Chapter 179
mmkfWMWith the start of the new semester, the atmosphere at the Academy was quite different from before.ewH
arRThere had been incidents with corrupts wreaking havoc and even the appearance of demons, but for most students, those things felt distant.HcPI2M
ZzxtEspecially because the problems that did arise at the Academy were dealt with before they could grow too large, thanks to Fernan, Aint, and the headmaster.9ds
NtjHowever, the situation in the Kingdom of Esrin felt different.VWhS
gCRQ5The first, second, and third princes were recruiting private troops, and the nobles were dividing themselves to support one or the other.gGJ8
r7VqyMoreover, most of the students from Esrin had not returned to the Academy.F2Up8i
XGTPjThat made even the other students sense the tension of war, and Fernan felt it too.p96m
GeLS4y‘Looks like this is going to drag on much longer than I thought…’dMVsUN
EaOa1War wasn’t far off. In the Empire, there had always been conflicts among nobles.QsW
WGE7But what made Esrin’s case so serious was that it was a war for the throne.UpvC
HmlNjVAnd Esrin was no weak country.SYxHwf
43Wkkx‘So they’re not planning to give up?’stn
NlxlUThis was different from what Fernan had foreseen.0hREw4h
nVB‘History has changed.’h19
7dg3He thought that with the first prince surviving in Valerich when he should have died, the confusion over succession would be resolved clearly.FO1nU6d
9JPMNHis prediction had only been half correct.T0E
PAbtCQcIt was true that the first prince was the strongest candidate and that nearly everyone thought he would become king.1XX
WsXiK2The problem was that the current king had not proclaimed him as heir.kePsrMr
OfuMCjtAnd the ambition of the other princes had turned out to be far greater than expected.ifCJb3
735bThe king was dying without naming a successor, and the second and third princes took the opportunity to join forces.hSqMfQ
SLXruIf you added the corrupts to the mix, the weight tilting toward the first prince could quickly balance out.ps5L
FwQsZd‘Another mistake was thinking the corrupts would stay quiet.’mdc
xGwlZWith Adolf, there had already been a stumble thanks to Fernan, and the plans for the dwarves’ underground city had been ruined.L1f
QlihwAThat’s why he thought at least for a while, they would remain calm. But it was the opposite.U0FVAnP
apFThe losses had been enormous, so they had no intention of abandoning Esrin.6Zbt
xh3mLp‘Don’t they realize that if they rush things again, I’ll stop them with Aint?’3H3
PIx9WO“Hyde, what do you think?”n8AO1G
LAK“Why worry about whether you’ll stop them, young master?”tPbPwD
30DK“You think the same as I do.”9qL8fZ
6nv5HJH“Yes. They think the young master is still under their illusion. And that Aint can’t do anything alone, so it’s enough to block you.”D0Oo
1A1Then the answer was obvious.RV1Pr
wLcx“Soon, Count Daniel or some other corrupt will come looking for me.”fXT
Lf2lThey would try to place another illusion on him to keep him from getting involved in this matter. Not only Fernan, but also Aint.Hd0ot
Hx4p“Because they think that by supporting him, I influence him heavily.”cE3ndz
YsKn10k“More than think—it’s the truth, young master.”zErAd
limNNPD“Exactly. So it’ll be obvious.”879N
9S7WTWThe one who suddenly came looking for him—that would be a corrupt.fyU
DlPQ39YAnd that was the moment Fernan was waiting for.hRrIE
yqDfq4To pretend he’d fallen for the illusion and follow the thread all the way to the root of the corrupts.JUeyv
NwQpkZ“Think they’ll bring another book this time?”66vNT
pxw5sS“Most likely.”gf5x
65q0U“It’d be good to take it and study it.”vJHRtR
vDQLtv“Won’t be easy.”Y87
