Chapter 18
1S6“My lord, it’s a recording sphere sent by the young master.”rpAUSnq
7HBjM0ZThe duke took the small sphere handed to him by the butler and observed it silently.7jX
X74DrN“I see… so this is it.”aHMz6V
OSzMNNot long ago, when the duke was briefly away, Fernan had broken into one of the storerooms. What he took was none other than the heart of a Saint Bird—a magical beast as rare as a phoenix. It was one of the treasures kept in the level-one vault, which housed only the most valuable items.J6Bfesp
je0T8n“Wasn’t Hyde supposed to deliver it personally?”kxTlx
Lnq7g“Yes, sir.”bLp
ogIEs0If Hyde had done so, it meant he was acting under Fernan’s orders.5PIQ3i
PxiPPlsAlthough Fernan had submitted an official request to withdraw the item, Hyde had taken it before approval, using a teleportation magic formation. This formation required a massive amount of magic crystals and specialized mages—so much so that even the duke avoided using it unless absolutely necessary.QRhPsxL
LxhZ‘To use a teleportation formation before official approval…?’yyQuUOF
9WCHe must have considered it an extremely urgent matter.bAjPq
WWDb80Both the withdrawal of the elixir and the use of the formation were clear abuses of authority, but the duke held back.QNXz
qlLAnvAlthough Fernan had been acting strangely lately, the duke knew he wasn’t someone who acted without good reason.bEDJ
MGAmgxlMoreover…Lf8YAVQ
IxZm“I’ll bring definitive proof in less than a month.”B5M7G
aqC8B1That’s what Fernan had written in the withdrawal request. Fernan didn’t make empty promises. If he promised something, he fulfilled it. And if he couldn’t fulfill it, he didn’t say it.YXqkf
uODThat’s how his father had raised him. That’s why the duke decided to wait. And finally, today, he received a recording sphere.N4rW
7QwL4M“But I wonder if this will really be enough to convince me…”SwZ3p
Yj8AeAccording to the request, Fernan claimed the item was for something extremely important.b2cvUDE
rG4Xp5D“And yet he handed it to Aint Armian without hesitation…”JZCZSLI
QLUREWThe duke’s eyes turned cold.M2j
k9kdaMThe Armian family—a practically ruined lineage, a hollow shell of its former self. It retained the honorary title of imperial blood and the rank of electoral prince, but nothing more.GctiGx
9S7yhThere was no reason to gift them something so valuable—not even for political courtesy toward Schwaben. At least that’s how the duke saw it. And surely, the entire Empire thought the same.siaDpE
2TExSo why had Fernan made that decision?f1Z
9ENUj5“And Schwaben’s reaction?”5QRD
irU“We don’t know. The young master was extremely discreet. I doubt we’ll ever find out.”rySzpi
LEqv“That, at least, is a relief.”D9YNGGj
Eut7cNAnd only just.ORxTaMA
dXj“Very well. Let’s watch this before drawing conclusions. Butler, will you view it with me?”b76G1
J5NG“Of course, sir.”Jgh
9x9The duke injected mana into the sphere and activated the recording.HTvIrkw
Ne3And then—GKllNRJ
bqOtP“…”PFn6VAy
TLM“…”dZ3n
o3F0Neither the duke nor the butler could utter a word for a long time after watching everything.Z7T
6hX9***r6NMJo
zAxjAFEFernan headed to one of the commercial companies.Oc5
qRmwcs“Build another warehouse on this plot and fill it with potions, medical supplies, and emergency items.”t1T
RrOo“Pardon? All that, so suddenly…?”q6IgxK
ALsInpa“There are more injuries during exams. It’ll be used a lot.”O8mOa
Em9“But filling an entire warehouse is a bit much… Ah, no, my apologies. It will be done.”sEYicky
X01XThe manager, pressured by his gaze, hurriedly nodded. Fernan didn’t scold him. From his point of view, the protest made sense.6L75I
mYDIf he hadn’t seen the future, Fernan wouldn’t have done it either. The coming of Andromalius—this was just a small preparation for that day.w3q
WdUbwV“Ah, and here are the documents you requested, young master.”2NpVo
F67UfQlStill somewhat dazed, the manager handed Fernan a stack of papers.a3qj
tcmzhcU“But why do you suddenly want to become a temporary assistant?”3IQhDmF
pcRl0b“I have my reasons. You may leave.”b9z1
