I Possessed a Character in an Academy Without a Protagonist – Chapter 104

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Every second counted.

I had already learned that the suppression force had suffered a devastating defeat, losing seventy percent of their troops.

There was no time to waste.

I had to gather all available forces and depart immediately.

“So you went and got permission from the Emperor? And you were even appointed a Knight of the Imperial Court?”

“It’s temporary.”

“Teacher! Even a temporary position as a Knight of the Imperial Court is a rank reserved for High Knights! Do you know how many High Knights in the Empire dream of becoming a Knight of the Imperial Court?!”

In the underground training room, Trie was chattering excitedly.

I had informed Trie beforehand while we were sparring, waiting for the others to arrive.

Thanks to that, I realized it would be better to leave out the part about being appointed a knight when everyone else was present.

Iris and Erica might be okay, but I knew Ainz would go ballistic.

“So, we’re going south, and I’d like you to join us, Trie. Of course, you can take some time to think about it…”

“Okay!”

“What?”

“Okay. You need someone to watch your back, right? I’ll go with you.”

Her answer was too quick.

Did she even understand what I was saying?

“Trie, this isn’t a decision to be made lightly. We’re going to a battlefield, a place of blood and carnage. We’re using our break from the academy, so we might not be able to return in time for classes if an emergency arises…”

“I know. I already considered all that. Unless… you don’t want me to go?”

“That’s not it.”

“Then it’s settled!”

“…”

Her answer was so straightforward it made me uneasy.

I expected Trie to readily accept after a brief deliberation, but I didn’t think she wouldn’t even think about it.

I was about to ask if she needed to discuss it with her family, but then I stopped.

The outcome was predictable.

Her family would object, and Trie would ignore them.

She held that much authority and power within the Schultzenburg family.

“But didn’t you say you wanted to try something out today?”

“Ah, right. There’s something I wanted to practice with you. I tried it on my own, but I can’t seem to get a feel for it…”

“What is it?”

“I want you to fight me seriously.”

I activated my internal circuits, a surge of heat coursing through my body, accompanied by a whirring sound.

At the same time, a pillar of light erupted from my right palm, taking the form of a sword.

Then, with my left hand, I drew the metal sword from its leather sheath.

“Whoa… dual wielding?”

I nodded silently and assumed my stance.

I held the metal sword in front of me in a middle guard, while Vafe was raised high in an upper guard.

This was the most ideal stance I had come up with through self-study.

Defense with the extended sword, attack with the other.

In theory, it was a swordsmanship that perfectly realized both offense and defense.

“This is my first time fighting someone who dual wields… Alright, I’ll try to figure out how to deal with it.”

Trie assumed her stance, standing firm like an immovable mountain.

She exuded an aura that made anyone facing her cower.

She wasn’t this overwhelming before…

It seemed Trie had undergone another level of awakening in her swordsmanship after our trip to Whist Forest, but Trie’s defense wasn’t impenetrable.

I had broken through it once before, knowing that it was possible gave me courage.

“Brace yourself, Trie.”

I felt lighter than ever.

I kicked off the ground and charged towards Trie, aiming for her neck.

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“Damn it…”

“Hehe, was I too rough?”

Trie chuckled, scratching her head.

I wanted to get up and give her a flick on the forehead, but I couldn’t move.

I was sprawled on the floor, my side throbbing in pain.

I almost died.

Trie’s white blade, which had been aimed at my chest, had twisted at the last moment, striking me with the flat of the blade.

It spared my life, but left me writhing in agony.

It felt like all my internal organs had been rearranged.

I wasn’t sure if I even needed a potion for this.

“This was insane… I should abandon it.”

Trying to imitate something I saw in an anime had led to this predicament.

Perhaps it would work with two one-handed swords, but wielding two longswords, each designed for two hands, resulted in an unbalanced style.

The awkwardness created openings, and I ended up getting hit.

There was a reason longswords were meant to be wielded with two hands.

A weapon should be used for its intended purpose.

“Huh? Abandon it? No! It was quite impressive!”

“You don’t need to comfort me, Trie.”

“I’m serious. It felt like fighting against both a sword and a shield.”

“But it lacked the agility of a one-handed sword and couldn’t fully replicate the stability of a shield.”

“But you can switch between the roles of sword and shield fluidly depending on your stance. That’s a huge advantage!”

I understood what she meant.

With a sword and shield, if the angle was wrong, either the shield or the sword could become useless.

But with dual wielding, I could simply switch the roles of the two swords.

“And when you went on the offensive with both swords! That was really scary! I was able to handle it because I’m a skilled swordsman, but most people would have panicked.”

Her words didn’t sound very convincing, considering she had blocked all my attacks.

But Trie wasn’t the type to flatter or lie.

If she was saying this with such conviction, it must be true, even if it was slightly exaggerated.

“Alright. I’ll work on it.”

“Good thinking!”

The Sword Saint herself said it was a swordsmanship worth exploring.

It would be wise to heed her advice.

I grabbed Trie’s hand and got up, still clutching my side.

Damn it.

The pain flared up again as I stood.

I was about to reach for my handkerchief to wipe away the cold sweat, but I stopped.

Emilia’s scent would fade if it was stained with my sweat.

“Mr. Hainkel, all the guests have arrived.”

“Ah, I’ll be up shortly.”

“Schlus oppa…”

Just then, Emilia opened the door and appeared.

She seemed about to comment on me being helped by Trie—

“What was that?”

“Nothing, Mr. Hainkel. I’ll get you some tea.”

She turned away, her expression cold.

She seemed annoyed at having to serve so many guests.

