However, I refuse!

The health teacher of Maris is the daughter of the one called the Empire’s Sword.

Only one person, Cariel Aries, knew this fact before I entered this academy.

Of course, I had a direct conflict with that woman recently, but the commotion that occurred at that time was being thoroughly controlled under Mariel’s guidance.

Knowing that thoroughness, I couldn’t bring myself to think that she was the source of the information.

“Don’t take our revolutionary army’s information network lightly. We’ve known for a long time that the legitimate successor of Bertayu has entered this academy as a teacher. And that after leaving her family, she rolled on battlefields for over 10 years under Aries’ protection…”

From the start, these guys knew of my existence.

As I realized that their current words weren’t just bravado, I felt their eyes sharpen under their hoods.

“And we also know that the reason for that was hatred towards your mother.”

They came into this city targeting Beans Zegret…

The moment I realized what they meant by saying “half correct” in response to that guess.

“I’ll speak bluntly.”

As the hood gradually came off to match that moment.

Just as moonlight illuminated the alley, a man with a burned face was revealed and spoke firmly to me.

“Seine Bertayu.”

Not to me as a teacher.

But to me as an individual named Seine, making a proposal that absolutely cannot be refused.

“Join us, the Astora Empire Revolutionary Group. If your hatred towards your mother still remains.”

“…I wondered what you were going to say with all that build-up.”

I couldn’t help but snicker.

I knew I wasn’t the only one who hated that woman, but I never thought they’d approach so blatantly.

“I see you hate that woman too.”

“Of course. Celia Bertayu… Despite having appropriate power, she never once exercised that power.”

Well, if you pick up a sword, you should at least cut something.

Having been a shut-in for nearly 30 years, it’s understandable that people watching would be frustrated.

And when the reason for that is simply “war is other people’s business,” anyone who knows her true intentions would not hesitate to criticize her.

“Yet why did the Emperor leave her be…”

Even an Emperor could probably use his power and authority to force her onto the battlefield.

“Regardless of the reason, anyone would doubt whether someone who can’t control an individual belonging to the country is qualified to lead the nation.”

Yes, even with immense power, doesn’t failing to control individuals with that power indicate a major problem with one’s status and qualifications?

“But such things are merely trivial compared to the whole. Ganian Astora… It’s just one of the fragmentary parts that show he’s not fit to sit in that position.”

“So, after considering all those parts, you’ve reached the conclusion that that person should step down from the imperial throne, is that it?”

“Yes, to the point where I think the previous leader was much better. Seine Bertayu, haven’t you thought that way at least once?”

“…How fitting for an anti-government group to ask for opinions in such an extreme way.”

Well, normally people would think these words are strange.

The previous leader was none other than the tyrant who signaled the start of the war of conquest.

Among adults who lived through the war era, there would be no one who would defend such a tyrant.

“Still, I can understand to some extent.”

But wasn’t the position of invader something that could be grasped because the country was so powerful?

The Empire at that time was the undisputed strongest force that no one could match, to the point where forces equivalent to half the continent either knelt before a single empire, or gave up checking each other and formed an alliance to oppose it.

Naturally, for those who held vested interests in that era, or those who were intoxicated with glory following them, the current Emperor’s peace politics might seem like a waste of wealth and power.

“Yes, in short, what you want is a change of regime, and what you needed for that wasn’t that child, but me, is that it?”

Whatever it is, they’re certainly guys who have entered into deviance from the current system.

For such guys, someone like me must be a very tempting existence in a symbolic sense.

Just the fact of inheriting the blood of the Empire’s Sword gives strong political influence, and the daughter herself lost affection for her mother and ran away from her family.

“At first we came targeting the heir of Zegret… But if there’s a tempting talent by her side, the story changes.”

…Are you saying my existence is so attractive that you’d come up with such a plan on the spot?

-Thud thud.

But looking at how they’re just now getting into position, it doesn’t seem like they’re just probing lightly.

Now that they’ve revealed their existence, they must be prepared to cause some commotion if I become a dangerous element.

“So I’ll make the proposal once again here. Seine Bertayu, won’t you join our Astora Revolutionary Group and use your power to overthrow your mother and the imperial regime?”

“…It’s certainly an attractive proposal.”

That’s not a lie.

I chose to be a teacher because I wanted to live comfortably, but recently I’ve been feeling considerable doubts about that.

Above all, offering help to beat up my mother was a proposal that seemed very sweet even to me now.

“Given that you’ve infiltrated this city with such armaments and personnel, and seeing how you’ve dug up information I kept tightly hidden, your declaration to overthrow the empire doesn’t seem to be just bravado… Working with you guys might be fine for now.”

“In that case…”

“However, I refuse!!!”

“What!?”

The rebel leader exclaimed in shock, seemingly surprised by the sudden drift.

But that reaction was exactly what I wanted.

“What Seine Velvet likes most is saying ‘no’ to those who think they have the upper hand.”

-Boom.

A drum sound heard as if timed with the end of my words.

Actually, I didn’t hear it, but it felt that way somehow.

Heh heh, this feeling is really good.

“…What a pointless joke.”

“Right, that was a joke just now.”

To joke around to this extent, I strongly felt that I shouldn’t accept this guy’s proposal at this moment.

To the point of suppressing even my personal grudge of wanting to beat up my mother.

“Three things.”

Three fingers spread out.

“There are a total of three reasons why I’m rejecting your sweet proposal.”

As the atmosphere sank heavily along with that action, the leader’s eyes, surrounded by burn scars, began to shine fiercely.

Spreading killing intent as if about to pounce on me at any moment…

No, that’s probably just to draw attention.

