Chapter 146
c3eZbr“You should start preparing yourself too.”DMvdt
1bVsThat day, as usual, Aint had gone to see Silver and stopped by Fernan’s office. With a sip of hot coffee and in good spirits, Fernan cast a bait.j9n
MKWwdEh“Prepare myself?”AhEc3GC
dxh“Demons have been summoned, and the corrupt are spreading across the continent like cancer. It’s no longer a problem limited to the Academy.”0sVT
ragvV5qThe demon issue was now continental. Inevitably, its scale was growing.UiF
jj0vFSa“Humans live in communities, they form relationships. No matter how strong you are, alone, you can’t do anything. You need a faction that supports your reputation and strength.”XX5o7y
gBl0Even without demons, if Aint dreamed of becoming emperor, this was a challenge he would eventually have to face. An emperor is not a loner, but one who rules over all.ibG
fHIK6x“I’ve thought about it, but it’s not easy.”JRj
msW“The Academy gathers talents from across the continent. And many of them come from good backgrounds. If you can win some of them over, it’ll be a great help.”4z6
CW6bP9q“Yes.”KEDI
TJOuBFAint already knew this, which is why the first thing he had done was draw Verian to his side.rsg78b
6aZxl2CWithin his own year, some followed him, but beyond that it was difficult. The shadow of Ludger and Schwaben still loomed too heavily. Even though he was a hero and demons had appeared, the gap between Armian and Schwaben remained an insurmountable wall.aMjfA
G6lhQ9“But what matters most is your origin, your roots. No one takes shelter under the shadow of a weed. People seek rest under the shade of a great tree.”EqdDpMP
Y9Ba7Aint immediately understood what that meant.oRZazK
lMh2“But Armian is too weak.”f7ZS
P8wNot just weak—it had locked itself in the nostalgia of past glories, living turned away from the world. That alone achieved nothing. Its order of knights and mage battalion barely numbered one each, and were far inferior to those of other prince-electors. Their personal troops barely reached a hundred.hYQVMC
mJH9bThe reason was obvious—maintaining knights, mages, and soldiers required money, and after losing most of its lands, Armian no longer had the resources to sustain more.EQ8zPal
Plw9“Still, you can’t put it off forever. Armian is your base, those who will support you until the end, your reliable rear guard.”7kxz
mXEjWThe foundation had to be solid and grand.FFbl0bd
3n4la“I’ll give you the money.”LVdVi
vi1Pzx“…What?”6xJ8au2
6YUq1iH“To be precise, I’ll lend it to you.”2Xq
cwGPr— Reject it, Aint!MV3otAz
dSStmOH— Even if he’s helped you a lot, accepting money from Pellenberg is something else entirely!U6wENZW
nUgQ1QHe didn’t even need Gardner to say it—Aint knew it well. The clearest case was Frazia. Fernan had made them sell their rights to the Golden Edict, blocking any other lender to force them to come to him at a higher interest. Even if his behavior seemed different recently, the general opinion was that Fernan had tried to destroy Frazia from the root.JtONe
ig9IAA“I owe you a lot, but…”Pj49n
cLCM0R“Afraid I’ll scam you?”pRDZ9x
ePY“…If I’m being honest, yes.”RXwh
voWPHfJ“Then let’s make a contract. I’ll set it at 5% annual.”3hsin4
4LLThat was a surprisingly low interest rate—almost the absolute minimum. Aint hesitated—rebuilding Armian required money, and that was an undeniable fact.GZqI
hIMstd“And the conditions?”Wlzc7
y2hLf— Don’t accept it, Aint! Don’t fall for it!ODz
