Chapter 210
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 210
“Conditions?”
I tilted my head slightly, repeating the word.
Conditions? Surely she isn't about to propose a contract marriage.
Freya gave a slow, deliberate nod. “Yes. If you agree to a few conditions, I will proceed with our engagement. Is that acceptable?”
“Let’s hear them first.”
I figured it was only prudent to know what I was signing up for before making a decision.
Freya held up one finger and began.
“First, you must offer a sincere apology to every person you have ever tormented. If you have caused them any lasting harm, you must compensate them.”
“Every single one of them?”
“Yes. Every. Single. One.”
“…”
In a way, it was a perfectly reasonable request. If Roen had truly turned over a new leaf, it was only right for him to atone for the havoc he’d wreaked during his days as a high-society hooligan.
However, it was also an incredibly difficult condition to fulfill. I stroked my eyebrow, my expression clouding with trouble.
“I can manage it to an extent, but finding everyone would be nearly impossible.”
Do you remember how many loaves of bread you’ve eaten in your life?
In that same vein, it was impossible to count exactly how many people Roen had wronged over the years.
Besides, I wasn’t the one who actually did those things. I have no way of knowing who he targeted or what he did to them.
I had unlocked parts of Roen’s diary, but it wasn't as if he’d recorded every single petty misdeed in excruciating detail.
Instead, I offered a counter-proposal.
“I can do a greater good for an even greater number of people. How about we let that serve as restitution for the past?”
That was the path I had been walking thus far. I had used my position as Student Council President and my own knowledge to help many, and I planned to help even more by establishing an academy in the future. Further down the line, I might even save the continent from the demons, just as the original story dictated.
It might not erase all of Roen’s past sins, but it was the best I could offer.
“Is that why you are building an academy?”
“…”
Not exactly, but it’s probably best to say yes for now.
“That’s not entirely untrue. It is part of my atonement.”
“Is that so? I will accept that for now. I’ll be watching you.”
Freya nodded, then held up a second finger.
“Next, the second condition.”
“There’s more?”
“Yes. From now on, please maintain a proper distance from other women.”
“I believe I’m already keeping a proper distance.”
The only person I was truly close to was Ciel. As for the others, I felt they were either indifferent toward me or actively disliked me.
Well, I can’t read minds, so I don’t really know what they think of me.
Freya, however, clearly disagreed. Her eyes flashed with a chilling sharpness. “Do you really think so?”
“…”
I felt a genuine sense of mortal peril under that gaze and scratched the back of my head.
Well, if I think about it, there are a lot of women around me.
It was an academy setting, after all; female students were everywhere. I only interacted with them for my own ends, but regardless of my intentions, I could see how it might look from Freya’s perspective.
“Alright, I’ll do my best. But Ciel is my most trusted confidante. I cannot distance myself from her.”
“Miss Ciel… I will concede that much.”
Freya sighed as if she had no choice and raised a third finger.
“And third.”
“…There’s still more?”
“Of course.”
Only after enduring several more conditions was I finally able to secure Freya’s consent for the engagement. I didn’t know how the future would unfold, but I had a nagging feeling that if I ever actually married Freya, it would be a very difficult life.
*
Contrary to Kiriel’s anxieties, the Academy Festival was a resounding success.
During the festivities, millions of people flooded into Union. Every inn, hotel, and lodging facility in the Meteor Archipelago was booked solid. The number of ships traveling to and from the continent was increased several times over, yet every single seat remained occupied.
Even considering it was the largest event on the continent, drawing crowds from every corner of the world, it was a massive hit.
Amidst the chaos, the Academy Festival began to draw to a close. The highlight of the event—the Academic Conference—had finally begun.
Bang! Bang!
Bursts of magical light exploded across the blue sky in celebration. I set foot in the conference hall for the first time since the Olympiad.
At its core, Union was a place of learning. However, its usual evaluation criteria were heavily skewed toward practical, combat-oriented classes and competitions.
