Chapter 165
Chapter 165
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: Sibling Scam Duo
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After teaching Sylphia humanity's final trump card tactic—win first, then figure out the rest; that way, you're Eternal Winner—I received her teary-eyed farewell with Milmyu's tears welling up.
And after they left.
An utterly unexpected guest arrived.
"Are you well, Lord?"
"...Zolf, is it?"
【Graduate Student Human Rights Promotion Committee Chairman】 and owner of the anonymous lab evaluation system run by graduate students, 【Clean Lab Life】—Zolf had come to visit.
"Yes. I'm here to report. Clean Lab Life should launch soon. Starting next semester's first term, us graduate students will be able to evaluate labs too."
"I see."
"This is all thanks to you lending us your name, Lord."
"If you privatize it and harm the empire's interests, I'll withdraw immediately and have you brought to trial."
"I'll keep that in mind. It will never harm you, Lord."
At those words, I let out a light chuckle.
Indeed.
It might harm 'Loengrin,' but it won't harm 'Wolfram von Loengrin.' That was as good as saying it outright.
Pathetic. So pathetic. Is this what adults do? Baby Wolfram doesn't know much about that stuff.
"I'll be counting on you from here on."
"Yes. I won't disappoint. And..."
"And?"
"Thanks to your intervention, Lord, we should see results soon."
"First results...? Did I intervene?"
"Yes."
What?
What did I do?
I had no idea, but whatever...
No need to crush the kid's expectations.
With graduate students as my faction, I was confident I could do business in Jefrin for a thousand years.
For now, to this guy, I was a reliable absolute being and a shadowy mastermind, so talking like that should work.
"I see. So that's how it went... Yeah. There was that incident..."
"Yes. I can't even imagine what move you made."
"You don't need to know... Not yet, anyway."
"I'm sorry. That was overstepping."
"I won't give you the answer you want..."
"...Yes. I'll figure it out myself!"
With that, Zolf bowed deeply and retreated from the room.
The next day. Student council room.
"...Hoo."
Eve von Loengrin clutched her throbbing head and let out a sigh.
A letter envelope stamped with the imperial seal.
The envelope itself was top-grade silk wrapped in gold thread, bearing the imperial seal no less.
Compared to how a regular noble might weep and kneel to receive it with both hands, or a provincial noble might display it as a family heirloom for centuries to bolster their name, Eve's handling of the envelope was downright shabby.
And for good reason—it was just a letter from home. And it didn't contain good news.
"The right path is sometimes the winding one."
The content inside was simple, but its weight was anything but.
[Primary Investigation Results on Professor Lantica Grace]
[Presence of Guilt]
The allegations of graduate student exploitation by Professor Lantica Grace from early in the first semester.
Two imperial heirs got involved, graduate students revolted, Eve deemed it unjust and filed charges, an imperial investigation was launched... and the primary results showed guilt.
"'Presence of guilt,' my foot..."
When a Loengrin imperial heir was the one who raised the issue—one of the crown prince candidates—no need for that 'presence of' qualifier.
Once Eve filed charges, even the imperial direct investigation team started with 【Guilty, right?】
Eve knew this, but as someone who'd worked on projects with graduate students since freshman year...
Thinking back on how those kind senior grad students' smiles—always so warm toward her—were forced under the professor's oppression and coercion made her stomach boil with rage.
So she cried for justice, struck, and got more entangled than expected.
"Ugh..."
This put Eve at odds with Jefrin professors—Magic Division ones, no less.
"Well, they're all under 20 magic power anyway. If they're salty, I can just become a professor myself."
She muttered it without thinking, fiddling with her lip.
Under 20 magic power? Still judging people by stats, huh?
If Wolfram with his magic power of 3 ambushed her, could she survive assuming a perfect surprise?
"Fifty-fifty..."
Fifty percent chance to survive. Fifty percent to get counter-killed. Eve thought that far and gave a wry smile.
Come to think of it, he had no reason to kill her, nor she him.
Right now, more importantly...
"Professor Lantica Grace declared he'll step down from teaching next year due to mental shock."
She'd wondered if the professor—part of Loengrin's vested interests—was just posturing, but after meeting and talking, he was genuinely shocked and considering retirement.
His trigger for retirement being an authoritarian mindset shattered by grad students seeing his 'absolute throne of professor' as a mere tool was utter trash, but he didn't seem likely to reverse it.
"Hm."
Eve pondered for a moment.
Turning the faculty against her? Gotta weed out the trash anyway.
Professor retiring? Could happen. Should've lived cleanly.
Did I hit too hard? What can you do? Couldn't not hit.
"The primary results came too fast... Probably trying to suck up since I filed it."
That wasn't what concerned Eve.
If she was seriously aiming for the throne, Eve von Loengrin had to make some political arrangements.
"Time to calculate the next move."
Frantic yet laid-back.
Watching the students, the blue-haired woman rested her chin on her hand.
"Already that season, huh."
When break ends and the weather chills, peers' faces split two ways: desperate or calm.
She'd seen it for centuries, but Jefrin stayed consistent.
The reason? Grade levels shift. Third-years become fourth, peers graduate into society.
Only Filtia Bluebreeze—in her current human form as Tia—remained.
She was the blue dragon tasked with guarding this place. No choice.
"What form to take next year..."
From first to fourth year, she'd tried every persona imaginable.
For three hundred years straight.
...Honestly, it was getting stale.
