Chapter 33
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: 6. External Enemies and Allies
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"Phew... For now, let's contact the academy."
"Ah, the academy?"
At Kin's words, Draco wore a slightly bewildered expression.
He knew why his son wanted to reach out to the academy.
It was because his eyes had been clouded by the sight of Mary in pain, leading him to make a grave mistake.
He had contacted the elders of the Adventurer Guild to punish Mureos Avantredin.
This was his son's decision, as he didn't want to make an enemy of Mureos Avantredin.
"I don't know if she'll forgive us, but as a father whose eyes were blinded by his daughter's suffering... we at least have to come up with some excuse like that, don't we?"
Though he said this, Kin remained cold and calculating.
This wasn't a mere personal dispute; he had dragged in the power of the family to involve the Adventurer Guild elders.
It wasn't something that could be brushed off with a simple apology.
If Mureos Avantredin demanded accountability, Kin planned to immediately gather the vassals, exile his father, and demonstrate that it had nothing to do with the family's will.
Even though it was his own father, he had endangered the entire family with a momentary lapse in judgment.
Kin was fully prepared to cut him off without mercy at any time.
"Come with us. It's fastest if you apologize in person."
"...R-Right. Got it."
Draco Blaze wasn't a fool either.
He knew what he had done in a fit of rage over his youngest daughter's plight and how it could come back to haunt the family.
With that in mind, he steeled his resolve.
Even in the worst-case scenario, he had no intention of turning his son into the 'unfilial traitor who banished his own father.'
He was prepared to leave the family entirely on his own.
They quickly set a schedule and contacted the academy side.
The royal communication office in the Solte Kingdom had a direct line to the Adventurer Academy, so they used that.
After explaining the situation, they asked if it would be alright to visit and apologize in person.
Mureos, the chairman, permitted the visit, allowing them to breathe a small sigh of relief as they cleared one hurdle.
'The fact that she allowed a visit means she's open to accepting the apology.'
Since the Blaze Family had proactively explained the full story without knowing all the details,
it seemed to have left a slightly favorable impression.
"Let's prepare. We need gifts to show our sincerity, and there's a lot to arrange."
The current head and the next head of the Blaze Family heading to the Adventurer Academy together.
On top of that, they were going to apologize for their own wrongdoing.
There was much to prepare in every respect.
"I'll come too. I happen to have a good friend there anyway."
At that moment, Zeira chimed in from the side, saying she'd join them.
"Hmm, if you're gone too, there won't be anyone to handle things in the head's absence."
Right now, Mary had been sent away, and the family's internal situation was a bit chaotic.
Normally, the head would give prior instructions to the vassals for matters during his absence,
but the current chaos made it tricky.
They needed at least one person to act as proxy for the head.
"Then it has to be big brother."
"...Huh?"
Kin was caught off guard by Zeira's sudden thrust.
"No matter what, doesn't the next head need to go for it to show sincerity, little sis?"
Kin tried to persuade her that way, but
"Don't make me laugh. You're just looking for an excuse to run off since there's a ton to handle right now, thinking it's convenient, aren't you?"
"......"
His younger sister had already seen through Kin's true intentions,
so he was swiftly apprehended.
"We need Next Head Kin there to handle things properly."
"That's right, that's right."
With the vassals agreeing too, Kin had no choice.
"...Haa. Fine. Take good care of Father on the trip."
In the end, he surrendered, handing the academy visit over to Zeira, and returned to dealing with the family's chaotic internal affairs.
"Hehe. Perfect. I get to see Lunarin after so long."
Zeira thought of the genius mage she'd known for years, Lunarin Brettis.
Her absurdly immense talent, her boldness in not hiding it, her insatiable curiosity that wouldn't let her pass by anything intriguing.
And on top of that, her stunningly beautiful appearance that could take one's breath away.
"I wonder if she's the same as ever."
Zeira felt a bit excited at the prospect of reuniting with her old friend.
"Hm. So that's how it happened."
Mureos, the chairman, received the contact from the Blaze Family and roughly pieced together the situation.
When she had punished Mary Blaze, Draco Blaze, the family head and her father, flew into a rage.
He contacted the Adventurer Guild elders demanding she be properly punished and sent to ruin.
That must have prompted the elders to take some action.