Hsot“A 10-year term, with a one-time extension of 5 years possible. And it’ll be simple interest, not compound.”F41Tu
6x7x0HvThe amount.IQJqHJr
PF7“As much as you want.”vdHnO
q5p“…What if I say an impossible sum?”AglWVk
fTfpKoL“Doesn’t matter. No one on this continent has more money than Pellenberg.”szQx
93AiAnd it was true—he was already at the top before, but with the treasure left by the First Emperor, the gap was astronomical.ZMbeZj9
rz4KwQ“If you want, I’ll put everything in writing. I swear there’ll be no hidden clauses.”fA30
qrsAJk“Really?”AEBpl
M9fw“Of course. I’m not going to scam the hero who’s going to save the continent. If the demons conquer it, all money becomes worthless.”pEHm6
qMDAsIThe logic was crushing.5HkqEM
JL5Q— Hmph… he shouldn’t accept… but the conditions are too good…9Mz7
GRSJEGIndeed, they were very favorable. The Empire usually lent at 8% annual compound interest, and many charged even more.qGc
L0FV7“Thanks for the offer, but I can’t decide alone. I’ll consult first.”DMpdbw
UKT“That’s fine. Speaking of which, how’s the duke?”3uUE
tndBy “duke,” he meant the head of Armian.nueP5yH
XdGXb“Yes.”UCBtlXa
3s2laJ7“Has he said anything about your achievements?”C7Fa
yZOIE“Actually, I haven’t seen him since I entered the Academy. Not in summer or winter—I stayed in Frazia working as a mercenary.”91J
hP2IA“That’s why he wrote to you. He’ll want you to return this summer for a long conversation.”SKm
y8xAXNaturally, after being isolated so long, the duke must be surprised that his son, who had barely asked to go to the Academy, was now being called a hero.NEF
MG7‘What will he think?’hXfcPJ
QYBa8GThat he shouldn’t draw attention and just preserve the bloodline? Or that he should trust him and support him fully? Honestly, the former was more likely.ZJ69K
YSUrIf he were the kind of man who didn’t fear Schwaben, he would’ve made a move already.cLtb
x5hHzQ‘I hope it’s the second… but if not, it doesn’t matter.’dMNwW
AkQPGFernan was convinced—with his wealth, he could provide Aint the foundation he needed.mfz
ixIZIgj***OWzVb6V
Qva7iY“Is it true that Senior Aint beat you up so badly on a rainy day you ended up wrecked?”YM7qUI4
JmrMr“I heard he knocked you unconscious.”PYnWA
eok5“No, he didn’t hit me—it was a duel.”cargXNu
Mp7“A duel disguised as a beating, you mean?”3IFV9
o8Ilh“No wonder they say that even if he’s a hero, he’s not as soft as he looks.”8nF
P2e7“Stop spouting nonsense. If I’m telling you it wasn’t like that, why are you making such a fuss?”PyW
IpgTimon Baertz frowned at his friends’ teasing.3XMV
f8GVI“I was the one who asked for the duel first, and Senior accepted. Yes, it was tough, but for a knight, that level of roughness is normal.”dnT
ZeN9lEven though he ended up unconscious after dozens of duels, Timon was convinced it was because Aint saw him as worthy of it.izL
hzrFDcD‘My skill was good enough to awaken Senior’s competitive spirit.’WNNy
IhyxfdIf it weren’t, he wouldn’t have had a reason to insist so much on a match with a junior.MPUL
xaJLipS“And most importantly—thanks to him, I broke the wall.”q99h
SNP0“Seriously?”2jp
SCu“You broke the wall?”gnxjW
umPHhBreaking the wall meant leveling up—reaching a new stage. His friends’ eyes widened in amazement.yp6x
YrPqU5“How did you do it?”LhRWaE
QzDIBV“All thanks to Senior Aint’s guidance.”FNgtqc
ypIMIt wasn’t a lie.5dJR5
yWzE9zTimon had never pushed himself so hard in his life or been driven to such a limit.yrj
xUod9tQThe duel with Aint had been the first great trial of his life, and that trial had made him grow.2JZQt
