Chapter 32
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Confrontation
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The academy was home to countless clubs.
From minor ones for reading, tea, and theater, to major ones for swordsmanship, horseback riding, and magical research.
The academy, encouraging both social interaction and scholarly pursuits, approved nearly any club so long as it wasn't particularly strange.
Thanks to this, hundreds of clubs had sprung up, but the most prestigious among them was, without a doubt, the Yacht Club.
A club that all students dreamed of, said to be open only to the top 5% of the academy, accessible solely through an invitation from a current member.
There was no other reason for its prestige. The members of the Yacht Club were figures recognized not just within the academy, but across the Empire.
School ties, regional connections, and bloodlines were universal truths, and for ordinary students, the Yacht Club was the ultimate stage for forging the best of those school ties.
*Hmm…*
As the luxurious yacht that served as this stage docked at the pier, masked members began to board, one by one.
Pernyan sat in a chair, waiting for Ruina.
It was a rule of the Yacht Club that the person who extended the invitation would attend as their partner.
*To think that place over there will soon be overrun with monsters.*
He pondered the future for a moment while enjoying the sea breeze, and soon, Ruina approached his side.
“…Didn’t you say you went dress shopping with Bella Hohen?”
“We did.”
“Then why are you in a knight’s formal uniform?”
It wasn't a major issue, as it was what knights often wore when officially attending banquets.
However, this occasion called for Ruina the student, not Ruina the knight.
For her to appear in a knight’s uniform when everyone else was in a dress was bound to draw attention.
“…Those frilly things just aren’t for me… Besides, we might have to fight, right? I can’t be fully prepared in a dress…”
Ruina explained, stammering.
But she wasn't wrong. Fighting in a dress would certainly be difficult.
“…Well, fine. It’s not against etiquette. And whether you wear a dress or a uniform, everyone will know it’s you anyway.”
The theme might be a masquerade ball, but the masks themselves held little meaning.
They had all spent far too much time together in the academy to be fooled by a simple mask.
“So, what exactly is it that I need to do?”
“Enjoy yourself.”
“Pardon?”
“We are at a ball, are we not? The Yacht Club is fundamentally a social gathering. Until I give the signal, you should just enjoy the ball like anyone else.”
“…I understand.”
“Have you ever attended a ball before?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Ruina shook her head.
“My family’s circumstances weren’t good, so we couldn’t afford to attend banquets.”
“My mistake. I apologize.”
They say a rich family can survive for three years even after ruin.
No matter how much their fortunes had declined, he never imagined that the daughter of a former Elector family had never attended a single one.
“It’s fine. It’s not that I never had the chance; I just chose not to attend.”
“I thought as much.”
Right, there’s no way she never had an opportunity.
Convinced, Pernyan adjusted his clothes and casually glanced around.
And he spotted the other invitation holders.
“I’m nervous. This is my first banquet.”
“Don’t worry too much. People are the same everywhere.”
Beneath simple, unadorned masks were two men with similar brown eyes.
The moment he saw the neat, dark blue hair and the brilliant blond hair, Pernyan could identify them.
*Valoci Vienderk and Aint Armian.*
They wore masks, but each person had a distinct aura and voice.
“You’re here?”
Another masked figure approached them.
*Alkan Chason?*
A rather slender build with gray hair and blue eyes. The salutatorian of the third-year Knight Department and one of Ludger’s close associates.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Aint Armian.”
“I know. Is there anyone at the academy who doesn’t know you? Nice to meet you. I’m Alkan Chason.”
He had the pretty-boy looks that made him popular at the academy.
*Was he the one who gave the invitation? If so, does that mean Ludger?*
Aint attended the Yacht Club and was attacked by the Vile Breeds.
Seeing as the Vile Breeds had already infiltrated the staff, it was clearly a well-planned event.
That meant luring Aint to the Yacht Club was the first part of the problem.
“Let’s head in.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, senior.”
That’s why he’d found it a bit strange when Valoci had made the offer.
Valoci Vienderk was clearly an ally who would become Aint’s comrade; it made no sense for him to join hands with the Vile Breeds to trap Aint.
It would be understandable if the one who gave the invitation through Valoci was the problem, but if Ludger was behind it, it was a little harder to accept.
*Ludger isn’t an idiot. There’s no way he’d work with the Vile Breeds.*
Even if the demons were gone, the Empire was a nation founded on saving the world from them.
Demons were still the Empire’s primary enemy, and for a prince to get involved with Vile Breeds would be utterly foolish.
*It’s too early to jump to conclusions.*
The possibility that Alkan Chason had another scheme, that Ludger didn't know the Vile Breeds were Vile Breeds, or that it was all just a coincidence.
*Or perhaps Ludger simply has some scheme against Aint.*
A Vile Breed lurking around Ludger could have instigated him.
Pernyan considered the various possibilities.
Whatever the answer was, it was difficult to make a definitive judgment right now.
“Who are you looking at so… Ah, it’s Senior Alkan.”
Ruina commented, noticing Pernyan’s fixed gaze.
“Are the other two Aint Armian and Valoci Vienderk? It seems Senior Alkan sent them the invitations.”
“You recognized them right away?”
