Chapter 204
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 204
“...Well then, I hope you all have a wonderful festival. Haha.”
With a final smile, the Chairman concluded his brief commemorative speech.
Clap, clap, clap—!
The moment he finished, a thunderous round of applause erupted, making the stadium roar. It was a moderately moving speech, and because it wasn't overly long, it held everyone's attention perfectly.
Having successfully finished his address, the Chairman patted my shoulder on his way down, and I took his place on the stage.
Step—.
From that high vantage point, I silently gazed down at the stadium.
“...”
The splendidly built new stadium was packed with a massive crowd. There were over 100,000 people—more than double the attendance of the athletic festival.
One hundred thousand is a number easily spoken, but in reality, it was the population of a small city gathered in a single place. And it wasn't just students; it was a diverse gathering of people from all across the continent. From parents who had crossed the sea to watch their children to the Emperor of Cassandra himself, who held sway over the entire land.
The thought that all these people were waiting for my words was enough to make my legs tremble. Moreover, considering the infamous reputation Roen had cultivated across the continent, the potential impact of this speech was terrifying.
But...
‘I am... Roen Devalis.’
And Roen possessed an ability befitting that heavy infamy. He was a master of sophistry, a man shameless enough to say anything without a hint of embarrassment.
Steeling myself, I gripped the microphone and infused it with mana.
Screeeech—!
A piercing screech of feedback echoed through the stadium. At the sound, the murmuring of the crowd died down, and all eyes focused on me. Having captured everyone's attention, I borrowed the power of Roen's trait and began to speak without hesitation.
“Greetings, citizens of the Myrillin continent and our honored guests. I am Roen Devalis, the Student Council President of the Union. It is an honor to share this joyous day with all of you—”
As I stepped down from the stage after the speech, the tension finally drained away, leaving my legs weak. I had just managed to reach the bottom when Ciel, who had approached without me noticing, supported my staggering form.
“That was a very moving speech,” she said. “Did you prepare it in advance?”
“Prepare? What are you talking about... You were right there with me.”
They had just called up someone who was minding his own business and forced him to give an unscheduled speech—in front of 100,000 outsiders, including the Emperor, no less. If it weren't for Roen's trait, I would have been trembling and stammering the whole time.
Still, I felt relieved, as if I'd gotten a massive task out of the way. I’d been thinking that I needed to stand before a large crowd someday to mitigate Roen's infamy, but I never expected the opportunity to come like this. The chance to speak before such a diverse group from all corners of the continent and declare my intentions and ambitions isn't one that comes easily.
Thinking about it that way, I suppose the Chairman might have been giving me a push in the right direction.
Just as I had safely returned to the waiting room and was catching my breath...
Thump—.
The waiting room door flew open, and a man strode in.
“It's been a while. I heard your speech.”
“...”
The air in the waiting room froze at his entrance. I quietly raised my head and looked at the man standing before me. He had the strong features characteristic of a northerner and a shock of stark white hair swept back roughly. A fighting spirit and an intimidating aura emanated from his entire body, even as he stood perfectly still.
Thunder Sword Wodanaz Gunhild.
He was the head of the Gunhild family, the clan that defends the northern front. On a more personal note, he was Freya's father—and the man who was almost Roen's father-in-law.
Without showing any surprise, I paid him my respects.
“Have you been well, sir?”
But Wodanaz didn't answer my greeting. He simply looked down at me in silence.
“...”
His sharp gaze seemed to pierce every cell in my body, accompanied by an intense fighting spirit that pressed down on me from all sides.
Rumble—.
It was a similar feeling to what I'd experienced during my spar with Freya, but the pressure was dozens of times stronger. It felt as if I were being crushed by intense gravity.
Khk—.
After scrutinizing me for a long moment, Wodanaz finally withdrew his mana.
“I thought you'd only gotten better at running your mouth, but it seems that's not the case. You've grown a lot.”
“Huu... huu...”
