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

One mass-produced magic sword broke, but it seemed that these dark wizards ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) were more capable than expected.
Having already crafted quite a few completed magic swords, I was able to receive one more from Uncle Aelun as compensation for the damage.

I shouldn’t say this, but if only our kingdom's wizards were half as capable as those dark wizards who were killed, Leon wouldn't be known as a magic wasteland.
Of course, saying that there are many such dark wizards means the Empire is going to keep receiving attacks from them.
On top of that, most of them are likely to be drawn to the academy because of Daisy, the heroine of the magical fantasy, which made my head hurt.
However, since the item created by a dark wizard wasn’t too dangerous, I decided to put it into immediate use.
"Do you have a moment?"
"I do, but..."
The target was the least significant sword-wielding male protagonist in the romance fantasy novel.
It wasn’t anything special, but Agent Boradol said that the sword-wielder had been ashamed of being controlled by the magic sword and was running away.

After the practical lessons, the flower arrangement club had cut back on its activities.
It seemed like he was training alone under the pretext of personal training, just like me.
It was truly infuriating.
Meanwhile, the person who really needed personal training was still dealing with the midterm terror incident and dark wizard issues.
Even though I had cut him some slack for being the male protagonist, he was acting in ways that didn’t match the role at all.
If you’re embarrassed, go seek comfort from Daisy.
To be honest, it was a bit ridiculous.
Like some sort of balance patch, originally, Ellen was supposed to be on the periphery, but now he was always next to Daisy.
The sword-wielder, who was supposed to be by her side, had begun to drift away.

If the academy's dynamics shifted like this, it would be a problem.
If Ellen left, I would have to leave too...
As soon as summer vacation began, it was supposed to be the Light’s Church part.
I couldn’t go there and suffer.
"What’s this?"
That's why I handed the magic sword I got from the Empire over to Aslan.
At this rate, the sword-wielder wouldn't even be able to become a second-rate swordsman, let alone a true swordsman.

"Isn’t this the magic sword you used last time?"
"Ugh!"
The recipient immediately threw it away.
It seemed that the PTSD had been triggered.
"Ahh."

I barely caught the sword he threw and grimaced.
"What are you going to do if it breaks?"
Even though I was just imagining fighting Prince Ellen, one magic sword had already broken.
Considering how fragile the magic sword was, I had to handle it with care.

"But Daisy purified it, right?"
"Yeah, purified it and returned it to the Empire."
"So, what is this then?"
The sword-wielder looked at the mass-produced magic sword in my hand with a dumbfounded expression.
"Is it a fake magic sword modeled after the original?"

I briefly explained the sword’s effect.
It couldn’t elevate the user’s level to that of the original, but it could take control of the user’s mind and push their limits.
If used by shielding the mind with magic, the magic sword's effects could be utilized without any problem.
"How do you do that?"
"Just think of it as using magic to protect your head."
"…No, how do you actually do it?"
What’s with this guy?
He could at least apply magic to the sword.
All he had to do was shield the mind from the magic coming from the sword.
"Just think of it as an application and try it."
"Seriously?"
"Why would I control you?"

A weaker person than me.
I didn’t say it, but I barely held back.
"Sigh."
The sword-wielder hesitated for a moment, considering my suggestion, before drawing the magic sword from its scabbard.
He was convinced by my words that he could unlock his hidden power if he used it well.

And then...
"Ughh!"
"Ahh."
He was immediately dominated by the magic sword, so I knocked him out right away.
It seemed there was still a long way to go.

"Ugh!"
After the fourth attempt, the sword-wielder finally managed to resist being controlled by the magic sword.
Of course, this was only possible because it was a mass-produced model.
In the original story, even with the original magic sword, the protagonist managed to overcome it.
It seemed like the road ahead was still quite long.
"So... what should I do now?"

I couldn’t help but sigh as I watched the sword-wielder stubbornly hang on to the magic sword.
Surely, he didn’t want to end up like this.
I hoped he would get stronger soon, so he could approach Daisy with the confidence he needed, the day when he’d finally win her over.
"Talk to the magic sword."
"Talk? To the magic sword?"
"Yeah. Keep asking it, ‘Do you want more power?’"
"Well, that’s true..."
"If you say you want power, it’ll tell you to imagine a specific enemy. So, first, set your target."
As I was about to add something quickly, a thought came to mind.

"Oh, by the way, don't imagine Ellen. It breaks when you do."
Even when I tried it, it broke, so it was certain that if this weaker sword-wielder tried, it would break for sure.
"...I never thought about that."

