Chapter 7
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: The New Semester Begins
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While Pernyan was away visiting his family home, time at the academy flowed on.
The entrance ceremony concluded with the top-ranking freshmen from each department taking their oaths as representatives. Before long, the Armian Imperial Academy had begun its new semester.
Pernyan entered the lecture hall and took a seat. The room was relatively boisterous as students trickled in.
“Pernyan.”
Someone approached him as he sat lost in thought.
“Your Highness. It’s been a while.”
“I’m disappointed. Didn’t we agree to speak casually?”
“This is our first meeting since becoming second-years, so a formal greeting is only proper.”
Not many would dare approach Pernyan, who exuded the power and somber air of his family.
Only those with comparable influence, or those Pernyan deemed useful enough to maintain a casual friendship with.
The blond man, Ludger Schwaben, the second prince of the imperial family, fell into both categories.
“I heard you returned a little early to handle some guild business.”
“I did.”
“As expected of the Fallenberg heir, always busy.”
“I am not the heir.”
“It’s practically in the bag.”
“Nothing is ever certain.”
“Ha, just like someone from a merchant family, so thorough. Don’t you get tired of living so rigidly?”
“That is not your concern.”
“I’m sure it isn’t.”
Ludger chuckled. He glanced around before leaning in closer.
“Are there any first-year freshmen you’ve got your eye on?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because I figured you would have already looked into all of them.”
“I’m keeping a close watch on all the high-ranking ones.”
“A textbook answer, but the correct one nonetheless. This year’s freshmen class is brimming with talent.”
Ludger nodded.
“What do you make of Aria Friedien?”
“The second-ranked student in the Magic Department?”
“Yes. I hear she’s desperate to get close to the children of the Electors.”
“She’s trying to gain recognition. To the established Elector families, the Friediens are newcomers who just rolled in.”
“That’s a bit rich coming from the one who helped them.”
“I didn’t do much of anything.”
He wasn’t wrong. Duke Fallenberg had mediated the arrangement, and Pernyan had not been involved in the slightest.
“What about Aint Armian, then?”
“I can’t say. He hasn’t shown anything of note. Aside from the Armian name, he doesn’t seem to have much going for him.”
“And yet, I heard you went to see him yourself.”
Ludger’s lips were still curved into a smile, but his eyes were not.
“They are the former imperial family. It’s only natural to be curious when one of them enrolls after a hundred-year absence from the academy.”
“Right, you’re a merchant. A merchant’s curiosity can rival a mage’s in some respects. Oh, wait, you’re a mage too, aren’t you?”
Ludger shrugged.
“The professor is here. I’ll see you later.”
“Alright.”
*Ludger Schwaben.*
Pernyan swallowed a groan as he watched Ludger walk away.
*Ludger Schwaben and Aint Armian. Schwaben and Armian…*
The current imperial family and the former one they had usurped. They had once sprung from the same root, but now they were like oil and water, never to mix.
[“Break him.”
Ludger Schwaben murmured under his breath.
“The past is romanticized only when it remains in the past, and memories are beautiful only when they stay as memories. Make people understand clearly that the past is nothing more than the past.”
“That it must remain forever in the past, as a memory.”]
His head throbbed as the future he had already witnessed replayed in his mind.
The future where Ludger Schwaben keeps Aint Armian in check.
What should he do?
*…Based on the Prophecy Book’s outcome, siding with Aint Armian is the only choice.*
But it wasn’t as if the Schwabens were completely ruined, either. And it would take a long time for Aint to achieve his victory.
*Tap, tap.* Pernyan’s fingers drummed on the table.
***
The first lecture for the second-year Magic Department was a five-credit course titled *Combat, War, and Magic*.
“Are you finished already, sir?”
Hyde, who had been waiting outside, approached Pernyan as he exited the lecture hall.
“They had a pop quiz. I finished and left immediately.”
The professor had given them a quiz on the very first day, earning the resentment of many students but allowing Pernyan, who finished quickly, to leave early.
“A quiz on the first day. What a peculiar professor.”
“He is a peculiar one. With the skill and background to afford to be.”
The stated reason was to check if they had forgotten what they learned in their first year, but that hardly mattered.
To Pernyan, the pop quiz was of little importance.
“By the next class, write down the name of a second-year Knight Department student you wish to pair with.”
“The pairs will only be formed if the names match with those submitted by the Knight Department, so don’t do anything foolish like writing a random name and making a fool of yourself.”