Freed from the energy that had constricted my entire body, I gasped for air, struggling to catch my breath. Wodanaz glanced at Ciel, who was radiating hostility at my side, before turning his gaze back to me.
“I heard from my daughter. You've come to your senses, have you? Are you planning to stop your hooliganism?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Hmm.”
Wodanaz stroked his rough beard, lost in thought. He then brought up something I had mentioned in my speech.
“You're establishing a new academy, I hear?”
In my speech, after some appropriate pleasantries and mood-setting remarks, I had briefly mentioned the new academy I planned to establish. It was the signal flare announcing the revival of Valerian to the entire continent.
He continued. “A place of learning open to all. That is certainly a noble goal, but it is also a very dangerous idea. Do you know why Valerian Academy fell?”
“Yes. But that is no reason to take away the opportunity to learn.”
It's easy to forget while living within the Union, but the world of Myrillin Saga is a rigid, class-based society. During my visit to the Devalis territory for summer break and on the journey back, I passed through many villages and saw the reality of it.
The daily lives of commoners, who lacked the basic benefits humans ought to enjoy, were consumed by the struggle to survive. They can't read. Therefore, they can't learn. They don't know a wider world exists, and naturally, they can't look far ahead or plan for the future. They just till the land, hunt, come home, and rest. Their lives are like a hamster wheel, unable to move forward.
In the end, they were nothing more than a labor force easily exploited by their lords... no better than livestock. If you were to ask if modern people are all that different, it would be hard to answer, but at least we have the chance to move forward. The minimal opportunity to learn something, to make a choice.
Of course, I can't provide the benefits of such an education to all of them, but it is possible to offer the chance to learn to those with talent. It might be an arrogant thought from my modern perspective, but educating these people will one day become a great strength—for me, and for this continent.
“Is this part of atoning for your past? Or...” After a moment's thought, Wodanaz gave a small smile. “Fine. I'll be watching you from now on. By the way, do you have any intention of renewing the engagement?”
“Pardon?”
“Don't play dumb. I'm talking about Freya.”
“...”
I hesitated for a moment before giving a suitable answer. “She is far more than I deserve.”
“I know. Far more. But that aside, I asked if you have any intention.”
With that question, Wodanaz's blue eyes, burning like cold fire, locked onto me. Receiving his gaze, I quietly closed my eyes. At the same time, a myriad of complex thoughts surfaced in my mind.
What was the gain, and what was the loss? What kind of repercussions would my answer have later on? What was the right decision for the future plot and progression?
“...”
And so, amidst the waves of these complicated thoughts, I calculated the pros and cons, before finally letting out a sigh and dismissing them all.
‘Forget it.’
I decided to just do what I wanted. It was an emotional decision that the usual me would never make. I don't know if this was purely my own will, or if the will of the body's original owner, Roen, was reflecting through me.
I lifted my head, looked Wodanaz straight in the eye, and answered.
“If you would only permit it... I would like to start over.”
“Fine. If that is truly your intention, we will maintain the engagement. I'll decide what comes next after seeing what you do.” He turned his back and spoke calmly, but firmly. “However, the day you make Freya shed a single tear, I will not let you be.”
After Wodanaz left, the tension completely drained from me, and I collapsed into a chair.
“That took ten years off my life.”
Having things like this happen one after another was quite draining, both physically and mentally.
“Lord Roen, are you alright?”
“I'm fine.”
I let out a deep sigh and got up from my seat. My legs were still trembling, but it was manageable. There was no time to sit around.
With Ciel in tow, I left the stadium and wandered over to where the Alchemy Club's booth was set up.
“Please form a proper line!”
“Maximum of three drinks per person!”
“It's cheaper if you order the sandwich set!”
As expected, the area in front of the booth was a sea of people. They weren't just selling drinks; they had collaborated with the cooking club that made the sandwiches for the eating contest and created a set menu, which was selling like hotcakes.
I went behind the booth, which was so busy the members didn't have a moment to spare, to check on the situation.
Clank—.
First, I checked the status of the cores in the mana supply and the Carbonated Water Maker to estimate the sales.
