Chapter 19
9BkqV【Academy – Midterm Exam Results – Knight Department, First Year】bjQuj
YjRqz【1st – Valoshi Bienderk
2nd – Verian Kalburdern
3rd – Kain…
…15th – Barus Dene
16th – Aint Armian…】gKKwS
tNE“What’s this? Isn’t Aint ranked higher than we thought?”qb1
kujOcCv“Yeah, considering he defeated Verian, it’s a bit disappointing…”cD1IX
7vQkMAint, mixed among the murmuring crowd, silently looked at his position.mLyecSx
dBcQ— Rank 16? The heir of the Armian family only 16th?5ciC
yhMIeIwThe sound of Gardner Alfenparsen clicking his tongue could be heard.lnut5g
enn“Well, there was nothing to be done. All the exams were replaced by written tests…”BR3Qh9H
vlYOf course, that didn’t mean Aint was an idiot or lacked talent in theory.K92zMg
pgcIf that were the case, he wouldn’t have placed 16th out of 100. The issue was that Gardner and the others had much higher expectations for him.uf3GkpN
LBP“Oh.”2kX
iL5E7cA short exclamation was heard beside him.5rIeZ
ITR7rK“Rank 16? That’s quite a leap.”6yJfePi
kBC6“Valoshi?”IU1c
A9mAint greeted him gladly.gKz
CFhowgiHe was one of the few who neither mocked the fallen name of Armian nor revered it as if it were still legendary. Rather, he was simply kind to everyone.370
GQgoVGG“Congratulations, Aint. Amazing. You jumped from 38th to 16th.”PSxx
axQ“Don’t exaggerate. They were just written exams. Plus, it’s only midterm.”I3Gt
ZXu“I don’t know… if they had been practical tests, maybe you would’ve ranked even higher. After all, you beat Verian.”iJjFw
4sb“That’s true…”wf5H
ZFzuQBut in the end, it was only a midterm result. Everything would depend on the final exams and the upcoming practicals.ARKaI
r4N4u2“Anyway, it’s still a great result.”wfNDVX
tyYp“Yeah. Climbing from 38th to 16th in half a semester is an absurd growth.”KljfXYz
HdZbXAt that moment, a youthful voice suddenly interrupted.XdAGixX
7kboaqtAint turned and saw someone he didn’t recognize.VA04kj
vJMA strikingly beautiful girl with short orange hair and bright emerald green eyes.rStoc
zAdgP“You’re Aint Armian, right?”SLuIihk
4fxFT— She’s an elf, Aint.s4O3
lHcKDV8“And you are…?”5W9
uh5fsEven without Gardner’s comment, those pointed ears were impossible to miss.cWGyPO
GR3w“Aria Fridian. I’m from the Magic Department.”zQXG
2jtQ1T“…Fridian.”SLn
KhCdL0JAria extended her hand. Aint hesitated for a moment but then shook it.EmtAR
JNM06“Aren’t you going to hate me?”l9cUpl
MZ2M“I have no prejudice.”EgWgKF
3SE2XrPValoshi shook his head.zJBmI7B
eSS“No matter the reason, Fridian earned her right to the golden edict legitimately.”azMD
LlKVshf“Thanks for thinking that. Honestly, it took a lot for me to decide to approach you.”OzHvB
wYCVE4Fixed stones rarely welcomed new ones.XyPU2o
YBsYiAThat was common in every society, and even the Empire’s elite were no exception.Ivkc
qAoeK“It took effort?”pzIT7z
xEMwz6wIn response to Aint’s question, she nodded.4FBjW
IgZ“After the midterms, first-years will have our first joint class, right?”1q9TQ
1sloAlthough rare, joint classes between departments weren’t unheard of.uUz
3xkTHY“Yeah, I heard about it. I think it’s a survival class, right?”WaN
Gm9Aint nodded. From what he knew, it was a weeklong survival course shared between the Knight and Magic Departments.CwOPd
ZwWRw“In that class, fighting among classmates is prohibited. So I thought it would be a good idea to cooperate.”ziKtL5
bolfBNot a bad idea.KIZvbzm
RrlxMX— Don’t listen to her, Aint.6wru
Ycq— Never trust someone with long ears lightly.zga2
r5kQptV‘I’ve never heard that one before.’IEs
FmbzAM8Since there were more people around, Aint couldn’t refute it directly. But since it cost nothing to heed Gardner’s warning, he improvised a reasonable excuse.o1KaZ
04m“Are you sure the class will happen as planned? With the monster frenzy, even the exams were changed to written ones.”ob7smeJ
C3EBLr“It will take place.”yUaPA
fowH68uThe one who answered wasn’t Aria, but Valoshi.ozG6T
QMzt“Usually it’s held in the north, but this time it’ll be in the southern forest.”rnOUzf
bZ0Hw“How do you know…?”cTO3
Vpy9TFAint cut himself off. Valoshi was the heir to the Bienderk family. He probably had a lot of contacts in the academy.JM6
jJ9QBBv“Anyway, I don’t plan to team up with some elf who just popped out of nowhere.”gO2cQ
ngsB2F“How cruel! You said you had no prejudice.”1bM
