What Day Is It Today

Central Police Headquarters.

Basement level one, the physical training room.

A sparring ring.

Observers from various organizations had already gathered.

When I entered with my group, all eyes snapped toward us.

“P……”

Arsen, who had turned to greet me with delight, quickly covered his mouth with his hand.

Good work in front of people.

I grabbed Arsen by the arm and dragged him toward the wall.

“Why did you just start to say Your? Were you about to call me Your Majesty? Get it together!”

“I — I’ll correct it immediately.”

“Just don’t talk to me in front of others if you can help it.”

Arsen had no talent for acting to begin with.

I asked about the situation.

“Did you bring the kids?”

“Yes, I selected members from the leadership, officers, and rank-and-file who could keep their mouths shut, just as you instructed.”

“What’s the atmosphere like?”

“Confused but understanding. The Kedrik case needs to be investigated and resolved, but our hands are tied and nothing’s moving because we can’t coordinate with each other.”

The duel between the Railway Military Police commander and the Central Police Chief, with their positions on the line.

Absurd at first glance, but the reasoning was simple enough.

In the end, it was about power.

I nodded, and Arsen lowered his voice.

“However…… public opinion about Empress Lang Ei is worsening.”

“Huh?”

“They think she set this up to intimidate the Railway Military Police. That’s how people are understanding it.”

Well, Lang Ei was here right now.

The Empress who ruled the empire — this absurd duel was being read as her political maneuvering.

“Public order and police are under Lang Ei’s jurisdiction, so……”

“Of course, I know…… that it’s Your……”

“Did you slip again?”

“……That it’s Lord Rigen’s intention. But the regular members don’t know that.”

I nodded.

“Doesn’t matter. I’m going to win, and everyone who sees it will go back and spread the word. That the Special Officer thrashed Chief Byorn into the ground.”

Then the Railway Military Police members would follow my orders even more closely.

As for Byorn? I’d just cut him loose and appoint a new successor.

I’d tell Lang Ei to pick someone competent this time.

Then I could control the Central Police too.

What remained was the imperial military — solve that and I’d have command of all military forces in the capital.

Arsen suddenly asked.

“……But why is the Empress acting like that?”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know, she’s just…… like a puppy following its owner around.”

“……”

If even Arsen noticed, it was extremely obvious.

I turned to look, and Lang Ei, who had been watching me from a distance, flinched.

Her tail shot straight up.

Two seconds later, she spun a sharp ninety degrees.

Acting like she’d never been looking at me in the first place.

“……”

Anyone could see something was off.

I shook my head.

“She doesn’t know it’s me. She’s making assumptions and getting confused.”

“Is that so? But the way others see it…… isn’t it a bit dangerous?”

When I gave him a look, Arsen hesitated and said,

“……I know the full story, but others don’t. And Empress Lang Ei has a reputation as a proud tiger who reigns on the battlefield, doesn’t she?”

“She’s just a woman with no social awareness beyond fighting. Everyone’s projecting fantasies onto her because she’s gorgeous.”

“No, that’s…… from your perspective, sir.”

“You just came up with the strangest title for me. Do you really want to do this?”

“Ah, anyway, you’re going to be misunderstood at this rate.”

At Arsen’s words, I turned to look again, and Lang Ei was staring vacantly at me.

The moment she noticed my gaze, she turned her body a full 180 degrees like she hadn’t been watching.

Lang Ei was a beauty who drew every eye in a room.

Even with her face hidden under a hat, everyone recognized her, and even those who didn’t stared mindlessly.

The woman herself kept looking only at me, then pretending she wasn’t.

In the end, people kept glancing between me and Lang Ei.

Wondering who I was and what my relationship with Lang Ei might be.

“Ah, is it really that bad?”

“Yes, she just looks like a girl in love.”

“……”

Right, objectively that’s what it looked like.

Arsen added,

“If the misunderstanding spreads, won’t it complicate things going forward? Or……”

“Got it. I’ll handle it myself.”

