I Possessed a Character in an Academy Without a Protagonist – Chapter 48

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The knights, who were about to grab Schlus’ shoulders and arms and drag him out, froze with their faces turning deathly pale.

The chilling atmosphere proved that the knights hadn’t misheard.

Schlus Hainkel.

The Emperor clearly called his name as the recipient of the medal.

“Let go.”

“Ah… Yes!”

At Schlus’ lifeless gaze, the knights, feeling a chill run down their spine, hurriedly stepped back.

As if it was dirty, he brushed off the parts the knights had touched and trudged towards the stage.

The knights, still unable to fully grasp the situation, were standing dumbfounded.

“Knight Commander.”

“Yes.”

“Did you teach your members to invade the medal conferment ceremony and drag out the recipient?”

“No. I am truly ashamed, Your Majesty. I will properly educate them.”

The Imperial Knight Commander, seated in the front row, knelt on one knee.

The Knight Commander turned around and identified the faces of the knights who caused the disturbance one by one.

Only then did the knights rush out of the hall.

They had intended to quietly drag out a single insect that had snuck into the hall, but somehow it turned out like this…

‘Those guys are fucked…’

The knights who were on guard all shook their heads and sighed.

Perhaps they would soon think it would be better to die.

It had been a long time since they had seen the normally gentle Knight Commander get angry.

“I pay my respects to His Majesty Emperor Gustav Friedrich von Freya.”

“Enough. Rise.”

Looking down at Schlus, who knelt on one knee and greeted him, the Emperor was filled with questions.

When he entered earlier, he just sat still without standing up, so he thought he was a bug who didn’t know etiquette.

But seeing him like this, he seemed to be a man with discipline and manners, unbelievable for a commoner.

He wondered if he had manners or not.

“I confer upon you this medal to commend your achievement in executing the Crow Henderson.”

Schlus’ lips parted, and he hesitated for a moment.

Just when the Emperor thought he should prostrate himself in gratitude, Schlus’ eyes quickly turned and looked in a certain direction.

If it was that direction, it was definitely… where his granddaughter was sitting.

Feeling that gaze, the Crown Princess smiled brightly.

“… Yes. I will gratefully accept it.”

Then Schlus answered as if letting out a small sigh.

As if he was reluctantly accepting it.

The Emperor almost let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

Now he seemed to understand his granddaughter’s words.

Schlus Hainkel was indeed a crazy bastard.

A court lady came up to the stage with a wooden box and opened it.

Then the brilliant metallic lump inside was revealed.

As the Emperor picked up the medal, the nobles’ eyes widened.

‘The Black Eagle…?!’

The medal with a black eagle engraved on it.

In other words, it was the highest military merit medal that an imperial citizen could receive.

The lifetime pension and various benefits that followed were just byproducts.

The fact that less than 100 people had received it in the history of the Empire proved the true value of the Black Eagle.

It was so rare that currently, there was only one living recipient of the Black Eagle, former Marshal Sergey von Freist.

“The day the Imperial Family longed for has finally come. I express my gratitude.”

“I didn’t do anything to that extent.”

At Schlus’ nonchalant words, the nobles were shocked.

From his perspective, he might have thought he was being humble, but it was practically the same as disparaging the Imperial Police, Imperial Guard, and Knights who had failed to catch Henderson until now.

The Emperor personally placed the ribbon around Schlus’ neck.

As the Emperor took a step back, the Black Eagle hanging from Schlus’ neck revealed its brilliant appearance.

For a moment, an uncomfortable silence hung over the entire hall.

Clap… Clap…

Then, from the very back. Where the attendants were gathered and waiting, small applause was heard.

Only then did the nobles glance at each other and start to stand up and pour out applause.

No matter if the recipient was a commoner, the value of the Black Eagle didn’t change.

Rather, if they disrespected Schlus here, it would be the same as disrespecting the heroes who had received the Black Eagle until now.

Therefore, although it wasn’t sincere, they paid homage to the birth of a hero more fervently than ever.

The applause gradually died down and soon ceased after the Emperor and Schlus shook hands.

“Many may have doubts about the basis for the conferment. You may ask the recipient directly to resolve those doubts.”

“…?”

At the Emperor’s words, the court officials busily climbed up to the stage and set up a podium in front of Schlus.

Schlus turned around and looked at the Crown Princess with a somewhat dumbfounded expression.

She only smiled brightly again.

‘You can get lost, right?’

It was easy to guess that this Q&A session was created at the suggestion of the Crown Princess.

Because there was no such thing in a typical military merit medal conferment ceremony.

Schlus had no choice but to sigh and look forward again.

“Those who have questions, please raise your hand…”

At that moment, with a sound like a gust of wind, hands shot up like mushrooms after rain in the hall.

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I don’t know how many times I cursed Aria in my mind.

Because the barrage of questions never seemed to end, I had to answer continuously for about an hour.

How did you catch the Crow Henderson?

What kind of magic did you use?

How did the Crow Henderson respond to the magic?

What kind of conversation did you have with Crow Henderson? And so on…

The questions kept coming one after another, so I didn’t even have time to catch my breath.