F7XAt Fernan’s order, the manager bowed and left.M9FUi
Sfz“…Yes. I certainly have my reasons now.”cARxm
J2QryuBFernan pulled out a sheet and began writing down the visions he had seen the night before.dgDn
umA5It had been a night as painful as the first time he was struck by lightning. But the reward for that pain was incomparably sweet.FCD8
UmoVB“When the known future ended, new ones started to emerge. Will it continue like that?”I6P
JnIAll signs pointed to yes, although some recent visions had become more fragmented. It wasn’t a perfect system.3V7
WkqDdw‘In this future, there are four key elements.’ucy2ZQ7
ZZVJvRAint’s rise as a standout first-year and his meeting with a key future ally—Aria Fridian.Icd
kv3aqiThe joint class “Field Survival Techniques” for all first-years.dpg09xe
RGAThe spirit beast and the elixir.a8xg3x
10tnpy“And the mithril.”ivvUF
KU8Meeting Aria was nothing new—he already knew that. The important part was that after the midterm, a joint class would be held, and an incident would occur there.fBY1
vyEDazDuring that incident, Aint would encounter a spirit beast, obtain an elixir, and discover a mithril vein.MmwVVau
nE4hQYJIf Fernan didn’t know that, nothing would happen. But now that he did, he couldn’t sit idly by.t3IzZrP
7tSy“The beast and the elixir don’t interest me.”5f2
s731VThose were for Aint. They were necessary for his growth and his eventual battle against the demons.1LXo
hmbW0u“But…”HnxLIhR
I3UdkFernan circled the word “mithril” several times.1tbBL
nE1“The mithril is mine.”XVtl
BSboMithril—a metal blessed by mana, so valuable it was essentially priceless. It was practically impossible to obtain.h0YTXH
Y8UNot only did it have exceptional mana conductivity and preservation capabilities, it could also be easily reshaped, making it ideal for crafting superior artifacts.zQTC1Re
PSnJBut according to the prophecy book, mithril wasn’t just that.WMIYn
mfi2H[- Curse it… A mithril vein!f4Wx
iJsjCIDThe beast fell and the ground split, revealing chunks of mithril ore everywhere.wJob
VdGr— We have to extract it all, Aint! Don’t leave a single piece!MH3
B7u19“Of course!”]zAWBKY
kYTWjsH[- If refined, we’ll get about 5 kg. That’s a huge amount.]mzej
KpPRIzZ[- Mithril is the best container among all metals. It can hold mana, which is why they call it “the mana-blessed metal.” But that’s not all.RW0qQ
jIadr— This sword is also made of a mithril alloy. That’s how I was able to house my soul in it.]px7LYh6
NrMK“…A mineral capable of containing a soul.”qesh
mdhcyqSoul magic was nearly forbidden due to its dangers and remained largely unstudied. Thus, almost no one knew that mithril could contain souls.75gs
enamrfuBut Fernan saw in that a new possibility.ZhPj3xv
YmHpYZ“If I have this…”HRPdg
qHS9If those 5 kg of mithril came with such a unique property, then Fernan could finally complete what had always been a fantasy—merchant-style combat with a perfect finishing touch.cr9ncd9
qp7“It’s mine.”pxZ
ufIdzUAAny butterfly effect caused by failing to acquire the mithril would be crushed with money and financial backing.dms
ZZ9l“It must be mine, no matter what.”LpXdVw
bCAfuHis eyes burned with greed.ByYXWpE
VZUV***aInVU
3WuAlthough there were issues with the first-year Knight Department exam, they couldn’t simply cancel the entire midterm.18g
BSRTTherefore, the academy changed its strategy.EqC7emM
fA6sQw“For this midterm exam, all practical tests have been canceled for safety reasons. Instead, they will be replaced by written assessments.”OH5UH4
Ynf“Ah…”n1Rg
afSk4h“No…!”JNt
n94wfs“That means we’ll have to study even more…!”ljoRK7S
9sKlAt the teacher’s words, the students clutched their heads, dejected.87ofL
X3oO“Studying is something done daily. This will show who’s truly been diligent.”lli6
vp2N‘Better this way.’nFTp
6KSaPFrom Fernan’s perspective, it was much better. After all, theory was his specialty.yLd
mxfjnSince all practical tests were replaced by written exams, the midterms proceeded more quickly.exF9Xp
