The Booming Scandal
“What the hell is this?”
Half-lidded eyes. Black pupils hidden, the face swollen into a rainbow of bruises. I stared at Jubern’s condition and asked Lan. “Didn’t I tell you earlier? The sword swings left a few scratches.”
“A few scratches?” Lan echoed. “A few? His face is smashed to a pulp! If he’d taken more hits he’d be dead already.”
Smack. Smack. Crack.
Crow’s Duck, who had been examining Jubern with me, suddenly started slapping the warrior’s cheek. “Are you out of your mind? What the hell do you think you’re—”
“Wait. Waking someone up from a faint? This is the best medicine.”
Lan, startled, tried to stop him, but Crow’s Duck ignored him and kept slapping Jubern again and again. Was this really the way to revive someone? I was worried whether it was even allowed to manhandle the patient like that. But to my surprise, after just a few solid slaps Jubern twitched, blinked, and opened his eyes. “Amazing…”
“Whoa! Jubern! You really opened your eyes!”
“The escort captain! How are you feeling?”
“Jubern-nim, are you all right?”
Surrounded by many people, Jubern, like a child just waking up, looked around in confusion until he found Lan and asked in a thick, slurred voice, “H-huh? Who… who are you…? What happened to me…?”
“Hoo, so you heard that. The Grand Duke’s enemy. Impressive. I never thought a living man would say such a thing to me.”
*Crunch.*
At the word “enemy,” Crow’s Duck grinned mischievously and cracked his knuckles. Jubern instantly paled, realizing exactly what he had done. Thankfully, Crow’s Duck didn’t seem to care at all. “That’s one hell of a way to learn a word.”
After a while, the swelling subsided and Jubern, who had finally come to his senses, knelt before Lan and begged for forgiveness. “I’m sorry, my lord. I have caused you undue worry.”
Lan, unfazed by Jubern’s mistake, simply chuckled. “Haha. It’s nothing. You’re safe and sound. Can you move?”
“I’m fine, my lord.”
“Good. Your body seems recovered enough. We can head out again.”
* * *
Inside the Imperial Capital stood the National Academy. Though located in the outer districts, the school’s educational nature shielded it from interference and allowed it to build its own power. Built on a vast plot in one corner of the capital, it housed facilities worthy of the title “the continent’s top academy.”
“Not only that,” the guide continued, “the academy offers a systematic curriculum supported by brilliant—”
“Whoa! Seven! How long are you going to talk?! I’m about to lose my hearing! Everyone’s here now, so shut up already.”
“…Well, that’s a shame, but we’ll have to stop here. Either His Highness or I must go in first and tell them we’re here. What do you think, Highness? If someone recognizes you, there might be quite a commotion, and these people could get dragged into the incident too.”
“What nonsense! Lan and I are inseparable. You know that, right?”
“Huh? No? We could be apart and no one would notice.”
“Quiet, you fool!”
*Whoosh!*
“Aaaah!”
I got a backhand from behind, yet how the hell did that noise come out? I worried whether Blanser’s skull hadn’t been dented. Because Crow’s Duck insisted on taking the role himself, Lan, who still didn’t trust him completely, gave him one last warning and then leaped lightly into the academy. “Come on! There are lots of people! Follow the guide!”
When we finally arrived, the academy was already teeming with people even though evening was close. “Well, that makes sense.”
Normally only those who wanted to enter the academy did so, but this year the emperor had strongly encouraged admissions, so the number of new students was enormous. Each child clung tightly to their parents’ hands, faces flushed with excitement. The little flowers of conversation blooming everywhere around us were enough to make our hearts race. Meanwhile, the sheer volume of work had everyone dashing about in a frenzy. “Next! State your name, age, and relationship to the guardian for those who wish to enroll!”
“Hurry up! We don’t have all day!”
Because the school was so busy, the arrogant nobles who demanded respect showed their irritation without restraint. “You lowly wretch! How dare you treat a young master of Melstun House so rudely!”
“I’m sorry. We were so overwhelmed we didn’t recognize you, young master.”
The fat Melstun noble poked the bowed head with his finger, acting superior. “The great Emperor would entrust his son to such trash?!”
Just because we hadn’t recognized him, he was being treated like this? I couldn’t help frowning. Melstun’s ability was certainly guaranteed to irritate many people. “Tsk tsk. Thinking you can act so arrogantly just because you have a title? And when did a mere baron become so insufferably arrogant? What a joke.”
