Adversity is Inevitable
Gigantic monoliths had erupted across every nation.
The quickest response came right at their emergence, with someone piercing and even damaging the magic waves from the black spires.
The ruler of Tigrova.
Snow Tiger Emperor Rex Frozenheart.
Propped on his chin atop a throne from which cold air cascaded, he was far from pleased with the current situation.
Shattered fragments of the monolith floated before him, held aloft by his mana.
"Hah, for something like this to rise... If it was done with intent, they'd be sorely mistaken."
Flanking the emperor stood White Tiger Palace Guard Captain Arhen Blizzard and Chief Administrator Yoho.
Yoho, having sorted through the influx of reports, spoke first.
"Your Majesty."
"Speak."
"Black towers have been sighted in nations beyond Tigrova as well. Academy City Elysium is no exception."
"Time difference?"
"They emerged simultaneously. We're still investigating how long they've persisted."
"Hmm."
The emperor let out a bored sigh.
"There's a chance the princess in Academy City has been caught up in it too."
"Communication with Noah has been cut off, as you surmised."
"Indeed."
"Even so, isn't it common for a daughter not to pick up?"
"...Ichinose Yui is also unreachable."
That changed things.
Rex clenched his fist around the hovering monolith fragment and continued his analysis.
"Caught up alongside Jun's daughter, eh."
"Highly likely."
"That guy Jun... must be seeing red."
Still propped on his chin, the emperor mulled it over.
He reached a conclusion without much difficulty, a faint smile crossing his lips at the obvious outcome.
"She's my blood. She'll be fine. No cheap power like this stands a chance."
The emperor declared it confidently, eyeing the fragment in his hand.
It wasn't that he didn't worry for his daughter.
This was the Frozenheart lineage's unbreakable confidence. Whether by skill or sheer fortune, a Frozenheart would always return alive.
As the status report continued,
Yoho's fox ears perked up at fresh news.
"Your Majesty, Noier Plume requests an audience."
"Never heard the name."
"A scholar from the Knowledge Society, researching monoliths and dimensional rifts."
At Yoho's explanation, he granted permission.
"Let him enter."
──Rumble... The massive doors swung open.
An old man shuffled in slowly, prostrating himself flat. Yoho, speaking on the emperor's behalf, questioned him.
"What brings you here?"
"Ruler of Tigrova. I come to praise the deeds of the Snow Tiger Emperor."
His words were flowery, but his gaze was honest.
It lingered greedily on the monolith fragment in the emperor's hand.
He'd either witnessed or heard of Rex Frozenheart shattering part of the tower.
With so many witnesses in the capital, it wasn't hard to guess.
Before Yoho could respond, folding her fan, Rex spoke up.
"Don't waste my time with empty flattery. You want something."
"Your Majesty, my visit is truly to offer praise..."
As the old man's slow trailing words spilled out,
the Snow Tiger Emperor tossed and caught the fragment, cutting him off.
"A scholar must have knowledge to match. You're not brazen enough to demand this stone empty-handed. You've prepared something fitting, and that's why you're here, right?"
A blunt demand to get to the point.
Tensing under the throne's emanating presence, the old man replied.
"Even if it earns the Knowledge Society's ire, offering counsel to Your Majesty is a vassal's duty."
"Too much preamble. Shorten it."
The old man buried his face to hide his expression.
His forehead met the cold floor.
"For the princess's safety, I must speak boldly. You must separate the Southern Ruins cadet at Orion Academy from her."
"Southern Ruins cadet?"
"Not only in our nations but in Academy City Elysium too—the anomalies are shared within the Knowledge Society. For the princess's peace, removing that Southern cadet is the right move."
"Reason?"
Rohan's name was already buzzing among scholars.
He'd been involved in the monolith's anomaly, heralding the dungeon's start.
A cadet repeatedly surviving spaces with abysmal return rates, inexplicably tangled in every incident.
The Knowledge Society elder's explanation flowed on.
"One leading hypothesis: Anyone who's entered a dungeon once draws in monolith mana through some unique effect. We have statistics backing it."
"To protect my daughter, keep that one cadet away... or deal with him?"