I couldn’t just leave it like this.

I’d deal with it separately after finishing this fight.

I made up my mind and turned, and a dark elf approached.

A familiar face.

The one I’d let go during the Kedrik incident — Albert.

“We meet again.”

Arsen withdrew tactfully.

Albert explained.

“I heard about the situation and came immediately. I’ve been assigned to referee this match.”

“On the Queen of Assassins’ orders?”

I’d deliberately leaked the information to the dark elves.

But Albert was high-ranking and busy — for him to arrive this quickly?

Albert shook his head.

“No, I wanted to come myself.”

“……”

“I heard you and Her Majesty had some discord. But if I report this properly, Her Majesty will reconsider.”

He wanted to change the Queen of Assassins’ mind.

Albert would observe this match, then report back that I wasn’t someone to be taken lightly — that it would be better to bring me in rather than oppose me.

Trying to repay the favor from before.

“Thank you.”

I gave Albert’s shoulder a couple of light taps.

Albert smiled bitterly.

“No, I’m sorry I can’t do more than this.”

“So, any other intel?”

I asked without much expectation.

Albert thought for a moment, then said,

“The two celestials in the corner brought a Grade Two healing potion. They say it’s for emergencies, but it looks like they’re here on the Fifth Empress’s orders to scout.”

“……”

The celestials — the Fifth Empress had originally worked with the Queen of Assassins to try to resolve Miriel’s situation.

But I’d solved it, so they were probably watching to see what I’d do next.

Whether I knew the secret of the healing potions, and if so, how they should negotiate with me.

“And thirty minutes ago, Chief Byorn entered the evidence storage room.”

“……”

The moment information about this duel leaked, they must have immediately activated their intelligence network.

As always, the dark elves’ speed of information transmission was incredible.

Albert lowered his voice further.

“I don’t know what he did in there. But it doesn’t seem likely he went in just to clear his head before a match.”

“Right, got it. I’ll be careful.”

Albert bowed his head and withdrew toward the other dark elves.

Having collected myself, I scanned the crowd.

A private match, so only about twenty people.

But the attendees were significant.

Railway Military Police Commander Arsen and his members, high-ranking dark elves, and celestials from the Finance Ministry sent on the Fifth Empress’s orders.

And the Central Police leadership and members watching.

In front of all these people, Byorn wouldn’t be able to back out.

“Then let’s wrap this up.”

I climbed lightly onto the ring.

Leaning back against the ropes on the square ring, I watched everyone turn their eyes toward me.

Lang Ei removed her hat and looked at me too.

“……”

I looked directly at Lang Ei.

Unlike before, Lang Ei didn’t avoid my eyes.

As if she’d realized something.

Nod.

I gave her a single nod and looked away.

Footsteps approaching.

A stiff-faced dog beastman.

Byorn.

“……”

Byorn came near the ring and stamped his foot hard.

Thud!

His body shot up and cleared the three ropes, landing inside the ring.

Not using magic at all.

Pure beastman physical ability.

“Woooah……”

Members gasped in admiration — Byorn was clearly capable.

He wouldn’t have made it to Chief without at least that much.

I leaned against the ring ropes with my body tilted at an angle, watching him with an insolent look.

Byorn, however, was too busy looking around at the crowd to even glance at me.

His face twisted soon enough.

Obviously.

He’d found Lang Ei, and confirmed that she was staring straight at me.

“……”

Byorn’s eyes blazed as his tongue flicked out to lick his lips.

Anyone could see he was imagining extremely filthy things while looking at Lang Ei.

“That bastard’s a lost cause.”

Even in a duel staking his organization’s reputation and his future, he was getting aroused — he had no qualifications to lead.

And personally, I found it deeply offensive.

I was going to completely destroy Byorn today.

Silence.

As if it had been arranged, Albert below opened his mouth.

