Chapter 181
NxG[As you said, unprecedented rain has been falling for days in the plains of Hopen and in the north of Alprosen.GsKks64
jCbjjkUI will believe you. For now, I will follow your words, but someday you will have to explain it clearly.]M0MDEll
lgyrFFernan clenched his fist.w6HL
Z2g5uOY“We did it! We did it!”G4BPQ
Cfi2wHis father had believed him. Not only that it was raining in the Hopen plains, but that he really had a book of prophecies—and that it was genuine.bfy
JF3BKiThat difference changed everything. Fernan felt it immediately—from now on, everything would be different.a895
PB1“Now I can truly carry the family on my shoulders.”Yz19
0tvGHe no longer needed to invent cheap excuses or live with anxiety.rkv0Qbr
2L4ffFernan savored his coffee calmly. That day, it even tasted sweet.SuGCX
ly2hi“Young master, there’s still another letter.”rHIC572
Nv5R“Another one? My father sent two?”LcQ
UmeodNpAnd the first had already been quite brief.8Gwvt4
3iYw7Uh“It’s from the crown prince of Alprosen.”J0G3enL
3uoFernan’s movements froze instantly.s5QOm0V
OJF“Give it to me now.”fB3Xnh
4IGEoEReading the letter, the corner of his lips curled.uvlhFb
EjfLB“It worked too. I was right.”dvk0
Znh“What did he say?”aiEk
0zz“It’s an invitation. The prince wants to meet me in person in Alprosen.”XJt
45GmpBe“Really? May I know what you wrote to him?”6Cvxd
sb17FjG“That I can’t tell you. It’s the prince’s private matter.”enb
ZgSNHe wasn’t about to tell just anyone the story of a potential secret romance.TBkAyBl
Z0s8lp8“Then we must prepare to depart for Alprosen. It’s already raining—there’s no time to waste.”pWC8W
clJubXG“…Have you forgotten that you’re still a student?”VjX
K4DTy9Y“Hyde, after more than twenty years by my side, you still don’t understand the most important thing.”7RMvC
WZIFernan clicked his tongue and carefully folded the prince’s letter, tucking it into his chest.mzfai
kvubX“The Academy, at most, can expel me. But if Alprosen plunges into civil war and demons are summoned…”jA9GzHC
HHigNS7The entire continent would perish. The priority was obvious to anyone.j4tJs
RlstNs“Remember this well, Hyde. The Academy is not the entire world.”JEg
MZqmHAnd besides.i22
xeW“Expulsion? That’s easily solved with money.”kcmRA
GrLoEYWith the firm backing of his father, Fernan feared nothing. He put on his coat.IctoYoe
TmbWs“Prepare the carriage immediately.”XC9w
TXX“Do you think you’ll be able to see the rector at this hour?”lldCO
l2HHyde knew him too well after twenty years. Although Fernan spoke of expulsion, it was a last resort, something to use only after exhausting all options.Gimw0Kl
l7hF4ZXThe most reasonable option now was clear.z24RUs
H5nUXKR“I’ll see him, for sure. With how irritated he’s been lately about the corrupt, he hasn’t stepped away from the Academy even once.”RqxL
vPPguWsHis goal was to get the rector’s official permission, so there would be no consequences for his absence.9Z0g
nzjvU9x“And if he doesn’t approve?”OAFM4Er
b4HT“I’ll make him approve. And if not, I can always request a special leave.”XnOaNf
lulMr7tAlthough officially the Academy did not allow leaves except for war or illness, Fernan would not be stopped by that.M0fGEl
1l9j4FHe and Hyde headed to the rector’s office.UTbSHg
ttN***OCF
rSMkXcd“Corrupts, huh? So they intend to attack Alprosen.”llde4Z
HhGywyD“I don’t think you’d make up a lie so easy to expose. Was it information from the Golden Turtle Company?”NcIqz7V
qFqDZ“If you want to go, you can go. Just remember—if you return empty-handed, it will count as an absence. If you bring proof, it’ll be as if you never missed a day.”3HPo
VHGcbThe conversation with the rector went better than expected.HxwXB
OoKfCjAfter so many attacks from the corrupt within the Academy, he was very inclined to authorize the mission.Ay5H6B
oS78“Aint too? Excellent. And with a direct letter from the first prince of Esrin, the motive is solid.”7sFO1Ab
bCqSN“Since you’re going, I might even authorize the third prince to travel as well. Don’t you want to bring more companions? Maybe the same ones who fought Andromalius with you.”GKDwq
