I Possessed a Character in an Academy Without a Protagonist – Chapter 115

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Clink.

An ice cube clinked against the glass.

“Ha…”

Emilia sighed, setting the glass down.

Each time she did, the surrounding eyes turned towards her.

A beautiful woman in a maid uniform, sighing alone.

Naturally, it attracted attention.

“Excuse me.”

“Oh, yes.”

However, as a tall man sat down beside her, they all clicked their tongues and turned away.

Gulp. Gulp.

The man watched Emilia with a worried expression as she drained her glass.

“How many drinks is that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Take it easy.”

“I’ll do what I want.”

“…”

Hertlocker’s stomach churned, but he maintained a smile.

He couldn’t afford to lose his temper here.

“Master. One glass of milk, please.”

“Yes, sir.”

Eric, sensing the tense atmosphere, quickly placed a glass of milk on the counter and retreated from the bar.

He wanted no part in a family quarrel.

“Emilia.”

“What.”

“It’s been a while since you saw your brother. Shouldn’t you at least greet me?”

“What more do you want as a wanted criminal?”

She was right but for some reason, her words felt barbed.

“How are you doing?”

“Just fine.”

“Aren’t you feeling a little relieved? Now that the evil boss who exploited you for 2,000 Tirions a month is gone…”

Hertlocker trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

Emilia’s sharp gaze pierced him.

Seeing the tears welling up in her eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to continue.

“I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?”

“Well… you know…”

“What.”

“For badmouthing him.”

“Do you think that’s why I’m upset?”

“….”

Wasn’t that the reason?

Hertlocker was exasperated.

‘I’m going crazy.’

This wasn’t like Emilia.

She used to admire her brother, wanting to be just like him.

He didn’t understand why she was suddenly treating him like a rebellious teenager confronting their father.

He didn’t want to prolong this tense atmosphere.

If he stayed silent, this cold war would drag on.

Hertlocker preferred a direct approach.

“Do you like him?”

“Pfft!”

“….”

Emilia, who had been taking a sip of her drink, spat it out.

Eric calmly approached, wiped the counter, and retreated.

“Cough… Cough… What makes you think that?”

“You’ve been acting strange lately. If it’s something strong enough to change you… it has to be love, right?”

“…”

Emilia turned away and rested her chin on her hand.

Her stupid brother was surprisingly perceptive at times.

But he wasn’t entirely right.

“I don’t know.”

“Emilia, be honest with me. This could be a crucial factor that affects our mission…”

“I said I don’t know! I really don’t! I don’t know if it’s… love… or some other feeling.”

Emilia buried her face in her hands, her voice muffled.

Hertlocker took a gulp of his milk and turned around to face her.

He focused entirely on listening, the taste of the milk irrelevant.

“I’m just… worried. Worried that something might happen to him. He said he’d be fine, but… he’s on a battlefield. He’s not just a strategist… he’s going to fight. I tried to stop him. I begged him with tears in my eyes, but he insisted on going.”

“…”

“Our top priority right now is to recruit him. But what if something happens to him? What if he gets hurt? If that happens, I… I… Ugh… Just thinking about it makes me cry. I’m terrified of it becoming reality. I haven’t been able to sleep properly. Is this… love? I don’t know.”

“…”

Looking at Emilia shedding tears, Hertlocker’s heart sank.

She was the only one who didn’t know.

That it was love.

Who would worry so much about a mere mission?

Emilia had never experienced love, so she didn’t understand.

His heart ached, and he suddenly craved alcohol.

“Master, one whiskey. And stop taking her orders.”

“Hey, why?!”

“You’ve had enough.”

“No, I haven’t! I’ve only had a few drinks!”

“You won’t be able to sleep at night.”

“What do you care?”

“Ha…”

Hertlocker sighed as Emilia turned away again, pouting.

Too much caffeine was bad for her health.

‘What if she collapses?’

He could tell that she was exhausted.

If that damn Imperial stooge didn’t come back safely, what would become of Emilia…

He couldn’t imagine that unlucky bastard dying.

He must have gone with a plan, as always.

But there was a chance, however slim, that he could die.

‘Damn it. I’m going crazy.’

Hertlocker made up his mind.

What would Emilia’s reaction be if she saw this?

Would she be worried and anxious?

Or would she be eating popcorn, waiting for him to die?

He didn’t know the answer, but one thing was certain—

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“Don’t slow down! Don’t worry about maintaining formation! Everyone, ride at full speed!”

“Yes, sir!”

We were screwed.

To briefly explain the situation, we were on our way back to the fortress after rescuing the Imperial Knights Commander from the Great Forest when we encountered an enemy cavalry unit.

“They’re right behind us!”

And there were a lot of them.

If it had been fifty, we might have stood a chance, but there were well over a hundred.

