Chapter 69
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Bets and Blades
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The academy’s new semester had begun.
As the students who had returned to their family homes all came back, the once-quiet academy began to bustle with life again.
“I look forward to working with you again this semester.”
“The same goes for me.”
Pernyan attended the first pair lecture of the second semester with Ruina.
The subject was 『A Study of Demonic Beasts and Monsters』. However, being the first day, nothing significant happened.
The lecture ended after a brief outline of the plans for the semester.
“Pernyan.”
“Ludger.”
“I heard the story. That something quite serious happened. There was a Vile Breed within the academy?”
Ludger stealthily approached and whispered quietly.
‘So the word has spread.’
The matter concerning the demon was too great for the Archmage to handle alone. Even if he was an Archmage whom even the Emperor of the Empire couldn't touch carelessly.
But the Archmage didn't belong to any particular faction. Thus, rather than limiting the news to a specific family, he informed all the Elector families.
The Fallenberg family was no exception. Just before the semester began, Pernyan had received a letter from his father stating he had heard about the Vile Breed.
“A Vile Breed, you say. I was so taken aback when I first heard the story.”
You, who experienced it directly, must have felt it even more keenly.
“How was it? Those Vile Breed, the trash who can’t forget the demons and follow them?”
“I don’t think this is the place for that conversation.”
“It’s fine. I’m already casting a sound-blocking spell.”
“Do I really need to tell you that’s not what I meant?”
“So you’ll only answer if I ask you directly what the Vile Breed was like?”
Is that even a real question?
“Of course not, Ludger Schwaben.”
Pernyan extended his hand.
“But if you pay a fair price, there’s no reason I can’t tell you.”
A merchant can sell anything, and ‘information’ is no exception.
“…Right, that’s the kind of person you were. I’d forgotten for a moment, having been away during the break.”
Ludger let out a hollow laugh.
“In that case, how much will it be?”
“That depends on your sincerity.”
“Does that mean the sincerity of your information will depend on the sincerity of my payment?”
“As expected of an imperial prince, there’s no need to repeat myself.”
At Pernyan’s smooth reply, Ludger sighed heavily.
“Then how much will it cost to keep you from speaking to anyone else?”
“Is there a need for that? You must know I wasn’t alone.”
The Archmage wouldn't have specified who had encountered the Vile Breed, but the academy was crawling with spies from every family.
It was impossible to hide it completely, and he had no intention of doing so.
“Let me rephrase. How much would it take to silence not only you but everyone else who encountered the Vile Breed with you?”
“One trillion gold.”
“…Are you insane?”
“You’re the insane one. Asking for the impossible.”
“Didn’t you say nothing is impossible in this world as long as you have money?”
“Right. So I’m saying if you give me one trillion gold, I’ll find a way to make it happen.”
*Tsk*, Ludger clicked his tongue briefly.
A heavy pouch was placed on Pernyan’s palm. He checked inside; it was full of gold coins.
“Then just tell me what you know.”
“First, let’s move. Even with the sound blocked, we’re drawing too much attention here.”
Even though they had moved to a corner, they were still in front of the lecture hall. Many people were glancing their way as they passed by.
“Fine.”
Pernyan recounted the events he had experienced.
Naturally, it wasn't the exact truth, but a slightly embellished version of what he had told the Archmage.
Demon became Vile Breed.
Indeed, there was no reason to reveal the one fact the Archmage was desperately trying to hide.
* * *
After earning some extra income from Ludger, Pernyan returned and organized his future plans.
“Hmm.”
The prophecy that had appeared at the opportune moment was far removed from crises or demons.
But it was undoubtedly an important future.
For Aint, who needed to win the jousting tournament to obtain the arrangement left by the first emperor.
And for Pernyan, who now knew all the major winners of the jousting and magic tournaments.
‘This is a chance to make a fortune.’
The academy festival, where the jousting and magic tournaments took place, was a period when gambling was officially permitted.
The academy itself supervised the betting on contestants, and Pernyan, with the academy's tacit approval, also ran a larger, more discreet operation.
Until now, he had avoided betting unless it was a sure thing to minimize losses, but knowing the future, there was no reason not to get involved in even the smaller matches.
‘If I play this right, I might be able to earn as much as the branch’s entire annual profit.’
One shouldn't dismiss it as a mere student competition.
The academy's founding anniversary was the largest festival after the one in the Imperial Capital, which was overseen by the Emperor himself.
The wealth of the parents who flocked to see their children was beyond imagination.
It wasn't for nothing that the academy was called the cradle of the empire, and it wasn't for nothing that the Vile Breed schemed to destroy it first.
‘There’s no need to bet on every single match.’
The prophecy wasn't that detailed, to begin with.
But he could at least be certain of the students who would reach the quarterfinals of each tournament, and if he bet only on them, failure was not an option.
“Six of them are who I expected, and there are two surprising dark horses.”
Not bad. Especially since he could probably make quite a bit of money off these two dark horses.
“That aside, I had something to discuss with you too.”
- Kkung?
Pernyan held out his finger. Wooden, which had been scurrying around the table, grabbed his finger and shook it playfully.
