11
Chapter 11
"Now, for the second question."
Was she referring to the one I didn't have to answer? I replied.
"Yes."
"Why have you been hiding your talent until now?"
Oh, boy. After the Princess, now Dian was starting to misunderstand. I wasn't hiding my talent; I'd suddenly possessed a game character. But no one would believe me if I said that, right? In times like this, it was better to let the other person imagine the reason.
"No comment."
Silence is golden. It lets the other person imagine things however they want. Dian was probably considering hundreds of scenarios for why I would need to hide my strength. None of them would be correct. After all, how could she possibly figure out that I came from another world? The thought made me feel quite amused. After contemplating for a while, Dian spoke again.
"Well then, one last question."
"Yes."
"Would you be interested in serving His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Here it comes. A scout offer from Crown Prince Leonhardt. Dian de Valboa was not only a professor at Arcadia Academy but also the Vanguard Commander serving the Crown Prince. If the offer came from Dian, I would certainly be guaranteed a prestigious position under him.
The Crown Prince was definitely a good option. If anyone were to ask who was closest to global hegemony right now, it would be him. With the Emperor unconscious and no heir appointed, Crown Prince Leonhardt was the noble with the most territory and wealth in the Empire. Although his raw talent was slightly inferior to Princess Leonia's, his overwhelming influence could not be ignored.
The Crown Prince. A tempting choice, but for now, I decided to put off my decision.
"Professor, I know I'll eventually need to serve a lord, but for now, I want to focus on my studies."
"You want to wait and see?"
"Yes. Until I graduate from the academy, I don't plan on joining any faction."
For now, I'd watch the Princess and the Crown Prince fight and then side with whoever wins. Do you think that's cowardly? Well, I've always been a coward.
"Hahaha!"
Dian laughed heartily, as if she found me amusing. It seemed she liked my answer.
"But you should know that there might not be any spots left by then."
"I don't mind. By that time, I'll have become the kind of talent that people would create a position for just to recruit."
"I thought young people these days lacked ambition... but I see I was wrong."
Talk about "young people" as if she's old. She's only twenty-nine herself.
"Let me know if you ever change your mind. With the talent that defeated Yuria Russell, His Highness the Crown Prince would surely find a place for you."
I wonder if that's true. I'm not sure the Crown Prince, who values bloodlines so much, would be that fond of a fallen noble from the provinces. However, even if I couldn't win over the Crown Prince, I had won over Dian, his right hand, so my success seemed practically guaranteed.
"Thank you."
I bowed politely and left the professor's office. Once outside, I found that the exams for the day had ended. Not entirely—just for today. The remaining matches would continue tomorrow.
Tomorrow, I face the Princess. She's probably itching to crush me. Just thinking about it sent a chill down my spine.
"I'm worried about tomorrow..."
What should I do about fighting the Princess? Honestly, it was a problem whether I won or lost. If I won, I'd attract too much attention from various factions, making it hard to walk the tightrope; if I lost, it would just be embarrassing.
The ideal scenario would be to create a thrilling, close-call match and lose by a hair, but would the legendary genius Princess Leonia not notice if I lost on purpose? If I threw the fight, I'd only earn her contempt.
"Either way, it's a problem~"
As I muttered to myself and lay down, the mental fatigue from today's mock battles quickly pulled me into sleep.
-----
Morning arrived the next day. I washed up, got dressed, and prepared to head out. But just as I was about to leave the dormitory, someone knocked on my door.
-Knock, knock, knock.
Even in a dormitory, this was Arcadia Academy. Since anything could happen, I first asked for the visitor's identity.
"Who is it?"
"Isabel de Poitiers, a vassal of Her Highness the Princess."
A vassal refers to a feudal retainer who receives land from their lord in exchange for taxes and military service. And I knew exactly who Isabel de Poitiers was.
If Yuria Russell was the Princess's left hand, Isabel de Poitiers was her right. For someone like her to visit me, a complete stranger, it had to be for something important.
