Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: 055. Brazen Incitement and Fabrication
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The truth is, I was exempt from military service.
Of course I was. Orphans don't have to serve.
But that just meant I had the option to opt out—or enlist if I chose to.
So I enlisted. I was a winter draftee, assigned to the engineers.
The reason was simple. I figured I'd spend my life slaving away on construction sites anyway, and being an engineering vet would net me an extra ten thousand won a day at the office.
Anyway, being a winter enlistee meant I went through the worst of winter as a private.
And that's when I learned it.
Underestimate a mountain night, and you die.
No joke—you straight-up die. It's so brutal you'd almost rather be dead. Your feet feel like they're going to fall off, your nostrils freeze shut when you inhale. You feel frost forming on your eyelids, and keeping your eyes open too long tricks you into thinking your eyeballs might freeze solid. Or maybe it's not a trick.
Point is, mountains are dangerous. Especially camping in them.
And yet, the reactions from our proud Jefrin Student Council crew were all over the map.
"Light a fire at night and gaze up at the stars? Sounds awesome, right?"
"Totally. Bet there'll be tons of stars."
Yeah, you might become one of those stars, for real.
"Listen up, everyone. The Sleeping Mountains are crawling with real monsters, so don't take it lightly. Got it?"
"Yes!"
"......"
They took Eve's warning like kids listening to a teacher before a field trip, answering in perfect unison.
Just like sixth graders.
"This is seriously dangerous..."
"Don't worry too much, my lord. We're all members of the Jefrin Student Council. We can handle our own self-defense."
"Sylvia..."
"Trust in us."
"I... really. No, this is my failing. How could I..."
"My lord. The next expedition might not be for months, given the circumstances."
"Ugh... uh... uuuuugh... eeeek..."
Steam puffed from Eve's head like she'd short-circuited.
"Eve von Loengrin."
"......"
"This expedition is genuinely dangerous if it goes ahead. I'm not joking. You know that, right?"
"I do."
"Then why not call it off?"
"No budget. No time. Who knows when we'd all be free again."
Yeah, bureaucracy gonna bureaucrat.
"Then why is everyone in school uniforms and dress shoes? Aren't we heading to the mountains?"
"We're the Student Council, any time, any place. We dress accordingly."
"No Knight Division reps? A third-year knight could've at least picked better outfits."
"Professor's orders."
From Eve's quick rundown, assembling like this and heading out was a massive stretch. Professor approvals, intel on the Black Flag hideout, perfect timing for the raid, gear costs for everyone, matching schedules for all the students. A one-in-a-million alignment.
Once she finished, I pieced it together.
"What was the rush? The Eve von Loengrin I knew wouldn't push this hard. You didn't even push back on the professors?"
"......"
Eve just clenched her fists and trembled. Complicated life for a sixteen-year-old.
Anyway, the budget shortfall was partly my fault.
If things go south, I'll decide then whether to help or not.
And so began our thrilling adventure with about twenty Student Council execs.
The very ones who'd pointed spears at me and dragged me from the president's chair.
They kept sneaking glances at me as I rode up the mountain path in my cart.
"Wolfram...?"
"Shh. Don't make eye contact."
Yeah, don't even look my way. Ignore me.
"Ha..."
"What's so funny?"
Sylvia piped up after I let out a chuckle.
She jumps in every time I open my mouth.
"Just thinking how these kids are awfully interested in me."
"...You know your position, don't you? How are you so shameless...?"
"Position? Sure do. I'm an outside guest, invited by Student Council President Eve von Loengrin herself."
"...Ugh."
"Guest treatment's pretty lousy. Remember, your hospitality reflects on your president-to-be, Eve von Loengrin."
"Don't act so high and mighty! Wolfram!"
"That's how this batch shows hospitality?"
"...Ugh. Fine. We'll treat you like that for now. But don't forget—we haven't forgiven you. We don't even think you'll be useful on this expedition!"
"Watch your step. Loose rocks ahead."
"Eek!"
Sylvia nearly tripped, grabbing my handcart to steady herself. I chuckled again.
"Looks like you needed my help after all."
"...It won't happen again!"
"And if it does?"
"...I'll stake my life on it. It won't!"
Good plan.
I hope so. For real.
