Chapter 159
C802yjYThe grand and majestic hall was packed.EeUza4t
NVCyMThe seats were completely occupied by spectators who didn’t take their eyes off the same place—the stage, where a mage received all that attention with a slight bow of her head.Id7zbE
OTyoD“…That would be all.”VFMpUc
ooqCWith a snap of her fingers, Rosalia made the gigantic set of magic stones disappear into its case.yte
nwym9i“…Ah…”CNfXe
ppPflaSighs of disappointment echoed from all directions.uGyz
GK7It was the clearest proof that her presentation had been perfect.VACh
jwxGyuClap, clap, clap.9A2
O56jfSThe silence was immediately replaced by a thunderous ovation.NWj
FO8Wj“I can’t believe something like that is even possible!”6ZD
Mwcx“How many magic stones are woven together in there?”biF5
G5sH1wG“Good thing they resumed the continental conference! We almost missed it!”1Y6P9
VxqLx“This is a discovery of the century! Magic has taken another leap forward!”Z63yLHs
tgnNYG“Just a little more, please, show us more!”wks
SBBHar“I want to invest!”SR5Je5O
3thRosalia stepped down from the stage without responding to any of them, brushing aside the dozens of attempts to stop her.RFId
KfGUzGO“I don’t accept additional investments.”6Ier
3UVvGenerally, mages presented their research at the Continental Conference for two reasons.dD65
hH8TuTo gain prestige.aT5g97A
8avOr to secure investments.VHR6q7d
CpdK2KXThough essentially, both boiled down to the same thing—without reputation, no one would invest.aBzKq
apv3XZxDue to the high cost of magical research, few could continue their studies without support.QLJBMO
NbsSome were born wealthy; others became professors at the academy or were funded by the Cult of the Dragon God; others, by nobles or merchants.u9eL
wQJGwOBut since both the academy and the cult had limited spots, most could only opt for that last option.vQBOsMJ
M3NAnd for them, the Continental Conference was the ideal stage to present themselves to the world.zRc0kJ
hNgHowever, Rosalia’s case was different.Qgf
joAvowOShe already had the financial backing of Fernan.HQ29P
Nki5uIBAnd he didn’t want her to accept any more investors.9SG
tht1dzWhat Rosalia sought was prestige—but not to make money. Her reason was far more personal.H7uA
QgVstzFor her, fame was merely a tool to reach her true goal.hdVe09t
idr“Well done.”FWJOeJp
fgcFX“It was nothing, my lord.”9T41k
QIs7hDThe researcher who had shaken the hall with her presentation now sat in a luxurious office, across from the patriarch of Pellenberg.C6BDNWU
xvqyPNot even the imposing gaze of the giant who ruled the family made her flinch.EEl2
Qrcr3mR“Do you want to read it? It’s tomorrow’s newspaper.”zcCl
fG4Rpr[Discovery of the Century! Rosalia Vienderk develops semi-permanent magic stone… shakes the Continental Conference!]1sqmRUZ
AAC3Pes[Duke Yvon Pellenberg: “The combination of magic stones has great potential and will affect many industries.”]NbO7we
twlzt[High efficiency! Rosalia’s magic stone convinces everyone!]FIYOq
0AaqDRosalia read the headline and let out a small laugh.fi5B
qd7“Not bad.”2xYnDT
lCcnM“I plan to support you to the fullest. In return, Golden Turtle will have commercial rights over your research.”Wvv
O3HH“Fernan already explained it to me. I’ll also give it my best.”FOJZv6K
YeHFernan had already laid out the full commercial plan to exploit the use of her discoveries through Golden Turtle.jycGa
tpTjDFIn return, Duke Yvon would use the power of the Pellenberg family to support Rosalia’s academic career.7PoM
l9uRe9D“But I’m not interested in the wealth it might generate.”LH8Z4
z6idShe had invested years into her research on compound magic stones, but in reality, the object itself didn’t matter much to her.A7RJV
tASNor who used it, nor who benefited.K5k
JzTwouWhat truly mattered was the prestige—and the achievements—that would allow her to fulfill her real goal.fRk
r9G“I asked Fernan for something.”v8Xsl6t
Nuk5DxF“I know.”WJzL
Rp7ywYvon gently drummed the table.RhZmSs0
LX6R“Becoming a senior professor won’t be difficult.”c54eg8G
BTYPMdiAfter such a presentation, it would be a disgrace to Pellenberg not to do so.JiyNc5q
goC“The problem is what comes after.”SnOvCK
OoG2L2sWhat lay above the position of senior professor.J8m
ascjA place not just anyone could aim for.aLWwxT
BcS“You need experience, reputation, and skill. In the long term, you’ll definitely get there.”ZDX
