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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
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Chapter 55
The crown prince sat beside me, laughing incessantly, lost in his own thoughts.
And my current state… to be honest, I’m quite bewildered. It’s unbelievable.
I killed him. The leader of Luzernes. With a single shot. One bullet, straight to the heart.
No matter how much I deny it, when you combine the testimony of those involved with the circumstances, it all points to me.
It’s absurd. I know better than anyone about my marksmanship skills.
While others were fighting and killing with guns? I was scattering peace with my gun.
Watch out. Bullets are flying over there. Oh. Don’t dodge. You won’t get hit even if you don’t dodge!
Luckily, I was active in close combat, otherwise I wouldn’t have had anything to say even if I was misunderstood as a spy for the real Kanfra.
‘That’s about it, but… No, this is ridiculous. Why would a casual shot to draw attention to myself go right through the heart of the leader?’
I thought about it and realized that I was aiming at their camp, not at thin air.
If you go to a fence and get hit, they’ll start screaming about raids and stuff.
In case you’re wondering, I didn’t shoot to catch anyone.
I wasn’t in a position to, I couldn’t afford to, and most importantly, I didn’t want to.
It was a cumbersome gun anyway, so I shot it and threw it right away.
Thanks to that, the platoon leader asked me where I left my gun. It was an added bonus that I was frantically wondering if I’d abandon my lover like that.
Anyway, I killed the leader of Luzerne. I killed him with one bullet.
I wasn’t aiming for it, but it was so perfect that I had to assume I was aiming for it. The situation is such that it is safe to say that Sharpshooter came, sniped, and then left.
‘Was it really okay to do that?’
Ignoring Luzernes and rescuing allies? That’s not a big problem. There are plenty of others who have made significant contributions on the battlefield.
Preventing a terrorist attack? Protecting exchange students? That’s fine too. I’m a recipient of the Medal of Honor, after all.
Even if all three of those scenarios were known to everyone, I concluded that there was nothing to worry about.
But killing the leader of Luzernes is different. If that gets out, it could be really troublesome.
It’s not just about journalists coming or receiving more medals. There’s a high probability that the remaining Kanfra bastards will try to kill me in any way they can.
It wouldn’t be a big deal if they only targeted me. I won’t just stand by and take it from them.
The problem is that their anger could spread to innocent people.
Where am I right now? At the academy. And the people around me? They’re students.
We’re far from the battlefield. If the Kanfra bastards really come after me with all they’ve got, it could be a big problem.
Perhaps I could witness someone’s death even in a place filled only with peace.
“Your Highness.”
As my thoughts reached that point, I reached a conclusion. That is, this must never be revealed to the public.
Those involved know, important figures know. Even if the truth is announced to the Empire someday, it must not be now.
“I’m truly sorry, but could I make one request…?”
“I think I know what you are going to ask for.”
“Yes?”
“You want to make sure that the fact of killing the Luzernes leader doesn’t get out. Am I wrong?”
The prince, with a nod and a sigh, continues.
“Of course I’ll do that. Look at you now. You’re doing well at the academy. But if that fact gets out, who knows what the remaining Luzernes people will do. Killing the leader is completely different. They might think they have to do something, even if it means using any means necessary for revenge.”
“Ah….”
“From your behavior so far, you’re not worried about yourself but about those around you. It’s a legitimate concern. If it’s Luzernes, even if they only harm those around you, they’ll bark about avenging themselves.”
The prince taps my shoulder a few times. His gesture increases my trust, as if saying, ‘Just trust this guy.’
“Karl, you won’t cause any trouble. The Empire has its pride, and so does the royal family. Surely, they wouldn’t want to make things difficult for a Medal of Honor recipient.”
“Thank you for your reassurance, Your Highness.”
“Of course. We should take care of our citizens and treat our heroes properly. Asking for help and avoiding trouble. If we don’t even do this, why would there be a royal family?”
Huh. Loyalty to the Empire and the royal family seems to be suddenly surging, doesn’t it? Or is it just me?
Honestly, it should be like this. If you’ve sacrificed for the country, this is how you should be treated.
Damn, are you listening? Those soldiers talking about military privileges and such? They should just get a bullet to the head.
“Um, Your Highness. So, was it because of that that the Hyzens invited me to the meeting?”
