I Became the Second-in-Command in a Romance Fantasy Novel - Chapter 31

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Translator/Editor: Mordor

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◈ I Became the Second-in-Command in a Romance Fantasy Novel ◈

Chapter 31: The Romance Fantasy Heroine Is Strong (1)

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“Ellen Leon. Four minutes and fifty-two seconds.”

I beat Ellen.

Of course, I meant in the exam, not through pure skill.

That bastard had used mana from the very beginning.

Maybe the Sword Emperor wanted to save the best for last. Aside from his grandson Asran, he had pushed most of the top students toward the end of the order.

By the time it was Ellen's turn, everyone knew the Sword Emperor wouldn't use mana until his opponent did.

Well, I had sacrificed myself to reveal half the answers anyway.

At first, half the students had failed to notice, while the other half couldn't be sure with only one test subject.

Then Asran, living up to the name Little Sword Emperor, used sword aura from the start.

After Asran got utterly demolished, living up to the name Doomed Sword Emperor, every student became certain.

From that point on, everyone could prepare according to their swordsmanship and strategy.

Unlike the Little Sword Emperor, Adam had managed to hold on impressively from beginning to end.

So, was I unhappy about it?

“I might actually be able to beat him if things go well.”

Of course I felt good.

When else would I ever get the chance to beat Ellen?

Whenever I beat Ellen in the kingdom, the Instructors threw a party, and I received an extra performance bonus.

If I did it here, on a grade report every student could see, how great would the reward be?

And this would let me give Ellen grief legally.

You got so distracted by women that you didn't even train properly.

You said you studied so much, but you still couldn't come in first.

It would be wonderful if I could say things like that.

“I wonder what my score will be.”

I had gotten crushed in theory during both the midterms and finals.

Still, in the Swordsmanship Department and Magic Department, a high practical score solved most problems.

The practical exam had been canceled by the terrorist attack during the midterms, but I had earned nearly full marks for helping stop it.

There had been some differences in how this exam proceeded, but I had lasted thirty seconds longer this time.

Even if Prince Ellen had used mana from the beginning, the point of the exam had been to last longer.

Even without bonus points, my score was sure to be higher than his.

“If I'd known this would happen, I would've studied theory too.”

I had never imagined beating Ellen was even an option, so I couldn't help feeling regretful.

“The Sword Emperor really is strong.”

While I was savoring my chance to overthrow him, Prince Ellen approached with a satisfied expression, unaware of my thoughts.

“You look pleased.”

“Yeah. I got to throw everything I had at him.”

He looked utterly content.

Unless something happened with Daisy, he'd probably be holding a sword instead of flowers for a while.

That was a direction I could get behind.

“Still, you're below me.”

So I added a little more fuel to the fire.

“You just dragged things out while watching for an opening.”

The moment I essentially said, You're terrible at this, Prince Ellen's expression twisted slightly.

He wasn't angry. He just looked a little sulky.

“Could you call it fighting wisely?”

That made me snort.

No matter how obsessed he was with women, moments like this reminded me that he was a born swordsman.

“Well, you were first in line and still caught on. That's a talent too.”

Prince Ellen relaxed and complimented me.

I was pretty quick on the uptake. It was practically how I made a living.

“Do you think Daisy's doing well on her exam?”

“I heard their exam is similar to ours. She'll probably be facing Violet, won't she?”

In an ordinary school year, plenty of people would have challenged Daisy to make an example of her, the sole girl left among the popular male leads. Violet was there too, but romance-fantasy heroines' friends were practically treated as nonexistent.

After the midterms, though, there weren't many people willing to be the first to provoke someone recognized as the Saintess.

A friendly duel between friends was the obvious outcome.

...Of course, I knew there were two people planning to challenge Daisy.

That was our secret, so as usual, I sold Violet out.

“Then there shouldn't be a problem, but it's still a little disappointing.”

“Why?”

“If the two of them fight, it'll definitely be worth watching.”

Daisy would overwhelmingly win in barehanded combat.

Still, Violet's grades were said to be among the best in the Magic Department. She could probably put up a good fight against Daisy, even after Daisy had awakened as the Saintess.

No matter how much Daisy was the romance-fantasy heroine, Violet was a possessor!

A fellow possessor was aiming for first place in the Swordsmanship Department, so Violet, as a possessor who knew the original story, could aim for first in the Magic Department too.

That was what I was thinking when...

“This is huge!”

Someone burst into the examination hall.

It was the student who had taken the exam two spots after me, then left saying they needed to use the restroom.

They ran over to the students who had finished their exams and abruptly shouted,

“Daisy from the Magic Department is on an eighteen-win streak!”

“...?”

They began proclaiming Daisy's reign of terror.

* * *

This year, the Imperial Academy had boldly undertaken reform.

It had reformed many things that weren't visible on the surface and was still making changes.

In truth, though, there were only two reasons it had been able to gather such high-profile freshmen this year.

Sword Emperor Aren, who had become Head Professor of the Swordsmanship Department, and McGregor, the former Magic Tower Master of the White Tower, who had become Head Professor of the Magic Department.

At the beginning of the academy year, the momentum of the Swordsmanship Department and Magic Department had seemed ready to pierce the sky.

After the academy terrorist attack, the Magic Department's momentum collapsed miserably.

McGregor had suffered every kind of unfair setback, yet as a former Magic Tower Master, had done nothing but pass out.

It was enough to shatter McGregor's reputation as both a former Magic Tower Master and a Head Professor.

And hadn't the people who resolved the situation been freshmen, including me?

Normally, the academy would have demanded McGregor's resignation over such a disgrace.

