The Cursed Gender Swap: My Fiancées Are All Men?! The Assassin Noble Luge's Hellish Rom-Com - The Star-Reading Council and the Secret Strategy Meeting — The Great Love Confession Plan!

"...Visitors are barred." Rugh's voice dropped in front of the main gate of the Royal Academy of Magic, Arcadia. Stone pillars. Beyond the iron fence stood an academy staff member in uniform. Expressionless. Arms crossed, looking down at Rugh. "It's the same no matter how many times you come. Dia Vicone is currently assisting with a critical investigation in the research wing. Visits are not permitted." "An investigation. Who decided that?" "A decision from the academy's upper administration." "I'm Dia's apprentice. Surely letting me see her face is no problem." "Apprentice or not, visits are barred. This is so she can focus on the curse research. Please understand." Rugh stared hard at the staff member's face. The eyes weren't smiling. Only the mouth made a shape that resembled a smile. (...No good. Nothing I say will matter.) Three days since Dia had been taken. Rugh had come to the academy every single day. But the wall at the gate had never once cracked. "...Fine. I'll be back." "Take care." The iron fence slowly closed. The click of the lock falling into place echoed far too loudly. —— The sky over the royal capital of Alvein was clouded lead-gray. The summer sun was nowhere to be found. A damp wind crawled across the cobblestones. Rugh turned his back on the academy gate and started walking. (Is Dia safe?) (Is she eating?) (Isn't she pushing herself too hard in that body?) Every time he thought about it, something scraped raw deep in his chest. Memories from his past life whispered in the corner of his mind. —You know what happens to people who get caught by an organization. Rugh clenched his fist. "...Damn it." He spat it out, low. —— The Touahade family's capital villa. A small stone mansion. This was the base Rugh and the others used in the royal capital. When he opened the door, footsteps came from down the hall. "Master. Welcome home." Tart stood there—a maid in a man's body, chestnut hair tied back in a single bundle. Bright brown eyes. The white apron of her maid uniform was crisply starched. Inside her skirt: a spear and a handgun. Her usual self. But her face was white as paper. Bandages wrapped her left shoulder and right leg, blood seeping through. Wounds from the forced raid on the academy. "Yeah. ...The academy turned me away again today." "...I see." Tart's eyes clouded for just a moment. But she lifted her head right away. "Master. I've brewed tea. Please, rest a little." "No, I'm fine. ...Tart, any word from Maha?" "Not yet. But she said she'd come by tonight." "I see." Rugh sank onto the sofa in the reception room. His body felt heavy as lead. Three days without proper sleep. When he closed his eyes, Dia's face surfaced. Long silver hair. Wisteria-colored eyes. The dimple that appeared when she smiled. Even in a man's body, that smile alone had never changed. (Dia is my master.) (She's been by my side since I was small.) (She taught me magic. She treated me like a younger brother.) (And yet, I—) Rugh bit his lip. —— "Master." Tart's voice made Rugh look up. At some point, Tart had come to stand before him. A cup of black tea on a tray. "The tea will get cold. Please." "...Ah, sorry." Rugh took the cup and sipped. Warm. But he couldn't taste a thing. "Master." Tart spoke quietly. "I will go and bring Lady Dia back." Rugh set down the cup. "What are you saying?" "I'll infiltrate the academy's research lab myself. If you go, Master, it becomes a head-on clash with the academy. But if it's me—" "Don't be a fool." Rugh cut her off sharply. "The academy's security isn't something you can handle alone. The number of mages, the thickness of the barriers—the finest in the royal capital. If you go, you die." "Master." Tart looked straight at Rugh. "My life was picked up by you, Master." "...Tart." "That day, when I was starving to death, you saved me. So my life belongs to you. If you wish it, I will not begrudge this life." Tart's voice wasn't trembling. "...You're saying that again." Rugh sighed. "Your life isn't mine. It's your own." "No. My life is yours, Master." Tart didn't back down an inch. "...Understood. But don't move yet. We can't plan an operation until your wounds heal." "Master... but—" "That's an order, Tart." Tart bit her lip. "...Understood." —— That night. Maha came to the capital villa. "Brother, sorry I'm late." Flaxen short bob. Amber eyes. Even in a man's body, Maha's sharp features were unchanged. Dark circles sat heavy under her eyes. "No, it's fine. ...Did you find anything?" "Yes. A little." Maha opened her notebook. "Headmaster Theodore Vain. I found evidence he's been diverting the curse research budget for personal use. I have copies of the ledgers. And records of pressure tactics against the Star-Reading Council, too." Maha's voice was calm. "Pressure on the Council?" "Yes. The headmaster was applying pressure to the Council's funding sources to obstruct their investigation. Several of the Tartu Company's business partners got caught up in it too." "...I see." Rugh put a hand to his chin. "How reliable is that evidence?" "Quite reliable. I got the ledger copies directly from the academy's accounting officer. He was unhappy with the headmaster's methods. I just... listened to him a little, and he spilled everything." Maha smiled sweetly. A business smile. But deep in her eyes, something sharp glinted. "...What exactly did you do?" "Nothing. I just listened to him and sympathized—'that must be so hard for you.' People open up to someone who listens, you know." "...I see." Rugh let out a small breath. "Brother, with this much, we can corner the headmaster." Maha's voice turned suddenly serious. "But... brother." "What?" "...I don't want to put you in danger." Maha's eyes wavered. "The headmaster is starving for power. That man doesn't think twice about hurting people for his own ends. If you storm into the academy, I don't know what he'll... what he'll