Special Recruitment Plan (4)
p>Brennan had tried to persuade me for a long time.
p>“Don’t do this. What about the first Glad and the second Ivan? Just one more test….”
p>“No.”
p>“As a father, I beg you. Please, just one more chance….”
p>“No. I have no intention of changing my mind, so leave.”
p>As Bernard Gaul left, he made it clear.
p>Elson was the talent I intended to hire. If anyone tried to harm Elson, I would not let it stand.
p>A short while after Bernard Gaul departed, the mana following me became noticeable.
p>It was familiar mana after meeting it twice.
p>“Still not very skilled at tailing, are you, Krux?”
p>“Yeah. It’s a really rotten thing.”
p>Krux emerged from the shadows he had hidden in.
p>Krux had two reasons for being caught by me.
p>The first was that he lacked skill in concealing his presence. The second was that my mana realm was higher than his.
p>“I came on Duke’s orders again. He told me to step on you a bit.”
p>“Did I do something wrong?”
p>“You ask that like you don’t know? The rumor that the Imperial Knights’ unit stepped on the commander of the Steel Knights has already spread all over the capital.”
p>Brennan Bernard, Elson’s father, was the captain of the Steel Knights.
p>He was far below the Imperial Knights in rank, but still a knight.
p>In truth, two sons joining the knights without much trouble had helped him.
p>Because they happened to clash with me, they had been broken down shabbily, but their skill was not bad for their age.
p>Still, without their father being the captain of the knights, they would have entered the knights more painfully.
p>“Then, did I have to accept it as it was, the fact that I insulted and attacked the one personally appointed by His Majesty the Emperor?”
p>“Hey, kid. I like your sword. But I don’t like it when you think like that. I understand why the captain told me to step on you once.”
p>“Then I have no choice. Do I have to fight again? Should I change the location?”
p>“Sigh, tsk tsk.”
p>Krux clicked his tongue.
p>“I know you’re hiding your true strength. Now that I think about it, back then when we fought, you held back on me, didn’t you?”
p>People who reached a certain realm couldn’t lie to each other.
p>A little touch would reveal everything.
p>“Caught. Are you feeling uncomfortable?”
p>“I understand. Back then, you weren’t part of the Imperial Knights yet. Now that you’ve received permission to go wild, you’re going all out.”
p>“That’s exactly what I mean. I have no intention of hiding my strength anymore.”
p>I hadn’t revealed my full strength in the first place because I needed a platform to show it.
p>Now that I had reached the position of deputy commander of the Imperial Knights, there was no need to hide it.
p>Instead, pretending to be weak would only make things harder if my true status was suspected.
p>However, my mana volume hadn’t fully returned to what it was before, so there was a limit.
p>What I could use normally was up to the early stages of the 7-Circle realm.
p>The mana my master fed me as a treat was exactly that amount.
p>“Just one piece of advice from a senior as I leave. Don’t act too arrogant. Take care.”
p>Krux said his piece and turned to go.
p>“Oh, right.”
p>Then, as if remembering something he had forgotten, he turned back.
p>“The captain will want to see you soon. Come find him.”
p>“When?”
p>“Anytime. If need be, you can go right now.”
p>“Then let’s go right away.”
p>Krux blinked.
p>“Still, you’ve changed too much, haven’t you? I thought you were a bit timid.”
p>“I have to change. As the deputy commander of the 8th Unit of the Imperial Knights.”
p>“The position makes the person, they say… Today is not the day. Come back another time. If need be, tomorrow is fine too.”
p>“Tomorrow is the weekend, but that’s fine?”
p>“The captain has a mountain of work. He may not be the strongest in the knights when you look at his skill alone, but there is a reason he is captain. Now that I think about it, it was after His Majesty the Emperor appointed you as deputy commander that he first heard the story.”
p>Croden von Debach, the man with fewer than ten 8-Circle talents in the world, the senior who shoulders the Imperial Knights.
p>He was capable, prioritized goodness, and was a wonderful man with honor.
p>However, he supported Crown Prince Helmuth.
p>Because of that, I heard that after losing the civil war in this life, he was executed, and the Imperial Knights suffered for a while due to his absence.
