Chapter: 84
I have six students I need to keep an eye on. Half of them are from the Empire, and the other half are… foreigners.
The students from the Empire can just head home during vacation. Louise is from the Naird Baron family, Erich from the Krasius Count family, and Ainter has the Imperial Palace as his base. As for the foreign students who don’t have a foothold in the Empire, they can simply return to their homeland.
Wouldn’t it be preferable to return to their own country and be pampered instead of staying in this far-off and unfamiliar Empire? After all, there are plenty of underlings over there just waiting for someone to boss them around with a flick of a finger.
‘But then, why?’
Why aren’t they going back? What are they planning to do by lingering at the Academy during the break?
Of course, it’s not like there aren’t students who stay at the Academy during vacation. The dorms stay open, and the city surrounding the Academy isn’t too shabby either. Usually, those who stay back are commoners whose lives hinge on their Academy grades, or those who live far away.
Do those three foreigners even care about their Academy grades? They’d be better off doing something else during this vacation instead of hanging around here. Their homes are far away? What the hell is a teleportation magician even for, then?
“Unexpected, indeed.”
I managed to say this while fighting the urge to smack the heads of the three of them with the cookie jar beside me. I have to hold it in. If I blow up here, it’ll lead to an international dispute, sending me straight to prison. Adding another line to my criminal record would be a real headache.
“Still, wouldn’t it be better to return since there’s nothing to do in the Academy?”
What I really wanted to yell was, ‘Shut up and get lost already!’ but I toned it down as much as I could. The truth is, there really isn’t anything for them to do at the Academy. Plus, Louise is going to return to her territory…
Oh hell, please tell me it’s not…
“Once I graduate from the Academy, I won’t have another chance to visit the Empire. That’s why I think this is the perfect time to travel around the Empire and expand my horizons.”
Rutis’s words gave credibility to my fears. Sure, he says he wants to wander around the Empire, but it’s pretty obvious where that little rascal is actually headed.
“We’re busy during the semester, so vacation is the only time we have.”
Lather jumped into the fray, arguing for their reasoning to stick around the Academy. Did they really need to take turns spouting this nonsense?
They had definitely cooked this up in advance. If only one of them wanted to stay behind, it wouldn’t hold weight, but if all three agree to it? Well, now that’s a whole other story. This was no random action.
‘What devious little bastards.’
Thinking about Villar, who had been getting brighter by the day, made my teeth clench in frustration. If Villar had learned about this, there’s no way he would’ve looked so cheerful. He’d probably have exhausted himself trying to convince these three idiots.
And those little tricksters knew it and kept it secret until just before vacation. If they had told him beforehand, Villar would have made it a hassle for them. Ruthless little devils…
“Is everyone going to stay at the Academy?”
Louise, who had been whispering with Irina, peeked up slightly. Her eyes were fixed on the textbook, but it seemed her ears had tuned into our conversation.
“You can’t travel every day, won’t that get boring?”
“It’s fine, sister. There are three of us.”
To be more precise, it’s three plus a dozen or so others. Your escorts are also human, you fools.
Watching their resolute response to Louise’s question, it was clear they had no intention of going back.
Sigh, great.
“If everyone’s in the Empire during the break, it might be okay to meet during the holidays. Maybe we could do a trip together or something.”
After thinking for a long while, I finally said that, and it drew an enthusiastic response. Louise didn’t seem to mind, and the club members were thrilled because I’d unintentionally given them an excuse. Seeing that made my heart feel really sour.
‘This is the best I can do.’
Strangely, this really is the best choice. If I can’t stop these three from sticking around the Empire, it’ll be easier to manage them if the entire club gathers together instead of each visiting Louise separately.
“Now we’ll need to decide where we’ll meet.”
“Let’s take our time deciding.”
“Irina, do you want to come?”
“H-huh? Me too?”
Every time I heard the club members talk, I quietly clenched the cookie jar, feeling a bit crunched but whatever. The semester is over anyway.
*
As soon as the club meeting wrapped up, I hurriedly summoned Villar. When I said it was important, Villar arrived in under five minutes. Once he settled down, I shared the horror of the current situation.
Villar’s reaction wasn’t silence or anger; it was something entirely different altogether. With a smile on his face, he quietly picked up his teacup.
‘Is he really smiling in this situation?’
There’s a saying I heard before. Crying during hard times is third-rate, while holding it in is second-rate. So, what does it mean to be first-rate? It’s being able to smile even when faced with difficulties. Villar is first-rate; he has transcended into that realm.
But it seems he hasn’t quite reached the pinnacle yet. His hand holding the teacup was trembling. Still, I pretended to be calm and didn’t acknowledge it.
“What a surprising situation.”
— Fuck.
That was Villar’s first line while smiling. Both of us understood what that first line implied. Regardless of who takes charge next semester, Villar was on the brink of going home, to meet his family. And out of nowhere, he’s stuck with extended duty.
