Chapter 73
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Turn
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Returning to his quarters, Pernyan began to write down everything he could recall from his vision.
“I have a rough idea of which castle it is.”
There were quite a few clues. The height of the castle walls, the people present, and the great plain before it.
“The Iron Cross Knights. High walls, roughly twenty meters tall. A vast plain stretching out before them. It was being tainted black by demonic energy, but before that, it was incredibly fertile land.”
The Iron Cross Knights were one of the knightly orders of the Prasia Kingdom.
And among the castles in the Prasia Kingdom, seven had walls exceeding twenty meters.
‘Among those, I need to find the one with a great plain before it.’
If there were several, he could visit them himself and check their appearance to quickly identify the right one.
Or he could have someone document or sketch the castle’s likeness.
‘The problem is the timing.’
No matter what he found or where, if the *when* was wrong, everything would fall apart.
‘It wasn't raining or snowing.’
Whether it was due to the noxious demonic energy or simply a facet of peeking into the Prophecy Book, he couldn’t feel the ambient temperature.
But he could infer a certain amount from people’s attire.
‘It’s not summer, for one.’
Prasia’s summers were incredibly humid, yet no one on the walls was sweating.
‘And it’s not winter.’
No one was wearing winter gear.
‘Spring, or autumn.’
No, it was spring.
If it were autumn, the great plain should have been filled with golden crops bowing their heads for harvest, but there were none.
‘Surely it can’t be next spring…?’
That would mean there was only about half a year left.
Pernyan tried to suppress the ominous feeling creeping up on him.
‘The Ink-Black Spear Mercenary Group and Barus Dne were there.’
Looking perfectly fine.
For Barus Dne, who was severely injured and bedridden, to be standing on a battlefield meant a considerable amount of time had passed…
‘Isn’t six months enough? No, wait.’
In the original history, Barus Dne wasn’t injured. That was a future changed solely by Pernyan’s intervention.
‘Even excluding Barus…’
Aint’s appearance was a bit different from how he looked now.
He looked a little more mature, and his hair was longer.
However, that too was a change that could happen in six months.
‘Damn it. If you’re going to show me something, show me the result. Cutting it off ambiguously is just cruel.’
If there had been a clear prophecy of Aint’s victory, like with Andromalius, he wouldn’t be this anxious.
‘No, of course, he’ll win.’
In the final vision he saw the day he was struck by lightning, Aint was clearly fighting demons until the very end.
Or so it should be.
Andromalius was also far stronger than Pernyan had anticipated. The summoning method and timing were different, too.
Wouldn’t it be the same for other demons? Could Aint really win?
It was a question he had to constantly ponder now that he’d twisted the future.
‘For now, I should prepare as much as possible and cautiously mention it to Aint.’
That was the best he could do for now.
‘Most importantly, if the Prasia Kingdom falls, the Empire is next.’
And on the imperial continent of Pandrein.
Lies the duchy of Fallenberg.
Of course, the distance between Prasia and the Fallenberg duchy was greater than that of a sizable kingdom, but there was always a ‘what if.’
“That absolutely cannot happen…!”
No matter what, this demon would not leave Prasia. It must be so.
“…What cannot happen?”
“Hyde, what is it all of a sudden?”
*Ahem.* Pernyan cleared his throat and smoothed out his wrinkled clothes.
“…Didn’t you summon me, Young Master? You said you had something for me to do.”
“Ah.”
Right, he did.
“Are you feeling unwell, by any chance?”
“I’m fine. Contact the Golden Pillar branch in the Prasia Kingdom.”
The Golden Pillar was Pernyan’s independent intelligence organization, the one he had used to persuade his father regarding Ruina’s case.
“Why Prasia all of a sudden?”
“Find a castle with walls over twenty meters high and a great plain in front of it.”
“A castle, you say?”
Hyde tilted his head at the sudden command.
He couldn’t tell anyone he’d seen a prophecy about a demon, so he had to embellish the story a bit.
“Yes. I’ve found a clue about the Vile Breed.”
“……!”
“The dean shared some clues about the Vile Breed, and among them was a drawing of a castle.”
“I’ll send word at once.”
“I’m counting on you.”
“Yes, sir!”
Hyde disappeared. Pernyan ran a hand through his hair, steadying his breathing to calm his racing heart.
There wasn’t much he could do right now. For now, all he could do was wait.
So, for now.
“Time to make some money. I’ll need a lot more to prepare for a war.”
It was time to return to his main business.
As Pernyan dressed and headed to the merchant guild, his eyes were filled with the determination to empty the pockets of every visitor to the academy this time.
“…Ah, I have a lecture.”
Damn it.
His steps, which had carried him to the entrance of the guild, turned back toward the academy.
* * *
“…With this, I hereby declare the start of the Founding Day festival.”
*Fanfare—*
After the dean’s seventh and final ‘finally,’ a waiting band struck up a grand tune.
Magical fireworks shot up as if in competition, beautifully illuminating the sky.
Waaaaah!
“It’s the festival!”
“No lectures for ten days!”
Some headed to their families, some to their friends, and others to the entertainment in the streets.
The students scattered into the streets like fish returned to water.
The festival had begun.
The academy’s festival was one of strict non-interference. They merely provided a guide for students to do things on their own; enjoying it was entirely up to them.
“The academy spent quite a bit this time.”
The decorations were far more dazzling than last year, the stages and competitions were packed, and there were nightly fireworks and magic shows.
