“What do you mean? You’re talking like there’s some other route into the Imperial Knight Order.”
The Imperial Knight Order was where the Empire’s best talents gathered. Even among the instructors, only a select few ever made it there, so there was no way Zero could.
Lowell, who’d been idly kicking her short legs, suddenly stopped.
No. There was one way. A way to enter the Imperial Knight Order without first serving as an instructor.
“Don’t tell me… you mean the recommendation system?”
More precisely, the “Hero’s Recommendation” system.
Anyone recommended by someone who’d been granted the title of “Hero” in the Empire could sit the entrance exam for the Imperial Knight Order that year.
Considering how hard it was to struggle into an instructor’s post just to earn a chance, you could call that method cheap. But it wasn’t.
It was the opposite.
“The exam is brutal.”
“It’s not impossible, though.”
“He could die.”
“It’s not a 100% chance. It’s 36%.”
“Ugh! Either way, it’s insanely hard!”
Even someone recommended by a Hero had to be ready to die in the entrance exam for the Imperial Knight Order.
No matter how you looked at it, Zero getting into the Imperial Knight Order was a stretch.
More than anything.
“There’s no Hero out there who’d recommend Zero.”
“…”
Caron’s brief silence.
Lowell, who’d been sprawled across the sofa, shot up and shouted.
“W-what? Are you serious? You’re not just trying to make me give up so you can steal him, right?”
There was. One person. A Hero willing to recommend Zero to the Imperial Knight Order.
And not just any Hero, but the greatest among Heroes.
‘Lord Adonis.’
The reason Caron suddenly felt drained.
It was because he’d recalled a conversation he’d once had with Adonis.
— He’s a really nasty piece of work. You could call him a once-in-a-century thug.
— Hm? Weren’t you just saying he was usable?
— Did I say that?
— Then I can pick him up.
— …Pardon?
— The Sacred Sword is the Sacred Sword, but that kid’s got talent. You can’t just let someone like that rot. I’ll have to put him in the Imperial Knight Order.
— It won’t be easy. He hates working under anyone. Embarrassing as it is, he even turned me down.
— Hm, is that so? Not to look down on a rat, but the Imperial Knight Order is on a different level entirely.
— Care to make a bet?
— Sounds fun. It’ll spice up this dull academy life.
Not only had he ended up recommending Zero without meaning to, he’d even gone as far as betting on it.
Caron wanted to go back and punch his past self.
‘I don’t know what that kid’s goal is… but whatever he needs, he can still get it from there.’
The Imperial Knight Order was a group whose power matched their prestige.
If there was information they wanted, it had to be provided. No questions asked.
However, Adonis hadn’t been serious back then. He’d just been teasing Caron.
‘But if things keep going like this… he’ll make up his mind before graduation.’
It wasn’t just Zero’s skill; his achievements up to now were simply too great.
Adonis was a man who scoured the world for young talent. Sooner or later, he’d set his sights on Zero.
It would be stranger if Adonis didn’t recommend him.
“F-fine! Even if he somehow passes the entrance exam after graduation, that’s not the end, right? I heard the hazing is brutal. Not only a commoner but eighteen years old? He won’t last three months… no, not even one.”
“Does that kid look like someone who’d just let others push him around?”
“Ah…”
Sly, smart, and on top of that, a world-class pervert(?).
It was true; it was hard to imagine Zero just meekly taking it.
Lowell knew that better than anyone, having experienced him firsthand.
Which only made it worse.
‘That’s exactly why I want him.’
Caron probably felt the same way.
The strange thing was how easily Caron seemed to be giving Zero up.
“So what, you’re just going to give up?”
“The Imperial Knight Order, a rat, and the Lucid family. If those were your options, which would you pick?”
“Obviously…”
The Imperial Knight Order.
“Exactly. So you give up too.”
“No! I’m never giving up. Right, we’ve got a Hero too. My sister will fix everything!”
“A Hero only has the right to recommend. They don’t have the right to stop someone from entering the Imperial Knight Order.”
“That’s true, but…! I’m still not giving up!”
“You refusing to give up doesn’t mean Zero will go to the Lucid family.”