p>“I understand. Then I will come to see him tomorrow.”
p>“It’s all thanks to the captain that the Imperial Knights can run properly. If His Majesty the Emperor had wanted it, the chaos would have erupted by now.”
p>“I will think about what you said.”
p>“Yeah. You have to hide your thoughts better in front of him.”
p>Krux waved his hand roughly and went on his way.
p>When I returned to the accommodation, Rua was waiting for me.
p>“Oppa, you’re back!”
p>“Yeah. I handled it well.”
p>“So you accepted, right?”
p>I nodded.
p>“Then it’s no surprise. I knew that would happen.”
p>Rua had already believed that even if the emperor accepted my additional demands, he would want me.
p>The day before I met the emperor, Rua and I had discussed the detailed plan together.
p>I would not show unconditional loyalty as granted by the emperor, but would maintain my own life.
p>And I would leave Reichland as soon as this semester ended to recruit talents from around the world.
p>“By the way, someone came. From the magic tower.”
p>“The magic tower?”
p>I recalled the warning from Shien, the head of the Solea magic tower, before coming to Reichland.
p>The Reichland magic tower would naturally be interested in my abnormally fast growth and would try to study me because they thought I had something special.
p>“What did they say?”
p>“Come this way. They gave this to you.”
p>What was waiting for me where Rua led me was a crystal sphere of considerable size.
p>“When you place your hand on the crystal sphere as you wish, the connection will be made on both sides,” they had said.
p>“I see. But not now.”
p>I collapsed onto the first sofa I saw.
p>“You want to rest, don’t you?”
p>“Yeah. How much time is left until evening?”
p>“There’s still a lot of time. You can sleep enough and then eat. But….”
p>Rua carefully pulled my arm.
p>“Don’t sleep here. Go to bed. If you sleep on the sofa, even if you sleep, it won’t be proper sleep. There’s a bed just a few steps away.”
p>She couldn’t pull me too hard, but handled me carefully, Rua.
p>I had met countless people since coming to the empire.
p>There were people who opened their hearts to me and those I drew in as allies.
p>But without the need for that, there was only one person who loved and cherished me.
p>Only the adorable little sister Rua.
p>“Oppa, what are you thinking that makes you look at me like that?”
p>“Because you’re adorable.”
p>“What? T-that….”
p>Because embarrassment showed on Rua’s face, a pleasant smile came to my lips.
p>“So go to bed soon. If you don’t follow what your adorable little sister asks, I’ll be angry.”
p>“What are you going to do?”
p>“What can I do? W-wait….”
p>While thinking, Rua moved my arm behind her head and sat on the sofa, using it as a pillow.
p>“By doing this, I want you to want to go to bed because you’re more uncomfortable, right?”
p>“Would that make me dislike you?”
p>“W-with this much, won’t it work? Then… Waaat.”
p>Rua folded the arm I was leaning on and pulled it, so Rua slid into my arms.
p>“Okay. I’ll do as you say.”
p>“Hehe, success in the end, huh.”
p>“You have to listen to my words. It’s not just because you’re adorable. Because what you’ll do from now on is important.”
p>“I know. Like how Oppa became an important person in the empire, I have to become an important person too.”
p>Since I had succeeded in rising to a position close to the emperor, the next plan was set.
p>The most ideal was for the emperor to recognize Rua’s value even in this life and raise her for an important role.
p>The first step for that was to stand out like me.
p>But with no means to stand out right now…
p>“Oh, Oppa. Your eyes are getting heavier. Wake up before you fall asleep!”
p>Following Rua, I walked into my room, dragging my feet.
p>Thinking about what to do in the future, I would do it after sleeping a bit.
p>Rua laid me on the bed and covered me with a blanket.
p>“Sleep well, Oppa. You worked hard today too.”
p>“You’ll have to get up later for dinner.”
p>“Oh, right. But don’t force your eyes open. Sometimes, when you’re tired, sleeping is better than eating. Sleep well and get up in a good mood, then have dinner.”
p>Rua patted my back, shook the blanket, and turned off the light.
p>The problem was…
p>“It’s a trap.”
p>A single word my master threw at me in the dream.