Of course, from Pernyan’s perspective, this wasn’t bad at all. Most of the supplies and preparations for these events went through the Golden Turtle Merchant Guild.
The majority of the money the academy spent flowed right back to the Golden Turtle.
“But, Young Master, do you have any plans for the festival?”
“I have to make money.”
Seizing this peak season was more important than any competition.
“Let’s go to the betting hall.”
Pernyan had set up a temporary building right next to the arena where the Magic Tournament and Jousting Tournament were held, turning it into a betting hall.
The walls were lined with tournament brackets, starting from the preliminaries, allowing anyone to place a bet.
Inside, the air was thick with the heat of the crowd. Despite its considerable size, the bustling scene brought a smile to his face.
“Packed from the very first day.”
A windfall was something everyone dreamed of, and the academy’s betting was a legal way to achieve it.
Some might call it gambling and despise it, but even they tended to loosen up in the harmony of the festive atmosphere and modest betting amounts.
Pernyan pushed through the crowd and checked the brackets plastered all over the walls.
“There are 256 participants in the Jousting Tournament and 128 in the Magic Tournament.”
The number of participants was always the same, as the academy limited it.
Originally, both had 256, but participation in the Magic Tournament was lower than expected, so it was reduced to 128.
“Oh, Sunbaenim, are you here to bet too?”
Just then, someone tapped Pernyan on the shoulder. It was the brightly smiling elf, Aria Friedien.
“A gambling elf.”
“Elves and gambling are inseparable, you know. How about it, want some advice? First-years don’t know much, do they?”
“There’s no one here I don’t know.”
Pernyan shook his head and glanced at the betting slip Aria was holding.
【Magic Tournament - Round of 128
Aria Friedien VS Keldric Erimis
Prediction - Aria Friedien - 10 Gold】
“Quite the confidence.”
“I am the salutatorian of the Magic Department, you know. You should bet on me too, Sunbaenim. That’s how you make money.”
“Hmm.”
Pernyan shrugged, but of course, he planned to bet on Aria.
What he had confirmed through the Prophecy Book was the round of 16. There were sixteen certain contenders who would make it that far, thirty-two in total if you combined the Jousting and Magic Tournaments.
Aint and Ruina, Verian and Aria, and even Carlo.
Even those who had changed slightly due to Pernyan were among them, so there was no need to consider any upsets until then.
Pernyan took exactly thirty-two betting slips and bet the maximum amount, ten gold, on each of the thirty-two individuals.
“Are those the likely candidates in your eyes, Sunbaenim? Can I take a look and copy them?”
“If you pay a fee.”
“…Are you a thug?”
“You have to pay for information, naturally.”
“…Well, when you put it that way.”
After a moment’s thought, Aria nodded. Pernyan wouldn’t bet on something meaningless.
These were sure bets, guaranteed wins.
It would be foolish to refuse when she could still make a profit even after paying a small fee.
“Okay!”
Aria took thirty-one slips and copied them exactly. After placing his bets, Pernyan left the hall and walked down the street.
“Hyde, you bet on these as well.”
“Me too, sir?”
“Not just you, all the employees. I’ll provide the funds, and you’ll bring back the principal plus half the profits as a fee. I doubt anyone will refuse.”
If the predictions were correct, it was free money. No one would turn that down.
“Embezzling company funds is not allowed.”
“I’ll be using my own money, so don’t worry. Make sure you draw up proper contracts.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Hyde simply nodded without further questions.
‘It’s a bit of a shame the maximum bet per match is only ten gold.’
But it couldn’t be helped. The academy opened the betting hall for festival entertainment, not to run a proper gambling den.
‘I need more people.’
The academy branch only had about a hundred employees.
“Call in all the available Golden Pillar members and have them do the same.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And the students sponsored by Fallenberg as well.”
“You’re going that far?”
“Money is something you have to make while you can.”
Especially since the guild’s funds and Pernyan’s personal money were two different things.
“Understood. Are you returning to the branch office now?”
“No, I think I’ll enjoy the festival for a bit. And check on how the stores I opened are doing.”
He was talking about the shops opened through the Golden Pillar, not the Golden Turtle Merchant Guild.
Three hours later.
After confirming that his ten shops and inns were bustling with people, Pernyan returned to the Golden Turtle branch office with a satisfied smile.
“Starting tomorrow, I should meet with some of the VIPs.”
Among those who came for the festival were many influential figures, such as high-ranking nobles and heads of merchant guilds.
Pernyan planned to attend the various banquets held throughout the festival to build connections with them.
Especially.
“Hyde, bring me a list of the arrivals from the Prasia Kingdom.”
“From Prasia, sir?”
The nobles of the Prasia Kingdom.
‘I need to build connections with Prasia to create a foundation for smoother intervention. To get at least some cooperation.’
It was essential to stop the demon.
But the next day.
“Sunbaenim! Two of them lost! Well, I guess since thirty were correct, it’s possible for a couple to be wrong. The stronger person doesn’t always win in a match, after all.”
“……”
A completely unexpected upset had occurred.
Of course, someone could be in poor condition or make a mistake and lose to a weaker opponent.
If it were anyone else.
But the thirty-two people Pernyan had chosen should not have.
‘…He was supposed to make it to the round of 16, but he got eliminated in the preliminaries?’
Something was very, very wrong.
The future had changed, and he was about to lose money.
*Drip.* A cold sweat ran down his back.