glN“Could set a trap for them.”SC1WU
pEpHEither way, if they wanted to place an illusion on him, they had to approach first.7aiv
ppILM“What kind of trap?”YG6
1bxKNb“Still need to think about it…”dEl7F
aYWsJust as he was about to drop the topic of the corrupts, a new prophecy came to mind.LdT
D4wE2rj【An unusual torrential rain falls over Alprosen, completely flooding the vast Hopen Plain in the north.】XaNXY
aHpWV【Crops ready for harvest are ruined under the water. Farmers cry in despair.】dYu
WjtTR9Aint, reading the newspaper, showed concern.CtKXxTn
dKE— This is a disaster. Isn’t the Hopen Plain one of the most fertile lands on the entire Lutar continent?AI6
3l172ru“Yes. It’s even called Alprosen’s granary. This is pretty serious.”DwAJ
TqjweiNo, it was something much more serious than “pretty serious.”vN3
UnCYl‘A flood in the Hopen Plain?’sPoFh3g
sRt6AuAlprosen was one of the few kingdoms capable of rivaling the Empire.PVzB
dbzSDIts territory was just a quarter of the Empire’s, but its population density was high.3RhzX5
A82VELPAnd the Hopen Plain was the main agricultural area that fed the kingdom—a massive region, comparable to a small country.OkSw
7uDM‘And according to the prophecy, it won’t be long before it happens.’juk
z0dIt was a sudden rain. They likely wouldn’t be prepared enough.SXr
vuLorF1‘This would be a chance to make a fortune… but I don’t like it.’swjLQgb
x74The idea unsettled him because he remembered when the corrupts had manipulated the weather to make it rain.CvZ
bnIo‘Could it be their doing…?’3uVM6
G2BRain big enough to flood the northern half of Alprosen sounded excessive, but he couldn’t rule it out.ZiFxuw
X2iAnother prophecy surfaced immediately.iQx9
VAoZ“Aint, it’s terrible! Look at this!”bJkUxQ
1Q37Aria came running, gasping with the newspaper in hand.zNw7MP
j5oY【Tragedy in Alprosen. The crown prince, Hein Alprosen, dies in disgrace.】hDTM
0lIMBQ【During an inspection of the flood-devastated north, the royal party is attacked by a horde of monsters…】OVcagTt
ffsTej“…The crown prince of Alprosen is dead?”zwp3Mgr
Tmk7“Looks like the flood didn’t just sweep away the Hopen Plain, but the entire north. Many monster nests were submerged or destroyed.”bmB4e
zw8bIn other words, hordes of enraged, displaced monsters had caught them off guard.aalA
GQRhXd“But… it doesn’t make sense. A crown prince should’ve been well protected.”We0r
qxiqUv9“Exactly.”0GugbS
VB8KAria nodded.uXL6
N87dF“And the declared escort forces were sufficient. But even so, they were annihilated. There are no monsters in northern Alprosen capable of wiping out the entire royal guard. Doesn’t that seem strange?”knP9E
2QEB“…Did the corrupts intervene?”ln8XC
FIii0“No doubt. Senior thought the same. Right, Luina?”HgTsA
FHfLuina’s voice came out cold.H5b6SX
BCznVB“Doesn’t matter what it is. If they’re corrupts, we just kill them all.”ZSYS6w
2RcFrom her eyes radiated a palpable murderous intent.fyxsU
B2dThe news was more than shocking. There wasn’t even time to reflect on how much Luina had changed since she lost her parents and her lands.20Mc
tYDKnFl‘The crown prince is dead?’ENY
T4gzmzAnd not just any prince—the prince of Alprosen.kZ1W
ApyThat kingdom, along with the Empire, was among the major powers. Many even called it a “great kingdom” to distinguish it from the rest.oXe
lyYiom‘If the corrupts are involved… what are they after?’TKG
QMC4CThe answer was obvious.dix
qnri‘A civil war.’8IK6WS
C8SThey thirsted for blood and corpses. With that, they would fuel summonings of monsters and demons.qSJsJR2
x9n“Aint.”49EbAq
Sl9“Daniel.”qgUV3IE
JcFqA young man with snow-white hair approached Aint.DByHL