5GmWl“Trusting someone you just met isn’t lack of prejudice, it’s stupidity.”5s2kTys
UMfzluV“But fighting among classmates is forbidden in that class.”PERGF
ZTgM2c“Even so…”3rP3
GC1zL“Enough, both of you!”hPTs1V
4PrpAint stopped the argument between Valoshi and Aria. Then he shook his head.XmhT
HQij“Sorry, but I don’t intend to team up with anyone for this training.”rZqkxDm
eO7P5h— The southern forest?tsQ
azlQ1FF— Doesn’t matter if they’re long ears or opportunists, we don’t need either, Aint.oj5DJ81
a8eM6— In the southern forest, there’s a spiritual herb left by His Majesty the Previous Emperor. Forget everyone else and let’s go find it!gRJ
hYgGardner Alfenparsen had shown him a third path.RxmmWs
byO***jgEnN
uU3“Mithril. Mithril. Mithril.”SGV0
BOELFTFernan, who had successfully secured the temporary assistant position, felt the need to craft a more solid plan.da2Hhf
YaU“I can’t let that guy have even a speck of mithril.”mu4Vm
yyqswUVAnd at the same time, Aint couldn’t find out. If he snatched the mithril that was supposed to be his, it would be no different from declaring war.VjE
vhKLxnqThat would be one more step toward the worst possible future—ruin.20yFCk
UWgud“I need to intercept it before he reaches the location, before he even realizes the mithril exists.”2PDy9F6
KFY0ZNWithout anyone knowing. As if the mithril had never been there.ZyPDtsB
Efli“There are three obstacles I need to overcome.”nRTfR
O7d60qnFirst, don’t get caught slacking off on assistant duties.XsG0
XB9PvGISecond, don’t let Aint Armian or Gardner Alfenparsen find out.8RGI3Ua
TjGpx9A‘And third…’n1U5O
WkkTap, tap. Fernan drummed his fingers on the table.kiG
yewqq“Don’t get discovered by the spirit guarding the spiritual herb.”E3x9J
hPFYLIf he didn’t want to leave even the slightest trace, everything had to be perfect. And perfection meant that even after extracting the mithril and fleeing, Aint shouldn’t even suspect it in his dreams.pm0uCr
Izr“In other words, if there are signs of a battle with the spirit, he’ll know someone intruded.”0Qs
PudZThen he would inevitably wonder what was taken while leaving the herb. But if Fernan also took the herb, it would only trigger more fury.ok7JY
Td7QHTHowever, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find a solution.F70
JhqGHe could prepare with artifacts, elixirs, and support scrolls, but doing it alone was impossible.8t8LI9
oGw7r“…In that case.”NaHju
ezV0seDamn it. When the hell is Hyde going to show up? Fernan stood up.0nr1
juiB0“Luina, can you swear on the honor of a knight to keep everything I’m about to tell you secret for the rest of your life?”b6j
YUgjYHe had found his first collaborator Luina.Ld6PcJ
PRn***1UXQNT
1Q7YGN“No.”3Md9
NYTXkDbLuina didn’t take long to respond.J9H
YOEwLLuThough at first she had listened tensely and sworn solemnly, her resolve was clear in her gaze.DJWtR
KQ2rkj“When you mentioned the honor of a knight, I thought it was something incredible… but it’s just about a spiritual herb?”YTO1G
zMvkwoq“Just? What do you mean just? How can you say a spiritual herb is a small matter?”tA1
ZXJxdWas she thinking he was lying again?s9P
TFz“I’ll swear on money if you want. This time it really is a spiritual herb.”knt
bISBe“Whether it is or not, do you expect me to skip class for that? What are you thinking?”cUUU
PMDpUW“What do you want in return?”AT5W
pkvpF“No matter what, I’ll never skip class. I must become top of the class.”jcQe
bdC7Fernan, well aware of Luina’s obsession with being first, let out a soft groan.4hds3X
7WQ“It’s a spiritual herb, Luina. Do you know how much that’s worth?”C6KB2SF
w5mVZ9D“Even if it is, it doesn’t hold the same value for everyone. Everyone has different priorities.”b21P
arRPbMAnd she added,rnm
ANG8OAf“And to think you’re working as a temporary assistant just to get it… I can’t even comprehend that.”bsRhv
rLzwFernan, realizing it was impossible to convince her with that firm response, dismissed her.9oOLX
v1A“Understood. You may go.”2ugKd
w9HHaving her help would’ve made things easier, but it wasn’t essential.t52Hx
ildZPThe person he truly needed would arrive shortly, as arranged.BcoW9
Oe4GNhm“You’re not leaving?”bgs
nIVxO4Noticing he wasn’t getting up as usual, Luina tilted her head, puzzled.Lpph
5Il“I have another meeting.”xwPvkFD
8FuNTNG“Here?”UrK4v
Nt6bzsN“Yes.”GLsvP
TsY“…Don’t tell me it’s with Professor Grad?”v1NC3xy
WYM“Don’t be ridiculous.”TGc
