Ep 27 - Academy’s Undercover Professor

Chapter 27: The Visit of the First Princess An old man sat upon a splendidly decorated golden throne. Hunched over, his complexion pallid, and his gaunt figure with sunken eyes, he seemed to be deeply troubled, flinching at the slightest breeze as if resembling a scarecrow about to take flight. This old man was undoubtedly the apex of the empire. With a mere gesture, he could command countless people, and with a single cough, he could condemn a high-ranking noble to death. There were no limits to the wealth and power he could enjoy. But why then did he bear such an unremarkable visage? What troubled him so? What caused his anguish? Eleine, the first princess who had turned ten that year, pondered over such questions as she met her father for the first time. The sight of the old man on the throne appeared more akin to a slave than the emperor himself. --------------------------------------------------------------- The emperor never once showed his face even when his children were born. The princes and princesses grew up separated from their mother, raised in the care of nannies and servants. The concept of parents was something they learned only in words. The idea of a father felt distant. Once they grew fond of a nanny, she would be replaced. The same was true for the servants. The princes and princesses were strictly forbidden from forming close relationships with anyone. No matter how much they pleaded, the rules were always followed. Once affection was formed, separation followed. After a while, they were forbidden from forming attachments to the servants at all. The only exception was their siblings. Therefore, the first princess, Eleine, cherished her two younger siblings dearly. Amidst the ever-changing faces around them, the only constant was their 'family.' One day, the emperor summoned his four children to the court. The grand hall was adorned with a crimson carpet leading up to the golden throne. Countless knights stood in the chamber, and a young knight rested his hand on the hilt of his sword next to the emperor. It felt like they were being judged. Eleine was merely ten, the second prince was seven, and the third prince was six. It was too much scrutiny for children who couldn't even handle a stick properly. The old emperor kneeled and looked at his heirs. The second prince, Ereed, sensed fear in the emperor's gaze. The emperor was afraid of them. Ereed thought to himself. Was it so frightening to step down from that golden throne? Was it possible that even the emperor, the heir to the throne, also felt fear? Did power truly consume people? Ereed was terrified. If even the emperor, who commanded so much, feared and was cautious of others, then others would find it easier. Perhaps the nannies, the servants, and maybe even their mother and siblings might grow wary of him someday. The seeds of doubt were sown. The third prince, Sled, saw a tender concern in the emperor's eyes. The emperor worried about them. Sled thought. Taking much from us, replacing affectionate servants, never once showing his face before. Maybe there was a reason for it. Perhaps there were enemies within the palace. Sled resolved. If the emperor, who held so much power, was guarded and cautious, then there must be something threatening. In that case, he had to become stronger. If he became a superhuman who could overcome any obstacle, he wouldn't have to worry about losing those he cared for. The seeds of determination were sown. Furthermore, the first princess, Eleine, felt⋯⋯ so much from the emperor's gaze. It was a whirlwind of complex emotions that couldn't be summed up in a single word. Sometimes it was wary, sometimes sad, sometimes concerned, sometimes loving, or futile. She couldn't understand it. No matter how intelligent she was, the reason for the emperor of the empire going insane was beyond her imagination. She couldn't distinguish the genuine emotions in those gazes. But Eleine kept that gaze deeply in her memories. As he rose, the old emperor left his heirs with these words of advice. "Survive⋯⋯ Our bloodline must continue." It was a confusing statement. After that, the first princess, Eleine, grew up vigorously. She shared affection with her siblings, underwent rigorous training, gained knowledge, and held little fear. Now⋯⋯ she was considered a strong candidate in the succession to the throne. The golden throne was within reach. She still couldn't understand the emperor's words and actions, but⋯⋯. "Ereed, my brother." "⋯⋯Sister." "That sorcerer, he said it wasn't a teleportation spell, but⋯⋯ a phantasm spell all along. You think what you experienced was real, right?" "⋯⋯⋯⋯." Ereed's silence lingered. After a long moment of contemplation, he