I’m the Slit-Eyed Character at the Academy, but I’m not the Mastermind

The study of Duke Aziz.

After reading the report, Duke Aziz removed his glasses and narrowed his eyes.

“So… it’s confirmed that Count Zachary is dead.”

“Yes, sir. Though all that remained were bones, it wasn’t difficult to identify them as Count Zachary’s.”

The events that occurred in Carpathia and the death of his vassal, Count Zachary.

These details had been reported through a magical crystal orb.

And not just through any source—it had come directly from Dwener, the spy Duke Aziz had planted.

—I apologize. It’s my incompetence that caused this…

Pretending to fight to aid Count Zachary and Administrator Rieur, Dwener had managed to detain them.

He then offered to personally punish them to shift the negative public opinion directed at Duke Aziz’s faction, submitting a report of the events to the Emperor.

In the process, misunderstandings arose, and ultimately, Dwener failed to stop the two from escaping. After searching every corner for a week, their bodies were discovered in Demon’s Swamp.

Dwener’s report concluded that they had likely fallen into the swamp by accident while trying to escape, leading to their deaths.

‘Something feels off…’

As Duke Aziz reviewed Dwener’s report, an inexplicable sense of unease crept over him.

It wasn’t typical for someone as incompetent as Dwener to provide such a concise and well-structured report.

In particular, the reasoning behind Dwener’s bizarre actions had been elaborated with striking clarity.

It felt almost like a carefully written script.

‘If I assume Dwener concocted this story to cover up his mistakes… then it’s not entirely implausible.’

Dwener not only beat his own allies but also obtained a month’s grace period by promising to mete out justice personally.

The fact that he had done all this without consulting Duke Aziz was already a major problem, one that would typically warrant dismissing him immediately.

The irony, however, was that…

‘The outcome of Dwener’s actions isn’t entirely bad.’

Count Zachary had been a central figure in Duke Aziz’s faction.

Failing to save someone of such importance could have easily caused the carefully consolidated faction to collapse overnight.

But no such disaster occurred. Why?

—It feels like a well-orchestrated plan. Could Duke Aziz have ordered Dwener to kill him?

—What benefit would Duke Aziz gain from that?

—The seat left vacant by the fall of the Lester family. He’s been hastily expanding his faction to fill that gap, even accepting questionable individuals.

—Right, a lot of shady characters joined during that time. Wasn’t that already a topic of gossip?

—So, by killing Count Zachary, he’s setting an example?

—It’s also a good time to clean up his faction. He’s solidified his position as one of the Empire’s pillars, after all.

—True. By eliminating the riffraff and sending a warning, he’s killed two birds with one stone.

—Sure, some might defect, but most will cling to their positions rather than give up what they’ve gained. The more people leave, the more secure the faction becomes.

—As expected of Duke Aziz. Always two steps ahead.

Rumors spread throughout the social circles, painting the entire ordeal as part of Duke Aziz’s master plan.

Those who had initially clamored for revenge for Count Zachary quickly fell silent after hearing these rumors, as if struck dumb.

At the same time, many began paying closer attention to their own conduct.

Not only did they fear ending up dead at Duke Aziz’s hands, but they were also now part of one of the Empire’s eight foundational pillars.

The privileges granted by the Empire, the prestige of being associated with one of the great factions, the standing of their families, their reputations, and their futures—all of this was now on the line.

Few were willing to relinquish such gains.

Not that they had to work hard to obtain them in the first place—Duke Aziz had handled most of the heavy lifting himself.

‘At least they’re not completely shameless fools.’

In any case, whether out of fear or self-preservation, the troublesome dealings and dirty business that had always been a headache for Duke Aziz began to resolve themselves.

But that wasn’t the only thing that changed.

The rumor that Duke Aziz had personally punished Count Zachary caused his reputation to soar.

From his own domain to all corners of the Empire, the names Duke Aziz and Dwener were on everyone’s lips. The extent to which his fame had risen was immeasurable.

