Chapter 39 – The Day When a Misunderstanding Started as a Joke
One of the oldest and most secluded races, the Baneer tribe.
Also known as a race handcrafted by the goddess herself, they were always highly esteemed among the empire’s people and other races for their beauty, nobility, and inherent goodness, depicted throughout distant stories and folklore.
However, from the perspective of the ruler of the empire, the Baneer tribe, who couldn’t be casually intervened with, must have been a perennial headache.
Their behavior, not just substantial harm like that of vampires, but their occasional uncooperative conduct towards the empire had been a problem, not much of a secret lately.
For instance, the only race that didn’t comply with the empire’s secretive policies such as the ‘eradication of records regarding the Second Holy Sword’s hero’ was none other than the Baneer tribe, and their reason, ‘We have no intention to assimilate into the fragmented memories of a dying race,’ was quite a resolute refusal that could nod heads when seen from another angle, making it a well-known incident.
Thanks to that, they vividly remembered my name, becoming the root cause of the current issue.
They accused Nepherna, the Second Holy Sword’s hero, as the attackers who assaulted Freya.
Whenever someone mentions the Second Holy Sword’s hero, ‘Nepherna,’ within the empire, anyone could only think of my father, the ‘hero Nepherna.’
The weight carried by the name ‘hero Nepherna’ within the empire was substantial, and it attests to the fact that my eradicated name in the records was neatly wiped out as well.
What should I do…?
Should I have just taken Freya and gone somewhere else? Escaping safely amidst the explosion aftermath could have prevented this chaos.
Hair. If only it wasn’t already stained crimson, there might have been an excuse.
There was no way to resolve the situation.
Just run away? That would be admitting defeat to those newbies.
Pushed to the edge, I opened my mouth without a plan.
Driven into a corner.
First, let’s laugh. Like a madman.
“Ha ha… ha ha ha ha ha! Uh-ha ha ha ha ha ha!”
I burst into laughter, raising my voice to drive everyone away.
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Oh-ha ha ha ha ha ha!”
“Finally gone mad!”
The newcomer, whose pride I had shattered, appeared belatedly, looking unimpressed.
I had read in a book not long ago, under the guise of skimming through it.
“If you have nothing to say, grab the tail of your words and stretch. If your voice is louder than your opponent’s, you’ve already won half the battle.”
It was a book detailing 101 secret tactics to win debates.
I coldly laughed, faithfully following the author’s wisdom. First, I ignored everything they claimed and shouted loudly.
“Neferna? Second Holy Sword? Are you talking about the hero Neferna who died ten years ago? These newbie fools are amusing. Who else has the Holy Sword besides the hero Neferna! Or are you insulting the empire’s hero?”
“The child of that hero Neferna is working as a professor at this school! Others must know, right? That a man with the Holy Name of Neferna is here at this school!”
The newcomer retorted loudly.
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At that moment, Fedonandes, who had been silently observing, solemnly echoed my claim.
“Vaneer newcomers, it’s true that the son of the hero Neferna is at this school. However, there seems to be some misunderstanding. The Neferna professor I know is seriously lacking in magical power. With the magic he used from the stands just now, he could have collapsed and turned into ash. He doesn’t even carry the Holy Sword, just a peculiar stick.”
“Hmph! So are you saying our words are wrong now? Vaneer newcomers do not speak falsehoods. Or do you want to reveal the true identity of that bloodline?”
“… It’s a difficult problem. My identity… my identity…”
He murmured quietly, stroking his chin.
“Mask… a man… unknown identity… even if we disregard the fact of blood ties, hmmm… I saved Lady Freya…
Huh? It feels like I’m missing something important…
Lady Freya… saving Lady Freya…? Why on earth… if there’s a reason to save her other than…? Then? Reason? Status? … Gasp…! It can’t be!
Wait a minute!… Could it be?!
Could it be that you…!”
“……?”
“Aren’t you… the leader of our Freya Order?”
What…
“Now that I think about it, you look completely different from the mask our leader usually wears, but your physique and appearance are remarkably similar! Isn’t that right, Protein!”
“Hmm… now that you mention it, it does seem like that…”
For a moment, I seriously pondered the possibility that Fernandez might actually be onto me.
Why is it that a mere change of mask has led this normally clueless person to come up with such sharp deductions? If his intelligence had deteriorated even a bit, he would have fallen for the deception, just like when I was with the Order.
What should I do? The Order… the Order… Hmm, wait, the Order…? … Ah, I remember now!
