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

There is an unwritten rule in the old genres of web novels.
If everyone knows it, just skip it.

A good example of this is the "Gate" genre among modern novels.
One day, a gate opened.
When this genre first appeared, it required an explanation of what the gate was, why it had appeared, and how it had changed society. But after the genre became so common, a single mention of the word "gate" was enough to explain everything. Readers who had experienced enough of these stories understood it immediately.

From my conversation with Violet, I realized that she had consumed web novels as much as I had. She understood everything instantly, skipping over parts where explanations weren't needed, just like me.
“Is it really necessary to explain all that?”
Seeing her slightly furrowed brow, I felt certain. This person was subtly trying to use me.

“Yeah.”
Was there really a need to raise the sword master?
If you think about it coldly, there wasn’t.
According to the explanation, the character "Sword Master" was just a decent fighter, not exceptionally powerful. Of course, this "decent" characterization applied only among the male leads. From an average person’s perspective, he would be considered an extraordinary warrior. The reason for his mediocrity was probably because, unlike Prince Ellen who wandered around the academy, he was more likely portrayed as someone who stood by Daisy’s side, facing and overcoming crises with her.

But in contrast to the original story, where Ellen clung to Daisy, there was no need for the Sword Master’s role anymore. Moreover, even without Ellen, I, who was stronger than the Sword Master, was present.
However...
“There’s no reason for us to fill the gap left by the Sword Master, right?”
This is a common motif in web novels.
It’s when the character transmigrates into the original story and assists the protagonist. The uniqueness of this genre is that the reader, knowing the future, can navigate the plot more smoothly.

“We shouldn’t have to suffer for this.”
While it might seem fun from a third-person perspective, as the protagonist, you’d have to get caught up in the main story and endure the hardships alongside the main character.
“We...?”

I saw her face immediately harden as she understood what I meant.
She realized "we" referred to both me and her.
“You don’t mean you and Prince Ellen, do you?”
“Exactly.”
Though we were both transmigrators in the novel, there was a major difference between us. She had transmigrated into a novel she had mixed feelings about, while I thought I had just landed in a fantasy world before enrolling in the academy.

“Hey, Ellen’s originally from here.”
“Well, in the academy part, he doesn’t really do much, right?”
Looks like she wasn’t even trying to hide it anymore.
This person was indeed thinking of using me in the original story, just like she had planned for herself.
“This is for the good of the world, you know?”
It’s not that I couldn’t understand.
The plot of a novel that had been ongoing for over 400 chapters had hit a block. Having entered the story, she had the chance to change the plot. If I were in her shoes, I might have done the same.

“Again, this doesn’t concern us.”
But that was her issue. As for me, I had no emotional attachment to the original work.
“From what I gathered, in the original work, the Empire is always causing trouble. It will affect the Leon Kingdom too, but could it really be a bad influence?”

An empire is not just a large territory with a strong military; it’s a place that holds numerous cultures and peoples in balance. That’s why it’s called an empire. Once it starts to wobble, anything can happen. If it’s handled well, the Leon Kingdom could benefit from it.
“Ha. Are you really saying that?”
“Wasn’t it you who tried to gaslight me into thinking it was all my fault?”
Who said I would abandon her? I had promised to take responsibility. Just like how I guided Prince Ellen in a better direction, I could do the same for the Sword Master.
As for the prince’s absence, I would fill that gap too.
Because, after all, I had to deal with anything related to Prince Ellen, but I wasn’t going to abandon anyone.

“The Sword Master can just grow and defeat the Demon King.”
If Prince Ellen goes to defeat the Demon King, I would have to go too.
If the world was in danger, I’d go, but if someone else could handle it, I wouldn’t feel the need to rush in.
“Really? You’re going to pick a fight with someone who knows the future?”

Violet growled threateningly, but I had already gathered most of what I needed. She probably hadn’t shared everything with me, but the future is usually something we can't know. Having received a bit of a spoiler, I could at least steer the direction of things now.
I smiled, raised my middle finger, and laughed.
“Yeah. But you don’t know everything, do you?”
She didn’t know everything either. Whether Ellen, who got NTR’d, killed the Demon King, or whether the Demon King, after realizing love, repented and ended up with Daisy in a happy ending, no one knew.

“You’ll regret this.”
With Violet throwing her final words, the monumental first meeting of transmigrators came to a close.
Know yourself and your enemy.
For the ultimate purpose of the defeat sword, there is no better phrase than this.
You must know both your enemy and yourself.

