The Academy’s Crude Pink-Haired Martial Artist

“…Eliaernes.”

As I opened the door and stepped inside, no, even before the door fully opened, I heard Fabiana’s exhausted voice.

“Have you eaten? The quality of the meat today was fantastic.”

“I couldn’t eat, but what a carefree greeting.”

“Well, I don’t have much to do anyway.”

I chuckled and naturally sat opposite Fabiana, placing the bitter Americano I bought from the café in front of her.

“I figured you might need some caffeine, so I added a shot, but it will upset your stomach if you have it on an empty one.”

“Right. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach makes my stomach hurt. But for some reason, I feel queasy even though I haven’t had coffee. Do you know why?”

“Why overthink it? Let’s think positively. It’s just a bit complicated and tiring, but it’s not a bad thing for you or the princess, right?”

“True. Rather than being bad, it could turn out to be very… very good. I’m quite sure of that. Therefore, I’m not angry or annoyed with you; I’m simply whining.”

Fabiana gulped her coffee down harshly without a straw and laughed roughly.

“You’re the first to hear the whining of Fabiana de Herman, the First Princess. You may consider it an honor.”

“It’s an honor.”

I sipped my Mint Chocolate Latte, feeling refreshed and sweet.

“So… can you explain what’s going on right now?”

“It’s exactly as it appears.”

I turned my gaze to the window. The sun was up. Not just any sun, but a manufactured one.

A sun created by someone’s magic. I had asked them to make it as conspicuous as possible, but I didn’t expect it to turn out this well.

“The Flame Sovereign has come to the Academy, and she’s said to become a professor there. A history professor or something, I believe.”

For my Wish Right, the Flame Sovereign had come to the Academy and claimed the title of professor.

“Well… The Flame Sovereign, one of the six pillars of the Empire, has appeared for all the citizens to see. What’s more, she used amplification magic to declare it.”

‘The Flame Sovereign will be the professor of Karela Academy from today.’

‘If anyone cannot accept this, step forward and state your valid reasons.’

‘If it is impossible, as stated, the Flame Sovereign will become a history professor at Karela Academy.’

That was the Flame Sovereign’s declaration. It wasn’t the whiny tone I knew but an incredibly solemn one befitting one of the six pillars.

Well… it was also possible because there was no Demon Fist… Leona here at the moment. The Flame Sovereign had emphasized several times that she would come when the Demon Fist wasn’t around.

“Eliaernes. Did you orchestrate this?”

“Not really.”

“What difference does it make now if you pretend not to know?”

“Boasting is embarrassing, you know.”

“You can say you don’t want to be exploited as a political tool. I have no intention of doing that.”

“Right, so I won’t answer. I’m afraid you might consider me a political weapon without me realizing it.”

Fabiana rubbed her temples.

“But… Eliaernes. Do you know what the name and existence of the Flame Sovereign means?”

“I suppose it means being one of the six pillars.”

“Exactly. Among the six pillars, despite wielding considerable power, she’s shown no interest in the Empire’s governance, instead pursuing the traces of heroes in the depths of the Demon Realm, a being who is distanced from worldly affairs.”

Fabiana, having chugged the remaining coffee, seemed still thirsty and licked her lips.

“She was an absolute neutral presence. Even when commanded by His Majesty, unless it was an absolute order issued to the six pillars, she insisted on maintaining her neutrality.”

Absolute orders given to the six pillars?

That was a new concept to me. There seemed to be a distinction from ordinary commands.

If I were to take a wild guess, to earn the title of one of the six pillars, would I need to give my Wish Right or something to the Emperor?

And in return, would the six pillars back us up?

Since I have no certainty, I decided to cut off the speculation.

It would be quicker to hear it directly from the Flame Sovereign later.

“You brought such a Flame Sovereign to the Academy. Do you know how absurd that is? You did what the ruler of the Empire couldn’t.”

“I am capable of doing such incredible things.”

“If she intends to use you for political gain, the Flame Sovereign is the one who said she would drop that sun into the Imperial Palace. She can be stubborn… and has her own ‘line’ that one must never cross. Have you crossed that line? How did you win over the Flame Sovereign’s heart?”

