Chapter 139
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 139
Chapter Title: The Egg of a Saint Bird
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“…Dammit.”
When Pernyan checked the latest prophecy, a curse escaped his lips.
The descent of Flauros, which he had thought was a year away and had been relatively relaxed about, was now just around the corner.
“…This is highly likely to happen as foretold.”
Vile Breeds and demonic beasts truly existed in Prasia, and even if Aint had cleared some of them out, that too was part of the original future.
Above all, summoning a demon was no easy task.
He didn't know the exact details, but judging by the demons that had descended or nearly descended so far, it must have required considerable preparation.
And in Pernyan's experience, large-scale projects that required extensive preparation were usually just as difficult to abandon.
The manpower, time, and money invested thus far would propel it forward like a runaway carriage with failed brakes.
“Hyde, send a letter to the Mercenary King.”
“Yes.”
Having already spoken with the Mercenary King, Pernyan knew he would come at once.
“Young Master Pernyan, you have a visitor.”
“A visitor?”
“It's student Gismond Erdt.”
It was then that Gismond arrived.
‘So, the future reveals itself in the same way, at the same moment.’
He had suspected as much, but this incident confirmed it.
Gismond was too great a variable to be left alone.
“You should prepare as well, Sunbaenim.”
“Huh…? Prepare for what?”
“To go to Peius Fortress, of course.”
“…But I'm not in the top ten.”
“Even if you were ranked 100th, there's nothing stopping me from taking you if I wanted to.”
“Uh…?”
I'll have to use this over and over.
‘Besides, he's consumed a mountain of elixirs. If I can guide him well, he'll become a rather useful asset. I can't just let him be.’
I already confirmed in Bercefe that he wasn't completely useless. The more I work him, the more useful he'll become, so there's no reason not to.
After sending off the tearful Gismond, Pernyan thought about what was to come.
‘The key is Flauros. Whether Aint can defeat him or not.’
Peius Fortress doesn't have thousands of elite soldiers stationed there at all times like Bercefe did.
But unlike the North, which had nearly ten thousand, this time it was on the scale of two thousand.
It wasn't a small number by any means, but it was some consolation.
‘If I gather mercenaries in advance and move the troops stationed at the Blacksteel mine south…’
At the very least, the fortress wouldn't fall while Aint and Flauros were fighting.
‘I'll have to trust the Mercenary King, Aint, and Ruina on this one.’
If things went south, I'd have to step in using Wooden.
‘I suppose I've done everything I can for now.’
All that was left was to wait.
For Prasia to request aid from the academy, and for the chancellor to make his decision.
* * *
The peaceful days passed like the calm before a storm.
“It feels like it's been a long time since we've had any peace.”
Ruina said, nibbling on a piece of chocolate.
“That's because we went through such a major incident in Bercefe.”
“I'm truly grateful for what you did back then. If it weren't for you, Pernyan, Bercefe would have fallen.”
“If it weren't for my money, perhaps. But there's no need to thank me. I got everything I was owed.”
“I knew you'd say that, but I'm still grateful.”
Pernyan gave a slight nod.
“But your aura seems a little different.”
Seeing Ruina for the first time in days, he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but she definitely felt different.
If he had to describe it, her demeanor seemed calmer.
“Is it that obvious?”
“Did something happen?”
“It's nothing that special. I just had a bit of an epiphany.”
A drop of coffee trickled down the corner of Pernyan's mouth.
He wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, struggling to maintain his composure.
“…Isn't that something special?”
How could breaking through a wall and reaching a new level not be special?
“Compared to the Royal Knights, I'm still lacking.”
Despite her words, her face was slightly flushed.
So dishonest.
“Was there a trigger?”
“Watching my father, the Mercenary King, and the demon fight was a great help.”
“The best possible takeaway, then.”
“Yes. Every day, I reviewed and re-reviewed my father's movements, the Mercenary King's spear, and the demon's greatsword.”
For both knights and mages, witnessing something of a higher caliber than oneself was an excellent experience and learning tool.
However, it wasn't always beneficial.
Whether one could fully absorb it or not depended on the individual.
“At first, I couldn't comprehend it at all. Their sword and spear were on a level I couldn't dare to compare myself to. Even a simple sword path held so much, and every light movement had meaning.”
