Chapter 266
ryQLAEjIt all happened in the blink of an eye.w8PxEl7
sLIygaNWith the approval of the field practice by decision of the rector, Fernan immediately began preparations to depart for Frazia.3Qjn5
Yuan“Field practice? So suddenly?”aMc2Zun
yoWrmZZ“What? Already going on a trip at the start of the semester?”za0Wbn
YceVHr“And Aint too? Don’t tell me it’s another demon again?”T9EOSFP
WJaThe students weren’t stupid.XopD
BIXaEvery time Fernan or Aint left the academy, word would spread that some corrupted or demon was involved.Ovwi
Yi6FIGx“Is another demon going to descend?”nb4eZ
UWYOC“No way…”4x7
a2zw“Will it be at the academy?”9nkF4
xszLDA“If they’re leaving the academy, it’s obvious it’s not here.”WEuO0oU
JXsIt was inevitable.2QLjx
cQ2OhJ2“Well, with this we can’t go secretly anymore.”Qt7y
bmx“The moment such a large group leaves all at once, secrecy becomes pointless.”y1a
1pOXqb“But we still don’t know exactly what we’re going for.”x1b63
GXhk“That’s true too.”y3A
zukgLuckily, this time it didn’t matter much if people found out or not.Aoef
rTMcBoth sides knew perfectly well that since it was a direct invitation from Dantalion, they would be fully prepared.gkg
wm9TTw“Either way, I don’t think we should go.”0v0i
3TOIJ5oHyde spoke with a worried voice.Xyx
eYQ360L“Half of the Golden Pillar agents sent to Frazia have lost contact, young master.”08zjslG
GhkEThe guild agents sent to investigate the situation in Frazia had infiltrated noble houses and royal families suspected of ties with the corrupted—and all had disappeared.vGPHT
zO7Y3t“That’s precisely why we must go.”MzC
ZM1VxuThanks to their sacrifice, at least they could identify which places were suspicious.GfV
0VKlYThe areas without a response were undoubtedly the most rotten.4hYJ29x
AIFAb“Let’s depart.”1Pfl5Ml
Du2j6BThe group boarded the ship.rSdgzZH
9MuDUAs the academy became smaller in the distance, Luina asked:ybUj
sST“And aren’t we bringing Carlo Deneb with us?”GJtK
Dym0emLuina already knew that Fernan had managed to turn Carlo into an ally, and also knew that the method had been quite similar to the one he used with Verian.y1Qgsf
4ZQeFBefore, she would have protested that it wasn’t right, but now she simply accepted it.yPw3
e1HIf he had sinned by being manipulated by a demon, let him redeem that mistake by fighting one.mubqZ
xSqsHuz“Carlo is a man of great pride.”8Cgonv
QwxAlthough he was a wealthy commoner, he took immense pride in having been top of the academy.ouStb0
AqaWgqThat’s why, when Fernan surpassed him and took that spot, he resented it the most, trying to reclaim it at all costs.Wn0Q
qhLav“That led him down the wrong path, even seeking out Dantalion on his own and ending up corrupted. But it wasn’t his fault.”A6xcd
9nMDMAfter all, he had only done the best he could.EzM
YgzEven Fernan, who possessed the prophetic book, didn’t know that Professor Dominique was an incarnation of Dantalion.X00ek
7DIfW“I’ve put a collar around the neck of a man with that kind of pride, yes, but if I give him a direct order, he’ll only rebel more.”07Hxq9
SZwaNv“Then what do you plan to do?”xCs
ENE“Leave him alone.”nYUGm
NH8VA crooked smile crossed Fernan’s lips.YSWLpKb
X6tU“Humans are curious creatures. If you pay them too much attention, they desire less; but if you ignore them too much, they crave to be seen.”BjZn90
SzrYIS5“I get it—he’s so nervous from your threats that, now that you’re not giving him any signals, he must be getting desperate, right?”ws5MQ
405f“Exactly.”0HRmf00
1DhqD5PFernan nodded, satisfied.DACMHu
NJkLobw“He must be thinking, ‘What is he planning to do to me? Why isn’t he moving?’”J7A
g3qN1“I’ve seen cases like that, but there’s no guarantee it always works.”ldFcsv
HkJM“Of course not.”sF7c4
fSvIn that case, there was another method.4aWisMu
pIv“What is it?”l2eJb
rjUdDbJ“Wait until we return from Frazia, observe his state, and decide then.”aXZBz
9r4lld“That’s an elegant way of saying you have no backup plan.”YVCu4A