"Hate me all you want, but don't waste your stamina needlessly."
"What?"
"Underestimate the mountains, and you really will die."
"What are you talking about...?"
Eh, they'll learn the hard way.
Let's see. Eve said the hideout's pretty deep in, arrival around lunch tomorrow.
So today's a solid four hours of hiking ahead.
"...Hiiik. Hic."
"Hoo... haah."
"Agh... kuh!"
Mountain hike. Four hours in shiny dress shoes and crisp white uniforms.
The glares aimed at me soon faded as they turned that hate toward the next hill.
Even paved paths handcrafted by the Great Ancestor who slumbers here aren't easy.
"Hoo... hugh...!"
Sylvia Evergreen Grove wasn't complaining, but she looked half-dead.
Officially, she's the eldest daughter of a city noble elf family—probably her first real hike.
Whatever.
The professors forcing enamel shoes on them was peak boomer nonsense, but I got the students' plight too.
So I comforted them from the heart. Sincerely.
"Didn't I warn you? Don't underestimate the mountains."
"Shut... up... You're coasting easy...!"
"Hm."
Well, yeah.
Partrasche is performing great. Solid pull on these paved roads.
Thanks to the low-grade magic stone strapped to its waist.
Durability around 100, output 1 per hour. Gives Partrasche 1 mana every hour for 100 hours. Pricey, but worth it for today's trek.
How to put it? Feels like a salaryman pulling an all-nighter on an IV drip.
"...Someday, when our contract ends. I might kill you, master."
"Hm. Looking forward to it."
Hope that day comes. Right?
There's that saying, right?
If you're complaining about dying, you're still good.
The students' chatter died down, leaving only ragged breaths echoing around.
From hating my comfy cart ride, to jealousy, to envy... then realizing it was pointless, averting eyes, forgetting the "I'm dying" whines, actually looking like they might keel over.
Around the three-hour mark.
That's when we met our first monster.
Feels deeper than when I hiked with Nefti and Rudika before. Fewer monsters than last time.
I wondered why, then a voice rang out from somewhere.
"They're scared of daggers! Chant magic while closing in and shove it in their faces!"
...That a pattern?
I pondered briefly, then nodded.
"Rudika must've slaughtered so many. Makes sense."
Her mountain of corpses coming full circle, traumatizing monsters into helping the Student Council.
Anyway, we took down the pack. No injuries, but fear etched on their faces.
Realizing how deep we were, facing real monsters.
Still far from the goal, no turning back now.
"W-we'll make it, right?"
"We just won! Keep winning!"
"We've got Eve with us! It'll be f-fine!"
Not fine.
They could lose the will to walk. Stagnate here, and we're done.
"...Eve. Prep camp."
"Huh? But it's still early..."
"Wolfram. What do you even know...?"
Sylvia cut in, but I shot her a sharp glare.
"Shut your mouth, rookie. You know nothing about mountains. You have no say. And I'm talking to Eve von Loengrin."
"...What did you say?"
"Eve. The kids are rattled. Set up camp, feed them, give advice, boost morale. Or they'll break."
"......"
"Plus, night falls fast here. Sun sets, no time to prep. Now's the moment."
"You're right, Wolfram. Let's set up camp."
"Eve..."
Sylvia stared in disbelief at Eve's choice. I glared at her.
"Sylvia Evergreen Grove."
"...Why call me?"
"Enough. Opposing for opposition's sake is gross. Any holes in my logic? Speak now, or shut it."
"Ugh."
"If you're Eve's guardian knight, think first about her goals—and what you need to do to achieve them."
"......"
"Eve doesn't need incompetent retainers. Keep this up, and I'll petition the imperial family to remove you."
"Any rebuttal?"
"...None."
Sylvia bowed her head, fists clenched.
Good listener.
Nice.
Anyway, we prepped camp—and sure enough, worst-case happened.
"W-we... somehow made it work. Really..."
"Hm."
We started before full dark, but dinner was done past midnight.
After eating, tents up, fire roaring, Eve called everyone before bed for tomorrow's briefing.
"So. Sleep tonight, and tomorrow we reach the Black Flag base."
"...Tomorrow's the big fight, huh."
"Y-yeah, probably."
