Chapter 26

Chapter 25

Survival Tactics of a Possessed Person (Original Unknown) - 2

As I moved down the hallway, I could hear faint voices. The baking club room, located in a secluded area to prevent unfortunate students from encountering royalty, was where the voices were coming from. If the sound could reach this corridor, it meant something had happened in the baking club.

How long has it been since I left, and something happened? Did the oven explode and start a fire?

I hurried to the club room and opened the door. Fortunately, there was no sign of a disaster like a fire. I only saw two princes engaged in a heated debate, as if they were about to set each other on fire with their words.

"Most heroes who shook the world were knights. You must have heard stories of heroes who stirred the continent with a single sword."

"The body is finite, but the spirit is infinite. Therefore, magic, which can develop the spirit, is the true path."

What are these kids doing?

After confirming the unexpected verbal sparring between Lutis and Lather, I quickly scanned the other club members. Louise, who was only blinking, Erih, who was quietly watching the two, Ainter, who was smiling silently, and Tannian, who was staring at the oven where cookies were baking.

Hmm, I guess I should ask Erih for an explanation.

"Erih."

I quietly approached Erih from behind and placed my hand on his shoulder. Only then did he realize my presence and turned to look at me. It’s a bit disappointing that a guy who has trained in martial arts is so slow to notice others.

"Ah, brother."

"What’s going on?"

"That?"

As Erih looked back at the two, his eyes overflowed with a feeling that couldn’t be hidden. Unfortunately, that feeling was disdain. They must be arguing over something trivial.

Erih’s brief explanation followed. It all started with a casual comment by Tannian, who was looking at the oven, saying, "Magic tools are convenient, aren’t they?"

The candidate for the savior’s favorable comment on magic pleased Lather from the magic-specialized Yuben United Kingdom, while Lutis from the knight-specialized Armain Kingdom was displeased. The debate over swords versus magic that followed is what we’re seeing now.

'Idiots.'

In the end, whether it’s a sword or magic, if you get hit properly, you die. Thinking about how I was just stressing over protecting these things made me feel a bit wronged. You guys have the luxury to argue over such things...

Meanwhile, Tannian, who had started the fire and was now ignoring it, was frustrating. As a noble healer, he seemed to have no interest in the verbal sparring of the commoner dealers. Or, should knights be seen as tanks? Anyway, he’s incredibly evil. Starting a fire and then backing out.

Now that I know the trivial cause, it’s time to intervene. The relationship between Armain and Yuben isn’t good, and one of the reasons is the national tendency towards knights or magic. If left unchecked, this debate could turn into a physical altercation. Of course, I doubt the royal family members are that thoughtless.

...But do you have that much thought? I trust you.

Just as I was about to tap the nearby desk to get their attention, Louise, who had been quietly watching the debate, tilted her head and spoke.

"Isn’t magic better than swords?"

At this, Lutis stiffened, and Lather smiled triumphantly. The absurd argument ended just as absurdly.

So, Louise is on the magic side. I just found out.

Lutis, who had just dramatically demonstrated that he is not like Louise and is on the knight side, suddenly fell silent. Honestly, it feels like he’s getting what he deserves, but it’s almost pitiful. I didn’t know Louise preferred magic over cookies.

I considered comforting him, but since he’ll probably be laughing and setting up flags the next day, I ignored him. I’m too soft-hearted. I almost forgot the trouble he’s caused me just by seeing him in a pitiful state.

"Being soft-hearted is tiring."

- Did you drink?

The person on the other end of the communication device responded indifferently. That’s a bit harsh, I was being sincere.

After the club time ended, I immediately contacted the head of the information department upon returning to my dorm. I wanted to thank him for sending the information faster than expected and to listen to any additional comments or requests he might have.

He’s one of the most overworked people among the department heads, so I didn’t have high expectations. I was just leaving a message in case he didn’t answer. But surprisingly, he picked up right away. Maybe it was during his break.

- Anyway, I’ve sent the information I have so far to the head of the inspection department. I’ll send any additional information as soon as it comes in, so don’t worry.

"Thank you. I owe you a lot."

- No, it’s just returning the favor. We need to be thorough.