xRwYrxVNaturally, his respect for Aint only deepened.P1l8
u4kFKE‘Senior knew exactly what I lacked—and that’s why he gave me those duels… he was guiding me!’rmBL
oPxM0If not, he wouldn’t have achieved enlightenment at just the right moment.KSOespI
RPILZWhile basking in the envy of his friends, Timon stood up.HTl
F50Imt3Because of the aftereffects of so many duels, he hadn’t seen Aint for several days, but now he felt fully recovered.tuoQGm
bB06jne‘I need to thank him.’f8Jb
V3PI4GEven beasts acknowledge those who feed them. And Aint hadn’t just given him duels—he had helped him break through his wall. Not thanking him would be unforgivable.u51b0P
eWF7Og6Loaded with gifts, Timon found Aint in a café, chatting with his friends.UkcH
2voy1G“Senior Aint!”6iRs7ab
Bv2His voice rang out loudly, drawing everyone’s attention, but he didn’t care. He bowed before Aint.cf81Z
jsB0DJU“Thank you, senior.”hi4
9lakO“…Huh, hello. Thanks for what?”0oPTtD
5YXqEVs“Thanks to you, I managed to break the wall!”EoCmpHi
7K9“…The wall?”Rdje7bF
G1o0jnuAint’s eyes widened. The same happened with Verian and Aria, who were beside him.2zNl
d3nBkw“What did you do, Aint? What did you give him?”4snvD
4Qc“Nothing! I just made him fight until he passed out and checked that he wasn’t a corrupt infiltrator…”g5aA5jy
FQAIohHe never imagined that would lead to an epiphany.Kyu
cBglhe“Please accept this, senior!”WDQ
vAe1jTimon placed the gifts on the table.d4hp
S5GU9C“High-level potions from the shop. I hope they’re useful to you.”iUUg5
BUu“…This makes me a little uncomfortable.”Y2h0G
pf5“I beg you, please accept them. Don’t make me look like an ungrateful man who received help and didn’t give thanks.”P72sC
cDEjaiAfter such insistence, Aint couldn’t refuse.7d9L3
4mpjhy“Can I sit with you?”UgNECR
b57MpyHe was about to say no, but he remembered the conversation with Fernan.NcNg3n
x8gzO‘We said we’d watch him a bit more closely.’V0GZNxv
na2fAt least for now, it was better to keep him close than to push him away.UpbN
8v1O“Do what you want.”uSn
6ph3Doc“Thank you!”3HEdR
bvMnvj8“And that one behind you, did he come with you too?”UfmJR
vMLc“Behind?”vtje
Tfz2wTimon turned and saw a first-year student with a sharp expression.OSci
4Ok“Yusta Fakar? No, he didn’t come with me…”AZQHbR
wHpsAYusta ignored everyone else and stood in front of Verian.M9SgY
QNzIR“Senior Verian, I challenge you to a duel.”JxWY6
cxcHis voice was polite, but his eyes brimmed with defiance.KEWDdz0
Wx1y“Do you know him, Verian?”Gc7Ll
12LlL“Saying yes or no is complicated.”8SRWQsJ
X5VhVerian let out a bitter laugh.ewHgEz6
xNU2“How curious… Aint gets gifts from a newbie, and I get flies buzzing around me.”ZDDj
Jk6eKv“If you’re scared, you can refuse me.”se0EST8
3UJ“Follow me. I’ll show you what the difference in level means.”u56fQUc
SQ7Verian stood up suddenly and walked off, Yusta closely behind him.etBJ
py2“…What was that?”1r6Uj
80btc“The marquess family Kalburdern and the Fakar family have been rivals for generations. They famously don’t get along. Always competing. Kalburdern usually has the upper hand, but Fakar isn’t far behind.”vLCr
3YGr0REIt was said that if a new prince-elector were to be chosen someday, it would most likely be from one of those two houses.NjF2iw1
fJh27UJThat’s why people always compared them, and the rivalry only grew stronger.hRP5FE
gJJ0Zp9“You speak in pretty good detail, huh?”uXydg0Y
KbH“Of course. I know almost everything about the Empire’s nobles and their relationships.”Kcibs
