Chapter 148
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: The Saint Bird's Debut
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Chapter 148.
“Not bad.”
“Of course. Who do you think picked them out?”
Bella shrugged her shoulders.
Ruina, Aint, Jace, and even Verian, who had a decent sense of style.
The four of them were dressed quite splendidly.
Even with masks, everyone would recognize them, but masked balls were all about playing pretend anyway.
It might be different for a complete stranger, but would a mask really prevent people from recognizing the members of the Masked Club?
“Alright, everyone, into the carriage. Let’s depart. Ah, Aint, you wait a moment. I have something to say to you.”
As everyone headed for the carriage, Pernyan stopped Aint.
“What is it?”
“This Masked Club meeting is more special than the last. You must know why.”
“I have a rough idea.”
“The entire world is trembling at the advent of a demon. A demon and a Vile Breed are on completely different levels, which means your presence will become even more prominent.”
So, first, captivate the students of the academy.
“They will be your foundation.”
“Yes.”
“To do that, you need to draw attention. Do you know what the most important thing is when selling a product?”
“Durable quality?”
“Wrong. The quality only needs to be reasonably good. If it’s too durable, new products won’t sell… no, pretend you didn’t hear that.”
Pernyan, having accidentally divulged a trade secret, looked flustered.
- *Now that’s a new perspective. Yes, now that I think about it, that could be true.*
- *If one person uses an item for thirty or forty years, new ones won’t sell.*
- *Is that why swords break after about five years of use?*
Pernyan quickly continued.
“The important thing is to make it known.”
“Make it known?”
“That such a product exists. That this product is used for this purpose. That this product is this magnificent.”
At first, it’s a simple appeal for the product itself.
Then, as it gains popularity and earns trust, it becomes a brand.
“If you want to become a true hero, you must turn the name Aint Armian into a brand.”
“…Uh.”
Aint paused for a moment at Pernyan’s words before answering.
“…So, to summarize, I need to make my name more clearly known to people?”
“Yes. In the most definitive way.”
“Is there such a way? I can’t even bring my sword inside.”
He did bring it in the form of a necklace, but he couldn’t draw it and unleash his aura.
“That’s also possible. You could formally challenge someone to a duel and display your martial prowess in front of everyone.”
But that’s cliché.
“There’s a much better way, so there’s no need to take the long road.”
“A better way?”
“What comes to mind when you think of Armian?”
“The Armian Empire?”
“What else?”
“The Armian Secret Sword Style, the First Emperor?”
“What is the symbol of the Armians?”
“The Saint Bir… ah. Don’t tell me?”
“Yes, it’s exactly what you’re thinking.”
Pernyan nodded.
“Armian and Saint Bird are words that go together perfectly.”
Everyone in the banquet hall would witness it.
“The sight of an Armian and a Saint Bird together for the first time in a thousand years.”
It would be the starting point for a new legend.
*And at the same time, I’ll make sure no one ever suspects that I’m the Saint Bird’s master.*
If he carried the Saint Bird around, its existence was bound to be revealed someday, no matter how well he hid it.
If it became known that Pernyan possessed the Saint Bird, it could stir up unnecessary gossip.
- *Even the Saint Bird has abandoned the Armians!*
For instance.
- *A new hero chosen by the Saint Bird? It wasn’t an Armian.*
Or something like that.
No, it was bound to happen. If Pernyan were a Schwaben, he’d invent rumors out of thin air.
So, he needed to put his foot down beforehand.
The Saint Bird belonged to Aint.
As an added bonus, it would also divert any unwanted attention from himself.
*Aint’s daily visits were meaningful. He’s become quite friendly with it, probably because of its good compatibility with Armian power.*
Of course, Silver’s first priority was still him.
*Maybe I should start charging a rental fee later?*
Pernyan liked that idea the most.
***
Everyone’s attention was on Aint’s every step.
Their gazes were fixed on his gestures, his expression.
No, to be precise, on the small bird chirping on his shoulder.
“Is that really a Saint Bird?”
“It has two pairs of wings. Is there any other bird like that besides a Saint Bird?”
“He tamed a Saint Bird? How?”
“I heard no one has ever done that, except for the First Emperor…”
The masked students murmured amongst themselves.
All eyes and attention had decisively shifted from the prince, who had entered first, to Aint.
Aint walked through the crowd that parted for him and picked up a glass of wine from a servant’s tray.
Then, he sat down at an empty table with Aria, his partner for the evening. He whispered softly.
“…So what do I do now? This is my first social gathering.”
“Didn’t you attend the Yacht Club event last time?”
“I did, but…”
It wasn’t like this. The students, under Ludger’s tacit approval, had ignored him, and Aint hadn’t cared.
His purpose for joining the Yacht Club back then was to go out to sea and find the arrangement left by the First Emperor.
“Sunbaenim said I don’t have to do anything in particular.”
Pernyan was right. Aint had simply entered and walked straight to a chair, yet everyone’s gaze remained fixed on him.
“Oh, he also said to play with Silver as much as possible.”
He had said the more friendly he appeared with the Saint Bird, the better the reaction would be.
“But before that.”
Aria extended her hand.
“A ball is for dancing. Shall we?”
“I’ve never danced before.”
“Just follow my lead.”
“…Alright, I’ll give it a try.”
*My lady, may I have this dance?*
Aint formally asked Aria to dance. They soon joined hands and moved onto the floor.