That was the extent of what she'd heard from the Blaze Family.
But she could roughly predict what had happened afterward.
'Suddenly, Hero Claude showed up with the elders' orders.'
Combining it with what the Blaze Family had said, it was obvious to anyone that he'd come to do something to her.
So why Claude?
'To get to Edin.'
Considering Claude and Edin's relationship, it wasn't an entirely impossible idea.
Of course, Edin had ended things badly with Claude and had no desire to meet him,
but Claude and the elders might not see it that way.
Putting it all together, here's what it looked like.
The furious Blaze Family contacted the Adventurer Guild elders,
and the elders, who were already itching for a chance, saw their opening and plotted to take her down for good.
The core of that plan was using Edin.
They must have figured out that Mureos had personally scouted and recruited him, so he was someone she trusted highly—they aimed for that weak point.
On top of that, he'd been recently scouted by her and had been in Claude's party until just before.
They probably thought they could manipulate him through Claude if they played it right.
Of course, Edin wasn't on good enough terms with Claude to listen to him.
'But they must have gotten reports from the Preta branch about what happened. And they still thought Claude could sway Edin?'
The wyvern incident from before came to mind.
She thought the Hero's judgment was particularly impaired in these matters.
'Well, anyway, the moment the Blaze Family surrendered and confessed directly, it was all over.'
No matter what they had schemed, with the Blaze Family's next head taking this stance,
there was nothing more they could do.
At best, they could try to wash their hands of it, claiming no involvement?
But since they'd sent Claude with direct orders, they couldn't exactly say it was all the Blaze Family's doing alone.
They'd just spout denials and dodge responsibility.
'Hmph, idiots. This is exactly why the Adventurer Guild shouldn't pick elders by recommendation.'
The current method for selecting guild elders was by recommendation.
Of course, it wasn't just anyone; they needed substantial experience and skill.
The current elders had all been renowned S-Rank Adventurers decades ago.
But it was called a recommendation system because it required the approval of more than half the sitting elders to fill a vacant seat.
In essence, they picked people to their liking.
That's why it was simply dubbed the recommendation system.
Picking people to their taste led to stagnation,
and over time, it festered.
'No wonder the other guilds still treat us like barbarians.'
That's why she'd founded the academy in the first place.
Mureos felt it was time to address the root issues.
But that was one thing;
the priority now was the Blaze Family.
'They're annoying, sure, but if I play this right, they could become backing for me.'
No matter how great a mage Mureos was or how much support she had as the Adventurer Academy chairman,
it still paled against the century-old networks built by the guild elders.
In that context, if the Blaze Family—originally tied to the elders' networks—switched to her side?
As high nobles of the Solte Kingdom backing her, it would likely sway most of the kingdom's nobles to her cause.
'They'll be useful when I eventually topple the elders.'
So she decided to accept the Blaze Family's apology.
She saw it as a prime opportunity to build ties.
'If they displease me later, I'll crush them. If not by strength... then with the power games and backroom dealings they love so much.'
The groundwork was already laid.
The great elven hero Saella di Sunar.
Lunarin Brettis, genius of the Myos Empire's famed magical lineage.
And various other brilliant prodigies with their own connections.
The results of elevating adventurers' status, honor, and power were starting to show.
Not mere talented barbarians,
but those of noble birth or exceptional origins.
Adventurers exceptional in every way.
And as they grew, they ultimately became her strength in the form of 'academy instructors.'
It was still far from enough,
but someday, it would form a force capable of challenging the elders' networks and power.
Mureos thought of that day and smiled faintly.
'On top of that, I picked up an absurd gem this time.'
She was referring to the outrageous jewel named Edin.
Of course, she still saw him as a rough gem that needed polishing.
She'd been shocked by his insane talent upon learning he could reach B-Rank with the lowest materials,
but breaking limits ultimately required proper refinement.
Yet even as an unpolished rough stone, it shone brilliantly and beautifully.
She could only imagine how stunning the finished gem would be.
She was tremendously looking forward to it.
But later, when Lunarin told her 'Edin made an A-Rank potion,' she was shocked all over again.
Edin had done it with no special process, just the standard method.
Which meant... he'd shattered the supposed limits entirely.
Edin wasn't some rough stone.
He was already a gem perfectly faceted by nature itself.