wwyQ“Those who are finished may submit their papers and leave.”saV8L
1gEZFernan was always among the first to leave the classroom. He used the extra time to knock on a professor’s office door.cLWKYB
zzt“A request to become a temporary assistant?”tvUD
ny2TLLProfessor Rosalia skimmed through the documents and frowned.KhFH0i
Cjre“Is there a problem?”WeWP0x
lMBr7O“Too many. I wouldn’t know where to begin pointing them out.”gHl
0XHn8P3Rosalia closed the documents.Zf1
04Ztax“This system is intended for upper-year students who are short on credits.”XBiQa3v
D024Being a temporary assistant meant an upperclassman acted as a training security staff for younger students.5NZPgf
0oHY1HuNormally, applicants did so to fulfill credit requirements, though some also did it for bonus points to improve their rankings.QT2HAD
6ZDv2“I actually am short on credits. I spent my first year enjoying academy life a bit too leisurely.”kSaluNl
5wec“Did you suddenly feel inspired from being paired with Luina Bercheff and now want to become number one?”hduxe
eOEUyBN“I at least want to be worthy of my partner.”DNGEl
jQNqfEven so, it wasn’t feasible. Rosalia shook her head.Qn4n
p5DMkTJ“Upperclassmen can be assistants because they have fewer mandatory courses. If you miss class to assist, you lose more than you gain.”zxZ11L
PmpGtF“That’s why I only want to do it this once.”g3Or9l2
6EPB“The first-year joint field survival class lasts a whole week. Even for upper-year students, it’s impossible.”40PndG
eVMMissing an entire week would affect many courses.vFz
aKVO“I understand it can be counted as equivalent credit, right?”53m
OStvA3cNot just for “Magical Survival.” These joint trainings also covered courses like Combat, War and Magic, and Study of Creatures and Monsters—each worth 5 credits and treated as a block.z1nM1P
PBHJDMIt was the same for second-year students. In short, being a temporary assistant could count toward all three courses.tN5AA
phNw“You still have Rune Language Introduction, Understanding of Summic Spells and Techniques, Circle Magic Structures and Principles, Elemental Techniques (Earth), Intermediate Alchemy, Magical Stone Processing and Carving, Golem Engineering, and Study of Magical Equipment.”LNWLa
SeSFbeMRosalia listed the mandatory and elective courses Fernan was taking.vElj52
E58u7m“If you truly want to rise in the rankings, you shouldn’t skip those classes.”xWOGtIX
mW8wHk2“Missing one won’t affect me too much. Besides, ‘Golem Engineering’ is graded with assignments, so I don’t need to attend.”yBFW
Na7“Is it really necessary to go that far?”ovT
sCNipY“If I want to climb ranks at this point, I have to work harder.”NiBSmHS
9C2She stared at him. Fernan returned her gaze unwaveringly.eJY9XJI
0HHtW8“According to the rules, there are two requirements to become a temporary assistant.”LzLXO
sJp“First, to be in the top ten of your department. Second, not to supervise peers or seniors.”fX4oBzH
6xtIkOSince the task involved overseeing students in potentially dangerous situations, a clear skill gap was needed.pHJDJ
yUUWde“And I meet both.”jutzK
RnefFernan ranked tenth in the Department of Magic, and the training he aimed to assist with was for first-years.dH5
nvb1“…Very well. If the rules allow it, I’ll approve it. But the consequences are entirely on you.”q4sRjNI
7fledy“Thank you.”nRfOc
OQ5bFernan bowed.sTt58I3
K5awSure enough, approaching Professor Rosalia—who stuck strictly to the rules—had been the right choice.56vB
kKY3O‘Still, I hope I can limit myself to the basic duties of an assistant.’nBW2BFx
9hAnH1He was taking precautions just in case, but securing the mithril during this assistant work was a last resort.skw6XK
J8RNZrVFernan sincerely hoped that “just in case” wouldn’t come to pass.1z69
BoBGnYD***k7X
YSr“…Finally, I can breathe. My head hurt.”eDGtW
19GqECrunch.0Vb
hMj4DJaLuina swallowed a sweet chocolate and let out a long sigh.N9U
K3sIhk“Were the exams that hard?”iqAeKF
tCEbS1y“I’d rather have duels or practical tests. But everything had to be replaced with written exams…”U1AdVw
