It would be quite troublesome if any esteemed individuals were to get hurt.”
What follows after the theory exam? Quite naturally, the practical exam. And at this Academy, practical exams mean intense duels involving swords and magic.
Fortunately, most minor injuries can be quickly patched up thanks to magic and divine power. A skilled magician or priest could even reattach severed limbs, and as long as someone’s breathing, they could pull individuals back from the brink of death. I know from experience, trust me.
But what sort of lunatic would dare say, “Don’t worry! Even if your arm gets cut off, we can just put it back!” to a royal family member? The first thing that would get severed would likely be their own head.
“I’ll patrol the dueling grounds and monitor for any unusual occurrences.”
“Yes, understood.”
And that’s why we find ourselves in this situation. Starting from the day the practical exam begins, we will be stationed all around the training grounds, bracing for any possible injuries.
Honestly, it isn’t all that difficult. Monitoring duels to prevent injuries is something experienced knights or magicians typically handle. The only twist is that our duelers are royals, which injects a sky-high tension into the mix.
“You have to feel bad for the students who will face them in combat.”
The real tough nut is the student who has to swing a sword or cast spells against royalty. I wonder if they’ll end up weeping upon seeing the match-ups.
But what can we do? Luck is also a form of skill.
Just like how a character’s stats in a game have a luck attribute, luck is merely one factor in evaluating life experiences.
Anyway, that’s how it is. It might even be easier for the unlucky student to think that way.
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