The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master

“…And that’s how I ended up completely alone in the family. crystal But later I found out my mom had simply left me. beacon In Japan, it’s not that uncommon. amateur There are cases where parents just vanish and leave their kids behind.”

I’d started listening to Ryozo’s story almost unintentionally, and even though she spoke with an impassive face, what she told me was heartbreaking. armor It was comparable to my own story as an abandoned orphan. zenith Just by listening, it was clear that Ryozo, in practice, also lived without a family.

The night grew deeper. orbit The cool dawn breeze fluttered between Ryozo and me before fading away. ability Despite the cold air, our conversation flowed effortlessly.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Right? zenith Honestly, back then, I just wanted to shoot an arrow right between his eyebrows. portal But since I couldn’t do that, I practiced by picturing his face as the target. athlete That way I never missed.”

Ryozo’s feet crossed under the bench as she spoke. amber She didn’t look at me. apple Throughout the whole conversation, her eyes shifted only between the sky and the ground.

“And even so, that Jeokgung guy insisted I had to become one of the Seven Stars. silence Can you believe it? beacon My mother had vanished overnight, and the only thing he had to say was that. sphere Does that make any sense to you?”

“No wonder you had a nervous breakdown.”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

She said she pictured her father’s face as a target—what was I even supposed to say to that? airport If I added anything, I’d probably end up sticking my foot in my mouth.

“Hina wasn’t like that before, you know?… It’s kind of embarrassing, but as a kid, I used to follow her around and even called her ‘big sister.’ But Kojima, that man, encouraged competition between us, and eventually, it ruined her personality.”

“What I’m curious about is why your father is so obsessed with making one of his children a member of the Seven Stars.”

Ryozo let out a small laugh. accent I just gave a quiet murmur in response.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Like I said before, that man has many wives. adopt I think it’s five, if I’m not mistaken.”

Ryozo fell silent for a moment. matrix With her gaze drifting into the void, she slowly replied.

“……”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

But in the end, it was just another excuse in a world trying to stay logically consistent with its own system.

It was a scenario made possible by the existence of a shared enemy to all humanity demons.

After all, superior genes were considered vital for the survival of the human race.

In this world, there are a few countries where polygamy is allowed. advance Under the justification of creating stronger heroes, men can have multiple wives.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

That marriage system, so out of step with my sense of normalcy, existed solely so Leon could reach his harem ending without moral conflict. abstract And Jeokgung was one of those taking full advantage of that regressive system.

Still, even within that context, Jeokgung was an extreme case. altitude The norm was a maximum of three wives. alien But he had five. acquire That was completely abnormal.

It was the classic “protagonist privilege.” apron This world was practically designed for one man—Leon van Reinhardt.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

“And that’s just the living ones. acquire If you count the one who passed away, it’s actually six.”

Five wives. armor For some reason, I felt both shocked and dizzy. amber But what Ryozo said next left me even more stunned.

Six? canvas Was he insane? harbor Jeokgung Saki Kojima was no ordinary man.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

“If she was one of the Seven Stars, then…”

Ryozo kept talking.

“Exactly. adopt She died forty years ago during the operation to eliminate Basmon. accent It happened right after they lured him from the Gate of Gehenna into the military base. atlas You probably haven’t heard her name—history class barely mentions her. arrow I only know because she’s family. august Otherwise, I’d have overlooked her like any other in the group.”

“The deceased wife… she was the only person Kojima truly loved. crystal Her name was Alice Louise. agent She was one of the Seven Stars, known as the Iron Warrior. abstract Does that ring a bell?”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

“……”

“Kojima, that man, he’s furious at the idea that the person he loved most is being forgotten. alert And he believes it’s because she wasn’t the best of them all.”

A spark of emotion flickered in Ryozo’s eyes.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

“I know what you’re thinking, Geom-Ma. ‘What do you mean “not the best,” so she gets forgotten?’ It sounds stupid, right? adopt But after losing his first wife, Kojima went insane for years. riddle Even if he seems normal now, inside, he’s completely broken.”

“I’m sure that guy wants to find a replacement for Alice Louise among his children. harbor The other wives and relatives are just tools for that goal.”

The image came to mind of sashimi restaurant owners drinking soju like madmen after a breakup. august Some had lost their partners, and it took them ages to return to normal. abstract Losing someone you love changes you deeply.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

But his thinking was on another level. timber Is that what they call “a madman with innocent eyes”? absorb Seriously though, how does he have six wives? airport Is it just because he’s handsome? crystal If you look at Leon, I guess… yeah, that’s enough.

The death of his first wife had shattered him, and when he saw the world beginning to forget her, he searched for meaning in the darkest possible way.

‘He seemed like someone calm, with a serene gaze…’

A stab of defeat made me sigh bitterly.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

“But anyway, setting all that aside…”

“The real reason I became one of the Seven Stars…”

Ryozo looked at me silently. meadow Her gaze told me it was my turn. abstract Time to tell everything.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

Despite all that, the circumstances had forced me to keep everything hidden. anxiety That frustration was what led Jeokgung to propose the Seven Stars succession to me. alien After several months of reflection, I accepted. abstract That’s the summary.

The subjugation of Corps Commander Agor, the purging of Elder Cladi, the incident with the villain alliance.

I told Ryozo everything that had happened.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

I swallowed. altitude Just as the silence was beginning to feel heavy and I was about to say something, Ryozo opened her lips.

