The morning after the Andras fishing operation came to an end.
「Everything has been prepared, just as you asked.」
The Chairman contacted him.
「No disciplinary committee will be convened for a while, no matter what kind of trouble you cause. I intend to handle everything personally.」
“As expected of the man who saved the academy. That was remarkably fast.”
「At that point, your flattery sounds more like sarcasm.」
“I was being sincere…”
The Chairman’s efficiency was astonishing, as always.
He had made his decision and taken action on the very day Ex brought the matter up.
That kind of speed and decisiveness was something even Ex could not imitate.
「In any case, I have more or less severed our connections with the Sword Gang nobles. We should no longer have to let those bastards push us around. Personally, I would love to expel every last one of them this instant, but…」
“For now, restoring the academy to normal has to come first. I won’t be called before the disciplinary committee for a while, but the same applies to them, correct?”
「…You understand the situation awfully quickly for a student.」
“Then may I begin acting in earnest?”
「I promise that the academy will impose no penalty upon you. As Chairman, I should probably tell you not to go too far, but…」
The Chairman let out a quiet sigh before continuing.
「Honestly, watching you beat them all half to death would be incredibly satisfying.」
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
Ex rested his training sword across his shoulder and spoke with confidence.
“I’ll make sure you get all the satisfaction you could ask for.”
A secluded corner of the academy’s main building.
Naturally, it was also one of the places where Sword Gang members tended to gather.
Four Sword Gang members stood before him, smoking cigarettes.
“This happens to be my specialty.”
In the early morning at the academy, three swords of white light appeared behind Ex, and four screams echoed from behind the main building.
That was only the beginning.
***
Around 7:30 in the morning.
Behind one of the academy’s amenity buildings.
Three Sword Gang members were waiting for the others who were supposed to join them.
“Hey, call the guys we’re meeting.”
“I’ve been calling them for a while, but nobody’s picking up.”
“What? Goddammit. Gary’s going to throw a fit over this…”
The members stationed near the amenity building were starting to get a headache.
They had been waiting to rendezvous with the members from the main building before going after that bastard everyone was talking about.
But no matter how much time passed, the others neither arrived nor answered their Mana Phones.
“Where the hell did those assholes crawl off to this time…?”
“You mean these assholes?”
At that moment, four name tags were tossed at their feet.
The names written on them belonged to the very members they had been waiting for.
The fact that the tags had been ripped off like this could only mean one thing.
“W-Who the fuck are you?! Who the fuck dares mess with us…?!”
“Me, you motherfucker.”
The instant he came to his senses and looked ahead,
Clang!
A solid mass of light slammed into his jaw.
The ambush was so fast that he never even saw it coming.
“Seven.”
That was the last thing he heard before losing consciousness.
***
Around 8:10 in the morning.
First-year Class E, academy main building.
Bang!
“Pardon the interruption. I need to conduct a brief inspection.”
Someone kicked the classroom door open.
The professor, who had only just begun the lesson, and the students all stared at the intruder in shock.
The intruder paid no attention to the eyes on him and strode boldly toward a particular desk.
His steps stopped in front of a Sword Gang member who had fallen asleep with his head buried in his arms.
The sleeping member must have been deeply unconscious, because he continued snoring without the slightest sign of waking.
Snore…
“You really shouldn’t be sprawled out snoring during valuable class time.”
The intruder stood in front of the member and raised his club.
“Wake up, asshole!”
Clang!
He smashed it straight into the back of the student’s head.
“Ghk… Grrrgh…”
Struck perfectly at the base of the skull, the Sword Gang member foamed at the mouth and immediately lost consciousness.
The intruder slung the unconscious student over his shoulder and headed for the door, repeatedly bowing to everyone around him in apology.
“I apologize for the sudden disturbance. Professor, you may continue with your lesson now. As for the rest of you, please stay awake and pay proper attention in class.”
At those words, several students who had been slouched over their desks quietly straightened their backs.
As the intruder left, he muttered,
“Eight.”
The entire incident had taken less than a minute.
And the attacks continued.
***
「What the hell is going on?!」
The sudden call left Gary feeling like he was about to die.
There was only one way to describe the situation unfolding around him.
“I-I don’t know either, Lord Daniel!”