“It’s not because of that. Well… by now, the news might have reached the upper echelons of Hyzen, so that could be a reason. But from my perspective, they called you for a different reason.”
If it’s for a different reason… hmm, it must be related to stopping the train terrorism and the attack on the academy exchange students, right?
Come to think of it, besides benefiting the Empire, there’s one more place where I’ve received considerable favor.
And that faction is, naturally, Hyzen, which takes a position opposite to Luzernes.
‘If either the train terrorism or the attack on the academy students… or both, if they think they were successful, the Empire’s animosity towards the elves would have reignited. If so, would that fire simply burn Luzernes? No. I don’t think so.’
At first, they’ll just curse Luzernes. Those damn Kanfra bastards and all. Then, their hatred will shift to all elves, and even their sentiments towards Hyzen will become extremely negative.
The royal family can’t ignore such anti-Imperial sentiments. If the hatred continues within Hyzen, there might even be traitors who want to ally with Luzernes.
Whatever happens, it will go the way Luzernes wants.
The Empire will once again fight against the elves. The elves will realize that they cannot reconcile with the Empire. Isn’t this exactly the result those damn Kanfra bastards were willing to sacrifice their lives for?
“…For these reasons, from the perspective of Hyzen, Karl, you must be truly regarded as a great benefactor and nobleman. You crushed all of Luzernes’s wicked deeds and prevented the Empire’s perception of elves from hitting rock bottom. In my view, it seems like they want to convey their gratitude directly.”
Now, in addition to that, they probably also want to express gratitude, albeit unofficially, for the assassination of the hardline faction leader.
When the prince finishes speaking like that, he takes a sip from the cup himself, nods, and says, ‘That’s it.’ Hey, Your Highness. Isn’t that a bit self-congratulatory…?
“You don’t like tea? I’ll pour you a cup too.”
“Uh, thank you. And it’s an honor. Your Highness personally pouring tea for me…”
“I thought you might not be too familiar with tea.”
Oops. How did he know? I honestly thought he’d be drinking water with these tree leaves.
He’s definitely not your average prince of the Empire. Could this guy be using psionic energy? Reading people’s minds and saying things like, ‘You’re a traitor? You’re being punished.’ Nah, probably not, right?
“Anyway, I came to see you for that reason. I wanted to hear directly about what happened that day. Whether you really fired the gun yourself. Ultimately, it turned out that the Empire’s hero was, and is, a hero.”
If only he had mentioned another Medal of Honor. I would have said, ‘Two is enough.’ Your Highness.
After finishing his cup of tea, the prince slowly gets up to leave.
Seeing him like this, he doesn’t seem like the grand prince of the Empire, just a regular academy student.
“Look forward to the Medal of Honor ceremony. Karl. I’m expecting great things. Since it’s a ceremony presided over by a prince, it will be as grand, if not grander, than the princess’s.”
“I’ll… do my best, Your Highness.”
If I had known this would happen, I would have just gone to the palace to receive it.
* * *
“Ladies and Gentlemen of honor, first, let us offer a prayer to our protector and guide, the Light. May your light bless this event today—”
Hmm. Déjà vu? This sounds like the beginning of something I heard recently.
I sneak a glance around. Academy students and faculty, as well as mid-level Empire officials, are all gathered. There are even several members of the rarely seen noble families.
Those standing over there seem to be the heads of the families to which the members of those Four are related. Maybe I should go after the ceremony and say, ‘Please scold those bastards and make them come to their senses!’?
“…Next, there will be the presentation of the Medal of Honor by His Highness the Prince.”
Humans are creatures of adaptation, aren’t they? The second ceremony was a bit less embarrassing than the first.
Even though applause and cheers erupted as if the academy was about to collapse, now it’s okay….
“Hero of the Empire! Come here! Let me give you a hug!”
Nope. Cancel. It’s not okay. It’s even more embarrassing. Kyaaah! Your Highness, why are you doing this? Seriously!
Before the presentation of the medals, the prince suddenly grabs me and pulls me close.
In the moment of confusion, wondering what was going on, the prince pats my back.
And what he said lingered in my heart for a long time.
“To those who couldn’t stand with us, let there be honor as well. The moment we remember them is the Empire’s greatest moment. The moment we forget them all is the moment the Empire ceases to exist.”
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Angel Dust]
[Proofreader – Prototype]
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