Fwip-.
The moment Duke Zeppelin’s leg and mine collided,
The impact sent the coat slung over his shoulders flying through the air.
It was proof I’d passed Duke Zeppelin’s test.
But I couldn’t exactly say the situation looked good.
CRUNCH!!
Because my leg bent in a direction no leg ever should.
Bone, smeared with blood, muscle, tendon, and a bunch of things I didn’t even want to identify, punched through my skin and stuck out.
“Gyaaaaaaah!!”
Even I couldn’t help but scream at that.
[Mental Defense] only keeps your mind intact; it does absolutely nothing about pain.
If anything, because my mind was so clear, the pain came through even sharper.
Once again, I was forced to recognize it.
This place wasn’t a game screen. It was reality.
“Eek! L-let go of that this instant!”
I was grinding my teeth, trying to endure the pain, when it happened.
Duke Zeppelin grabbed Victoria from somewhere and tossed her down beside me.
“Heal him.”
“Huh?”
“You thought I’d stop at just one leg? That would be a grave mistake.”
I’ll break you, and then break you again.
“Until you learn your place and beg for mercy.”
Victoria shivered ever so slightly.
He meant he’d keep repeating it: heal, then break, heal, then break.
“In that case, I shall not heal him.”
“Then I will simply continue breaking him as he is. You look fairly skilled, but there’s no way you can restore both legs and both arms at once, can you?”
Even among psychopaths, this guy was in a league of his own.
‘Well, I guess it means he likes me that much.’
Looked like he wanted to test my limits.
Needless to say, I wasn’t pleased in the slightest. I was not a pain-loving pervert.
Victoria glanced at me, and I gave a small nod.
Victoria started treating my leg, a miserable expression plastered on her face.
“At such a crucial time… where could he be…”
That person. She had to mean Adonis.
Come to think of it, where did that old geezer wander off to?
‘Even in the game, he doesn’t show up in this part.’
Which meant I couldn’t count on Adonis’s help.
Then how did the original story progress, you ask?
Until the time came, Daike took on the role I was playing now.
The role of getting beaten like a dog.
“Zero!”
“Y-you bastard! How dare you touch my friend!”
“Who are you calling your friend! He’s my friend!”
Led by Luna and Raymon, the kids launched their second offensive.
It was pointless.
Duke Zeppelin’s kicks sent them flying away one by one.
Of course, none of them had their arms and legs broken like I did.
‘That’s how it’s supposed to be, actually.’
This wasn’t a real battle, it was a test. Naturally he held back.
So why was he only going all out on me!
–is what I really wanted to yell, but I let it go for now.
Staying alive took priority.
“Uwaagh!”
“Gueeek!”
The kids rolled over toward me one after another and ended up piled neatly on top of me.
It wasn’t a coincidence. Duke Zeppelin had engineered this situation.
“Hmm… I’ve got wrinkles now. That won’t do. Unacceptable for a noble.”
The duke suddenly started straightening his clothes.
He was telling us to put our heads together and see what else we had left to throw at him.
As expected of a high noble. Even the way he “gives you time” is luxurious and gorgeous.
Of course, the kids who didn’t realize this were too busy whispering among themselves.
“This is our chance.”
“He let his guard down. Time to show him what we’ve got!”
“U-ugh… Could you get off me first? I’m gonna pop like this.”
“Just hold on a little longer. I will be done with treatment in five minutes… but I have no idea how we are supposed to fight.”
“It’s fine. We’ve got Zero.”
At Alex’s words, all the kids’ eyes turned to me.
Making the guy with broken arms and legs carry another log on his back… They really were terrible people.
Well, I already knew the right move, so I didn’t mind.
“Keke, when the sun sets, night is bound to follow.”
“What’s that even mean? Can you say it so we can understand?”
“Could you bring me a trash can?”
“Out of nowhere?”
Luna and the others all wore puzzled faces.
The trash can. Fetching that was the last piece of this hidden puzzle.
Before the sunset disappeared completely.
‘If time runs out, it’s a bad ending.’
Normally I’d have gone to get it myself, but with my leg shattered that was impossible. Someone else had to bring it.
No helping it. I’d just have to poke them a bit.
“Ahh, a true friend always fulfills a friend’s dying wish, after all.”
“Zero! I’ll go! I’ll bring it! I’m Zero’s true friend!”
