WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Mordor
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Became the Second-in-Command in a Romance Fantasy Novel ◈
Chapter 72: While Everyone Sleeps (2)
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As time passed, even the moonlight was swallowed by clouds.
Those who lived in Rias naturally sensed that the Night of Demonic Energy had arrived.
To ordinary people, it merely looked like a foggy night.
But they knew it was a phenomenon caused by demonic energy mixing into the mana in the air.
“Now that I think about it, there’s no better day for a secret rendezvous than the Night of Demonic Energy.”
So while everyone quietly hoped for the Night of Demonic Energy to pass from the safety of their homes, Aryn, who worked like a dog even during the Night of Demonic Energy, was spouting nonsense as though he were drunk on demonic energy.
“What kind of insane nonsense is that?”
Taylor, who had been watching Adam, looked at Aryn with a dumbfounded expression.
Had he finally gone mad? Judging by his appearance, he did seem rather worn out.
Unaware of Taylor’s thoughts, Aryn explained the reasoning behind his claim.
“Think about it. No sane person would be wandering around outside during the Night of Demonic Energy. Since magic can’t be used, there’s no surveillance, detection, or eavesdropping magic either.”
It was true. In a society dependent on magic, there was no better day for a secret rendezvous.
However.
“The people enjoying that secret rendezvous would be in the same position, wouldn’t they?”
“That’s true.”
The same went for the people meeting in secret. Especially since, if they were discovered, they would have to settle everything with nothing but their raw physical abilities.
“But that guy isn’t like that, is he?”
Aryn looked at Adam, who was walking with the Saintess in the distance.
Problems caused by demonic energy? With the Saintess beside him, he could neutralize them without issue.
“They really do look like a good match together.”
The Flower Arrangement Club was full of people whose appearances suited their lofty positions.
Even the club president, an ordinary lower noble, was fairly handsome aside from his strange air.
And Daisy, who had captured the hearts of most of the Flower Arrangement Club members, was beautiful even without considering her various backgrounds.
Adam had looks that did not seem at all out of place beside someone like Daisy.
In short, a handsome man and a beautiful woman!
“Do you want Adam to stab you with a sword?”
Taylor let out a deep sigh as he watched Aryn insist on it.
Thinking about what had happened at the Academy, even if Adam or Marie came attacking Aryn while shouting, “Damn Imperial bastards!” Aryn would simply have to accept it.
“Don’t worry. I don’t deny heaven’s will.”
“What does that even mean?”
“If it’s a natural death, I should just accept it.”
It might have sounded sarcastic to someone listening from the side, but Taylor was sincere.
He was genuinely impressed.
So this was the kind of mindset one needed to become a double agent with the tacit approval of the Imperial Family and a ducal house!
“It would make things easier for all of us if Adam just took her away.”
“……”
For a moment, Taylor almost said that was true, but with extreme patience, he managed not to let the words leave his throat.
If Rias hadn’t been breached, I would’ve said it.
Taylor had not completely thrown away his conscience yet. He could not wish misfortune on Adam, who was working to deal with the enemies trying to invade Rias.
“I hope Adam comes to understand the charms of Lady Daisy that the Flower Arrangement Club members have realized.”
That was the most he could say, adding the assumption that Adam might fall for Daisy.
“Emergency! We have found dangerous individuals!”
“They’ve come.”
At the sight of a Rias agent rushing toward them, Aryn’s expression changed.
That appearance Taylor had heard about from before entering the Academy, one considered legendary among the agents!
“Yes. Are they Dark Mages? Or perhaps, as they say, people who have received the power of Evil Gods and are colluding with Demonkin...”
With cold eyes, looking ready to cut down an enemy at any moment.
“No!”
The Rias agent shook their head and began listing the dangerous individuals.
“Prince Essid and Young Lord Gerard, Prince Ellen of Leon, Prince Arwen of Dale! And lastly, Asran, the Sword Emperor’s grandson!”
“……”
“……”
“They are following behind the bait operation!”
Why the hell were those bastards there?
As they exchanged looks filled with despair, fear, and countless other emotions, Aryn and Taylor could only fall into indescribable despair.
* * *
“In the middle of the night. Walking together, just the two of us, down an empty road like this.”
There was neither moonlight nor starlight on the street.
Even the mana-powered lamps had all gone out because of the demonic energy.
The only light came from the torches burning here and there.
“My heart’s pounding.”
Under such circumstances, walking alone with someone of the opposite sex would naturally make one’s heart pound.
“Just the two of us. And we have to lure in cultists who consider even Dark Mages laughable!”
But with a reason like that, there was no way it could feel romantic.
“Still, don’t we look too much like bait? We’re wandering around so openly.”
“We put out bait they have no choice but to come after, even knowing it’s bait.”
The existence of the Saintess alone was an irresistible temptation to cultists who followed Evil Gods.
In fact, during interrogation, the Dark Mages confessed that one reason they had attacked immediately was because of the Saintess.
“Using your lover as bait.”
“Precisely because you’re my lover, you came out as bait with me.”
Whether they were Dark Mages or cultists, they were all people who would come after us eventually.
They would follow us not just this year, but for our entire lives unless they were eradicated.
So.
“It’s easier to deal with them in advance.”
Before they grew up and came looking for us later, we had to nip them in the bud.
“So this is for my sake?”
“Hmm. Half of it?”
It was something I was doing while I was at it, but they were future terrorists and attempted kidnappers.