In reality, some of the guys around him have hidden their figures in the darkness.

“…I’ll listen to what you have to say.”

For now, they intend to buy time and attack from behind.

Snorting at such obvious merciful intentions, I folded one of the three fingers.

“First, the hatred towards that woman we so despise should be considered separately from the evaluation of the empire.”

“…What do you mean?”

“From the beginning, that woman never had any loyalty to the empire.”

The woman known to the public might be an unparalleled bitch, but ironically, the woman I know was someone who didn’t even deserve such an evaluation.

“You guys probably don’t know, but it’s none other than that woman who wishes for the empire’s downfall more than you do.”

Not just a bitch, but a great fucking bitch.

“Born in the midst of war, not only was she criticized as cursed by the entire continent just for being born with a disability, but while she was briefly away from her domain for training, her maternal grandfather was poisoned. Due to the old-fashioned custom that women shouldn’t inherit the family, powerful people from all directions tried to propose marriage… Even the crown prince pushed to rape her using his power, so she got scared and ended up slicing his throat in reverse.”

A protagonist of tragedy whose birth was wrong from the start, and whose subsequent life could never be called smooth…

Those who create self-insert daughters usually like that kind of thing.

The sadder the narrative, the more justification there is for strength, you could say?

But while someone might sympathize, from my perspective knowing the developers’ dog-like behavior, such narratives were rather a reason for deduction.

“If the current Emperor hadn’t overthrown the country, that woman would have swung her sword until she exterminated the power holders of the time.”

“…Are you saying the current Emperor is like her mentor?”

“Heh heh, how could she look favorably upon maintaining the name and culture of the country that ruined her life?”

Her life itself was more miserable than rolling around in a garbage dump, so she had to become stronger than anyone else.

To the point where even the Emperor couldn’t treat her carelessly, such power…

The only one allowed to accompany her on such a life was the person who could be called her mentor and partner who opened the beginning of that path.

“Rather, from His Majesty’s perspective, he must be grateful that that person is stuck in her domain. Because if she was stimulated even a little, the empire would have been destroyed from that day.”

“…For someone who hates her, you know your mother’s circumstances well.”

“Unlike you guys, I’m in the position of thinking I need to know in order to criticize.”

I looked into such past affairs not to defend her, but to use that defense to smash the bastard’s head.

No matter how tragic her narrative is, given her position as a duchess of the empire, how is enjoying power and favor to the fullest while shirking responsibility any different from invaders or dictators?

Of course, Dad still loves such a hopeless woman, but I…

I still didn’t want to treat as a person the mother who chose to just guard the house without living up to such love.

“And second.”

It’s my role to understand and bear all those inside stories, and I shouldn’t borrow others’ hands for personal grudges.

Specifying that point, I folded my second finger.

“Apart from that woman, I don’t particularly have any ill feelings towards the current empire.”

“…You’re lying.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?”

“They’re allies among allies who continued the war for decades more despite countless means to end the war quickly. You, who rolled on the frontlines for over 10 years, wouldn’t be unaware of that, would you?”

“Yes, and that’s why I feel sorry for them. The previous leader spilled too much blood to just crush with the newly gained power, and we can’t abandon the land that rules half the continent because not everyone in the land can be called perpetrators…”

Moreover, the allied nations, thinking the empire would disintegrate, stabbed each other in the back and caused another confusion.

His Majesty, who chose to maintain the balance of power even while being criticized, is probably a pitiful being who sacrificed the rest of his life to clean up the mess sown by the previous generation.

“Rather, just looking at how there hasn’t been a proper revolution even once since the change of regime until now, it seems he’s doing politics well.”

“…It’s because we’ve reached that limit that we’ve appeared before you.”

“Do you really think so? That everyone in the empire sympathizes with you?”

“……”

“Well, if you have a conscience, you wouldn’t be able to answer right away.”

Because a revolution is just a rebellion until it succeeds.

He must know well how many have failed and been forgotten like that, having been involved with the rebel army for such a long time that he misses the previous emperor.

“…It’s just because there’s been no opportunity.”

Having dug only one well for such a long time, his attachment must be no joke.

He must have prepared more than enough excuses to justify their actions.

“Everyone is just living while enduring because there’s no opportunity for change. Much blood has been shed until now to create that opportunity, and only now have we grasped that chance! And now is that moment…!!”

Whether that’s true or false.

His voice rose as if to show that it had already become the driving force for their actions, but coincidentally, I wasn’t a person patient enough to calmly listen to such excuses.

“Lastly, third.”

At the moment when the third finger was folded, a cool sensation felt on my neck.

-Boom!!

The fist swung as if led by that sensation soon smashed the head of the leader who rushed in into the wall.

At that moment, a sword was swung to cut off the extended arm, but the bandage released from my hand had already wrapped around his neck.

-Thud!!

One beat faster.

The body of the guy that flew up with the swing of my arm bounced like a flail, blocking even the approach of those coming from around.

Putting in strength without mercy.

-Thud crack crack! Crash!!

The rebel scum smashing the walls and floor of the alley while hanging like that.

The mana infused into the bandage wrapped around his body exploded when the body traversing the wall reached the side of the leader.

-Crash bang! Boom!!

One bug slumping against the wall with a loud noise.

And bugs falling one by one following that rampage.

“They’re children.”

As the smell of blood gradually wafted as if broken bones had pierced through flesh, I retrieved the blood-soaked bandage and said to them.

“What you were trying to lay hands on is a 14-year-old girl. Do I need any more reason than this?”

The third reason, which is incredibly simple, why I absolutely cannot join them.