“Who’s dying, huh! You stay put right there! I’ll go grab it myself!”
Raymon and Luna dashed off, competing with each other.
Maybe because that bought us a bit of time, Duke Zeppelin turned his head toward Teron, who was just standing there awkwardly.
“Tsk, to receive pity from the enemy. Pitiful sight. Is that your idea of a strong man’s attitude?”
“…”
“You have some talent, but you’re not beyond your own control. Normally, you’d be punished for this, but I’ll overlook it today.”
For now.
“Because dealing with these fools who don’t know their place comes first.”
At his gaze, the kids’ expressions hardened.
Despite appearances, the duke was in an extremely good mood.
Because he’d discovered “us,” talent.
“Then shall we begin again? I’m looking forward to it.”
To seeing you brats on your knees, begging for your lives.
Duke Zeppelin started walking toward us, step by step.
Honestly, if I laid all my cards on the table, I knew exactly who’d be doing the begging—and it wouldn’t be us.
‘Information, a sacred sword, and I’m even good-looking on top of that(?).’
But it would be a problem if I changed the story any further.
So I had to call out the one who would bring this situation to an end.
Someone who seemed cold, yet was warm.
Someone who carried a light inside, shining like stars.
A person like the night sky.
“Zero! I got it! I’m the one who got it!”
At that moment, Luna appeared, holding a small trash can over her head.
Looked like Raymon had retired from the race. I could pretty much guess why.
“You plan to use that as a weapon? How unique.”
Just as Luna arrived, panting, the sun slipped behind the mountain and the sunset vanished.
A dim blue twilight settled over us, and at the same time, the magic-stone lamps around the plaza flicked on one by one.
Crash-.
Luna flipped the trash can she’d brought.
“…?”
This was the plaza in front of the academy, but it was still within the grounds of Annwood Academy proper.
And inside the academy, if you deliberately knock over a trash can, “she” appears.
“Under normal circumstances I’d have to deduct points for the hygiene violation… but this doesn’t seem like the time.”
The guardian of the trash cans, and Vice President of the Annwood Academy Student Council.
Rodelin de Lucid.
“Rodelin de Lucid, youngest of House Lucid, greets Your Grace.”
“The youngest lion cub, huh… You’ve grown.”
Rodelin’s eyes quickly swept the area.
My fists and leg, covered in blood, twitched as I let out groans thick with pain.
Victoria’s eyes seemed to cool considerably at that sight… but that wasn’t important, so I let it slide.
“May I ask for an explanation of what’s happening here?”
“I was merely giving a lesson to some kids who don’t know their place.”
“They’re getting plenty of education at the academy already.”
“I felt something was lacking. Namely, the lesson that bad attitudes can lead to physical pain. That was what I was teaching.”
What a marvelous lesson that is.
That’s what I would’ve said.
But Rodelin went several steps further than me.
“Seeing you, I understand perfectly now.”
“Understand what?”
“That not everyone is cut out to be an educator. It makes me appreciate the excellence of Annwood Academy’s faculty all over again.”
The air went cold in an instant. I swear the temperature dropped by three degrees.
“…Looks like there’s one more brat who doesn’t know her place. You, too, need some education.”
“Do you dream of becoming an educator? In that case, you should first get the proper qualifications and apply through official channels. Though…”
Rodelin glanced upward, her eyes narrowing.
“Even if you had your whole life, I doubt you’d make the cut.”
“…”
Ah, winter. Winter has come.
Spring just ended and winter barged right in.
“…Interesting. Let’s see how far that attitude of yours can go.”
Duke Zeppelin clenched his fist.
But it never swung.
Because Rodelin had drawn not a weapon, but her student ID booklet.
“What is that?”
“Would you please read Article 1, Clause 5 of the Academy Regulations?”
The duke took the booklet. His eyes moved left and right as he read.
I didn’t even need to ask what it said. Rodelin kindly explained it for us.
“The late Emperor wished for the students to grow on their own.”
So they wouldn’t be pushed around by adults, nobles, or factions.
So they could grow through the process of rejoicing, getting angry, crying, and laughing.
So they could enjoy to the fullest those three short years they could only have once in their lives.
“That’s why he granted the Student Council special authority.”
One of those special authorities:
The Student Council, by resolution, can exert power over students, professors, and even outsiders.