—Hmm, cutting down one’s own vassal. Truly impressive.

—He’s a man of principle. I should invite him to dinner sometime and discuss the Empire’s future.

—It’s no small feat to elevate the honor of nobility. Perhaps a reward should be given in recognition.

Even neutral parties and factions hostile to him couldn’t help but praise Duke Aziz.

In summary, while Dwener’s actions had caused a major incident, they had resulted in mostly favorable outcomes.

Yes, mostly. Despite the significant gains, there were aspects that weren’t so beneficial.

Not everyone brought in by Count Zachary accepted the outcome. There were those who harbored discontent.

But their dissatisfaction posed no real threat. They lacked both the numbers and influence to make a difference, especially since Duke Aziz held the moral high ground.

The real issue was…

‘The Emperor has started to grow wary of me.’

During the noble council, Dwener’s request for a one-month investigation period was based on an obscure and largely irrelevant law.

While the nobles might not have been able to refute it, the Emperor certainly had the authority to reject the request.

Yet, the Emperor chose to side with Dwener.

‘Duke Aziz, wasn’t he someone you recommended? Let’s trust him on this,’ the Emperor had said with a hollow excuse.

On the surface, it seemed like the Emperor was supporting him.

But Duke Aziz could sense it.

The Emperor was beginning to keep him in check.

‘The Emperor must think we’ve grown too powerful. He’s reminding me that his throne wasn’t won by chance.’

Duke Aziz understood clearly. The real battle was just beginning.

‘Fine, let’s see how this plays out. Just as you know me well, I know you equally well.’

As Duke Aziz burned with determination, his eyes landed on one of his subordinates, who was fidgeting awkwardly nearby.

“Do you still have something to report?”

“This is… unconfirmed information, more like a rumor, really.”

“That’s fine. Go ahead, what is it?”

“It’s said that a small piece of paper was found in Count Zachary’s mouth.”

“A piece of paper?”

“Yes. They say it bore a single character: ‘惡’—Evil. I assumed it was a fabrication by justice-obsessed citizens and thus didn’t include it in the official report…”

A note with the word ‘Evil’ written on it.

That detail hadn’t been mentioned in Dwener’s report.

“Did Dwener seem aware of it?”

“It appears he had no idea. Well… as you know, the Principal is…”

Incompetent.

Yes, Dwener was incompetent, so it wasn’t surprising.

“…”

But that same unshakable sense of unease once again coiled around Duke Aziz.

It was the same feeling he’d had when he first heard Dwener’s report.

‘Count Zachary and Administrator Rieur supposedly escaped from prison.’

Could they really have evaded Caron’s and the Rats’ surveillance? Were they truly skilled enough to pull that off?

It was understandable that someone as inept as Dwener would let them slip through his fingers.

But there was no way Caron and the Rats could have failed.

‘Could it be… that Caron and Dwener were in on this together?’

Duke Aziz shook his head, forcing the thought away.

Caron and Dwener collaborating? Impossible.

Dwener’s sheer incompetence had likely hindered even Caron and the Rats from doing their jobs properly. That was the more reasonable explanation.

So then, who had left behind the note marked with the word ‘Evil’?

‘A note bearing the word “Evil”… it must mean they vanquished evil.’

Factions claiming to act in the name of justice had always existed, but the likelihood of such a group surfacing now was slim.

This was a time of chaos, with dark mages and demons running rampant.

Which meant this was someone’s ploy. If he had to name a potential suspect among those present at the scene…

‘Caron? If it’s him, then this might be the Emperor’s warning.’

A warning that, should he overstep his bounds, he could meet the same fate.

Duke Aziz’s lips curled into a faint smirk.

“Interesting… Yes, this makes things far more interesting.”

“Duke?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. You mentioned that my reputation is growing among the lower classes, correct? In times like these, generosity is key. Open the granaries.”

“Yes, sir. Also, Viscount Retona from the Neutral faction has requested an audience with you.”

“Good. Arrange it quickly.”