The Academic Conference was a stage for pure knowledge, prepared specifically for the non-combatant students who were inevitably overshadowed by Union’s typical standards. It was a chance for the students who had been holed up in their labs, waging their own wars of intellect while others honed their bodies, to finally spread their wings.
Intellectuals from across the continent, along with high-ranking figures from the political and business worlds, attended the conference to judge the presentations. If they found a promising idea, technology, or research paper, they would often sign contracts on the spot to scout the students.
A student’s entire career could be decided right then and there, regardless of when they were set to graduate. In some ways, this was even more important than official grades.
For this conference, Trish and several other members of the Alchemy Club had stopped selling carbonated water and gathered in the hall.
Inside the waiting room.
“Hoo, hoo.”
Trish was a nervous wreck, taking deep, shaky breaths while clutching her presentation materials. I patted her on the shoulder.
“Relax. It’s no big deal.”
“No big deal?! The Emperor—no, His Majesty the Emperor is watching!”
Just as Trish said, word had spread that Emperor Marcus himself would be attending this year’s conference. It was likely because of Beatrice’s club presentation. Attending his beloved daughter’s big moment—I suppose even an emperor is still a father at heart.
I gently tapped Trish’s pointed hat as she trembled.
“What’s the matter? Is the Emperor going to eat you? He’s not that different from anyone else. He’s just an old guy with deep pockets, absolute power, and a terrifying mastery of magic.”
“…Isn’t that just another way of saying he’s an incredible person?”
She has a point.
Marcus was, without a doubt, the richest and most powerful man on the continent, and a pillar of the magical world.
“Anyway, I’m counting on you for the presentation. I’m leaving it in your hands.”
“Huh? Weren't we doing it together?” Trish asked, her eyes wide with shock.
“I have something else I’ve prepared. I’m entrusting the Alchemy Club’s presentation to you.”
“Wh-what do you mean?! You said you’d go up with me!”
“When did I say that? Besides, aren't you the club president, Trish? It’s only natural for you to be the one presenting.”
“That may be, but… this was your idea! The person who came up with it should be the one to present it!” Trish shouted, waving the papers in her hand.
She was right; the idea for this paper was mine. But I considered it a gift for Trish and the other club members, who hadn't had enough time to study properly because they were caught up in my carbonated water business.
“Just say you did it. You’ll do great. We all worked hard on it together, didn't we? This paper is the result of everyone’s effort.”
As we were talking, an attendant entered the waiting room and called out.
“Alchemy Club. Please prepare for your presentation.”
*
“That is all.”
Clap, clap, clap—
As Beatrice finished her presentation, the hall erupted in applause. While her paper was undoubtedly excellent, the truth was that most people in the hall probably didn't understand a word of it. The reason for such thunderous applause was, without a doubt, the presence of the Emperor and the Tower Masters.
The Tower Masters, serving as judges, all gave favorable reviews. The Emperor, seemingly pleased with the result, wore a faint smile.
“Next, we will have the presentation from the Alchemy Club.”
The only unfortunate thing was that the Alchemy Club had to follow that act. Trish and the five original members of the club hesitantly stepped onto the stage.
Fwoosh—
The audience lights dimmed, and a bright spotlight illuminated Trish. She bowed before the Emperor and the thousands of intellectuals gathered in the hall.
“G-greetings. I am Trish Medici, the president of the Eredor Alchemy Club.”
Trish bowed deeply. At the mention of her name, a few people began to murmur. The Medici family had once been famous for alchemy but had since fallen from grace.
With a nervous expression, Trish began her presentation, displaying a prepared screen via a magic device.
“Th-the title of the paper our Alchemy Club will be presenting is [On the Popularization of Blue Dye].”
Compared to Beatrice’s brilliant academic work, the title seemed rather unremarkable. The audience began to whisper.
“They call that research?”
“How cute.”
People have a tendency to look down on fields they think they already understand. And, of course, they were comparing it to Beatrice’s performance, where she had solved complex equations and demonstrated skills surpassing those of many active mages.
