Chapter 160
u34K3BDThe semester had ended.f8kg
aSnypThe academy went on break, and the students began leaving the dormitories.ARoEm
DD640K“Then I’ll head off first. If anything happens, please contact me immediately.”XlJFzhd
fBPf“Alright. I wish you the best.”sTS7
wCiKF1j“Yes, thank you.”MfSyIC
7jGMAint departed immediately for his family estate.zWTu
vuRHe needed to convince his father to break the long-standing silence.yl3PJIs
rW6oHe had already taken the loan, and there was no turning back.cxfuE
Xp9“I’ll head home too, Fernan.”fJYeL
IBP2YtLuina also returned to her home.4eIPNZ
9PjdAlthough the Bercheff region was beginning to show signs of recovery thanks to a massive investment from the Pellenbergs, that wasn’t the main reason.9Z6uNtS
Pp9IHQf“After the battle against the mercenary king and the demons, I learned a lot. I managed to break through a wall, but I still have a long way to go. I’ll receive guidance from my father during the break.”3pHL
Qqb“Don’t overdo it.”dt5W
QM1xQ7Y“Yeah. I don’t want to fall behind again if I face a demon.”mCjG
X22JxEven though Bercheff was no longer an Elector family, they still retained direct teleportation access, so she returned immediately, without complications.GLgQx
qsfN‘What an ironic situation.’IgC8Mx
96XFridian, which had recently regained Elector status, still didn’t have a direct teleportation circle, while Bercheff, which had lost that status, still did.6quH
CzI94“Then, senior… you’ll come with me, right?”EJ4Gtm
iZOlxIFernan didn’t return home.xx9h
tpVHe had a pending promise with Aria.W9E
sJe“To be honest, I didn’t have anything holding me back.”BLQZ7
NBh“And that’s why you’re not going back?”hgF5gM
Tm5QHe had begun seriously investigating Adolf Fridian, but the task wasn’t going as well as expected.DF2D0
8DxNot only because it was being concealed skillfully, but because snooping around an Elector family wasn’t easy.eMk
j6uAnd if he were caught, it could explode into a major scandal.kVPvbUU
MemhyHe hadn’t found anything conclusive.T2S
Nd22rCxAnd he still couldn’t say for sure whether Adolf was a corrupt.NBz8s
aOV9“No, on the contrary. That’s exactly why I will go.”G0oC8G4
Mn1Even without proof, Fernan decided to act.qUP6q
u0gLThere were too many suspicious signs.noWZvXO
ktCh2P‘If we ignore this and it really is the work of demons…’tYyP
1JUNRNTIf Fridian fell into the hands of the corrupt, the Empire would crumble from within.7POWzTx
XBrThat he absolutely couldn’t allow.FNT1GO1
Rnd9tse‘Even if it ends up being for nothing, it’s fine.’FlBA
2VP08If it turned out there was nothing, he’d simply charge a good price for his efforts. So either way, he wouldn’t lose anything.R5nnQI
blxH5Hy“For now, we’ll use the closest teleportation circle.”QqH
jTFaDirect circles were privileges of the Elector Princes, but the academy had portals connected to several major cities.2m4
eUxIt was the same method they used to search for the World Tree branch.uxSn
gNW8gAk“What I don’t understand is why I’m involved in this?”qyBZ
UUn9“Because you have to pay the price of the elixirs, senior.”RQK33Zm
d1Axf“……”jXffHPc
YcHkzGFernan, Aria, Hyde, and Gismond traveled together along the main road on horseback.YbqN
CxRY7Alongside them marched several dozen elves—escorts that Fernan insisted on, just in case of a corrupt attack.6SH
dqTYr9y“Tell me about this Adolf Fridian.”LA7W
BGe“Adolf Fridian? That’s the name of the guy who’s working with demons?”F7v
l7irr8“Yes. Do you know him?”vrW5iA
GFk1AoV“No, but the name bothers me.”hH2h
s15W“Senior, please, silence.”ZqerKy
l6mgku“…Mmm.”0jinC
F7w8Under Aria’s murderous gaze, Gismond averted his eyes and shut his mouth.XkUEY5o
byuWexS“What did you say earlier?”scjRKl
WDc2jc“I asked you to tell me about Adolf Fridian.”H0dS
PiBaUG“Don’t you already know everything?”sZOT
