No presence at all.
That was the assessment of Vellian Erik, the head of the Flower Arrangement Club.
Or more precisely, that was how all students from the General Department viewed him.
The various departments grouped under the General Department were mostly populated by commoners and lower nobles, with most students preparing for the Imperial Civil Service Exam. In truth, it would be more accurate to consider them civil service exam candidates rather than academy students.
Vellian Erik was, in both good and bad ways, the quintessential General Department student. His magic was limited to a few household spells, barely qualifying as basic magic. As for swordsmanship, he knew absolutely nothing about it.
That's why—for reasons he couldn't understand or comprehend!—even when the name of the club's faculty advisor (who had only lent his name to maintain the club's existence) changed to the famous Sword Emperor, Erik directly rejected what would be every swordsman's dream. For an ordinary academy student like Erik, receiving instruction from the Sword Emperor was too burdensome, and he never thought he'd have any reason to pick up a sword anyway.
Because of this, despite being the head of the Flower Arrangement Club—the center of first-year gossip—hardly anyone bothered Erik. He was a fourth-year student about to graduate, and everyone around him was in the same situation. They were all busy preparing for the Imperial Civil Service Exam they would take after graduation.
When the Imperial Academy implemented major reforms and talent recruitment this year to surpass the Leon and Dale Kingdoms, the General Department remained unchanged. Vellian thought the second semester would be the same.
"Hey, Vellian. Is it true the Holy Maiden has a boyfriend now?"
"I really don't know..."
However, from the very first day of the new semester, he had to admit his assumption was wrong.
"How many times is this now?"
He had anticipated that today would be somewhat annoying. Having stayed at the academy alone during the break, tending to the flowers in the club room, he had learned through newspapers and rumors about the events in the Holy Kingdom. So he expected some annoyances lasting anywhere from a day to a week.
"But not to this extent!"
Vellian wanted to cry. He'd had time to mentally prepare for the Holy Kingdom incident, but the news of the Holy Maiden's romance broke just the weekend before classes resumed. In other words, he'd had no time to prepare himself.
"Classes have started, can't we focus on the lessons!"
To make matters worse, according to the academy's unwritten rule, the first class was always light. The professor simply called attendance, asked how everyone had been during the break, and then left the students to self-study. Those students then gradually gathered around Vellian, interrogating him with questions.
"Sigh."
After enduring people's harassment through three classes, Vellian dragged himself to the club room and opened the door. That was his biggest mistake.
"What's this?"
The moment he opened the door, he felt his breath catch. It was completely incomprehensible to Vellian. The Flower Arrangement Club room had been the only place in this bleak Imperial Academy where he could feel at ease.
"But why..."
He raised his head, shifting his gaze from the floor to what was in front of him.
"Ah."
Vellian could now see why he felt suffocated.
"I-I need to escape."
If what was before his eyes wasn't hell, then what was it? The moment he saw the academy's ecosystem destroyers sitting with serious expressions, Vellian wanted to skip club activities for the day, but—
"Club President?"
It was still the same cheerful voice he'd heard during their first meeting, but his assessment of that person changed every month.
When they first met, she was just a young lady from a lower noble family from the empire's frontier, even more rural than his own background. Right after that, she became a savior who helped preserve the Flower Arrangement Club filled with precious memories.
About a month later, she became a bewitching woman who had tricked all the famous first-year students. A month after that, she became the Holy Maiden. During the break, she transformed into a revolutionary who reformed the Holy Kingdom. And now, she was a devil who had created a boyfriend among her admirers and was trying to enter a space filled with people who liked her.
"What are you doing standing there? Come in."
"Ah, well..."
She had turned his precious club room into hell.
* * *
It's chilling.
A dagger to the heart... or rather, an enormous sword is about to pierce me.
"Ugh."
Of course, it wouldn't actually stab me, but the sheer pressure made me feel like I'd died several times already.
"You dodge well."
"I was always pretty good, you know."
"True. You're Adam, after all."
Since the semester began, I'd been constantly on the run.
Unlike Prince Ellen who didn't understand people's hearts—or rather, their sword techniques—I, having mastered the Defeat Sword, knew how to naturally lose to even the weakest opponents if I wanted to. This meant I could train with others at a level slightly above their own, and after actively promoting this fact, no student from the Swordsmanship Department would pass up the chance for personalized training from someone who had even defeated the Little Sword Emperor.
In other words, I was quite popular.
Most were guys, though occasionally there were girls too, but being from the Swordsmanship Department, they were all sword fanatics like Hestia and the fiery princess! When I appeared at the training grounds, students who had been waiting with numbered tickets would rush over, and students from the Swordsmanship Club would court me daily, trying to recruit me for the next club registration period.
Of course, this was all to fulfill my duties.
After sparring sessions, casual conversations over water sometimes yielded unexpected information that even the intelligence bureau couldn't obtain. Plus, building this image would help me later on.