responded. "I chose to believe. Even if, from start to finish, it was all part of that sorcerer's ploy... my love for her hasn't changed." "In that case⋯⋯ I hope it was real. I don't want to see my sibling cry." "That goes without saying. You're going to experience teleportation, right? Once it's all over, don't come weeping and clinging onto me." With that remark, Ereed strode away. Watching his back, the first princess, Eleine, recollected a distant memory from long ago, a solitary and unique experience. When she asked Ereed whether everything was just an illusion. Right after that. The turmoil reflected in her brother's eyes⋯⋯ it shimmered with the same color as the gaze of the old emperor. The color of a slave shackled by chains. --------------------------------------------------------------- "I will now demonstrate a phantasm spell, First Princess." "Alright, go ahead." "Everything is fiction. It has nothing to do with real events; it's a product of imagination." "Understood." "In four hours in real time, I will summon the princess again. I will leave a mark on her wrist so she can determine the return time." The first princess quietly nodded and lay down on the magic circle. In a way, she was doubtful. She suspected that the sorcerer's phantasm spell was just a well-crafted illusion, as it was in his speech. Therefore, this was a test. In the letter she had sent in advance, she had written, "I like battles." It would have been convincing since she had built an image of a battle enthusiast by smashing monster heads on the Eastern Front. He probably believed it. If all of this- was just a fantasy crafted by the sorcerer, then he would depict the fantastical image of a battle when he read the letter. All she needed to do was break free from the illusion. Not in the physical sense, of course. Fighting with a purple demon was a suicidal act. Although the first princess successfully achieved transformation, she did not reach transcendence. To overcome the difference in realms and validate the fight, she should have brought the royal treasury's holy sword. Instead, she planned to shatter their political power by trading on the pretext of treason against the royal family, thus burdening the purple demon and steadfastening the emperor's position. Even if it was indeed a dimensional magic, there would be no loss. Having experienced the incident, Ereed had changed like everyone else. He seemed to have overcome the trauma that arose from understanding the emperor. He began to trust others more and act more passionately. It was a joy. If it was indeed a "fate's trial," as Ereed claimed due to the dimensional magic, then... it meant she could grow. If she could overcome the trial and seize the key to transcendence, it would be perfect. She didn't think about the possibility of failure. The magic was cast. The tabletop role-playing game had begun. --------------------------------------------------------------- The wilderness. The ashen earth stretched all the way to the horizon. The dust-laden wind scratched and passed over the skin. The heavens seemed weighed down, as if by a dark filter. Occasionally, giant monsters flew overhead. The first princess, Eleine, climbed up to a high rock and surveyed her surroundings. She saw creatures roaming the land. They seemed like a mix of several animals, with grotesque and twisted appearances. If looked at superficially, it might evoke thoughts of the demon world, but they weren't as powerful. At most, they could be compared to ogres. Eleine had allowed an ogre to strike her, and she had slashed one's abdomen with her fist, killing it. The monsters she had encountered thus far had met the same fate. The wind, the musty odor, the strange mucous-like sensation that oozed from monsters when killed, the gritty texture felt under her bare feet. Everything was so realistic that it was hard to believe it was an illusion. As per the request she had penned in the letter, until now, it had been nothing but a series of battles. Doubts unavoidably surfaced. Eleine weighed slightly more in favor of this world being an illusion. Will she keep slaying monsters until the time is up and return? In that case, at least, it would be good to have an intense battle filled with tension─ Just as she thought that, a human figure appeared in the distance. The first princess, Eleine, infused magic into her gaze. He was a boy about 160cm tall. He wore goggles, perhaps to shield his eyes from the dust-laden wind. With blond hair and green eyes, he possessed a cute face, but his expression and gaze revealed a firm resolve. There was a teardrop drawn in just the right place. "⋯⋯Oh my?" He was her type. For a moment, the first princess wished that this world was real. <fin>