Chapter 214
Chapter 214
“Listen well! The Academy is facing an unprecedented crisis—!”
A battlefield can’t move without its soldiers.Luciana understood that better than anyone.Wielding her authority as student council president, she gathered the dormitory students, disguising her persuasion as a rousing speech.
‘Well, if it’s Luciana, she’ll handle it.’
Hadn’t she already pulled everyone out of despair in the student council building?With that natural charisma of hers, she had rallied those who’d already given up.She’d do the same again.
Which meant I had my own work to do.
To win this war, there were three conditions:
Strengthen our forces.
Weaken the enemy’s.
Hunt down Professor Marks, the mastermind behind all of this.
‘One step at a time.’
Of course, there were those even Luciana’s speech couldn’t move—people whose family power rivaled hers,and who were far too proud to bend the knee to anyone.
“…Brother, what is it this time?”
I approached one such person—the easiest of that stubborn bunch to persuade.
“Rene, you know as well as I do, I need the aid of a Saint.”
The holy symbol of the Nepisa Order.If she declared her official support for the student council, countless others would follow.And beyond that—her blessing alone made her worth recruiting.
“…How long are you planning to keep using me like this?!”
Predictable as ever, Rene flared up immediately.
…Though seeing her retreat step by step while shouting like that was a bit undignified.
“You say that, but following me around made you stronger, didn’t it?”“I don’t need that kind of growth! I almost died, twice! And you—are you seriously trying to use me, a Saint, without even paying me for it?!”
Clever little brat.Her brain had definitely caught up with her mouth—demanding compensation now, of all times.
“You don’t even have a choice, so why act coy?”“What do you mean I don’t?! I’m still a Saint, you know—!”
She pressed her hand dramatically to her chest, trying to assert her authority.I shut that down with a single sentence.
“You really think you—and that handful of devotees who follow you—can rescue the Third Prince on your own?”
At the mention of her “beloved,” her small lips pressed into a hard line.
“…What are you talking about?”“Lady Batory, the Third Prince wasn’t in the dormitory, was he?”“Aye. The dorms held heirs of many noble houses, but regrettably, no one of royal blood.”
From the shadows, my maid stepped out—staff in hand instead of her broom.Batory ran her tongue over a fang and continued.
“Saint, I can’t say I know for certain where he is… but I have a strong guess.”“Wh–where?!” Rene exclaimed. “I’ve been scouring the dorms for him!”“The most likely place would be that tiresome old headmaster’s quarters.”
Rene’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.“…Are you sure?”
If he wasn’t here, then all her efforts in the dorms had been for nothing.Naturally, irritation rose in her voice.
“No, I haven’t seen it myself. But you’ve heard the same rumors I have. I was assigned to guard the dormitory—yet not once did any of the royal brats show their faces. Even the young nobles of the ducal houses came to offer praise or gratitude at least once.”
A minimal courtesy to maintain appearances.For a royal not to do even that—it said everything.
“…Maybe it’s for safety! He could still be in a hidden room somewhere!”“Stop denying reality. I already unlocked and checked the Third Prince’s and the Crown Prince’s rooms myself. Not a single hidden space, not even a mouse hole.”
The security magic and locks had been a pain to unravel,but before the power of Truth, all were equal.
“And to add to that, that old professor who led the attack here hasn’t been seen for days.”“If you think about it, the enemy’s top priority must be someone of royal blood. Looks like your lord might be in trouble.”
So long as the Third Prince’s safety was in question,my dear little sister had no choice but to cooperate.
“…Then just promise me one thing.”“What?”“You have to rescue the Third Prince before the Crown Prince.”
Her demand was… not an easy one to grant.
‘Luciana’s fiancé is the Crown Prince, after all. It wouldn’t make sense for the Imperial faction to rescue someone else first.’
The one who could freely wield the radiant, prismatic aura and deal a decisive blow to the Calamity was the Crown Prince, Garon.By reason and by duty alike, he had priority.Rene knew that—hence why she was using it as leverage.
Still…
“Sure. That much I can do.”“R–really?”“You’re the one who asked, why are you surprised?”“It’s just… I thought my cold, selfish brother would refuse right away…”“You really don’t hold back, do you.”
As I shrugged, a mental voice reached me.
—Wait, Frostmane! Are you serious?!—What’s the problem?—By my understanding, the destined partner of the Hero’s descendant is the Crown Prince. Shouldn’t rescuing him come first? Why grant the Saint’s request so easily?
Why? Hah.
—Because all intelligent beings, even the rational ones, sometimes act irrationally.—So you admit you’re acting irrationally?—Exactly. I’m glad you understand.
Who told that idiot prince to get on my nerves?He can fend for himself.
‘Besides, the Third Prince already awakened his aura once, didn’t he?’