「You don’t know? You told me yesterday that you took the others and beat the bastard down properly! You said he wouldn’t dare act up again for a while! So what the hell is this?!」
“I’ll gather the others and go after him again…”
「Do you have any idea what’s happening right now? Half our members have already been taken down by that bastard! We don’t even know where any of them are!!」
“What?!”
All of this had happened in the span of only four hours.
Starting early that morning, Sword Gang members had been attacked one after another.
It wasn’t limited to the first-years. Second-years and third-years had been attacked as well.
Outdoors, inside the buildings, even in the bathrooms. The location did not matter.
The attacks were relentless and methodical. By the time word spread and the remaining members tried to gather together, it was already too late.
The attacker was Ex.
And Ex alone.
“How did this happen…?!”
Gary had already endured a torrent of abuse from Daniel yesterday for failing to handle the job properly.
He had barely calmed Daniel down by promising that they would keep lynching Ex until he finally submitted and signed a slave contract.
But now, the situation had completely reversed.
‘I never thought that bastard would skip class…!’
Gary had heard that Ex had never missed a single day.
That was why he thought they could torment him relentlessly.
But that assumption only held true if Ex attended class as usual.
‘And I never imagined he’d pick us off one by one like this…!’
When he thought about it, Ex had fought fifteen people yesterday and defeated thirteen of them.
He had lost at the end only because he ran out of mana, not because he lacked skill.
In other words, as long as he had enough time to recover his mana and avoided fighting a large group all at once, he could win.
“L-Lord Daniel, even if he’s causing this much trouble, the disciplinary committee will surely be convened. He’ll obviously be expelled. Once he’s thrown out of the academy, then we can…”
「If that were going to happen, he would’ve been locked up hours ago! Can’t you tell from the fact that he’s still running around beating the shit out of our people?!」
“What? Then, could it be…?”
「Those bastard professors are deliberately looking the other way!!!」
It was the worst possible news.
The only reason Sword Gang had been able to run wild was because no one ever stopped them.
The professors knew that nothing good would come from antagonizing a group of nobles, so they avoided interfering.
That tacit permission had been one of Sword Gang’s greatest privileges.
And now Ex was the one enjoying that privilege.
“How is something like that even possible?”
「How the hell should I know, you idiot?!」
What they did not realize was that their years of misconduct had been piling up all this time. As a result, many professors were perfectly willing to pretend they saw nothing as long as Ex only targeted Sword Gang.
On top of that, the Chairman had created an atmosphere that seemed to condone Ex’s attacks.
In other words, Sword Gang had become the academy’s public enemy overnight.
And it had taken only a single day.
“I-I’ll gather the remaining members right now and…!”
「It’s too late! This isn’t something you idiots can handle anymore. This is war, understand? The officers have already held a meeting and reached a decision.」
“The officers…?”
「My ‘Brother’ will deal with that bastard personally.」
“Ah…! Lord Griphoc, the five-star martial artist…!”
If Griphoc stepped in, that bastard was finished.
As luck would have it, today was a day without any elective combat courses.
All Gary had to do was gather the remaining members and join Daniel’s brother, Griphoc, in beating Ex down.
It seemed the matter would end more easily than expected.
At least, it would have, had the door not suddenly exploded open.
Crash!!!
“Seriously? Hiding in a warehouse? That’s just pathetic.”
“H-How did you…?!”
Gary hurriedly reached for his sword, but he was already too late.
Three streaks of white light flashed through the doorway.
They shot toward his forehead, solar plexus, and groin.
There was no longer any chance of blocking them.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
“Ghaaaagh…!”
The uncontrollable agony ripped his consciousness away.
Only one sentence reached him as his senses faded.
“Thirty. That takes care of the small fry.”
There was only one thing those words could mean.
‘Thirty…? Not half of us, but… everyone…?’
Ex had already defeated every ordinary member of Sword Gang.
He grabbed the unconscious Gary by the leg and dragged him away.
“Only the officers are left.”
***
「You little bastard! You’ve taken this way too far!」
“What’s wrong, Chairman? You knew what you were agreeing to.”
「You never said you were going to cause a catastrophe this big!!」
It was one in the afternoon, just after lunch.
Ex stood beside the railing on the rooftop of the academy’s main building and looked down below.
Unlike usual, the vast grounds were eerily silent.
Meanwhile, the Chairman’s furious shouting battered his eardrums through the Mana Phone.
「How am I supposed to deal with this mess? Complaints are already pouring in from every direction!」
“But it felt satisfying, didn’t it?”
