I Became the Second-in-Command in a Romance Fantasy Novel

A week had passed since the academy's opening.
There was an issue with the swordsmanship class, specifically the swordsmanship of the sword class being weaker than expected, but aside from that, everything was pretty much as the intelligence department had predicted.
The only exception was the flower arranging club.
Or rather, excluding the flower arranging club.

"Prince Esid joined the flower arranging club?"
"What kind of club is that? The flower arranging club? Is it the same one I know?"
"There's no way. If the prince joined alone, we could assume it was just a whim. But the members there aren’t ordinary."
"Right. Including the prince, there are princes from powerful kingdoms like Leon and Dale. If you think about the other members..."
"Basically, it’s a secret club formed by the influential first-years."
I sat quietly, chewing on a sandwich, lowering my presence and collecting rumors from the students.
"Please, let them think that way."

Listening to the rumors circulating about the flower arranging club, I prayed that this information would spread widely.
In truth, the fewer people who knew the fact that influential first-years, including the Empire’s prince and princes from powerful kingdoms, were now competing over the same girl in just one week, the better.
Of course, even if someone did speak the truth, it wouldn't matter.
Anyone with their wits about them would think the person speaking the truth was crazy.
"Is this really a romance fantasy?"
After watching the flower arranging club from a distance for a week, I couldn’t help but feel that this world was indeed a romance fantasy.
Like the opening of a romance fantasy, Daisy was pure, the male leads were frustrating, and yet, surprisingly, the club was functioning properly.
I began to hope that this world really was a romance fantasy.
It was better to think that everything unfolding before my eyes was following a set script. If these absurd situations were happening naturally, that would mean this world’s genre was cosmic horror, and that would be even worse.

"I really hope I don’t end up joining the flower arranging club."
The commander and the intelligence department had asked me to join the flower arranging club for a better direction, but I refused.
My excuse was that joining could negatively affect the delicate relationships I had already established.
My true reason, however, was that I didn’t want to get involved with the romance fantasy male leads, who seemed like they were already a mess.
It wasn’t likely, but what if Daisy fell for me like in a typical romance fantasy?
Then I’d be the guy who NTR'd the first loves of important figures from various countries, and I'd end up rolling around with the romance fantasy heroine every time something happened to her.
If I had fallen for Daisy at first sight like Prince Ellen, it might’ve been different, but the moment I saw her, all I felt was fear, not romantic feelings.
I was definitely not cut out to be a romance fantasy male lead.

"Could that happen?"
In the end, I wasn’t sure whether the kingdom pitied me or agreed with my stance, but my application to join was postponed.
But if something were to happen, it was clear I would be sent as the closest agent.
"If I can just hold out until next year, support will come in one way or another."

Since a prince from another kingdom had come to study abroad, there were knights sent to protect him.
Though they could interfere with external activities, they had no justification to be involved in the flower arranging club.
So, at least by next year, the intelligence department would have to insert a few undercover agents disguised as academy students to make it possible to operate.
Could I hold out without anything happening until then?
"Should I prepare in advance?"
I had left a resignation letter due to an imperial business trip, but now it looked like I’d be carrying around the flower arranging club application instead.

"I never thought I’d be betrayed like this."
I had thought I’d be able to work at a more relaxed pace at the academy.
But Prince Ellen had passed off everything to the Sword King and the Sword Master, planning to enjoy his youth, and in the end, his plan had backfired.
Thanks to that, I was now using the spy techniques I had learned in the intelligence department to gather intelligence at the academy.
I had complained about learning this stuff before entering the academy, but now, it was coming in handy.
"Still, it’s just a regular academy."

With the Sword King and the former Mage Tower Master joining, people from not only within the empire but from various countries had gathered.
Even the newly enrolled students were putting effort into their studies, which was a bit unusual but expected.
Rather, it was the flower arranging club, which had formed such a complicated relationship in just one week, that seemed strange. What was wrong with the students working hard to study at an academy that had gathered so many talented people?
"In that sense, the club president is too suspicious."
First of all, he's a squinter.
That alone increased the likelihood of him being an important figure by 50%.
A squinter in a romance fantasy academy?
If I looked at it positively, he could be a retired hero or a complex character on the side of the protagonist.
If I looked at it negatively, he could be a mid-level boss from a group preparing to terrorize the academy, or he could even be the final boss who betrays the protagonist’s team.

It was probably because his hair was brown that I was suspicious; if it had been pink, I would’ve attacked immediately.
"I didn’t find anything that could be considered concrete evidence."
From what I had observed, Belian Erik seemed to show the traits of a typical low-ranking noble.
His appearance was so perfectly average that I almost got fooled for a moment.

But it was too perfect, which made me suspicious.
Once I started investigating, more and more suspicious things came to light.
He had already fulfilled the graduation requirements last year, but he was still attending every class this year?
He wouldn’t act like this unless he was insane.
So, I was sure that there was some special operation going on at the academy.
Moreover, normally, students only complete their required credits in the fourth year, and some even fail to graduate due to missing credits, but Belian Erik had already completed all his credits in the third year.
But he had no close friends. Not even a single one he could really remember?
Even the most introverted person couldn’t be this invisible.
So, I was convinced this was a case of information concealment at the intelligence department level.
And the decisive clue was:

"Is this how it’s done?"
"It’s not bad, but overall, it’s too flashy. For something like this, it's better to focus on more subtle flowers to make the main ones stand out, right?"
"Wow!"

