Chapter 14: Anyway, I will serve you well (3)

The Sword Emperor’s sudden, pointed question left me speechless. A sneak attack from a figure like the Sword Emperor?

“I gave it my all.”

I was being sincere. I’d performed Defeat Swordsmanship to its utmost perfection. Even the Commander would have acknowledged it.

However, it seemed even the Sword Emperor, the king of swords, struggled to grasp the intricacies of Defeat Swordsmanship. It was a difficult style to understand.

“To me, it looked like you were trying not to win.”

He’d seen through me. But immediate victory wasn’t my only objective. The Little Sword Emperor’s growth was essential for my future.

Hadn’t Violet, the reincarnated reader, said that even the sword-obsessed Princess Hestia had given up the sword in the original story? I didn’t care about the original plot, but I couldn’t lose a valuable asset, an unpaid worker who would clean up the messes to come.

If you quit, we’re doomed. Truly doomed.

“I’ve never tried harder in my life.”

I meant it. And I would continue to do so. So that our dear Little Sword Emperor could grow stronger and take Ellen’s place as the designated sufferer.

Of course, I wasn’t doing this out of the goodness of my heart. I would utilize every resource available to me as a Royal Instructor to ensure Aslan’s continued interest in swordsmanship. And I would also support his romantic endeavors.

Prince Ellen? Back in the kingdom, he would be swarmed by noble ladies. I could probably find a few suitable candidates within the academy too. First loves were rarely successful, so Daisy would become a bittersweet memory, a stepping stone in his romantic journey.

Of course, I was doing this because this was a ropan world, and our poor Prince Ellen was a sub-male lead caught in its web… According to Violet, he was barely a character and almost antagonistic until the later arcs.

But that was only half the reason. Violet had said she was worried because Ellen, the “cheetah,” was already sprinting ahead, changing the original plot. So, what was the other half of the reason?

Common sense. Daisy was a Baroness from the Empire. Aslan, the Margrave’s son, and the future merchant lord were all acceptable marriage candidates. Prince Esid’s relationship with Daisy could be romanticized as a love that transcended social status.

But Prince Ellen and the prince from the magic kingdom were a different matter. Romance was one thing, but a foreign prince marrying a noble lady from another kingdom created political complications. It wasn’t impossible, but…

If the rejected imperial prince and the others decided to interfere, it would escalate into an international incident. Therefore, Prince Ellen’s first love had to be stopped. This wasn’t just my judgment; it was a mission from the royal family, relayed through the Commander.

“…I see.”

Had he understood my sincerity? The Sword Emperor still looked suspicious, but he nodded.

“If you say so.”

Honestly, even the Sword Emperor couldn’t argue with the results. I had won, fair and square. And to everyone else, it was a close match. Even Prince Ellen thought so, and even the Sword Emperor’s keen eyes couldn’t definitively prove otherwise. In terms of Defeat Swordsmanship, I was a genius who surpassed even the Commander.

“In that case, I have a proposition.”

It was phrased as a proposition, but it felt like an offer I couldn’t refuse. Or rather, he seemed certain I wouldn’t refuse.

“I’ve recently taken charge of a club.”

“Oh…”

A club overseen by the Sword Emperor? This was new information, something Violet hadn’t mentioned. Had fate changed? Or was it too insignificant to mention?

“I’ve decided to teach swordsmanship to a few members.”

A swordsmanship club? I’d considered joining one. But except for this year’s exceptional freshmen, the Imperial Academy’s swordsmanship clubs were generally considered inferior to the Royal Academy’s. I’d decided to focus on personal training, but with the Sword Emperor as an advisor… that changed things.

“So, I’d like you to join the Flower Arranging Club.”

“I refuse.”

Damn it. I’d hoped, despite his offer to teach swordsmanship, that it would be a different club.

“What?”

The Sword Emperor, clearly not expecting to be rejected, looked surprised.

“I need some alone time.”

Even if the God of the Sword himself offered to teach me, I wouldn’t join the Flower Arranging Club. Wait, the future God of the Sword was actually there…

“Anything else?”

“No, but…”

“Then, if you’ll excuse me.”

“…”

Leaving the Sword Emperor in stunned silence, I returned to my dorm. And then…

“Emergency!”

“-Is ‘emergency’ the new communication code?”

I immediately contacted the kingdom.

****

The Commander’s face, crumpled in annoyance at my “emergency” call, appeared in the crystal. He sighed dramatically.

“-It’s our scheduled meeting day, isn’t it? We could have talked later. Why the emergency call?”

This was bad for his heart. I wanted to calm him down, but life rarely went as planned.

“The Sword Emperor has become a club advisor and will be teaching swordsmanship to its members.”

“-Damn it. I knew the Imperial Academy would steal all the talent. Now he’s going for the finishing blow.”

The nobles in the kingdom were already hesitant. And now, the Sword Emperor was offering personal instruction outside of his regular classes? It was an irresistible offer. Normally.

“But Commander, the club is the Flower Arranging Club.”

