Chapter 147
6FKZu3rAfter obtaining the immense treasure left behind by the First Emperor and following Aint’s breakthrough in his battle against the chimera, the Academy overcame another minor obstacle: the midterm exams of the first semester.4dlC9
hKDbqZvFernan didn’t worry too much about grades. For him, the only thing that mattered was not getting expelled from the Ravidus Hall.FLfGO
GxbBThe problem was that his partner in the duo was too strong.21CcMbf
6PNc【First place in the third-year midterm exams, Knight Department: Luina Bercheff】zzf
6hESxC【Second place in the third-year midterm exams, Magic Department: Fernan Pellenberg】73dD8f
5JZcENot all classes were paired, but the most important ones were. Thanks to that influence, Fernan ended up scoring higher than expected, achieving second place in magic thanks to his outstanding note-taking ability.nOpeC
zasZNSa【First place in the third-year midterm exams, Magic Department: Carlo Deneb】IBtsQ
eslhiCarlo Deneb took first place. During the winter break, his prowess had risen dramatically, as if he had sharpened his sword in secret.NhHIug
xED0“I hope he hasn’t turned corrupt.”a6p
84arWmFernan shook his head. Suspecting anyone who showed growth was becoming a disease. Carlo had always been talented; he had only fallen behind temporarily against Fernan, who had the advantage of Luina as his partner.KBPUi
3rCE“In any case, students of the Academy growing stronger is a good thing.”tiS
L66pw00Even if they were “just” students, in reality they were outstanding prodigies from across the continent. They were the future of the Empire and the continent itself; their progress meant the misfortune of demons.9TliRA
0WZ【First place in the second-year midterm exams, Knight Department: Aint Armian】EqiAT
slF7wAint also stood out as a prominent presence. After absorbing all of the First Emperor’s arrangements and fighting Andromalius and other magical beasts, he had shown astonishing growth. After breaking through in his battle with the chimera, he became unmatched among the second-year knights.VxRS
5pfXmIn the Knight Department, Aint Armian was viewed with the same respect as Jace Vines in the Magic Department.yKcjJEj
yNIUl【The tragedy that struck Bercheff, will the wall remain firm?】xHq
JlhVcI7【The north would have fallen a hundred times over without Bercheff…】qFeuMB
0kdgU【The corrupt begin to stir; a continental response is urgently needed】tShG
ofV【The natural enemy of demons takes first place in the Academy】FRp5
BFSThe newspapers highlighted the invasion of Kimaris, spreading fear and emphasizing the need for a continental alliance.zvekwY
HB3O37P“It turned out well.”OjhE
sDVs“Yes, His Excellency made sure of it.”XR20W
ItJAmid it all, Aint’s figure stood out subtly. All of it was the work of the Pellenbergs. Fernan was slowly weaving the board.CTQtWCI
nuO“There’s a rumor that Timon Baertz had a breakthrough thanks to Aint.”ILkRa
zdyeasx“A breakthrough?”uOda
mAsCHmE“Yes. They say he broke through after a duel with him.”ANf2N
gaZ“A duel?”8yYU0z
1ZdSUFernan frowned. Were they referring to the time he knocked him unconscious on purpose to check if he was a corrupt?xOxHXNx
YPYgAe‘And being pushed to the limit gave him a revelation?’rF4zbX7
eJbIt wasn’t impossible. For Timon, Aint was far too superior, and obtaining insight after clashing with someone that strong wasn’t uncommon.4iV
bDMgmb“That’s why he gave him a thank-you gift and now holds him in high regard.”LWdh
rPehY“A guy who should have turned corrupt ends up a follower of Aint? What if it’s a ploy?”Uyl
1QETMx“But Aint himself checked him, didn’t he?”drQ
a8WaX“Yes, he did.”x7I
TRXCMUeThat only deepened the doubt. Maybe Abel’s appearance had shifted the direction entirely. Or maybe Abel was just an addition, and Timon simply hadn’t fallen yet.0bj
LBrdK“For now, it’s best to keep him close to Aint. If he changes, Aint will notice right away. If not, he’ll be a useful servant.”bBLR
hCaOurB“And Ludger? How has he reacted?”3eKX
96I4n“He must have heard the rumors, but he hasn’t done anything.”w1QFj6
xeNs5“He must be losing his mind.”wPOIf
jVuoSince his failed assassination attempt on Aint, Ludger had remained silent. And with Aint staying quiet, he must be going mad.1N4di
f9C7“We’ll leave him be for now. And…”m4Tgtd
Bkt1aFernan gently tapped the table.d3Kc
