Chapter 202

- Know-It-All (Lv 4) is grumbling about when you’re going to make it Master grade.

‘If I knew how, I would have done it already.’

Looking back at Martin’s memories, there were often times in his childhood when Lilac called him Know-It-All, so I wondered if Lilac held the hint.

‘I can't be sure, it's actually a bit ambiguous.’

Even for Wild Instinct, there was something plausible like the altar of the forgotten hunting god hidden in a secret inner sanctum of the Ulvhadin family.

But for Lilac, there was nothing that felt like 'this is it'.

‘Still, I should ask her once.’

I had been putting it off because I was busy with work, but lately, I had started to have some time.

‘How should I ask?’

It would be foolish to go up to her out of the blue and ask if she knows what Know-It-All is.

Whatever it was, it was a problem that could only be solved by going home and meeting Lilac.

‘Ah, really. When does this class end?’

It was boring.

So boring I was going crazy.

‘Hmm?’

Just then, a faint vibration rang out.

Only I, who had been trained by Wild Instinct, could know….

I stealthily took out the Cadet Handbook from my pocket.

[Lukfels: Request for consultation on a commission. Principal’s office this coming break time.]

I reflexively looked at the clock and sighed.

‘This man, he schedules his appointments so close to the wire.’

“…This is why time and spatial distortion rates are terribly difficult yet essential topics in Dungeon Studies. Everyone is to memorize all the formulas I taught you today, that is all.”

A pro educator, indeed.

The bell rang just as the Dungeon Studies teacher finished his words.

“Ugh, theory class is so sleepy~.”

Luri stretched her arms high above her head.

Adela, sitting next to her, also blinked her eyes sleepily.

The two of them treated me as if nothing had happened between us.

Rather… they tried to stick to me even more.

“Hey, Martin. Shall we go to the snack bar…, huh?”

“Huh? Why, Your Highness. …Huh?”

“…He’s already gone off somewhere again.”

“I know, right. Something urgent must have come up. Martin is just too busy. He could rely on us, though.”

I wasn't running away; I had an appointment too.

“Let's train in line with the purpose of the 'Club of Women Dumped by Martin'. So that we can be of help when something happens.”

“…? Was I a member of such a club? This is the first I'm hearing of it.”

“Of course. It’s a club I just created.”

“Ah, yes….”

The conversation between the two girls followed me like a lingering echo.

* * *

There was no need to describe just how vast Imperium Academy was.

It was larger than Imperium Land, which had been burned down by Kragach.

There were dozens of different training grounds, practice rooms with different themes, and more than one or two facilities comparable to an amusement park.

In such a large place, could it be that there wasn't a single facility for the teachers?

‘It's been a while….’

The faculty building.

A building solely for the teachers.

I had been to this old-fashioned building once before.

…For the disciplinary committee.

[Please present your ID.]

I held my Cadet Handbook to the chattering entrance.

[Welcome.]

Teachers were walking around in the faculty building.

Other administrative staff and student teachers were also visible.

‘An unpleasant place.’

The Vice Principal who had been disciplined and expelled from the academy was gone, but the teachers from the Vice Principal's faction who had thrown me into the disciplinary committee were still here.

Like the teacher walking towards me from the opposite side.

“Um….”

When he saw me, he hastily changed his path.

“….”

Of course, it wasn't an entirely bad place.

There were also teachers who were favorable to me, like Villemon of Herbology and Jewel of Exploration.

Notably, there were also Teacher Hectia and Teacher Hailey.

“Oh, Cadet Martin?”

“Ah.”

Teacher Hailey, whom I had just thought of, appeared from the corner next to me.

Seeing her wearing a thick, light green fur coat, I could tell it was definitely winter.

“Good day.”

“Hehe, what a surprise to see you here. What brings you to the faculty building?”

“I was summoned to the Principal's office.”

Teacher Hailey was the only teacher I acknowledged.

“The Principal's office?”

Hailey, blinking her light pink eyes, soon smiled brightly.

“Then, I'll guide you! The faculty building has complicated paths and must be unfamiliar, so with such an excellent guide, Cadet Martin will be at ease, right?!”

“No, if you’re busy….”

“Come on, let’s go!”

Hailey took the lead and climbed the stairs.

I eventually sighed and followed her.

