Chapter 73
Ff0Fernan returned to his dormitory and began writing down everything he remembered from the vision.SQwoyle
zweup“I can make a rough guess as to which castle it is.”Ebc
EVXiGk8There had been plenty of clues—the height of the walls, the people who were with him, even the vast plain directly in front.rFjmVt
a7ZbqxO“The Knights of the Iron Cross. A wall about twenty meters tall. And a great plain stretching out in front of the castle. It was blackened by demonic energy, but before that it must have been very fertile land.”zin
udrzEZThe Knights of the Iron Cross belonged to the Kingdom of Frazia. And in Frazia, there were only seven castles with walls higher than twenty meters.oxq9
WELsy6‘From those, I need to find the one with a plain in front.’yDdc
59hDfIf there were multiple candidates, he could send people to sketch them or record their images into spheres to check which one matched.Fk1
I6ql0jb‘The problem is the date.’BlFCS
F4ORNHcNo matter how accurately he identified the place, if the timing was wrong, it would all be ruined.XVBT6p
pmM‘There was no rain or snow.’N6QWO54
BFjOY9Whether due to the miasma or the nature of the prophecy itself, he couldn’t feel the temperature of the surroundings.G7O
OxOolDbBut he could deduce some things from the people’s clothing.VzU87
cod8‘It’s definitely not summer.’Ct6mf
4GxVTSummer in Frazia was sweltering, yet no one on the wall seemed to be sweating.ZHAfnDJ
hP4zg3‘Nor winter.’1T4ba
krB8g2No one wore heavy clothing.OkEd
Z1LLoD‘Spring… or maybe autumn.’U35a9e
aCL8VS4No, spring.bdZa
pj19wIf it were autumn, the crops in the plain should have been ripe for harvest, but there was nothing.6YWXy
e6nh4‘Don’t tell me it’s next spring…’MDPhx
q6YT0That would mean only six months away.iFlR8F
vAqMIYZFernan tried to stifle the growing sense of unease.ExAv3IG
hpN‘The Shadow Spear Mercenaries and Varus Dene were present.’BR4b4
CnyBoth seemed to be in full condition.UgR
wzxQTo see Varus Dene on the battlefield, when he was still convalescing now, implied that a considerable amount of time had already passed.GrRe8W
lI2UzOF‘Wouldn’t six months be enough? Wait…’4sq
k9kVIn the original story, Varus Dene hadn’t been injured. That had changed because of Fernan’s interference.tmpR8E
tWI‘If we remove Varus from the equation…’0gkxC
PPIHRAAint also looked different. More mature. His hair a little longer.aKsvM
sNXBut that too could change in six months.f6lWUsF
uaXod‘Damn it! Why doesn’t it show the outcome? Why cut the vision at the most important moment?’UT7
ntvIf at least the prophecy had shown Aint winning, as it had with Andromalius, he wouldn’t be so anxious.hzzXR
ofFen‘No, surely he wins.’wjmSgYR
v9vNThe last image he had seen that stormy day was Aint fighting to the very end against the demons.Isu7
sWvkeOr so it was supposed to be.CVwiO8
cZLBut Andromalius’s level had already been far higher than expected. His method and timing of summoning had also varied.CE4
SRkCouldn’t the same happen with this new demon? Could Aint really defeat him?JowT
7d414rUSince the future had diverged, there were no absolute answers. Only uncertainty.qDOOwYR
SVR28K‘I’ll have to prepare as best as I can and drop some hints to Aint.’xvHk6x
9iqzcaThat was the best he could do for now.1wf
1ZCJ2‘Because if the Kingdom of Frazia falls, the next will be the Empire.’aBH
QYmBjAnd in the continent of Pandrein, under imperial rule, lay—LcbacRG
mpfwThe Ducal House of Pellenberg.Lzhirt
dY8HEven though the distance between Frazia and the duchy was greater than that between many kingdoms, the possibility always remained.23RQo1V
6G3FB“That absolutely cannot happen…”emnOa
GMFIeNo matter what, he couldn’t allow that demon to leave Frazia. It had to be stopped there.eJ7h
4Fv3A“That cannot happen, sir?”Cg9T4
aPHu5“Hyde? What are you doing here all of a sudden?”GHGlrTk
Bo1Fernan cleared his throat while smoothing out his wrinkled clothes.88S0Ed5
fI9zJ“You called me. You said you had something to assign me.”zCk
Mrc“Ah. That’s right.”xs8a
xD9s“Are you feeling alright?”XF48
jVTr“I’m fine. Contact the Golden Pillar headquarters in the Kingdom of Frazia immediately.”btixKqC
