NOVPUBAhile opened the letter in her office.
Head maid Elma anxiously watched her.
This was because just recently, she had overheard a chilling remark after learning about what had happened at Frostheart.
“If anything happens to my children, I will hold them accountable.”
Elma, who had followed Ahile during her time at Frost Heart, had some inkling of what a Pathfinder was.
What Ahile had said was no different than declaring war against the Empire’s covert organization.
At the moment, when she was feeling uneasy about a possible uproar, Ahile’s lips curled into a smile.
“Looks like everyone is in good health?”
The head maid let out a quiet sigh of relief.
But then, she doubted her ears at Ahile’s next words.
“I assume Hersel is taking good care of things.”
“Y-You mean that rascal?”
“Yes. His name is all over this report, too.”
The head maid was left both happy and irritated.
This was because Hersel’s name kept appearing in reports that came in unexpectedly.
‘Ugh, is that really the same rascal I used to know?’
At first, she thought it might be a lie or some sort of illusion created through coercion.
But this was a secret letter sent directly through a professor who had been given orders by the mistress herself.
When rumors began to circulate in the palace that he had even found artifacts, it became impossible to deny.
“Then perhaps you should prepare a response immediately?”
The head maid cautiously asked, glancing at the mistress, because she was unsure if the heir would be passed down to the second son, Diesel.
‘The next head of the house should be young master Diesel. Someone like that fool should never sit in that position.’
But the mistress showed a look of sympathy.
“Elma, I don’t think he’ll break his promise.”
“But what if something happens? It wouldn’t hurt to prepare….”
The mistress shook her head and sighed.
“Elma, why are you always so suspicious?”
The head maid looked around, worried that someone might overhear.
When she confirmed no one was around, she whispered softly.
What she was about to say was a top-secret matter that should never leak.
“Don’t you know, mistress? That rascal, though he has the blood of the great duke, half of it comes from some unknown woman. It must be from a barbarian. Like the child of a primitive woman, who knows when he might change his words?”
Hersel’s mother had an unknown background.
People like her were typically orphans without ties or from barbarian origins.
Seeing her clumsy speech, the head maid was convinced she came from a barbarian tribe.
“I know it’s disrespectful to say, but I still think the great duke made a mistake.”
The head maid, who had served since Aol was an infant, was dissatisfied with everything.
One day, Aol, who had gone missing in the demonic realm, returned.
For a brief moment, it felt like they had regained the world they had lost.
But he was with a woman of unknown origin.
It would have been fine if that was all.
But she was pregnant, and he had promised to marry her.
Naturally, the family was thrown into chaos.
‘It’s still so vivid. Because of that woman, this great family has never known a moment of peace.’
The head maid could still hear the previous head of the house’s angry shouts in her ears.
He had shouted to deal with it immediately, while Aol declared he would sever ties with the family.
While it’s said there’s no parent who can win against their child, the previous head of the house was not the kind of mild person who would make poor judgments based on family.
But the problem was that Aol, the next head of the family, was the one who had caused the trouble.
—I don’t care about positions; Father knows that better than anyone.
He was stubborn, uninterested in politics, and could be seen as lacking in the qualities to lead the house.
The position could be passed to the second son.
But Aol was a remarkable individual whose strength made it easy to overlook any flaws.
‘I was really worried the duke might leave.’
Aol could take any position anywhere, and if he moved to another family, the phrase “the best family in the empire” might become obsolete.
Thus, the previous head of the house reluctantly accepted his stubbornness, and the woman of unknown origin was even given a noble title, altering her background to be from a distant aristocratic family.
“When I think back to that time, I still shudder. That wretched woman. To think she dared to mix her filthy blood with our pure lineage.”
As she ground her teeth, Ahile’s cold voice was heard.
“Let’s keep the anger in check.”
The head maid flinched at the displeasure on Ahile’s face.
Fortunately, Ahile’s expression quickly softened, and she even smiled.
“Just because someone’s origin is unclear doesn’t mean we can call their blood filthy. Who knows? Perhaps she was once treated with great respect somewhere.”
At her meaningful words, the head maid swallowed nervously.
“U-um, have you heard anything from the duke?”
