The Academy’s Hard-Headed Swordmaster

Arthur fumbled with her top, covering her chest and blushing with her back turned.

I understood.

Only a non-virgin wouldn’t be embarrassed after having their breasts fondled by a man they weren’t even dating.

However, I couldn’t remain silent forever, so I carefully opened my mouth.

“Since when were you a woman?”

“……Since I was born.”

“Ah.”

Even I thought it was a stupid question.

Since when was she a woman? Of course, she would have been a woman since birth.

I thought I was fine, but it seemed I was quite drunk.

After a moment of silence, pondering what to ask, I finally came up with a decent question.

“Why did you hide it?”

“Huh?”

“Why did you hide that you were a woman?”

Surprisingly, this world had no such thing as gender discrimination.

Whether male or female, once they mastered Aura or Magic Power and gained the ability to use supernatural powers, the difference in innate physical abilities was negligible. In a way, it was only natural.

So—Arthur didn’t need to hide her gender out of fear of discrimination. There had to be another reason…….

“Well, since I’ve learned one of your secrets, Kyle, it’s only fair that you know one of mine, right?”

“Oh, a secret?”

“Where should I begin?”

“I have plenty of time. Take your time.”

“The place where I was born……”

At my words, Arthur fell into thought for a moment, then began to tell a very, very old story. I didn’t mean for her to take it that literally.

To summarize Arthur’s incredibly boring story:

Her body contained the Dragon’s Heart, and there were organizations after it.

The person who recommended her to the Academy had Polymorphed her into a man to conceal her identity.

After hearing her whole story, I tilted my head.

‘Was that the setting?’

When I played Dairus Academy, Arthur died at Damian’s hands.

Naturally, I hadn’t bothered to find out if she had any backstory.

I just saw that the game continued even after her death and assumed she was an extra character.

I never dreamed she’d have a setting like the Dragon’s Heart and being a woman disguised as a man.

‘But then, how could the game continue after a character with such an elaborate backstory died?’

I belatedly realized just how much of a god-tier game Dairus Academy was.

My childhood friend hadn’t been overreacting for nothing.

I didn’t know because I was blindly rushing through battles to clear the story, but how many named NPCs must have died because of my actions?

“—So, that’s why I’ve been living as a man until now.”

Having finished her long story, Arthur lowered her head, awaiting my reaction.

She looked like a criminal awaiting judgment.

She seemed to think I’d be angry that she’d hidden her gender.

In reality, I wasn’t at all.

Of course, the fact that she’d deceived me was something to be angry about, but—.

“Raise your head, Arthur.”

“……Okay.”

“I understand. Yeah. It’s understandable. You were in a dangerous situation, right?”

“Kyle…!”

Arthur looked up at me, seemingly moved. I nodded, looking down at her.

Of course, it was understandable.

However, before long, Arthur realized something was amiss and quietly lowered her voice.

“……Um, Kyle?”

“Yeah.”

“Could you stop staring at my chest?”

As Arthur said that and covered her chest, I widened my eyes as if I had no idea what she was talking about, continuing to gaze at her chest.

I hadn’t been staring. Her chest just happened to be in my line of sight.

“It’s not like they’ll wear out. And you saw me naked in the bath.”

“……I think they might wear out. A-And you saw me naked too.”

“What’s the big deal about guys seeing each other naked?”

Seeing that my gaze showed no sign of moving, Arthur sighed and began to chant something.

Then, her body slowly began to shrink.

Her chest became smaller, and her lower body bulged outwards.

“What? You could change back?”

“Yeah. The man who sent me here cast a spell on me.”

“Then why did you change back to a woman earlier?”

“W-Well, it seems like… I revert when my reason is weakened.”

In other words, she’d drunk alcohol, her reason had weakened, and the spell had been unintentionally released.

A side effect she hadn’t known about since she’d never drunk alcohol before.

Hearing that, I grinned and said to Arthur,

“Let’s do this again sometime.”

“Huh? Kyle? What do you mean?”

“You heard me.”

It was a bit embarrassing to say, but—Arthur as a woman was exactly my type.

Enough to want to see it again and again.

‘It really is a god-tier game.’

I was wrong. Just like my childhood friend said, this world was a god-tier game.