0M5IBT“But I want it as soon as possible. That’s why I agreed to work with Fernan.”NVZV1R7
2upWLd“Yes, that’s what I was told.”SRktG
5pBiIOThen there was only one path.GtK
llM4Um“You must build a tower of accomplishments that no one can question.”DObklO
RePtWhich meant—w5Hi
wclWmD“First, you must become an Archmage.”zjl3W
37MH4aAn Archmage—one of the ten greatest mages on the continent, appointed directly by the Pope of the Cult of the Dragon God.WP5Nes
EQpY“Do you think you can do it?”F4D5
aTFFC“If necessary, of course I’ll achieve it.”GWdH9rK
Tue9In fact, she had recently reached a small milestone.NRFcB0M
B12AgpRosalia nodded calmly.cz1
7vC***39gD
VI6d2“…And this all of a sudden?”mrqZcpS
dtpTP71Aint quickly dried off and came out after showering.0Dux
ucBJzHe had been training and was now in the reception room of Ravidus Hall.KvT
5HnzALIThis time, he wasn’t there as a visitor but as the host.eA1O
hJXAnd that felt strange.Z9TRx4
ZM570q“Aria?”Zbw
SsyzBut the person who had called him didn’t say anything.EykItaJ
uo0BShe had her head down.Idbpo
IcHrBVZWhat was going on?kW79DWg
PgXWxlR“What is it, Aria?”3yqG
DrF5Aria lifted her face.SVzG
8omMMKOHer expression, once serious, now bore a smile as if nothing had happened.vLr
DYIO“This?”FVaM7
3h3It was a newspaper.keVbBT
p0U1[Throughout the Elector Princes’ meeting, Fridian was constantly ignored…]7APni
X4KAn article about Fridian.uYGSbD
8ZD“They scorned us even at the princes’ meeting…”2cGPp6F
Wua0YiW“…Ah.”fmo
E9pAint didn’t know what to say.Ktt
GOrAny words would sound hollow.qdW
cTRt4dV“I expected it. What they’ve done to us until now wasn’t going to change in a day. But I didn’t think they’d ignore us so much that we’d end up in the newspaper.”ZE2zM
T0S8CAria pursed her lips.cgbwcb
Zo8TrUAint lowered his head even more.TevR
lTcb“……”gwWiBST
CzMLg9“……”owWqD4o
EXwQ1InThe silence grew heavy, until Aint spoke, cautiously.7Avyv60
2D0B92“…Are you okay?”6N0xpiP
wX4KQ“Of course. I’m fine.”ZOYahb
ynBR4yShe smiled even more.mrD
gr0dQY“I already told you I expected it. It’s not the first time.”OMQt
4lCOHer words were different than before.8BZ
sAsDLS“That’s why I came to see you.”TOoO
ZoD“To me?”ldo
2GVSX“Yes. Seeing you calms me down.”9uvD4k
mfqWhen the war against the demons begins, Aint will become a hero.RBo7
WwEArmian will rise again.F4M
gLCFihBut will the balance of power in the empire remain the same?DRCmjc
NxHDVCRNo. When the powerful change, everything shakes.Hkuo
Z2YyclAnd that will be Fridian’s great opportunity.Q23
dBI“Aint.”syZF
OFNkN0v“Yes?”hewv0w
YV8qglf“We’re friends, right?”CCjQE
s8Wt“Friends?”HAbzMv
QABbT“I want to help you with everything I’ve got.”VbrADy
KYXnB“…Thank you.”IpCL5r5
lziv4“So don’t forget me, okay?”sUVJuL
rPt“Huh?”kNCr
phpDThat was the reason Aria had come to see him as soon as she read the news.D3VIho
ieJLHShe wanted to make sure she was on the right path.wJDokU6
UTdoW3And—vTan
ez64b‘If my brother sees this article…’zhYOn30
SEKtVShe’d feel even more insecure if she didn’t do something.2Ykg
GK7J6YThat’s why Aria smiled more brightly than ever.38iE
IRBxjBa***n79
7DY[Golden Turtle signs cooperation contract with Rosalia Vienderk.]ooxX
dqTtuiA few days after Professor Rosalia presented her research at the Continental Research Conference, her father officially announced the acquisition of exploitation rights over her project.JBQQdas
4m4ez“I hear it, Hyde. I hear it clearly.”lRg
mqa8Wl“You mean the sound of money?”tELUX
KMHF“No… the sound of waves of money approaching!”imL
noj86With Aint’s money, Fernan had placed shackles on Aint himself.Nf2EVss
VXsazAnd after years of investment, the results were finally beginning to show.RvcSd1
pOGYCIf only every day were like this.GzA
Y29qrdm“But there’s something more important in the paper.”2h1C13
466w“Nothing is more important than making money. After living for years as a Pellenberg, don’t you know your priorities?”GpI1Km
hW2A[The Elector Princes’ meeting concluded yesterday. No visible achievements were made.]vo6G
mrvkThough Fernan wasn’t entirely wrong, the headline that came right after the business announcement was, indeed, about the meeting of the Elector Princes.vfptcZ
W34And just as Fernan had predicted, everything unfolded according to his analysis.alMkQy
DbmowlWith the future where Kimaris and Decarabia destroyed the empire now erased, the Elector Princes had lost focus and became entangled in internal conflicts.8vkuo
