BIAC 03

Chapter 3

“You lunatic! Do you even realize what you’re saying right now? Are you out of your mind?!”

For a moment, I thought I misheard. I turned my head, and there was Instructor Ludwig, huffing and glaring.

The absurdity of it all was overwhelming. Why was he the one losing his temper? Was he somehow connected to the Seventh Princess via some invisible link, expecting her request to be accepted no matter what?

“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?” I asked calmly.

“Why? Why? How dare a commoner like you defy the command of a royal? Do you have any idea how outrageous that is?!”

“Instructor Ludwig, according to what the Headmaster just said, this is a request, not an order. That means I have the right to give my own opinion in whether I accept it.”

“Hah! The sheer arrogance of a commoner! You think you have a choice when all you should do is humbly accept this honor! They’ve elevated someone like you for appearances, and now you’re deluded enough to think you have a say!”

Listening to him, I realized he was referring to my military achievements during the war. Not exaggerating—if anything, they were understated. And given the current situation, the one who was truly unhinged wasn’t me.

“…Instructor Ludwig.”

This wasn’t a lounge or a quiet hallway; we were in the Headmaster’s office—the highest authority in the Academy.

Raising your voice here, claiming madness or sanity, was completely out of place.

“Deus refusing the Seventh Princess’s request is certainly unusual. I can understand why Ludwig would be so upset about it,” the Headmaster said, calm but sharp.

“Headmaster…”

“But, even so… do not overstep. Respect your superiors, and respect your fellow instructors.”

At the Headmaster’s piercing words, Ludwig went silent. Completely speechless.

A perfect rebuke—one he couldn’t argue against.

No matter how much of a commoner I was, I was still an instructor. To call me “you” in front of the Headmaster was clearly over the line.

“Return to your post,” the Headmaster commanded.

“B-But, Headmaster!”

“You were only tasked with bringing Instructor Deus here. Now that your task is done, go tend to your students. That is what it means to be an instructor.”

The word instructor carried weight, subtle but undeniable.

Even the Headmaster knew how many instructors hid behind their titles, doing everything but actually guiding students—sometimes even encouraging the divide among them.

This was a problem the Theresia Imperial Military Academy had never been able to fix. At least now, it was somewhat improved.

Originally, even the sections were segregated by social status. Not skill, not grades, but family background. Sometimes, students even suffered outright abuse from peers.

“…I will go, Headmaster. And I apologize for today’s disturbance.”

Ludwig left without a single word of apology to me. The Headmaster sighed and lightly patted my shoulder.

“Sorry about that. Always like this, isn’t he?”

“I understand. I am a commoner, and Ludwig and the others are all nobles.”

“Tch… we fought side by side on the battlefield, yet some can’t resist clinging to status,” the Headmaster muttered, tapping the table with a thoughtful expression.

“But tell me… do you really intend to refuse the Seventh Princess’s request?”

“I do.”

“Why? Are you afraid of the burden? Or perhaps of the twisted gazes that may come because a commoner is chosen to guide royalty?”

I shook my head, indicating none of that was the reason.

“Then why—why would you refuse such a rare opportunity? She is a princess, after all. While far down the succession line, this is still a chance few ever see.”

“I understand all that,” I replied evenly.

“Then why—”

“The truth is, I have other students I wish to guide personally.”

This was the branching point in The Empire Needs a Hero! story. I could take the Seventh Princess as my personal pupil, giving her focused instruction—but it would slow the development of other students.

Or I could refuse her request, losing her patronage, but accelerating the growth of the other essential students.

And in this world, knowing everything about the students, I knew which ones were capable of blossoming with minimal guidance. These were the ones I intended to focus on first.

“You have students you wish to guide? Who are they?”

“Not all confirmations are in yet, but the first student will be…”

“Student?”

“Uriel Reich.”

Uriel Reich. Uriel Reich.

The Headmaster muttered to himself, checking his records of the Academy students.

“Here he is. Uriel Reich.”

Then he looked at me, eyes wide with disbelief.

“Deus… are you serious?”

“Would I joke in front of the Headmaster?” I replied calmly.

“But… this student…”

The Headmaster valued skill over bloodline. He believed victory over the demons required true talent, not pedigree.

Even so, he couldn’t deny my reasoning.

“Even knowing Uriel Reich’s state, you still wish to guide him?”

“Yes. And doing so will benefit everyone in the long run. If he can be shaped, he can become someone useful.”

“In battle, the most dangerous enemy isn’t in front—it’s the incompetent ally behind you.”

The Headmaster’s eyes narrowed slightly. He appreciated the pragmatism.

“There are many capable instructors besides you. You wish to focus on the ones below, to save those with potential and filter out the hopeless?”

“Exactly. I will persuade them, wholeheartedly, that it is better to step aside than to cause the death of their comrades.”

The Headmaster studied me carefully, then nodded.

“Very well. If your conviction is as firm as you say, then as Headmaster, it is my duty to support you. But you must deliver results. And the time to prove it is, at most, one year.”

I nodded, satisfied, and left the office.

Back at his desk, Headmaster Vincent Nicolaus reviewed the student list:

[Uriel Reich]
Fallen noble family, barely admitted to the Academy, shows no remarkable talent. Common consensus: immense effort, but minimal results.

For a man like Vincent, who prized skill above all, Uriel was far from impressive. He worried about wasting time, effort, and resources.

Yet the choice of Deus to guide him was compelling.

“A man of such ability, willing to personally guide a student others have already given up on… what has he seen in this boy? Potential? Spirit? Dedication?”

Vincent pondered, realizing he had missed something others hadn’t noticed.

“Perhaps the student warnings can be postponed for now,” he thought. “I want to see whether Deus can truly shape him… or if even he cannot manage it.”

Vincent closed the student records, already concerned about how to explain this to the Seventh Princess.

“…Did I really agree to take this on?”

Even for the Headmaster, even for the last-ranked Seventh Princess, it was a heavy burden.