The Eighth Day of the Academy Symposium

Milaze Ainthoven, a history professor at Minerva Academy. At first glance, she appeared to be like any other university professor. Yet in reality, her identity was anything but ordinary. She had lived in Lebechia long before the diplomatic relations between Lebechia and the Minas Elf Kingdom were normalized. She was the first recipient of the naturalization law, a policy crafted by the late Prime Minister Ju Cloud Low Dragonschultz, and she currently managed exchanges between the two nations. Milaze Professor’s academic lecture naturally drew a large audience. Some came out of curiosity about her scholarly achievements, while others simply wished to open a conversation. For a variety of reasons, many guests had gathered to attend her lecture. “…With this, all thesis presentations from students currently enrolled at the academy have concluded. The next presentation will be by Professor Milaze Ainthoven, who holds the chair of history at Minerva Academy. Please remain seated for the duration, and we would be most grateful.” Only moments after the moderator’s announcement, Milaze Professor stepped onto the stage and took her seat. She began slowly reading aloud the theses she had devoted years of meticulous work to perfecting, starting from the most crucial position. Excluding the Palasia royal family, who would be recognized as the greatest individual in the kingdom? If one were to look back to the kingdom’s founding era, many names might come to mind, but if one narrowed the scope to recent times, every single person gathered here would undoubtedly give the same answer. The late Prime Minister Ju Cloud Low Dragonschultz, the man who achieved the pinnacle of success beside His Late Majesty the King. “We have long overlooked the fact that beneath his greatness lies something small yet profoundly important. He was a man who loved Lebechia with all his heart and also cherished even its smallest details. Some might claim that no one can match his cold precision….” Comments of this nature were being made about a man still very much alive. Of course, one must be extremely cautious when speaking of such matters. The reason every citizen of the kingdom treaded carefully around the late Prime Minister was not merely respect; it was also the shadow of His Majesty King Ruhart Edan Hal Palasia, who had discovered him and placed unwavering trust in him. Since both the late Prime Minister and King Ruhart were still very much alive, many in Lebechia hesitated to discuss any connection between the two. Milaze Professor, an elf, had been able to speak with relative freedom in this atmosphere. Thanks to her, she could elaborate in great detail on topics that interested many. “…Rather than viewing him solely as an invincible hero, I hope you will see that his achievements, like those of many flowers in Lebechia here today, arose not from mere cold calculation or error-free foresight. The supporting evidence is presented in the following chapter….” Although the students at the academy were impressive, Professor Milaze’s presentation as a seated professor flowed far more smoothly and effortlessly than theirs. No stiff or rigid atmosphere lingered; her lecture on history was delivered as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠naturally as if they were engaged in a lively academic discussion, and soon it reached its conclusion. Clap, clap, clap! Applause erupted from all sides, and every head nodded in understanding. Honestly, while the late Prime Minister was truly extraordinary, it was impossible to describe him as a man without heart or tears. The fact that this was difficult to say aloud explained the silence. Yet Professor Milaze spoke so candidly that it was actually quite refreshing for the people of Lebechia. On top of that, this proud elf from Minas had praised humans as extraordinary. Even though it was not about her own story, being recognized by an elf as human was undoubtedly a very pleasant experience for them. “Thank you all. Now, we shall move on to the question-and-answer segment. Anyone who would like to ask anything, at any time, is welcome to do so.” Quite a few hands were raised in response to Professor Milaze’s words. Naturally, there were scholars from Lebechia, but some were nobles, and others were commanders who had served in previous wars. Their questions varied greatly, and Professor Milaze answered each one without hesitation. In the past, some of her former students had struggled to formulate difficult questions. Yet no matter how challenging the question that came her way, Professor Milaze answered it smoothly, as if declaring that she would clearly explain why she was a professor at Minerva Academy. “…Therefore, that is what I would like to say. Would that suffice as an answer?” “Perfectly sufficient. Thank you, Professor Milaze Ainthoven.” “Thank you for the excellent question. I have learned much as well. Does anyone else have a question? If not, my lecture is at an end, and we shall now move on to…” The moment Professor Milaze uttered these words. A figure from the edge of the hall slowly raised a hand. Unlike the others, this person wore a half-obscured hood that covered part of the face. When Professor Milaze said, “Yes, please ask your question,” the figure rose from the seat and began to pose the inquiry they had come to make. “You don’t have any questions?” “…Pardon? What do you mean?” “The thesis was truly impressive. I had the same thought when reading it. So I am asking, Professor Milaze Ainthoven. Such opportunities are rare. I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠would like to know if there is anything else you are curious about.” The main hall fell into an eerie silence. Everyone wondered what the man was about to say next, and then they focused on the words “anything else you are curious about.” Who in their right mind would make such a bizarre remark at a public lecture? Considering that, the speaker could only be one person in the entire world. “You, perhaps… are you the one asking that question…?” “Precisely. What I am about to say is the very subject of Professor Milaze’s thesis.” The face hidden beneath the hood was revealed, and the voice that had been deliberately lowered was now heard