“Ugh! How can you be this cold? There’s a limit to being a T, you know!”
Lowell stomped her feet and headed for the door. Dealing with Caron alone was hard enough, and now she had to compete with the Imperial Knight Order too.
“I’m going to go see my cute Delin! You just go do your paperwork!”
Bang!
Lowell slammed the door and left.
Papers were caught in the draft and fluttered through the air.
As Caron sighed and gathered them up, he muttered to himself.
“‘Cute Delin’… so they made up, huh?”
It probably meant Lowell had grown a little. Her emotional maturity had lagged behind her skills, and he’d been worried, but it seemed he no longer needed to be.
“…”
Lowell was gone, but Caron still couldn’t sleep. He still had a lot of work left to finish as well.
“You’re here.”
Because an uninvited guest had arrived.
The strongest in the Empire, and the very “Hero who would recommend Zero” they’d just been talking about.
It was the Thunder Emperor Adonis.
Adonis hopped down from the window frame and smiled.
“Sensing me… You’ve improved in the meantime.”
“I’m well aware you deliberately leaked your mana.”
“The fact you could feel it is proof you’ve grown. You couldn’t do that before. As recently as last time, in fact.”
If Adonis said so, it probably wasn’t a lie.
But it wasn’t something to be happy about. He was an old man with no fights left to pick even if he did get stronger.
‘Getting happier about someone else’s growth than my own… I really am getting old.’
If not that, maybe he’d just been influenced by this “teacher” identity he was using as a disguise.
Caron shook his head, brushing away the feeling.
He was a rat. He had to be willing to use even his own students. Getting sentimental would only get in the way.
“By the way, how’s that thing I asked for?”
“Ah… I just finished it.”
Caron pulled a mask out of a drawer.
It was shaped like a squirrel, a squirrel mask.
“Excellent.”
Adonis put on the mask and smiled, satisfied.
The material, the shape, the colors—everything had been made to match the masks used by the Dark Beast Squad.
Anyone who didn’t know better would say it on sight: the Dark Beast Squad had appeared.
“A squirrel mask, huh. Why did you lie about that?”
“Hm? You don’t think I’m actually one of them?”
“You haven’t got the time for that. And there’s no reason for you to join some shady, unidentified group like that.”
The “Squirrel Mask” mentioned in several instructors’ and students’ reports.
Caron had figured out it was Adonis right away. When Adonis asked him to make a squirrel mask, that had confirmed it.
“I wondered if they’d come find me if I provoked them.”
“I thought as much.”
Pure curiosity about their strength, wariness of a dangerous group, and weighing whether they were a force the Empire could bring under its control.
After all those considerations, Adonis had decided on impersonation.
Whether to recruit them or to keep them in check, he figured they’d come looking for him.
“Unfortunately, it seems they’ve already left.”
Adonis looked a little dejected. He’d hoped, for the first time in a while, for a battle that would make his heart pound.
That was what he’d been looking forward to.
“There are still plenty of chances.”
“Hm?”
“If someone who’s not one of their own runs wild in their name, they’ll have to react somehow.”
On the surface, they claimed to be a force of justice.
If Adonis caused trouble while disguised with the squirrel mask, there was a good chance they’d come meet him in person.
“Squirrel Mask, one of the Dark Beast Squad, is oppressing people and stealing their property… We’ll start with rumors about that much.”
“What about a civilian massacre? I feel like they’d come running right away.”
“If the lords and administrators have to personally step in, things will get messy.”
Adonis’s presence and identity were top-secret. They couldn’t explain to the lords that this was all a plan to lure out the Dark Beast Squad.
“And we need time to make our own preparations.”
“I’m more than enough on my own.”
“The more contingencies we have, the better. I won’t get in the way of your fight.”
“In that case… I suppose I can’t argue.”
Adonis clicked his tongue, disappointed, then spoke as if something had occurred to him.
“By the way, they said it was a Grade 5 Demon. Is that true?”
“As far as we know for now, yes.”
“I see. Taking down a Grade 5 Demon… they’re impressive kids. At that age, I would’ve wet myself just seeing a Demon. Especially…”
Adonis trailed off and looked at Caron.