Moreover, they were supposed to reorganize the escort forces during the break. But now? Going home? Now, his homeland will be demanding, ‘Why hasn’t your Highness returned?’ while those beside him will quip, ‘Why can’t we go home?’ At this point, even if Villar curses at Enen, he’d better take it with humility.
“What an unexpected event.”
Villar sipped his tea, trembling hands letting out a sigh. As expected, even Villar wasn’t aware of it. If he’d known and kept silent, I think my faith in people would have taken a nosedive.
“I’m also taken aback since this is unexpected.”
I managed a forced smile, but I wasn’t merely a bit taken aback. If the trio decides to stay at the Academy, it’s not just the escort forces that will be trapped here. It means I’m trapped too!
‘Damn.’
Staying at the Academy during vacation is impossible for me. If I were a faculty member, it might be different, but I have my position as the Executive Manager of the Prosecutor’s Office. So far, the Senior and Deputy Managers were holding the fort, but they’ve been doing that under the assumption I would return during the break.
I need to go home. If I fail to return for the break, the Prosecutor’s Office will suddenly be without an Executive Manager for nearly a year. If it happens every vacation for three years, that’ll mean the department will be headless. Are you out of your mind?
Ultimately, the discussion with Villar ended without making any progress; we merely sighed in hopelessness. This matter was too significant for us to tackle on our own. We didn’t possess the authority to forcibly send back princes and candidates for saints either.
“What do we do?”
— What the hell.
The situation of being stuck at the Academy wasn’t something I could resolve alone. As soon as Villar left, I immediately contacted the Minister. He seemed at a loss for words for a while. A prolonged absence of an Executive Manager would surely tire him out as well.
— Are they truly staying at the Academy?
“As far as I know, they have never told a lie.”
— A noble quality fitting for such important figures.
In this situation, I wished they would’ve been habitual liars instead.
The Minister seemed to echo my thoughts, mumbling to himself with furrowed brows. Luckily, the communication crystal didn’t transmit his low murmurs. He probably was cursing up a storm.
“I think we can somehow manage this time.”
— Yes, we might be okay for a year. But after that? Can you guarantee this won’t happen again?
“That…”
Nope, there’s no way I can guarantee it.
They were the kind of guys who conspired among themselves to spring unexpected surprises, and thinking that ‘this will only happen once’ would be overly careless. They’d likely find it easier to pull it off again next time.
— At least there’s no urgent matter to deal with.
The Minister, who seldom sighed, began to mentally sift through the situation. Thankfully, even expanding to the latter half of the year, it seemed there wasn’t anything that required my direct command, at least, not yet.
— For now, process things through the communication crystal.
“Yes?”
You mean to do it in such a painfully inefficient manner?
— What can we do? You can’t personally go to the capital, and the Senior Manager can’t go to the Academy either.
“That is true, but…”
With no grounds to argue, I awkwardly nodded. Obviously, this would be less efficient compared to face-to-face interaction, but still, some communication is better than being completely uninvolved.
— Just hang on until we find another solution.
For now, at least the immediate fire at my feet has been put out.
The moment I extinguished the fire burning at my feet, a meteor dropped on my head instead. This time, it was a disaster stemming from Tannian’s mouth.
“We’re planning to go to the capital.”
“The capital…?”
The day after I’d had the first emergency meeting with Villar and the second with the Minister, the new bombshell dropped during club time.
“Is there really a need to go all the way to the capital?”
While I answered normally, I was burning up inside. No, you guys can’t go to the capital. That place is a no-go. I’d rather see you visit Boyar one more time, just not the capital…!
“How can we say we’ve seen the Empire if we haven’t visited the capital?”
“We could go there on a school trip.”
“Haha, but it’s not yet confirmed that we’ll go to the capital, so we should go while we can.”
Looking around, the other members seemed to support Tannian’s notion. Either they had already conspired to this notion, or they genuinely liked the idea.
“The capital sounds great!”
Louise, who seemed to fall into the latter category, was already radiating excitement. The lone voice that could potentially stop this madness was also all on board with the idea of going to the capital.
“It’ll be too crowded.“
“Haha, brother. Isn’t it even stranger if a destination we’re visiting is empty?”
He wasn’t wrong, so I kept my mouth shut.
Then, after the club meeting ended, I was left all by myself in the clubroom.
“Those bastards…”
I gulped down some water to soothe my burning insides.
Staying at the Academy was merely going to interfere with my primary duties. Traveling around the Empire would tire out their escort forces. Piling on the capital would make the Principal break out in a sweat, too.
But the capital? That’s on a whole different level. If a foreign dignitary makes a personal visit to the capital outside of scheduled Academy matters, it becomes a colossal affair that spirals out of control.
‘Damn.’
It’s a lineup that could negate the authority of even an Executive Manager and a Principal.
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