The Protagonist's Party is Too Diligent

Honestly, isn’t it about time I get to enjoy some peace?

Sure, there was still the matter of the former Emperor, the Imperial Parliament still not functioning properly, an overinflated military with nowhere to direct its forces, and countless other issues that needed to be dealt with—but at the very least, we hadn’t entered an actual war.

We had managed to prevent conflicts from escalating into full-scale war and even neutralized the Holy Nation as a potential threat before they could act. We had driven the goddess out of this world entirely.

The Imperial Household’s problems were Alice’s responsibility. As for the Parliament, I could ignore it for now, and if they started acting up, a single Gryphon flyby over the building should be enough to remind them of their place. And while maintaining the military was burdensome for now, keeping it at full strength wasn’t necessarily a bad thing in the long run.

So, at the very least, couldn’t I spend my time at the academy in peace?

Apparently not.

“You’re the one I’m supposed to be interviewing?”

Even after becoming second-in-line to the throne, this was how I was treated.

Not that I particularly wanted to be treated any differently. If I had to choose between being treated like this or being treated with excessive formality, I would choose this any day. I had grown up following Confucian traditions, and nothing made me more uncomfortable than being treated with exaggerated respect by someone decades older than me.

Honestly, every time the headmaster bowed to me, it felt like my stomach twisted a millimeter. If I had to meet him twenty more times, it might actually have a noticeable impact on my health—and not in a good way.

But even so, did he really have to be this rude?

At the very least, couldn’t he just speak casually instead of acting so condescending?

“I didn’t come here by choice.”

“Are you so pathetic that you can’t even follow your own will? What a pathetic disciple.”

Did he really need to say pathetic twice?

I held my tongue, because saying something back would probably result in flames erupting from my skull.

So instead, I maintained the proper attitude of a disciple speaking to their master and responded respectfully.

"Sir Jennifer Winterfield, another of my mentors here at the academy, made the request. I had no obligation to obey, but as a student, a member of the academy, and a member of the Imperial Household that runs this institution, I deemed it appropriate to comply. There are things in life that must be done, whether we like it or not. But perhaps that’s something a retired old soldier who abandoned his duties to hide in the mountains wouldn’t—AH!?"

I didn’t even finish before a sharp pain exploded at the top of my head.

It was such a solid strike that I wouldn’t have been surprised if actual flames had sparked.

Sure, some of my true feelings had slipped into my words—but I still thought my explanation was reasonable!?

“You really have no filter, do you?”

Yet, despite saying that, I could see the corners of his mouth twitching.

So he liked my answer, then?

If he liked it, why hit me!?

“But I suppose that kind of response is just like you. The others—those with more dignity—wouldn’t dare speak so recklessly in front of me. I take back what I said earlier.”

Even with his grinning face, my aching skull wasn’t going to heal any faster. If he was going to compliment me, he could have just not hit me in the first place.

“And yes, you’re right. I did abandon my duty once. As an Imperial soldier, I swore an oath to serve the Empire for life.”

Technically, it wasn’t a legal obligation—more like a ceremonial declaration, akin to the oaths recited during officer commissions.

While it wasn’t entirely without legal weight, it wasn’t something rigidly enforced. It’s not like people ran around nitpicking every single word that came out of a former soldier’s mouth, accusing them of leaking military secrets.

As long as you didn’t reveal actual classified information, no one really cared.

“So... are you saying you plan to resume your duty?”

That was what made his words so surprising. This was a man who had left it all behind, who had chosen to walk his own path.

“Do I look like I’ve gone senile?”

...Right. Of course not.

“Then why submit an application to be a teacher?”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Does it really matter? Shouldn’t you be grateful that someone like me is willing to teach?”

“It does matter—otherwise, they wouldn’t have asked me to find out. A teacher isn’t just someone who imparts knowledge. They must also lead by example.”

For a moment, I hesitated.

What should I call him?

“So it’s only natural that the academy wants to know your true intentions.”

“Oh? Are you implying that my behavior isn’t suitable for a teacher?”

I instinctively tensed my back and shoulders, preparing to dodge at any moment.

“Do you genuinely believe your behavior is something students should emulate?”

“.......”

For the first time, he had nothing to say.

Not surprising, considering he had spent his entire life doing whatever he wanted.

Even if one of his disciples managed to reach his level, if they inherited his personality, it would be a nightmare for the Empire.

A strong individual might not necessarily benefit the Empire. Unless they joined the military or government, a warrior who trained in isolation had no value. In fact, monitoring such unpredictable figures to ensure they didn’t cause trouble was more of a headache than anything else.

“So, are you saying I’m unqualified to be a teacher?”

“Rather than that, the academy simply wants to understand your intentions. If you were just another skilled instructor, they wouldn’t have gone to these lengths to investigate. And if you had prior teaching experience, that would be even better. This is about more than just your ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) personal skills.”

Simply put—they don’t trust you.

If he had consistently trained students over the years, even if it wasn’t within a formal institution, the academy might have accepted him without question.

But even Jennifer, who had spent years under him, found his motives suspicious. Of course the academy would want a deeper explanation.

"Hmm."

The Sword Saint fell into thought.

“Would you mind explaining your reasoning?”

“I could. But whether you can deliver that reason to the academy is another matter.” 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

“Are you planning to kill me after telling me?”

“......Even I wouldn’t go that far.”

Since I had asked with a completely straight face, at least I avoided another strike to the head.

“I simply doubt that you’d be able to relay my answer accurately.”

“.......”

Hearing that, I had no choice but to pause and think.

Should I listen to his explanation?

Given the way he was speaking, I had a feeling that his reason had something to do with me.

The Sword Saint’s judgment of people was always incredibly sharp. And if a man like him considered me a disciple, despite my complete lack of talent, that meant—even while constantly smacking me upside the head—he must have thought highly of me.

If I pressed him for an answer... I had a feeling he was going to say something embarrassingly sentimental.

“Even so, I’d still like to hear it. How I deliver that message will be my decision.”

I couldn’t just reject him outright.

The academy wouldn’t have put this much effort into investigating him unless they were seriously considering his application.

And he was the Sword Saint.

Even if the battlefield changed, even if swordsmanship became less relevant, it was still better to learn from the best.

"Very well."

He nodded.

"I’ll tell you. The reason... is you."