Chapter 177

Aria, after Fernan cleared her mind, was left behind while he returned immediately to the Academy.

“I’m exhausted.”

While the dwarves worked hard digging through the earth, Fernan hadn’t been idle either. During that month, to meet the goal within the agreed time, he had personally joined the project.

Opening paths with magic was what he did best, and thanks to that, he had played a key role in finishing the excavation on time. He had surely earned the appreciation of many dwarves—and that, too, was capital.

“Hyde, go to the guild and check if there’s any matter I need to handle personally.”

“I’ll wait to see you lying down before going.”

“And now you’re pretending to be a faithful escort?”

“I’ve always been. The problem is my lord insists on trying to ditch me at every turn.”

With his body fatigued, Fernan headed straight to the Ravidus Hall. Before the door to his room even finished opening, Wooden waved his hand.

— Kyuu!

— Pii!

From the crack of the door came a chirp.

A white bird with two pairs of wings flew flapping into Fernan’s chest.

“Silver?”

— Pii!

It was Silver, the Saintbird he had lent to Aint.

Fernan caught him and petted him. The creature, which at first barely fit in a fist, had now grown almost five times larger.

“Wow, you really grew.”

“I’d say more than quite a bit, sir…”

That he had reached such a size in just three months was extraordinary. It was said that a Saintbird took about a year to reach maturity, and at this rate, it would soon be large enough to ride.

“But… how did it get in here?”

The lodging in Ravidus Hall didn’t allow anyone in except the resident and one designated assistant. Even other students from the same hall had to use the visiting room to meet inside.

“Ah, Sir Fernan, there you are. I was the one who let it in.”

One of the maids cleaning the hallway ran over to him.

“Student Aint brought it, but as soon as it arrived, it planted itself in front of your door and wouldn’t budge. I thought if someone saw it, it might be a problem, so I let it in. Strangely, even though it wouldn’t move at all, it went straight into your room without resistance.”

That was Rita, the maid with a natural talent for picking up the coins Fernan often dropped without realizing.

“Did anyone else see it?”

“Just me.”

“Good.”

It had nearly been a disaster. If they discovered that the Saintbird belonged to Fernan and not to Aint, the latter’s reputation—and both their futures—would be seriously compromised.

“Thank you, Rita.”

“No need to thank me.”

“Silver, did you miss me that much?”

— Pii!

Fernan hugged it to his chest as he entered the room.

The door closed, and in the very spot he had been, a small pouch was left behind. Rita, already used to it, picked it up immediately.

“So careless, as always—I’ll keep it in case he comes looking for it later.”

But in reality, no one ever came to claim those “lost items.” They were hers forever.

***

As the afternoon faded and dusk peeked in, Fernan woke up after finally peeling Silver off him, who had been clinging with affection.

“Hyde.”

“Yes.”

“What about guild matters?”

“They said there’s nothing you need to handle personally. All the accumulated reports are already in the office.”

“I guess another season of report hell awaits me.”

“That’s the price of your actions, young master. Haven’t you started more businesses than you can count on one hand, thanks to the prophecy book?”

The projects Fernan had launched under the book’s guidance weren’t few.

Although only a handful of branches were active inside the Academy, the constant travel to oversee other matters meant the paperwork piled up all the same.

“And I can’t turn my back on income sources flowing so clearly. That would be the real crime.”

“Of course, young master, whatever you say.”

Hyde snorted with a dry chuckle.

“Go check if Aint is back and arrange a meeting as soon as possible. I want to hear what he accomplished with his family.”

From Armian’s recent movements, the outcome could already be guessed, but nothing was more certain than hearing it directly.

Aint had returned to the Academy two days prior, and the meeting was arranged immediately.

“Everything went well. My father also agreed to support me.”

“I heard the Armian house is recruiting knights and soldiers.”

Fernan could imagine the duke’s intentions. Even if they sold all their current lands, it wouldn’t be enough to repay the debt, so that was the best option. And it was exactly what he had hoped for.

“It won’t be easy. If you need help, you can ask me anytime.”

Forming troops from scratch was never simple. It wasn’t enough to enlist them—you had to train them, feed them, house them, and pay them a regular salary. Not to mention finding instructors, expanding barracks, and tending to a thousand other details.

“Yes.”

“With soldiers, it’s enough to pay them well and they’ll come, but what about knights?”

Knights were essentially weapons of war—people trained in the art of killing from childhood. They required the right environment, resources, and talent. They weren’t easy to raise, nor were they common.

“For now, I plan to gather as many free knights as possible.”

“Even so, it won’t be easy.”