"Might as well twist into a first-year and make my little bro call me senpai... Would he freak? Hehe."
But thinking it over, that didn't sit right.
Imagining her brother's face, she made up her mind and moved.
Magic Division Sector 8 corner—her brother's shop.
Golden hair and piercing blue eyes evoked Papa, but this was his cooler, centuries-younger sibling.
Slim build. Seemed like a gust would blow him away. Yet burning every moment alive.
And before him sat a single girl.
"Little bro!"
"Speak of the devil."
"Uh, yeah? Oh, the maknae’s here too!"
"Ah... Haha. Hello, sis."
"Come sit. I'll get drinks."
Oh my.
Two little bros today.
This evening would be fun.
Eve von Loengrin stared at Wolfram, who sat sullenly before her.
"So, you came in person to talk about that?"
"Yeah..."
Wolfram wasn't entirely uninvolved, so she told him about Professor Lantica Grace's punishment and aftermath, but he didn't take it as his business.
Well, can't be helped. This man was an extreme ambitious adventurer, treading the path of dominance.
He never looked back at the grassroots he'd trampled.
A trailblazer torching wild forest paths. That was his standard.
Otherwise, why go on expeditions with those stats?
Her worries were trivial and petty to him. Not worth consulting on.
"So, what's the issue?"
"Huh?"
"You came with a worry, right? ...You've been buying drinks and snacks more lately, skipping tea for... Nah, forget bishop and rook; as a regular customer, I can hear you out."
Bishop and rook...? No clue where that came from, but anyway, Wolfram said he'd listen.
"I want the next professor to be my person."
"Any reason?"
"I need influence in Jefrin."
"Got it. Well... No one comes to mind."
"Figured..."
"No, hmm... Actually, there is someone... Sort of."
"Really? You're not just pushing your faction under me as a front, right?"
"Not that kind of person, and couldn't anyway. Hmm..."
Wolfram pondered seriously, as if it were his own problem.
Who could it be?
"Who? Someone we can't control, but professor material?"
"Mm. A person... Yeah, a person."
"What? Give a hint."
Wolfram stared blankly at her question, then turned his head. Following his gaze...
"Little bro!"
Blue hair. Even clearer blue eyes.
The blue dragon over three centuries old.
Their adoptive older sister, Filtia Bluebreeze.
"Speak of the devil."
Only then did Eve realize who Wolfram had in mind.
Filtia Bluebreeze as professor?
"Uh, yeah? Oh, the maknae's here too!"
"Ah... Haha. Hello, sis."
Eve's sharp mind raced to judgment.
If her true nature was known, no one would oppose her as professor.
They'd prefer she not aim higher.
Her ties to Eve? No blood, but they got along as sisters. Solid ally.
Plus, as the great ancestor's stepdaughter, her legitimacy was unquestionable. One of the few dragons left. Pure in good and bad ways. Vast knowledge, untarnished by other factions.
Perfect candidate...!
"Come sit. I'll get drinks."
As Wolfram said it, he slid her a note discreetly out of Filtia's sight.
【Drinks late. Convince.】
Three words, but the inference was easy.
He'd step out, so wrap the talk here between them.
Said no one, but he'd had this gem in mind.
How far ahead had he calculated?
Looking at her bloodmate, Eve's molars clenched slightly.
"Filtia sis."
"What's up, our maknae? Something to tell sis?"
How to start.
Eve pieced together what she knew of Filtia. She clearly favored Wolfram.
Better if she convinced herself... Yeah.
Graduate next year or switch to professor and stay in Jefrin.
"You'll graduate next year too, sis?"
"Huh? Ah... Yeah."
"Then what after? What've you done before?"
"Stick around Jefrin. Sis has attended in countless forms from first to fourth year over the last 300."
"...Aha."
Such a method existed. No wonder she's a magic dragon.
"But this year's the most special in 300."
"Pardon?"
"Cute little sibs after 300 years? And Wolfram... promised to free me from my bonds?"
"......Aha."
"Plus, he calls me noona every time... Half casual, but it's like rebellious bro vibes. Hehe... Oh, sis likes the maknae too. You know?"
"Of course."
"Planning to stay fourth-year next year. Can't stop my heart racing at doing Magic Division life with lil' bro!"
From the chatter, Eve gathered fragments and assembled.
Innumerable pieces formed one story.
"But then... next year, no more 'sis' from him."
"...Huh? Why?"
Filtia's face paled.
"Cause Wolfram hits fourth-year too... Making you 【Classmates】. Classmates calling each other sis-lil' sib? Weird looks, right?"
"Ah, aah... Yeah. Lil' bro and me 【Same year】..."
Not exactly same year, but.
Classmates and same year differ, but whatever.
"S-So what should sis do...?"
To Filtia, face lost to the world, Eve extended a benevolent hand.
"Don't worry, sis. Just advance to the next stage."
"Grad school...? No thanks. Sis never did it in 300 years..."
Fearsome dragon brain.
Always picks right.
But not that.
"...No, sis. There's an open professor spot next year. How about it?"
"......Professor? Can sis do that?"
"Sure. Professoring's no biggie. Plus, nitpick Wolfram's grades, keep him after class for one-on-one tutoring?"
"......Ah, aah. But professors aren't that easy, right?"
"Hehe. Who am I? Peak of 200,000 Jefrin. If sis wants, I can make a spot anytime. Interested?"
Eve beamed her proposal.
A smile just like Wolfram's.