E854zAs expected, no concrete agreement was reached. Only a vague consensus: we must form an alliance.vqxf0g6
c1ki4OM“Looks like coordinating everything will still take time. Hopefully, the corrupt won’t make a move in the meantime.”74XF0
c7B“If they stayed still, they wouldn’t be demons.”ZRM
vF5Y“You’re right.”HcwHJq
FevHowever, as if most of their plans had been thwarted, the demons’ movements were surprisingly scarce.8UCB6xz
Pg86iDAside from two more infiltration attempts at the academy before the end of the first semester, nothing significant happened.uIvd0Z
ZPuahxThe prophecies had also changed.lk3
fVnUj[Formation of a continental alliance between the Empire and the Ten Kingdoms!]nAMAFOJ
HD4y[The alliance will continue until the demons are completely eradicated.]DvtJuWq
e2mU“An alliance led by Schwaben was finally established.”NcGBd
5Nr— After the fall of Bercheff, Schwaben became the new frontline. They had no choice but to act.APN1A7
SnUs6S“If only this had happened from the start…”dFH
ubgBut now, Bercheff hadn’t fallen.PyKP
BBIzSchwaben wasn’t under pressure, and the frontal threat had been avoided.vSeMQ
dIl3[A revolution breaks out in the Kingdom of Esrin, which borders the Altrierc frontier county, separated by a lake.ebpIsG1
b87m1A new king has taken the throne.]UI1v0uE
6ukDFAint’s expression hardened as he read that news.QSz6cC
w3VDuring the revolution, there had been rumors that monsters had ravaged part of the kingdom.Two
XibEGY“Were the corrupt involved?”JBqC
DA9z— It can’t be ruled out.jLJliV
1jNrO8But beyond suspicion, there was nothing they could do at the moment.Vo3
yUmEven so, those predictions no longer carried much weight.eevv
feZAncIn this changed future—8nLEPAt
Os8Bercheff had not been destroyed, so Schwaben didn’t feel threatened.h7fE
pmE47In Valerich, no demon had descended, so the crown prince of Esrin didn’t die and there was no revolution.06Egxq2
qvvz56‘But that doesn’t mean they’re useless.’FdmuAr
6DOfDTAlthough those were the main threats that had been removed, they weren’t the only useful entries in the prophecy book.B0uXC6I
e0tLocations of minor elixirs.JshrZa
VvrLocations of small mineral veins.Wlz
l0jgLocations of ancient relics of the First Emperor.koSLy
7agAnd much other “minor” information useful for making money kept Fernan quite busy.GfHF
gNJThus passed the calmest days since he obtained the book.PjOBA
1nEDJ***e1q
JAfdvA“The final exam is over!”B9GKg70
DurSBF9“Hooray! Break time starts!”iS9MAdX
NM2“Wow, Fernan’s back to number one again.”FQE
2FsSZ“Luina’s a monster. Even Almon can’t beat her…”zzz
FnHJ8[Magic Department Rankings – Year 3, 1st Semester]InO
VXX[First Place – Fernan Pellenbergadkw8i
K58wSecond – Ludger Schwabenip5jsu
TgmThird – Carlo Deneb…]PSCBPi
YBqfy[Knight Department Rankings – Year 3, 1st Semester]olGgo9t
oK0[First Place – Luina BercheffFJXH
tjEbSecond – Almon Donertzz1NV
svoHdBzThird – Alia…]TRrVAp
LXiHIA2Fernan reclaimed the top spot thanks to his written exams—and thanks to Luina, who carried him to the top.Hvudv
Pv1jThus ended the first semester of the third year.BpkZ
JNoNAnd the summer break began.fYSSTz2
0gVQX7p***tSOdlYK
lOis“…Again.”qoS
CjvkzCA[Magic Department Rankings – Year 3, 1st Semester]DRyn
UGRf8[First Place – Fernan Pellenbergoig8NJ7
KacSecond – Ludger Schwabend1tq
tfP4w7DThird – Carlo Deneb…]TymNl4
EdPnCarlo had to hold back the urge to smash the bulletin board.bzxP
0Ms2EkThis time, he hadn’t just lost to Fernan—Ludger had surpassed him too.xYTt4Db
Hhs‘Why?’yzg
tQfeTq5He knew the reason. In terms of pure magical talent, he was the best of the three.p231Fr
aaMyAnd yet, he was in third place.CZ6C6vK
eDRqAll because of the assigned partners.w5U4jxM
aGPC4GLuina Bercheff had become even more monstrous upon reaching her third year.5vPJBO
MDL7vAlmon, though not on Luina’s level, had also improved significantly.cmoZU4k
cVm1And Ludger, for some reason, seemed to be at his peak.gEfc
ncX4naCHis skill had risen to the point of catching up to Carlo.pBD
33QwCarlo was a brilliant mage.gNU0I
tKFOHis goal had always been to become an Archmage.lH3
zhUo4And every Archmage who had graduated from the academy had never lost the top spot while they were there.G0rk
H2J3Zk2“…I can’t go on like this.”FX09
8yrIeShHis determination to reclaim first place with pride had vanished.SBz3
cyrqf2Only anxiety remained.VWmNQ
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