And about ninety-nine percent of the reasons for their terrorism and kidnappings would have been directly or indirectly influenced by Daisy.
If we cut them off here, it would be good for Daisy too.
“I see.”
It was disappointing that there was not a trace of trust in her voice, but I decided to let it go.
That made sense, since we had sensed people following us for some time.
“They’re here, right?”
“Right.”
“My senses aren’t anything special, are they?”
“I think they could become special if you learn a little. Would you like to learn?”
“From you, Adam?”
“No. I know an expert in that field.”
It was not that I could not teach her, but Uncle Aryn was more of an expert than me in this area.
With the abilities Daisy had shown so far, if she was going to learn, it would be better for her to learn properly.
“Learning the sword is my priority for now. I’ll think about it later.”
“Are you coming to the Swordsmanship Department?”
“I plan to think about that until the end of the second semester. For now, the Sword Emperor said he would write me a recommendation letter for the Swordsmanship Club...”
Normally, joining a club was impossible except during certain periods, but a recommendation letter from the head professor of the Swordsmanship Department was enough to ignore that rule.
Of course, it could cause controversy over preferential treatment if things went wrong.
But any swordsman who had seen Daisy’s big and beautiful sword firsthand would not dare utter the words preferential treatment.
And even those who had not seen it would be unable to say anything if they heard that the Sword Emperor himself had recognized her talent and recommended her.
“I heard that if I go to the Swordsmanship Department training grounds, there’s a very high chance I’ll end up sparring with you, Adam.”
“That’s true.”
“Then prepare yourself. I’m really going to hit you properly.”
“You know I have the right to refuse, right?”
“If you refuse, I’ll sit down right there and bawl my eyes out.”
“That is a little scary.”
It was not a joke. That was genuinely a little scary, so give me a break.
“Then shall we start preparing?”
As we chatted, we naturally led the enemies somewhere far from the residential area, where few people went.
Perhaps the enemies sensed it too, because the farther we went from people, the more openly they revealed their presence.
“All right, then.”
Daisy said that and firmly took my hand.
I could feel the enemies flinch in surprise.
“Hmm.”
As I received the divine power flowing through our joined hands, I carefully drew my sword and looked at the enemy...
“Ellen?”
Why the hell were you here?
“Adam!”
He stared at me with wildly trembling eyes.
“Y-you can’t!”
What the hell was this? Had I been hit by an illusion spell?
No. An illusion spell could not overcome divine power.
“T-this is wrong!”
What was wrong was you standing in front of me.
No, seriously, what was this? Was it really an illusion spell?
“T-that’s right.”
But as the others soon revealed themselves, I became certain that I had not been hit by an illusion spell.
“Prince Essid.”
Damn it. I would have preferred an illusion spell.
I had been hit by a Domain Expansion.
Domain Expansion: Romance-Fantasy World.
Its effect was that utterly absurd things happened as though they were perfectly normal.
“W-what is this?”
Daisy looked up at me in confusion, but I let out a deep sigh and asked her to explain.
“Me?”
“Look at their condition. Do you think they’ll listen if I explain?”
“Ah...”
That was true.
She looked thoroughly annoyed, but perhaps Daisy also accepted that there was no helping it. She let out a deep sigh and moved away from me to explain things to the romance-fantasy male leads.
“Ah? Adam!”
“Ha.”
A darkness that stood out even in the dark surroundings separated me from the romance-fantasy group.
Then it vanished with them.
And at the same time.
“Die.”
This time, the real enemies appeared.
* * *
The romance-fantasy group disappeared, and then those black bastards suddenly came at me, so I killed them.
Then the one who looked like the leader among the people blocking my way spoke to me with an expression like he did not like something.
“Just give up.”
“Give up what?”
“Your life.”
“Am I crazy?”
How much money did I still have left to spend?
I was not particularly frugal, but there was still a lot I had not spent.
“You’re full of confidence. Aren’t you under some misconception?”
The bastard mocked me and raised his sword.
“If the Saintess is not here, what do you have?”
Hmm. I see.
If Daisy was not beside me, what was I?
“Second place in the Swordsmanship Department’s overall rankings during the first semester of first year.”
“……?”
“Second place in the Empire’s unofficial Swordsmanship Department win-rate rankings.”
“……”
“A swordsman the Sword Emperor recognized as having the second-greatest talent, second place among swordsmen with promising futures according to the Leon Royal Family’s evaluation, and a Royal Family-affiliated...”
There were a lot of second places. No, most of them were second places!
Still, even the God of Second Place said it.
Second place is still good.
Second place is still good.
It was important, so I said it twice.
“That’s a lot, isn’t it?”
I confidently raised my sword.
The divine power Daisy had shared with me was still flowing through my body, allowing me to draw upon mana naturally despite the Night of Demonic Energy.
“Ah. And.”
I’d explained myself as earnestly as I could. Was it because there were so many second places?
Or perhaps these Imperial bastards did not recognize titles from the Leon Kingdom.
“Ack!”
Around the time I had cut down about three of them.
“Ah, right.”
I realized there was one more title they would understand.
“I took down Silence too.”
Once I brought out my I Caught Silence-d’Or flex, I finally saw their expressions change.
But.
“It’s already too late.”
If they wanted to do something, they should have done it sooner.
Author’s Note
It has been far too long since the illustrator gave me an illustration.
It is truly unfortunate.
Footnotes:
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