WP9Since he obtained the First Emperor’s treasure, there had been no more prophetic visions. The world had changed too much for further revelations to be of much help.mN0
IyIXotMFor now, the continent was relatively at peace. Perhaps because Kimaris had died in Bercheff and the corrupt were hiding, or maybe due to the wave of hunts for the corrupt in several regions.uWCT5o
nxPThe Academy had also returned to a near-normal state, like before the prophecy.FVKt1
C3gZa“With peace and new students, it’s time to reopen the Masked Club.”skq24r
8Wdv8qThe club hadn’t disappeared, but Fernan had been too busy to participate.HpL
hcgTtp“This time we’ll celebrate in style.”vMtV
GlY“I’ll prepare everything.”EZll
2rc“Send new invitations to Senior Gismond and the top first-year students.”7c1YbVt
HJg“Yes.”SWH
hctU2nCPeace wouldn’t last forever, but for now it was time to return to the essence of the Academy—a place of fellowship where the future powers of the continent forged their relationships.B1U
GQ895J***vms
G6Fxf4h“…What am I supposed to do?”k5epw
7WPBella Hoenne looked bewildered at the sudden request.vXrc9q
7UZT“I want you to choose clothes. For Aint Armian.”PoAVE
A7CT“And why should I do that?”jIma4
LNOJzL0“I saw you picked well for Luina. You have a sense of fashion, unlike me and my circle.”PPOfJBA
MFi4z4LBella shook her head.CqbU
ax1w“Don’t come at me with nonsense, Fernan. The Hoenne have always been neutral.”Pw7dF
dRoVNS“This isn’t a scheme. Think carefully, Bella Hoenne. Look at the state of the continent now.”5hT4
1k4“And you say it’s not a scheme!”k3rD
HvrBella shouted. She knew it too—the continent was stirring more and more, and Aint Armian’s name was beginning to echo. The gap with Schwaben was still wide, but with demons multiplying, that wall no longer seemed insurmountable.iXRlxlY
18uN6rsThe power left by the First Emperor, Aint’s special strength against demons, his tacit alliance with Fernan, and his recent closeness with Luina.aJS
NQmxi0f‘And Aria Fridian has been with them from the beginning.’or26fK1
LqZ3That already made three potential backers among the seven electoral votes.y3I
3gv4And on top of that, that damned “saint” Fernan was friends with—just thinking about it made Bella grind her teeth.Hwrs
XL3“I understand what you’re saying. But there’s one thing—all of you are heirs, not heads of houses.”dplap
6yb5“And why not consider that this reflects the will of the patriarchs themselves?”zu9
5GY“What?”sIBx
WFKn7Re“No, rather—my will.”OcN
U7OGMmBella clenched her teeth. Punching that smiling, cynical face would be such a relief.kCua
Bfgd“…Fine.”ksF
pBV8eRIn the end, she accepted. A good merchant knew how to keep a foot in both camps if necessary. If Aint ever ascended to the throne, rejecting him now would be an unforgivable mistake.shAQE
K0MVL6Besides, Hoenne was heavily reliant on Pellenberg in trade. She could always use pressure as an excuse.gknk
rzeWXlN“Excellent choice. Ah, I forgot to mention—it’s not just for Aint. There are three in total.”1IIsRZw
4u9“Three? Who else?”ETURE
6rO4“One is your friend.”Q5Iqm9
EUZ3pPp“Luina, of course. I always chose her clothes myself.”nmWSt
U8QIBella nodded calmly; she had already planned to buy Luina dresses anyway.X7C
sQI1“And the last… is that sanctimonious guy who only wears a robe.”94br
ch60“…Jace? That bastard!?”gMwP8KX
b5WAIwNBella exploded.fT1y
4YG8PFe“You hate him that much?”phpFzFM
aT6R5R“Of course! How could I forget—he tried to kill me!”sFREn
UbLxCA“But you didn’t die.”6OOhJp
ebYqmO“I almost did!”Tot0lJ
CpSO“I was there too. So was Luina. You weren’t going to die.”J0LZ
LSziDh“But he tried to!”jWU
E58tSs“Because at the time you were corrupted.”NUREa
QYFCBella screamed in indignation.uOeH
irz“The miasma invaded me without me noticing—that doesn’t make me a corrupt!”IScj
G7ttX3“Be that as it may, I’ll take that as a yes.”eVCT4S
jrwJM“Wait, no, Jace is—!”CpLOBix
2zQGYnFernan disappeared before she could stop him.RTD
75FVmTThe door opened again.8a8
QqV“…I didn’t say I accepted!”YIQ
UPVYBut there they were—Luina, Aint, and Jace.GKNnA
g51Bella swallowed hard. She didn’t have the nerve to insult, to his face, the very man who reminded her of that nightmare.XPhwDw
dbdji“Bella, could you help us?”RHGo
0bGMD6“Hello, Senior.”ULY4x
azgngYF“A pleasure to see you again, Senior.”DDENLY
9bmf‘Damn you, Fernan, greedy worm!’fUkjpM
qCt3apBella went back to hating him with all her soul.0iY6R