Ahile motioned for the head maid to lean in closer.
When the head maid pressed her ear to Ahile’s lips, Ahile whispered.
“It’s a secret.”
The head maid pulled back and blinked slowly, her eyes now cold.
Ahile pretended to change the subject.
“By the way, Mircel is quite something. I told him to come once a month, but it looks like he doesn’t plan on coming this time. I’m really disappointed.”
The head maid cleared her throat and brought up something she thought Ahile would like.
“You’ll see him soon. The event will be held early next year, won’t it? If it’s Mircel, he’ll definitely participate.”
Ahile’s eyes lit up.
“Ah, right. Has so much time passed already?”
Ahile was scheduled to see Mircel and Erucel soon.
Hersel would also be there.
Since they were academy students with exceptional talents, they would certainly show up.
***
“Really? Th-three times?”
Noras was taken aback, her mouth wide open at the larger amount than she had budgeted for.
What she thought would only be 20% more was a huge mistake.
With the budget already tight, there would surely be complaints from the other elders.
“There will be a lot of talk, Lord Arental.”
“They are talents we must secure. It’s only right to give them full support. Besides, isn’t it about to start soon? If we promise victory, the council will be persuaded.”
Noras immediately understood Arental’s words and opened her eyes wide.
“V-Victory? And you mean soon…”
There was no other option at the moment.
“Do you think there’s a chance, my lord?”
When Arental nodded, Noras couldn’t help but feel a chill.
In the history of Frostheart, they had never won the Academy’s Grand Tournament.
Since it was a team-based competition, despite having the great duke and Arental, who was currently an elder, it was impossible to even reach the finals.
Noras thought the outcome would be the same this time.
‘No matter how excellent this class is, honestly, it’s impossible… It pains me to say this in front of those involved, but other academies have just as many talents. Other academies have aggressively targeted promising individuals and lured them away, offering much better treatment and guaranteed futures compared to Frostheart. Moreover, unlike those who only focus on large-scale duels, this place is a training ground for Pathfinders fighting in the Demonic realm. While we also teach how to fight people, compared to them, the time invested and quality of education are at different levels.’
“Well, if that happens, the elders’ complaints will quiet down. But if we fail, the responsibility will fall on you, my lord. I oppose this. Please, listen to my advice as your assistant.”
Noras strongly tried to dissuade him, but considering Arental’s character, she offered a compromise.
“What about third place? With that, we could promise around 40% of the budget.”
“No, it has to be three times the amount.”
Noras reluctantly reduced one of his fingers in the calculation.
“Then what about second place? Yes, second place, that might be a bit more likely. Let’s try to persuade them by doubling the budget.”
Of course, he wouldn’t receive double the amount.
During the negotiation, it would likely be reduced to 1.5 times.
But even then, it was something.
However, Arental’s stance was firm.
“It has to be three times the amount.”
Noras suppressed her anger for Arental’s sake and explained patiently.
“This time, Valient is the winner. You know who’s there.”
“We have Mircel.”
Noras was exasperated.
Nevertheless, she persevered and maintained a smile.
Though her forehead was twitching…
“Mircel is still a child. And he’s the man who was called a genius before Mircel. He’s always been considered a future candidate for the Sword Master in the West.”
“Then the chances are about fifty-fifty.”
The corners of Noras’ mouth twitched.
‘Fifty-fifty?’
The age difference was a factor that couldn’t be ignored.
The body of a growing child and that of a strong adult. The difference in experience was also stark.
“Well, Mircel has the upper hand in natural talent,” Arental interrupted her.
“That’s why it’s fifty-fifty.”
Noras wanted to punch him in the jaw but held back.
“And Hersel is from the Magic Department. You know, the Magic Department can’t use auras.”
The Academy Grand Tournament was an honorable event.
At the same time, it was a battlefield where pride was on the line, leading to many incidents. One typical example was when knights, pretending to be mages from the Magic Department, deceived others using magic and tricked them.
The organizers quickly added new rules in the name of honor.
The rule was that knights could not use magic, and mages could not use auras.
Arental, perhaps having no argument against this, looked thoughtful.
“Hmm. That’s true.”