* * *

The sun rose, and after a simple wash, we gathered in the dining hall.

Yuri sat down, struggling to hide her decaying expression.

“Yuri, are you alright?”

“……Yes.”

“You seem to have a bad hangover.”

I almost died this morning with a splitting headache.

I was fine only because I’d burned away the alcohol and everything else in my body with Aura.

And—I doubted Yuri, a Magician, could burn away the alcohol like I did.

There were certainly purification spells for alcohol, but it was highly unlikely Yuri had learned them.

Eventually, Yuri had an accident during the meal.

“Ugh—!”

“P-Princess!?”

With the faint screams of the maids behind her, Yuri covered her mouth and ran to the restroom.

The maids, coming to their senses belatedly, followed her to attend to her.

I watched them for a moment before continuing my meal.

Yuri didn’t return until I had finished eating.

Arthur returned to the Academy after the meal, and I waited for Yuri, lounging in my room. After some time, the butler knocked on the door.

“Young Master.”

“Come in.”

“—Excuse me.”

The butler entered the room with a grave expression and stated his business.

“The Duke has contacted you.”

“……The Duke?”

What business could the Duke, who was supposed to be dealing with the remnants of the barbarians in the North, have with me?

I wondered if news of my incident at the Academy had reached his ears.

Quickly rising from my seat, I followed the butler.

The magic communication device in the communication room was flashing intensely. It was a sign that the Duke was continuously sending Magic Power from the other side.

As I sat down and placed my hand on the crystal ball, the Duke’s voice reached my ears.

[Kyle?]

“Yes, Father-in-law.”

[I’ve heard the story.]

As expected of the Duke—the news of me killing the terrorists had already reached him.

Briefly impressed by something I hadn’t imagined, I quietly opened my mouth.

“It was nothing.”

[Nothing? It’s cause for celebration!]

“Celebration…?”

[Yes, celebration.]

For a moment, I wondered if I’d misunderstood the meaning of the word ‘celebration.’

Then, the Duke added,

[Producing an heir already. It must be difficult to continue classes while pregnant, wouldn’t it?]

“……Excuse me?”

Producing an heir?

Me?

……With whom?

[I’ll send the dowry separately, and as for the official wedding ceremony, it would be best before the belly gets too big—.]

“Hold on, Father-in-law.”

[What is it?]

“I… I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

I explained that I hadn’t even kissed Yuri yet, let alone slept with her.

Hearing this, the Duke asked in disbelief,

[I heard that Yuri ran out this morning, retching?]

“Ah……”

Then I realized why the Duke had this misunderstanding.

I explained that the reason Yuri was retching wasn’t morning sickness, but a hangover, and that she’d secretly drunk some illicit alcohol yesterday.

Hearing my explanation, the Duke let out a disappointed sigh, saying how could that be. Then, he started nitpicking at what I had said earlier.

[Kyle, I hate to say this, but you haven’t even kissed yet? Isn’t the progress a bit too slow?]

“……That’s really not something you should be saying, Duke.”

[—Make some progress, will you? Hmm, I hope to hear real news next time.]

With those words, the Duke ended the communication.

Recalling the Duke’s words, I thought, as expected of a man from the North.

To actually tell me to get his daughter pregnant quickly. There’s a limit to being straightforward…….

‘How am I supposed to face Yuri?’

I probably wouldn’t be able to look her in the face for a while. Thinking that, I cautiously left the room.

* * *

As the restoration of the Academy, which had been turned into a chaotic mess by the terrorist incident, came to an end, and the trials of the students who had cooperated with the terrorists were also nearing their conclusion—the Academy resumed classes.

On the first day of classes, someone blocked my path.

“Kyle Meyer, right?”

Familiar black hair, flat chest. I tilted my head, looking at her face.

“That’s right.”

“Yes. Nice to meet you. I’m Kim Sera.”

“……Kim Sera?”

Hearing that name, I belatedly realized where I’d seen her face before.

She was my childhood friend. The childhood friend from Earth who had recommended Dairus Academy to me.

After introducing herself, Sera proudly added her nickname.

“I’m called the Dragon Hunter.”

And I realized she still hadn’t gotten over her chuunibyou phase.