This notice, which she had written on the board during the quiz, was the true focus of today’s lecture.
A pair, or a partner. The moment I had been waiting for had finally arrived.
The first thing Pernyan had done after being struck by lightning was to identify the protagonist. The next was to twist his relationship with Ruina, the catalyst of his downfall.
The seeds he had diligently sown during the break were finally about to sprout.
*And I’m curious to see who that guy will partner with.*
Just then, he saw Carlo Deneve, the top student of the Magic Department, who had finished the quiz a little after him.
Carlo gave Pernyan a strange look before turning away when their eyes met.
*Your original partner was Ruina Bercefe.*
A partnership between the top and second-ranked students. It was a conventional yet powerful combination.
But since Pernyan had changed the future, he was quite curious to see who Carlo would pair with now.
*If this incident causes some other change in the future, it will prove that the future in the Prophecy Book is not set in stone.*
His persuading Ruina Bercefe to be his partner in advance was a change in itself, but that part hadn't been recorded in the Prophecy Book.
So, this was the real test.
The moment a future mentioned in the Prophecy Book was about to unfold.
*Depending on this outcome, I can decide exactly how to deal with Aint.*
Whether to be proactive or passive.
If the future could be changed, then the future where he ended up penniless could be changed as well.
***
“Are you heading to the Knight Department now, sir?”
“Yes. The first lecture for the first-year Knight Department is *Warfare and Practical Sparring*, isn’t it?”
*Warfare and Practical Sparring* was a five-credit course for first-year knights. It was somewhat complementary to the Magic Department’s *Combat, War, and Magic*, and was famous for assessing the students’ true skill levels through sparring matches on the very first day.
And it was the very lecture mentioned in the Prophecy Book.
[“The winner! Aint Armian!”
The referee, after checking the fallen cadet’s condition, raised the flag to signal the end of the match.
At his declaration, the crowd roared.
“Aint won!”
“Aint defeated Anto Dnern!”
“But he was no match for him during the entrance ceremony, was he?”
“Is this the power of the imperial family…?”
“Even so, Aint didn’t even rank in the entrance exam, while Anto was tenth, wasn’t he?”
Everyone was stunned by the unexpected turn of events.
But one person, the miracle-maker Aint, raised his sword high and roared.
‘This is just the beginning. I will restore my family’s honor.’
It was the moment the name Aint Armian began to truly spread among the professors and cadets.]
This was the beginning, when Aint Armian, having acquired Sir Gardner Alpenparsen's Ego Sword, would start to truly distinguish himself and build his reputation.
He absolutely had to witness it.
“This will be the first time a second-year mage has audited a first-year knight’s lecture.”
“Stop talking nonsense. What’s the situation?”
“I’ve already bribed the teaching assistant, so there shouldn’t be any issues.”
“Just the teaching assistant?”
“According to academy regulations, it is forbidden for a professor to accept money or gifts from a student. If caught, it results in severe disciplinary action.”
“So?”
“However, there’s no problem with picking up valuables that someone has lost. Professor Grad, who happened to find a purse in his own home, was delighted by your passion for learning and gladly permitted you to audit the class. He said you could watch quietly as long as you didn’t cause a disturbance.”
“Good.”
The atmosphere in the Knight Department was quite different from that of the Magic Department. It was more vibrant and passionate.
This was partly due to the fundamental differences between mages and knights, and partly due to the environment—the Knight Department had many training grounds, unlike the Magic Department with its numerous research labs.
“Am I to enter as well?”
“We’re already auditing. One more person won’t be a problem.”
“Professor Grad only mentioned you, Young Master.”
“After all the money I ‘dropped,’ would he really make an issue of it? That would be the bigger problem, wouldn’t it?”
If he did, Pernyan could just go to the professor's house and ‘drop’ some more.
Pernyan and his attendant found the lecture hall, doing their best to avoid drawing attention.
“Next! Ainan Erein! And Pellon Hark!”
The lecture hall, typical for the Knight Department, had a small sparring arena in front of the dais.
At the teaching assistant’s call, freshmen came forward in pairs to spar, while off to one side, the powerfully built, scar-faced Professor Grad watched them intently.
With all the other students’ attention focused on the front, Pernyan was able to slip into an empty seat unnoticed.
