Chapter 84

Although Fernan delivered the message, nothing happened immediately.

The border count it was meant for was not in the region’s capital.

A day passed, and at dawn, Fernan woke up. After washing and dressing, he heard a knock at the door.

“Are you awake?”

“Yes.”

“You got up early.”

“I don’t think you’re the one to say that, after heading out at dawn to swing a sword.”

When he opened the curtains, the first thing he had seen was Luina heading to the training yard with her weapon.

“Any knight would do the same.”

“I see.”

And not just her. Aint, Armon, Alia, and Verian were there too.

All the students from the Knight Department had used the Altrierc training grounds to practice since dawn.

A good sign.

Because regardless of what the prophecy book said, all of them would have to face demons sooner or later—unless they sold their souls and became corrupted.

“Looks like you motivated them.”

“Me? I don’t think so…”

“Top of second year in the Knight Department.”

“Being first is important, but not that much…”

“You won the jousting tournament. And also.”

“Also?”

“You’ll become a Royal Knight.”

“…You think I’ll make it?”

“Without a doubt.”

Fernan replied without hesitation.

“You’ll become a Royal Knight, Luina. And an outstanding one.”

Luina’s face darkened again, although she couldn’t hide the burning desire that welled up inside her.

She held her breath and forcefully suppressed her racing heart.

“I’m still far from it. Compared to real Royal Knights, I’m just a firefly.”

“You think so?”

“But I want to live up to that faith. Because of you.”

“That’s enough.”

Fernan handed her a chocolate.

“Want one?”

“Where do you keep getting these from?”

“Subspace.”

“You always carry them?”

“I don’t like sweets.”

“But earlier you also said the sam—”

Suddenly, some chocolate crumbs slipped from Luina’s hand and fell to the ground.

“…What do you mean by that? Explain yourself properly!”

Her bewildered shout echoed behind Fernan.

***

Before sunrise, the students stood before fifty Iron Knights and two hundred soldiers.

“I am Elion Sloth, captain of the Iron Order.”

He was a commanding man, with a firm presence.

“I’m Professor Grad, from the Academy. If I’m not mistaken, the Iron Order is the First Order of Altrierc…”

“That’s correct. We are proudly the First Knight Order of Altrierc.”

Which was to say, they were the strongest shield in the region.

‘No wonder—they each commanded presence just by standing there.’

He never imagined the First Order would personally escort them.

But on second thought, it made sense. Because the Academy students weren’t just any visitors.

Look at them.

— The heir of the Pellenbergs.

— The daughter of the Bercheffs.

— The daughter of the Fridians.

— The prince of Schwaben and the descendant of the Armians.

Five direct lines from the electors, plus houses like Kalburdern, which couldn’t be overlooked.

‘And if we count the professors, there’s also Rosalia of the Vienderks.’

If anything happened to them, the consequences for Altrierc would be incalculable.

“We’ll depart now.”

“In your hands.”

The Altrierc administration provided horses, and since riding was part of basic training, all students could ride.

Thus, the 262 members of the group rode out from the region’s capital.

“The horses are in excellent condition.”

“They’re comparable to our household’s.”

Both Bercheff and Altrierc had vast plains where herds were raised. Horses from those lands were known across the Empire as the best.

‘With the war, demand will grow even more. We’ll have to breed as many as possible.’

But Bercheff had been devastated by monsters, and its horse breeding was in ruins.

One of the Empire’s three pillars had fallen, and the only path forward was to open a new one or restore what was lost.

‘It won’t be easy. Ideally, we’d reclaim Bercheff, but…’

As long as monsters still nested along its northern border, the territory remained like a candle in the wind.

‘Even so, Bercheff must endure.’

They couldn’t abandon fortresses and experience built over a thousand years. Even as a tactical retreat, leaving those lands meant even greater risks.

Especially because—

‘If Bercheff falls, the Empire loses two Royal Knights.’

Albinos Bercheff, the border count.