Suddenly, the identity of the leader of the Freya Order flashed through my mind.
The leader of the Order. In other words, me. But no one knows the truth about me.
To the Order, the leader is nothing more than a masked monster.
Let alone the members, even his existence would not have been revealed to the outside world.
If the leader of the Freya Order was actually a hidden member of the bloodline, under orders from the bloodline’s mausoleum to monitor Freya, then maybe I can somehow get through this situation.
Sure, let’s go with this.
That was the moment when I confidently spoke up.
Suddenly, I felt Freya’s trembling movement in my arms.
“Sob…”
I looked at her, still in her princess-like posture.
With a pale, frozen face, I met the gaze of Freya, who was scrutinizing me alternately with Pedonandes, Protein, and Allen.
I was so terrified that even if I had screamed right then, it wouldn’t have seemed strange at all.
I had been cautious only about being a “blood relative” just a moment ago, but now, it seemed as if I had started to fidget as if to say, “An admirer? What on earth is this?” as if complaining.
I felt my breath rising to the tip of my chin. I could instinctively sense that it was a time for choice.
Should I remain as a slightly suspicious blood relative?
Or should I remain as the head of a perverted fan club?
It’s not really an either-or situation. Now that I think about it, the word “either-or” seems inadequate.
What’s the point of the choice? Even if I make a choice, the focus should be on whether it’s right, regardless of what I choose.
I don’t like the latter, even if I wear a mask. I just don’t. I hate it.
Is it embarrassing to be an admirer of Freya?
Yes, it is. Of course. It’s so embarrassing that I want to bite my tongue and die.
Without any hesitation, I spoke up.
“… An admirer? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“… You’re denying it. In that case, you’ll have to explain directly why you saved Freya and why you revealed yourself secretly like this.”
“I don’t know who this professor Neperna they’re talking about is. And the organization you’re talking about, the admirers, is also unknown to me. I am a blood relative dispatched from the Blood Tower. Coming to this school was not just a coincidence. And I had some business with this girl at the time. Nothing more, nothing less.”
As if indicating that it wasn’t worth responding, the Barnir clan began to get agitated.
“Well, then, why don’t you just bring this so-called Nepherna that you speak of! If he’s not the same person, you should be able to bring him!”
This is insane. I almost blurted it out without even realizing. I was once again cornered by an utterly expected situation.
“If it’s where the teacher is, I know.”
At that moment, Cecilia spoke up, raising her tail like a savior sent from heaven.
Covering her face, she once again wore a cold expression, avoiding eye contact, and casually said, “…Professor Nepherna, after slipping on a sharp edge at the bottom of the stairs due to stepping on a fallen can and struggling in pain, stumbled on the steps equivalent to 1557 bullets, and then, while trying to avoid a carriage passing by, hit his head, and is not present here at the moment.”
… Just kill me now.
Undine, who was with me, also chimed in.
“Oh, oh! Right! I, I, I, I, I’m also a b-b-b-b-baby too?! I-I, I-I-I-I-I’m too, too, shocked!”
Your acting is awkward, Undine. Are you even making sense right now? Your tongue seems twisted. I appreciate your inability to lie, but shouldn’t you be a little more shameless?
“Oh my~ What a coincidence, I also just happened to see Professor Nepherna collapsed on the ground, so I quickly told my students to move him to the infirmary~ He should be in surgery by now~♪ With a concussion, brain hemorrhage, and skull fracture, he’s even leaking cerebrospinal fluid from his ears~ Adorable, isn’t it, hehehe♪”
Professor Aegis said with a gentle smile.
Don’t smile while talking about leaking cerebrospinal fluid.
As all three of them made their claims, the faces of the Barnir clan began to turn red.
I spoke softly, clearing my throat.
“Let me say it again. I am a clan member dispatched from Matop.”
“W-What…! With such nonsense, you dare…!”
“‘Our Freiya’…? What nonsense.”
“How dare you mock the Barnir clan right now.”
“Of course, they laughed. This woman had broken away from her own clan by her own will, and her kin valued her abilities highly, giving her due recognition. The clan had no intention of letting her go. And she knew it herself, with no desire to return. You can ask her directly if you want.”
As I finished speaking, Freya added in a daunting manner, “…I have left the Vanir clan.”
“You heard it clearly. It’s not a place for the clan to intervene. Leave. And never appear before me again.”
As I sternly warned, a sense of unease began to surface among the Vanir clan members.
However, they started to step back upon witnessing the Freya Echelon’s subordinates easing their fists.