Crow’s Duck sighed and left us to grumble to himself, then approached Melstun. *Thump.* *Crunch.*
“Kueeeek! You— What the hell are you doing?!”
When Crow’s Duck grabbed Melstun’s finger, the poking digit went limp and crushed in his grip. A crowd had been watching the commotion, and soon more eyes turned toward the noise. Crow’s Duck forced the noble to his knees and said quietly, “Hey. On what grounds do you dare bully this person?”
“What are you saying, you brat?! How dare you treat young master Melstun this way and still be standing!”
The kneeling noble threatened Crow’s Duck with pain and humiliation, but such threats meant nothing to a duke. A baron daring to bully the Grand Duke. Crow’s Duck let out a hollow laugh. “Hoo. I guess I’ve been too distant from the continent these days. This piece of trash didn’t even know who I am. And you— you dare treat me so rudely?”
Melstun, who had been watching Crow’s Duke’s fearless demeanor, realized something was wrong. Even though his finger was crushed, he smiled viciously and began to speak. “You’re from some foreign house? A baron or viscount? I— I’m sorry, I didn’t know you. Please accept my apology. Just put your hand—” *Crack!*
*Crunch.*
“Ugh—!”
“Still not getting it? The one you should apologize to isn’t me— it’s this person, isn’t it?”
“Get out!”
In the increasingly tense atmosphere, shadows rushed from the main building toward us. A few elders in flashy, uncomfortable clothes appeared, running barefoot. They bowed deeply before Crow’s Duke, desperate to curry favor. “Your Highness the Grand Duke! It is a tremendous honor that you have personally come! If we had known we would have come to greet you first—”
The moment Crow’s Duke’s identity was known, the noisy crowd fell deathly silent. “Enough of your sweet words. Where is Seven?”
“Yes, the pillar is currently waiting for His Highness with the principal. However, His Highness—”
“There’s always trash like that wherever you go. I was just cleaning up.”
Realizing that the one who had crushed his finger was the Grand Duke, Melstun’s face turned deathly white. Crow’s Duke crouched down to eye level and said, “Open your ears and listen well. Power and strength aren’t something you wield at will. They exist to protect those inside the great fence.”
“Your Highness’s words are always correct! I— I— No, I apologize! Please forgive this worthless wretch!”
“Y-yes… I’m fine.”
“Look at him prostrating himself! I won’t say anything more if you’re all right, but if this repeats in front of me even once, I’ll have you torn apart limb from limb.”
“I will remember! I will never forget! Thank you for awakening this ignorant fool, Your Highness the Grand Duke!”
“Get lost, you pathetic fool.”
*Flap!*
Crow’s Duke’s command sent Melstun scurrying away, clutching his broken fingers as if he had forgotten the pain. “Your Highness, from now on we will escort you.”
“Special treatment is already given. I won’t wait for my turn.”
*Swish swish swish.*
After a short wait, our turn finally came. The receptionist sweated like rain while scribbling our information, stuttering. “At this rate he could take a bath in his own sweat.”
“Hm? Are you feeling unwell? Why are you sweating so much?”
This guy has no sense of timing. “Ah, n-no. It’s because the weather is so hot.”
“It’s winter right now?”
“S-s-sorry. I don’t know why I’m—”
Every time the receptionist tried to answer Crow’s Duke’s question, he gulped for air and even hiccuped. “Don’t be nervous. Just do your job comfortably.”
“T-t-thank you!”
Oh no, I’m going to choke.
* * *
The commotion Crow’s Duke started spread like wildfire. “Hey! Ten years later and the Grand Duke finally shows up, and he cuts off that baron’s two fingers just like that?!”
“Hm? Not fingers— wrists, right? They said wrists over there!”
“Shut up! People are saying he cut an arm!”
Rumors always grow bigger the more mouths they pass through. “Hey, could you tell us what happened again? The Grand Duke?!”
“Haha, you. What did you do today that you still haven’t heard? The Grand Duke quelled a certain infamous baron!”
It didn’t take long for fingers to become wrists, and wrists to become arms, all the way to necks. Later, when Crow’s Duke heard the inflated rumors, he walked around with a grim face. “What the— Who the hell spread that nonsense?! I never did anything like that!”
* * *