*Chirp—*
As they moved, Silver flapped its wings in rhythm.
“The Saint Bird spread its wings…!”
“To think I’d see a Saint Bird in my lifetime…”
“It’s so cute!”
“And it seems completely tamed by Aint Armian.”
That alone was enough to elicit an explosive reaction, and Pernyan wore a pleased smile as if it were only natural.
“Everything is going according to your plan.”
No one paid him any attention as he entered with Ruina, but it didn’t matter.
“Of course. It’s not just a Saint Bird; it’s an Armian with a Saint Bird. And it’s not just an Armian and a Saint Bird; it’s an Armian and a Saint Bird in a situation where a demon has descended.”
Anyone who didn’t understand the significance of that combination was a moron incapable of thought.
And people of that caliber couldn’t get into the academy.
“Look over there, Ruina.”
Pernyan’s finger pointed toward the noble prince.
His eyes were wide and trembling, his complexion growing increasingly stiff.
“That is the most definite proof of the result Aint’s actions are producing.”
“You have a wicked sense of humor.”
“It’s not a wicked sense of humor; it’s a necessity. For Aint to stand tall, the Schwabens must step down. But the Schwabens have no intention of stepping down willingly.”
The ones who had snatched the Armian Secret Sword Style and tried to assassinate Aint were not about to back down meekly.
So, he had to force them to.
“I will make them feel an even greater sense of crisis. When cornered, even a worm will turn, and they’ll do anything.”
That was the opportunity Pernyan was aiming for.
“I won’t let it slide this time.”
No one could stop the Armians from defeating the demons and protecting the continent.
Because he would make it so.
***
Pernyan’s plan was a perfect success.
No student could resist the combination of Aint Armian and the Saint Bird, and they all flocked to his side.
Ludger, abandoned in an instant, went out to the terrace with a hardened face. Pernyan followed him.
“Are you here to mock me?”
“I came out because it was hot.”
“This is your doing, isn’t it?”
“Do you think I could obtain a Saint Bird?”
No. Ludger shook his head.
“I’m asking if you’re the one who set the stage for Aint to reveal the Saint Bird here.”
“Are you asking?”
“No, I’m just confirming. I was completely outplayed.”
Ludger let out a hollow laugh. It was fair to say that such a major blow had momentarily broken his fighting spirit.
No matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t come up with a way to turn the tables at this ball.
“What is it with you? I just can’t understand. Do you really believe the Armians can reclaim the throne?”
“As I’ve said before, I’m not on anyone’s side. I’m just a merchant.”
“Enough with that bullshit no one will believe.”
Ludger growled. Their eyes met, and Pernyan didn’t look away.
“I am simply investing in the one who seems more likely to stop the demons.”
“Isn’t this a bit much for a simple investment?”
“Do you think any merchant would stand by and watch someone ruin their product?”
In that sense, I could invest in you too.
“What nonsense is that?”
“The doors of Fallenberg are always open. If you need help and investment for something, I will lend it at any time. As long as you promise sufficient compensation for whatever it may be.”
“What is that supposed to…”
Pernyan placed a hand on Ludger’s shoulder.
“Anything is fine. I won’t ask what it’s for. We’re friends, aren’t we?”
“I’m asking what the hell you’re talking about…!”
“I’m explaining. In order to attract investment clients.”
With those words, Pernyan waved and headed back into the banquet hall. Ludger couldn’t follow him.
“You won’t ask what it’s for? You and I are friends?”
It was a word Ludger often used when dealing with Pernyan. But why did it feel so alien today?
“Is he testing me? Did he figure out that the Schwabens tried to kill Aint?”
Pernyan wrapped truths in lies, and lies in truths.
Then this must be a warning.
“He doesn’t want his product, Aint, to be ruined…”
Pernyan had truly designated Aint as the adversary of the demons. He believed Aint was the only one.
“…You’re wrong, Pernyan.”
Aint, the Armians, are no longer the only ones.
“You are making a bad investment.”
He wondered what kind of expression Pernyan would make when he realized that fact.
Ludger leaned against the railing and watched Aint through the window.
The man was stroking the legendary fantastic beast with two pairs of wings, the Saint Bird, while happily conversing with people.
“Enjoy it while you can, Aint Armian.”
Soon enough, you won’t have the luxury.
***
A dense forest.
A man, who had been swinging his sword in the natural breeze, wiped his sweat and opened the newspaper a servant had brought him.
【Tragedy Strikes the Bercefes, the Wall Stands Firm, But is This Sustainable?】
【The North Would Have Fallen a Hundred Times Over if Not for the Bercefes…!】
【The Vile Breeds Begin to Stir. The Time for a Continent-Wide Response is Now.】
【Nemesis of Demons Takes the Top Spot at the Academy!】
*Crumple—*
The newspapers were mercilessly crushed in his rough hands.
“Damn them all.”
Boiling rage seeped out like a growl.
“Some are treated as outsiders even after a decade, while others are hailed as heroes despite isolating themselves for a century.”
A cold sneer mocked the Empire.
“As I thought…”
Becoming a part of the Empire, one of their own, had been the wrong idea.
He had been against it from the beginning. Why should the great elves enter a mere human empire?
“The Empire is rotten.”
*Fwoosh—*
A rising flame completely incinerated the remains of the newspaper.