And Luina Bercheff, future Royal Knight.

Fernan knew. They’d rather fall with their land than abandon it.

‘But how can it be done?’

Would it be a matter of pouring in unlimited money?

With what backing?

And even if invested, was there a guarantee it would work?

The answer wasn’t simple.

***

“…….”

A pair of eyes watched Fernan, lost in thought.

‘How did it come to this…?’

The owner of that gaze was Carlo Deneb. At the start of the semester, he never imagined things would come to this.

If he had lost first place to Ludger Schwaben, he could’ve accepted it with resignation.

But… Fernan?

In first year, he barely placed tenth. Thinking it had all been a farce still made him shiver.

He let himself be fooled by his act and—

‘No, in the end, I simply wasn’t good enough.’

Even if Fernan had used artifacts or hidden himself, if Carlo had been strong enough, he could have overcome everything.

And later, Carlo ended up using artifacts too.

Still, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

‘Aria Fridian…’

He turned his head. There was Aria, chatting with Aint and Verian. More painful than losing first place was remembering that mistake.

‘Losing to a first-year.’

And not even to a saint of the Dragon Cult, those anomalies born outside all standards.

To Aria Fridian.

Even if she was from an elector family, even if she was an elf, even if back then he’d been unbalanced because of Fernan and his mana flow wasn’t stable—

‘I should never have lost to Aria Fridian.’

Because of that shame, he drank for the first time in his life.

He went against his master’s teaching—that a mage must always keep a clear mind.

But it helped.

When he looked at himself in the mirror, drunk, defeated by a junior—that pathetic image woke him up. It wasn’t the time to drown in alcohol, but to devote himself more seriously to magic.

That was the real reason he volunteered for this expedition.

Sure, Fernan’s participation had pricked his pride, but more than anything, it was to temper himself in battle—to never experience that again.

“Senior? Do you need something from me?”

“No.”

“Ah, has your wound healed? My spirit was a bit rough…”

“It’s nothing.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“It won’t happen again—that you defeat me.”

“We’ll see. Don’t they say the first time is hard, but the second is easy?”

Carlo barely held back the urge to fire a lightning bolt right then.

“Go away.”

“But you were the one staring at me like that.”

“Are all elves like this?”

“Like what?”

Carlo brought a hand to his forehead, wincing from a headache.

“Aint! Let’s fight again when we make camp.”

“Anytime.”

“Jeez, weren’t you way below me when we enrolled?”

“And you’re still hung up on entrance rankings?”

Aint and Verian argued animatedly.

“The last time doesn’t count.”

“In a fight, there’s no doesn’t count. Win or lose—it’s that simple.”

“Aren’t you embarrassed?”

“Why should I be ashamed of a legitimate victory?”

“I wasn’t in normal condition.”

“That’s your fault for not taking care of your body.”

“…And since when do you talk back so well?”

“Do I have to answer that too?”

Almon, for his part, was still pestering Luina, still bitter about not being able to finish the jousting match.

“What an entertaining sight.”

Ludger, pulling on his reins, watched the whole scene.

“I never thought I’d see this.”

“You say it’s fun, but you’re not smiling.”

“How could I laugh, Fernan? If I think about it, you’re the main culprit.”

“Me?”

Fernan shrugged.

“Yes, you. You’re not even trying to hide it anymore. Is it because of the corrupted?”

“You’re talking strangely.”

Fernan chuckled softly.

“Don’t think that just because you’re a prince, or because Schwaben is the imperial family, I need to tiptoe around you. I don’t have to live worrying about you.”

At first, he had acted cautiously, but that was because he still had no certainty and didn’t want to make unnecessary enemies.

Now, things had gone too far.

If the world was at risk of falling into the hands of demons, he had to use all his resources to support Aint.

“Of course, I know that. But I’m curious…”

Ludger’s voice grew serious.

“…What you plan to do by using Armian.”