Hg1Ec“I don’t care what you do, but please don’t get into trouble. If you get sanctioned, it’ll affect me too, since we’re partners.”rk3gnx4
Wr8zUOA“I’ll keep that in mind.”4lI
y0DAt that moment, a sound came from outside. Just as Luina was about to leave, the door opened wide.PaF1B
ko7G“…!”RKGO4fu
c52tCIIAt the entrance, Luina came face-to-face with the arriving person.lXqbqPf
GlB“Well, you weren’t alone, brother.”EyJ
e2gk7“Come in.”Bn8CIL
WJH“…Brother?”8tPGZ9R
YeQAW***UOg
9XHUluRed hair like flames and bright green eyes. A sturdy build uncharacteristic of a mage and a face that radiated kindness.amQX
Gl0Even Luina recognized that face.oxyJ6wq
W0v“Jace Vynes?”MFWVF
eVzThe Saint of the Cult.jHv
RqAdvtUThe top first-year student in the Department of Magic.eFMnh8F
MkI7A magic genius. And many other titles accompanied him.bIxdvVx
htnAnd from the mouth of that saint had come the word “brother.” Directed at none other than the miser Fernan.lBUi
nt3LTo her, it was something completely incompatible with common sense. Her mind was overwhelmed with confusion.GzKcHq
WW8p“Is it strange for you that I call him brother? You are… Lady Luina, right?”NSP1
vNzAlthough not on Jace’s level, Luina also had a notable presence. Jace, who recognized her a moment later, pressed his palms together with a friendly smile.titn
29C“May the blessing of mana be with you.”3zP
oFk“Ah… yes. I…”Y0zk
p2Tpa“No need to press your palms together as well. This is just a customary greeting of the Cult.”ebORocd
vdTJace sat down across from Fernan.fDcO
FDf5O“So, what were you talking about?”kyscGeu
ItL“Luina has nothing to do with it. She was just leaving.”n3RnQ
GodiGBut instead of leaving, Luina dragged a nearby chair and sat down beside them.ulzf1
vf9YA8c“You’re not leaving?”tmzt5h
Wkw4py“…You seem quite close. How did you two meet?”pak
pbd“Does it surprise you that much?”f5pgmu
Cnikn“Yes. It’s only natural.”HMvhg3
fEyQjP“Only natural?”tNDNoe
KENHrmQ“I suppose you don’t know because you’re not a mage. Would you like me to explain?”AK3Q9e
MEWtoHyJace was right.rEz
Muabn“Listen closely, Luina. As you know, the Cult of the Dragon God was originally a religion that worshipped the primordial dragon who granted magic to humanity.”9H98q
9YOLOMiBack then, magic was a marvel and the primordial dragon was seen almost as a deity.roCQq
r7Jwg4But now everyone knew that was no longer the case.WcDwfv
FmTvp2BEven so, the religion had endured.xokAO7
xVXtNBecause the object of veneration had shifted from the primordial dragon to magic and mana themselves.Uf0Q
xfQieVThanks to that, the Cult of the Dragon God survived and became the most powerful organization of mages, composed mostly of mid-level and higher spellcasters.rpGC
LwTK“The fact that the Archmages are recognized by the pope of the Cult of the Dragon God says it all.”CX0GN
UY2Sp9It was easy to view the Archmages as the magical equivalent of the Royal Knights. Ten great mages recognized by the high pontiff of the Cult.sWu1QnD
lFN“I already knew that. But I don’t see how that relates to your current friendship. Did you study magic at the Cult’s main headquarters?”Pmtz
q9FB“No. It’s simply a matter of logic.”KZAdlm
00YjXEmJace shook his head with a gentle smile.jiQ3M9r
xGyk9S“Mages are like hippos that devour money. And the Cult of the Dragon God is full of those hippos.”2pGcru
ss6xiz“And our family is the one that buys the most products from the Cult.”0qlYc
DSeL“Exactly. The Pellenbergs are our biggest customers.”c89
U6r0“Very big customers.”Ak5K
4wSJZoFernan and Jace spoke in turns, shaking Luina’s understanding.FBQJYC
4eofF“And as the old saying goes, if you’ve got money, they call you brother.”dl3l7o6
NYF2Mb7Therefore, there was no reason why Jace wouldn’t call Fernan “brother.”V04K31
a8t“Besides, even in terms of age, technically he’s also my older brother.”Hx22
zicThe saint smiled.cwfrDhU
uAcZ62V“Do you understand now?”sRT
axVP“…I mean…”AGwdM
a99With words, she understood. But in her mind, she couldn’t process it. That saint who seemed so kind and concerned for others was saying that with a smile?vUUKF
pKwpJAfter quite some time in confusion, she unconsciously let out her most sincere thought.hEA1ITR
LRzIp“…And this guy is a saint?”5u394K
09QDyRIsn’t he just another miser number two?V78Lul
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