b6gu***hJizp
3jY“…So today’s the day.”wUu29M
0JdZ9xEShe let out a sigh without meaning to.UVBOjS
LAXroDThe day she wished would never come had arrived.VbaL
ewcFrom a social club to a Yacht Club, and finally transformed into the Masked Club—the Academy’s greatest society.NrinW
jhy4yijOfficially, it was led by Ludger, but in truth, it was Fernan.WVGuCD6
uDKZw4The reason was simple—it was a club Fernan had built with his own money.ncwt
Jtk04“Aint Armian will be there too.”9yP
iSyFernan had decided to expand the stage.5OMaoOq
AEIWhat did that mean?O37yNPv
ROJSfThat he wanted to etch Aint Armian clearly into everyone’s memory.9cm4
D85S“That Fernan… why on earth is he supporting Aint Armian so much?”sj3WT
6yNh95Did he really believe Aint Armian could become emperor, that House Armian could be reborn?6yTVRdz
9vQD“That’s impossible.”wG3gs
DySFRPEven if the continent fell into chaos and the demons kept descending, it made no difference.I0uzIsO
Z3TaCSchwaben had worked for a long time to cement the throne.bi9kDM
yLsJ9They had even recently tried to change the Empire’s name to “Schwaben,” and though it failed, their efforts to secure the crown permanently continued.ndvp2
hzsozGUStealing Armian’s secret swordsmanship was part of those plans.eumg
fl8“…But Fernan has no way of knowing that.”GznYYC4
uVuZ3Even if he was a Pellenberg, how could he know that the First Prince of Schwaben was secretly learning the lost swordsmanship of Armian?Lbhyl
n5tPux“This could work to my advantage.”fbX0Xh1
ocfjIf the time came and she revealed that information, would Fernan still stand by Aint?V3XEBlt
T93AlwThe only advantage Armian had over Schwaben was being recognized as the natural enemy of demons thanks to his secret swordsmanship.aVO
Ysg“Pellenberg would never take that kind of risk.”Tqp
DhyftEuOf the seven prince-electors, Pellenberg was the most calculating in terms of profit.GTuwu
JjAIf he judged there was no future, he would switch sides without hesitation.q2cY
FaVPLudger then decided to attend the Masked Club.8F6vXvs
HewIIf he were absent, it was obvious Aint would become the center of attention, and he couldn’t allow that to happen right before his eyes.HFJ
dpBfORWith the help of his maids, he put on a splendid formal suit, donned a mask that covered half his face, and boarded the carriage.AuAEP
8NrjIThe masquerade ball was being held at the grand mansion owned by the Golden Turtle Company.hnaWG4L
zA0kWThe banquet hall of the mansion was so spacious it could host dozens of students along with their guests.0v4OB
1eDSince it was a masked ball, the entrance of each guest was not announced, unlike in other events.6xmjTC
aoWBut a mask couldn’t hide the overwhelming presence of Ludger.R6WW
rW7zAs soon as he entered, the soft music came to a halt, and all eyes turned to him.NQi
eXXwK7ZA circle soon formed around him.r0Yl4
nJIe“Your Highness. It’s been a while…”XpMw2g
2C6RYUQ“Your Highness, I…”yLA
Hj1SOnk‘I did well to come. I shouldn’t have secluded myself for so long.’0KBadM
VciJC2As always, it was in social gatherings that Ludger felt most alive.uXQYFL
LfCaIt was the power—the confirmation that he still had influence—that brought him such pleasure.YuAz9
AT3K‘No matter how much Aint Armian starts to make a name for himself, I—’5RSlVWs
B8gbTNAt that moment.7H1xVpC
xosN5jCreak—Yb1
CEpBThe door opened.V9Kl
2kVjThose nearby instinctively turned to look.csmG
GZcCt9OAnd once their eyes locked on the entrance, they couldn’t look away.CJJJYR
P8bO“What is it? Why are they all…?”3lJ1
rzD8GEVThe others also followed the gazes, their faces fixed on the entrance.h0o0Y
3DxpMore and more people turned to stare in that direction.pWeH
Esd“What’s going on? Who is…?”1IOm
DJHq9bLudger turned his head too.BV1ina
zxWaThere were two people.xn5
khMxA man with dazzling golden hair and an elf with soft crimson hair.w31lYTv
xMXosThe masks could not hide the natural majesty they exuded.oKvhCZs
GYOOUBut it wasn’t them that was capturing everyone’s attention.Hg7BO1
q45fIt was precisely—V8dZA
Zrv1QThe white bird resting on the man’s shoulder.rTEe5z
9U1s“Four wings…?”bv8a5w1
177“…It can’t be.”hFR2m
Pf9iDamn it.OeVh
R8wLudger couldn’t help but curse, though no one around him noticed.AOc
DU2orhP“…Saintbird?”eGCgn
waKWGLudger’s jaw dropped to its limit.vBu8
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