XFMNGolden Pillar was Fernan’s private intelligence network. The same one he had used to persuade his father during the Luina affair.OmptR0
nrN“Frazia, suddenly?”C4ucx
qNeNwPo“Find a castle with walls over twenty meters high and a plain in front.”WmAR
CUBXnln“A castle…?”5sAHPP
SIAgge5The order was so abrupt that Haide tilted his head in confusion.eZNi
3b6Fernan couldn’t say he had seen a demonic prophecy, so he improvised.Ve4i3
kJf“Yes. The rector shared some clues about the corrupted. One of them was a drawing of a castle.”T5otoi
IvQWW“Understood! I’ll send it right away.”obscW
hKem“I’ll leave it to you.”hm7E
PzG“Yes, sir.”qcLc
KL0zyQvHyde disappeared.ABGXz
zXfFernan rubbed his face and took a deep breath, trying to calm his pounding heart.Gs1Icfa
fGi665BFor now, there wasn’t much else he could do. He just had to wait.gJXG
Rlxpt3So for now—VNgDnw
mBAL88n“It’s time to make money. A war requires plenty of funds.”wqXEB
qkZQIt was time to return to his real work.vuo19m
jtiDAs he put on clothes to head to the guild, his eyes were filled with a single intention—
to empty the pockets of all the festival’s visitors.RHTU
JTlxC“…Ah, I had class.”S7Feg5c
VmSRDamn it.UqM
jk3CIJust when he had reached the guild’s entrance, he was forced to turn back toward the academy.E8aonDW
JhGz9og***VoSiZsF
9zhfB“…Then, with this, I declare the Festival of the Founding Day open.”KOf74
0TuBam bam bam bam!lwlU
yxAqIANAfter seven rounds of “lastly,” the rector finally made his declaration. The orchestra, already prepared, began playing a majestic piece.OEoxUuu
zbvfMagical fireworks burst into the sky, competing with each other over who shone the brightest.m69yn
fjNzAPWaaaaaaah!yV7g
34HYvV“It’s the festival!”jLo39Qf
jzEi12v“Ten days without classes!”92ekSL
TB0oHSome ran off to find their families, others went with friends, and others dove straight into the bustling streets.cYiHw
skGvufThe students scattered like fish in water.NZtqOX
3akYThe festival had begun.lvku
ZwJDNThe Academy Festival adopted a completely non-interventionist stance: it only provided a general guide and left students to organize their own activities. How to enjoy it was each person’s choice.cpwBp3
mpY“This year the Academy really spent a lot…”qHPid
yhZcu1xThe decorations were more dazzling than ever, the stages and contests were fully scheduled, and every night there were fireworks and magical shows.1q0i4
CZfFor Fernan, all of that was excellent.Fdwr
ltz6EAll the supplies and preparations went through the Golden Turtle Guild.N3ZtSd
xuVgIMuch of the money spent by the Academy ended up in his coffers.zLx
cX9SY“And you’re not going to participate in anything, sir?”oUElr3
H6a“I’m here to make money.”e75
8hVTaking advantage of the high season was more important than competing in any tournament.lEvx16t
HFuo“Let’s go to the betting hall.”1wWGktM
C4yFernan had built a temporary building next to the arenas of the magic tournament and the jousting tournament. He turned it into his betting center.aSCDB3v
tJIMOn the walls hung giant charts with the matchups from the preliminaries. Anyone could bet.tueF7L
OhZorfUpon entering, the air was thick with the heat and excitement of the crowd. Even though the venue was spacious, it was packed, which brought a satisfied smile to Fernan’s face.Am95YmI
lzn“Full on the first day…”E09NdAb
eJ8Everyone dreams of getting rich overnight, and here it was legal.idAj
pML6qKSome despised gambling, but even they were swept up by the festival atmosphere and placed small bets.OHeVHuz
8LDUFernan made his way to the charts with the names.ugb0A
EVm“Number of participants: 256 in the jousting, 128 in the magic tournament.”8sPZA
4qDsBGRThe Academy limited the slots, so it was always the same. Before, both had 256, but participation in magic was low, so they cut it in half.gwD7
R23dT“Ah, senior? Did you also come to bet?”gQ023r6
QfAXB1Someone tapped his shoulder. It was Aria Fridian, the elf, with her usual bright smile.XQ6
ioCr9“An elf betting…”QF4z
lQ3tk“Elves and betting go hand in hand. Want me to give you a tip? Surely you don’t know the first-years well.”LLQ