I had helped the information department head for smooth information flow. I noticed something fishy about his family and decided to cover it up. The emperor didn’t seem to care much either. He probably valued the benefits of the information department head’s abilities more than the harm caused by his corruption.

Especially since it was the family members, not the information department head himself, who were causing trouble. The head was too busy to even have time to eat.

The information department head, looking tired, stretched his neck. The sound of his neck cracking could be heard through the communication device. The information department is being torn apart again today.

"Are you pulling an all-nighter again?"

- It’s a regular thing. Nothing new.

"That’s a pity."

- Better than you in the academy.

Suddenly getting so aggressive?

Despite feeling a bit choked, seeing the exhausted information department head chuckle made me feel a bit sorry for him. His face was pale, and his eyes were bloodshot, even through the communication device. Well, if making fun of me helps the information department head relieve his stress, it’s a blessing for the empire.

It’s a secret I can’t tell anyone, but I often looked at the information department head to find comfort when I was about to go crazy as the head of the inspection department. At least I’m better than him, I thought.

Of course, if the information department head found out, he’d be furious, so it’s a precious secret I keep to myself.

- By the way, about those five groups.

"Ah, yes."

The information department head, who seemed to have remembered something, straightened his gaze.

- Be cautious of the rotten corpses among them. Their traces are increasingly being found near the academy.

"Not surprising."

- Are they still talking about reviving Afels?

The "rotten corpses" the information department head mentioned are the Third Glory of the Afels Revival Army. The academy is located where the capital of the former Afels Empire once stood, so it’s natural for them to try to cling to it. It’s surprising how they’re moving exactly as expected.

'So it starts with them.'

Among the five groups, who will take the glorious lead is now decided. I don’t know when they’ll arrive, but at least knowing who they are is a gain.

- When they get close to the academy, a suppression force will be dispatched.

"Is that so? That’s reassuring."

I trusted it. The empire isn’t a crazy country that would force someone to handle a group alone.

Now, while it’s difficult to track their movements, knowing their destination is the academy, we can set traps and wait. This applies to the other villain groups besides the Third Glory.

If they cross the empire’s territory to reach the academy, it’s a sufficient reason for the empire’s forces to intervene. The empire’s forces have decreased at the academy, but there are enough stationed throughout the empire. The empire wouldn’t be so careless as to leave the academy’s defense weak. They just reduced the forces for political reasons.

For me, I just need to prepare for any incidents before the suppression force arrives and participate in the suppression to assess the situation. That’s why I’m here.

- The suppression force will be specially selected, considering the head of the inspection department.

"...Did the Minister of Special Affairs say that?"

- Who else?

The information department head chuckled. With that, our conversation ended.

A specially selected force from the Minister of Special Affairs... I have a rough idea. It’s been a while since we’ve met.

Fortunately, the Third Glory didn’t start attacking the academy right after my information sharing with the information department head. Even the most intricate plot needs a breather. I feel a bit resentful that I have to be relieved by such obvious things.

The Third Glory will probably move around to confuse the trackers. While it’s meaningless when the destination is obvious, the more they dig, the longer it will take them to reach the academy, which isn’t bad news.

I just need to wait at the academy, receive additional information from the information department head, and greet the forces sent by the Special Affairs Department when they arrive. That alone would reduce the defense difficulty from hellfire to hard or normal.

With a slightly lighter step than usual, I headed to work—

"Miss Louise, do you understand what I’m saying?"

In a sparsely populated area, I saw Louise talking to someone. Or rather, being verbally beaten by someone.

The girl verbally beating Louise is someone I know. Her long red hair and the fan in her hand. I couldn’t see her face clearly, but I recognized her voice.

As I approached, Louise noticed me and smiled. The red-haired girl also turned to look at me.

"Oh, Sir Karl. It’s been a while."

Indeed. It feels like it’s been a year.

Author’s Note

[The Daily Life of the Imperial Administration]

Information Department Head: I’m better than him.

Karl: I’m better than him.

'????: I’ll probably post in the afternoon from tomorrow.' - From yesterday’s afterword

But the low probability happened, and it’s up in the morning. Probability is something you can’t be complacent about, even by 1%.

I didn’t intend it, but it ended up being posted in the morning again... I feel a bit embarrassed to be a habitual afterword liar.

Thank you for reading this chapter!