xGTVejR“I’m not good enough to uncover the secrets that a direct line of an Elector family works so hard to hide. And above all, I trust more in what someone who’s observed him closely can tell me.”Skio
riKu3That gave Aria a strange but pleasant feeling.9UpTv5
roPr7ZV“Adolf is seven years older than me.”MccgW
RyswwM“I know he’s twenty-eight. He never lost first place in the Knight Department during his time at the academy.”smDIai
xUE3cbX“That’s right. He was the pride of Fridian. Still is.”U8O
DJmKNKHe won every jousting competition from his second year onward.UmezZ3
SHSAHe only lost in the Unification Tournament held alongside the magic conference, and that was because the winner of that tournament was an absolute monster who is now the youngest professor at the academy.cjHjhJ
yyS“I asked Professor Rosalia if she knew him, but she didn’t have anything to say.”eVdwYy
m5LwDVzFernan then realized that Rosalia had zero interest in anyone but herself.siAL6
2rkT“In terms of swordsmanship, he’s among the top five in the whole family. Currently, he’s the sub-commander of the Guardian Tree Order.”Cvuj
n7e“The best knight order in Fridian, right?”AF5
S4WtVwThough spiritists were more common in Fridian, that order was respected even on a continental level.WiD3bf
w5eVXBecoming sub-commander at just twenty-eight was a sign of exceptional talent.0TbEt
nrra“And his personality?”CjIYa7x
O2qGbm“He’s proud of his skill. He’s considerate of others. Sometimes a bit hot-headed, but never out of line.”SUY
vdzlmh“Anything else?”z2k
lvE“He’s straightforward and takes initiative. Also somewhat ambitious. He earned his current position by defeating the former sub-commander in combat, which is well known.”DZo
3Dp“He certainly doesn’t lack ambition.”c9y9Ms
zUUNdAria nodded.OtLT8K
dM4F“Still, I think he’s basically a good person. Of course… if it turns out he sided with the corrupt, that changes everything.”cuXn1
kIJNo matter the discrimination, could someone who helped destroy humanity truly be called good?0SGw9t0
yEviii“It’s still just a suspicion.”FlC14pG
BdU8v5“Let’s hope it stays that way.”lQph
4OAIf it were confirmed that Adolf was working with the corrupt—and that became public—what would happen to Fridian?S6H5
Zmkn8G7“I can imagine. Everything Fridian has worked for would collapse.”JiP2R
Mlbh9LD“I don’t even want to think about it…”c4FOe
AxRAria shook her head vigorously, as if just the thought gave her chills.roO
1wLjbm“Oh, by the way. I think we elves are superior to humans.”vssWeB
Z4q“Uh, that sounds very close to—”klcFME7
QWi“Careful what you say.”bOp
RbaEIt wasn’t a lie.QcLCyEH
M0cmY62Elves were born with greater magical sensitivity than humans.Oll7Ud
bY2But in an empire where most were human, saying that out loud was risky.tQVPw
YY6nhAnd Aria didn’t just think it—she said it.8gq
X6K“We’ll have to see with our own eyes.”dvQ1
HKw“I’ll try to arrange a meeting as soon as possible.”eHZfnFj
YJNVwIt didn’t take long to reach the heart of Fridian.aVrE
TzXaZmw‘This place always feels peculiar.’297f
dZjt8Structures intertwined with trees. Buildings that seemed to grow straight from the forest.b4WZhmP
CIrAr5Only an elf kingdom like Fridian could build a city so integrated with nature.gPxNWp
5JOpgm“It’s been a while, Fernan. Welcome to Fridian.”ibyMt
8m2W“A pleasure to see you again, Marquis. Thank you for your hospitality.”8Hy7or
5lNThis time, Fernan was invited to the Marquis’s private office, not the banquet hall.TtEo7a
o0hZDThe Marquis, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, looked visibly worn.6pN
hqJeh“Sit.”ZxUx9
Kz25jF4The Marquis poured the tea with his own hands.Fzgo5gq
qnze“I’ll get to the point. Aria explained everything to me. Do you really think that could be true?”Z58