“As Vice President of Annwood Academy’s Student Council, I hereby declare—”
Duke Zeppelin, you are—
“Banished from this place.”
A banishment decree that came out of nowhere.
The plaza erupted into confusion. Kids frantically flipped through their rulebooks, searching for the article.
In the eye of the storm, though, it was eerily quiet.
“…Where is the Student Council President?”
“Out on a mission.”
“And the other Student Council officers?”
“They just got back from their missions, so nobody has reported in yet. At present, I’m the only one on duty.”
The booklet in Duke Zeppelin’s hand crumpled like a tin can.
Crushing dozens of pages like that… his grip strength was insane.
“I’ve never heard of such a clause.”
“It’s a provision that might be used once every few decades, if that.”
“So it’s practically meaningless. And you think you can throw me out with something like that?”
“You’re free to do as you like. If you wish to go against His Majesty the Emperor’s will, who am I to stop you?”
Even as one of the eight pillars supporting the empire, he couldn’t openly defy the emperor’s will.
Especially not someone who knew about “that incident,” like Duke Zeppelin did.
Grit-.
The grinding of Duke Zeppelin’s teeth echoed all the way to where we lay.
That was as far as he could push it. He tossed the crumpled booklet back toward Rodelin.
“Not bad for a house that survived on luck.”
“Luck?”
Rodelin’s brows knit together.
She cherished her family deeply, of course, but more than that, no one openly spat on House Lucid.
They’d held the frontier count’s post for hundreds of years; that’s not something you can do on luck alone.
‘That’s not what Duke Zeppelin meant, though.’
But neither I nor the duke had any intention of explaining that.
“Let me give you a piece of advice. You should fix that attitude. The moment luck passes you by, that attitude will become poison to your house.”
“…I’ll accept the advice gratefully. Not that I think I’ll be changing.”
“In that case, it can’t be helped.”
Duke Zeppelin turned away. Behind him, his son Teron stood ready to see him off.
But the duke didn’t seem inclined to waste even a moment on Teron.
“Look. At how wide the world is, and how weak you are within it.”
“…”
“The process doesn’t matter. Produce results.”
Then we can pretend your disgraceful display never happened. Only then can you…
“Live as a strong man in this world of survival of the fittest.”
That was as far as the father went in speaking to his son.
If anything, he sounded more interested in me.
“Zero, was it? I’ll remember that name clearly.”
He was saying he had his eye on me, and that I should come under his wing someday.
With his coat fluttering, Duke Zeppelin departed.
“To come back from a mission and walk straight into this…”
“It really was like a storm blew through.”
“Hiiing~ Zero, I’m hurt… The wicked witch stole me away and plundered my trash can…”
“She didn’t steal it, she looted it! And stop clinging to my friend!”
“W-w-what exactly happened? C-can you not see me? D-don’t tell me I died and turned into a ghost?!”
…Mm, it looked chaotic, but this was just our normal everyday life.
I was organizing the new hidden piece in my head and sorting out what would be coming next when—
[Treatment is incomplete.]
[Your meridians are twisted.]
[You cannot circulate mana.]
[Your nerves are severely damaged.]
[You will be unable to move for three days.]
[You will collapse in 10 seconds. Brace for impact.]
What the…
I looked at Victoria. She gave me an awkward smile.
“S-sorry. I-I was a bit startled, so my treatment was a little lacking… or perhaps my skill was lacking…”
What the hell! And you were so confident earlier! Do you know how much time three days is…!
Ah.
Suddenly my head spun and my body swayed.
My last memory was—
The ground rushing up toward my face.
–TL Notes–
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I’m the Slit-Eyed Character at the Academy, but I’m not the Mastermind – Chapter 459
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I’m the Slit-Eyed Character at the Academy, but I’m not the Mastermind – Chapter 461
One thought on “I’m the Slit-Eyed Character at the Academy, but I’m not the Mastermind – Chapter 460”
theodor says: June 1, 2026 at 3:37 am
Yo! I did consider him summoning Rodelin but didn’t think he would actually go through with it! Zero actually out of usable card too!
That incident huh? Lester family? And Lucid family surviving on luck? Interesting even the suspected Demon contract and Second Legion commander descent doesn’t fit the bill
Heheh Zero caught the eyes of both the father and the son now,I think recruiting them as future ally is possible
And I wonder if in the Original story Daike would put up some fight or just stand there