"Yes."
Killing intent seeped from the throne.
The old man bulged his eyes at the chill down his neck.
"I get your intent, but that's utterly disgraceful. Speak such nonsense again, and you won't leave alive."
"...!"
"Advising me to such petty villainy? No breadth of mind in you."
Frozen in terror, the old man couldn't speak.
Having issued his warning, the emperor recalled a familiar name.
"Rohan, the cadet Noah mentioned."
"Correct."
Yoho confirmed the emperor's mutter.
The name Noah had shared upon returning to Tigrova with Jane during break.
He'd even seen a photo—roughly remembered the face.
Sion Testarosa's last bloodline and Ichinose Jun's daughter had been there too.
'The generation to lead the future.'
Having grasped the situation, Rex Frozenheart grinned deeply.
"Indeed. It figures. This isn't mere coincidence."
The Snow Tiger Emperor instantly understood Rohan's plight, which baffled scholars.
He then granted the scholar a chance to broaden his horizons.
"If the Knowledge Society has ears, listen."
"Noier Plume, I shall."
"A life with a bedrock foundation like unyielding granite suits the commonplace. A tailwind existence won't make stars shine."
A brief silence.
Chief Administrator Yoho and Guard Captain Arhen Blizzard read the world's currents through the emperor's insight.
But the old man couldn't.
"My dull mind fails to grasp Your Majesty's words..."
"Scholars are always slow on the uptake. They cling to numbers and theory, rejecting what doesn't fit."
"..."
"For those reaching the pinnacle, strife and storms naturally push from behind."
The Snow Tiger Emperor knew from experience.
In chaotic eras, adversity trails those destined figures.
"I've lived enduring trials most face once in a lifetime, day after day."
"..."
"No hardship severed my fate; they only tempered me. Joyous days."
Arrogant on paper, but from the emperor's lips, it carried unmatched conviction.
"Yet break under hardship midway, and it's over. Not timber to lead the era's flow. The unsaved are such raw gems gone to waste."
Rex Frozenheart was utterly satisfied with the present.
Sending Noah to Academy City had been the right call.
Returning to the brick house, Rohan and Lete were met with a bizarre sight.
Gilbert and Dick, sleeves torn from perfectly fine shirts, worked in sleeveless mode.
As expected, Gilbert directed a crowd, tidying the surroundings.
Unexpectedly, Lete's friends clustered around Dick, chattering away.
"Dick oppa, I thought you were skinny, but those lean muscles are no joke!"
"Oppa, you're full of surprises!"
"Ch, it's natural handling a spear..."
That guy's still dodging his name.
Rohan exchanged greetings with Lete upon entering the brick house, then cut to his top question.
"How'd your shirts end up sleeveless?"
"Used 'em for splints."
Following Gilbert's finger, there sat Tom in the corner, gaze vacant like a neutered pet.
His arms were wrapped tight in cloth from Gilbert and Dick's shirts.
Alternatives flashed in Rohan's mind, but he held his tongue.
Too late now.
"No issues otherwise?"
"All good. Cooked that flying spear bitch too."
Tom had come to, seen his wrecked arms, and stayed silent. Didn't even ask about his missing sword.
"Eat up first. Taste this Gilbert's handiwork."
Gilbert flipped his shield-weapon into a griddle for cooking.
Dead plants and branches unearthed while digging sand had fueled the fire.
The meal was odd.
Monster ingredients made it bland and chewy—hardly delicious—but the vibe was good, and grilled, it went down easy.
Finishing up, Rohan got straight to it.
"I'm heading out tomorrow. Won't be back till it's done."
"Figured. Leave your friends here. I'll guard 'em with my life."
Gilbert knew exactly what he could and should do.
Reliable.
"I'll stock plenty of food and water, so if anyone shows, vet 'em yourself."
"Mm."
Rohan fully disclosed his Shop skill to Gilbert and Dick.
He curated weather-proof rations, bundled with water, bought in bulk, and entrusted management to them.
...
...
Thus, after Rohan and Lete departed at dawn, as evening fell,
welcome guests arrived at the brick house guarded by Gilbert and Dick.