Well, I’d be gone in a few days, and then she could relax, wouldn’t she?

Just bear with it a little longer.

“Let’s go up, Trie. I could use your help persuading them.”

“What? Others are going too?”

“Yes. The more the merrier.”

“Are you asking Professor Sergei?”

“No. That’s impossible…”

I had no intention of asking Sergei.

Even if I did, he wasn’t the type to be easily persuaded.

He was a civilian, and therefore couldn’t participate in battle unless officially requested by the Imperial Family.

“You know them all.”

I ascended the stairs with Trie.

I couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Exaggerating slightly, my fate was hanging in the balance.

I had boasted to the Emperor.

If I couldn’t gather anyone to go south and ended up returning empty-handed, there would be no greater humiliation.

I would lose all credibility and become a laughingstock.

I couldn’t afford to fail.

“Do they usually make their guests wait this long?”

Erica grumbled as she sipped her tea.

She glanced at the others sitting beside her, Ainz and Iris.

Familiar faces.

“Does anyone know why we were summoned?”

“Hmm? Summoned? I just came running when Schlus called.”

“Ah… Right…”

Ainz, with his arms crossed, spouted something stupid, as usual.

Erica couldn’t shake the feeling that he had become Schlus’s loyal mutt lately.

“Iris, did you hear anything?”

“Not really.”

“Ah.”

Seeing Iris’s gentle smile, Erica suddenly remembered.

Iris had foresight…

That meant Erica was the only one who was clueless about the reason for this gathering.

“This is frustrating! Attendant! When is Schlus coming…?”

“Someone’s in a hurry. Do you have somewhere to be?”

A low voice came from behind them.

It was Schlus… and he wasn’t alone.

He was accompanied by the green-haired girl who always carried the white sword.

Strangely, Schlus was also carrying a sword.

Had he gotten a new toy and was excited to show it off?

“No, I don’t have anywhere to be, but I don’t like wasting my precious time.”

“Says the one who wastes my time with pointless chatter whenever she wants something.”

“That, that’s…!”

“As you wish, I’ll get straight to the point.”

Schlus Hainkel walked over and stood before the sofa.

The green-haired girl, after glancing around for a moment, quietly sat down on the edge of the sofa.

“Trie and I are going to participate in the civil war in the south. We’re looking for companions to join us.”

“What?!”

Erica couldn’t help but cry out in surprise.

She glanced at Iris, who remained calm, as expected.

Whether she had already known or was just good at hiding her emotions, Erica wasn’t sure.

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Do I need to explain this simple statement?”

“No, it’s not that! I mean, why are you going all of a sudden?! And in the middle of the semester?!”

“To strengthen the Empire’s unity and maintain peace on the continent.”

“Uh…?”

Perhaps it was because it was such an obvious answer, or perhaps it was because Schlus said it with such a straight face.

Erica was speechless.

She was so dumbfounded that she couldn’t even muster a sarcastic comment like ‘Oh, look, the patriot has arrived.’

“I believe you are capable students whom I can trust. I’ll be frank, I need your help. I need comrades I can trust to watch my back, people I can entrust with my life while I sleep.”

“But this is so sudden… what can we possibly do on the battlefield?”

“Mages are valuable assets in warfare. And don’t worry about the Mage’s Oath. You won’t be joining as soldiers, but as mercenaries under my employ.”

The Mage’s Oath was a promise made by all who walked the path of magic.

It included a vow to never use the magic granted by Aegis for evil, and thus, the Freya Empire prohibited the inclusion of mage units in the military.

But this was merely a formality.

In reality, mages were often deployed to the battlefield under the guise of mercenaries or magically-inclined infantry.

“…”

Erica glanced at Iris.

Erica, who wasn’t particularly devout, had no qualms about exploiting such loopholes.

But she wondered what Iris, a Saintess, thought about it.

“It’s not a place to be taken lightly. It’s a battlefield where people kill and die, and that includes us. You might have to shed blood. I will do my best to prevent that, but there is a chance someone might not return. I want you to understand these risks before you answer.”

“I’ll go. You saved my life, Schlus. It wouldn’t be so bad to sacrifice myself for you.”

“I’d rather you not sacrifice yourself…”

Ainz answered without hesitation.

He would just accept going to fight in a war without a second thought?

No matter how close they had become lately, Erica found it difficult to believe.

She even suspected that Schlus might have hypnotized him.

“I will go as well.”

“Huh? You too, Iris? Are you sure? As a Saintess?”

“It’s alright. I’m simply going for humanitarian purposes, to heal the wounded.”

“Ah… I see…”

That would be an acceptable reason for a Saintess to go to war.

But still… why would she go?

“Schlus, if you’re hiring us, how will you compensate us?”

“You already know, don’t you?”

“Hehe. You caught me.”

What were they talking about?

Why was Erica the only one out of the loop?

She looked back and forth between Iris and Schlus in disbelief.

‘Are they messing with me?’

She began to suspect that they were all ganging up on her.

There was no way they would agree to this madness right away if they weren’t.

Especially when everyone else was on board except her!

“No, I don’t know! Compensation! Tell me!”

“I’ll compensate you separately, Erica.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your sister’s nightmares. I’ll cure them.”

“…!”

The words ‘What nonsense…!’ were about to leave her lips.

“I understand it’s a difficult decision. You don’t have to answer now. We’re departing from the capital’s post station at 7:00 pm today, so you can give me your answer then. For now, you should all pack your things. Dismissed.”

“…”

Everyone got up and left, but Erica remained frozen in place.

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[Erica is always so clueless lmao like the stereotypical blonde bimbo]