At about 20cm tall, like a small doll, Wooden was also engraved with a weight-reduction spell. If it stayed still, no one would doubt it was just a display model.
Keeping it in the sub-space was the best option, but Wooden vehemently protested after being in there once. It never wanted to go back to that empty place again.
‘Even though we have a contract and I’ve carved an obedience sigil on the golem, treating it like that probably isn’t good in the long run.’
It didn't require deep thought. Spirits were simple creatures. Contract or not, if they didn't like something, they didn't like it.
Although the contract prevented it from escaping his grasp, its performance would surely decline if its motivation dropped.
‘Having it sit on my shoulder is out of the question…’
It would be ridiculous to advertise that he had created an ego golem, and at his age, he didn't want to start rumors by carrying a golem on his shoulder.
“Wooden, become smaller.”
- Kkung?
Wooden instantly shrank. To about 1cm in size. It was the smallest form Wooden could take.
*Click.* Pernyan attached a clasp that sprouted from Wooden’s head to a necklace.
It was a design inspired by Aint, who carried his sword in the form of a necklace.
- Kkung-kkung!
Wooden struggled, as if uncomfortable.
“If you don’t like this form, you’ll have to stay in the sub-space. I think this is better.”
At the mention of the sub-space, Wooden’s movements ceased.
- Kkoooong?
“That’s right. If you hang quietly from the necklace, I’ll never put you in the sub-space. Not always, of course. I’ll let you out when it’s just the two of us like this.”
The choice was between the utterly boring sub-space and a state where its movement was restricted but it could still perceive the outside world.
Without a moment's hesitation, Wooden chose the latter.
And so, a new necklace came to be worn around Pernyan’s neck.
* * *
The academy had many facilities for students.
In particular, the individual training halls, group training halls, parade grounds, and sparring arenas were always open for personal training or duels.
“……”
“……”
And two students were currently using one of these facilities.
Aint Armian. The eldest son of the Armian family, the former imperial line, and, though known only to a select few, the bane of demons who had slain one.
Facing him with a sword at the ready was Verian Calburden.
The scion of a knightly family, the most renowned in the empire aside from the Elector families.
A heavy silence hung between them.
A gentle breeze blew, and a single leaf fell between them.
Immediately after, the two students kicked off the sparring ground floor simultaneously.
*Claaang!*
As their swords clashed, a shockwave spread out in all directions.
Aria, who was observing the duel with their permission, casually waved her hand to dissipate the shockwave rushing toward her.
“……”
She rested her chin on her hand, her expressionless gaze fixed on the sparring ground.
The second and third-ranked students of the Knight Department's first year.
The very fact that she was observing their duel was proof that her academy life had not been in vain.
Even if it was a reward earned from fighting a demon.
‘Becoming friends with Aint Armian was the greatest gain of all.’
During the battle with the demon, Aria had clearly witnessed Aint’s prowess.
The brilliant light that annihilated evil had made her fully realize why the Armians were called the bane of demons.
And to think she had only approached him first because his family was the least prominent among the Electors.
She had reaped a reward, but Aint was still a pearl in the mud.
‘And Verian Calburden, too.’
Although not an Elector, the prestige of the Calburden family was by no means small.
But she didn't feel entirely pleased.
Why was that?
“Senior Pernyan Fallenberg…”
Yes, it was because of him.
“Strange…?”
He was distinctly different from anyone she had ever met.
“Normally, they should have let their guard down by now…?”
So why was it that her conversations with Pernyan Fallenberg were still so on edge?
He was still wary of her.
Even the fool who couldn't return to his family home for fear of his father, and the former imperial prince she thought a mere husk but turned out to be the most substantial, no longer guarded themselves against her.
‘Is it just my imagination that I’m the one being exploited?’
When they were transporting the branch of the Mother Tree.
When the Mother Tree’s branch became completely corrupted.
And with the ego golem.
In the end, everything had gone Pernyan’s way. Though the demon's summoning due to the Mother Tree's branch was likely something even he hadn't anticipated.
She shook her head.
It must be a misunderstanding. The invitation to the Yacht Club and her new connections.
She had followed Pernyan’s wishes, it was true, but she had gained more.
A part of the Mother Tree’s branch was going to be corrupted anyway, and the ego golem was something Pernyan had made in the first place.
‘Yes, that’s right. But him being wary of me is no illusion…’
“Aria!”
“Look out!”
A sharp cry snapped Aria out of her thoughts.
A wooden sword, which had been in someone’s hand just moments before, was flying towards her in a long arc.
It was partially imbued with aura, enough to cause a significant injury if she took the hit without thinking.
‘That’s Verian’s.’
Aint still held his wooden sword, while Verian’s torn palm was empty.
Aria reached out her hand. The aura within the wooden sword was diminished by the spirits and then drawn smoothly into her grasp.
“Looks like Aint won, huh? As expected, you’re different from someone who can’t go home because he’s scared of his dad!”
“You…!”
“Did you faint this time?”
“This damn pointy-ear!”
Aria let out an utterly innocent laugh.