Fortunately, most of them were questions I had been asked several times during the previous interrogation, so I didn’t make any slip of the tongue.

“Drink some water while doing it.”

“Thank…”

I turned to the side and saw Emilia standing with a water bottle.

No matter how much she could stab me in the back of the head at any time, at times like this, she was indeed reassuring.

After taking a sip of water, I wiped the sweat from my forehead with the handkerchief Emilia handed me.

There weren’t many hands left raised in the hall now.

Just a little more and it would be over.

“I’ll take the next question.”

… I had to answer for another hour after that.

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When questions were pouring out in the hall.

At that moment when everyone was focused on the stage, there was someone who leisurely left the hall.

Covering their face with a white veil, they walked alone in the corridor.

‘Amazing, amazing, they were making such a fuss, so I came out to take a look…’

Schlus Hainkel.

They had heard about him until their ears were numb.

That he was a superhuman who appeared like a comet in the magic world.

That he was a human being who could rival the Majins.

They had heard praises from people who didn’t usually do that, so they thought maybe.

They even stopped living in seclusion for 3 years and came out to see.

‘But he’s not as great as I thought.’

However, the result was nothing but disappointing.

Schlus Hainkel definitely had something extraordinary about him.

But that was about it.

Just a little outstanding among humans.

That was the extent of it in their eyes.

‘I wonder what they see in him to call him so amazing.’

Muttering to themselves, they stepped out of the building-

“Wah!”

“…”

Someone raised their arm and screamed.

The one who had been praising Schlus Hainkel so highly.

Alexia, the chairwoman of the Imperial Academy.

When her attempt to startle them was met with no reaction, she awkwardly withdrew her arm.

She tried to casually rest her hand on their head as if using an armrest, but she had to give up due to the fierce rejection.

“Hehe. How was it, Tir? It was just as I said, right? Right?”

“No. Honestly, it was below expectations.”

“Eh? Why? What were you expecting?”

“You said he was comparable to the Majins.”

“Aye! That was obviously an exaggeration! How could a human body rival the Majins!”

“…”

Even though it was hidden by the hood, Alexia flinched as if she could see the glaring expression.

“Right. Humans are imperfect. Weak. And easily broken. That’s why they inevitably long for faith.”

They spoke while lifting the white veil.

Then the youthful face of a Majin with blue hair was revealed.

An individual called Tirpitz among the Majins.

And they were known as the Great Sage among humans.

“If I had been at the church, I could have guided at least 10 such lost lambs to the right path. I wasted an entire day because of you, Alexia.”

“Ahaha! Sorry! Sorry! By the way, you’re still doing it! That thing about being the Great Sage or whatever!”

“… There are too many lost people in this world. It’s too pitiful to let them all wander.”

Tirpitz was evaluated to have an extraordinary insight that penetrated the essence of things. And an enlightenment that had reached a different level.

Dozens of people who heard the rumors and sought their teachings visited them every day.

Tirpitz never turned away a single one of them and strived to guide them to the right path using the power of human religions.

No matter how you looked at it, relying on religion wasn’t a very good solution, but for those who didn’t possess a strong body and mind like the Majins, religion was sometimes a panacea.

In recognition of their contributions, the Papal Council bestowed upon them the title of Sage.

Although they was called the Great Sage among the people.

“Really! Tir’s love for humans is always the same!”

“What? No? Not at all? I’m just doing it for my own personal satisfaction?”

“Yes. Yes. Of course you are!”

“Don’t be sarcastic!”

As Tirpitz burst out in anger, Alexia couldn’t help but laugh.

To think she could see the Great Sage get angry.

Thinking that she might be the only one in the world who could see this.

“Anyway. I really don’t understand what’s so amazing about that boy named Schlus Hainkel.”

“Really? Even though he’s the child who killed Henderson, whom you said to be wary of?”

“I admit he’s a bit outstanding. But his limits are too clear. Being blind and deaf. It seems he sees and hears with mana, but with human mana sensitivity, it will be difficult to perfectly replace eyes and ears. He must have beaten Henderson by luck.”

“Hmm… So that’s what Tir thinks!”

“Yes. Is there a problem with that?”

“No! Not at all!”

Alexia smiled slightly and walked ahead.

It was the smile she had when she was hiding something, so Tirpitz followed her with an unpleasant feeling.

‘Tir’s predictions are always off the mark.’

On the other hand, Alexia thought while humming.

Tirpitz was skilled at penetrating or interpreting the essence of things, but they always failed at predicting the future.

Therefore, Tirpitz’s prediction that Schlus’ limits were clear was no different from a blank check guaranteeing the opposite.

‘I’m so excited to see how much he will grow!’

Moreover, there was one thing Tirpitz didn’t know about Schlus.

A mental strength comparable to the Majins, no, perhaps surpassing the Majins.

Schlus was the first person to enter the barrier of fear and be unfazed.

Even Alexia herself would tremble a bit when she entered and saw visions of her fellow Majins dying.

If supported by such a strong mental strength, how far could human talent reach?

At the thought that Schlus might solve the question she had held throughout her life, Alexia felt her heart racing.

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