“Thank you all for attending. I have been chosen to mediate, though I am unworthy. I am Albert.”

Dark elves were trusted as neutral witnesses by all parties.

And as he belonged to neither the Railway Military Police nor the Central Police, both sides could accept him.

Albert looked around at the observers.

“I’m sure you all know why this match is being held, but I’ll explain briefly before we proceed. This is a winner-take-all match staking the pride of the Railway Military Police and Central Police, and the loser’s organization head will step down from their position immediately. In other words……”

“If Rigen loses, I step down immediately.”

Arsen stated.

The commander’s public declaration.

Said as the head of an organization — words worth their weight in gold.

Albert and the crowd looked at Byorn.

Byorn, standing in the ring, slowly nodded.

“If I lose, I will also step down from my position as Central Police Chief.”

“Good. The match format is simple. One side declares surrender, gets knocked out of the ring and can’t return within ten seconds, or dies — those determine victory. And if I judge that one side’s life is in danger, I’ll end the match immediately. Also, we have a Grade Two healing potion prepared, so even serious injuries can be treated and lives saved.”

“No objections.”

I accepted, and Byorn nodded as well.

Albert nodded.

“Then Her Majesty the Queen and I will observe. Let’s begin.”

……That’s bold?

The Queen of Assassins couldn’t possibly take my side in this situation.

But Albert mentioned the Queen anyway, subtly suggesting to the observers that her intentions were involved in this.

That the Queen of Assassins knew about this, so accept the results unconditionally.

Albert had done everything he possibly could to help me, right up to the edge.

Ding!

The bell rang and the match began.

Byorn dropped into a low stance and glared at me, and I grinned at him.

“Ah, but there’s one thing I need to say.”

“……?”

The bell had rung and the match had already started.

What more was there to say?

Time to rattle him.

“It’s about Empress Lang Ei……”

The crowd leaned in, and Byorn’s body went rigid.

I smiled and said,

“You think she’s on the Central Police’s side, but no. It’s the opposite.”

“……!”

Railway Military Police members looked shocked, and the Central Police looked shocked too.

The complete opposite of what they’d thought when they heard about this match.

I looked at Byorn and said,

“She said you stare at her in an absolutely disgusting way, that you keep hitting on her. That’s what I heard.”

Lang Ei had never said that.

No, she probably hadn’t even noticed Byorn’s gaze.

“Wh-wh-what……”

But Byorn himself stammered, his face turning bright red.

He never dreamed I’d expose this in front of everyone.

“It’s slander! Slander!”

Byorn screamed at the top of his lungs, but anyone could see his feet were burning.

And people looked at Lang Ei.

But as promised, she said nothing.

A stirring atmosphere.

Now everyone was reinterpreting this match.

Not a pride match between the Central Police and Railway Military Police.

But a punishment — an execution — for Byorn, who had dared show disrespect to the Empress.

“You son of a bitch!”

Byorn exploded and charged at me in an incredibly low stance.

But I collapsed my body and dropped flat on my back.

Like a soccer player going down for an indoor slide.

“……What.”

Wham!

And I grabbed the first rope with one hand and kicked straight up vertically.

Byorn, who’d been charging in low, took the kick right to the chin and staggered backward.

A dizzy expression.

He never imagined he’d get countered like this.

At least his instincts made him throw his body backward, so he avoided taking the full impact.

SHRRRK.

I flipped through a midair somersault and landed perched on the third rope.

The rope bouncing up and down violently.

I crouched on it, grinning.

“You said ‘son of a bitch’? Everyone knows that already. And everyone knows what day today is.”

Byorn’s face filled with shock.

Jumping over the ropes was one thing — leaping ability and physical prowess could manage that.

But stepping on and crouching on a violently swaying third rope?

That required a sense of weight and balance.

Overwhelmingly so.

“Today’s the day we put down a dog.”

As a psychic using telekinesis, I was stronger indoors.

And in a narrow ring with ropes to use?

This was my world.