qJzVno“I don’t think it’s impossible.”qM3aKQJ
Ou4USMC“Why? That boy is my nephew. Even if he’s impulsive, he’s full of elven pride. He’s not the type to bow to the corrupt.”3Gwc5u
t6ot1Fernan took the cup.XuQ
e892uaThe aroma was delightful. As always, elves were the best with plants.R0T
H0s2AL“You know what happened a year ago.”IH4Gjf9
zP5WDuring the transfer of the World Tree branch, they were ambushed by monsters.KHZimQ
CL1iFe8“Aria told me. I must say, you were very discreet. Almost like you knew it would happen.”92SeU3j
LU0yqN“I’d never waste resources without reason. If I did something like that, my father would punish me first.”vMNign
GrxFLGp“True. That man would.”ixX9bU
EFMg8z2The Marquis let out a soft laugh.P2G
769wRLq“Back to the point—in that moment, I thought someone from within Fridian had betrayed us.”9Sqt4o
Bk5tbKQ“You’re suggesting an elf sided with the corrupt?”Eki04A
u7R“That’s what I want to find out now.”QI3O3yx
x5MA direct relative. Sub-commander of the most prestigious order. Someone with access to the secret of the World Tree branch.d7RSUCV
Ug7“There are rocky mountains in the north of Fridian. Go there.”kQBG
sEZGThey couldn’t openly announce that they were going to search for corrupts, so everything had been prearranged.6Fy6QiI
6kC4pFernan had come as a trade representative of Golden Turtle.ExWAHQ
RCBl“I’ll assign that boy as your escort.”UKg
zudpFYIThe heir to the Elector Prince.dD54
IPFThere were plenty of reasons for the best knight order to accompany him.egU
28a“I hope you achieve good results.”36AU
15EWdq“I’ll do my best. By the way, are there really mineral veins in that area?”zyHt
Qck8F“I can’t say for sure. Elves rarely go there.”DVo9b3d
rFKpP“I see. This is for you.”nweIsfD
hkvsyG“What is it?”JF71Z
43rpIClick.X38a8td
HaVNyUThe marquis opened a box elegantly decorated.DQj
8FloYTRInside were dozens of meticulously arranged black cigarettes.te5
kS69“Cigarettes?”hG2W6
kKDY05h“They’re magical cigarettes. They contain no harmful substances, stimulate magical energy, and help clear the mind. And you looked a bit tired.”egIM
zwc“Normally, one would give something that helps you rest, not something that keeps you awake.”bL5x
iWrpC77“That was the plan. But with all the documents on your desk…”vNj8b
yMXMountains of papers were piled on the marquis’s desk.cdeMk5l
s80spKAnd surely, his worn appearance wasn’t just from the work.QPTmT
wEx2‘The Elector Princes’ meeting must have affected him deeply.’le2
OaY4djPerhaps that’s why he took Aria’s suspicion seriously.qa0P
kG2aIBecause if it turned out that someone of his own blood was aiding the demons, Fridian wouldn’t fall slowly—it would collapse all at once.mdl
Vz4Wsp“You must be tired from the trip. Rest today. We’ll begin in two days.”NVJcB5H
mGdLX“Yes. See you soon, Marquis. And…”Jsp4Ig
i8tPZ“Yes?”MG6K
cdm6“We believe Fridian deserves to be a true Elector Prince.”zpXa
u2XE“……”EmiRZ
SrLEAfter saying that, Fernan left the office.NzCV
SKoBwDl“…Yes.”oy5jh
3dnzsFZThe marquis rubbed his forehead.Hj6
NL4qZfi“We must become a true Elector Prince…”URZ67A
LZ15eOnly then could Fridian be fully integrated into the empire.g8sDBx
FWEHe picked up his pen and returned to work.t3Fo
JSY4yt***VuPRLt
CsCbmeTwo days passed in the blink of an eye.NnmFNm
4D9nxZDuring that time, Fernan prepared for the expedition at the Golden Turtle branch.35Hgry
iqKOnce all the preparations were complete, he was finally able to meet Adolf Fridian.cO65YXz
lVIXi“A pleasure. I’m Adolf Fridian, sub-commander of the Guardian Tree Order.”SoSeTh
W0F“Fernan Pellenberg.”PUZ54R
9CRP“…Glad you don’t have a mustache.”KExJdzu
ke9zKA strange comment slipped in, but oh well.cS90upZ
WEeuULlAdolf Fridian was a sturdily built, attractive elf. His red hair was similar to Aria’s, and his black eyes looked like obsidian.737
