Chapter 33
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: An Uninvited Onslaught
-----------------------------------------------------------------
It was a trivial matter, if one could call it that.
Taken at face value, it was merely a junior showing a bit of courtesy to a senior.
The hierarchy and order of the academy, which had begun with the history of the Empire itself, were by no means trivial, and no one would consider it a problem if the etiquette between seniors and juniors was a little excessive.
However, the story changed slightly when the subjects involved were the bloodline of the current imperial family and the bloodline of the former imperial family.
*It’s a conventional move, but not a bad one.*
It had been three generations since the Schwabens became the imperial family, but before that, the Armians had ruled as emperors for nearly nine hundred years.
A hundred years was not nearly enough time to completely erase the great family, which had been the very history of the Empire, from the minds of the people.
*To think, an Armian bowing to a Schwaben.*
One of the most effective ways to shatter that perception was through an official abdication.
It was a public declaration, accompanied by numerous pieces of evidence and witnesses, that the imperial throne had clearly been transferred.
*I heard the Armian family, having lost the throne, holed up in their few remaining territories and never came out.*
*No wonder you look so appetizing to them.*
It was insignificant compared to a true abdication, but all great things have small, humble beginnings.
*'What should I do?'*
*What is there to contemplate? Just do it.*
But surprisingly, Gardner took it in stride.
*For now, those bastards are the imperial family. To deny the authority of the imperial family is no different from denying this nation itself, founded by the first emperor.*
After all, that was the reality.
He wanted the Armian family to reclaim the throne someday, but it wasn't wrong to say that the current emperor was a Schwaben.
*And besides, you're only entrusting it to them for a short while. You will be emperor again. I will make Armian so.*
*If you cannot endure a moment of humiliation, you are not qualified to be emperor.*
*The late emperor knelt to persuade the king of Bercefe…*
“Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you, senior. I am Aint Armian.”
As the story seemed to be getting long, Aint gave a slight bow—not so deep as to be improper, yet not so shallow as to be overly casual.
His compliant greeting was met with a response that was not overly harsh.
“Yes, a pleasure to meet you, Aint Armian.”
Ludger smiled and lightly patted Aint’s shoulder.
“Valoci Vienderk. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well. I’ve heard things about you from time to time.”
“I’ve also heard a great deal about you, senior.”
“There can’t be much to say about me.”
“Being second in your class at an academy where all the continent’s talents gather is hardly ‘not much.’”
After that, Ludger began to speak with Valoci in a much more relaxed manner.
As the explosive tension dissipated, sighs of relief could be heard from all around.
Just as the music, which had stopped, began to flow gently once more, someone naturally slipped into their midst.
A man in a black mask that covered half his face.
No student could fail to recognize the neat yet luxurious clothes, the jet-black hair, and the distinctive aura.
*‘…Senior Pernyan?’*
A path naturally opened, and his eyes met Aint’s, but Pernyan passed him by with an air of indifference.
He went straight to the prince’s side, and the prince dismissed Valoci.
And as if on cue, the deck of the ship grew noisy with various sounds.
*‘He’s not even acknowledging me.’*
*It means he’s being mindful of the prince. You should play along. It’s not difficult.*
*‘Yes.’*
*Anyway, that Ludger fellow is less impressive than I thought.*
*‘Less impressive?’*
*He talks too much. It’s always the scared dogs that bark the loudest.*
*If I were in his shoes, I would have just told you to kneel.*
Doing something like that in front of everyone seemed like a bad move.
“Aint. Let’s go meet some other people.”
“Alright.”
Just then, Valoci approached, and Aint went with him to greet the others.
***
“I was wondering why you came so early, but it seems there was a reason. How was it?”
“It wasn’t very interesting.”
Ludger tilted his glass of blood-red wine.
“For someone who’s supposedly the scion of the former imperial family, he has no backbone. To think he’d just bow his head like that.”
“Did you invite him?”
“I told Alkan to deliver an invitation. I figured if he gave it to Valoci, they’d come together. We can’t avoid each other forever.”
As long as they attended the same academy, they were bound to see each other at least once, even if they were in different years.
Especially since their years were adjacent, there were occasional joint classes.
“Is that all?”
“Should there be more?”
At the sharp tone, Pernyan changed the subject.
“No, I meant your first impression.”
“Hardly.”
Ludger shrugged.