"...What if we run into monsters on the way, get exhausted, and Black Flag ambushes us?"
One murmur spreads like wildfire. Panic ripples.
Kids banding together, fighting real monsters, maybe rule-breaking villains tomorrow.
"C-calm down. Tomorrow will be fine."
Eve too. "Tomorrow will be fine" is not what a leader says pre-battle.
"......Cold."
"Even with the fire? ...Yeah, me too."
Of course. Mountain nights hit hard.
......
......Hm.
Hate stepping up. But soothing scared kids? That's adulting.
"Too much for you?"
"N-no, I'm fine."
"Eve von Loengrin. Hand over the speech. I'll wrap it up."
"Y-yes?"
"Hand it over."
"...Got it."
Eve stepped down, I stepped up. They stared like dead fish.
I scanned them. Wolfram's the adult—gotta soothe the kids.
Gazing at them, nostalgia hit.
First faces I saw waking in this world.
They ousted me, tormented me, nearly starved me to death.
Now here I am, encouraging them.
......
"These the rookies who kicked me out and took power? Huddled together, crying for home and mommy. What a sight, you little chicks."
Encouragement?
Why would I?
"Four hours of hiking and one monster encounter breaks your spirit? Forget fighting Black Flag. Crawl back to the dorms, wash up, sleep it off, try again next time."
They shrank further. Some heads dropped.
"But at least Eve von Loengrin and I will head to Black Flag's base tomorrow morning. Right?"
"...Yes. Even alone, I'll go."
"I'll join her."
I glanced; Eve affirmed instantly, Sylvia backed her.
"They're going. Two popular figures. Gonna send just them into battle, ignoring me? That's your Student Council?"
Others still hemmed and hawed. Wanted to go deep down, but fear glued their feet.
This was the pivot.
Time for me to work my mouth magic.
All eyes locked on me.
"See that handcart? Guess what's inside. My camping gear? Wrong. Any council exec would've heard the rumors. Trista Merchant Company's stat-boosting snacks. I brought 'em."
Murmurs swell. Heard of it. Yeah. Whispers spread. Why Wolfram? Aila Trista's fiancé! Right! Thanks, Aila. This'll be easy.
"Eve von Loengrin ordered it. Aila Trista made it. I hauled it. With these snacks, you will win.Your minds stabilize.Stats rise.Tastes great.No weight gain. They'll lead you to victory."
Their eyes glaze, focus shifting. We can win. Yeah, we can! Voices rise.
It's working.
Imperial Bloodline mastery: control to implant only the punchy phrases deep, hypnosis-level skill.
"That's not all. Mountain nights are cold. But I brought stuff to warm you up. Behold—hot packs!"
I handed one from my pocket to a front-row kid. They passed it around, feeling the heat. ...Warm. Toasty.
"With these hot packs, you'll endure this cold. No—even the cold in your hearts."
No such function, obviously.
"And eating these snacks will grant you valor rivaling the Demon God's Guard who walked beside the Great Ancestor."
Balance-breaking, sure, but timed right.
"Every excuse for defeat is gone. Or do you still have mama's boys and girls whimpering like rookies about going home?"
I swept my gaze. One kid clenched a fist.
"Can we win? With this, can we seize victory?"
"Can we...? No—we can win! We will win!"
"Hell yeah! Show that bastard Wolfram what for!"
"Damn it, Wolfram! Take that crap from the guy we kicked out?! If he's better than us, what does that make us?!"
"Damn! Damn! Damn!"
"Raaagh! We win! We wiiiin!!"
Fists pumped skyward.
Yes, yes. Perfect mindset. Jefrin's safe with young blood like you—that's why ousted Wolfram sleeps soundly.
Stepped down, met Eve.
Her eyes bloodshot, shuffling toward me.
"Decent speech?"
"Brother Wolfram..."
Before she spoke, I nailed it down.
"Oh. Eve. Forgot to mention."
"Ahem. Uh. What?"
"I'll bill the Student Council for the speech fee too. Everything."
".........Pardon?"
"Don't worry. Installments via central bank card accepted."
She has a card?
Whatever.
"Wolfram?"
"Yeah?"
"Go die."
"Sorry, not till I see how far my registry mate's Student Council scam goes."
We laughed and flipped each other off.