“Right? So, second place is the limit.”
Arental interrupted again.
“Three times the amount. I’ll make it happen somehow.”
Noras stopped trying to hide her frustration.
He stared at Arental’s face as if looking at a madman, and Arental turned his back swiftly.
“While I’m here, I should probably go see Hersel Ben Tenest’s face.”
Noras muttered curses under her breath.
It was a quiet ‘crazy old man.’
***
Arental was much more generous than I had expected.
To think he would offer three times the amount I had calculated.
This meant I wouldn’t have to spend any of the family’s money.
Yet, I felt uneasy.
‘What is this? Why am I suddenly so anxious?’
‘Better be cautious, Hersel.’
‘Hmm? Are you sensing something?’
When I asked, Donatan gave a plausible answer.
‘Surviving so many crises sharpens your senses. It’s likely that you detected some form of unease with your instincts.’
Perhaps that was true.
Maybe my survival instinct had developed some unseen crisis detection mechanism.
I wanted to calm my unease immediately, but Arental was already gone.
As I was thinking of numerous possibilities to stay safe, the things I had to do next came to mind.
It was time to start the work of normalizing the academy, which I had put off.
Of course, restoring the castle was impossible.
I planned to build temporary buildings for the restaurant, classrooms, and dormitories.
The rest could be decided later.
I stepped out of the shack and waited for the upper carts to arrive.
The materials I had ordered would arrive today.
The workers, of course, would be students, and all they needed was the materials.
They had already done repair work on the fortress after the Luon incident.
They’d be able to handle the job with ease.
With nothing else to do, I thought about sketching a few designs.
I drew lines on the ground with the edge of my sword, adjusting the positions of the buildings to account for the students’ movements.
The building didn’t have to be a large castle, just a 2-3 story structure.
It made sense to reorganize the facilities across the ground.
After finishing my rough plan, various thoughts began to emerge.
With such a vast area, there was plenty of room.
The empty space constantly sparked my imagination.
“Hmm. How about building something like a factory here?”
Since it’s cold, opening an ice cream factory might not be a bad idea.
Orvella Trading could handle the distribution.
For fresh products like seafood, they hire mages to deliver them to lands without seas.
Of course, the costs aren’t low, but it’s seen as a high-end strategy.
So, ice cream would be a luxury product only for the wealthy.
And here… a hotel wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
I could start a business catering to students.
With all the clubs gone, it’d make sense to set up a business here, forming a market.
It would be popular with those tired of the old dormitories.
Of course, that depends on whether they have money, but I could create value by getting them jobs at the ice cream factory and then take my share.
Since the only people left were bankrupt, they’d likely flock to the recruitment ads.
I was imagining such pleasant things when a shadow fell over me.
It was Emeric.
“Hersel Ben Tenest, everything is ready. The student council has officially stepped down, and elections will begin soon.”
Hmm, that’s expected.
But why would he come all the way here just to tell me that?
“I’ve checked to see if there are any competitors. There’s nothing to worry about. You’ll get an unprecedented number of votes.”
“Is that so.”
For a moment, I wondered who it might be, but the thought passed quickly.
The one likely to fill the student council president’s seat would probably be Bellman.
He had shown excellent leadership at the Adele Hall and had a sharp mind, so he was qualified.
“My report is done. I’ll take my leave now.”
I waved my hand at Emeric.
But then, I sensed something ominous.
“Wait, senior, was that the only reason you came here?”
“Oh, I almost forgot.”
Emeric looked at my face and grinned.
“I came to tell you that you don’t need to apply for the candidacy. I’ve already taken care of it. So, do your best. Hersel Ben Tenest, I’ll be watching closely how you manage the academy in the short time you have.”
I immediately began preparing for a dirty smear campaign.
Of course, the target was me.
To read Chapters ahead 👇
CH 196-200 (The King) $3
CH 201-205 (Field Trip) $3
CH 206-210 (Troublemaker Vs Troublemaker) $3
CH 211-215 (Graduation) $3
CH 216-220 (Integrated Academy Tournament) $3
CH 221-225 (The Underdog) $3
CH 226-230 (Who am I?) $3
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