As the crowd grew restless, Marquis Paracelsus, Master of the Alchemist's Tower Deiarron, spoke up.
“Silence.”
He quieted the audience with a firm voice and nodded at Trish.
“Continue.”
“Y-yes, sir. Previously, blue dye was extremely expensive because the pigment was extracted from substances mined from lapis lazuli. However, if you use the mana structure developed by our Alchemy Club to synthesize it…”
Trish and the club members took turns advancing the slides, carefully explaining the synthesis structure and extraction methods. However, to prevent the technology from being stolen, they did not disclose the core details.
After finishing the short presentation, Trish concluded.
“Th-that is all.”
Unlike the end of Beatrice’s presentation, the hall remained silent. There was no thunderous applause or cheering. In the quiet, Marquis Paracelsus spoke.
“Not bad. If your paper is true, it could significantly lower the price of blue dye. The same would apply to other dyes. Very impressive.”
At the Marquis’s praise, Trish let out a visible sigh of relief. “Th-thank you.”
“However, have you considered the repercussions of such an invention?”
“I’m sorry?”
As Trish tilted her head in confusion, Marquis Paracelsus continued.
“I’m asking if you’ve considered the economic fallout for those who work in the lapis lazuli industry when the value of the stone plummets because of your invention.”
“…”
It was a question that bordered on being unreasonable. I couldn't tell if he was testing Trish or if he had some other motive, but it felt like a high-pressure interrogation.
But the obsolescence of old technology due to new advancements is inevitable. It was the unavoidable flow of time, and Trish, like a true researcher, gave a fitting answer.
“I-I believe that should not become an obstacle to the advancement of magic.”
The resolution of such societal problems lay in the hands of politicians and entrepreneurs. It shouldn't be allowed to hinder the technological progress of researchers. Besides, you can't stop human curiosity just because it's inconvenient.
At least, that’s what Trish believed.
“Good. Then let me ask again. If the magic you invent one day becomes a threat to humanity, would you still give the same answer?”
“…”
This time, it was a simple invention to lower the price of dye, but who knew what kind of magic Trish might invent in the future? Perhaps this wasn't just pressure, but a question posed in advance by Paracelsus, who had recognized Trish’s dangerous potential.
But Trish clenched her fists and gave the same answer as before.
“Yes.”
She answered with a determined gaze. At that, Paracelsus smiled.
“A fine answer. Whose idea was this paper? Yours?”
“…”
After a moment’s hesitation, Trish told the truth.
“It was Roen Devalis, from our club.”
“Oh? Roen, you say. Where is he?”
Paracelsus scanned the students on the stage, but Roen’s face was nowhere to be seen.
Trish scratched her cheek and replied, “H-he couldn't be here as he’s preparing for another presentation.”
“I see. Our Magic Tower will verify and then purchase your club’s paper. I will send someone later to proceed with the contract.”
“Thank—thank you!”
The Alchemy Club was going to sign a contract directly with a Magic Tower. The faces of Trish and the other members lit up with joy.
After Marquis Paracelsus, the other Tower Masters also offered positive comments. Although it wasn't a world-shaking academic discovery, their evaluation was based on its practical application and high commercial value.
The Alchemy Club stepped down, and the announcer continued.
“Next up, Legion Pastel of the Pharmacology Club and Roen Devalis of the Alchemy Club.”
As the stage lights went out, I walked onto the stage with Pastel.
Flick—
The lights came on again, and with the bright glare came the focused attention of the audience. There were looks of genuine interest and gazes of wary caution.
“...”
Grand Duke McDowell, with whom I had exchanged glances here before, and Marquis Paracelsus, who had just spoken with Trish. Even Emperor Marcus, Beatrice’s father, was watching me in silence.
“Hoo.”
I took a deep breath, steeled my nerves, and spoke with confidence.
“Greetings, esteemed guests. The paper I will be presenting today concerns the treatment of Qi Meridian Blockage.”