lCwPP2“Giving a good appearance to something empty is also part of a merchant’s virtue.”VIPhc7
84W“That’s not virtue, that’s fraud.”9IzqR9
6aZT5The island completely vanished from the horizon.Qp0vLg
1fG6jThe ship continued moving swiftly southward.KjngrB
wOs5Jl***q4MBs
XSJ6Je“…He left again?”y0ML
SaDDs“He departed at dawn today.”IAq8w
5Ih4“Luina Bercheff, Aint Armian, Aria Fridian, Verian Kalburden, Gismond Ert, Ahgrot, and even the new professor, Adolf Fridian?”khfz5Iw
wvijsJzFernan, you keep gathering more and more people.SFVc7N
qZoc“You’re not even trying to hide it anymore.”99fi7Y
fNEMThough, to be fair, it didn’t make sense to hide it now.zmHW
g3ZIhpcWith Rosalia Vienderk now rector—a woman Fernan had sponsored for a long time—there was no one left in the academy capable of touching him.dwBYlg
E7fdQ“They say they defeated several demons in the Kingdom of Linelt this time. The difference between them and us keeps growing.”mgwu5
pdWolLudger let out a dry laugh.EMXWE
xTmq7tjHis brother catching up to Aint? No matter how much he thought about it, it seemed impossible.dgb
txlrvlOf course, the First Prince was also a genius; the emperor wouldn’t entrust the empire’s future to someone without talent, even if it were his own son.26a
miUDpBut Aint was a monster beyond all scale. A lunatic who had appeared out of nowhere.oKqrhd8
1lTyPDAnd with Fernan backing him, his rise was like that of a bird with new wings.pmrQa
rQnEDid they say the cheetah smiles? Nonsense.xERgi
95d9nAint wasn’t a mere animal; he was a Saintbird.aMBiN
Dgy7HFYNo matter how fast a cheetah runs, it can never beat a sacred beast flying in the sky.iSIZiHk
3lDHis brother refused to acknowledge it, but that was the truth.17lja
eDkm“And what does the duke plan to do with Rector Rosalia?”n6v7
4sY“I don’t know.”DfS99vg
URAqvXTo Ludger’s question, Valosie Vienderk shook his head.aHek
Syo“I know what my sister thinks, but I have no idea what’s on my father’s mind.”FbZ
9xCh“I think I do. The duke supported Rosalia Vienderk becoming rector.”IgaU
jDOdYDIt wasn’t clear if he did it just to increase the family’s influence in the academy or if he had truly changed his mind.Uu2Y
gHN1Still, considering his relationship with Rosalia, it could be seen as a gesture of reconciliation.N3S70bq
R47w2p“And what do you think?”yAe3
lNe“…”sNWxE
gVwKjAfter thinking for a moment, Valosie answered calmly.W2ysz
8Or“I want to get along with my sister.”DVLCjHH
YlOn“The fruit is one, but there are two mouths. And one of them never plans to yield. What will you do then?”q1Sv
Ypm“It would be a lie to say I have no ambition.”9Rw45ge
UXJpY9“Well, the Vienderk family is a mess too.”zjERH
ULIIMDhThe entire continent was under threat from demons, and yet there wasn’t a single peaceful place.FTCo
ezUxj4“And me?”PnV
AargLudger thought, falling silent.SebEx67
SN7“Father considers my brother the heir to the throne.”SlV
OdXDHe hadn’t officially proclaimed it yet, but the fact that only he received the Armian sword art made it clear.xpK
2EUCyvAnd that Ludger learned about it so late only confirmed it further.4pnZ0N
hUB“I have no hope.”lpmSUU
Loz2Or did he?61n
vJZNo matter how much he thought about it, his brother couldn’t surpass Aint.EgxIxFc
d9XNHAnd if things continued like this, not even the Schwaben family’s hold on the throne would be secure.PUsoy2a
bDwJgbIf Armian didn’t have demons on their side, or if the Pellenberg weren’t supporting them, it would be different.kRejp
CPx90iBut both were united, expanding their power at a terrifying pace.U3L
kW1NThere was no such thing as the absolute.N3z
4lMz“I don’t know.”vf84
OXQmDeep down, he admitted to feeling a certain greed.jBp
nEMiIf there truly was no hope, perhaps the best option would be to side with Aint.8yP1m
Md7aJGWhen he saved the world, at least he could bask in a part of his reflected glory.moLnEo
SEBlD3But he knew perfectly well what his father and brother would think.QGApUXW
vM50hXAnd besides, there was something else he was ignoring.cIFgoz
