Chapter 419: The Great Lord Also Has a Daily Life (6)

A bustling club room instead of a quiet president’s office, and club members I wish would leave the country rather than the lovers I cherished dearly.

It’s certainly an environment that should make me grab the back of my neck in frustration, but strangely, my mind is at peace. Until recently, these were kids I worried might cause trouble in my absence, but after experiencing rock bottom, they now look like angels.

At least they don’t manipulate me. The 78th season members might not be angels compared to the Emperor, but they’re at least better than the 77th season.

Thank you.

So I expressed a small gratitude inwardly. I don’t expect you to become diligent and ordinary people. Just don’t become as vicious as the dogs in the capital.

“Hyung? Do you have something to say?”

“No, nothing. I was just looking because I’m glad to see you after a long time.”

Noticing my intense gaze, Tannian spoke first, but I shook my head with effort.

Saying something like ‘After seeing the Emperor, I realize how precious you are’ would sound like gossiping about the Emperor. Honestly, it would be gossip, but if I said that and got a response like ‘Then I’ll stay in the empire after graduation!’, I might bite my tongue.

In this world, there’s also something similar to graduate students called assistant teachers. If these guys set their minds to it, they have a reason to stay in the empire even after graduation.

That’s terrifying.

I shuddered involuntarily at the horrifying possibility. It’s already maddening that major figures from each country stay in the empire for three years, but to take the graduate student route with no end in sight?

I don’t know who played my role in the original work, but I can tell their daily life must have been hell.

Was the original really part 2?

For a moment, I even had such a thought. The hopeless love race the club members showed last year was excruciating and frustrating to watch as a third party. So I thought maybe academy life was part 1 and post-graduation was part 2—thinking about it now, it’s quite a plausible guess.

Rational objections like ‘Does it make sense for foreign royalty to live as graduate students in the empire?’ don’t apply. If they were the type to follow such rationality, they wouldn’t have come to the empire in the first place.

“It seems I’ve grown attached after spending two years together. I’m wondering if I should apply for the assistant teacher program and stay in the empire.”

This bastard.

And at Rutis’s statement, which seemed like a confirmation shot, curses rose to the tip of my tongue.

Thanks to that statement, I’m certain. Even with just my words as an advisor, he’s talking about being an assistant teacher. If his one-sided love for Louise was still ongoing, he would have stayed 100%. He would have definitely stayed until Louise started dating someone.

“It’s such a shame that we have to go back after graduation.”

I quietly stared at Rutis’s Adam’s apple as he laughed and joked.

I just want to give him one flick there. You can quickly heal external wounds anyway, right? With Trixie and Tannian here, they can heal any injury as long as it’s not instant death.

Let’s hold back.

Of course, I didn’t act on my thoughts. If I had moved for just this much, the Pastry Club would have already disintegrated.

“Does the Swordsmanship Club have an assistant teacher program too?”

Amidst all this, Lather, who had been silent, asked with a serious face. Not as if he was trying to interject or start a sword technique lecture, but as if he was genuinely curious.

Come to think of it, it is curious. Magic has a strong academic nature, so that’s understandable, but swordsmanship is purely practical. Does such a subject need assistant teachers? It doesn’t seem like there would be theses or research to write.

“The history of swordsmanship is deep, and there are sword techniques passed down like secret arts in each family or country. Also, training needs to be adjusted to individual physical characteristics, so there’s a lot of room for academic approach!”

I understood at the following words. Certainly, approaching it that way leaves a lot of room for assistant teachers. No, rather, the existence of intelligent assistant teachers might be crucial for pure swordsmen who are weak in academics.

Is it like a Taekwondo department?

I decided to think of it that way roughly. I don’t need to know the details since I’m not going to be an assistant teacher anyway.

…

Why does that bastard know this?

I looked at Rutis with trembling eyes. The fact that he knows something in detail that even I don’t know means he’s already looked into the Swordsmanship Club’s assistant teacher program, doesn’t it?

It’s terrifying. Without my knowledge, “Original Part 2: Heart-Fluttering Graduate Student Life!” had come right up to my nose. Fortunately, it’s a failed project, but I can’t help my heart racing.

…That was a close call.

I subtly turned my gaze towards Louise, who’s now busy baking cookies to celebrate my return. Louise, who was once loved by all club members.

If, just if, Louise hadn’t rejected the club members or didn’t have feelings for me—wouldn’t we be preparing for Part 2 like in the original work right now?

Wow.

I instinctively closed my eyes. I can’t handle such a future at all.

I feel my gratitude and love for Louise exploding.

The party, hastily organized in the club room, was modest in scale but proceeded in quite a nice atmosphere. To welcome me back after a long time, to send off Eli who had grown close to everyone, just to enjoy.

As I looked around while chewing on cookies made by Louise, I saw Eli making a sad face as if regretful.

It’s unexpected. Did she grow attached to the club members too—?

“Boo-hoo, there are still so many secret passages I couldn’t show you.”

I guess not. I was mistaken.

“…There were still more?”

“So the academy was actually an ant colony.”

At the sudden mention of secret passages, Ainter and Lather let out hollow laughs.

They’ve reached enlightenment.

I felt pity seeing their reactions. They just laughed dryly and moved on after hearing the absurd claim that there are secret passages in an educational institution? It means they’ve suffered enough from Eli’s madness. They’ve suffered so spectacularly that they naturally accept the crazy statement that there are secret passages in the academy.

