Chapter 18

“My lord, it’s a recording sphere sent by the young master.”

The duke took the small sphere handed to him by the butler and observed it silently.

“I see… so this is it.”

Not 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.

“Wasn’t Hyde supposed to deliver it personally?”

“Yes, sir.”

If Hyde had done so, it meant he was acting under Fernan’s orders.

Although 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.

‘To use a teleportation formation before official approval…?’

He must have considered it an extremely urgent matter.

Both the withdrawal of the elixir and the use of the formation were clear abuses of authority, but the duke held back.

Although Fernan had been acting strangely lately, the duke knew he wasn’t someone who acted without good reason.

Moreover…

“I’ll bring definitive proof in less than a month.”

That’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.

That’s how his father had raised him. That’s why the duke decided to wait. And finally, today, he received a recording sphere.

“But I wonder if this will really be enough to convince me…”

According to the request, Fernan claimed the item was for something extremely important.

“And yet he handed it to Aint Armian without hesitation…”

The duke’s eyes turned cold.

The 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.

There 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.

So why had Fernan made that decision?

“And Schwaben’s reaction?”

“We don’t know. The young master was extremely discreet. I doubt we’ll ever find out.”

“That, at least, is a relief.”

And only just.

“Very well. Let’s watch this before drawing conclusions. Butler, will you view it with me?”

“Of course, sir.”

The duke injected mana into the sphere and activated the recording.

And then—

“…”

“…”

Neither the duke nor the butler could utter a word for a long time after watching everything.

***

Fernan headed to one of the commercial companies.

“Build another warehouse on this plot and fill it with potions, medical supplies, and emergency items.”

“Pardon? All that, so suddenly…?”

“There are more injuries during exams. It’ll be used a lot.”

“But filling an entire warehouse is a bit much… Ah, no, my apologies. It will be done.”

The manager, pressured by his gaze, hurriedly nodded. Fernan didn’t scold him. From his point of view, the protest made sense.

If 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.

“Ah, and here are the documents you requested, young master.”

Still somewhat dazed, the manager handed Fernan a stack of papers.

“But why do you suddenly want to become a temporary assistant?”

“I have my reasons. You may leave.”

At Fernan’s order, the manager bowed and left.

“…Yes. I certainly have my reasons now.”

Fernan pulled out a sheet and began writing down the visions he had seen the night before.

It had been a night as painful as the first time he was struck by lightning. But the reward for that pain was incomparably sweet.

“When the known future ended, new ones started to emerge. Will it continue like that?”

All signs pointed to yes, although some recent visions had become more fragmented. It wasn’t a perfect system.

‘In this future, there are four key elements.’

Aint’s rise as a standout first-year and his meeting with a key future ally—Aria Fridian.

The joint class “Field Survival Techniques” for all first-years.

The spirit beast and the elixir.

“And the mithril.”

Meeting 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.

During that incident, Aint would encounter a spirit beast, obtain an elixir, and discover a mithril vein.

If Fernan didn’t know that, nothing would happen. But now that he did, he couldn’t sit idly by.

“The beast and the elixir don’t interest me.”

Those were for Aint. They were necessary for his growth and his eventual battle against the demons.

“But…”

Fernan circled the word “mithril” several times.

“The mithril is mine.”

Mithril—a metal blessed by mana, so valuable it was essentially priceless. It was practically impossible to obtain.

Not only did it have exceptional mana conductivity and preservation capabilities, it could also be easily reshaped, making it ideal for crafting superior artifacts.

But according to the prophecy book, mithril wasn’t just that.

[- Curse it… A mithril vein!

The beast fell and the ground split, revealing chunks of mithril ore everywhere.

— We have to extract it all, Aint! Don’t leave a single piece!

“Of course!”]

[- If refined, we’ll get about 5 kg. That’s a huge amount.]

[- 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.

— This sword is also made of a mithril alloy. That’s how I was able to house my soul in it.]

“…A mineral capable of containing a soul.”

Soul magic was nearly forbidden due to its dangers and remained largely unstudied. Thus, almost no one knew that mithril could contain souls.

But Fernan saw in that a new possibility.

“If I have this…”

If 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.

“It’s mine.”

Any butterfly effect caused by failing to acquire the mithril would be crushed with money and financial backing.

“It must be mine, no matter what.”

His eyes burned with greed.

***

Although there were issues with the first-year Knight Department exam, they couldn’t simply cancel the entire midterm.

Therefore, the academy changed its strategy.

“For this midterm exam, all practical tests have been canceled for safety reasons. Instead, they will be replaced by written assessments.”

“Ah…”

“No…!”

“That means we’ll have to study even more…!”

At the teacher’s words, the students clutched their heads, dejected.

“Studying is something done daily. This will show who’s truly been diligent.”

‘Better this way.’

From Fernan’s perspective, it was much better. After all, theory was his specialty.

Since all practical tests were replaced by written exams, the midterms proceeded more quickly.

“Those who are finished may submit their papers and leave.”

Fernan was always among the first to leave the classroom. He used the extra time to knock on a professor’s office door.

“A request to become a temporary assistant?”

Professor Rosalia skimmed through the documents and frowned.

“Is there a problem?”

“Too many. I wouldn’t know where to begin pointing them out.”

Rosalia closed the documents.

“This system is intended for upper-year students who are short on credits.”