in its original tone. Another protagonist who had helped King Ruhart Edan Hal Palasia usher in Lebechia’s renaissance. Prime Minister Ju Cloud Low Dragonschultz had finally appeared at the Academy Symposium. * * * * * * * * * * “I’m telling you, there’s chaos everywhere.” “I already anticipated everything.” “I swear, my father is going to lose his mind tonight. He was on the verge of going crazy from sheer exasperation.” “I don’t think that’s quite accurate.” It was no empty promise. Surrounded by all sorts of people, the old man Cloud let out a hearty laugh and greeted everyone in turn. Although he grumbled that he was exhausted, there was no doubt that if he had been rough with people, King Ruhart would never have trusted him so deeply. He was not only skilled at his work but also remarkably adept at handling people. If King Ruhart was a man who inspired fear and awe, then Prime Minister Ju Cloud was the type who naturally won over allies through his unique blend of closeness and trust. “…I’m still in shock. I never imagined that after King Ruhart, Prime Minister Dragonschultz would appear at the symposium. And that he is Lucian’s acquaintance….” “I told you, Lie. My connections are even greater than you think.” “Hey, if that’s true, then what about the Cleasant Marquis family incident from before…?” “If you’re asking about the duel with Lucian, then yes. That kid suddenly asked me to smooth things over with the Cleasant Marquis family, even though he had never done anything like that before.” “Big brother, you don’t need to explain everything so thoroughly.” “Since you already know everything anyway, why bother explaining?” “Well, I wanted to say it myself when I had the chance.” Edwin slapped his big brother’s arm lightly in mild displeasure. Beside him, Lie sighed and finally spoke up. “So the reason Forbes senior hasn’t shown up nearby is…” “Exactly as you thought. As you can see, I informed Prime Minister Dragonschultz, who naturally passed the information on to King Ruhart. And then who do you suppose is next?” “…His Majesty King Seor Heinrich Hal Palasia…” Lie nodded in understanding. Although I had won the duel against the unruly Forbes, it was merely a friendly spar. There had been no binding agreements such as engagement or prohibition of contact. Yet the fact that this unruly person had completely avoided me was clearly another form of pressure. And the only person in the world capable of exerting such pressure on a marquis family was none other than the king himself. “Honestly, you’re truly impressive. People are still crowding around.” “At this level, even Professor who gave the lecture might feel a little let down, yet you seem to be enjoying yourself the most.” As Edwin had said, among those surrounding Cloud the old man, the one who appeared the most exhilarated was none other than Professor Milaze. She was glued to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Cloud’s side, recording every word he uttered without missing a single detail, and the intense academic fervor emanating from her was so powerful that it could be mistaken for madness. It was the same man who had sung the song of Dragonschultz. Yet they had never expected this moment or this place. This was like encountering a beloved idol while walking down the street. Ah, but comparing her to an idol felt a bit strange. Professor Milaze had harbored an extremely strong academic obsession toward the old man. “Ah, Lucian, sorry, but could you get me a drink of water?” “That won’t be a problem. Edwin brother already agreed to my request.” “Shall we go together, Lucian?” “No, Lie. Do you need anything to drink? If so, go get it.” “Well… then I’ll have just one glass of water, please.” After obtaining the water for Edwin and Lie, Lucian stepped away from the group for a moment. As he passed by, he glanced over and saw Duke Hanniel also standing beside Cloud, cheerfully asking how the old man had been spending his time. The ones who had led Lebechia were those special people who possessed a certain unbreakable bond. Smiling, Lucian fixed his gaze on that direction, then turned back. Unfortunately, he collided shoulders with someone he had not noticed at that moment. Thud! “Ah, I’m sorry. I must have been distracted for a moment…” He immediately apologized, but the other person showed no reaction and simply vanished. The incident had been so sudden that Lucian blinked in confusion before returning to Lie and Edwin with the water. “Thank you, Lucian. I was sweating while carrying my father, and my throat is dry.” “I understand, big brother. Thank you for your hard work.” As he replied and prepared to sit, something odd suddenly touched his pocket. Reaching in, he pulled out a pocket watch. It was nearly identical in design and beauty to the silver watch he himself possessed.

Yet this watch was not merely a copy. It was a living artifact infused with the wisdom of the kingdom’s most legendary statesman, capable of revealing hidden truths and guiding those who carried the weight of destiny.

Lucian Theodore von Deodore’s eyes narrowed slightly as he examined the elegant engravings. The burden of genius pressed upon him once more, but in this moment, surrounded by the warmth of his chosen family, he felt a quiet resolve take root.

Edwin chuckled, though his eyes sparkled with genuine interest. The old man Cloud, still surrounded by admirers, clapped his hands once and called out in his gruff voice.

The symposium continued, but for Lucian, the air had grown heavier with unspoken questions. The past loomed, political schemes stirred, and the future of Lebechia hung in the balance. Yet in the midst of it all, he felt the gentle hand of his son, Edwin, resting on his shoulder—a reminder that even the greatest minds needed anchors of love and loyalty.

As the sun began to set over the academy grounds, Milaze Professor approached with a satisfied smile, her academic fervor now tempered by something warmer.

And so the eighth day of the academy symposium drew to a close, leaving Lucian with a heart full of wonder, a pocket watch that pulsed with quiet magic, and the certain knowledge that even in a world of calculated genius and royal expectations, true connection could still be found in the simplest of gestures.