Even if we were all superhuman, there was a limit to what we could do against such overwhelming numbers.

We had no choice but to flee.

“The fortress! I see it!”

It was good news that we were almost there, but the path ahead wasn’t promising.

Alerted by the thunderous sound of our horses’ hooves, enemy infantry had formed a line in front of the main gate.

“I wish someone would come out and support us…”

Taylor said, grinding his teeth.

It would be great if the knights inside the fortress came out to cover us, but it was unlikely.

They had lost their leader and were nothing more than a disorganized mob now.

It was best not to expect anything from Pelaine’s men.

Damn it.

I was going to have to use magic from the get-go.

“Are there any troops left inside?”

The Imperial Knights Commander asked Taylor, riding up beside him.

“Yes, about twenty knights.”

“…”

The Imperial Knights Commander nodded grimly and drew his greatsword.

He raised it high, and the blade, reflecting the moonlight, shone gold.

For a moment, I thought he had cast an illumination spell.

The golden light was so intense.

And then—

“Uwaaaaaa!!!”

The main gate burst open, and knights poured out.

The enemy infantry, caught off guard by the sudden cavalry charge from the rear, panicked and broke ranks.

The path was clear.

We charged towards the main gate, escorted by the knights who had come to our rescue.

“Ugh! Retreat!”

The enemy light cavalry, unable to face the defenders who had the advantage of the fortress walls, turned their horses around and fled.

The main gate slammed shut, and peace returned.

No one was injured or left behind.

We had rescued the Imperial Knights Commander as promised.

“Commander-in-Chief!”

“You’re back!”

The cheers were directed at the wrong person.

The Imperial Knights Commander greeted each knight individually, shaking their hands, his face still etched with fatigue.

I wanted to tell them that he wasn’t the Commander-in-Chief anymore, but I held back.

It wouldn’t be appropriate to do so in this chaotic atmosphere.

It was better to announce it formally at a meeting.

“Are you hurt?”

“…”

I turned around to see Erica staring at us with anxious eyes, tugging at my clothes.

Ainz sheepishly emerged from the barrack.

“We’re fine. Are you alright now?”

“Yes… I think so.”

“Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?”

“To kill.”

“…!”

Her widened eyes told me that she wasn’t ready.

I could force her to kill a prisoner by putting a dagger in her hand, but that would be the worst option, potentially shattering her mind.

Both Erica and Ainz would eventually learn to kill in the original story, after experiencing various hardships.

So I wasn’t too worried.

“If you find it too difficult, you can return to the capital.”

“No… That’s not…”

“Then follow me. You’ll be attending the war council.”

We had more pressing matters to attend to.

With the arrival of the Imperial Knights Commander, all the knights naturally gathered in the largest barrack.

The air quickly grew thick and humid as the barrack filled with sweat-soaked knights.

“Are these all the knights we have left?”

“Yes.”

“…”

The Imperial Knights Commander’s expression darkened.

The suppression force once boasted nearly a thousand knights…

Of course, the same man had been responsible for their destruction.

“Then let’s begin the war council. Who was in command here while I was away?”

“…”

Pelaine raised her hand and then lowered it.

“I see. Thank you, Holy Knights Commander, for maintaining our forces… Now, I intend to take over as the Commander-in-Chief. If anyone objects, raise your hand.”

“…”

“…”

Silence descended upon the meeting room.

I had expected the Holy Knights to raise their hands… but they seemed too intimidated to do so.

It seemed like I would have to take the fall alone.

I took a deep breath and raised my right hand.

“Schlus… Hainkel? What are you doing here?”

“Reinforcements.”

“…”

The Imperial Knights Commander’s face crumpled.

But I couldn’t afford to use honorifics.

Not when I was representing the person who had appointed me.

“Reinforcements? I object. What gives you the right?”

“As a direct subordinate knight of His Imperial Majesty, I hereby express my disapproval of the transfer of command.”

“…!”

I unfurled the scroll, revealing the Emperor’s appointment letter.

The knights leaned forward, their eyes wide with surprise.

It felt like I was a secret royal inspector from the Joseon Dynasty, revealing my identity.

“The suppression force lost Fort Four due to their failure to manage the prisoners, and they suffered heavy losses in the decisive battle due to a strategic blunder. I hereby strip Imperial Knights Commander Kane von Sturmguard of his authority and relieve him of his duties as Commander-in-Chief.”

“Stripped…!”

Kane’s eyes widened, and he glared at me with murderous intent.

And he wasn’t the only one.

All the knights were staring at me with hostility.

[T/N: just a little note for yall ‘Sturm’ in german means Storm so hes basically Stormguard lol]

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[bro i swear it always feels like hes trolling everyone, also emilia best girl frfr]