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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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[T/N: so uhhh tirpitz is a girl, yeah… yeah ummm cool so were just gonna go with that from now on. Lol. ]
A tranquil lake.
The surface of the water rippled, the waves expanding outwards from the center. The ripples grew stronger until—
KABOOM!
A geyser of water erupted into the sky. A figure soared into the air, before landing on the shore.
“Huu…”
Tirpitz, the Great Sage, stood tall, water dripping from her clothes. She channeled mana, and a wave of heat dried her clothes.
She touched her disheveled hair and then glanced at her left hand.
“Ha…”
She sighed.
Her hand was grasping a massive greatsword, far too large for her frame. The blade, buried in the water for a long time, was covered in moss and dirt.
She wiped the blade with her finger, and a bright light shone from within.
She swallowed, and then she touched the hilt.
A large, red gem, like a giant eye, was revealed.
“I found it.”
Durandal.
The legendary sword she had lost thousands of years ago. A weapon said to be able to tear through dimensions was now in her hand. It was a relief.
“Ha… ha ha…”
Tirpitz chuckled, overcome with emotion. But then something occurred to her, and her face hardened.
“But how did they know…?”
She hadn’t found it on her own. Someone had told her the location of this lake. Or rather, if she had only been told the location, it would have been a coincidence. But someone had also told her that the sword was buried in the center of the lake.
It was the young man whom Alexia had said was suspicious. The Imperial University student who had quelled the rebellion in the South.
It was Schlus Hainkel.
“Ugh…”
How did he know? Had his family known about Durandal’s location, passing the information down through generations? No. He was a commoner.
It was unlikely.
She couldn’t come up with another explanation.
“A subordinate of a Majin…? No. That’s impossible.”
Alexia was searching for Majins, suspecting Schlus to be one, but that was impossible. No Majin would have known about Durandal and then not wanted it for themselves. Perhaps the “Delivery Man,” who had lost all interest in the world, might have done that, but he was dead.
She had killed him with her own hands.
“Maybe…”
A disturbing thought occurred to Tirpitz.
The legendary Durandal.
It was supposed to be able to tear through dimensions and open a gateway to other worlds.
What if Schlus Hainkel was from another world? A world superior to this one?
Woong…
“Huh?”
Her heart began to beat rapidly. She placed her hand on her chest. She knew what this was.
“A meeting…?”
It was the signal that a Majin could send to gather all other Majins.
The meaning was clear: a threat to the existence of the world or the Majins themselves.
“What is it this time…?”
The last meeting had been serious. The one where she had chased down and killed another Majin. She hoped Alexia hadn’t called a meeting for something trivial.
Even if she was playful, she knew when to be serious.
Tirpitz rose, clutching Durandal tightly.
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Honestly, I had become rather arrogant recently. I had not faced two thousand soldiers all at once, but I had still fought and repelled them.
Inwardly, I had begun to think that maybe I was stronger than I thought. And after hearing Trie say that I would soon surpass her, my confidence had reached new heights.
I had thought that I would be able to win a couple of rounds out of ten.
That was how I had been feeling, but…
“Did you see the article?”
“Yeah, I saw it.”
“2000 against 1… Is it true?”
“Nah, it’s all propaganda.”
“There were so many witnesses, though.”
“It’s all staged.”
“Tens of thousands of people in the South?”
CRACK!
The sudden sound made all the students in the classroom freeze. A piece of chalk had shattered in Ludwig’s hand, its dust scattering through the air.
“This is how you calculate the number of combinations. If you apply this formula to a magic spell—”
“…”
Ludwig, unfazed, picked up another piece of chalk and continued the lecture. The students remained silent, but they continued to steal glances at me.
I had completely ruined the classroom atmosphere. And I could feel Ludwig’s gaze on me. It felt… ominous.
Was he going to punish me for this?
Ding Dong…
“Class dismissed. Get out of here, you trash.”
“…”
The bell rang, and Ludwig immediately turned away, muttering under his breath. It seemed I wasn’t the only one who had sensed his killing intent. The students packed their things and hurried out of the classroom.
I was about to leave when—
“Schlus Hainkel, stay behind.”
“…”
Damn it.
I was caught.
I froze.
Iris smiled gently at me before turning away. She was heartless… But I understood.
“Erica.”
“Hmm… Good luck?”
Erica also waved and left.
They were glad that they weren’t the ones who had been caught. Those bastards… I had to get some information about Erica from Celine. I had to find a weakness that I could use against her.
“Schlus Hainkel, come closer.”
“Yes.”
The last student left, and the door closed. I took a deep breath and turned around. Ludwig stood there, his arms crossed behind his back, his gaze fixed on me, his eyes burning with anger.
I was certain that no one else could display that level of intimidation even while looking up.
I walked down the steps, stood before him, and met his gaze.
“Schlus Hainkel.”
“Yes, Professor. What is the mat—”
My voice stopped. My lips were moving, but I couldn’t hear myself. My vision faded, and darkness enveloped me.
Damn it.
A mana-nullifying barrier.
I needed to find the spell and break it…
Thwack!
“Ugh.”
I was hit on the forehead, and my hearing and vision returned.
Ludwig stood there, his arms crossed, staring at me with a stoic expression.
“You’ve been hiding it well.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Are you playing twenty questions with me?”
“…”
Ludwig was clearly annoyed.
He was telling me to give up and accept my defeat. He had seen through my deception. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have put me in a barrier like that. He had also reacted to the thwack on my forehead.
“How did you figure it out?”
“That’s not important. Anyone could see that you’re not seeing with your eyes. You’re not even looking at me.”
“…”
He had a point. But he was the only one to figure it out.
Ludwig thought that everyone was as perceptive as he was.
“What are you going to do now that you’ve found out?”
“The fact that you cheated the examiners in the entrance exam.”
“Ah.”
Right.
He hadn’t called me out for my lack of vision. He had called me out for deceiving the examiners.
“What does that matter? It’s not as if I cheated.”
“Yes. You merely deactivated the barrier, and the examiners made their judgment. You didn’t deceive anyone.”
“Then why—”
“But it’s a different matter to the public. The moment they hear the word ‘deception’, they will lose all interest in the truth. They will be obsessed with the word. No matter how much you try to clarify the situation, they will always see you as a cheater. Your enemies will grow exponentially.”
“…”
He was saying that I could be manipulated, that they could use my supposed deception to destroy my reputation.
“It would be best for you to hide your weakness. A count like myself can bring you down. Imagine what a duke, a minister, or even… the Emperor could do. Don’t give them any reason to attack you. Otherwise, you will be destroyed.”
“Was that a warning?”
“If you want you can think of it as such.”
“…”
Ludwig turned and walked out of the classroom.
The meaning was clear. Ludwig had specifically mentioned the Emperor. By bringing up something that could be seen as treasonous, he was telling me that he knew the Emperor didn’t trust me.
The media was portraying me as the Emperor’s most trusted knight, but Ludwig had seen through the façade.
‘If even Ludwig could see it, there must be others.’
Ludwig had let it go, but what about the other counts and dukes? What about the Imperial family? They must have noticed it.
They might already be looking for an opportunity to strike. They might be trying to find a small reason to get rid of me.
I had to be careful. I had to be as flawless as possible.
“It’s not easy…”
I had finally started to make a name for myself, and now, I was already feeling suffocated.
I wished the Emperor would just die and let Aria take the throne. If I was her lover, then no one would be able to touch me.
“Pfft…”
I chuckled at the absurd thought.
Aria was joking when she had talked about marriage.
Why was I taking it so seriously?
I had to stop thinking about such nonsense and focus on how I could avoid being purged.
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