Uet8m“There’s no one I don’t know.”wYkrV
aYTC2aFernan shook his head as he read the paper Aria was holding.tzkFsa
WVH[Magic Tournament – Round of 128]
Aria Fridian vs. Keldrick Erimis
Bet: Aria Fridian – 10 gold coinsfeRR
p2eX“You’re very confident.”3fAw3D
Ga0A“I’m the vice-representative of the Magic Department, don’t forget. You should bet on me. It’s the safest way to win.”vcRhX
Rd1kkj“Hm.”lCEG
3sKXFernan shrugged. But of course, he already planned to bet on her.Az90
3yzjjThe prophecy book showed him who would reach the round of sixteen. That was 32 people across the two tournaments.sjP5ORC
C8hjnZjAint, Luina, Verian, Aria… even Carlo.rk1cef
Ay5x7Although the future had shifted slightly due to his influence, they were all still included. At least until that stage, there should be no surprises.0uG
cM1Fernan took 32 tickets and bet the maximum of 10 gold coins on each.JmDrQpR
7Rr“Are these your picks, senior? Can I copy them?”V9g
fFK“If you pay the commission.”V1qq
7Ay5“…Isn’t that a bit abusive?”kbHO4Q1
96Blf08“Anyone who wants information must pay.”RbG
6WTCeg8“…Seen that way, it makes sense.”o7v6pt
fDMAria thought for a few seconds, then nodded. Fernan wouldn’t bet randomly.VXK5SdQ
51KAnd if those people won, paying a commission was better than missing the chance.xME
iWP“Perfect!”l1iR
avK8Aria copied the remaining 31 sheets.DCL0p
PjHAfter finishing, Fernan left the hall and walked through the streets.JWFh
qzc4“Hyde, make your bets the same as mine.”17B7
JWBf“Me too?”Nnmudb
WinrX0u“You and all the employees. I’ll give them the money. They keep half the profits. I don’t think anyone will say no.”tzW
gcPWho would refuse free money?TlMi0
CvzzBB“We can’t touch guild funds.”6ZCGEsB
tdh“I’ll provide the money. Have them sign a contract.”3EGZ
Pkus“Understood.”o2rAg
r4APHyde nodded without asking questions.kFbi8o
3AFgXI‘Too bad the limit per round is only 10 coins.’gOCQy
DwltOESBut there was no helping it. The place existed to liven up the festival, not as a serious casino.vGmw4RS
jkD1U‘We need more staff…’w6f
Xs95Z8The Academy branch only had about a hundred employees.okye1
zQh“Call all the freelancers from Golden Pillar. Have them do the same.”cfg
ufL“Yes, sir.”wxEZ3Fr
KRF9ex“And also the students sponsored by Pellenberg.”Phj
OIjm“Even them?”uUjwO1M
Pu8BPja“Money is made when it can be. We must take advantage.”M1qRm4T
DmLtpGuild funds and his personal money were not the same thing.EZv4RxF
sGpM“Will you return to headquarters then?”m0Gqd
FC8x“No. I’m going to take a walk around the festival. I also want to check on my shops.”Kiou
i06lWHe meant the businesses run under Golden Pillar.5LfH
dss0Three hours later.kpX
YYn4PuAfter confirming that his ten shops and inns were packed, Fernan returned to the Guild headquarters smiling.wqBq
Zm3O“Tomorrow I’ll start seeing the important guests.”3ya
E5gU0KMany nobles and powerful guild leaders had come.vzNJI
mxkuIFernan planned to attend the banquets and build connections.r3CUx
Qgo1ZEspecially—nIuw
NJUF“Hyde, get me the list of those who came from the Kingdom of Frazia.”R82nH
HFVb9k“Frazia?”c0112
k8o9hBFernan had in mind the nobles of that kingdom.lbvCq6R
RId6i0‘If I can secure connections with Frazia, I’ll be able to intervene better. Even if it’s just getting some cooperation.’wKoj
H8nELkaIt was essential to stop the demon.ibaD6c
Xc6But the next day—8OB1FD
DEQ“Senior! Two of your bets failed! Well, you got thirty right, so it’s not bad, is it? In duels the strongest doesn’t always win.”mrgSaQ
7vdKV“…”wSO
jaTaFernan hadn’t expected that.2f9
YGA840uSure, anyone could have a bad day and lose to a weaker opponent.wFAaH
WHXcVWith others, that would be normal.YZb8KPH
HFsBut not with the 32 he had chosen.RxWbvR
DPK‘One of the ones who was supposed to reach the round of sixteen got eliminated in preliminaries?’3YZF0
31JcKSomething was very wrong.jXJxL6
qv67The future had changed.UxSV
lgmE1And he was about to lose money.zwCBP
j6qrSyA cold sweat trickled down his forehead.bJdji
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