Chapter 154
Xi3Two Rahnas, countless monsters, and even the corrupt mastermind behind it all.NTs7H
RYkieThe attack had ended, and for the time being, the situation was considered resolved.fVVye
kgQbGLLBut Fernan’s mind was far from calm. He now had more questions than before.h5zjB
e1gZAs he gently petted Wooden, who was sleeping while hanging from his necklace, he asked.I9O
BOz“Do you have any idea what that book might have been?”h7YSY9
IpKUn2He was referring to the book the corrupt man had held. It had no writing inside.Zb7g
tstZOLIf that man hadn’t used it as a medium, neither Fernan nor Rosalia would ever have thought it was a grimoire.8hLW
yb2nx“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of a grimoire that lets you use magic beyond your limits in exchange for its pages.”i3z
xEv9al“Me neither. If something like that existed, the Dragon God Cult would’ve monopolized it from the start.”yggXDaF
n4fEXZHIt was the faction most obsessed with magic on the entire continent; if such an artifact had been developed, it surely would have come from them.KAHqM
NCjx‘A book… now that I think about it, Abel also carried one.’cZENyQ
Kt0fIt wasn’t unusual for a mage to carry a book.kQw
LrurMqWhat was strange was that, just like that corrupt man, he had disappeared without even leaving a corpse behind.0tYPXzI
Iar1DFernan regretted not having opened Abel’s book; had he seen its contents, he might have had more clarity.Ofefp
1Mp0Z0“As far as I know, only demons leave no corpse.”OFy
pS8lAj“But he was far too weak to be a demon.”M0Mk
A6jVpC“And that’s the mystery. They’re not demons, not mere corrupts, and there seems to be more than one…”O6nx
wS6Yl“More than one? Have you encountered another?”rLM6
be7tj8Fernan clicked his tongue inwardly.iTCmf
hqnlHe had promised the headmaster not to talk about Abel to anyone, but he had slipped up.6h4
lmMW“No, this is the first time.”ITO
sL2et“Speak.”l4J
uA2YC“It’s better we leave here first. Even if the carriages are intact, we’ve descended very deep; getting everything reorganized…”y91mmFa
kzadPCraaack—c3YkNMV
QoUOLDFernan’s foot froze and stuck to the ground.plWzbk
ziqRU“Speak.”Vao
V1Sq6Bx“I’m an investor.”sZDLHXf
N6zy“And I’m a professor.”Oy4n
9SId“…You mustn’t tell anyone.”8R8
dOz46“You know I’m not loose-tongued.”3yHo
5pzAnd that was true. Fernan had known Rosalia for years.aAOnO
gMKa“…So that was it. I already thought it strange that Abel Kalens suddenly left the Academy.”HpU3
T0PIn any case—IuRv2
cQDKTbX“If something like this happens again, don’t hesitate to ask for my help. It’s not the first time, and it seems they see us as easy targets. We’ll have to teach them otherwise.”ibjtQI
eD6AO3VHaving such a useful ally at hand wasn’t a bad idea.jdiL
qpXi***0F44
wMQunThe ambush had exhausted all their resources, as no further problems arose afterward.6sqr6
5arI7Fernan and Rosalia resumed their journey, now with some peace.WYofcS2
LDg8bVD“Surely among the corrupt there are earth magic experts, or those who use tunneling monsters. Otherwise, they couldn’t move so freely under Imperial territory.”EtxfYfb
Fl6nx“I agree.”W95J256
EOwThere wasn’t even a need to talk about the monsters.hVlBTW
YOzFernan had been in many situations, and in almost all of them, the corrupt had attacked from underground.gvRJ
DRRPBQSNine times out of ten, they used the earth. There had to be something behind it.UL0U
OVeXn“And what do you think will happen at this continental congress?”vEL
oNt79“If they’re smart, nothing. That’s why they attacked now, before we could gather our defenses.”NAbIvJ
RHXWYThough you could never be sure. When plans fall apart, even cornered rats bite back at the cat.geau3
wUMK“True.”cIO
adqRosalia agreed as well.ODs
iqY4uRvIt would be the first time, since the change of electors, that the seven would gather.Mvhmnj
scq08Having seen how the corrupt and demons wreaked havoc, would they dare neglect security?YnX
eXQtooZIt could be a dangerous place, where even the seven electors could be killed at once—but it was also the least accessible place for the corrupt.O6PF
9hEQw“And after the transport, what do you plan to do?”PW8T