*Ainan Erein, ranked 61st. Pellon Hark, ranked 37th. Ainan is out of luck. Pellon will win this easily.*
The matches were decided randomly, with the teaching assistant drawing slips of paper bearing the students' names. The opponent was pure luck, and facing someone ranked more than ten places higher was just unfortunate.
“The difference in skill is obvious. Pellon Hark will win.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
As they predicted, Ainan Erein fought hard but was defeated without much trouble.
*Aint Armian is in a similar situation, but he’s a special case.*
To be precise, it was his bloodline and the weapon he had acquired.
*No, I’ve forgotten most of it, but the fear and terror of that time remain. Those feats were not something that could be accomplished by talent alone.*
He had vanquished legendary demons. If a mere weapon was all it took, anyone could have done it.
*Aint Armian is special. It’s more accurate to say his circumstances were holding him back. It’s an open secret that the Armian family’s secret sword techniques have been all but lost.*
Just then, the moment he had been waiting for arrived.
“Next, Anto Dnern! And Aint Armian!”
Anto Dnern, ranked 10th in the Knight Department, and Aint Armian stepped forward.
“Anto will win, right?”
“Obviously. Anto is 10th and Aint is 38th. There was a clear gap in their skills during the entrance exam.”
“Still, it’s a pity for the Armian imperial family. In such a public setting…”
“Former imperial family. Besides, what can you do if he just doesn’t have the talent?”
He could hear whispers from those around him. Perhaps because respect and awe for the former Armian imperial family still lingered throughout the empire, the comments weren’t too harsh, but everyone predicted Aint’s defeat.
“You came to see Aint Armian as well, I presume, Young Master?”
“Yes.”
“Who do you think will win?”
“What do you think?”
“Hmm.”
The attendant scrutinized the two students.
“That one, Anto Dnern. Didn’t he place 10th in the entrance exam?”
“He did.”
“And Aint Armian placed 38th, dashing all expectations for the Armian family.”
“That is also correct.”
“But this is strange. From what I can see, the gap between them doesn’t seem that wide.”
He tilted his head in confusion.
“Begin!”
The match started, and simultaneously…
“The winner, Aint Armian!”
…it unfolded exactly as it had in the Prophecy Book, shattering everyone’s expectations.
“……”
A flicker of interest appeared in Professor Grad’s eyes.
“Aint won!”
“Aint defeated Anto Dnern!”
“But he was no match for him during the entrance ceremony, was he?”
The students’ shock filled the lecture hall.
*As I thought, the best course of action is to help Aint Armian stop the demons, just as the Prophecy Book says.*
That was the best choice for the best possible future, Pernyan thought.
But he still couldn’t be certain.
Would the contents of the Prophecy Book change if he took a different course of action?
*Or could my interference have a negative impact?*
He had no way of knowing if the future would unfold as written in the Prophecy Book regardless of what he did.
For now, at least, things were proceeding exactly as foretold. That was a reason to trust the book, but it wasn’t entirely comforting.
*No, the future can’t be set in stone. I can confirm it in the next lecture.*
Pernyan stood up, taking advantage of the commotion.
“Let’s go.”
“Did you know, sir?”
“Know what?”
“Well, you don’t seem very surprised that Aint won.”
“I expected it, to some extent.”
“How?”
“I happened to meet him once.”
“Did you spar with him?”
“No. You can just tell by looking.”
“What kind of nonsense is that….”
Just then, his eyes fell upon another student. He was watching Aint Armian with a blank expression.
“That’s Verian Calburden, isn’t it?”
“Who… Yes, that’s him. He entered the Knight Department as the second-ranked student.”
“So it’s him.”
“Yes? What about him, sir?”
The villain. The first enemy the protagonist must overcome to grow stronger.
[“…That it must remain forever in the past, as a memory.”
“Yes. I will see to it. I, too, believe one should be faithful to the present. Or to a new future.”
Verian Calburden’s pupils turned cold.
“I don’t know if his skills suddenly improved or if he was hiding them, but Anto Dnern is his limit. Aint Armian will never rise any higher.”
“I will make sure of it.”]
He was the henchman who took orders from Ludger Schwaben.
After this, he would fight Aint and…
*And for now, that’s as far as my knowledge of the future goes.*
What would happen after that moment was still unknown, even to him.
“Let’s go.”
“Aren’t you going to tell me what that was about?”
“You’ll find out when the time comes.”
The young master and his attendant left the Knight Department.