do to you." Maha's voice trembled faintly. "...Maha." Rugh placed his hand on Maha's head. "Without your information, none of this would have started. Thank you." "Brother..." Maha's eyes welled up. "I want to be useful to you. But if something happened to you, I..." "It's fine. I won't die." Rugh patted Maha's head, light and gentle. "And the evidence you gathered is going to be a real weapon. Alone, I couldn't have done anything. I'm truly glad you're here." "...Brother." Maha gently took Rugh's hand. "We'll definitely bring Lady Dia back. I'll give it everything I have, too." "Yeah. I'm counting on you." —— The next morning. Rugh went alone to the headquarters of the Star-Reading Council, in the northwest of the royal capital. The Star-Reading Council—a mutual aid organization of star-reading mages. Operating independently of the academy, they investigated the curse. An old stone building. In contrast to the imposing Royal Academy of Magic, it stood hushed and still. Rugh knocked on the door. "It's Rugh of the Touahade family. I'd like to see Council head Lawrence." After a while, the door opened. "We've been expecting you. This way." A young mage led Rugh inside. The interior was dim. Candlelight flickered against the walls. He was shown to a room in the back, where an old mage sat. A white beard reaching his chest, a face carved with deep wrinkles. But his eyes shone sharp, belying his age. "So you've come, young Touahade." "You're Lord Lawrence?" "That I am. Lawrence, head of the Star-Reading Council. Make yourself comfortable." Lawrence gestured to the chair across from him. Rugh sat down. "I'll be blunt. I want to rescue Dia Vicone, who's being held by the academy. I'm asking for the Council's cooperation." Lawrence looked steadily into Rugh's eyes. "...It's true that your bloodline is connected to the incident thirty years ago." Rugh's shoulders tensed faintly. "But that is not your sin." Lawrence's voice was quiet. "I know what your ancestor did. But you need not carry it. You are you." Rugh couldn't say anything. Deep in his chest, something slowly melted. (...This old man knows.) (The dark past of my family.) (And still, he sees me as me.) "...Thank you." Rugh bowed his head. "No need for thanks. Now, about the cooperation." Lawrence spread a sheet of paper on the desk. "Headmaster Theodore Vain. He intends to use the curse for political gain. He's developing a device to control the curse, and with that power he means to rule the kingdom. The Council must stop him." "...So it was true." "You'd noticed as well. Then this will be quick." Lawrence drew a floor plan of the research lab on the paper. "Dia Vicone is confined in the academy's underground research lab. Security is tight, but there's a gap during the guard change. The Council's mages will handle the diversion." "...Truly?" "Yes. The academy's high-handedness cannot be overlooked. Besides, Dia Vicone is a brilliant star-reading mage. We cannot afford to lose her." Lawrence's eyes glinted with resolve. "The operation is three nights from now. We strike during the guard change. Until then, get your people ready." "...Understood." Rugh nodded deeply. (Now I've got a thread to pull for a counterattack.) (Dia, wait for me.) —— When he returned to the capital villa, Tart was waiting at the entrance. "Master! Welcome home." Despite her bandaged body, Tart showed him a smile. "Yeah. ...Tart, the operation's set. In three days, we infiltrate the academy's research lab." "Really!" Tart's face lit up. "Master, I'll go too. I'll be useful, I promise." "...Your wounds haven't healed yet." "It's fine. For your sake, Master, wounds like these are nothing." Tart puffed out her chest. "Besides, my super speed works well enough even with wounds unhealed. I will protect you, absolutely." "...Tart." Rugh placed a hand on Tart's shoulder. "Don't push yourself. If you collapse, it's all for nothing." "Master..." Tart's eyes grew moist. "I'm just happy that you'd worry about me like that, Master." Tart smiled shyly. Even in a man's body, that smile was somehow like a young girl's. Seeing it, something pricked faintly deep in Rugh's chest. (Tart is risking her life for me.) (How am I supposed to answer that feeling?) Unable to find an answer, Rugh looked away. —— For three days, preparations moved forward. Maha thoroughly investigated the academy's guard rotation. "Brother, the guard change is at ten at night. At that moment, the barrier at the main gate weakens for just a few seconds." "A few seconds... that's enough." "Yes. With Tart's speed, she can slip in during that gap. The Council's mages will stage a diversion at the main gate. While they do, you head for the underground lab." Maha explained, showing the diagram she'd drawn in her notebook. "...Perfect." "Fufu, don't underestimate my information network." Maha smiled proudly. But behind that smile, unease flickered. "Maha. Your information is solid. I trust it." "...Brother." "Thank you. I'm really glad you're here." Rugh ruffled Maha's hair. Maha looked startled for a moment, then smiled happily. "Hearing you say that, brother, makes me want to work even harder." —— The night of the operation. The moon was hidden behind thick clouds. The lights of the royal capital of Alvein blurred in the distance. Rugh, Tart, and Maha lurked behind the academy. "...It's time." Rugh's voice was quiet. "Let's go." "Yes, Master." "Brother, be careful." The three of them moved. —— In front of the main gate. The Council's mages began their diversion. "We will not tolerate the corruption of Headmaster Theodore Vain!" The mages loosed bolts of light. Boom! Boom! The barrier at the main gate shuddered. The guard mages rushed toward the gate all at once. "Intruders! Gather at the main gate!" —— In that gap. Tart ran, cutting through the wind. "Master, this way!

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Episode 6

Name: The Cursed Gender Swap: My Fiancées Are All Men?! The Assassin Noble Luge's Hellish Rom-Com
Author: Novelia

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