Forced to operate

Regarding Beatrix’s dangerous proposal from yesterday, the one about ‘wrapping sword qi around my fingertips,’ I ultimately declined it. The reason was simple: it was far too perilous. That was sword qi, after all—a force capable of cleaving through gold and jade!

Though Beatrix had worn an earnest expression, silently pleading, ‘Please trust my control,’ the chilling glint of her sword filled my mind with gruesome images of my fingers being severed.

“…Beatrix,” I began, touching my cheek and trying to make my voice sound less like I was backing down.

“Something as sharp as sword qi isn’t suitable as an accessory. It would be far better to keep my hands as they are.”

‘Please, don’t bring such dangerous playthings near me!’

Beatrix paused, then her face transformed into an expression as if she had just grasped a profound philosophical truth.

“I understand… returning to simplicity. True power indeed requires no external adornment. I was too superficial.”

‘No, you’ve understood absolutely nothing. I’m simply afraid of pain.’

The next day, a restless atmosphere permeated the S-class classroom, making me profoundly uncomfortable.

The moment I settled into my seat, I noticed Ella beside me, fidgeting like a spring-loaded doll. Her gaze kept darting towards the podium.

“…Ella, is there something you wish to say?” I asked, accepting the honey tea she offered.

“Um… Lady Lilliana…” Ella swallowed, her gaze cautious as she looked at me.

“Today is the registration day for the Silver Moon Martial Arts Festival… Are you, perhaps, interested?”

“Pfft…!” I nearly spat out my tea. The Silver Moon Martial Arts Festival. The Academy Tournament. That infamous pit in the original novel where the villainess princess met her downfall.

“No interest,” I stated, placing my teacup down with a definitive finality.

“I absolutely refuse to participate in an event that involves crowds, noise, and rolling around in the mud.”

‘Are you kidding me? With thousands of eyes watching, if I trip and fall face-first or get knocked flying, where would I put my dignity? Besides, fighting is exhausting. It requires sweat and strategy. I’d rather spend that time reading a few more pages.’

“But…” Ella seemed to have anticipated my refusal, yet she persisted, adding,

“This year’s grand prize… is a fragment of the Philosopher’s Stone.”

My hand froze. “…What did you say?”

“A fragment of the Philosopher’s Stone,” Ella reiterated, making a small gesture.

“Though it’s quite small, they say it’s a miracle of ancient alchemy, possessing the ability to vivify all things and unravel truths…”

My breath caught for a moment. Vivify? Unravel? My hand unconsciously reached for the ‘Book of the Nameless’ in my satchel.

Last night, the book had reacted just by absorbing a faint glow from the Holy Appraisal Stone. What if… what if I fed it a legendary supplement like the Philosopher’s Stone? Would it just spill out all its remaining contents?

‘…I want it. I truly want it. For a librarian with a collecting obsession and an insatiable thirst for knowledge, this temptation was greater than being thrown into the National Library itself.’

But… to make me fight? I found myself in an agonizing internal struggle.

Just then, Beatrix, who had been silently standing by, suddenly spoke in a low voice.

“Lady Lilliana… actually, besides the prize, there’s another matter.”

Her expression was troubled, as if she were debating whether to inform me.

“The Church’s Executor Squad has also registered. And… they’ve been spreading some rather unpleasant rumors outside.”

“Oh?” I replied distractedly, still preoccupied with thoughts of the stone.

“What are they saying?”

“They’re saying…” Beatrix gripped her sword hilt, her voice thick with suppressed anger.

“They claim your previous miracles were nothing but smoke and mirrors. They call you a… coward, one who only hides beneath the protection of her family.”

“They’re even betting that you wouldn’t dare participate in real combat, because once you step onto the field, a ‘pampered young lady’ like you would be terrified into begging for mercy.”

Beatrix finished speaking, her eyes fixed on me with apprehension. Ella, too, held her breath.

They clearly expected that, given my usual aloof demeanor, I would erupt in fury upon hearing such insults.

However. “…Oh, is that so?” I wasn’t angry. On the contrary, I even silently nodded to myself.