“I’ve been keeping an eye on both of them. Even if I hadn’t, aren’t they both too famous to hide their identities with a mere mask?”
That was true.
Though for different reasons, both Valoci Vienderk and Aint Armian had been the subjects of all sorts of rumors since their enrollment.
After confirming they had presented their invitations and boarded the ship, Pernyan offered his hand to Ruina.
“Well then, shall we go in too? Should I call you ‘my lady’?”
Ruina stared intently at his hand.
“That’s cringeworthy. Is there really a need to hold hands?”
“Aren’t we partners?”
There was no real need to enter as escorted partners. They had adopted that kind of concept before, but not now.
Nevertheless, Pernyan was insisting on it to show off his closeness with Ruina.
Whatever the reason, Ruina, along with Aint, was one of the two people Pernyan had to befriend—absolutely had to.
*I’ve already invested a lot and built a decent rapport.*
Now, it was quite important to mark his territory so others wouldn’t dare covet her.
“…Very well.”
After a brief hesitation, Ruina took Pernyan’s hand. The two slowly made their way toward the ship.
“Welcome, Branch Manager.”
An employee of the Golden Turtle Merchant Guild, who managed the vessel, bowed his head.
“Is everyone here?”
“Yes. Including the two new members who just entered, everyone has boarded.”
“Ludger arrived earlier than I expected.”
He was the type who always showed up last to enjoy all eyes turning to him.
Briefly puzzled, Pernyan and Ruina boarded the ship.
Inside the luxurious yacht, sweet music played by a band should have been flowing.
Chefs on standby should have been serving fresh food, and servants stationed throughout the ship should have been attending to the masked members’ convenience.
The murmuring students should have focused their attention on the new arrivals, noting that Pernyan and Ruina had entered together.
Yes, that’s how it should have been.
But the music had ground to a halt.
The food service had stopped, and the servants were all huddled in corners, holding their breath.
“This is…”
“What an interesting sight.”
And the students’ attention, which should have been on Pernyan and Ruina, had already been stolen by something else.
There, one of the scenarios Pernyan had considered was unfolding.
Aint and Ludger.
Armian and Schwaben.
A small smile played on the lips of Ludger, who was staring at his opponent with a relaxed demeanor.
And opposite him, Aint’s pupils, his expression stiff and rigid, were trembling faintly.
The scions of the current and former imperial families had finally come face to face.
“No wonder we were overshadowed.”
The entrance of a creditor and a debtor couldn't possibly compete with the meeting of the current and former imperial houses.
***
“Ah, it seems I can’t bring you to the banquet hall, Lord Gardner.”
As the appointed time drew near, Aint, checking his attire, unbuckled the sword at his waist and placed it on the bed.
But he had to pick it up again almost immediately.
- Do not worry.
- I told you this sword was mixed with mithril, did I not? Mithril is an exceptional metal, not only for its ability to accept a soul, but for its many other uses.
For example, like this.
- It can shrink.
The bastard sword had suddenly become a small dagger.
No, it had shrunk so much that even calling it a dagger felt like an overstatement.
“You can do this?”
Aint, quite fascinated, repeatedly touched it.
- Find a string and wear it around your neck. No one will suspect a thing if you call it a necklace.
“It would be stranger if they did.”
- Indeed. In any case, I cannot possibly miss the chance to meet the descendant of that mongrel who dared betray Armian.
- I absolutely must witness that sight.
“A traitor?”
- They are traitors for forsaking the grace of being made Electors and coveting the imperial throne.
“…Hmm.”
Aint silently scratched his cheek.
That the emperor would be chosen by the Electors, not through heredity.
It was the first emperor who had established that national law in the first place, but Aint didn’t bother to mention it.
Whatever the reason, from his perspective, the Schwabens, who had seized the throne and initiated his family’s downfall, were not looked upon favorably.
“Anyway, what could be the real reason for my invitation? They say the one who gave it is a close associate of Ludger Schwaben.”
- Why are you pondering such a thing? It is obviously one of four possibilities.
“One of four?”
- First, Ludger Schwaben has a scheme.
The second prince of the Empire, who surely held a grudge against Aint.
As a key figure in the Yacht Club, he was the most likely to have orchestrated it.
- Second, Pernyan Fallenberg has a scheme.
The merchant who had casually given him the Heart of a Saint Bird and recently traded adamant with him.
He, too, was involved with the Yacht Club.
In fact, it was said that the transformation of an ordinary social club into the Yacht Club was due to his influence.
- Third, Valoci Vienderk has a scheme.
The heir of a great family, who had been full of inexplicable goodwill from their very first meeting.
Aint and Gardner still couldn't fathom his intentions.
“What’s the last one? Is there someone else with the power to send an invitation?”
- Or Valoci Vienderk is simply insane.
The last one was half a joke. From what he had experienced, Valoci wasn't a madman, but he definitely had some kind of scheme.
And the conclusion was.
“Within the academy, one must follow the academy’s rules. The academy is a place of equality.”
- It was the first one.
“However, that only applies to those of the same year. Aint Armian. As a senior, I expect a minimum of courtesy, formality, and respect from my junior.”
It happened sooner than he expected.