“I simply wanted to help a sister I had fallen out with and brought the most effective means I had. But if you’ll keep pressing me like this, I might lose sleep over it at night.”

I said it with a smile still plastered on my face.

But Fabiana understood my words properly and let out a small sigh.

“Sorry… I acted out.”

“It’s understandable in this situation. No need to apologize. I get it. I’m the one who accomplished something difficult and is now being so magnanimous.”

“But I must say this. Right now, Eliaernes, you are incredibly, incredibly annoying. I feel like one good punch wouldn’t satisfy me.”

“No matter how magnanimous I am, I can’t just hand you a chance to hit me.”

“Be careful on your way back tonight.”

Hehe – Fabiana chuckled.

Then, she leaned back in her chair and gazed out the window.

“Is this… a way for Silina to be safe? Or is it simply a disruption to ruin Uje’s plans?”

“Both.”

Fabiana narrowed her eyes.

She wasn’t glaring out the window; those were the eyes she got lost in thought.

“I still can’t find a reason why Silina would be safe with the Flame Sovereign’s arrival.”

Just as Fabiana finished her sentence, the door to her office swung open violently.

“…What in the world is going on?!”

“Little sister, you don’t seem cut out to be a noble.”

“I’m royalty, so I don’t need to become a noble. Anyway, what in the world is going on? Why… is the Flame Sovereign becoming a professor at the Academy?”

Unlike usual, Silina’s voice echoed through the office without a hint of ease.

Gradually, her platinum eyes moved toward me.

“…Huh.”

Upon catching my gaze, Silina cleared her throat and put some composure into her voice.

“…Why are you here?”

But that didn’t give her a sense of calm.

“Did you do this?”

I didn’t answer and simply pointed at the door. Silina comprehended my intent and quickly slammed the door shut with a bang!.

Finally, I nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Goodness…”

Stumbling inside, Silina sat next to me and gulped down the Mint Chocolate Latte I had been drinking.

She must have been so thirsty that she downed what she used to call garbage.

“How…?”

“It’s a trade secret.”

“Are you still joking at a time like this? Have you thought about how the Empire’s political situation could change with just one word from the Flame Sovereign?”

“That’s not my concern.”

“What? Are you so focused on one thing that you can’t see the bigger picture? If the Empire’s political situation twists greatly, Eustetia might get embroiled in it as well—”

“That’s something you should be concerned about, Silina. No, it’s a problem for a princess who has received help from me.”

Silina stared at me astonished, mouth agape.

Fabiana chuckled bitterly, as if she anticipated my response.

“Listen closely. Uje has decided to come to the Academy, right? I’m not entirely sure why, but it seems he concluded that he would be giving you, Silina, a warning for his plans. So, you had to hide in the palace to secure your safety for a long time. But you didn’t want that, did you? Fabiana didn’t look keen on it either. Why? I have a rough idea, but I won’t say it because it might cost you your head for royal defamation.”

I intended to sip my Mint Chocolate Latte to wet my whistle but realized Silina had drained it without leaving a drop.

I clicked my tongue, momentarily savoring, and continued my explanation.

“Anyway, if Uje puts pressure on you after coming to the Academy, it increases the likelihood of our plans going awry. That’s why I’ve made this annoying situation for both of us so that I can maintain our plan and ruin Uje’s plan, leaving a considerable debt to the princesses.”

I extended my index finger.

“From that, we’ll get the following results. First. If there’s someone among the six pillars with the same name as Uje at the Academy, he won’t be able to act as he wants.”

In fact, the Demon Fist, Leona, is the strongest among the six pillars at the academy.

But Leona wants to conceal her identity.

That’s why I called the Flame Sovereign.

If I had told Leona, it could have been addressed more easily and quickly. But if I did that, Leona might be in danger.

What if I told Leona about the current situation in Eustetia and Uje’s schemes? That headstrong lion would immediately go to smash Uje and the side branches.

And they’d get utterly crushed.