When he’d fought to save the Saint from the demons,his aura had shone with a brilliant rainbow light.
If nurtured properly, maybe he could even replace that arrogant Crown Prince one day.
“N–no takebacks!”“Of course not. I don’t break my promises.”“That’s ridiculous. You lie as easily as you breathe.”
Leaving my bratty, sharp-tongued little sister behind, I moved on to the next targets.
“Let’s see. Next are Luke Daimon and Theodore Treha. Hah, look at them—testing the waters like proper sons of dukes.”—Sometimes I wonder if you really fit in among humans at all. You never seem bound by their titles or manners… perhaps that’s the demon in you.“Haha, let’s call it that.”
Convincing the two heirs turned out easier than expected.
“…Truth be told, I’ve had my own doubts about my family’s orders. Haha! If it’s my good friend Hans asking, how could I refuse?”
Theodore Treha agreed on the spot.
“I’ve heard the rebels include knights from the western lands.”“Indeed. I hate to admit it, but the criminals who survived those harsh lands are formidable.”“Haha! That makes it all the more exciting. I wonder if they’re as sharp as your western swordsmanship—I’d love to find out.”
Whether it was loyalty to me or just a desire to test his skills, I couldn’t tell.Judging by the way he polished his sword, probably the latter.
“Don’t get your hopes too high. Most of them aren’t at my level.”“Haha, I’m aware! No one matches the man who bested me! I just want to see it with my own eyes.”
And with that hearty laugh, Theodore was won over—at the cost of a sparring promise and a round of drinks.A cheap price for the influence of House Treha.
“…Sorry, but I’ll have to decline.”
Luke, however, was a tougher nut to crack.
A leading figure among the noble faction, with both magical and strategic talent—an invaluable ally if I could sway him.
“A good merchant watches the flow of the times. With the outcome still uncertain, choosing sides now is a poor investment.”
So he refused to commit first.To persuade him, I’d have to offer something worth his while.
“There’s a storm brewing in the South—the Beast Calamity still stirs.”
The man gathering beastkin, seeking to burn the World Tree,swelling his power with each passing day.
Walls, knights, mercenaries, elven archers—none of that would be enough when the Calamity came.
“…Hmm. And your point?”“When that crisis comes, I’ll lend my full strength to your aid.”
He drummed his fingers on the desk, as if running calculations in his head.“…That’s a promise for some distant future. What assurance do I have? For all I know, you might turn your back when the day comes.”“You want collateral, then?”
He nodded.“That’s the basis of any deal.”
Collateral, huh.I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“The form doesn’t matter. A contract, a physical token—anything that can convince me, and my father, that your word is worth something.”“…I see.”
Then I’ve got just the thing.
I rested my chin on my interlocked hands atop his desk.“You said the form doesn’t matter, correct?”“…Ho? And what will you offer?”“What could I possibly pawn? I’ll offer my tongue instead.”
In other words—a verbal promise.
Luke’s brow furrowed deeply.
“…Go on, then. Let’s hear it.”“You seem to forget, Lord Luke—collateral is for merchants. We are nobles.”
Nobles live and die by honor, not by contract.
“Neither Lady Luciana nor I are the sort to live in debt. We’re not merchants.”“…”“If you grant us this favor, we’ll repay it. No matter what stands in the way—even if it’s the Calamity itself. Wouldn’t you expect no less from those of noble blood?”
If you can’t trust me, then trust Luciana.Unlike me—she’s a noble of true integrity.
“…You know, you seem more like a merchant than a noble. Like me.”“I’ll take that as a compliment.”“Ha… A man like you, working as someone’s servant by choice—what a waste.”
With a wave of his hand, he exhaled softly, as though a weight had lifted.
“You’ve made your case. House Daimon will stand against the rebels.”“A wise decision.”“…Just keep your promise. The South still stands on the brink.”I nodded.
—He’s not wrong, you know. You really are more suited to trade than to thrones.—Heh. You say that knowing exactly what I am? You have a strange sense of humor.
Ignoring Batory’s jab, I moved on.
—So what now? You’ve already recruited all the key players.—Not quite. There’s one more—though not exactly to recruit.
Winning this war wasn’t only about strengthening allies.
—Lady Batory, the prisoner is secure?—Of course. As soon as we heard there were mages, the Hero’s descendant herself ordered it. Whatever talent he has, it pales next to mine.—Heh, of course. He’s still a fledgling.
Still, even fledglings can have dangerous influence.I raised my hand to the door before me, the Staff of Truth in my grip.
“Been a while, Ricky Serclaire.”“…Didn’t think you would be the first face I’d see here.”
A faint, cynical smile spread across Ricky Serclaire’s lips—an old enemy, bound to me by a long and bitter thread of fate.