“-Was the Imperial Swordsmanship Club renamed?”

“Stop avoiding reality. You know exactly which club I’m talking about.”

“-Why?!”

The fact that he didn’t immediately curse confirmed that this was indeed a fantasy world. Wait, a ropan world. Perhaps the platform had strict censorship rules?

“I don’t know.”

It’s the fate of a ropan, I wanted to say, but I’d just told Violet I would embrace reality. So, I feigned ignorance. Trying to rationalize the Sword Emperor’s involvement with the Flower Arranging Club…

“Isn’t it because of his grandson?”

“-I thought he’d abandoned his family. Is he making an exception for his grandson?”

It was a plausible explanation, and the Commander seemed to consider it seriously.

“-This is all your fault. You shouldn’t have won so decisively.”

“He’s the Little Sword Emperor, the heir to the Sword Emperor’s legacy. I was just surprised he was so weak.”

This tragedy was the result of the Commander’s faulty intelligence. He frowned at my accusation.

“-Who knew he’d be that weak? I thought he’d be at least on par with you.”

He hadn’t expected our manufactured monster to be so effective. Come to think of it, Violet had said that if Prince Ellen was a hydrogen bomb, I was at least an atomic bomb. Damn, it seemed like just yesterday that my wooden sword exploded instead of my talent. Now, that suppressed talent was finally blooming!

“So, I’ve initiated the operation.”

“-Operation? On whom?”

“The Little Sword Emperor.”

“-Why bother?”

He said “why bother,” but unlike Violet, he was my superior.

“Here’s why.”

Since this was a fantasy world, I couldn’t use PowerPoint, but I could still give a verbal presentation.

“The best way to turn Prince Ellen’s first love into a fond memory is to set him up with someone else.”

“-Why the Little Sword Emperor?”

“Even in matters of the heart, a prince of Leon cannot lose to someone from Dale.”

“-Naturally.”

Even with our intervention, Leon couldn’t lose to Dale. It was a matter of national pride.

“And it’s not wise to create conflict with the Elias Trading Company.”

“-True.”

The Elias Trading Company was one of the three largest on the continent. There was no reason to antagonize them.

“And the second son of the Reas family is a lost cause.”

“-Why?”

“He’s only interested in digging holes.”

Gerard, the Margrave’s second son, was a “cheetah” according to Violet. In other words, he wouldn’t be a factor in the academy arc.

“Therefore, the ideal candidates were Prince Esid and the Little Sword Emperor. But…”

“-The imperial prince is too risky?”

“That’s one reason. But it was easier to create a connection with the Little Sword Emperor.”

We would be interacting with him through swordsmanship anyway, which made it easier to initiate the “operation.” Besides…

“It seems the prince already has someone working on his case.”

I sensed it during our conversation. Violet… she was on Prince Esid’s side. Even in male-oriented novels, there were always arguments about the “best girl,” so I could guess who she was rooting for.

“Even if I fail, there’s no harm in being connected to that side. So, I’ve decided to support the Little Sword Emperor.”

Aslan. He wasn’t as strong as me, but he was still a skilled swordsman. And despite his occasional outbursts, he was handsome and had a good personality. He readily shared his knowledge of swordsmanship with anyone, regardless of their social standing. He embodied the academy’s idealistic, but rarely practiced, principle of equality among students. He was a worthy candidate for a male lead, with guaranteed potential for growth.

“Approve it.”

“-…Are you sure you can do this?”

“Is there anyone better suited for this among the instructors?”

At my confident declaration, the Commander replied instantly:

“-Daniel.”

Damn, he was a cheat code. I might be doing more work than him in this ropan world, supporting the potential male lead, Prince Ellen, but in reality, I couldn’t compare to Senior Daniel, who was handling all sorts of matters in the Leon Kingdom, supporting the crown prince.

“…Besides Senior Daniel?”

“-You’re next in line.”

So, I was considered the second best, at least within the kingdom. I felt a strange sense of déjà vu, but I dismissed it. I was becoming increasingly comfortable with being second-best. The chief had said that being second was still good.

“-So, I have to trust your judgment.”

The Commander agreed to support my decision, acknowledging my expertise.

“-So, what do you need from us?”

“Well, first…”

I thought about the information Violet had provided. I almost complained about her taking my information without cooperating, but I mentally flipped her off and moved on.

“Until the midterms…”

The main events were scheduled to start after the midterms. So, until then…

“Have the free instructors study up on flowers.”

“-Flowers?”

“It’s the Flower Arranging Club.”

Since Daisy loved flowers, I planned to have flowers native to the Leon Kingdom delivered directly to the club.

“And have the intelligence department acquire tickets.”

“-Tickets? For what?”

“Plays, concerts, anything happening within the academy’s jurisdiction.”

According to the reincarnated reader, the male leads were all hopeless. For the sake of Aslan, one of the hopeless ones who wouldn’t even manage a kiss before graduation…

“Let’s go with the classic approach.”

I would start by preparing a classic date course.