7nDIt had been just a week since the news of the crown prince’s death appeared in the papers.Mwu105n
3jWSvqYIt was Daniel Alprosen, the third prince. He looked exhausted, worn down by stress.eQG0jTp
UUA“I’ll get straight to the point. I need your help.”9odvu
tgHJ‘…So that’s how everything ties together.’EkfLM
2Wb4JBA memory of the next prophecy.AHTZ0yH
NMWoSv‘Is this…?’cfR
MaUZPh— It’s a pendant.dwT
Pa3Y2tAt the place where the crown prince and his retinue had fought against the monster horde, the rain had uncovered a pendant buried in the mud.COZrn
ZvC‘Looks valuable. No one picked it up?’0a7k
HqAHb— It must’ve been buried during the battle and surfaced with the rain.5ftq
36OClick.LsY
BE3vqAMAint opened the pendant. Inside was a photo taken with a magical projector.zx6NzGW
PFSCge— That dark blue hair and emotionless gaze… looks familiar.OZAAn2o
wsy5qT“…Professor Rosalia?”A3f
V6Bi9Fernan woke up abruptly.K4fZuo
aOvwvkkHyde wiped the cold sweat running down his temple.iaPd
Urwm“Was it a prophecy, young master?”vblJ
fXy“Yes.”Uf3o3JQ
aiV“Seems like you saw something quite bad…”3wzae
pYVxl“I saw something very bad.”RqbgpGx
L0wR10fEven though he had managed to change the future before, this time the vision had a high chance of coming true.9zyNbcD
aGWlJqJust like with Esrin.1Wsfq
E0F“There’s a prince from Alprosen in second year, right?”R5y5E3
AyQ“Yes. Daniel Alprosen, third prince. He’s in the second year of magic, ranked sixth, and lives in the Ravidus Hall.”NdHwspY
2UL4JXg“Daniel…”qxWc
18QCWhat a coincidence that he had the same name as that damned corrupt.ttgLgc
CmcUOS“Go tell Aint I want to see him.”EITZt
nLfy2OAlprosen and Esrin.IMYC
F4aINwIThis had to be stopped. No matter what.uWk1
WSKnb***4YGxES0
8IJLIn an old-style room.v6W
aPtjiLThe reddish light of sunset came through the window of the secondary palace, breaking into soft glints.Pl7C
8gyp“…My brother sent a letter to the Academy?”bKkyv1I
GRly3sTulwin Esrin, third prince of Esrin, turned away from the letter.6jb5jS
eS1IThe messenger bowed his head.0vU
Fuu“Yes, your highness.”IaJ
KlTWvaB“…Tell Count Flaris to come see me immediately.”lv3Z
B5gE2P9“Yes, your highness!”Qja
2JDc4tPThe messenger rushed out.uuCz
pVPWVxl“What do you think of this?”LNVpX
hAXLiIThe prince looked back at the letter, and in the shadowy corner of the study, where the light didn’t reach, a man was calmly reading the newspaper.B9lK
L6K“Seems like the first prince is quite the coward.”Dodk
B8qgKpAOr rather, that he was being cautious would be a more accurate way to put it.NKO2r1
g22“What disappoints me is that there was a survivor.”6XDn
QLfce“…That no longer matters. Why do you think my brother sent the letter to the Academy?”AArz7u
n99“The same reason you’re already suspecting, your highness.”6XCOF
PfzH“To Aint Armian?”RH1VMxA
SlktXThe man, Count Daniel, nodded.1dLrEj
T3Lij“When people hear the word ‘demons’, they immediately think of Armian.”jXEvi
CyW“That’s serious!”mYwBvPf
NaJum“Not really.”SFP
7Zizd2DDaniel calmly flipped the page of the newspaper.PBdo
Mhbd“One of the slaves we gathered for the monster summoning escaped due to negligence, but his mind was already half-broken by magic. Even if he ran with the news to the first prince, whatever he said would sound like mad ramblings.”LHWgwuj
zWfQ43Even if it were true, the first prince couldn’t just accept the words of a madman.9PSkd
scGL“And look. Days have passed since the fugitive went to the first prince’s side, and nowhere is anyone talking about corrupts or monsters.”Xu8b
XInnThe first prince couldn’t go public because he didn’t have solid proof.htl1
QIKdNQIf it were true, it would completely sink the third prince, but if it wasn’t, the backlash would be devastating.wO0b