「So satisfying I feel like my insides are about to explode, you bastard!」
“Give it one day. By tomorrow, everyone will be as quiet as a graveyard.”
The Chairman fell silent at Ex’s confident declaration.
Strangely enough, the words sounded believable despite having no apparent basis.
For reasons he could not explain, the Chairman found himself accepting them before letting out another sigh.
「Was it really necessary to go this far? If you make the situation too big, it will become more than you can handle. There is a limit to how long you can use me as a shield.」
“I know. That’s why I chose to end it quickly. The important thing is to deny them the chance to prepare properly.”
「And did everything go according to plan?」
“Of course.”
Ex looked at the new observer viewpoint displayed in the Synopsis.
『Synopsis: Griphoc Lu Dremore’s Viewpoint
「…Griphoc received word that Ex was on the rooftop of the academy’s main building. Once he had finished preparing, he headed there.」』
“I hooked him perfectly. He’s nice and fresh, too.”
「You truly have a talent for leaving me speechless…」
The Chairman sighed yet again before continuing.
「Griphoc is a five-star martial artist. He is far beyond anyone you can handle at your current level. There is a reason he serves as Sword Gang’s chief enforcer.」
“I’m well aware.”
「Then why are you doing this?! Do you have no sense of self-preservation at all?! Even if you can use magic, you are only a three-star martial artist. There is no possible way you can beat him!」
The Chairman’s assessment was accurate.
Griphoc was a five-star martial artist.
That placed him on roughly the same level as the academy’s professors.
There was no chance that Ex, who was only at three stars, could defeat him in a straightforward fight.
His Base Stats alone made his strength obvious.
『Character Information
「Basic Information
Name: Griphoc Lu Dremore
Race: Human
Special Traits: -」
「Base Stats
Stamina: 4.2
Intelligence: 1.1
Agility: 3.7
Magic Power: 1.2
Luck: 0.4
Charm: 3.3」…』
Both his Stamina and Agility were close to four.
They were the stats of a thoroughly trained and highly experienced martial artist.
Under normal circumstances, avoiding battle would have been the correct choice.
At Ex’s current level, challenging Griphoc head-on would only result in a humiliating defeat.
「Think this over again. Even in the worst-case scenario, the harshest punishment the academy can impose is expulsion. That will not be enough to stop him. This is far too dangerous.」
“It’ll be fine, Chairman. It’s not as though I have no chance of winning. Besides…”
Ex heard footsteps approaching from behind.
It was almost time to end the call.
“It’s already too late.”
Ex disconnected the Mana Phone.
He had finally reached the last stage.
There was nowhere left to retreat except over the edge of the rooftop.
“Are you Ex?”
A voice came from behind him.
When Ex turned around, he found the person he had been waiting for.
The man had the refined appearance one would expect from the heir of a count’s family.
Shoulder-length blond hair and eyes filled with quiet melancholy.
Nothing about him suggested that Daniel, that infamous delinquent, could possibly be his younger brother.
Someone seeing him for the first time might even find themselves captivated by his dignified air.
At least, they would have if not for the vicious 1.8-meter greatsword strapped to his back.
“I greet Lord Griphoc, Heir to the Family Headship of House Dremore. My name is Ex.”
Ex offered him a formal greeting.
Daniel was a notorious thug, but this man was the heir to House Dremore. It was only natural to show him proper respect.
That very courtesy displeased Griphoc.
“How hypocritical. You reduce my brother to that wretched state, then bow politely to me.”
“I merely show respect to those who deserve it.”
“And my brother did not?”
“To be honest… no. He didn’t.”
At those words, a murderous pressure descended upon Ex.
It was the force of a five-star martial artist’s killing intent.
The pressure was anything but ordinary.
Griphoc fixed Ex with a vicious glare and warned him,
“So the rumors are true. A mere commoner truly does look down upon my family. My brother may be a fool, but I never imagined he would suffer such humiliation.”
“Well, I had no intention of insulting House Dremore. I simply dislike a man named Daniel.”
“You would be wise to watch your tongue. My patience is not particularly deep. If you believe the academy can protect you forever, you are gravely mistaken.”
“Because ‘Sword Gang will soon take control of the academy,’ right?”
The savagery in Griphoc’s eyes vanished, replaced by a calm and guarded look.
He was clearly skilled at controlling his emotions.
