Chapter 23: Academy is discontinuing service(1)

The midterm exam incident, according to Violet, was a crucial event.

First, it was the heroine’s awakening. Daisy became the Saint and unlocked her powers. It was a turning point in the story, shifting the tone from lighthearted academy life to something darker, more in line with the novel’s title. And it introduced Silence, a villain who could easily neutralize even the overpowered male leads, setting the stage for future conflicts.

Violet emphasized that she hadn’t planned on getting stabbed for nothing. It was that important. So, I could forgive the Empire’s security breach.

It was the academy’s first attack, and they were caught off guard. Even the former Tower Master was incapacitated. I later heard that the victims were under some kind of unbreakable protection spell, so simply knocking them unconscious was the safest option, but still… the midterm exam incident was a series of unfortunate events for Aryn.

However…

“This too?”

According to Violet, the dark mages in this incident were just a minor obstacle, a two-chapter episode in the grand scheme of things. It wasn’t even a strategically planned attack; they just happened to choose a dungeon that was secretly a dark mage research facility for their practical exam.

So, I’d trusted them. There was no Silence-level threat, no plot-related complications. It was a throwaway episode. I’d even given them a heads-up, suggesting they use this as an opportunity for practice and earning some merits.

And they still failed. Those damn Imperials. So incompetent!

“I don’t think that’s the case.”

As I cursed the Empire, Violet, still clinging to her Imperial loyalty, defended them. Maybe her salary was too low. She kept reverting to her original self.

“Why?”

A good senior listened to their juniors. And then, they either corrected their mistakes or presented their valid arguments as their own to their superiors. So, I asked for her reasoning.

“There are no traces of dark mages.”

There were no signs of dark magic in the dungeon, she said. Well, she was right. We hadn’t found anything related to dark magic after entering the dungeon.

“Then what’s that?”

Aslan, his eyes bloodshot, was wildly swinging his sword at Prince Ellen. He was clearly under some kind of mind control.

“That’s normal for him.”

“He has anger management issues?”

He looked like he’d be classified as 4-F even by the military, which accepted almost anyone. A ropan male lead with mental health issues?

“…Huh?”

Was that possible? Considering their personalities, a mental disorder or two wouldn’t be surprising.

“No, it’s because the dark mages here were researching cursed swords.”

“Is the sword Aslan’s holding a cursed sword?”

“Yes.”

Her short reply was baffling.

“…You didn’t mention that, Purple.”

“…It wasn’t relevant. It’s usually just a minor event.”

I’d told her to tell me everything. So, there was information she’d withheld. I narrowed my eyes, and Violet, avoiding my gaze, explained.

“Explain.”

“Originally, Aslan obtains a cursed sword after fighting the dark mages. He gets the usual ‘Do you desire power?’ temptation, but he overcomes it.”

“But?”

“He… snapped.”

Why? Violet thought for a moment, then blamed someone else.

“It’s your fault!”

And that someone was me, her senior.

“Watch your tone.”

“I-It’s Senior’s fault!”

Same difference, but I let it slide.

“What? Why?”

“Aslan was supposed to lose only to Ellen, then grow stronger alongside Daisy!”

“He lost to me and didn’t grow alongside Daisy?”

“He did, but not as much as in the original. Ellen’s accelerated growth has been stealing Daisy’s events.”

It was supposed to be a demonstration of Aslan’s potential, easily overcoming the cursed sword’s influence. But his self-esteem had taken a hit, and with fewer interactions with Daisy, his growth had been stunted.

“You said his overall growth was similar to the original.”

“His skills are actually more developed than in the original, thanks to Ellen and you, but he’s mentally weaker.”

“…So, we have to take care of his mental health too?”

“Daisy would usually handle it, but she’s busy lately…”

Daisy seemed to be involved in various events after awakening as a Saint. She was frequently skipping club activities and even classes because of the Church.

“Was that Church-related event supposed to happen during summer break?”

During summer break, there was supposed to be a conflict between the corrupt Church officials and the protagonists, a typical fantasy trope. The Saint, of course, would reform the Church. Until then, Daisy and her group would be embroiled in Church-related incidents.

“It would end quickly if you participated.”

“No way.”

Staying at the academy during summer break was a common trope, but I wasn’t interested. I was going home for the holidays. Having foreign royalty stay in your country during breaks was a security nightmare.

“At least leave Prince Ellen behind.”

“He wasn’t supposed to be here anyway.”

I would have taken him back even if he was supposed to stay, but apparently not. Truly a minor character in the academy arc, our Prince Ellen.

“I thought you said we had to stick to the original plot.”

