I Possessed a Character in an Academy Without a Protagonist – Chapter 129

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The occupation of the Fourth Castle proceeded swiftly. Since our invading force was so small, everyone had to be constantly on the move.

First, we repaired the hole we had created in the main gate.

Then, leaving only a small repair crew, the rest of us dispersed to secure the defensive structures, including the towers and walls.

The moment the Imperial flag was raised above the main tower, castle guards began surrendering en masse, and the castle was quickly subdued.

“Rescue the prisoners! The enemy might launch an immediate counterattack, so we need to prepare for a counteroffensive!”

We had neutralized the castle’s defenses.

The next step was to bolster our forces.

The enemy had fled without even bothering to execute the captured suppression force soldiers, so the knights must still be locked up in the underground prison.

Of course, the enemy hadn’t spared them out of kindness. They had likely imprisoned them, hoping to collect ransoms.

Or perhaps they thought it would be more troublesome to execute them all.

“How many are there?!”

We broke down the door to the underground prison and were stunned by the sight that greeted us.

The narrow cells were packed with prisoners.

There wasn’t even enough room for everyone to sit down.

But they seemed more surprised by the sheer number of prisoners than by the harsh conditions.

Such treatment of prisoners must have been commonplace in this world…

It seemed like I would have to forget about the Geneva Conventions.

“Commander!”

“You came to rescue us!”

“No, I was also captured… That’s not it.”

A deafening roar erupted from the prisoners.

Even those who had been sprawled out on the ground, seemingly lifeless, jumped up and grabbed the bars of their cells, shouting.

They had been waiting for this.

They had believed that the suppression force wouldn’t surrender to the rebels and would eventually come to rescue them.

There were about four hundred of them…

Not all of them would be fit for battle, but it still meant our forces had increased more than tenfold.

Until now, we had only been able to engage in limited combat, relying on the mages when their mana was full. But with this many knights, our options expanded significantly.

And we had plenty of equipment as well.

We unlocked the cells, and the prisoners poured out into the hallway, filling it to the brim.

“As expected of the Commander-in-Chief!”

“No, I’m not the Commander-in-Chief anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“I resigned, taking responsibility for the suppression force’s near annihilation. The current Commander-in-Chief is the Holy Knights Commander, Pelaine Armstrong.”

“…”

The atmosphere suddenly turned cold.

The prisoners’ gazes shifted towards Pelaine, her ears twitching.

She was a stranger to them.

“What…?”

“Don’t misunderstand. We were able to rescue you because of Schlus Hainkel and the Commander-in-Chief. I would be dead if it weren’t for their wisdom and bravery.”

“…”

“Have you heard about the situation outside? Thanks to the strategy devised by Schlus Hainkel, we were able to launch a successful counterattack. He has a plan to win this war.”

“Oh…!”

I was flustered by their renewed enthusiasm.

I did have a plan to turn the tide of the war…

…if you could call a plan full of holes a plan.

It had worked so far, thanks to Pelaine and Kane carrying us, but there was no guarantee that it would continue to work now that there were so many variables.

Besides, I didn’t know how to end this war…

Did it end when Lorraine surrendered? Or when we captured all their castles? Or when we hunted down and executed all the rebels?

Ending the war was the soldiers’ job, not mine.

I wanted to escape before I got dragged into the messy aftermath.

“I’m Pelaine Armstrong, Commander of the Holy Knights. It’s good to see you all again. Although you might not be happy about it, I’m currently the Commander-in-Chief of the suppression force.”

Pelaine, her arms behind her back, her expression neutral, glanced around the room.

They were all staring at her with displeasure.

It was a disheartening reaction, but she had expected it.

“If you don’t want to follow my orders, you can go home right now. But if you choose to stay, I promise you one thing. We will win. We will crush the enemy who humiliated and defeated us.”

“…!”

“We’ve already killed the infamous enemy Vice-Commander, Darius. Now we’re going after Lorraine, their Commander-in-Chief and Prime Minister. Who’s with me?”

“I will follow you.”

Kane knelt before Pelaine.

The Imperial Knights Commander, far superior in social status, was pledging his loyalty to the leader of a mere private knight order.

“We will follow you, Commander-in-Chief!”

“Give us your orders!”

The sound of knees hitting the ground echoed through the room.

All the knights were now kneeling before Pelaine, their heads bowed.

The military hierarchy…

…race, gender, and social status were meaningless within it.

Anyone with the ability to bring victory could rise to the top.

“Those who are still able to fight, arm yourselves. The enemy is lurking beneath the castle walls. We have a battle to fight.”

“But our equipment…”

“We’ve prepared enough.”

“…”

Pelaine walked forward, and the crowd parted, creating a path for her.

The enemy would regret not executing the prisoners for a measly ransom.

“Mr. Schlus… That sword… Will you use it in battle?”

Pelaine hesitated as we were walking out and asked me.

Was she talking about Vafe?

“No, not yet.”

“I see…”

Of course, wielding it would cause chaos among the enemy.

But I was saving it for a bigger impact.

It was a sword of light, so it would be more effective at night.

And more importantly, there was someone I had to meet, so I couldn’t participate in the battle.

We had enough forces now. It was best to leave it to Pelaine and Kane.

There was no need for me to awkwardly ride on Trie’s horse and supervise them.

“Can I go now, Schlus? Huh? Huh?”

“…”

Trie seemed strangely excited.

Perhaps it was because she had been through so many difficult battles.

She must have been invigorated by the sight of so many soldiers donning armor and drawing their swords.