Well, they do exist.

It’s unfortunate for those two who’ve suffered both culture shock and mental pollution, but secret passages actually do exist throughout the Imperial Academy.

This Imperial Academy was built when the Apels Empire was thriving and its capital was prospering. Whether it was for the evacuation or hiding of high-ranking officials in emergencies, there are indeed secret passages throughout the academy.

They’re quite sturdy passages, as if they were built with serious intent, so even the Imperial Administration knows about them, and I personally confirmed last year—

“There’s also a passage we made with my senior from the small auditorium to the dormitory, so look for it well. I wanted to show you directly, but I can’t help it!”

?

What the hell?

I didn’t know about that one either.

I froze mid-chew on the cookie. There were other passages besides the secret ones from the Apels era? And they made them themselves?

…With a senior?

My mind went blank. The only senior close to Eli would be the Empress, wouldn’t it?

That can’t be.

I hastily shook off the irreverent thought. The Empress is the conscience of the imperial family and the Emperor’s restraint. She’s the symbol of modesty and gentleness.

Even if I concede that Eli’s insane friendliness led to them being close, I can’t imagine the Empress, who was then a duke’s daughter, digging to make secret passages. She must be talking about another senior. Surely.

“But who exactly is this senior? It seems you did everything together, I’d like to know their name at least.”

At Ainter’s words, a brief silence fell. Everyone in the club room fell silent and looked at Eli, truly representing everyone’s curiosity.

“That’s a secret! I’m going to keep it buried until that senior reveals it themselves!”

Eli laughed it off, but I saw it. For just a moment, hesitation and fear flashed across Eli’s face.

That Eli hesitated. Even with Eli’s madness-filled worldview, she instinctively knew that revealing the senior’s identity would cause something tremendous.

And there was fear included. Regardless of the severity of the incident, that senior themselves are a being of fear for Eli.

“Well, they’ve already graduated, so there’s no point in finding out. It’s not like we’re going to call them to fill in the passages now.”

So, I stepped in to wrap up the conversation. If I think about it, I could quickly narrow down the candidates, but my instinct warns me not to approach this any further.

“That’s right. What’s the point of finding out about someone who’s already graduated? The temporary advisor right in front of us is from that era, so there’s no need to meet anyone else.”

“Saying ‘from that era’ makes me sound old!”

“Kuh, my apologies.”

Fortunately, Rutis and Eli played along appropriately, allowing me to quickly change the topic.

“Oppa.”

“Yes?”

As I was watching Eli and the club members bickering about other subjects, Irina approached me.

“Are you feeling unwell somewhere? You haven’t eaten anything for a while.”

Ah.

I glanced at my right hand. Perhaps because I was thinking about information I shouldn’t approach, my hand had stopped moving at some point.

It was a bit embarrassing. It’s understandable to worry when I’m not eating the cookies I had been mechanically eating.

“I was trying to savor it since it’s been a while.”

Then, as I embraced Irina’s waist, she, who had been wearing a worried expression, gently smiled.

“It’s okay. If it’s not enough, I’ll make more, so feel free to eat as much as you want.”

“You mean Louise will?”

“I’ll do the plating, so couldn’t we say we made them together?”

I chuckled at those words. Louise, who’s still in front of the oven, might feel wronged if she heard this, but if Irina contributed to the plating, we have to acknowledge it.

“Still, I’d like to try cookies made by Irina too.”

“Since I’m in the Gardening Club, I’m not very good at baking…”

Irina flinched at my joking request and shook her head with an awkward smile.

I know. Although Irina is practically an honorary member of the Pastry Club and has some baking experience, her skills fall short compared to not just Louise but even Trixie. As Irina said, it can’t be helped since she’s in a different club.

“It’s fine even if you just bake flour mixed with sugar. I eat that well too.”

“Pfft, I’ll keep that in mind.”

This time too, thinking it was a joke, Irina just let out a small laugh.

It’s not a joke though. I really do eat that kind of thing well.

As long as it’s not at the level Louise made last year.

It’s a bit mean to Louise who tried her best, but rather than strange ingredients, simpler ingredients are better.

“Um, Oppa?”

Just as I was about to recall ‘that’ cookie I couldn’t possibly eat once my sense of taste returned, Irina cautiously opened her mouth.

“Even if I can’t give you handmade ones yet… I can do this…”

She naturally picked up a cookie from the plate and held it up to my mouth.

“Ah, aahn~”

Wow.

A face flushed red enough to rival Mar’s, and an ‘aahn’ that sounded somewhat mechanical, probably due to her own embarrassment.

I almost laughed at this affectionate gesture made despite her shyness. I didn’t expect such a surprise.

Ah.

Suddenly, a good idea came to mind.

As I took a bite of the cookie held up to my mouth, Irina’s expression brightened. She seemed relieved that her brave show of affection was accepted.

But it was too early to feel relieved.

“…Oppa?”

With the cookie still in my mouth, I moved closer to Irina. Close enough for our noses to almost touch.

Then I lightly tapped the part of the cookie sticking out of my mouth.

“O-Oppa!?”

Irina, who had been staring blankly at the scene, seemed to belatedly realize the meaning and hastily backed away, but I had already grabbed both her shoulders.

The cookie game.

I remembered because the cookie Irina had just fed me was a chocolate cookie. If lovers are going to eat the same thing, this is the best.

It would have been perfect if it were a stick-shaped snack, but let’s be satisfied with this.