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A grand performance that tore the sky. The one silver lining was that we could quickly erase the scar left in the sky.

Even the scars left by Kagan faded with time, so it was no surprise that my sloppy imitation vanished even faster. If those marks were permanent, the skies of the North would already look like some cursed demon realm. Nature, no matter how much humans affected it, had a way of healing itself.

Plus, the Mage Duchess was among the spectators watching Sky Cleaver. While the move may sound grand, it was ultimately a technique utilizing mana. And when mana was involved, it was under the Mage Duchess’s control. Thanks to her, the scar that would have disappeared on its own was sealed even faster. I felt really grateful the Mage Duchess was at the academy.

“The trace itself disappeared within 5 minutes. Not many people got to see—“

“Enough.”

I shut my mouth at the Crown Prince’s firm words. As usual, the teleportation mage sent to retrieve me had been excessively polite, and the guard knight opened the office door the moment I arrived. The Crown Prince, whom I faced after this streamlined process, was pinching the bridge of his nose and glaring daggers at me with his eyes.

So, I immediately bowed my head and started explaining. Even though I had nothing to fear with my disciplinary stack reset, I could end up under house arrest for insubordination in one go if I acted too cocky. I needed to avoid that.

“Executive Manager. You know that time isn’t the issue here.”

At his words implying he wouldn’t accept excuses, I involuntarily lowered my gaze.

I couldn’t argue with that. He had a point. The sky was already torn, so what difference did 5 seconds or 5 minutes make? Whether a blade was stuck in your heart for 5 seconds or 5 minutes, the outcome was the same.

Seeing that I’d fallen silent, the Crown Prince paused momentarily before continuing with a sigh.

“Fortunately, the academy is far from any major cities, so the disruption was minimal. Even in the areas where the marks were visible, people only reported seeing something black in the sky. Most didn’t leap to the conclusion that the sky itself had split.”

Once again, the Crown Prince wasn’t wrong. It wasn’t like anyone would see something unusual in the sky and immediately think, ‘Ah, the heavens have been cleaved in two.’ Most people would just assume it was some strange phenomenon. Unless they directly saw the sword being swung, it was hard to imagine the sky being torn.

“Moreover, it would be an ill omen if the sky over the capital turned black. But since it happened at the academy, it’s easier to dismiss it as the result of a magical experiment especially since the Mage Duchess was there.”

The academy was where the incident happened, where the pinnacle of magic, the Mage Duchess, was. As the Crown Prince said, there was a possibility people would just assume the mages did something weird again.

...This might not be so bad?

As I listened to the Crown Prince, hope began to rise. Maybe this would be settled with just a moderate penalty?

While it was true that I tore the sky, others didn’t seem to think so. To them, it was just another routine magical mishap. Of course, a black scar in the sky wasn’t something that happened by simple mistake, but it was more natural to think it was the aftermath of magic rather than concluding it was slashed by a sword.

In short, there had been a crime, but there were no victims—and practically no witnesses.

I’m saved.

If there’s no victim, it’ll be just a reprimand, at most a written apology—

“However, not everyone thinks that way.”

Ah.

With this sudden drift, my hope rapidly bowed its head.

“Reports have been pouring in non-stop since yesterday. The remnants of Heaven’s Defier have appeared, the ghost of Ga’ar has returned, and all sorts of ominous rumors are circulating.”

Saying this, the Crown Prince handed me a stack of documents with another sigh. Judging by how tightly he was gripping them, it seemed he was desperately holding back from throwing them at me.

I took the stack and checked it before he could actually throw them. The urgency and panic in the reports were evident in every line.

[Traces of World Destruction observed in the sky above the academy.]

[Only a handful of individuals in both the imperial army and nomad forces could imitate World Destruction. Of those, only the Executive Manager and Udesur Dorgon are still alive.]

[Possibility exists that the fugitive Udesur Dorgon taught World Destruction to his subordinate nomads and infiltrated the empire.]

The reports were riddled with speculation and unfounded theories, almost like pressing a self-destruct button for paranoia. It was less a set of reports and more a collection of baseless conjectures.

Can this even be called a report?

Anyway, I instinctively closed my eyes at the contents, which were no different from the Book of Revelation. Come to think of it, there were many commanders and soldiers who participated in the Great War of the North. If even one of them was near the academy or in a nearby territory for any reason - promotion, unit transfer, retirement - they would have noticed immediately. No one who had seen World Destruction would ever forget it.

But wait, something felt off. The reports mentioned that I, the Executive Manager, could imitate World Destruction, so why weren’t they thinking I did it? Wasn’t the probability of me doing it higher than Dorgon infiltrating agents into the Empire?

[Causing a show of force at the Imperial Academy, the empire’s top educational institution where noble children gather, is clearly a challenge to the Mandate of Heaven.]

[Given that key foreign figures are also enrolled, the probability of the Executive Manager causing unrest at the academy is low, so Udesur Dorgon’s—]

I reread the section and once again closed my eyes, letting out a silent groan. It made sense; I couldn’t argue against it.

Logically, who would imagine that the very person tasked with protecting the academy would unleash a technique used by Kagan right in its heart?

“What do you think?”

The Crown Prince’s calm words sounded like ‘I’m going to kill you.’

Damn it.

Even I had to admit it was insane, so I couldn’t even ask for leniency.