We were finally in a position to crush the enemy with overwhelming force.

“Go wild. But don’t overdo it.”

“Alright!”

Trie wouldn’t do anything reckless like charging into the enemy lines alone…

She would fight alongside her comrades.

I could trust her.

I left Trie and headed towards the area where the captured castle guards were being held.

The original castle guard had been disbanded by the rebels, and this current guard had been formed by recruiting volunteers.

So they should be disbanded, but…

“Mr. Schlus Hainkel! You can disband the castle guard! But I want to fight against the rebels!”

“I want to fight too! Let me join the suppression force! I can’t forgive them!”

“Me too!”

“…”

Both beastmen and humans were shouting, their eyes filled with rage.

They had witnessed the true nature of the rebels.

They had seen them flee, leaving the residents to die, while broadcasting a message claiming the castle was safe, even as a giant rune capable of destroying the castle was descending from the sky.

It was ironic that they were now siding with the people who had created the rune, disillusioned with the rebels…

But we had gained the full support of the Fourth Castle guard.

It would be perfect if we could win over the residents as well.

“Open the main gate! We’re deploying!”

The fully armed knights poured out through the main gate.

We had secured enough horses from the castle to form a cavalry unit of two hundred.

Considering the vast difference in training, they would be able to hold their own against a thousand enemy cavalrymen.

If the enemy had formed a proper defensive formation, it might have been a different story, but they were panicking, trying to contain us after losing the Fourth Castle. Breaking through their encirclement would be easy.

I turned and left the castle’s defenses, relieved.

‘Where is she?’

I entered the city, but I was already lost.

I had thought she would come find me, with all the commotion…

But she was nowhere to be seen.

I suddenly felt a pang of worry.

This wasn’t good.

“Iris…”

I was about to call out her name when I sensed a distinct mana signature.

There was no mistaking it.

It was the mana signature of the gentle hands that had healed me countless times.

I ran towards it, as if in a trance, and reached a large building.

It was, as expected, the infirmary.

“Iris, I’m…”

The moment I flung the door open…

…I felt a suffocating sensation.

My vision and hearing vanished.

I was plunged into a dark abyss.

‘Mana vacuum…!’

Was it a trap set by the remaining castle guards?

I had to get out of here.

I turned to flee, but then—

‘…?!’

…a soft hand touched mine.

My anxiety faded, replaced by a strange sense of excitement.

I turned back and clasped both of her hands.

I couldn’t see or hear, but I was certain.

I was standing before her.

And at that moment, my vision and hearing returned.

“That was a cruel prank, Iris.”

The Saintess, her face adorned with a benevolent smile, stood before me.

Iris.

But I hadn’t realized she would be so close…

“Didn’t it bring back good memories?”

“…”

I couldn’t tell her that I didn’t have those memories…

“I was just kidding. It probably wasn’t a pleasant memory…”

“No, my days with you were filled with joy.”

I meant it.

‘Original Body’s Memory’… It didn’t just transmit sensory information, but also faint traces of Schlus’s emotions.

When Iris had held my hand and led me through the darkness, Schlus had been happy.

Even after losing everything, even his sight and hearing, the mere presence of Iris had been his salvation.

“Iris.”

“Yes?”

“Why are you crying?”

“What…?”

Iris touched her eyes.

A teardrop, reflecting the sunlight, rolled down her cheek and landed on her finger.

She seemed surprised.

Had she been scared, being alone in the rebel’s den for less than two days?

No way.

She was the same Iris who had spent days treating patients in a plague-ridden village without shedding a single tear.

‘Did she really not cry?’

I had never written about her crying in the original story.

But novels didn’t describe everything.

What if she had been crying silently in the unseen corners, the blind spots of the narrative?

I felt like I had been hit in the back of the head.

I still didn’t fully understand the character I had created.

“I don’t know why… I knew… I saw this future… But I was scared. Scared that you wouldn’t come.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

“Yes, it was a lie. You’re right… I tricked you with my fake tears, heehee.”

“I was kidding.”

“Huh?”

“I know you were scared. You can cry in front of me, Iris.”

“…”

Iris’s lips moved, as if she wanted to say something.

Was she choosing her words, or was she choked up? The words didn’t come out.

Her face contorted as she struggled to suppress her emotions.

And then, tears started streaming down her face.

“You finally… You finally understand…”

“…”

“I was always sincere. I never lied to you. But you… You kept doubting me…!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. It’s my fault. It’s all my fault for not letting go of my pride. I brought this upon myself by acting tough in front of you…”

She knew.

Her pretense had almost driven me crazy.

Her subtly hostile attitude had made me wary of her, wondering if she was planning to get rid of me.

If we had both been honest from the beginning, we would have been able to trust each other long ago.

“I was hurt… I resented you…”

“…”

She buried her face in my chest, sobbing.

I didn’t know what to say.

Perhaps it was best to remain silent.

I had never had a good experience trying to reason with a crying woman.

Silence was golden.

“Heehee… I feel so much better. I can’t even cry like this at home.”

“Is it because I’m so easygoing?”

“Yes, you’re easygoing. You’re the most easygoing person I know.”

She had stopped crying, but…

…she leaned against me, smiling.

It was an unfamiliar expression.

What kind of expression was that?

‘Ah.’

It took me a while to realize.

It was a genuine smile.

Not the artificial smile she always wore, but a natural, unrestrained smile, as if she wasn’t even aware of the expression she was making.

I had become the only person who could witness her precious smile.

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