“A person who willingly accepts humiliation is one of two things.”
Either truly empty…
“Or biding their time. And his eyes weren't empty.”
Of course, he didn't think Aint and the Armian family would ever be a real threat.
They might have a trick or two up their sleeve, being a family that had ruled half the continent for nearly 900 years, even if they were ruined now, but that was all.
“If they could have really turned things around with that ‘something,’ they would have done it long ago.”
Ludger muttered nonchalantly.
“And you?”
“I felt similarly. There’s something there, but it doesn't seem like much.”
“If you felt that way, it’s all the more believable. It’s always been that way, hasn’t it? A merchant’s eye is a good judge of character.”
A small smile played on Ludger’s lips as his eyes narrowed.
“Since you asked me a question, let me ask one of my own. You brought Ruina Bercefe with you.”
“She’s the eldest daughter of the Bercefe family and second in the Knight Department. She’s more than qualified.”
“And yet, you were the one who blocked her, weren’t you?”
Ludger swirled the wine in his glass.
“You wouldn’t suddenly forgive her debt now…”
“That’s not a matter I can decide on my own.”
“Yes, that’s right. Which is why I’m even more curious.”
From the moment they became second-years, the relationship and attitude between the two had done a complete one-eighty.
“What on earth happened during the break? Did the two families agree to a political marriage?”
“Do I have to answer?”
“That would be my wish.”
“A wish is more valuable when it remains a wish.”
“So you’re not denying it?”
Pernyan didn't react. In fact, if he had denied it, the man would have claimed a strong denial was an affirmation.
“It seems everyone has gathered. We will now set sail.”
“Do as you please. It is a yacht club, after all. We should at least go out to sea.”
Set sail!
Set sail!
At last, the massive cruise ship finally departed from the pier.
***
“……”
Abandoned by Pernyan the moment she boarded the ship, Ruina sat in a corner, staring blankly at the sea.
Watching the gently flowing waves brought a sense of calm to her heart. Gazing at the peaceful ocean, she felt as if she were on vacation.
*‘Don’t let your guard down.’*
But today’s purpose was not simple socializing, nor was it a vacation.
It was to catch the traitors of humanity who served demons—the Vile Breed.
Ruina slowly caressed her glass. The cocktail inside was relatively low in alcohol.
“What are you doing all alone, senior?”
Ruina looked up. Through a mask, she saw simple brown eyes. The wave of golden hair beyond them was a bonus.
“Aint Armian?”
“That’s right, senior. It’s good to see you here.”
Aint, wearing a mask, casually leaned against the wall next to Ruina.
“Everyone else is having fun. Why are you by yourself?”
“I’m not used to this.”
It wasn’t a lie that she had never attended a banquet before.
For her, who had lived as a devoted knight, banquets were slightly awkward affairs.
“What about you?”
“…I have a hard time fitting in…”
The feeling was similar, but the meaning was different. While Ruina’s isolation was by choice, Aint’s was not.
Though he had been invited, students, still wary of Schwaben, did not easily approach him.
Valoci had tried to lead him around, but feeling burdened by their stares, he had deliberately slipped away.
And that’s when he had found Ruina.
“I shouldn’t have asked.”
“Oh, no, it’s alright.”
A moment of silence fell. After a while, Aint hesitated before speaking again.
“If you don’t mind, would you care to dance with me…?”
“Sorry to interrupt what seems like a pleasant moment.”
Just then, someone abruptly interjected, cutting the conversation short.
It was Pernyan.
“Aint Armian, I didn’t realize you were acquainted with Ruina.”
“Ah, we only just met recently.”
“That’s right. We’re not particularly acquainted.”
At Ruina’s quiet words, a flicker of disappointment crossed Aint’s face.
Pernyan did not miss it.
*‘The grand scheme has gone awry, but I guess things like this still play out the same?’*
It made sense. He wasn't sure if it was under the moonlight as the prophecy book had described, but the part about meeting Ruina while she was practicing her swordsmanship alone was the same.
There was no reason for the part where he fell in love at first sight to be any different.
*‘If that’s the case, Ruina’s value increases even more.’*
Love could sometimes make a person act most foolishly.
If he could skillfully use Aint’s love for Ruina, it would be no different from obtaining the best card to play when needed.
“Let’s go, Ruina.”
But that was not a matter for today.