Although I wasn’t actually watching the flower arranging club, I could tell just by eavesdropping.
This guy was really into flower arranging.
It’s not good to have fixed ideas about gender, but in a medieval fantasy world, a nobleman who entered the academy and was seriously into flower arranging?
It made more sense to think that he was pretending to be the president of the flower arranging club, rather than genuinely caring about flower arranging.
"Alright, that’s it for today."

I quickly turned off the eavesdropping device and headed to the training ground.
I hadn’t joined the flower arranging club, so I could use the excuse of personal training.
If I didn’t train, Prince Ellen would take over the club.
"No, come to think of it, it’s not even an excuse."
I wanted to do personal training too.
But Prince Ellen’s first love was interfering with my training.
What a pathetic bastard. It was already hard enough to catch up, and now he was blocking my efforts.

"Adam!"
Just then, Prince Ellen, his face oddly flushed, ran toward me.
I know this isn’t a BL novel, but seeing a guy act like this made my face scrunch up.

"Did you get a confession from Daisy?"
"No, nothing like that!"
Flustered, he carefully took something out.
"Ah, did someone else confess to you?"

I tilted my head as I looked at the letter Prince Ellen handed me.
The plot where the male lead gets confessed to, triggering jealousy in the heroine, was already unfolding.
Our prince, there’s no way he could have progressed with Daisy that much.
Of course, given Prince Ellen's looks, it wouldn’t be strange, but I had caught a "romance fantasy" sickness, so I naturally thought that way.
"This isn’t mine, is it? It’s yours, Adam."

In the sudden BL drift of the scene, I almost swung my sword in training.
"Violet asked me to give this to you."
Violet.
That was Daisy’s childhood friend and someone who had been with Daisy when she first joined the flower arranging club.

"Got it."
So, I was sure.
"This... is a duel challenge."

"No, isn't it clearly a love letter?"
He looked at me as if I had said something nonsensical, but I was sure.
"It’s definitely a duel challenge."

My face wasn’t ugly, but I was next to Prince Ellen.
And surrounding the letter’s owner were people who were just as significant as Prince Ellen.
Of course, those people were only looking at their friends, not him.
Normally, if she were a girl of this age, she would have challenged him, knowing full well she shouldn’t.
And think about it.
What kind of men were the ones around Daisy?

No matter how great a fantasy world she lived in, if she was truly someone who was capable of attracting multiple lovers, it was usually someone special.
In the flower arranging club, the only person who could be inserted into the "sub" role was the president.
If Daisy chose one, what would happen to the other?
Wouldn’t it be natural to target others?
"Hmm."
"Ah!"

As I pulled out the letter, I saw the contents and realized I shouldn’t be looking at it, so Prince Ellen flustered and stepped back.
"I was told to look at it immediately!"
"Right."
The message was brief and simple.

"Today, at 7 p.m."
"On the roof of the old school building."
It seemed urgent, as they wanted to meet right away.

"It’s definitely a duel challenge."
"Ah, it can’t be."
It can’t be? Who would just put the time and place in a love letter?
This was the format of a typical duel challenge.
According to the information, Violet was a fairly skilled magician.

"Some clueless magic-wielding brat."
It was clear she was challenging me, the second-in-command of the swordsmanship department.
It was ridiculous.
Shouldn’t this go through the third-in-command, the swordmaster first?
As the grandson of the swordmaster, I must’ve seemed easy to beat.

"Magic-wielding brat!"
I knew I shouldn’t say such things, but when I realized I had learned it from Princess Heastia, I saw Prince Ellen’s face turn red and his head bow in embarrassment.
"Are you embarrassed by the princess?"

"Yeah, a little."
"Uh..."
Well, if it had been my sister, I would’ve been embarrassed too.
But anyway.

"I’ll win and come back."
If I lose, then it’s Prince Ellen’s turn.
I can’t lose in this battle of pride between swordsmanship and magic.
The fact that the magician picked the location bothered me, but giving them that handicap made it more legitimate for me as a swordsman.
"Well... okay. Go on."

With Prince Ellen’s awkward farewell, I headed for the roof of the old school building.
I arrived at the rooftop of the old school building, opening the rusty iron door with a creak.
There, standing as if waiting, was Violet, her purple hair easily recognizable.
"You’re here."

Her voice trembled slightly, and her anxious gaze caught my attention.
Her expression was determined, almost to the point of being scary, and for a moment, I started doubting my previous certainty.
What the hell is this?
Is it really a confession attack like Prince Ellen said?
As I tried to process this unexpected twist, a strong, jarring statement suddenly flew from her mouth, shaking my thoughts.
"Do you know... like a flower blooming in dry land?"

What the hell is this?
Do they really use “do you know” in this world? And what’s with "like a flower blooming in dry land"?
It sounds like a damn romance fantasy title.
"Do you know... kimchi?"
But as the “do you know” series continued, I couldn't focus on anything else.
Wait, does this world even have kimchi?

"Do you know... co... Oh, shit! You’re ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ from South Korea, aren’t you?"
With my dumbfounded expression, she half-expected my reaction, and I could only nod in confirmation.