He was once again reminded of how incredible Ruina's talent was, to gain an epiphany from the battle between two Royal Knights and a demon.
“That…”
“This is the first time I've seen you talk so much.”
“Ah, that's…”
“Congratulations.”
Pernyan smiled brightly and handed her a box of expensive chocolates.
He was sincere. Ruina growing stronger meant his investment was becoming more and more successful.
“Take it. It's a gift.”
“But didn't you just find out that I broke through my wall? How did you…?”
“I always keep some in my subspace.”
“…But I thought you didn't like chocolate.”
“It's just for emergencies.”
“Chocolate you don't even eat?”
“Don't worry about it.”
It was for currying favor. Giving someone something they liked when they needed it was a subtle way to win their heart.
“…Thank you. I'll enjoy them.”
Ruina accepted the chocolates with a suspicious look and expressed her thanks.
“Ah, are the preparations going well?”
“You mean for Prasia? You mentioned that traces of Vile Breeds were found and that the kingdom might ask the academy for help.”
Ruina closed her eyes. Then, she clenched her fist and nodded.
“I think I can face them a little more confidently now.”
“Thinking of Andromalius?”
“Yes.”
“Just like you.”
Pernyan let out a soft laugh and drank his coffee. Then, his gaze suddenly shifted to the window.
“Hm?”
“What is it?”
“A troublesome person has shown up recently. See him over there? The ordinary-looking one with brown hair.”
“Isn't he one of the new first-years? His name is… Abel…”
“Abel Kalens. So you know him?”
“I heard he was the top entrant in the Magic Department.”
Abel Kalens. A freshman who appeared like a comet out of nowhere, beating Jace Baintz, whom everyone had expected to be the top student, to take the top spot.
Other than the fact that he was a commoner from the Alfrosen Kingdom, nothing else was known about him.
That's why Pernyan had ordered the Golden Pillar to investigate him, but unexpectedly, the guy had approached him first.
“He approached you…?”
“It felt like dealing with a younger Aria.”
“Hmm, I see. You're quite popular.”
He was blatantly radiating a desire to get close, which was why Pernyan pushed him away even more.
He had accepted Aria without much fuss since she was mentioned in the Prophecy Book as one of Aint's companions, but Pernyan was naturally a suspicious person.
‘More importantly, he appeared at a time when the prophecy has gone awry. Until I know for sure what kind of person he is…’
“Isn't it just that he wants to be friendly since you're his senior?”
“It didn't feel like that at all.”
“Then maybe he's just after your money? You said it yourself, didn't you? That a mage's life begins and ends with money.”
He had said something like that. It was not long after he'd asked her to be his partner.
“You remembered that?”
“The words that followed were rather striking.”
“Poor beggar magic-wielder?”
“…Yes, that.”
Ruina instinctively checked her surroundings before realizing they were in a private room at the Golden Turtle Merchant Guild and letting out a sigh of relief.
“Of course, I'm not so shameless as to say that in front of everyone. Well, I am shameless, but saying something like that could lead to a boycott.”
“…Yes, that's a very convincing reason.”
“Anyway, as you said, it's possible he's just approaching me for money.”
Before, he would have thought that from the start.
But after getting the Prophecy Book and getting involved with Vile Breeds and demons, he'd started to think of Vile Breeds before money.
‘I'm still lacking.’
To think I'd dismissed the most plausible reason from the very beginning.
* * *
The city on the island of Bardian.
The orange-haired elf, Aria, spoke as she sipped her drink.
“Did you hear?”
“I heard from our senior that we might be going to Prasia…”
“No, the rumor that Aint beat the second-ranked first-year in the Knight Department until he passed out.”
“Pfft—!”
At Aria's words, Aint, who was sitting next to her, spat out his drink.
“You filthy brute…!”
Verian's face contorted as he was unexpectedly sprayed with the drink.
“S-sorry. But Aria, don't you usually talk about things like that when the person isn't around?”
“Why would I? You have to say it when they're here so you can hear exactly what happened.”
- She has a point.
Crunch. Aria chewed on some ice.
“So what happened?”
“Well…”
Aint lowered his voice after confirming no one was around.
After hearing the whole story, Aria and Verian nodded.