“Right now?”
“Yes, I have something to say.”
“Then I’ll just take my leave…”
“No, it’s fine. Enjoy the ball.”
Pernyan disappeared with Ruina.
Left alone, Aint’s gaze remained fixed on Ruina’s back.
*It seems their relationship is anything but ordinary.*
*They were paired together, and I heard Pernyan personally brought her to the Yacht Club today, correct?*
“…Yes.”
*Get a grip. That woman is a remarkable talent, but if there’s a chance your relationship with that nouveau riche bastard sours, you must be cautious.*
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind.”
At Gardner’s words, Aint lightly slapped his own cheeks. His dazed eyes regained their focus.
“By the way, what were we talking about earlier?”
*Among the things the sailors were discussing was the route. They said they tour the islands near the academy. The first emperor's contingency was hidden on one of them.*
It meant there was a high probability they would go to the place where the contingency was hidden.
*You know how to swim, don’t you?*
“To some extent.”
*When you see an uninhabited island with two peaks, fall overboard as if by accident.*
“Assuming I get it, how do I get back?”
*Will that really be a problem?*
*They won’t just do nothing when an academy student goes missing.*
*Above all, you are an Armian.*
He wasn't wrong.
Even if the Armians had been pushed from the center of power, their symbolic importance could never be taken lightly.
“You’re probably right…”
Aint stopped mid-sentence. He sensed a presence nearby.
“Would you care for a drink?”
It was a staff member, walking around the deck with a tray of champagne.
“Ah, thank…”
As Aint reached for a glass of champagne, he felt the back of his neck stiffen.
It was an indescribable, instinctual sense of crisis.
*Aint!*
Gardner’s shout came a moment too late, confirming his feeling.
*Rumble—*
A massive wave surged up from behind him.
*CRASH!*
With a tremendous impact, the deck where he had been standing just a moment ago shattered.
Aint rolled across the floor and desperately pulled the fallen staff member towards him. A moment later, a tail crashed down, destroying the deck once more.
“…My goodness.”
Only then did Aint realize what had attacked the ship.
It was a monster. No, it was monster*s*.
Dozens, hundreds of Sea Worms, known as the earthworms of the sea, were charging toward the ship like a tidal wave.
***
*Clang, clang, clang, clang—*
The urgent ringing of the emergency bell shook the deck.
A swarm of giant worms surged like a tidal wave, beginning to climb aboard the ship.
He knew about it from the prophecy book, but seeing it in person was a different experience.
“Disgusting.”
Pernyan’s face twisted. Screams of students echoed continuously from the deck.
“Why are there Sea Worms?”
The Empire periodically managed the sea routes leading to the academy.
The appearance of such a large-scale marine monster was something no one had anticipated.
Except for Pernyan, who had confirmed it through the prophecy book.
“Ruina. Help your friends as needed, then fall back.”
“Shouldn’t we be stopping the monsters?”
“Have you forgotten why I brought you here?”
“…Don’t tell me this is?”
“Yes. It’s the work of the Vile Breed. They’re after something bigger.”
Something bigger. Without a doubt, it was Aint Armian.
“Considering the caliber of the students gathered here, it won’t be a major problem anyway.”
“…Indeed.”
“Go.”
“Yes!”
Ruina leaped into the fray.
But there were a few things he hadn’t mentioned.
“The ship will sink.”
The students were skilled, but none were accustomed to naval combat.
The academy didn’t specifically teach it.
And Pernyan, knowing this, had made no preparations to stop the monsters.
Because he wanted the ship to sink.
“The ship must sink.”
Only then would things flow according to the prophecy book.
Aint, stranded alone on the island where the first emperor’s contingency was hidden.
The Vile Breed, following close behind, attack him.
That’s where things would change.
Only then could he create a point of contact, a shared experience of seeing the Vile Breed with Aint.
Only then would Aint not suspect the Fallenberg family of being associated with the Vile Breed.
“And only then will I not go broke.”
“…What are you suddenly talking about?”
“It’s nothing.”
Pernyan shrugged as Hyde emerged like a shadow.
“What about the other ships?”
“They are on standby not far from here. They will come immediately upon your signal.”
“Good. The Vile Breed are one thing, but it would be a disaster if our esteemed guests were to die. You will handle the cleanup as planned.”
“Yes, sir.”
Pernyan smiled.