Being a temporary assistant meant an upperclassman acted as a training security staff for younger students.

Normally, applicants did so to fulfill credit requirements, though some also did it for bonus points to improve their rankings.

“I actually am short on credits. I spent my first year enjoying academy life a bit too leisurely.”

“Did you suddenly feel inspired from being paired with Luina Bercheff and now want to become number one?”

“I at least want to be worthy of my partner.”

Even so, it wasn’t feasible. Rosalia shook her head.

“Upperclassmen can be assistants because they have fewer mandatory courses. If you miss class to assist, you lose more than you gain.”

“That’s why I only want to do it this once.”

“The first-year joint field survival class lasts a whole week. Even for upper-year students, it’s impossible.”

Missing an entire week would affect many courses.

“I understand it can be counted as equivalent credit, right?”

Not 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.

It was the same for second-year students. In short, being a temporary assistant could count toward all three courses.

“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.”

Rosalia listed the mandatory and elective courses Fernan was taking.

“If you truly want to rise in the rankings, you shouldn’t skip those classes.”

“Missing one won’t affect me too much. Besides, ‘Golem Engineering’ is graded with assignments, so I don’t need to attend.”

“Is it really necessary to go that far?”

“If I want to climb ranks at this point, I have to work harder.”

She stared at him. Fernan returned her gaze unwaveringly.

“According to the rules, there are two requirements to become a temporary assistant.”

“First, to be in the top ten of your department. Second, not to supervise peers or seniors.”

Since the task involved overseeing students in potentially dangerous situations, a clear skill gap was needed.

“And I meet both.”

Fernan ranked tenth in the Department of Magic, and the training he aimed to assist with was for first-years.

“…Very well. If the rules allow it, I’ll approve it. But the consequences are entirely on you.”

“Thank you.”

Fernan bowed.

Sure enough, approaching Professor Rosalia—who stuck strictly to the rules—had been the right choice.

‘Still, I hope I can limit myself to the basic duties of an assistant.’

He was taking precautions just in case, but securing the mithril during this assistant work was a last resort.

Fernan sincerely hoped that “just in case” wouldn’t come to pass.

***

“…Finally, I can breathe. My head hurt.”

Crunch.

Luina swallowed a sweet chocolate and let out a long sigh.

“Were the exams that hard?”

“I’d rather have duels or practical tests. But everything had to be replaced with written exams…”

Even as a knight, it didn’t mean she only knew how to fight or was dumb.

Knights were expected to have a solid foundational education, and anyone who had entered the academy was far from ignorant.

Still, being a knight, it was natural to prefer action over theory—especially for someone who had reached second place thanks to her skills.

“By the way, is everything okay with that?”

“Probably.”

“That sounds too vague.”

“It’s not like I know everything.”

Since he couldn’t remember every detail from the prophecy book, he couldn’t say whether the northern monsters would go berserk again.

“And the demons? The one who turned Verian into a demon must still be in the academy, right?”

“That’s true. I also think so. I plan to investigate soon.”

Once Hyde returned in a few days, he’d task him with it. Hunting demons wasn’t easy, and Hyde was the best suited.

“But the more I think about it, the more it bothers me. Shouldn’t we tell the professors…?”

“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.”

“So you think the demons will strike again?”

Fernan nodded.

No need to consult the prophecy book. The first time is hard, but the second is always easier.

“But why the academy? What could they be after?”

“Just a guess, but… the academy gathers top talent not only from the Empire but neighboring nations too. If something happens here…”

“It’d be like destroying the Empire’s future. I get it.”

‘I’ll never let that happen.’

Luina became unnecessarily resolute.

“If you ever need help, count on me. Especially if it’s about demons.”

“Of course.”

Seeing her offer herself up without him even asking, Fernan smiled with satisfaction. That was enough to use her for free until the end.

“By the way, that elixir didn’t actually exist, did it?”

“Correct.”

“I figured. To be honest, if you’d told me up front he was a demon, I never would’ve believed you.”

“Thanks for understanding.”

She’d probably only realize much later how foolish it was to make that promise.

***

Whether due to the appearance of a demon, a monster frenzy, or selling his future away for free—time marched on.

And at last, the eventful midterms came to an end.

Because of the chaos from the monster frenzy, most exams were switched to written format, so the results came out quickly.

Fernan pushed past murmuring students and headed straight for the score sheet posted on the wall.

【Academy – Midterm Results – Department of Magic, Second Year】

【1st – Fernan Pellenberg
2nd – Carlo Deneb
3rd – Ludger Schwaben
4th – Daisy…】

“Fernan got first?”

“Was it because of the practical?”

“What? That didn’t count. It wasn’t part of the midterms.”

“Huh? Then how…?”

“…The final grade does include finals, but still…”

The academy rankings were based solely on mandatory courses. Electives granted credits but didn’t significantly impact rank.

Everyone was confused.

Although Fernan had started scoring well this semester, no one expected him to jump straight to first place.

While everyone tried to figure out the exact cause—

“…This is kind of cheating.”

Fernan knew the reason exactly.

‘Was the demon’s butterfly effect really this strong?’

Due to the monster frenzy, all practical exams were switched to written.

And he, who compensated for his practical weaknesses with theoretical dominance, simply maintained his edge.

Perhaps, the result had been inevitable.