Still, the incident would never have happened if the Empire's defenses had not been breached in the first place.

Silence was also a hard counter to mages.

And McGregor wasn't the only one who had been helpless. The other Magic Department professors and teaching assistants had been defeated just as easily.

So the academy let the matter pass without much trouble.

Even if the academy could move on, McGregor could not.

As the former Magic Tower Master of the White Tower, and the current head of the Imperial Academy's Magic Department, McGregor had no choice but to work to restore the department's lost prestige.

“What matters is skill.”

When it came to talent alone, the students were not inferior even to the mages of the Magic Tower.

But it wasn't enough.

The Swordsmanship Department had monsters.

McGregor didn't understand swordsmanship in as much detail as a swordsman would, but through the Sword Emperor, with whom McGregor had a fairly close connection, McGregor knew just how outstanding Asran, called the Little Sword Emperor, was.

Yet Asran was neither first nor second place, but a perpetual third.

He was even losing so overwhelmingly that the nickname Little Sword Emperor was on the verge of becoming Doomed Sword Emperor.

The Magic Department had many outstanding geniuses by comparison, but no overwhelmingly dominant monster.

Perhaps Arwen, the prince of Dale, whose country was called the birthplace of magic.

Even Arwen, the Magic Department's most advanced student, had yet to break through that wall.

So McGregor made a slight change to the final exam rules.

“To face a wall, one requires a trial.”

If the students had heard that, they would have asked what kind of insane nonsense that was.

Unfortunately, students were not allowed into the professors' offices during exam season unless something extraordinary happened.

And so, at the hands of the darkened Head Professor McGregor, part of the Magic Department practical exam was altered.

Of course, the prepared exam itself did not change much.

Only...

“Unlimited?”

The one-on-one magic duels became a winner-stays-on, no-limit tournament.

Lorellia and Marie had no choice but to watch each other carefully.

The event was no longer restricted by school year, so Marie had gained a chance to challenge Daisy as well.

‘If this happens...’

‘Won't it look like we're bullying her?!’

From a positive perspective, it would look like the victor continuously defeating challengers.

From a negative perspective, it could look like they had put one person on a stage and were tormenting her.

Lorellia and Marie, who had intended to duel Daisy with magic in order to win back a fiancé or make the person they loved look at them again, hesitated.

“Lady Daisy. I want to fight you.”

“Senior?”

Lorellia quickly stopped worrying and challenged Daisy.

‘It'll be fine if I win.’

Making Daisy stay on the stage and fight continuously could look like bullying.

But if Lorellia won cleanly and faced the following challengers herself, there would be no problem.

With the help of many people, she had improved her practical ability.

She could certainly defeat Daisy!

With that confidence, Lorellia challenged Daisy.

“...”

Huh?

“Winner, Daisy Parvan!”

The moment Lorellia thought that...

She lost.

‘What did I get hit by?’

It had begun as an ordinary magic duel, but close combat had decided the outcome.

Magic collided with magic.

Lorellia slipped through a brief opening and hurled a small spell like a dagger.

Daisy did the same.

The large spells canceled each other out, then the smaller spells canceled each other out as well. All that remained were the frail bodies of mages.

...More precisely, only one of them was frail!

“No, this is...”

This was a Magic Department exam. Why was Daisy launching a physical assault?

Filled with that protest, Lorellia looked at the examiner with the most aggrieved expression possible.

The examiners had already heard from the Head Professor that this was meant to improve practical combat ability, so they could only shake their heads.

“Ha...”

It was unfair.

It felt like all her effort had turned to nothing.

Then she naturally remembered a familiar voice.

-She really should transfer to the Swordsmanship Department, I swear.

It was the voice of the capable spy who had helped her by providing information about Daisy.

The spy had been so capable that the information had been completely accurate. Lorellia's utter defeat had come from not taking unbelievable information seriously enough.

...That had been her conclusion about an hour ago.

“She won't even let us feel wronged.”

“How are we supposed to beat that?”

Lorellia and Marie formed a group of losers, their mouths hanging open as they watched the examination hall.

“...Winner, Daisy Parvan.”

Even the examiners looked sick of it now.

Apparently, even they had not expected one person to achieve fifteen consecutive victories.

“She can really use magic from every element.”

“That isn't the problem. A winner-stays-on tournament is all about managing your pace. This is cheating!”

No matter how talented a mage was, they were still unfinished academy students.

McGregor had wanted to teach the students three things through this exam.

First, gaining experience fighting a variety of opponents.

Second, practicing how to plan a fight around mana, a limited resource.

Lastly, facing their own limits and devising the best possible move under those conditions.

But...

“Argh!”

Daisy could use every kind of elemental magic, divine power, and close-combat techniques.

Her mana reserves were extraordinary, and whenever she saw an opening, she crushed her opponent with her physical ability, saving mana in the process.

“All right, who's next?”

While she waited for the next challenger, she rested and healed herself with holy magic.

“Next challenger...”

By the time the next challenger stepped forward, Daisy was as healthy as someone entering their first battle.

“...Should I just give up on His Highness?”

By the twenty-ninth match, even Essid, the Imperial prince, had been defeated by Daisy.

Watching that, Lorellia, who had stepped forward more out of duty than love, began seriously considering resigning from her role as a villainess.

Author’s Note (Afterword)

Something very sad happened today.

I rolled 140 times, but Satsuki and Chiaki still haven't enrolled...

I got three 3-stars too, and no off-banner pulls...

Kim Yongha, you bastard. You extended maintenance, and this is how you treat a loyal customer who even bought the anime Blu-ray...!