Hoping that she wasn't once again being considerate for my sake while she was busy.

“Actually, I was on my way to the Principal’s office too!”

Hailey spoke up after we reached the second floor.

“…? Now?”

The Principal had called for me, so I was about to say that she wouldn't be able to see him for official business now.

Hailey, who had started climbing the stairs to the third floor, answered.

“Yes! I was summoned too!”

At the top of the stairs leading to the third floor, a handsome man with familiar curly blond hair was standing.

Green eyes that seemed to pierce through any target.

He was a person from Quesharow County, a renowned family of archery.

“Ah, Teacher Faris! Hello.”

“Oh, Teacher Hailey. And Cadet Martin too?”

Faris greeted Hailey, then reacted as if he hadn't expected to see me.

“Cadet Martin was also summoned to the Principal's office!”

“Aha, I see. Then let's go up.”

Faris.

He was the teacher who had led the shooting club in the Eudialyte Desert.

He was also with me when I went to comfort Matthew.

It had become hard to see him in class after his younger brother, Nelson, was revealed to be a demon worshipper.

‘…According to the information Bianca passed on, there were many occasions where academy teachers visited other kingdoms….’

In any case, it was good to see him.

He was one of the few teachers who were favorable to me.

We passed the third floor and went up to the fourth and fifth floors.

After walking down a long corridor, we stood in front of a door in the innermost part.

‘This is surprising. No explanation needed.’

The defensive magic of the door, visible to my Wild Instinct’s eyes, was extraordinary.

It couldn't be compared to the triple Golden Gate leading to the Golden Mausoleum, but it was very high-level advanced magic.

This was more certain proof than anything else that this was the Principal’s office.

Knock, knock. Teacher Faris knocked on the door.

Soon, without an answer, the door began to open on its own.

Warmth that denied the winter spread out from the crack of the door.

And I saw five people sitting on a sofa.

‘No way.’

Principal Lukfels.

His presence was overwhelming.

It was no coincidence that the old man sitting in the highest seat caught my eye first.

Next was the Star Child!

Sitting to the Principal's right, he smiled at me through the crack of the just-opened door.

The person sitting to the Principal's left was Hectia.

He also nodded at us.

The other two were Teacher Villemon of Herbology and Teacher Jewel of Exploration.

“Come in.”

As Lukfels spoke, additional sofas were created, making places for me, Hailey, and Faris.

The Star Child chuckled as if it were amusing.

“The actors for the play have all gathered!”

The title of the play the actors would perform would be ‘Operation Raid on the Humanity Preservation Agency’, I suppose.

I silently went to my seat and sat down.

The Star Child looked at me and asked.

“Do you need an explanation, Martin?”

“No.”

It was obvious.

For this operation, the Star Child had mobilized the Peacemakers.

Lukfels must have formed a force to match it.

With teachers who were tight-lipped and could be trusted without a doubt.

“We will now begin the strategy meeting.”

Star Child, Martin, Lilac, Nerjin, Bianca, Savo, Sebastian.

Lukfels, Hectia, Faris, Hailey, Villemon, Jewel.

This was the composition of the raid team, consisting of a total of 12 people and 1 animal.

* * *

At the café ‘Maid and Butler’, the lights were not turned off even after closing time.

It was to deliver the operation outline we had discussed in the Principal’s office today.

“For that reason, the day of action is this coming Friday night. Until then, everyone please prepare well.”

After the meeting, we each had time to reorganize.

Nerjin and Bianca began to create alchemy cards using celestial alchemy, and Savo began to meditate with his sword in hand.

Lilac came to me with a thick ledger.

“Master, this is the café's monthly sales report. The tax payment date is soon, so would it be alright to proceed like this?”

“Ah, thank you. I'll take a look and let you know.”

The ledger, which used to be like a small notebook, was now a thick file.

It was an indicator that the café had grown, so it was only a good thing.

Flipping through the complicated ledger was a rather pleasant chore.

And I was always grateful to Lilac, who had taken on so many tasks that were difficult to count, including managing the ledger.

“Please have this while you work, Master.”

What Lilac brought out then was a blueberry cheesecake and Earl Grey milk tea.

“Thank you, as always.”

“Don’t mention it. I am your maid, after all.”

Her gentle smile was refreshing.

Enough to make one forget the winter.

“Oh, right. Lilac.”