In that sense, my first encounter with the Sword Master, Aslan, was the worst possible start.
I didn’t know his abilities, and I hadn’t even fully realized my own.
But the reason it wasn’t the worst was that the Sword Master had been defeated too quickly.
A person’s name has a certain value.
Aslan was one of the most notable new students at the academy.
For him to lose so quickly to an unknown classmate was a shock.

People would think three things.
First, that the Sword Master had been overestimated.
They’d think it was worth challenging him.
“Winner, Aslan.”

Aslan received 42 challenges and proved himself by overwhelmingly defeating each one.
His reputation was solidified.
Next, people would think:
Isn’t it impressive that someone beat the Sword Master?

And so they would question me.
“They’re undefeated too, you know?”
“Something seems off.”
They don’t get it.
These are basic techniques, and it’s frustrating that they don’t see that.

But it wasn’t bad.
On the surface, Aslan’s flashy sword techniques looked more impressive, so people might start doubting.
I mean, the Sword Master had probably been too careless.
He had probably gotten complacent.
And, even though he’d been focusing on his flower arrangement club, I would excuse it since he was still doing what he was supposed to as a romance fantasy male lead.
“Good job, Adam. But the Sword Master really fights well.”

When I returned to my seat, I saw Prince Ellen smiling brightly, and I realized that he hadn’t caught on.
“We didn’t match well. I felt like I lost the battle of techniques.”
However, since there are frequent duels among the top students, I decided to lay the groundwork and prepare for the day when Ellen and Aslan would clash, long before any suspicion arose.

“It was a bit off from usual, but I still won with the basics, right?”
“It should have been an easier win.”
“Well, winning is still winning, right?”
With a grin, I received Ellen’s comfort. It felt strange, but in a good way.
It was a role reversal of what usually happens between me and Prince Ellen.
Of course, in terms of technical finesse, I couldn’t even begin to match him.
But to others, I had just calmly blocked Aslan’s flashy attacks and won through strength and precision.

“Next time, it’ll be different.”
That was the truth.
Next time, I would grow a little more and defeat the Sword Master.
After that, I’d leave a slight opening for him to almost win, but once again, he’d lose by a narrow margin.
I’d keep winning until the end of the first semester.
From what I saw today, he ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) wasn’t someone who would fall easily.
By the second semester, I could afford to lose once, given how much effort he was putting in.
With a bit of a balance between me and Prince Ellen, I figured it would be fine.

“Hey, Adam.”
At that moment, one of the teaching assistants who had been in charge of the class quietly approached and dropped a bombshell.
“Yes?”
“The head professor asked you to come to the office after class is over.”

“Me?”
“Yeah, you.”
Why?
I had a feeling I knew why, and I didn’t want to go, but...
“Understood.”

I knew I couldn’t refuse, so I just nodded.
Knock, knock.
I knocked lightly twice and opened my mouth.
“It’s Adam Smith, from Swordsmanship and 1st year.”
“Come in.”

It was a small voice that seemed to pierce my ears.
I carefully opened the door and walked in, seeing a large desk standing alone in a huge space.
“...”
It was an empty feeling in the room.
Usually, there would be books or decorations on a desk, but on the Sword Master’s desk, there was nothing but a few work documents.

“Sit down.”
Facing that desk, I and the Sword Master sat across from each other.
There were only two of us in the room, which seemed strange for a head professor’s office.
I’d heard that the professor of magic had over twenty assistants, but there seemed to be no trace of people here.
From the couple of desks in the corner with some sharpening stones and materials, it seemed like there were only two assistants in the class, at most four.
“...”

He just stared at me, so I tried to avoid his gaze, but since there was no benefit in dragging it out, I decided to confront it head-on.
“What’s this about, professor?”
“Professor, huh.”
It was an obvious title, but was something wrong?
He seemed pleased with it.

“Good.”
I guess it was something he liked after all.
“Everyone calls me the Sword Master, not a professor.”
Was that bothering him?
But it couldn’t be helped. Most students and new knights came here specifically to see the Sword Master.

“You are a professor.”
I decided to flatter him since there was no harm in being on good terms with him.
“That’s why it’s so strange. Why did you help my grandson?”
He got straight to the point. No surprise there, it was typical of the Sword Master.