W7wJUs7“I’ll stay until the end. I want to see how things unfold.”6es6vqG
H6TQAlthough the primary goal was to protect Rosalia’s research from falling into enemy hands, Fernan was also interested in the congress and the assembly of electors.O3XHna
mlNEZOo“What do you think? Will there be an alliance at this meeting?”TJ1hs
Re3“To begin with, all the electors are part of the Empire.”XQH8
pB6h“But they’re different states under that name.”Ow7ZSdc
hyx4Also, it wouldn’t be just the electors attending.ozc
9JwI40Using the congress as a pretext, royalty and influential nobles from other countries would also be present.oG6GtL
xNXLoIt wasn’t realistic to form an alliance on the spot, but they could lay the groundwork if the dialogue went well.7ig
0SXUM“The electors aren’t fools. At the very least, there won’t be outright rejections.”OAL0UMA
BrgWog“Let’s hope it works.”Ha1
3vc2er“That’s what everyone’s thinking.”470mUQ
b3gaAs the clouds drifted by, the carriages sped onward toward Valerich.0N0h
06wYseF***sq7f
aGFGFPeck, peck, peck—VhALw
e2R6q“Mmm.”LCyUc
TWNzJwPeck, peck, peck, peck—x6SC0XA
9pYAB44Aint opened his eyes with a headache that felt like it was splitting his skull.6ix
9nu2CWNo sunlight streamed in through the white curtains.A4LRI1
A4koLP“…That’s enough.”dYry09
JHfdRAint pushed away Silver, who was pecking at his forehead.cWolJV
YaVQPip—KS6q
8EFhSilver flapped his two pairs of wings, greeting his awakening.xDqs
f0W— Geez, you’re like a rooster. Though it is convenient not having to use a separate magic alarm clock.kgZ3IOl
B0FSw“If you didn’t peck my forehead to wake me, it would be perfect.”CjNV
0cklIt was five in the morning. Aint checked the time and pulled back the curtains. The sun had yet to rise.UwN
GtoAfter a light shower, he pulled out a few blood worms from the food box Fernan had given him for Silver.81Ce1WD
IOS6FLThey were monstrous worms, two or three times the size of a normal earthworm, with bodies red as blood.xQeGTN
dS7They clung to human or other creature skin and sucked blood like leeches—but Silver loved them.INcYEJi
cgWCWhen Aint offered one with a pair of tongs, Silver swallowed it in one gulp, letting out a satisfied chirp.SaJ
hJ0y“Interesting. A spirit that eats monsters.”vd7HT4D
In8— Later on, it’ll eat everything. It’s omnivorous. The Saintbird raised by the First Emperor loved well-grilled steaks.8N6
f1J— And wouldn’t settle for anything less than the best beef.H27UL8
fJi— Plus, if it didn’t get elixirs as treats from time to time, it would get moody.aoB
WuCyXQ1“Then someone without money couldn’t even raise one.”BNNfy
rJ3uF— Why do you think it’s a sacred spirit?zyk
85KpIn a way, it was best that Silver recognized Fernan as his “father.” Aint wouldn’t have been able to afford his upkeep.k4SpXWa
HS8“He seems very docile now, but once Senior Fernan shows up, he’ll definitely go straight to him, right?”9DwR
6sTSe— No doubt about it.gkDImAX
ZYU5zwWhile watching Silver eat, the clock struck six.Vj00
ZozjAint pulled the cord by the door, and shortly after, a servant brought him breakfast.Ytrmy
BJ8“Please enjoy your meal.”KzZ8w
Ue4Kq4“Thank you.”hDMnQ
4lIB63ZIt was just a light soup with bread, but the smooth texture and the aroma of high-quality butter were exquisite.7yFbQ
uP45JbUAlready changed into training clothes and with sword in hand, Aint headed to the practice field.kqLJ
sGBKpabThere, occupying a corner, someone was already present. Aint waved cheerfully.99lrDLI
mwES“Senior Luina!”Ya1qH4r
H42oI“Aint, I got here before you today.”KI3tI
1mjrhh“How long ago did you arrive?”FUTK
djWR“Ten minutes.”a0QVuq
e9mxJ“Then, shall we start the duel already?”mE7
9BzwIt wasn’t a formal arrangement, but for some time now it had become routine to meet at dawn to train together.zH4kR
CmoO9ZAnd this was Aint’s favorite time—being able to cross swords as equals with the senior he admired so much.DWP
nuT2BIt’s said that knights speak through their swords. And with her, each clash seemed to convey far more than words.4gKnbz
XS2K7N— I’d tell you to give up.xenFo3
8UhH— Those eyes of hers aren’t looking at you.TucZotS
uFoJ32‘I know.’E8dF