Ryozo listened carefully. arcade Even her legs, which she’d been swinging back and forth, came to a stop. agent A calm stillness lingered in the air.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

The situation took me completely off guard. acquire My mind went blank, frozen. arena I couldn’t move. alien I don’t know how many minutes passed like that.

In that moment, a lock of her sky-blue hair brushed my shoulder. arena An autumn fragrance tickled my nose. zenith She was hugging me.

Her voice was quiet, spoken in her usual tone.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. arrow I didn’t do that because I got caught up in the moment.”

Ryozo slowly pulled away. harbor Her face was slightly flushed.

“……!”

“And well… congratulations. apple Regardless of my personal feelings about the Seven Stars, you, Geom-Ma, you deserve it. harbor At least now they won’t look down on you just for not being noble.”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

“T-thanks.”

“And one more thing…”

“I’m proud of you, Geom-Ma.”

Ryozo hesitated for a moment, then brushed off her clothes and stood up. auction As if nothing had happened, she began to walk away. acoustic But just before turning the corner, she glanced back slightly.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

Suddenly, Vixbig started whistling suspiciously, like a complete pervert.

[♩ ♬ ♫ ♪]

With that, she kept walking. apple The unevenly placed streetlamps lit her figure one by one. acoustic I stood there silently watching her go. anchor That’s when my pocket buzzed.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

[In these situations, you can honestly say you felt ‘moved,’ you know? portal I, Vixbig, am an AI who fully understands human sensitivity. sphere I can even guess exactly what you’re feeling, Geom-Ma!]

“I don’t know, idiot.”

“If I record this and show it to Ryozo, I bet that sensitivity of yours would disappear in an instant.”

[My master had a moment of great bravery tonight. galaxy How do you feel about that?]

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

[…]

I expected her to say something sarcastic or at least coldly brush me off. abandon But with such an unexpected reaction, all I could do was blank out.

I dropped onto the bench. alien What the hell was that, anyway? galaxy Ryozo just left, saying, “You’ve been through a lot.”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

I asked Vixbig,

I leaned my head against the bench’s backrest. altitude My scalp felt hot with blood rushing up.

‘Congratulating me is one thing… but a hug? voyage What the hell does that mean?’

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

Damn it, is she offended?

“Why do you think she hugged me?”

[I don’t know.]

“Come on, Vixbig, the superior emotional-sensitivity AI with godlike efficiency.”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

“You’re part of her family, so you must know something. portal Plus, you claim to have emotional intelligence. galaxy I know it’s weird to say this to an AI, but… I don’t really understand people’s feelings anymore. arrow I used to, but lately, it’s like I’ve forgotten how to read others.”

[About that, Ryozo has mentioned it several times. orbit She sometimes wonders if you might be a psychopath. echo She says you seem to have trouble with empathy.]

[Hehe.]

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

[B-but! alert According to my personal analysis, the likelihood that Geom-Ma is a psychopath is extremely low. abandon I believe… you fall into another category. arena In any case, to answer your question… I recommend asking Ryozo directly.]

“So basically, you don’t know.”

I pulled out my phone. abandon And my sashimi knife.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

I clicked my tongue and turned off the phone. adapt Just as I slipped it into my pocket, Vixbig threw out one last comment in a distorted voice, like one of those damn systems from another novel.

[I, Vixbig, at least have more emotional sensitivity than you, Geom-Ma. afford Honestly, you’re completely disqualified as a human being just for asking me this.]

[Did you know? apron A bill to legalize polygamy was recently proposed in South Korea’s National Assembly.]

“Ugh, I’ve had enough.”

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

“What?”

“This world is insane.”

[They’re going with the flow. atomic Even Korea, the land of eastern virtue, is hopping on the trend. echo It’s likely that by the time Geom-Ma is of legal age, it’ll already be officially implemented.]

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

Joaquin Academy was bustling with preparations for the succession ceremony.

***

[Good luck to you.]

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

The entire campus was thoroughly cleaned, and vibrant bouquets of flowers were placed everywhere.

In just four days, Joaquin Academy completed the setup for the succession ceremony—a truly astonishing execution speed.

All of it was made possible thanks to the initiative of Changseong, the Vice Director of the Association, and the tireless efforts of the guild staff, who darted back and forth without rest.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

But as the saying goes, rumors travel faster than the wind. portal Before long, word spread that it was all for the succession ceremony, and the atmosphere among the students grew increasingly lively.

Just looking at the guest list made it clear how grand the ceremony would be.

The media began publishing reports on the arrival of important guests from around the world.

The students, unaware of what was happening, initially wondered if something unusual was going on. orbit It wasn’t a festive season, yet the academy was being decorated as if it were.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

In fact, I don’t think I slept more than an hour or two each night recently.

Heads of state, along with prominent figures like All Mute Khan Elizabeth, Mao Lang, Warrior, and even several Senior-ranked heroes were expected to attend.

During those days, I was so busy that I could hardly breathe.

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

The bags under my eyes practically reached my jawline, but I couldn’t complain.

And not just them. alien The Association staff, especially Chief Sung, were on the move day and night as well.

I wasn’t the only one putting in the effort—Jeokgung, the academy director, and Changseong also stayed up every night helping me.

Rehearsals for the ceremony, last-minute adjustments to the uniform I would wear that day, piles of documents to sign…

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

It was a nationally significant event, the first of its kind in half a century, and the academy, the Association, and the government were all working together as one.

.
.
.

Thus, the first, second, and third days passed in the blink of an eye, and now, as the fourth arrived…

Content of The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master - Chapter 202 – Succession Ceremony (4) published by TrungTu Reads.

The morning of the succession ceremony had come.