Ps5QVEven as a knight, it didn’t mean she only knew how to fight or was dumb.oIvkxWU
KW5eDCKnights were expected to have a solid foundational education, and anyone who had entered the academy was far from ignorant.E24hD
qA0uJEmStill, being a knight, it was natural to prefer action over theory—especially for someone who had reached second place thanks to her skills.bDAXNdO
HLlzjW“By the way, is everything okay with that?”3w3
lnfSPUP“Probably.”4K0
TBIjo“That sounds too vague.”AJCQOZL
lpl“It’s not like I know everything.”FBt
MUPDSince he couldn’t remember every detail from the prophecy book, he couldn’t say whether the northern monsters would go berserk again.HpXATW
t43H“And the demons? The one who turned Verian into a demon must still be in the academy, right?”JIypC
Ke80Ofa“That’s true. I also think so. I plan to investigate soon.”n1JB
6PhHDpOnce Hyde returned in a few days, he’d task him with it. Hunting demons wasn’t easy, and Hyde was the best suited.rFvu5r
czQT1B“But the more I think about it, the more it bothers me. Shouldn’t we tell the professors…?”v6SN5Cx
d1UKF“If we talk, they’ll ask how we know. And then we’d have to reveal what happened with Verian. Just this once, we’ll keep quiet. From now on, we report immediately.”ZYlEWB2
Vr6Sm“So you think the demons will strike again?”oeN
U6UFernan nodded.aR4
ZEkGNo need to consult the prophecy book. The first time is hard, but the second is always easier.s5wd9Lm
QmF“But why the academy? What could they be after?”y1SK
1wSj73“Just a guess, but… the academy gathers top talent not only from the Empire but neighboring nations too. If something happens here…”yFqnf36
yKk“It’d be like destroying the Empire’s future. I get it.”jcj
7j9‘I’ll never let that happen.’CJb3w
ADjLuina became unnecessarily resolute.gIqf
fe5“If you ever need help, count on me. Especially if it’s about demons.”kJjW8T
QRumD“Of course.”s6Qz21
yjof7saSeeing her offer herself up without him even asking, Fernan smiled with satisfaction. That was enough to use her for free until the end.160
LtZQ“By the way, that elixir didn’t actually exist, did it?”ol9
n0oM“Correct.”FmOIs
83DgR“I figured. To be honest, if you’d told me up front he was a demon, I never would’ve believed you.”Y2t8Fv
IeAR6“Thanks for understanding.”yoiZTco
BTtdWShe’d probably only realize much later how foolish it was to make that promise.PXiCr
kFBUh***uNFIJZ2
wOM4pWhether due to the appearance of a demon, a monster frenzy, or selling his future away for free—time marched on.4WXbZ
rdUiAnd at last, the eventful midterms came to an end.LwYj
Qc8A2gBecause of the chaos from the monster frenzy, most exams were switched to written format, so the results came out quickly.VRVCEer
uqMjFernan pushed past murmuring students and headed straight for the score sheet posted on the wall.9H1
swU4uP【Academy – Midterm Results – Department of Magic, Second Year】O3f4
WovKd【1st – Fernan Pellenberg
2nd – Carlo Deneb
3rd – Ludger Schwaben
4th – Daisy…】3okH9xt
g7cPZlG“Fernan got first?”2Cu
PEm1“Was it because of the practical?”eNG
DQqOB“What? That didn’t count. It wasn’t part of the midterms.”mrtU0
kPYqRI“Huh? Then how…?”5tu66Ou
tqgL“…The final grade does include finals, but still…”83K
0aCN4The academy rankings were based solely on mandatory courses. Electives granted credits but didn’t significantly impact rank.BPBAY3
xYsxEveryone was confused.eHw9
pjAIdWAlthough Fernan had started scoring well this semester, no one expected him to jump straight to first place.J4pyUl
4PpaDsoWhile everyone tried to figure out the exact cause—mJJuv
KlSWE“…This is kind of cheating.”EtzkBpO
zENCFernan knew the reason exactly.jxzWZEF
C3ms‘Was the demon’s butterfly effect really this strong?’Kuc6A
6UfykJnDue to the monster frenzy, all practical exams were switched to written.LnIExE
74CIOAnd he, who compensated for his practical weaknesses with theoretical dominance, simply maintained his edge.IJX
gCIf85Perhaps, the result had been inevitable.QviV17U
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