“So he wasn't a Vile Breed in the end?”
“Yeah.”
“That's strange. There's no way our senior would make a mistake.”
“Senior Pernyan is human, too. It's not like he can't make mistakes.”
“Look at everything he's done so far. He's prepared for every Vile Breed in advance and even caught a demon. Does he seem like an ordinary person to you?”
“…I guess not.”
Aint and Verian nodded in unison.
“It's like… our senior seems to know in advance whenever the Vile Breeds are about to cause trouble.”
“It just means the Fallenberg Family's information network is that thorough. When it comes to intelligence, no organization on this continent can match them.”
The Fallenberg information network, linked with the Golden Turtle Merchant Guild, was universally acknowledged as the best, so they found the explanation somewhat plausible.
“By the way, Aria, you don't seem to feel threatened, do you?”
Aria tilted her head at Verian's sudden question.
“Threatened? What are you talking about?”
“Don't you know? The rumors have been flying around recently. About the top first-year who's trying to follow Senior Pernyan around.”
“I heard about that. Abel Kalens, was it?”
“What does that have to do with me feeling threatened?”
“Because he's doing the exact same thing you did. Ah, let me correct that. The same thing you *are* doing. Since it's still ongoing.”
“Aha.”
Aria smiled brightly.
“So, Verian, you want to have some fun with the spirits? How about I give you a tour of the clouds?”
“We're inside a café!”
“That's right, stop it. We're inside a café. If you're going to do it, do it outside.”
The brief commotion ended with Aint's intervention.
“But I'm curious, why are you trying so hard to get close to Senior Pernyan? No, it seems like you're trying to build connections with other nobles too.”
“…Because.”
Aria hesitated for a moment.
Should I tell them? But on second thought, it wasn't a particularly special story. In fact, anyone who needed to know already knew.
“I want us to become a proper Elector family.”
“I don't think being friendly with our senior will solve that.”
“Not right now, maybe. But will that still be true in the future?”
What about twenty or thirty years from now?
Pernyan will no longer be our senior but the head of the Fallenberg Family, and Aint will be the head of the Armian Family.
That's two right there. Two Electors who are friendly to the Friedien Family.
“Then, little by little, the Friedien Family will be able to blend in. To be honest, a lot of people in my family are quite dissatisfied right now.”
Many were furious at the other Electors for not properly acknowledging them, even after they had finally achieved their long-held wish of becoming an Elector family.
Some even made radical statements, saying the great elves had been needlessly incorporated into a human empire.
“There's one blind spot in that plan.”
“What is it?”
“Are you and Senior Pernyan actually close? From what I can see, it's pretty one-sided…”
“Verian, it seems you're a slow learner.”
The corner of Aria's mouth twitched.
Amidst her cheerful smile, the spirits were summoned once again.
* * *
La Vie Douce Dormitory. Aint sat before the box.
“Today is finally the last day.”
- Yes, today is the last day. It took quite a while.
It was the box of the first emperor, which he had received from Pernyan.
At first, he thought he could open it quickly, but the box couldn't be opened simply by having the blood of a family member.
It did require the blood of a family member, but it needed far more than he had expected. So much that he couldn't have supplied it all in a day or two by himself.
“I feel like I'm getting anemic from doing this every day. Why on earth did he make it like this?”
- It was likely to prevent someone from opening it with just a small amount of Armian blood.
- To be honest, I don't know what this is either, so I can't give you a clear answer.
In any case, today was the last day. Aint cut his palm with a knife and let the blood drip onto the box.
The magic circle on the box began to react to the Armian blood.
Click—
Soon, the lock was released.
“Finally!”
- Open it, quick!
- I'm dying to know what His Majesty the former emperor hid inside!
The box opened.
Inside was…
“…What is this?”
- Huh?
There was something completely unexpected.
A single, pure white sphere.
“An egg?”
- It's an egg.
It was an egg.
- Wait, don't tell me this is…
- …This is insane. Your Majesty, what in the world have you done?
And Gardner, recognizing the egg, let out a gasp of astonishment.
“Why? What kind of egg is it?”
- A Saint Bird.
A top-tier mythical beast with two pairs of wings.
The symbol of the Armian Family.
- This is the egg of a Saint Bird