The sword-wielder seemed to realize something.
"You can’t beat Ellen until you surpass yourself."
"Wow."
Was he starting to believe it?
If I were a sword master like Princess Hestia, I might have taken this as a challenge, but for me, the sword was merely a tool, not the goal.

Honestly, I was starting to get curious.
Would the magic sword really think that Aslan could defeat me?
If that were possible, I’d have to upgrade the sword-wielder from a second-rate to a first-rate swordsman.
And the result would be...
"It’s possible?"
I watched as the sword-wielder, grinning, lifted the sword.

"Wow..."
I decided to test the magic sword’s performance directly.
The performance of the magic sword was certainly impressive.
It pushed me beyond my limits, and Aslan’s sword technique was definitely sharp enough to pressure me.
If I had fought this way from the start, I wouldn't have been disappointed.

Due to the nature of the mass-produced magic sword, it couldn’t elevate the user’s rank.
This meant that the strength it brought out was what the sword-wielder could currently manage.
In other words, what the sword-wielder lacked wasn’t physical strength, but mental fortitude.
"I lost again..."
Look at him. He had fought so well, but now he was sulking about losing.
This was why the magic sword could so easily dominate his mind.

"You fought well."
"So what? I lost."
Even after using the magic sword, he still lost.
I sighed as I watched him muttering and sulking.

"Why are you sulking over something like that?"
He looked momentarily frustrated, but I hadn’t finished my thoughts yet.
"Do you think this will impress Daisy?"

"Uh..."
He froze up, as if struck by some petrification spell.
It was funny, seeing him stand there, completely still.
"How can you still not get it?"

If you can't see it, you’re a fool.
And, by the way, all the members of the flower arrangement club were fools, except for our agent Boradol and the scheduled dark figure president.
"Why?"
"They didn’t know, though."

They were all just a bunch of idiots, completely convinced by the denial of their own actions.
"You can’t tell if they’re pretending not to know, but they’re just cautious. And then, if they let their guard down... they’ll lose."
At those words, the sword-wielder’s eyes widened as if he’d suddenly realized something.

"Could it be you too?"
"Are you asking if you’ll lose?"
Where do you think you’re going with the heroine of the magical fantasy?
I released a surge of killing intent from the sword, just slightly unsheathing it.
"Ah, never mind."

It seemed my sincerity had reached the sword-wielder.
"Right, honestly, you should focus on Violet next to Daisy instead of Daisy herself... I’m sorry, that was a joke. I apologize."
We’ve fought with swords many times, but acting too friendly isn’t a good look.
There are things you can say to people and things you can’t.

"Well, you apologized within three seconds, so I won’t strike this time."
"Did you really think I’d strike you?"
Of course, I did.
If you speak carelessly, even an old swordsman wouldn’t let you off.
But then again, my father’s a sword master, so the only person I could strike here is you.

"Anyway, you’re under some illusion."
Daisy is kind.
Her character is designed to be a saint who embraces everyone.
...She’s so kind, in fact, that in the later parts of the story, even the male protagonists of the romance fantasy couldn’t secure a romance, and things got messy.
Her good nature never looks down on someone’s failure or frustration.
Instead, she helps others overcome it and celebrates their growth.
"So, to get closer to Daisy, defeat isn’t as important as an overwhelming victory."
"Defeat?"

This world is filthy, where only the first place is remembered, but that’s only the case when there’s no story.
The story of the underdog, when it’s built up, can sometimes attract more attention than being number one.
What matters is an unwavering spirit.
"Think about it. I’ve been training alongside Prince Ellen since I was a child. How many times do you think I’ve lost?"
Of course, even if there was a world where I was stronger than Ellen, I would still lose due to the nature of the training academy.
But intentionally losing and just being defeated are two different things.

Even so, I wasn’t affected.
I just thought about how I’d deal with it if he got stronger.
That was my job.
Of course, I couldn’t force that on the sword-wielder.
His failure wasn’t my business.
But I gave him a goal to replace that.
"Just trust me. I’ll make sure you can talk to Daisy all day long."

Not work, but romance.
And even more so, the heroine of the magical fantasy.
I didn’t understand it, nor did I want to.
But for the male protagonists, this was something that would drive them mad.
"Really?"
Look at those shining eyes.

"Of course. I have 68 romantic experiences."
The sword-wielder looked at me with awe.
When I first beat him, he never looked at me like that.
But the fact that those 68 experiences were from royal academy instructors wasn’t something I felt the need to clarify.