“It’s already a mess…”

“Just do your job and report any incidents.”

Violet, unlike me and Prince Ellen, was guaranteed to participate in every event as the heroine’s childhood friend. She sighed.

“I chose the wrong career…”

It was too late for regrets. She’d already accepted the signing bonus; she was a traitor to the Empire now.

“It’s over.”

Ellen, after a prolonged struggle, finally subdued Aslan. I’d been observing from a distance.

“Why is a cursed sword so weak?”

“It’s classified as a high-grade cursed sword, but it only enhances the user’s abilities by one level.”

Enhancing abilities by one level was incredibly powerful, but…

“Just how big is the gap between them?”

I could only sigh at the sight of Ellen easily defeating the empowered Aslan.

****

Inside the dark mages’ secret research facility…

“Look, but don’t touch. The investigation isn’t over yet.”

I narrowed my eyes at Aryn, who kept repeating the same warning.

“I wouldn’t be doing this if you’d done your job properly.”

Aryn, looking slightly ashamed, avoided my gaze. I didn’t enjoy acting like this towards someone at least ten years older than me, but the Empire had lost my trust.

“The Empire is a scary place. Even a dungeon in the capital’s backyard has dark mages.”

“Ahem.”

No wonder the Empire was the main setting for so many ropan novels.

“Do better.”

I handed the former cursed sword, now purified and ordinary, to Aryn. I was just taking credit. Aslan was the one who was influenced by the cursed sword, Ellen defeated him, and Daisy purified the sword. I’d just watched from a distance and retrieved the sword.

“Thank you.”

I’d provided the information about the dark mages, and a Leon royal had resolved the situation, so an apology from the Empire was in order.

“I heard they were researching this sword.”

Aryn’s face hardened at my words. Even a trained agent like him seemed momentarily flustered.

“…Our experts believe they were trying to create Ego Swords.”

“What for?”

“They were planning to mass-produce cursed swords and sell them to academy students.”

That was terrifying. Imagine everyone wielding a “Do you desire power?” sword, running amok. Even a low-quality replica of the sword that influenced Aslan could easily control ordinary people.

“They must have failed.”

If they’d succeeded, this would have been a major plot point, not a minor incident. Their incompetence as dark mages must have led to their failure.

“…They succeeded.”

Aryn’s expression brightened. He seemed pleased that I was wrong.

“…Really?”

I could understand. The Empire had been losing the information war against the kingdom, especially regarding incidents happening right under their noses. Of course, this was thanks to my informant, who knew the future, but he didn’t know that.

“They were more competent than we thought.”

So, the dark mages weren’t incompetent; they were just unlucky. They’d become a minor obstacle, defeated by the protagonists during a field trip. If the practical exam had been canceled due to the academy attack, they might have become major antagonists in the next arc.

“This is a mass-produced model.”

“Can I keep it?”

“For someone of your caliber…”

How highly did he think of me? …Well, I had defeated Aslan and contributed to Silence’s defeat. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered what our prince was even doing.

“Hmm.”

Feeling confident, I drew the sword. A voice echoed in my mind.

Do you desire power?

“Oh.”

I can unlock your full potential.

A deep, confident voice.

“What’s it saying?”

“It’s offering me power. Probably some kind of mind control that enhances the user’s abilities.”

I didn’t know about the original, but I understood the mass-produced version’s ability. It was based on the idea that people rarely used their full potential. It used mind control to remove those limitations.

For example, it could suppress fear and optimize movements, or remove physical limitations, allowing the user to exert maximum force even at the risk of injury. Similar to the doping potion I’d used against Silence.

It’s not a lie. Imagine what you desire.

It sounded more like an AI from my past life than a cursed sword. It was trying to connect with my desires and amplify them.

“Well, then…”

To properly evaluate its function, I allowed myself to be influenced, but not completely controlled. If it worked as intended, it could be useful.

…

I focused on my role, conveying my desire to the cursed sword.

…

But perhaps because it was a mass-produced model, it was slow to respond, like a computer with lag.

… System overload. Shutting down.

“What?”

The mana flowing through the sword vanished, like a computer suddenly shutting down.

“What did you ask for?”

“I asked for a way to defeat our prince.”

“…Can’t you even defeat him?”

“I get crushed every time.”

“I envy the Leon Kingdom’s bright future…”

He sounded genuinely envious, but I wasn’t worried. His prince would also become a powerful figure in this ropan. Of course, he would suffer greatly in the process.

“By the way, when’s your birthday?”

“Suddenly?”

I’d have to get him some anti-wrinkle cream as a birthday gift this year.