“You seem to have picked up quite a few interesting rumors.”
“A man needs good ears if he wants to survive in this world.”
“Then it appears there is one thing you have failed to hear.”
Griphoc drew the grotesque two-handed sword with a single hand.
“I can kill you here without suffering any consequences.”
Griphoc’s circumstances were certainly different from Daniel’s.
Daniel was a first-year who had only just enrolled.
Being expelled at such a crucial stage would cost him dearly in more ways than one.
He would lose access not only to the academy’s education, but also to the opportunity to form connections with high-ranking nobles.
Griphoc, however, was a fifth-year.
He had already obtained nearly everything the academy could offer him.
At this point, whether he withdrew voluntarily or was expelled made little difference.
‘The fact that he’s still here means the time hasn’t come yet.’
Ex surveyed his surroundings.
This was the rooftop of the academy’s main building. There was no chance of anyone else being present.
If Griphoc wanted to kill him, he could do so without another soul ever knowing what happened.
Of course, Ex was the one who had deliberately lured Griphoc here.
“Can you really do that?”
A strange smile appeared on Ex’s face.
Unable to understand its meaning, Griphoc narrowed his eyes.
“What are you implying?”
“The academy no longer protects Sword Gang. You must have heard that news today.”
Griphoc’s eyes widened.
That information should have been known only to Sword Gang’s officers.
“How do you know that…?!”
The question escaped Griphoc before he could stop himself.
Ex had been waiting for those exact words.
He had gathered more than enough ingredients.
A group united solely by profit and power.
A reign of fear within Sword Gang itself.
Weak loyalty held together only by obedience to orders.
Even so, it had probably been enough.
After all, complete control of the academy had been within their reach.
But then the situation suddenly reversed.
The Chairman had abruptly severed all connections with them.
The tower they had spent five years constructing had collapsed without warning.
Everyone was already confused, unable to understand why it had happened.
What would happen if someone dropped a single seed of suspicion into that confusion?
“Think about it. If Sword Gang seized control of the academy, it would gain unimaginable wealth and authority. Even nobles with different motives and little loyalty to one another could remain united for a prize like that.”
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
“This academy contains nobles of count rank and above, along with the occasional member of royalty. It is a place where tremendous political power is gathered in one location. No other institution like it exists anywhere in the world.”
Indeed, nowhere in the vast span of recorded history had so many powerful individuals gathered together as though it were perfectly ordinary.
The fact that a place like this had operated normally for fifty years without some enormous catastrophe could only be called a miracle of the Goddess.
“So what? Are you planning to give me a history lecture?”
“If one could seize control of this academy, the wealth and power gained would be beyond imagination. But ‘we’ found ourselves wondering about one thing.”
“‘We’…?”
That single word led Griphoc to conclude that someone was backing Ex.
But there should have been no organization willing to stand in direct opposition to Sword Gang.
They had managed that particular threat with extreme care.
The moment Ex spoke again, Griphoc realized how badly mistaken that assumption had been.
“Who gets to hold the knife that cuts the cake?”
“The knife that cuts the cake…?”
“I’m asking who will stand at the top and decide how the spoils are divided.”
Those words gave Griphoc an idea of Ex’s true identity.
He knew information that should have been restricted to Sword Gang’s officers.
He had targeted Griphoc’s younger brother, Daniel, before anyone else.
And now, he had spoken of dividing the spoils, a forbidden subject among the officers.
“…Who is the man behind you?”
Ex had to be the subordinate of another Sword Gang officer.
There was no other explanation.
“Most likely one of the people listening to this conversation right now.”
“You… How do you know about that too?!”
Ex was referring to the communication device Griphoc had concealed on his person.
The officers had given it to him so they could follow the situation in real time.
Griphoc had come to the rooftop alone, but in truth, every Sword Gang officer was listening to their conversation.
And that had become their greatest liability.
At this very moment, only one thought filled the minds of Sword Gang’s officers.
‘There’s a traitor among us?’
“With that in mind…”
While Griphoc stood shaken, he sensed something flying toward his face and snatched it out of the air.
“…A glove?”
It was a white dueling glove.
“I challenge you to a duel. Defeat me, and I’ll tell you who is behind me. But if you lose…”
Then Ex delivered the final sentence that would tear Sword Gang apart from within.
“You’ll surrender your position as an officer to me.”
–TL Notes–
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