“I’m forging a better weapon to hunt demons. You can’t kill an ox with a chicken knife.”

“That’s a legend from a thousand years ago. The Armians already lost their secret sword, their pride, and their legacy.”

Fernan didn’t bother provoking him further. If Schwaben seriously decided to interfere with Aint, everything would become more troublesome.

“That may be true. But even half a legacy is better than none.”

“Well, better that than nothing, yes.”

“And you? Do you really see Aint Armian as a threat?”

“Of course not. He might be annoying, but comparing him to Schwaben is ridiculous.”

Even if Aint was talented, that wouldn’t make him emperor. Without power behind him, he was just a descendant of a fallen family.

The first emperor had the Armian kingdom behind him, but Aint only had a ruined lineage.

“No matter how much the corrupted stir things up, with an incomplete legacy, he won’t get far.”

And yet, there was a symbol in him.

And if a wealthy backer decided to exploit that symbol, he could become troublesome.

Ludger’s eyes turned cold. Fernan sensed the hidden anger in his gaze.

“What was it again? That Pellenberg saying…”

“‘Make no enemies, only money.’”

“That one.”

“And I still follow it.”

“I know. I trust that…”

“Stop right there!”

The voice of the knights at the front interrupted their conversation.

“We’ll set up camp here. If we depart at dawn, we’ll reach the wall before noon.”

The sun was setting, and the soldiers began preparing the camp.

“This is also part of your training, so you’ll set up camp yourselves. Ask the soldiers if you need help.”

“Yes!”

The students helped pitch tents and dig drainage trenches.

Fernan, using magic, did his part while inspecting the surroundings.

They were on a mountain slope, with a high plain large enough to hold hundreds of people.

Not far off rose jagged cliffs.

‘It’s here.’

According to the prophecy book, between those cliffs was the Itarium. Ludger would find it during the night patrol, claim discovery rights, and take the leaves and fruit.

Meanwhile, Aint would secretly obtain the root, which held the highest concentration of mana.

That was the key to this episode.

Fernan was clear on it.

‘I’ll let Ludger have the leaves and fruit. The root will go to Aint.’

And that was enough. He didn’t want to risk a future where Aint was weakened and unable to defeat the demons.

As they finished setting up, Professor Grad gathered the students again.

“Exploring and surveying the surroundings is essential. It’s also valuable experience. The soldiers will go on patrols—we need volunteers to accompany them.”

“I’ll go.”

Fernan raised his hand without hesitation.

Ludger, who was about to do the same, lowered his hand with a frown.

“I’ll go too.”

“And me!”

In the end, Luina and Aria volunteered.

“One is enough. Luina will go.”

“Understood.”

Thus, Fernan and Luina armed themselves and joined the patrol.

“Follow us and observe how we track. Ask whatever questions you want.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

The ten-man detachment set out at full speed. The trained horses ran effortlessly even on the mountain terrain.

“What are you plotting?” Luina murmured beside him.

“What?”

“You never do anything that doesn’t benefit you. What do you expect to gain?”

“…It’s nothing.”

He felt like she had read his mind and turned away.

The patrol focused on searching for monster tracks.

“It’s not common, but sometimes some manage to slip past the wall.”

“So the wall doesn’t cover everything.”

“Actually, it’s called that, but it’s made up of several fortresses at key points. It doesn’t span the entire territory.”

“I see.”

That was when Fernan saw it.

[Between three cliffs forming a kind of trident.]

There they were, ahead—the trident-shaped cliffs.

“How about we check there? Looks like a good monster hideout.”

“Let’s go.”

They ventured into the ravine formed by the rocks.

According to the book, the Itarium should be there, with roots embedded in stone.

It should be there.

It should…

“…What?”

“Something wrong?”

“No, nothing…”

Why wasn’t it there?

Even when he infused mana into his eyes to check, he found nothing.

Only traces remained—empty cavities in the rock, proof that someone had already pulled up even the roots.