xEA8Overall, he had a pleasant face.Jex
VuE“I’ve been assigned to escort you. I’ll do everything I can to serve you.”gFDkfz
4Xz4X“Thank you. I’m counting on you.”OPGDk0V
Fjnn0Twenty knights from the Guardian Tree Order, thirty from the Twilight Spirit Corps, and a hundred soldiers.GaivB9
AEzA‘The Twilight Corps was the unit of earth druids, wasn’t it?’LaNulx4
MrBcBQUPerhaps thanks to Aria’s insistence that they ensure a solid escort in case corrupts appeared, they ended up with what could only be called an excessive number of guards.sQP
vSqSo long as there weren’t corrupts hiding among them.5cd
YC0XW“What do you think? Is it enough?”iBe9
WDjxj“For now.”wsYp
HXsOWULAria whispered with a smile, shrugging.GtaWS
EyU89al“We depart.”ykPj
rdtRTnThe expedition team—consisting of fifty vein-seekers and a hundred laborers assigned by Golden Turtle—finally set out.UFdNA1u
gAmGFernan rode at the front, alongside Adolf Fridian, who led the escort.tAc
EGZFf“I’ve been wanting to meet you.”hNIo3Fz
zUqvE“Me?”rVaN5i
qVT“Yes, Aria’s spoken a lot about you.”0zk2I
2hr“Aria talked about me?”fYW
oXSFor a very brief moment, Adolf’s gaze shifted toward Aria, who was riding behind.e3Yrpcr
yPfJ“She said that during your time at the academy, you never lost first place—that you were the pride of the elves.”2rJ
Sla“She’s exaggerating. She probably just wanted to speak well of me because we’re close.”rSO
AS4Bv0EAdolf chuckled.Q3pL
c4lx0“Actually, I wanted to meet you too.”5kEHcL
fezCN“Me?”Mo0
d7tBZ“Yes, there’s something I want to ask you.”sHdD
QyD“If it’s something I can answer, I’ll gladly do so.”2OK8hxa
W0HfgIhAdolf fell silent for a moment, then spoke slowly.dFH7
6zuD“A while ago, I bought an item. It was quite expensive, and I paid its full price.”FNF
n84H8“Did you acquire it from Golden Turtle?”AfG
vR7kv“Yes. I valued it greatly, and I trusted in the Golden Turtle’s name. But there came a time when I thought maybe it wasn’t as exceptional as I believed.”HpgK
I7Z“Why? We don’t scam with our products.”Qbj0
SkV4yThey never deceive with quality.aSruQ
tZDRBThey could earn big profits short-term, but they knew it wasn’t worth it in the long run.IMwQs82
UBeM“I believed that item had great value, and others thought so too. But when it changed owners, it wasn’t valued the same anymore.”Kuh
eCRS0Adolf Fridian turned his head and looked directly at Fernan.maAEU8P
IEXw“Don’t you think that if the value of an item changes depending on its owner, the blame might lie with the one who sold it?”50T
SnNntOB“No, not at all.”ZGPyqC
vGRFernan answered without a moment’s hesitation.Yhw
ilSEi“Let’s say you bought a chocolate. But it was so sweet you couldn’t finish it. Does that mean the chocolate has a problem? There are people who enjoy exactly that level of sweetness.”4zfCYD
tsoPfV“This isn’t like chocolate.”xiUF
KrPdxMt“The value of what you bought is like the flavor of chocolate. Claiming it lost value after purchase is the same as saying the taste wasn’t what you expected.”cHd
dKH0WKBecause the essence of the product hadn’t changed at all.hEVI
MxGTOThat’s how Fernan replied, watching Adolf’s expression. He didn’t react.NVRZBuC
Ry7R8JBOnly his gaze grew slightly deeper.9vY
gjtBJfZ“And what if the chocolate was already crushed and spoiled from the start, and that’s why it tasted bad?”kJ0s1bH
Mdpj“In that case, of course, compensation should be offered.”EjAjbei
498Fernan nodded.oHeL3jR
re0nO53“But in that case, you’re blaming the wrong party.”uDQbzib
pxGRu8U“Wrong party?”Meo
vxSuV“Yes. The Pellenberg House merely acted as an intermediary. The original state of the product isn’t our responsibility.”02P
mmn6qLAnd you’re trying to pin it on us?BAc6L
KJOSygNot in a thousand years.Kq0a0
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