***Indeed, the Executive Manager was a loyal subject.

Perhaps he was worried that I might be worn out from work or feeling bored with the repetitive routine. How else could I explain him causing such a colossal incident?

Every time I received one of his ‘surprises,’ the fatigue was washed away in an instant. Truly, there was no one more loyal—or rather, no one else like him. The world didn’t need two of him; having just one was already more than enough.

...Will he change as he gets older?

Reports came flooding in from the southern empire like screams. The Executive Manager, having read their grim contents firsthand, bowed his head deeply like a criminal— no, he was a criminal. Anyway, he took on the posture of a guilty man.

It was an unsightly sight. The Executive Manager was an indispensable subject, so I had to keep him close whether he gave me surprise gifts or terrible ones. But I really hope he’d restrain himself by his 40s or 50s. If he causes such incidents even then, I don’t think I’ll be able to endure it. I don’t want to be an Emperor who collapses from high blood pressure.

“What do you think?”

“How could I have anything to say when my recklessness has caused Your Highness such great concern?”

This irritated me even more. I could at least punish him for insubordination if he were brazenly defiant, but it was hard to get angrier when he immediately bowed his head knowing he had caused me trouble. He had certainly mastered strange survival skills.

Still, with the Executive Manager thoroughly humbled, I can proceed with my plan without a hitch.

“According to the report from the Commander of the Southern Forces, the mages were all shocked. Being mages, they seem to have immediately realized it wasn’t the result of magic.”

At these words, the Executive Manager’s head bowed even lower.

“Then the mages at the academy must have known as well. If they tell their families or countries about yesterday’s events— it will spread across the continent quickly.”

“It was my carelessness...”

“Trying to cover up actions with words is cowardly, don’t you think?”

“...Yes, Your Highness. Your words are wise.”

After hesitating for a moment, the Executive Manager spat out the words as if coughing up blood.

Good. Now the Executive Manager would have to accept whatever outcome, no matter what.

“The Imperial Family will make an official announcement about this incident. It will say that the sky was split by the Executive Manager’s sword technique and that the Mage Duchess can verify this.”

The Imperial Family had chosen to spread the news rather than contain it. If it was something that couldn’t be hidden anyway and was something that didn’t need to be hidden in the first place, it would be advantageous to announce it in the name of the Imperial Family.

This way, the incident would become something done with the Imperial Family’s instruction and involvement instead of the Executive Manager’s impulsive action.

The Executive Manager seemed to have reached the same conclusion, as his gloomy expression began to brighten.

“Wasn’t it the Executive Manager personally showing the pinnacle of swordsmanship for the sake of the diligent academy students? While it might seem a bit excessive, it shows how much the Executive Manager cares about the Empire’s future, which is commendable.”

“You flatter me, Your Highness.”

I just nodded at the Executive Manager’s quick response.

There was nothing more to say. I was too mentally tired for a lengthy discussion, and the Executive Manager was perceptive enough to understand with just this much.

Now, it’s the knights’ turn.

When the Mage Duchess became a visiting instructor at the academy, the empire gained both tangible and intangible benefits. Mages flocked to see and hear even a single lesson from the mage who had reached the pinnacle of magic, and with them came requests and appropriate compensation for smooth entry, activities, and enrollment.

I could only laugh hollowly when the Mage Duchess first decided to go to the academy, but only positive things happened once she actually started being there. Having tasted this sweetness, it was only natural to look for other ways to utilize it.

In the midst of this, the Executive Manager, who was stationed at the academy, showed off an impressive display with his sword. Although it was just an imitation of Heaven Defier’s technique and his son could use it, others didn’t know that.

First magic, now swordsmanship.

A warrior capable of splitting the sky with their blade. Once this rumor spreads, it would cause as much commotion as the Mage Duchess did.

This will be interesting.

When it was the Mage Duchess’s turn, the Ernesto Academy of the United Kingdom of Yuben bowed its head. Those who prided themselves on being a magic powerhouse submitted to the empire. Then, wasn’t it now the turn of Armein, the kingdom of knights, to submit?

Armein needed to be brought to its knees at every opportunity as a country bordering the empire and the next strongest after it. Moreover, their arrogance as a ‘kingdom of knights’ had always been insufferable.

But now, Armein’s pride was at its end. A kingdom of knights? Did they have a warrior who could cut the sky? While the ranking among warriors was complex compared to the magic world with its overwhelming number one, that was no longer the case. At least on the surface, the Executive Manager was now its undisputed champion.

***I survived.

I was prepared for house arrest at minimum or worse when the Crown Prince pulled out the reports, but it fortunately ended without any penalty.

“Wasn’t it the Executive Manager personally showing the pinnacle of swordsmanship for the sake of the diligent academy students?”

Sure, that statement was clearly a setup for additional responsibilities, but I could live with that. A bit of extra work was far better than being confined or detained.

Besides, I wouldn’t need to go overboard and act like an overly enthusiastic teacher. Just as the Mage Duchess taught as she pleased, I can take a similarly laid-back approach.

Unlike the Mage Duchess’s situation, which coincided with the start of the school year and attracted a crowd, mine was in the middle of a semester, so outsiders wouldn’t suddenly flock from across the continent to ask for teachings.

...Good thing I slashed the sky.

If I had aimed poorly and cut the academy instead of the sky, it would have ended with a sure penalty.

Indeed. If you’re going to do something crazy, it’s better to go all out.

Not that I plan on doing this a second time.