Come to think of it, there was something I needed to ask Lilac.

“Yes, please speak, Master.”

“Well, um…, that is….”

It was hard to ask this without being obvious.

“By any chance, what kind of person would you call a Know-It-All?”

“Pardon…?”

It was a sudden question….

Please understand.

This was the limit of my linguistic ability.

“Uh, um…, let's see. A Know-It-All.”

Nevertheless, Lilac, who was seriously contemplating, looked at me and.

“Master, you are a Know-It-All, aren't you…?”

“Me?”

“Yes. You know everything, and you're smart.”

Unfortunately, it seemed that Lilac calling me a Know-It-All was not the trigger.

I had expected that it wouldn't be that simple.

“Not me. Usually, what kind of person would you call a Know-It-All?”

“Hmm, I suppose… a person who is knowledgeable and well-read? Someone with the knowledge to answer any question immediately.”

It was true that Know-It-All had that kind of ability.

There was a reason the ability's name was ‘Information Access’.

“Other than that?”

“Uh…, someone who can grasp the situation on the spot with only limited information while sitting down could also be called a Know-It-All…?”

Grasping the current situation through the collection and analysis of information was also the same.

“Anything else?”

“It's difficult. What else could there be? Hmm…. I think someone who knows knowledge that ordinary people can't know would also be called a Know-It-All.”

“…Hmm….”

Unknown knowledge, huh.

It was difficult.

I knew about the seven Demon Lords, I knew about the Peacemakers, I knew about the final Time Chaos Dungeon, I knew about the protagonist who received the blessing of this world, and I even knew the ending of annihilation that this world would have originally reached.

To me, there was another unknown knowledge…?

Lilac smiled weakly as if it were difficult.

“I'm sorry I couldn't be of help….”

“No, you were helpful.”

Let’s not worry about it for now.

Because there was something more important.

This weekend, we would strike the Humanity Preservation Agency.

At that moment, a beeping sound was heard.

[Come out for a moment. With Lilac. I need a sealed space, is there a good place in the underground waterway?]

It was Star Child.

This was the first time I had seen him be picky about a location.

Could it be an important matter?

[Specifically, what kind of place should it be?]

[Light should not leak out to the surface.]

[If it’s a place like that….]

Late at night, I went down to the darkest place in the underground waterway with Lilac.

To the deepest and most sealed place that even the underground waterway guards avoided and turned a blind eye to.

When we arrived, Star Child was waiting for us.

“Ugh, it’s so dirty.”

“This is the safest place.”

“Still.”

The Star Child holds his nose and frowns.

What was the matter, anyway?

He wouldn't have already set a date with Lukfels.

Even so, there was no reason to call only me and Lilac.

“Aish, can't be helped. The one in need has to endure. Ah, you two. I thought I should let you know quickly.”

The Star Child stretched out his hand and emitted Stellar Force.

When he clenched his fist, it exploded like a firecracker and spread out in all directions, decorating the walls of the underground waterway.

The shape was a constellation.

The celestial bodies of the night sky.

“When the Prayer of Love succeeded, Cosmos offered Lilac the position of Star Maiden, but she refused. Nevertheless, Cosmos, who found you two admirable and praiseworthy, bestowed upon you the authority to wear the power of the ‘constellations’.”

That was right.

I hadn't been able to train because I didn't know the method, but I had definitely learned the 'Star Constellation Advent' skill.

“I don't know what's waiting for us at the Humanity Preservation Agency, but it will be difficult.”

The Star Child's face was serious.

It meant that he considered the difficulty of this raid to be quite high.

“You heard from Principal Lukfels, but it seems the Director has the power to see the future, like my revelations or your senses. So people also call him the Oracle. If he saw a future where he fights us, he will use the best possible means. After all, we are a threatening group aiming for the stronghold of the Humanity Preservation Agency.”

Oracle, this was the first time I had heard of it.

“I hope not, but because of this damn thing called the Buster Order, we might have to fight the Platinum Knights.”

Did he mean we might have to fight against humanity's strongest force, created to deal with disasters?

“So I'll tell you now. You'll definitely need it. The method to wear the power of the constellations and temporarily become a Star Constellation.”

However, even the Star Child who was telling me this didn't look too happy.

“But only use it when you really think you have to. You'll get very tired after using it.”