7d778XcNot only did he agree, he was surprisingly generous.cuAD08
x30ilI“Isn’t this problematic?”3ys7Zg2
jUS8JKNo matter how much of a rector he was, manipulating the attendance records of so many students was a risk.P5RVnb7
ZLcl1yY“Aren’t there limits even to your prerogatives?”Blaufm3
vPSkK“That’s not my problem. I’ll handle it.”YHCVl36
uQMThe rector hadn’t reached that position by chance. Clearly, he had a plan.eDxW
0fc“…That’s how it all turned out.”IB7amii
hGHLrmQAfter sealing the agreement with the rector, Fernan summoned his companions to a private room in a teahouse.jah
KlqLuina Bercheff, Aria Fridian, Verian Kalburdern, Gismond Ert, and Aint Armian.nQI
a63rHe decided not to include Ahgrot for now, who still needed more time to adapt to the Academy.B0L98
Uyh“The places where the corrupt move in the shadows are two—Alprosen and Esrin. And I won’t allow anything to happen in either of them.”TQCH
LOYyhThey had split forces before—it was in Bercheff and Frazia—and they managed to stop everything. It had to be the same this time.t0lYk
nCmaXbIf both kingdoms fell into civil war, the bloodshed would be brutal, and the corrupt would take advantage to summon demons.vhjg
PguThat couldn’t be allowed.Pipg
AknPd“…I figured as much. We just returned from Fridian, and here we go again.”WGSpAR
mKFt9Gismond, who had also seen the prophecies, sighed in resignation.d56A7Fs
STP5z“I support the idea, senior. How do you plan to divide us?”ot4b
YQB“You’ll go to Esrin, Aint. The letter was addressed to you, it’s only logical.”FrpU
8YamN2Fernan, for his part, would go to Alprosen.rqUgx
ttfw2“Isn’t that too risky? It could be seen as interference.”FGfix7
UJb3n3“It would be best if your involvement remains secret as much as possible.”pGVG
2PNBut if discovered, the rival princes would use it as a political weapon to attack Armian through Schwaben.FVSP
y7qEe“If that happens, my father will protect Armian as much as he can.”nbB
hOBKBc“Duke Yvon?”o65K1
OXjh“Exactly. He’ll do everything possible. And we have the letter as proof that the first prince himself asked for your help.”swRA
Gf47Even so, nothing was perfect. The prince himself might feel uncomfortable with that dependence.IHApN
96DT“Then your mission is to prove he had no choice but to call on you. So that everyone acknowledges it.”GLp6qe
HqQ“I’ll find and eliminate all corrupt and monsters.”yBu
Viync33“And weaken the voices of the rebellious princes.”x3Dt9k
WxXc“That sounds like direct interference in the succession.”nsW
9BA“No. Just focus on sweeping away the corrupt and monsters. That’s enough.”wmc6MDT
S3y5Fernan already knew how the board was set in Esrin—without the intervention of the corrupt, the other princes would never surpass the first, who already had the majority support of the nobility.Hwql3
Dau“…I’ll do my best. Who will go with me?”KDTj
eRqB“Your friends.”UXKf
TgUQxRHe assigned Aria and Verian to go with Aint, and Luina and Gismond to go with himself.E0GOi
O9fQ“Let’s go, Luina.”yleGg
96r8Qg“Yes. These corrupt are scattered all over the continent like cockroaches.”fasF7
a6v“That’s exactly what they are—cockroaches.”GQM2
ElCk“Wait a second, I’m going too!”yvlO
TYbAt dawn, as the ship sailed away from the Academy toward the continent of Lutar, Fernan remembered something.zgXe2
jERJcxu“By the way, the corrupt never came. I expected him to show up.”FsXVgm
Z0OojMU“Me too. I thought he’d come back to cast another suggestion.”HTa
OuXMYuT“If he didn’t come now, he’ll come later.”c1akFb
BwGSooner or later, they would come after him again. They wouldn’t let go of a wildcard like him who had already fallen under suggestion once.RLZ
4uuQL“Better this way. Keeping up the act of still being under their control was a pain. His arrival now would’ve only complicated things.”K6g
u0eT“True.”3VaVD7
PkrNFernan smirked as the ship cut through the waves toward Lutar.bT2cI
QbSsx***Pt8
aICnThe same day Fernan and Aint departed for the Kingdom of Alprosen and the Kingdom of Esrin, respectively, late in the afternoon—DmBR