6Fb“Father has become the leader of the Alliance. Schwaben can rise even higher.”k6gz07x
VzFIVLEven the Pellenberg, who had always supported Armian, ended up giving their vote to Schwaben.DGQ
FQTPUZFIf his father proved skilled in war, he would solidify his position as a victorious commander and leader of the continent.KAex
XabnAThen, no matter how much Aint shone, there would be no guarantee he would become emperor.XUy5
Lkgv2“Your Highness.”pIW
zADhvoAt that moment, his servant handed him a letter from the family.cC4LjWk
YkeR“The First Prince sends it.”wf3Hr2
MV8eeX“My brother?”EXrxfS
VpgLudger opened the letter, and the doubts circling his mind disappeared for a moment.0geNc9V
DKKwb“How is your last semester at the academy going? That youth won’t return, so enjoy it while you can—but return to the capital.”QpNWSU
D6tON[… Omitted …]OysIF
AV0o“I’ve already spoken to the academy. You and I will go hunt the corrupted together. We can’t just stand by while Armian acts like the only hero.”EQtuyBD
tSWoh“What…?”yphh5MD
S3OIt was a unilateral order, a command.lygb
B9LThe kingdom of Schwaben was beginning to truly move.8pb4F0v
zfOW0T7***1Q6
OvjpAs the start of the semester approached, Carlo Deneb grew increasingly tense.JNdzB
h44kAThe fact that he had been corrupted by a demon and fought on its side was a secret to almost everyone—but not to the most dangerous man.nIz
FCIFernan Pellenberg.UDHB
mmbcHe had healed him, yes—but with very dark intentions.jaOr
U3W“Does he plan to use me like Verian?”L0T8DH5
AbGDPCarlo didn’t know the details of what had happened with Verian, but he was aware that, for some time now, he had become a loyal servant who came running whenever Fernan called.gkxo8pC
r0Ec“Damn Fernan…”A1VyP
2nBQHe didn’t want to end up like that.jcU
LdqEgQBut the tragic truth was that he had already passed the point where he could refuse.nIhGU
r67fThe record crystal Fernan had shown him contained irrefutable evidence of his servitude to the demon.helqK
cDB5jIf that were leaked, not only he but his entire family would be punished—and at a time when the academy had just been left in ruins, the impact would be devastating.Mv5K
6cEhHe considered asking Ludger for help, but—1cvg
P4jkIn the current situation, with tensions at their peak after Linelt’s destruction and the appearance of demons, it would have been useless.GMum73t
2wX5qSo the only thing he could do was spend sleepless nights, consumed by anxiety.SxT5
nzdQdo“What is he planning to ask of me…?”FO3Fn
HBozqrGKnowing Fernan, he couldn’t even imagine.lnr4ux
xXb689iAnd so came the day classes resumed.XMhHS
g1CIn the first lesson, Carlo saw Fernan in the same classroom.vct
Ts3LGHe decided to stay under the radar, keep his head down, and avoid any eye contact.UTgxNf
2fJzjBtIt wouldn’t help much, but every minute gained counted.KgFHB
d5HwA day passed, then two, four, a week—a month.sbLYx
LN1eqEven after all that time, Fernan hadn’t spoken a single word to him.gmG
IWCKtSc“…?”pFSCK
oSwOyVQHe had promised they would talk when classes resumed.sLSK4Hb
tCudCoHad he forgotten?saXz
SWsjAt first, he felt relieved. He hoped things would just stay quiet like this.93U
ZTl“Did Fernan forget?”Iwwwe
crnChBut soon, he realized how absurd that was.g7cPAB
Ys2nJA man who wouldn’t spend a single coin without calculating its return—was he really going to forget someone he could use as a slave?FKRGg
fBVC“Fernan.”vvASgZ
CU3WipT“Carlo. Are you recovered?”9dRd0L
Z0EpHHe couldn’t take it anymore and approached him, but Fernan only replied with an empty courtesy and went back to his business.3nAEneq
DIbMore days passed, until finally Fernan left on his sudden field practice without saying anything to him.4e9ca3
QDlGXgQ“…?”FVJ
7KkX6mnWhat was that?r7bD
Fm2lfT“Am I not even useful enough for him to bother using me…?”YwxUk2
R2gqHe had been top of the magic department, the champion of magic duels.lbONv9u
XeMiAn inexplicable rage began to boil in his chest.tMHPB
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