For now, the priority was to exploit this situation to its fullest.

Without even realizing it, Duke Aziz pushed thoughts of Dwener out of his mind.

---

“It’s the Principal!”

“Principal! Good morning!”

“Kehaha! Yes, yes. Good morning, children. Be sure to pay attention in class.”

Dwener smiled as he watched the students bow and greet him as they passed by.

In the past, not a single student had greeted him—or even made eye contact. But ever since his return from Carpathia, students had begun acknowledging him, one by one.

After all, he had stood his ground against a high-ranking demon to protect them, and he had even dealt with the demon himself.

“Principal, have this!”

“And take this, too!”

Dwener’s arms overflowed with treats offered to him by the students, and his face lit up with a delighted smile.

The once invisible man of the academy had become its most beloved figure.

It was as if he were living out one of those “I woke up and became the academy’s favorite” scenarios.

And he couldn’t be happier. Dwener had always liked children, and now, having resolved to live for them, he felt even more fulfilled.

‘It’s all thanks to Zero.’

Though many students now recognized him, none came close to the bond he shared with Zero.

‘I wonder if Zero will visit today.’

Cradling the pile of snacks, Dwener made his way toward his personal retreat, a small pond he considered his sanctuary.

After all, food always tasted better when shared.

As Dwener walked toward his pond, something—or rather, someone—unexpected blocked his path.

“There you are.”

“…”

Whoosh!

Caron appeared out of nowhere. Dwener pretended not to notice him and strode past, with such force that the wind from his movement made a distinct sound.

Unbothered, Caron quickly caught up and fell into step behind him.

“Are you still upset with me?”

“I’m not upset; I’m disappointed. How can a person be so inflexible… Tsk, tsk!”

“You said the exact same thing yesterday. No, wait—wasn’t it last week, too? When exactly are you planning to let this go?”

“Silence! And for the last time, I’m not angry. I’m disappointed!”

This was about the incident where Zero had lost the top student spot because of a penalty.

Upon hearing the news, Dwener had exploded with rage.

He had even attempted to burn the documents, declaring that penalty points would not be factored into the exam rankings.

“That would’ve been catastrophic. Not only would it have violated academy regulations, but His Majesty would’ve been furious as well.”

“Ha! I’ve dined with His Majesty! Had long conversations with him! In my dreams!”

…If it’s in a dream, it doesn’t count.

Nevertheless, Caron had no choice but to bear the brunt of Dwener’s fury.

Not only had he stopped Dwener from burning the documents, but he had also supported Luna’s top-ranking position on the grounds of following procedure.

After enduring Dwener’s grumbling for several minutes, they finally reached the pond.

Only after tossing breadcrumbs to the koi did Dwener’s temper begin to cool.

“Make sure to handle things properly next time. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, Zero must have been deeply hurt. How about giving him 20 merit points? That should help heal his emotional wounds, at least a little.”

“…I’ll take it under consideration.”

“Good. Now, do you have anything to report?”

“It seems Duke Aziz’s reputation is rising far more than expected. Is that going to be alright?”

The rumor that ‘Duke Aziz might have been the one to kill Count Zachary’.

In truth, that rumor had been sparked by the Rats.

In other words, it was a collaborative effort between Dwener and Caron.

“It doesn’t matter. As expected, Duke Aziz is using this situation masterfully.”

Duke Aziz neither confirmed nor denied the rumor.

He merely brushed it off with a vague response like, ‘A rumor is just a rumor, after all.’

This allowed him to use the situation to his advantage and reap its benefits.

Though Duke Aziz had gained more fame than anticipated, it wasn’t something Dwener particularly cared about.

After all, the more attention Aziz drew, the easier it would be to keep him in check.

“The higher you climb, the harder you fall.”

The more elevated one’s reputation, the more irreparable the damage when they eventually fall.

And when that happens, the Imperial family will have no choice but to intervene to maintain public order.

Even a small mistake could result in severe punishment.

–TL Notes–

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