ZgCnmFive ships docked at the Academy. They were medium-sized vessels from a merchant company supplying the institution.YuLlg97
f1xTxc“They finally arrived.”fdtMcu
Ol4ARoderick Fisher, escort mercenary of the company, stretched as he disembarked.63aCV
hrHiq“I was sick of it.”onm48e
71BWyHe couldn’t believe how pleasant it was to walk on solid ground after two days. He scratched his completely bald head hard—the blazing sun burned his scalp.l6UpTvS
dIj“Thanks! It’s thanks to you we arrived safe and sound.”QIct
9XkO6o“It was a job, so it’s normal. We’re off now.”78Mic
b3ZtDNRoderick led the mercenaries of the Blue Wolf Company to a lodging.KrG
y5InW“Good work. We’ll rest here for about three days.”P1w5m
NJv7“Thanks, boss!”bGZE
jcD3“They say the nightlife at the Academy is excellent, huh?”ziq
iazQ“Don’t even mention it. With so many important people gathered here, there are all kinds of entertainments. The problem is the cost…”CdiT
1l5TW“Ha. With how well they paid us for this job, and you’re worried about money?”w72T
guMaRAfter a few drinks with his men, Roderick went up to his room first. He tossed aside his weapons and armor carelessly, muttering.vyb4lvr
VRji7o“Where’s Fernan Pellenberg?”f5HY
G9mAA shadow emerged behind him.9rXj
LP4“…Well, you see.”chmel7
AaEAt the hesitation in the tone, Roderick’s brow furrowed.kdiPN
xAMYa6“Spit it out.”wZx
DOHFHi“…He left the Academy.”ryYBgN
OWVkF9“…What?”UF9np
XGepLThe motion of removing his military boots froze mid-action.IezDH
SGFG4Ct“…I didn’t quite catch that. What did you say?”oO1n
sp3“Fernan Pellenberg left the Academy on the first ship at dawn.”c8O2CUN
XboUzn“…And why am I just now hearing this?”aAKRR
QVyRoderick furiously threw his smelly boots; the crash made the shadow tremble.ti1
KKO8TV“…The rector is too focused on Aint Armian, so our movements within the Academy have been very limited. I only just found out myself.”dQO
fKoYLE“What a pathetic excuse.”aARU5E
52bjRoderick grabbed him by the neck with force.WNGC7
4cxgxp“I came all the way from Frazia just to meet Fernan Pellenberg. If he’s not here, why the hell did I come?”qELmNP4
5pX45X“I-I’m sorry… I should’ve found out sooner!”Ywu5u
16L“Of course you should’ve! That would’ve saved me the damn boat ride all the way here!”9oXy
Tjg14GBHe growled in fury. He had wanted a convincing excuse to approach Fernan without raising suspicion, since that guy was paranoid to the extreme. That’s why he chose to infiltrate through a merchant company heading to the Academy—and now he had wasted valuable time, enough to lose his chance.TSHfPml
Wbkc“Was it only Fernan Pellenberg who disappeared?”Or0g8CO
owGTf“No, Aint Armian too…”hZ4
nZkQUwW“Shit!”9QXL6E
4VDu0Roderick threw the shadow to the floor.qxcyY7B
KeF6p3“Where did they go?”pwBxN3
zHeB“We’re still investigating.”HDzfi
EVD“What’s there to investigate? Obviously to Esrin!”AHaTGZQ
axFdIoThe first prince had sent a letter to Aint, and Aint had surely shared it with Fernan.x2H7l3
mT1A5lq“I thought I had more time…”XtiOetY
8aepHe had trusted that, being the school term, Aint wouldn’t dare get involved in Esrin’s succession out of fear of criticism.LNDQs
2MCPO“Did the rector allow them to leave?”yA7
rEmvrS1“I told you, with all the attention he gives Aint, we couldn’t confirm it for sure…”yWzud
ygVrr“Useless. Absolutely useless.”VTiZw4N
O1qRoderick ground his teeth.EB2F
EpUKB“This is a problem—a big problem.”KK9ZUm
YJ3RPiIf Aint got involved in Esrin’s affairs, it was very likely the whole plan would fall apart. And the worst part—if Count Daniel lost the third prince’s trust, all the invested effort would be wasted.jBI
G9gaJVuRoderick got dressed again, gathered his gear, and stormed downstairs shouting.wWR
bvay“Vacation’s over! We’ve got a new mission!”QioErB
FEDcWu“What?! But we just got our beer!”Ugdt
DvhsW“Chug it down!”ELr8I
1LuqThe mercenaries groaned in protest, but they had no choice but to obey.pBoQkD
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