“My father plans to leverage the name of Armian.”

“Not a bad idea.”

Normally, no one in their right mind would want to serve a fallen house, but now the situation had changed. With corrupts and demons active—and with the Saintbird returned to the Armian family—there would be those seduced by the old legend and the promise of rewards.

In fact, a considerable number were already knocking on Armian’s doors, showing the effect was real.

“Ah, and the rector told me that during the vacation, another corrupt was discovered.”

“Who was it?”

“A fruit shop clerk in the city.”

“Anything unusual?”

“Just what you’re thinking.”

“They had a book and disappeared without leaving a body?”

“Yes.”

The doubt grew heavier.

They had already identified and eliminated several inside the Academy, yet they kept appearing. The corrupt weren’t stupid—if they kept trying, it meant they were after something specific, even if they failed.

But the unsettling part was that Fernan couldn’t imagine what.

‘It’s always the same—books and vanished bodies.’

If they weren’t demons, why did the corpses vanish?

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find an answer. Ideally, they would capture one alive and extract the truth—but the problem was they usually self-destructed immediately.

“For now, the best thing is to eliminate every one that appears.”

“The rector agrees. Oh, and I received a personal letter.”

Aint pulled an envelope from his chest. It bore the seal of five red flames.

“Esrin?”

It was the emblem of Esrin’s royal house.

“Yes. In Valerich, during the continental conference, I managed to form a bit of a bond with a prince of Esrin.”

“I remember.”

History had changed course when Fernan stopped the summoning of the 70th demon, Seir, and thanks to that, a prince of Esrin had survived who was supposed to die with his sister.

“Was it Ferant Esrin? The first prince.”

The prince who survived alone, when he should have perished with his younger sister.

“Exactly.”

“If he asks for help, it’s best to refuse.”

The public collapse of the king of Esrin, fainting in the middle of a ceremony, had triggered the succession dispute. Although the first prince held the advantage and had a solid power base, that didn’t eliminate the ambition of the other heirs.

And between a hundred and ninety-nine, there was always a world of difference.

The disputes were already surfacing; the students from Esrin hadn’t returned to the Academy, and the Golden Turtle Guild was massively selling war supplies.

In that context, if Ferant had written to Aint, it was surely to ask for help.

“Yes, he’s asking for help… but…”

“What is it?”

“Maybe it would be better if you read the letter yourself.”

[Aint Armian. We promised friendship, and this is the first letter I send you.

How have you been? Your deeds are being heard everywhere.

…

It’s shameful that my first letter is to ask for help, but I hope you understand the situation.

Tibolt and Tulwin seem determined to snatch the crown from me, even if it means resorting to war.

If it were only that, it wouldn’t matter. I’m fully confident I can prove they’re mere illusions.

But it’s said that in the north of the kingdom there are corrupts trying to summon monsters.

The one who said it is not entirely in their right mind, so the information isn’t reliable—but you never know.

And that region just happens to be the domain of Tulwin and his allies…]

After finishing the letter, Fernan recalled a vision he had pushed aside—the prophecies he had reviewed before the vacation.

A rebellion in the Kingdom of Esrin. A regime change.

He hadn’t thought it would actually happen, since in this timeline Ferant had survived, with solid support behind him. That’s why he had ignored the warning. But it seemed it wouldn’t end so easily.

‘I got too confident thinking the prophecies no longer mattered.’

He had forgotten the essential—human ambition never stops.

Whether the succession was clear or not didn’t matter. What mattered was that the conflict existed.

“What do you think we should do?”

“And what do you think?”

“I want to go and help.”

“For friendship?”

“Hmm, we only had tea a couple of times in Valerich. It’s not that deep.”

Though it wasn’t a strong bond, it wasn’t nonexistent either.

Aint’s gaze turned resolute.

“But if there are corrupts, even just a trace, I believe we have to go and eradicate them all. They’re a plague trying to sink the continent.”

Something had changed in him during that vacation. He was no longer the naïve boy from before, but someone more mature.

‘Not bad.’

Fernan felt satisfied to see his growth.

“I think the same. But for now, we have too little evidence. Classes at the Academy are about to resume, and more importantly—it’s a foreign kingdom.”

Even if there were corrupts, directly intervening in a succession dispute could be seen as interference. And that would give Schwaben the perfect excuse to strike Armian without hesitation.

“Yes, that’s true.”

“I’ll investigate thoroughly first. And if it turns out one of those princes sought help from the corrupts to seize the crown…”

Fernan clenched his teeth.

“Then I’ll do whatever it takes to bring you there with me. And we’ll exterminate them.”