“Zero, that kid, always seems to show something good.”
“…”
“That reminded me of something. Our bet… it’s still on, isn’t it?”
The bet on whether Zero would accept the recommendation to the Imperial Knight Order or not.
Caron forced himself to act nonchalant.
“Of course. Not that it’ll be easy for you.”
“Hmph~.”
“Now’s your only chance to cancel.”
“Is it just me, or do you sound strangely anxious?”
“I’m just giving you a chance. You know what I’m like. Even if it’s a joke bet, I’ll collect my payment.”
It was a half-threat that if he won, he’d demand a tremendous price.
But to Adonis…
“I’ll look forward to it.”
…it didn’t register at all.
Leafing through the reports, Adonis suddenly spoke.
“By the way, what about the knights’ casualties?”
“They all survived, thanks to you.”
“It was a hassle. Which is why… won’t you tell me the reason now?”
The reason he’d saved the knights.
Even if they lived, they’d be looking at at least five years in prison, if not execution.
Even Adonis, of all people, couldn’t figure out why he’d been asked to spare scum like that.
“I’m not obligated to explain that.”
“I know. I’m just saying I’d be grateful if you felt like telling me.”
Adonis subtly pressed him, giving him a look.
But even if Caron had wanted to answer, he couldn’t.
‘Because I don’t know the reason either.’
He was only following Dwener’s orders. He had no idea why.
Adonis’s eyes narrowed.
“So that’s how it’s going to be? Sulking because I stole your precious disciple? That’s pretty petty of you, not like you at all.”
“…”
“Are we just ordinary acquaintances? It’s not even classified, is it? Just tell me.”
Adonis’s pressure was subtle, but it steadily grew heavier.
But Caron couldn’t do anything.
He couldn’t reveal who had asked him to spare the knights, nor could he admit he didn’t know the reason.
‘For the Empire’s rat to say there’s something he doesn’t know… there’s no humiliation greater than that.’
A man’s—no, a rat’s—pride!
Just as Caron was stubbornly ignoring Adonis’s gaze…
“…!”
Both of them looked toward the door at the same time.
They’d sensed another uninvited guest approaching.
“Were you expecting someone?”
“I wasn’t… but I think I will be soon.”
“I see. You really do have it rough.”
Caron sighed. The uninvited guest.
It was the principal of Annwood Academy, Dwener.
“Don’t be so hard on him. He’s quite something, you know.”
“That’s true. I’ve just never seen anyone so thoroughly incompetent.”
Right now Dwener was playing the incompetent, and Caron had to act in a way that matched that even in front of Adonis.
“Incompetent, huh… I suppose he might look that way, since he hasn’t broken out of his shell yet.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s nothing. I should get going. I’ll hear your explanation next time, so be ready.”
Few things were as awkward as having Adonis, a student dispatched from the Holy Kingdom, and Caron in the same room.
‘More importantly, what did he mean by that just now?’
About not having broken out of his shell.
Had Adonis also noticed Dwener’s exceptional nature? Or did he mean Dwener would grow in some other direction?
He didn’t have time to ask. Adonis slipped out the window, and moments later the office door burst open.
“Caron, are you here!”
“…As you can see.”
“Is it true that Cadet Zero defeated a Grade 5 Demon?”
“Dame Lowell dealt the finishing blow. Zero was with Rodelin and Alex…”
“Defeating a Grade 5 Demon! That’s Zero for you! If that child isn’t a Hero, who is! I must submit the application at once. Remember today’s date. It’s the day the Empire’s youngest Hero is born!”
“…”
Caron had to listen to Zero being praised for quite some time after that.
–TL Notes–
Tired of seeing Ads? Then please support me on Patreon! Any tier of subscription will make it so you won’t get any ads!
If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/InsanityTheGame
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt
No release this week?
Oh boy,Caron on a back foot now…
Zero have trigger something important! But it not like Caron to be on a backfoot forever…Be prepare Zero!
And the remaining Trash knight including the repentant ones…Zero might not know it yet but they are for Dwener I guess…
A fighting arm of his evil organization?
And It a shame but we might have to wait a but more for the start of Teron arc…