But behind Uje likely stands the First Prince, who has the highest claim to the throne.

If Leona ends up turning into Uje and his side branches’ enemy, she could quickly become the enemy of the entire Empire.

No matter how strong Leona is, it would be practically impossible to confront the Empire as a whole, let alone contend with the forces of Gebihenum.

I can confidently say that if she turns the whole world against herself like that, Leona will die.

And I don’t want to lose my teacher, the one who remembers our history from 400 years ago.

That’s why I called the Flame Sovereign to the Academy.

I didn’t hide any of these thoughts from the Flame Sovereign; I told her everything.

Despite that, the Flame Sovereign agreed to grant my request.

While the princesses owe me a significant debt, I also owe the Flame Sovereign a tremendous one.

The Flame Sovereign herself claims it’s a light matter, but for me, it’s anything but light.

I opened my next finger.

“Secondly. Like you said, the Empire’s political situation will certainly twist greatly. Consequently, the royal family members will be busy hatching their plans and working hard. For the time being, they’ll be too occupied with their own affairs to orchestrate anything concerning you and Fabiana, at least for now. They probably wouldn’t even think about it.”

An assassination attempt on Silina.

For reasons unknown, the royal family seems filled with conspiracies aimed at killing Silina.

But due to this situation, they won’t be able to hatch any plots for a while.

Why? Because there are individuals from the First Prince, Anton’s faction, who would support Uje in the royal family.

And those guys likely want to kill Silina.

But the Flame Sovereign has made her presence known in the regime.

What’s more, she announced her role as a professor at the Academy, implying she would be involved in the Empire’s political situation.

Of course, the Flame Sovereign wouldn’t do so.

That’s why she mentioned teaching history instead of engaging in magic or physical skills.

While it may sound like a light comment, it is a significant statement coming from someone who has stood neutral this whole time.

The Flame Sovereign, who hasn’t lent her strength or received support from any faction.

Thus, the Flame Sovereign’s words cannot be taken lightly.

Those lacking backers will find their strength diminishing to a point of crisis.

So, Silina and Fabiana’s faction will throw wood into the fire of the small flame that has emerged.

Even if the Flame Sovereign shows no reaction during this process, every single action will reduce the opposing faction’s power.

I raised my third finger.

“Third reason. With this event, not just anyone, but even Uje won’t be able to recklessly touch you, Silina.”

There is a fourth reason too, but I didn’t mention it. The fourth reason is related to Stella, not the princesses.

“I’ve done so much. Does that mean that I have to be carefully maneuvered in consideration of the Empire’s political situation? If so, I’ll just retract everything and focus on keeping Eustetia safe.”

With blank looks, Silina and Fabiana seemed to grasp all my words, and as if envisioning future scenarios, Fabiana carefully parted her lips.

“I’ll protect Eustetia with the name and position of Fabiana de Herman. But I still don’t understand why you say Uje wouldn’t dare touch Silina. What would cause that?”

“Oh, that’s…”

I turned to look out the window.

In that moment, the Flame Sovereign’s gaze, still floating in the center of the sky, pivoted. Our eyes met.

Smile – I grinned.

Beaming – The Flame Sovereign smiled back.

– Hmmm.

The Flame Sovereign opened her mouth.

Her voice was just slightly louder than average, but not loud enough to echo throughout the regime.

However, if amplified, it could resonate through the entire regime, perhaps even the entire Empire.

“Now, you may speak.”

– And, they say the Second Princess of the Empire, Silina de Herman, is currently enrolled at Karela Academy.

“…Huh?”

“Hey…?”

As the Flame Sovereign uttered Silina’s name, Fabiana’s eyes widened, and Silina’s mouth gaped even wider.

– The Flame Sovereign wishes to have a discussion with her.

The gazes of the two sisters turned toward me.

Among them, I was drawn to Fabiana’s expression.

“Could you also make such a foolish… I mean, blank expression, Fabiana?”

Khihih, Kha-hahaha!

My mumblings were met with Fabiana’s refreshing and hearty laughter overlapping them.

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