Academy’s Barbarian

I stopped interrogating her and started a more constructive conversation.

It was certainly something to be criticized that Ophelia gave up the fight with the Insect-Dragon and holed up in the mansion, but she had her reasons—and from my perspective, they were understandable.

“That bait you mentioned. How effective is it really? Can it lure out Nidhogg hiding in the Sky Mountain Range?”

If that were possible, we could easily trap and deal with it. Even better, if we could lure it into the Empire’s territory, we could cut off any chance of other races intervening.

“Well… if it senses the mana from the Soul Stone, it might react, but the range isn’t that wide. To lure it out with just this, we’d have to comb through the entire Sky Mountain Range.”

True, my work never goes that smoothly. Unfortunately, it seems impossible to trap it and get an easy win.

“Seems tough.”

“Right. Wandering around the Sky Mountain Range to lure out Nidhogg, who knows where it’s hiding, is way too inefficient. Instead of going through all that trouble, it’s better to use a smarter method.”

“A smarter method?”

“Think backwards. Instead of using Isabella’s remnants to lure Nidhogg, we trace the magical connection between Isabella’s remnants and the Insect-Dragon to find Nidhogg ourselves. Using this Soul Stone as a compass.”

Even if we can’t lure it into a trap, we can at least find out where it’s hiding. That alone would be a big achievement. If it’s possible.

“Is that possible?”

In response to my question, Ophelia shrugged her shoulders and flashed a confident smile.

“Just leave it to me. Who do you think I am?”

“A crazy Soul Extraction practitioner who molests her regressed older sister.”

“……”

Oops, my true thoughts slipped out.

“Well… that is, I mean, it’s frustrating that there’s no room to argue, but…”

Ophelia’s face crumpled, and she slightly hunched her previously confident posture.

“…Still, for a magician, I’m pretty normal, right?”

“Yeah, sure.”

How can you lie like that? If you’re the average magician, then magicians should be wiped out, you know.

“Ahem, ahem. Anyway, I can do it. It’ll take about three days to erase the existing magical formula and implant the opposite one.”

Three days. Just enough time for Half-Pint to prepare for the dragon hunt.

“Then let’s get started. I’ll provide whatever you need.”

“There’s nothing I really need, but there is one thing to be careful about.”

“What’s that?”

“If Archbishop Elmain insists on coming along, you have to stop her no matter what. The tracking formula using Isabella’s remnants in the Soul Stone is obviously a type of Soul Extraction. She’d probably smash my head in as soon as she saw the completed compass.”

…That does sound likely.

Even if she’s not a witch or demon who has absorbed dark magic, a Soul Extraction practitioner is still considered a heretic by the Elpinel Church Order.

As soon as she sees the Soul Stone, she’d probably strike Ophelia’s head with her Cross Spear or burn her to ashes with Holy Flame.

“From what I saw today, she’s not in any condition to follow us to the Sky Mountain Range… but if she insists, I’ll stop her.”

Not just Lacey, but other clerics and magicians need to be careful too. I’m not sure if they’d recognize Ophelia’s Soul Extraction formula, but just in case.

“Right. So, is that all the questions? Then I’d like to hear the news you mentioned. Two things, right?”

“One you’ve already heard. The news that we’ll be heading to the Sky Mountain Range soon to subjugate the Insect-Dragon. Naturally, you’ll have to come along.”

“Me too? Isn’t that overkill?”

“If the enemy were just Nidhogg, maybe.”

I explained the current situation in the Sky Mountain Range to her.

The Dragonkin, who went berserk at the sight of a dragon after hundreds of years, and the fairies, who started interfering using some excuse from two thousand years ago, have made things very complicated.

“Dragonkin and Fairy Guardians… what a headache. Not just one, but multiple enemies at Ferne’s level. They’re annoyingly strong.”

“Right, so we need to gather all available combat power. We don’t know how many Guardians will be deployed.”

“Why did that bug have to fly to such a place…”

Ophelia exhaled a long puff of magical cigarette smoke and sighed.

