Sausage Over Noble Honor
Today's events had forged a deep-seated grudge between those who followed Irina and those who did not. Kael smiled at how perfectly everything was unfolding according to his plan.
'It's hilarious how they can't even give up two measly sausage sticks. They could split them in half and each get one.'
There was no helping it. The taste of coarse black bread was truly horrific. Even the commoner-born Ling and Ming could only say it was barely tolerable compared to what the nobles had to endure.
'Now, how long will this last?'
In the clearing, the students had already split into factions. The argument had erupted over the sausage supply, which had been cut in half from 197 to somewhere between 98 and 99.
Though it was currently just a fight among the aspiring mages from the Magic Department, it would become even more entertaining if the knight-aspirants from the Swordsmanship Department joined in. To them, it would feel like a bolt from the blue.
"We absolutely can't give up two! We won't yield no matter what!"
"This is all Lady Irina's fault! Why should we have to give them to you?!"
The clearing echoed with furious shouts. Even after sprinting at full speed and gasping for breath, Irina's followers bared their teeth and fought back fiercely.
"I told you to shut your mouths!"
"Who do you think you are, trying to exclude Her Ladyship and us? Do we look that easy to you?"
The fierce resistance from Irina's followers was intense, but the backlash from the neutral students—who belonged to neither Eleanor’s faction nor the two major powers—was even stronger.
"If you had any conscience, you'd be ashamed of yourselves!"
"Shouldn't you take responsibility as nobles?!"
"That's right! We all saw how you led the charge in humiliating Lord Aberwin during last year's broken engagement!"
"Why do we have to suffer because of you?!"
The students poured out endless resentment and hatred toward one another. Words like noble honor and dignity had long since vanished from their vocabulary. They couldn't even bring themselves to split two sausages in half.
This outcome had been inevitable from the moment Kael announced he would provide 197 sausages—specifically from the instant the shares belonging to students from lower noble houses like viscounts and barons were stolen away.
Only Princess Eleanor remained silent, making a visible effort to maintain her composure. Yet complex emotions flickered through her crimson eyes. With even her own followers losing control, the only thing she could do was try to calm the situation, if only a little.
"Ugh! Aah!"
The main culprit(?) of this chaos, Irina, was still rolling across the ground. Unlike her followers who had sprinted, she had to roll her entire body around the clearing, which naturally slowed her down.
Professor Galen did nothing to stop the uproar. Instead, he watched with a pleased smile. He sincerely hoped Kael would be satisfied with this spectacle.
Originally, female students tended to fight more emotionally and fiercely than males. Most of the male students had only flattered Irina to gain her favor. In contrast, the female students had been her devoted followers from the start.
Since their own sausages were now on the line, Irina's followers would fight even more desperately. That was precisely why he had only made the women sprint at full speed—so they could still use their voices to argue.
Professor Galen's goal was to stoke this fight, stand back, and maximize the conflict between the students. Because that was exactly what Kael wanted.
"What an entertaining sight!"
Galen approached Kael, pleased to see the satisfied expression on the young man's face.
"Lord Kael, it would be best to treat that arm soon."
"Yes, please do."
"Healing!"
At Professor Galen's healing magic, the bruises on Kael's arm vanished in an instant. Kael looked down at the now-unmarked skin and smiled as he asked,
"Professor Galen, how did you like the Powerade I gave you earlier?"
Galen pulled an empty plastic bottle from his robe, shook it, and laughed.
"Haha! It was truly incredible! That refreshing scent and electrifying taste! And it quenched my thirst instantly! Not to mention how sweet and delicious it was! It was honestly the best drink of my life."
He shook the empty bottle again.
"It would be wonderful if I could have more of this."
Kael nodded and used the trash disposal function to remove the empty bottle.
"I can't provide any right now, but could you gather all the professors for lunch today? I'd like to treat everyone."
Professor Galen's face lit up.
