episode_0117

Flutter—

Once the decision was made, action followed swiftly.

I deliberately exaggerated my movements as I unfolded the newspaper with a crisp snap.

“I see. Well, I suppose there’s nothing to be done. After all, there’s no real basis for anything I’ve said.”

“Thank you for understanding, Young Master Grave. We truly wish we could assist you further, but unfortunately—”

“That’s precisely why it pains me even more. To think this newspaper will never see the light of day and simply fade into obscurity.”

“What do you mean?”

Okay. Cheryl took the bait.

“Hm? This was only ever meant for the students of the Academy, and even then, it was published for an extremely limited time. The number of people who’ve read it is minuscule, and even those who have will soon forget it amidst the flood of information from the outside world. At best, it’s just an amusing tabloid. Are you really fine with the newspaper you and Dave poured your hearts into disappearing without leaving a single trace in anyone’s memory?”

I decided to push a little harder. In persuasion, momentum is everything.

“I’m sure the two of you struggled immensely to create this. But more than that, this could be a great opportunity for you as well. Cheryl, you still want to keep making newspapers in the future, don’t you?”

Cheryl nodded.

“Then what about you, Dave?”

“I… I’ve always wanted to become an imperial knight, to protect my family living in this empire. Managing a territory or handling intellectual work was never my strong suit anyway. I’d rather leave that to someone more capable—like what I did with Cheryl this time.”

“That’s exactly why you can’t!”

“Wh… What?”

I raised my voice again.

“The knights of the empire right now are exactly as you described, Dave. Fools who only know how to swing their swords and cut down enemies.”

“But that is the essence of knighthood!”

“A knight of the Perial Empire must be more than just a mindless killer. You must think broadly and flexibly!”

About half of that was sincere. The imperial knights’ combat prowess and loyalty were second to none—I could confidently say that. But unfortunately, in previous timelines, that very loyalty had been wasted in all the wrong places.

Most of the knights were either those with no other means to survive, those exceptionally gifted in swordsmanship, or noble heirs who found their family duties unsuited to them.

The brutal training of the knighthood forged them into strong warriors—but at the same time, it severely limited their ability to think independently. Their minds, filled with nothing but loyalty and swords, had no room for defiance or the choice to do what was right.

After Elia ascended the throne, the knights became mere pawns in the ensuing power struggles, including the rebellions of those who refused to acknowledge her. They were thrown into the frontlines, tossed around, and ultimately discarded.

Because of that, when the Demon King’s army invaded, we struggled immensely to gather enough forces to repel them.

“A knight should be a role model, someone who proclaims and upholds the empire’s justice. If all they do is blindly obey the emperor’s every word like mindless puppets… then they’ve failed.”

I don’t know how much of this will resonate with Dave. But if even a fraction of my words gets through to him, that’s enough. I can’t possibly track down every single knight and lecture them one by one.

“This newspaper isn’t just a newspaper.”

“Huh?”

“You two worked incredibly hard to create this. In the end, this is something you and Cheryl made together—it’s almost like your child. Even if it’s just an inanimate object, the thought of it being forgotten as nothing more than a fleeting amusement pains me deeply.”

I deliberately shook the newspaper lightly in front of them. Cheryl’s eyes widened as she watched.

“A… child…”

“If possible, I want to spread the truth to as many people as I can. Call it selfish if you want. But right now, I have no one else to rely on but you two. Please, lend me your strength.”

I bowed my head deeply. I’d considered asking Elia and the hero party for help, but given their civilian-minded nature, it was unlikely they’d involve themselves in such a large-scale project. Honestly, expecting that from the guy who wouldn’t even do group assignments with me is asking too much.

At this point, whether it worked or not, I had no other choice but these two.

“Raise your head. That newspaper… Dave and I worked really hard on it.”

“I know.”

“Just now, Eric said it. He wants our help to distribute this newspaper across the empire.”

I lifted my head and looked at Cheryl. Her face was still expressionless, her emotions unreadable—but for some reason, her cheeks were faintly flushed.

“So… you’re planning to distribute this not just in the capital, but in the provinces too?”

“If possible, yes. Right now, we lack the funds and manpower, so our goal is to focus on the imperial capital first—”

“Then!”

Cheryl suddenly cut me off.

“Then what if Dave and I helped distribute it even to the provinces? Would you still refuse, Eric?”

“Of course not. If you two are willing to go that far, I’d welcome you with open arms. I’ve been struggling with how to deliver credible information to those outside the capital, so if you’re offering, that’d be perfect.”

Besides, considering how the empire’s media would distort, edit, and butcher Dave and Cheryl’s newspaper, having these two handle it would be infinitely better.

“And to do that, we’d probably have to stick together for a while, right?”

“Well… yes. Unlike the capital, where most facilities are already established, the provinces vary wildly in development. Unfortunately, I don’t have the ability—or the time—to personally oversee and manage things there.”

“Right. As a member of House Grave, Eric’s only going to get busier from here on out. So—”

Ah.

Finally, I realized what Cheryl was getting at.

No wonder her face was so red.

“I’m sorry to ask this of you and Dave, but if this goes through, you might not be able to act independently for a while. You might even have to submit a special education request to the Academy. Of course, if it comes to that, I’ll do everything I can to support you so your work isn’t affected… But if the two of you aren’t comfortable with it, we can just forget it.”

Dave still looked utterly lost, his eyes darting between Cheryl and me in confusion.

“Uh, sorry, but I have no idea what you two are talking about. And Cheryl, why are you suddenly being so—”

“Dave. How was it working with me? Be honest—I won’t get mad.”

“How was it? I mean, all I remember is having fun. Making a newspaper was a completely new experience for me, so everything felt fresh and exciting. Though, if Cheryl hadn’t been there to help me with everything, I probably would’ve lost interest fast.”

“…!”

Dave might’ve said it without thinking, but to Cheryl, it must’ve been a direct hit.

I didn’t miss the sudden intensity in her gaze.

“I finally understand Eric’s true intentions. He’s been acting for our sake from the very beginning.”

“Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“Given the flow of this conversation, distributing our newspaper in the capital is practically a done deal. I don’t know what method Eric plans to use, but if he’s speaking this confidently, he must have a solid plan.”

“But you were the one who said earlier that you didn’t want to antagonize Lady Christine and her followers!”

“…I was just saying that.”

“What?”

Ah, love is a terrifying thing.

Those two had always been close, and as someone who knew the future, I’d been content to play the occasional Cupid. But it seems I didn’t even need to do that much.

She’s straight-up denying her own words just to go along with me.

“Dave. I’m not forcing you, but it seems Cheryl really wants to keep working with you. I had the two of you in mind from the start, which is why I made this proposal.”

At that moment, Cheryl gently took the newspaper from my hands and stroked it softly.

“This… Dave and I, we worked really hard to make it. I was so happy with it that I even thought about making more newspapers like this in the future.”

“Well, yeah, we went through a lot to make it. Those two weeks were unforgettable. Oh—”

As if realizing something, Dave lightly took Cheryl’s empty hand.

“So that’s how it is.”

“Huh?”

“The reason you kept dragging me around… You said it was just because you needed someone to work with, but that wasn’t the whole truth, was it?”

“Wh-wha—?!”

Oh, this is priceless.

I never thought I’d see the day Cheryl’s face turned that red.

“From the start… no, maybe even before that, you’ve always—”

“W-wait, hold on! Saying that all of a sudden is embarrassing—”

“—wanted to make the best newspaper ever!”

“…What?”

For a second, I almost broke character.