However, being popular became a disadvantage this time.
Everyone started asking about my relationship with Daisy, and each time, the atmosphere around Prince Ellen and the Little Sword Emperor grew ominous. I had no choice but to run away to avoid questions about Daisy. Fortunately, like universities in my previous life, the first classes at the academy didn't involve actual teaching, so I could escape after attendance was taken.
But just like in my previous life, there was always that strict, principled professor who casually ignored unwritten rules.
"I'll go straight in."
That professor's name happened to be Aren—the famous Sword Emperor and our Swordsmanship Department's head professor. Worse yet, his class used a one-on-one combat format, so I inevitably got caught by Prince Ellen who had been waiting for this opportunity.
"When will class end?"
After becoming Prince Ellen's sandbag again after a long time, I lay on the floor sighing. Come to think of it, it hadn't been that long. The last time I got beaten up was when I was in the kingdom.
"I'm next."
"Do you have no conscience?"
"...Someone once said that it's important not to miss an opportunity when it presents itself."
It sounded reasonable, but what he meant was that now that I'd been thrashed by Prince Ellen, he thought he could handle me too. This guy, who at the beginning of the semester tried to maintain his dignity as the Little Sword Emperor even when losing to me and Prince Ellen, had completely lost his mind over a woman. Anyway...
"...Was it Violet who said that?"
"H-how did you know?"
When I took a guess based on the familiar wording, Asran was startled.
"Just had a feeling."
When people start acting strange, Violet is usually nearby. It's the classic trait of a transmigrator trying to preserve the original story—ironically messing it up completely. She's following that rule perfectly!
"D-don't tell me. After Daisy, now Violet too?"
At the Little Sword Emperor's innocent question, I immediately sprang to my feet.
"Alright, you're dead."
There are things you can and cannot say to people. Even if my whole body was screaming in pain after being beaten by Prince Ellen, when faced with such an insult, a man must fight with his life on the line!
"So you really do have sincere feelings for Daisy..."
Misinterpreting my reaction as anger over being accused of cheating on a lover, the Little Sword Emperor's eyes wavered as he began to look at me as his rival.
"Just do one thing for me, please."
If he's acting like this even knowing it's fake, what would have happened if we'd kept it secret? I couldn't help but shudder thinking about the timeline that no longer existed.
* * *
A week had passed since then.
By this point, various events were being prepared to commemorate the Empire's Founding Day.
Since our academy is an imperial public institution, during the Empire Festival period, we begin exchanges with other academies and open our relatively closed campus to the public for the duration of the festivities. This meant that major romance fantasy events were about to unfold, and I expected that the news of my relationship with the Holy Maiden would gradually fade as preparations for the founding festival began.
"But why are strange rumors increasing day by day?"
This must be someone's conspiracy. I glared at the actual owner of the storage room that was gradually taking shape as our club room.
"Ahem."
As expected, this was indeed a conspiracy—an imperial one at that.
"I'm sorry."
"You always say the same thing."
Those around us unconsciously nodded at my words. Since the academy started, the rejuvenated Aren, who now looked like he was in his mid-forties, often began conversations with "I'm sorry" or "I apologize."
"Why are you doing this to me?"
I felt truly wronged and unjustified. Despite having my own objectives, I helped prevent the academy terrorist attack. I even revealed the black mage's location in advance. I even cleaned up the dropped magic sword despite having warned them.
"Is it because I haven't told you about the guys planning to attack during the founding celebration?"
"That's not it... Wait, what? What guys are you talking about?"
Aren, who had been apologizing with his head bowed, suddenly looked up in alarm.
"You're joking, right?"
"I wish I were."
Unfortunately, this academy was destined to be embroiled in various terrorist attacks and incidents until the romance fantasy protagonists graduated.
"No, even if there is a terrorist attack! How would you know about it?!"
The Empire's intelligence bureau was known to be superior to those of other major nations. It must be cognitively dissonant for them to be outmatched in intelligence within their own country. For example:
"You're not actually planning the attack yourself, are you?"
"I've been tempted lately."
Especially against those romance fantasy male leads, though I could restrain myself since I knew they'd all be dealt with by others anyway.
"So tell me. Why did you do this to me?"
If Prince Acid felt insulted and that's why he did it, I was ready to surrender as a hostage if I encountered the real terrorists.
"Well... there was a request from the Holy Kingdom."
"The Holy Kingdom?"
"Yes."
"The Empire shouldn't need to cater to the Holy Kingdom."
No matter how many imperial citizens believe in the goddess, the imperial royal family shouldn't need to bow to the Holy Kingdom. Except for one person...
"It was the Pope's request."
"...What kind of request?"
"If the Holy Maiden gets married at the academy, he wants to officiate the ceremony..."
Damn, wasn't there a part about heretics attacking the Holy Kingdom? If there is, I'd like to help. I could somewhat understand why romance fantasy villains become the way they do. It was a day of revelation.