‘What they said… seemed to be not entirely wrong. I am quite timid. And I genuinely don’t want to participate in real combat. As for begging for mercy… if I truly couldn’t win, I wouldn’t put it past myself. After all, survival is paramount!’

“Their mouths are their own; let them say whatever they wish,” I sighed, wearily rubbing my temples.

“I truly have no desire to contend for victory or defeat. That kind of fighting, like a gamecock, just to prove oneself… it’s utterly exhausting.”

I genuinely felt exhausted. I had grown tired of a life where everyone pointed fingers at me. If only I could be invisible.

Hearing my words, both Beatrix and Ella were stunned. They watched my resigned demeanor, utterly devoid of fighting spirit.

Yet, strangely, they didn’t seem disappointed. Instead, a flicker of pain crossed Beatrix’s eyes.

‘To possess such power, capable of devouring even the Holy Appraisal Stone… yet to bear the ignominy of being called a coward, all because she wishes not to harm others, not to incite conflict? Lady Lilliana… your gentleness is too profound, too heartbreaking!’

Ella’s eyes, moreover, were red-rimmed. ‘Lady Lilliana… she cares not for such empty reputation. Her realm has long surpassed those mere mortals who only clamor for attention!’

Utterly unaware that I had been imagined into a reclusive master, I was, at that very moment, engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

‘What is pride worth? Let them insult me. But… that stone… it’s food for my book now. If I miss this chance, where will I find another legendary item like this?’

‘…No! For the sake of the book, this dignity… I can do without it!’

I took a deep breath, making my decision. “…However.”

My tone shifted, carrying a hint of resignation, like someone forced to work for a living.

“That stone, it genuinely has a use for me.”

I looked up at the two girls before me, who seemed ready for anything. “Ella, Beatrix.”

“Present!” Both immediately stood at attention.

“If… and I mean if,” I said, scratching my head a little awkwardly.

“If I participate, could I… ask a favor of you two?”

“Please speak, Lady Lilliana! We would brave fire and flood without hesitation!”

“Um… no need for fire and flood,” I muttered, guiltily averting my gaze to the clouds outside the window.

“It’s just… during the competition, could you try your best to… keep me from having to fight?”

“I’m not very good at it… and besides, I’m too lazy to move.”

“Could you… carry me through?”

‘This was my true thought. I wanted to be an accessory. I wanted to win by lying down! I wanted these two powerhouses to carry me to victory.’

This was an utterly useless and unmotivated request. Yet, to the two girls before me, who had long since viewed me through a thick filter of admiration, the meaning of my words completely transformed.

Beatrix’s entire body trembled. ‘This… this is trust! Lady Lilliana, powerful enough to even suppress the Prince, is willing to completely entrust her back to us? She is… testing whether we are worthy to be her shield and sword! ‘Don’t make me fight’ means… if even you cannot resolve this, then I will be utterly disappointed.’

“Yes, Lady Lilliana!!” Beatrix dropped to one knee, her voice trembling with emotion.

“I swear! As long as I can wield my sword, I will never allow any enemy… not even a speck of dust, to approach you by half a step!”

Ella nodded vigorously, her eyes resolute. “I will use all my light to pave the path to the winner’s stage for you! You only need to… stand there and watch us!”

Watching my two inexplicably fired-up teammates, I blinked in bewilderment. ‘…Though the process was a bit odd, it seems the outcome… has been achieved?’

“Then… the registration form?”

“Here!” Ella swiftly produced the form.

I picked up the quill and signed my name on the registration line. In that moment, I was no queen aiming to dominate the academy. I was merely a… pathetic librarian, forced to swallow her pride and cling to two powerful allies, all to find a snack for my beloved books by participating in a sports festival.

Meanwhile, in the front row, Prince Alexis listened to the commotion behind him, a complex, wry smile gracing his lips.

‘…”Don’t make me fight”?’

‘To possess such power, yet willingly remain behind the scenes, allowing her companions to shine…’

He tightened his grip on his pen. “Lilliana… just how many facets of you remain unknown to me?”