When I opened the door, there stood a woman with short black hair and glasses. It was indeed the Isabel de Poitiers I knew.
Isabel de Poitiers. The Princess's right hand and a warrior with a well-balanced skill set, excelling in military strategy, swordsmanship, politics, diplomacy, and construction. Though she's the right hand now, she drops to fifth place in the Princess's faction by the endgame, often relegated to guarding border regions. Why does such a versatile warrior end up like that? It's because while she's great at everything, she doesn't quite reach A-rank in any single field—she's a slightly underwhelming jack-of-all-trades.
But at this moment, Isabel de Poitiers—still regarded as the Princess's right hand—stood before me.
"What brings you here?"
"There are eyes everywhere. May I come in?"
"If you don't mind a small and messy room."
I led her inside. I was embarrassed by the clothes scattered all over the room, but it was better than leaving her in the hallway. She looked around for a moment and then spoke.
"Are most men's rooms like this?"
"What? No. It varies from person to person..."
Does that mean this is her first time in a man's room?
"I see. My apologies for the intrusion and the sudden visit. I am Isabel de Poitiers. As I mentioned, I serve Her Highness the Princess."
"You're her right hand."
"Your intelligence is as impressive as the rumors suggest. It is true that many call me the Princess's right hand, though I believe it is an overstatement."
It wasn't an overstatement. While she eventually ends up guarding the borders in the late game, early-game Isabel is a powerhouse who can hold her own in any field she's assigned to.
"So, what is the purpose of your visit, Ms. Isabel?"
"I heard that you are hiding your talent."
Well... that's obvious. She must have heard it from the Princess.
"And if I am?"
"I don't know the exact extent of your strategic talent. However, Yuria Russell is the most strategically capable among the Princess's knights. If you can win so decisively against her, I can infer that your talent isn't far behind that of Her Highness."
Who is superior, Princess Leonia or I? Honestly, I wasn't sure. I was confident in leading an army, but most of my command experience came from games and history. I wasn't certain if I could beat Leonia, who had been forged in real combat.
"I don't know how you view your own abilities, but from my perspective, you are more than capable of posing a threat to the Princess."
"And? Are you planning to eliminate me before I can become a threat?"
She let out a light chuckle.
"You have a funny sense of humor. Some might think that way, but that is not the way of the Poitiers family."
"Then what is the way of the Poitiers family?"
"Negotiation and persuasion."
With that, Isabel de Poitiers held out a pouch. When I took it and opened it, I found a staggering amount of gold coins inside.
"Two hundred ducats. I'm sure you're well aware of what that's worth."
I knew. It was enough to equip forty heavy infantrymen or open a small shop in the imperial capital. It was also equivalent to eight months' wages for Gransia Ehrenberg.
"That's a fortune."
"Yes."
"And what do you want from me in exchange for this fortune?"
"Please lose the final match against Her Highness the Princess."
"Hmm..."
Honestly, that was out of the question. Given the Princess's prideful nature, losing on purpose would likely put me in her bad graces. She'd probably ask if I was mocking her.
"I can't do that."
"I take it you want to win the championship yourself?"
"That's not it."
I didn't particularly want to win either. Winning the mock battles would draw unwanted attention from numerous factions. If rumors spread that I was a top-tier talent, my school life would become a hassle. My goal was to maintain a moderate presence while building connections in several places.
In short, from my perspective, both winning and losing were problematic.
"Ms. Isabel de Poitiers."
When I called her name, she met my eyes.
"Think about it logically. If I lose to Her Highness on purpose, wouldn't she be furious?"
"That is unavoidable. Even if Her Highness is temporarily enraged, as long as we can protect her reputation..."
Good grief, she's so dense. This is exactly why you lose your spot as the right or left hand and drop to number five later on. You don't truly understand the Princess; you only think in purely realistic terms.
Fine. Shall I teach you a lesson?