‘Each machine can produce 250 cups an hour.’
With the price set at 4,000 crone per cup, that was 1 million crone per hour. Combined with the machines set up in front of the stadium and near the main gate, there were ten machines in total. That meant 10 million crone per hour.
They'll operate for about 12 hours, but considering peak times and breaks, I could expect daily sales of roughly 100 million crone. Over the week-long festival, that’s 700 million. It wasn't a huge amount of money for me now, but it wasn't a bad figure either. Moreover, for a club booth, it was an absurd level of sales.
And...
‘The sales aren't the important part.’
The truly formidable aspect was that for every sale, we were introducing our carbonated water brand to a new customer. We were enjoying an incredible advertising effect.
As I was looking around the booth, Trish, who was in the middle of serving customers, approached me.
“Ah, you're here? A few merchant guilds have already made contact. Here.” Trish took some business cards from her pocket and handed them to me. “They said to come to the career fair later.”
“Got it. Keep any cards you're given. And don't sign any contracts on your own.”
“Yeah, yeah. Oh, and that Wodanaz guy? He bought a few drinks too.”
He didn't seem like the type to drink soda. How strange.
“It's busy, so I've gotta go.”
“Alright, keep up the good work. And don't skim off the top.”
“Yeah, yeah~”
Leaving the half-heartedly responding Trish behind, I continued to walk around the booth area with Ciel. There were several times more participating clubs than at the athletic festival. If the booths back then were focused on fun and games, the festival booths were much more serious. It looked like everyone had sharpened their knives, ready to show off the results of their club activities over the past few months.
While I was browsing the various booths, I spotted a familiar face and stopped.
“What are you doing here?”
It was Beatrice's club, the Gate of Truth. Yuliana was sweating profusely as she carried the club's journals.
“Ah, perfect timing. Help me move this.”
But these 'journals' looked thick enough to rival an encyclopedia. I pointed at the mountain-like pile and asked, “What in the world is all this?”
“What do you think? It's our club's research results. Though Her Highness did most of it.”
I picked up one of the journals from the pile and flipped through it.
Flip—.
A few seconds later, I closed it again. I could read the words, but I couldn't understand the concepts.
“This isn't a paper at a club level, is it?”
At that, Yuliana put down what she was holding, stretched her back, and said, “You already know. Her Highness isn't the kind of talent to be satisfied at the Union's level. Based on talent alone, she should have graduated early and gone to the Magic Tower. Well, I suppose succeeding the throne is more important to her, though.”
“So why are you the one bragging?”
She was acting as if Beatrice's talent and achievements were her own.
“Why not? When the lord you serve is exceptional, you can't help but want to boast about them.” As she said this, Yuliana glanced at Ciel, who was standing next to me. “Oh, my apologies. I wasn't considering your feelings, Miss Ciel.”
“What are you talking about? Ciel takes great pride in assisting me. Right?”
“...”
Ciel answered with silence.
It seemed I still wasn't a master worth bragging about. I'd have to try harder. Yuliana smirked at Ciel's reaction.
“Ah, yes. I see that very clearly.”
Thwack—!
“Ow! What was that for?”
I flicked Yuliana on the forehead. “I'll help you with these, so come by the Alchemy Club booth later. We need an extra pair of hands.”
Rubbing her forehead, Yuliana trembled. “...You're not going to make me make ice again, are you?”
“Ice-making is already a feature included in the Carbonated Water Maker ver. 2.0. You just need to put on an apron and serve customers. Someone with your looks should be able to draw a crowd.”
As long as she keeps her mouth shut, Yuliana's appearance is quite an asset. It's not for nothing that cafes hire good-looking people for part-time jobs. Just having her guide people at the front of the booth would bring in more visitors.
“What about you? Aren't you helping?”
“I have something else to do.”
Launching the carbonated water brand was important, but I had something even more vital to attend to.
Shwaaa—.
I used transmutation magic to move the mountain of journals in an instant, then headed for the academic hall where the Magic Olympiad was being held.