hwWAint wasn’t sure where that gaze was truly directed, but even so, this much was enough for him.OPqM
SCFhHe slowly drew his sword.ua7lzk
1uT“Can’t you see me?”W7q
Px8OlOKAt that moment, Verian, who had been stretching nearby, frowned.ehp7mpF
ERkgyP“Ah, there you are.”wiOJn
pE0dq9m“…I can’t believe this.”a6qev5N
FAfhhLqVerian drew his sword.iS0
5hjqCZ“This time, I’m starting. Come.”DKG7
QPAgLP“Whenever you like.”5q01N
SLtSilver perched on a tree just as Aint’s and Verian’s swords clashed.jnbIOHV
txIeAAfter dozens of exchanges, the one sent flying was Verian.vcjcB
O8eQxQJ“…You’re stronger than before, huh?”36CNx9
sltXqr“I had a little revelation.”rLJ
G7msCMg“…Bastard…”AuFS5Dv
ysJiVerian gave a bitter smile and slumped down. He had completely drained his aura and couldn’t stand.AMvMbiX
fCQEoZNHe closed his eyes and began circulating his mana to recover.OXskejt
RJLlDWhen he opened them, Aint was already crossing swords with Luina.JhpEd3s
Zg5fvm“Damn… the gap keeps growing.”c8mb1
sFGEkYTheir movements were so fast, precise, and heavy that he couldn’t fully follow them.EhT0II9
jiTupIf he were thrown into that duel, he wouldn’t last a second.Pd7im
r2ZTJl“It makes sense that Luina, the champion who beat Rob Kaelin in the jousts, is this strong, but Aint…”SYsj
aVTbWhen he first met him, he had been above him.UCJw7
XKZHis rank—38th—and the title of runner-up proved that.ko2o
5P6zSS4But at some point, the gap had shrunk, and in no time, Aint had surpassed him and left him behind.jYa
hBRnQRD“The world is unfair.”QUJ
5HGOL33Even as an Armian, from a bloodline that opposed demons, did this make any sense?pw0
1Yj0s6The worst part was that he wasn’t weak at all.4mv
LnoOuqHe was still third in the Academy.xkxdsR
eelc“Did he swallow some rare elixir? His aura is at an insane level.”pQw6SlF
83nAnd not just Aint—Luina as well.g2JI
xVRPiiii—OXClCNG
K2trIIAt that moment, the Saintbird descended in front of him.0dL8L
VVqtmqY“The Saintbird…”Qag
xmlBKPoThat sacred spirit that always followed Aint around lately.oDik7
gQtEG0Where had he gotten something so rare? Verian even felt jealous.9RE05er
Zg3Kcb“Your name was Silver, right?”NC8h
jgPXzcVerian grabbed a worm from the ground and offered it. Silver tilted his head and slowly approached…wcG6ZQo
cqmbCH“Argh!”qRgOee
Dj7kTGAnd pecked his hand.DJyOAK
wo8“It hurts! What’s your problem?!”IKIq
gg8bXSilver dropped the worm to the ground and crushed it with his foot.bzFGPc
EIBmFl“So you don’t eat worms? Got a refined palate ‘cause you’re a sacred spirit?”nVeFm
6zjAiAEDamn bird.pm5A
fkqNow even a bird looked down on him. What a miserable life.Oi1mKN
m0x“Fuaaah… you’re all such early birds.”IqzVyI0
vWJdSAt that moment, a red-haired elf appeared yawning and sat beside him.ysQ
bLWvrt“Oh, Silver. Hi there.”WZRWu
hB5gMWhen Aria waved at him, Silver perched on her shoulder and nuzzled her cheek.7lh5I
D55“…And you treat me like this? What gives?”cmBWox0
HIQ9X9“I’m an elf, remember?”xG9Uh
6mE“So?”qMubO
iq34k“Elves have an affinity not just with spirits and forests, but with all animals and plants.”Ebu
9Ul3C“The Saintbird is a spirit.”WK70H2v
7QJbl“And also a bird.”pKMy7dc
db5DnHjAria pulled something bright red from her pocket, and Silver devoured it instantly.m1BeZd
Sefi“What did you give him? I offered him something and he didn’t even try it.”wu6
dPJDXRJ“High-grade beef.”G45AQ
UxyC“….”OiycL
u3dGD1This picky-ass bird, seriously.yeWtQ
QUzBActs just like his owner.NhwZb8Z
gMfWell, though the real owner was Fernan.IQTf
jWt‘Though they’re way too alike, huh?’h96n4
oWJQw2Verian swallowed his annoyance.ONt4l
iYFUOAt that moment, an elf page came running from afar.XurRBe
ttZ3nYr“Miss Aria, there you are.”UVLqsS
Hpbg37F“What is it?”Bv1d2RU
nghiThe page handed her a letter.8TejNUs
EDguU“A letter from your house.”ekMLV
gbv4Qf“A letter?”JlE
tue6Aria’s expression immediately darkened.iJcy
SUZFbvr“What’s wrong?”2toj
74Z6um2“Nothing, nothing.”nfK
tiTDTmShe got up from her spot.CuBlh04
bPQcaU“Sure doesn’t sound like nothing…”jpet
NAVQBut deep down, it wasn’t really his business.iO3
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