3DoAria shrugged.qyQLGYJ
urOzISV“Senior Aint.”wpEkEX
uZC0Aint turned and was met with a gaze that made him very uncomfortable.ejtvZ
woG“…What is it?”BHVEd8F
lxQab— This guy has the same eyes as those fanatics from the old Dragon God Cult.2HI8wb
LZt4FZK“It may sound sudden, but…”QIK
jKJLQTimon lowered his voice.tg117R0
enG5E“I want to stand by your side, senior.”kRq9
lbNKv2***iG0ne
5T3mi3RIn a tavern in Frazia, full of mercenaries.mcPs
DJU1U5“……”OBvEfF
wG0The bald mercenary, who was devouring a huge piece of meat in one bite, suddenly stopped.wO6PZJy
qUN1“Boss? What’s wrong all of a sudden?”djA
sS390NN“I don’t know… the meat tastes weird. I don’t want to keep eating.”gMgE
R8ynZA“…Don’t want to keep eating? You already ate it all.”a4r
3j8Instead of answering, he set the bone on the table and stood up.OpiYE0
WUMR1“I’m heading up first.”dlv
IxNRZHe went up to the private suite on the third floor and locked the door.wNwItTc
xiPfC“Report.”GSe
w3zGdWhoosh—, a figure emerged from the shadow.b8529
ujjqG“With the eye of Andrealphus as bait, Abel Callins covered everything and perished. After that, they didn’t notice anything.”N6ycQ
N3Yq0i“Who found out?”WVkTDWv
BJX“As expected, that paranoid one discovered everything and acted. Also, Aint Armian seems to be following Fernan Pellenberg’s instructions.”50fdb
kPDk“This confirms it. That man is more dangerous than Aint.”PUBPxo5
3WXHe couldn’t wield a repulsive power like Aint’s, but his paranoia and the influence he exerted with his massive authority were a far greater obstacle.uF2B
VDMFaiH“Did he die, by chance? Hopefully.”LrF
28G“He’s still alive. It would’ve been better if he’d been caught in the explosion, but…”MmA
Zn0o5EC“He’s someone they call an expert in self-annihilation. He wouldn’t fall that easily.”jqEG8mw
uzfKHe showed no attachment. In fact, surviving wasn’t a problem.D0vWCx
pmh“And what about the cover-up?”5K0x
gEJFX“It was processed as a voluntary resignation. We believe the rector and Fernan coordinated it.”8p7XQI
D9B“Excellent. Trying to hide it without going public… that’ll be their downfall.”KFEK0U
47ikKuhuhuhu—, he let out a dark chuckle.Limz61r
e5fARCHis recent plans hadn’t been going well. He discovered the cause was always Aint and Fernan, so he had decided to change his approach.ItuYz
wLvE2The start was promising. Their attempts to cover things up would only play in his favor. Unless they completely overhauled the Academy, no one would uncover the truth.sqh4Nj
ldoJv“Aint thinks he definitely died, and will never consider what comes next.”m7Y
foEyI“Yes. And since the body completely disappeared—just like with Andromalius or Kimaris—they won’t suspect a next step.”0nteEi
ro6ZYC“The rector must be furious. He’ll react somehow. Send in the next one immediately. The more they calm down believing everything is over, the more the moment will ripen.”fa4
kmflQknAnd that “moment” would be—IKlW2h
cfE“The collapse of the Empire’s cradle.”YVDWMg
n32yruEven if they had to accept some losses, it didn’t matter.Hzw5j
VsvDfLt“Oh, and if Fernan or Aint leave the Academy, attack them—even if it’s forced. If it works, great. If it fails, it still serves as a distraction.”YohRv
YN0pv“Yes.”ilf8
UH3The carriage was already in motion.6EC9JQp
LSUWhile humanity struggled to erect obstacles to stop them, they could only move forward by destroying them.MJ0M9fD
JOxOne way or another.sXqf
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