“If Freya says so, we have no reason to oppose.”
“Mr. Protean, refrain from using strong words. This is my first time fighting against the Vanir clan as well.”
“Stop it!”
Freya sharply exclaimed.
“…The kids, the students, are watching. Please refrain from fighting.”
Upon her words, not only the arena but also the audience erupted with admiration here and there.
“Oh, such compassion…! Who is that person…?”
“Ah! That’s the famous Professor Freya! Oh, not just in appearance but in heart too, how beautiful! The rumors were true!”
The once-silent stands instantly became lively with chatter.
Such words made Freya incredibly embarrassed, her face turning as red as a tomato.
“Oh, it’s Professor Freya!”
“Those wicked Vanir scoundrels! How dare they try to kidnap our professor, who is kinder than an angel! Quickly, call the authorities!”
She seemed about to burst with embarrassment. Seriously, she might explode. Yet, people didn’t stop, continuing their praises until their mouths went dry. Hmm…? I thought, at this rate, she might actually cry.
Unable to contain myself, I reached out to the Brisingamen hanging around her neck, even in this unprecedented situation.
Chaos is something that can be covered with even greater chaos.
“Excuse me.”
“Huh…? What? No, wait…! Don’t undo this necklace…!”
Whether she still hadn’t realized that I was Eugene or not, she desperately tried to protect the Brisingamen hanging around her neck.
“……Ah!”
“Just as it has been until now, embrace the power of fascination.”
Snap! The moment the Brisingamen was undone, the captivating force that had been restrained even by the necklace slowly began to spread around.
What I had forcibly suppressed for a long time was now so intense that calling it just fascination would be ambiguous.
Normally, as soon as I released the Brisingamen, I would have rushed towards Freyja with everyone in tow.
But now, as if intoxicated by some drug, I stood in place, giggling. It seemed more like a collective indulgence than mere fascination.
That should be enough. I let go of Freyja and turned away.
“Just a moment…!”
Holding onto a corner of my clothes to take advantage of the opportunity to escape, Freyja looked at me with a pleading gaze.
“Just a moment! At least tell me your name…!”
… Name? What nonsense is this again?
There’s no reason for such a thing.
As I pondered for a moment, I smirked.
Anyway, there was no need for Freyja to hide her identity.
The people around were still unable to regain their senses, enthralled by the fascination.
If I do it now, I can take off the mask and reveal my identity only to Freya.
There were times when my heart leaned that way. But perhaps because my mind was at ease, my thoughts began to flow in a different direction.
I’m bored. Should I play a prank or something?
I happen to be wearing a mask, hiding my identity, and Freya still hasn’t figured out who I am. And in this situation of asking about the identity of the kin who saved her, I suddenly felt mischievous.
Well, the situation is roughly under control anyway, so let’s give it a try for now.
Name… my name…
It’s better to leave a little hint to be used as a clue.
Suddenly, Freya’s English vocabulary came to mind. It wasn’t just a coincidence that the translations were also written.
Let’s see… the translations are also written here. ‘Brave’, ‘moon’, ‘justice’, ‘fertile’, ‘govern’, ‘light’, ‘nurture’, ‘practice’, ‘night’, ‘pursuer’… What’s this? Isn’t it too basic for someone who has been learning for 10 years?
Freya’s vocabulary book.
I remember clearly that I stole the vocabulary book to tease Freya just like I am doing now.
Yeah, let’s make use of this.
I can’t resist a prank.
My mind quickly sifted through the plausible English words that remained in my memory.
I lowered my voice significantly, trying to sound as serious, solemn, and impressive as possible… Anyway, I began to oil my voice with a theatrical tone.
“… I am, my name is, the seeker of moonlight. Moonlight Chaser.”
“Moonlight Chaser…”
Freya murmured slowly, savoring the words.
“Today, I’ve come to take the necklace from you in accordance with the orders of Manwol’s decree. … You’ve been through tough times. Take care not to get hurt. Well then, I’ll be going.”
I believe I’ve given enough hints at this point.
Even if it takes a bit of time for her to find out and get upset, if I apologize and treat her to a meal, her anger will surely subside.
I’m wearing a mask. In that case, playing a prank is a natural course of action.
Realizing tonight that I’ve deceived her, I started laughing involuntarily as I thought about the pillow fight with Freyja under the blanket.
If from the beginning, just because of a mask, I couldn’t recognize a friend and deceived Freyja, isn’t it more my fault?
However, it didn’t take long for me to realize how careless my thoughts were.
Unfortunately.