“Guardians, Guardians… I’ll have to think of a way to deal with the Spirits. Anyway, got it. So, what’s the second piece of news?”

Ophelia, nervously brushing back her slightly damp hair, pulled out a second magical cigarette and asked. With a slightly wary expression, as if expecting bad news.

Fortunately for her, the second piece of news wasn’t that bad. At least not for her.

“Leopold said he wants me to become the Queen.”

“……What?”

It was shocking enough that she dropped the freshly lit magical cigarette on the floor.

“Wait, what do you mean… are you divorcing Duke Bien’s daughter? Did you finally decide to take down the Duke?”

What are you talking about, woman?

You must have misheard something.

“What are you saying? Why would I take down a perfectly good Duke?”

“Well, I don’t know about Ka`har, but the Empire’s laws prohibit polygamy…”

You definitely misheard.

“Not the Empress, the Queen. He wants me to take the crown and become independent with my own territory.”

“…Oh. So it’s not a proposal, but a release. I misheard.”

Ophelia finally understood what I meant and nodded, stomping out the magical cigarette that had fallen to the floor.

It was still fresh, not even fully lit, but as a noble lady, she couldn’t pick up something that had fallen on the ground.

“Wait, now that I think about it, that’s still strange. Given the state of the Empire, it wouldn’t be odd for Ha-shal-leur to give you a Dukedom to keep you tied down, but instead, he’s letting you go independent? Was Duke Bien’s influence that strong? Enough for Emperor Leopold to release half of the Empire’s greatest power?”

“More like… I caused a bit of trouble.”

I awkwardly lit a cigarette and explained the details.

During the triumphal parade, my Holy Mark shone brightly, revealing to everyone that I was the Saintess of Order… and because of that, my position became very awkward.

“Why would you reveal that…”

“It wasn’t my choice. The Holy Mark just shone on its own. It’s the Goddess’s will—what can I do but accept it?”

Ophelia sighed. Having grown up as a noble of the Empire, she quickly grasped the situation.

As Leopold said, with the Holy Mark revealed, I could no longer remain a noble of the Empire.

The Goddess Astraea’s representative submitting to the Emperor as a direct subordinate would mean the entire Church Order bowing to secular authority.

That’s why Leopold had no choice but to make me a Queen. The leader of a completely independent nation, with no obligation to submit to the Emperor.

“It’s still in the discussion phase, and it’ll take some time before actual independence.”

“…You, becoming a Queen? A Queen…? The world really is going to hell…”

[I completely agree. It’s not just any end of the world.]

Saying it’s the end of the world is a bit much. I think so too, but still, that’s a bit extreme.

Anyone hearing that would think the world is going to end the moment I become Queen.

“Isn’t this good for you? If I become Queen, you could become the Tower Master of the Royal Mage Tower. Compared to last year, it’s practically a meteoric rise, isn’t it?”

Ophelia twisted her lips into a smirk.

“A meteoric rise, my foot… Do you know how many hours Tower Master Floheta sleeps a day? Three hours, three hours. Lately, she’s been looking like a walking corpse…”

…Seriously? How is she even alive? Unless she has steel stamina like me, how is she surviving with a magician’s physique?

“With all the other high-level magicians melting away, lately, she’s been scarily persistent in trying to recruit me into the Mage Tower.”

As if imagining Floheta’s desperate gaze looking for a sacrificial replacement, Ophelia shivered and shook her head.

That bad, huh.

Me, Leopold, Lacey, Floheta… the higher the position in this country, the more it seems like a path of suffering rather than power.

Well, at least the nobility’s obligation is being well maintained, so the citizens might be happy about it.

—

After finishing all my business, I ordered Ophelia to complete the ‘Nidhogg Detection Compass’ as soon as possible and headed back to the surface.

With a joke that if she delayed because of Claire and Vivian, I’d levy a hefty lesbian tax in the newly formed Kingdom.

“…That’s a joke, right?”

“That’s up to you.”

You have to work for the salary you’re paid. If you’re too busy with your hobbies to do your job, I’ll have to reclaim the salary I gave you, won’t I?

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