jeSS4j1“Then the letter isn’t important?”8NPxMAc
2szdJbS“I wouldn’t say that. The mere fact that the first prince sent a letter to the Academy, to Aint Armian, says it all.”tU22q60
gOuZHis intention was clear—to avoid making noise for now and, through Aint, try to find some lead.32nhk
lqTz“But the first prince overlooks something.”5H4e
I20gPKThat Aint was still a student, and that the Academy had already resumed classes.nsx
NSYAmT“During the semester, it’s not easy for a student to leave the Academy for a long time. Especially not to deal with another kingdom’s affairs.”Iox
7X0M“And besides, if it’s discovered that Aint Armian is helping the first prince of Esrin, it will turn against him. Just like you and your brother can’t stand each other, the same goes for Armian and Schwaben.”3RTH
eB8xIf Schwaben found an excuse to attack Armian, he wouldn’t hesitate to use it.msDV7
46VhtZPAnd Aint didn’t yet have the political power to withstand that pressure.PD5g
Hcj3“That’s why we don’t need to worry about Armian.”1JYDi
duJvh0“Then who?”H3H
F6Z“Fernan Pellenberg.”mPdq7op
xQdMR“Fernan? Why are you suddenly talking about Fernan Pellenberg?”trN8V7
sqRgQk“Many people ignore it, but he has defeated more corrupts and monsters than anyone thinks.”t2pjJ9M
4WlxcKTogether with Aint Armian.6OIWO8
UB8p“Recently, too…”eK1
2XqlVDODaniel sighed, recalling the situation with the underground city.mIR4g7S
zEBLrQ9He had tried to seal it with an illusion in Fridian, and then Fernan ruined everything below ground.vgFn
WZouJ“Recently what?”a8rJm
v2Tcu“Nothing… Back to the point: Fernan has something Aint doesn’t.”ZWXBkU9
6nN2SMoney and power. And the strength that comes with it.ZJcZX2
COl4Oz8“Fernan hates corrupts as much as Aint. So, if something happens, he’s the one who will come. Don’t underestimate him.”AoX
iQaVCkZ“But Fernan Pellenberg isn’t exempt from accusations of interfering in internal affairs either.”cMc8
B8h1A“Not completely. But compared to Armian, the difference is like fireflies against the full moon.”cm1
3wlwThe Golden Turtle Company had branches all over Esrin. Protecting them from civil war would be excuse enough—even if it wasn’t needed, because the Pellenberg family’s bribe network was so widespread throughout the Empire that it was hard to find someone who hadn’t tasted it.Cr5WNrq
geKNeither Schwaben nor any imperial noble would want to make an enemy of Pellenberg over “so little.”zuN
GizVxC“So little? How can you call internal interference so little?”a3IJMr
bkDWFK“Because Pellenberg has the power to make it seem so.”3Gd5
N2N“Then there’s no way to counter that?”1eXR
XE3p7“Don’t worry, your highness.”yjF95m
bPRlDaniel brought a pastry to his mouth.JXz0
EN5wHj“Fernan is dangerous, and even more so with his house backing him—but there are methods.”fda
3HgmnHis mind had already been tainted by magic once.sIcqfAD
QNGoThe first time is hard. After that, it’s easy.ZplJ3e
fJd“Fernan won’t be able to intervene in Esrin’s civil war. So, your highness…”iP1
ilFa9“Prepare offerings in abundance.”dLKGBO3
NqRLs“I’ll make you king of Esrin.”tYNRz5N
wpbWd2“I’ll trust in you. But just in case, I’ll send a letter to Aint. All I need is to stir up some confusion.”gG7Mqw
jpCFb“As you wish, your highness.”uvS9o
EC8X“And no one must ever know of our connection.”lzhRF
iqjcLxl“Of course, your highness. Besides, the monster incident wasn’t our fault, right?”FrGUzA
El4uj5“…Don’t forget that.”VaxZumE
7GJThe corrupt, and the prince who wanted to be king even if he had to ally with them, shook hands—each hiding their true intentions.xlS
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