"Oho! Lunch, you say! Of course I'll gather them! I'm already looking forward to whatever delicious things you'll prepare!"
Kael gave a small chuckle at the professor's delighted expression.
"Yes, I'll prepare something special for lunch."
"Excellent! But... will there be food for dinner as well?"
Professor Galen was worried that while lunch would be provided, dinner might not. Kael immediately put that concern to rest.
"I'll provide easy-to-eat fish dishes for dinner too, so you needn't worry."
"Fish! Haha! I'm really looking forward to it, Lord Kael! Fish! I can't even remember the last time I had any!"
At that moment, Irina finally finished rolling around the entire clearing and completed her punishment. She collapsed in a wretched state.
Her fair skin was covered in scrapes and scratches, flushed red in many places. Her pink hair was a tangled mess of dust and sweat. Her white uniform was torn and filthy, and her underwear was visible through the ripped skirt.
In her disheveled state, she glared at Kael with eyes full of rage and humiliation.
"Lord Aberwin...!"
Kael spoke to Professor Galen.
"Professor, please bring Irina over here and heal her wounds. Also, cast a soundproofing spell so our conversation can't be heard by those around us."
At Kael's request, Professor Galen nodded.
"Understood. That's simple enough."
With those words, Irina's body floated into the air. She was dragged through the air and brought right in front of Kael.
"Healing."
The injuries on Irina's body healed in an instant.
"Silence Field."
A soundproofing spell then blocked all surrounding noise so their conversation wouldn't leak out. Although Ling, Ming, and Serenity were close enough to hear, they stood quietly, reading the room.
"Lord Aberwin, do you have something to say to me?"
Irina asked, glaring with eyes full of hostility. Kael looked down at her and smiled. He reached out and gently stroked her pink hair.
"Such beautiful hair has become such a mess. And Irina, your followers are quite loyal, aren't they?"
Kael's fingers toyed with the ends of her hair. The mockery in his voice made Irina's eyes burn with even greater fury. But no strength entered her body.
"I wonder how long that loyalty will last?"
Kael released her hair and let out a small laugh.
"Right now, girls like Marina and Juliana are leading the charge, shouting your name. But what can you actually give them in return for that loyalty?"
"That's... none of your concern."
Kael shook his head at her words.
"No, it is very much my concern. I'm dying to know just how long your followers will remain loyal to you."
Kael placed his hand on top of her head again as he continued.
"When they realize that the great House Rosengart can give them nothing... will their loyalty toward you hold? Or will they direct their anger at the incompetent Rosengart family that disappointed them?"
"How dare you...!"
Irina bared her teeth and glared at Kael. Her voice still sounded strained, but her eyes burned with pride in the House Rosengart. And her fury toward Kael, who had dared to touch that pride, was fierce.
"Do not insult the name of House Rosengart, Lord Aberwin! I will never forget this humiliation!"
At Irina's words, Kael's smile grew even wider.
"Oh, really? But Irina, what exactly can you do about it right now?"
Kael gestured toward the chaotic scene, which looked like it could erupt into magic at any moment.
"Your followers are on the verge of losing their sausages because of you. If the number of students at risk of not getting sausages wasn't 49, but only your followers... do you think a fight like this could even happen? Everyone would have united to suppress your followers."
Kael applied a little pressure to the hand resting on her head.
"In a situation like this, how long will their loyalty last? Or perhaps..."
Kael mocked her as he spoke.
"Maybe they'll want to become my slaves before you do, and enjoy the same special treatment as Serenity? Betraying you and becoming my slave would be the best choice for them."
Irina's face turned deathly pale for a moment. She wanted to deny Kael's words with rage, but she couldn't. Just as he said, she couldn't deny the possibility that her followers' loyalty might waver in the face of the temptation of food—including sausages.
"You...! Do you really think you can break Irina Rosengart with such underhanded tricks?"
"Underhanded?"
Kael laughed as if it were ridiculous.
"Was what you did to me last year so noble?"