Chapter 246
Chapter 246
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 246
Chapter Title: 94. The Mage's Desire (2)
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"Such a thing happened, huh."
After finishing his conversation with Eina, Jared relayed to Yuri what had gone down earlier between the knights—the tense exchange of glares.
Yuri nodded.
"The Empire's exchange students, you say?"
"Yes."
"Good."
"Pardon?"
But Yuri didn't show any sign of displeasure.
"We should accept what's good. The Empire's knight academy is more systematic than Brioll's, so we can introduce new training methods through them."
"Sure, but they picked a fight with us."
"Isn't that just par for the course with knights?"
"Aren't you pissed? Those guys—after Your Highness exposed the Empire for falling into black magic—they're Brioll knights who've sipped some imperial water, showing their hostility like that. They've practically become Empire knights now!"
"Jared. They're just ignorant. We can't punish ignorance."
"That's not like you, Your Highness..."
"I forgive ignorance. But incompetence? That's unforgivable!"
Hernando, who had been listening quietly, jumped in surprise and looked at Yuri. Marie Rose pointed at him and burst out laughing.
"Ignorance and incompetence! If someone's got both, that's the worst!"
Yuri then pointed at Tirbo.
"Tirbo!"
"Yes!"
"You'll be the one to personally dish out the humiliation to those guys. Got it?"
"Humiliation? Uh, how?"
"Just beat them with your sword."
Tirbo's eyes went wide as he tilted his head. He scratched the back of his head, putting on a slightly dim-witted expression.
"Hey, isn't it not really humiliating when a weak knight loses to a strong one? Hehe..."
Jared clutched his chest at Tirbo's casually tossed-out words.
"Urk..."
"Feel that, Jared?"
"Yes. My god. That'll be the greatest humiliation of their knightly lives."
"Exactly."
Tirbo still looked clueless.
"Tirbo. Have you ever studied abroad?"
"Nope. Hehe..."
"Expensive private swordsmanship tutor?"
"Nah. Should I?"
"How'd you learn, then?"
"Just bought a swordsmanship manual from a bookstore and..."
"See? This Tirbo here's proof of raw talent's difference."
"Hehe..."
Indeed.
Tirbo was a genius.
Not some outlier like Yuri, but while others got private tutors and studied at the Empire's knight academy, he'd reached his current level swinging a sword alone with just books. The guy had exceptional aptitude.
"The count's son self-taught?"
"Our family's not really known for swordsmanship..."
"The Romance family are the brains type, not the sword type."
"Huh? Brains? No way."
The Romance Count family that Tirbo belonged to wasn't famous for swordsmanship at all. That's why he was seen as the odd one out even in his own house.
Tirbo grinned confidently. Though it didn't exactly inspire belief.
"Sir Jared. I'm smart, you know. Hehe..."
"Don't lie."
"It's true."
"For real?"
"Yes."
"Fine. You..."
Jared quizzed him.
"24 times 56?"
"1344."
The answer came before Jared even finished. Jared's eyes shook.
"18 times 75?"
"1350."
Tirbo's face was serene.
Jared fired off more in shocked succession.
"144 times 754?"
"108576."
"441 times 553?"
"243873."
"Y-You're actually calculating right? You're not just spouting random numbers...?"
"Check for yourself."
"This guy...!"
Jared tried scribbling on paper to verify, but crumpled it up when he forgot the numbers he'd just said.
Tirbo helpfully reminded him.
"144 times 754, and 441 times 553. My answers were 108576 and 243873..."
"Shut it!"
"Hehe..."
Yuri, watching the scene, nodded soon enough.
The picture was becoming clear.
Yuri spoke up.
"Jared. Why do you think the exchange students were glaring at you guys?"
"'Cause they don't like Your Highness?"
"Not wrong, but dig deeper—it's desire."
"Desire?"
"Humans want to prove their superiority."
"True enough."
"If it comes out that the Empire, as I said, is a rotten country toyed with by black magic, those exchange knights' pride in coming from Parsont goes straight in the trash. So they want to contradict me. That resentment got projected onto you guys."
"I see."
"It's a trait everyone has."
Yuri patted Tirbo's shoulder.
"I'm going to use it. Humiliating them comes later—for now, let's exploit their desire."
"Exploit their desire how?"
"By using those guys' desire to stoke the mage's desire."
"Pardon?"
With Eina's permission, Yuri summoned the exchange students.
Sending them abroad every year meant there were quite a few.
The Revenge Knights group—including Yuri, Hernando, and Marie Rose—totaled around fifteen, but gathering all the Parsont Knight Academy alumni doubled that.
But the Revenge Knights weren't tense at all.
"Why'd you call us?"
One exchange knight stepped forward. Even facing Yuri, whose fame rang across the continent, his attitude was downright rude.
The Revenge Knights on standby bristled.
"Hey, watch your tone."
"Tone? If you think my tone's off, spell it out specifically."
"This punk..."
Yuri calmed them down. Then he put on a mild expression.
"I called you because you studied in the Empire. Parsont alumni, right?"
"Yes."
"See, I've got a problem..."
Yuri feigned a troubled look.
"It's like..."
He struck the killer gesture he'd learned from Tirbo.
Mouth half-open, scratching the back of his head.
Even the great Yuri's aura of arrogance faded, replaced by a somehow lacking impression.
He couldn't quite pull off the "hehe," but kept the pose and continued.
"I-I thought alumni like you could help..."
"Ah, yes. Of course. Hahaha..."
The exchange knights instinctively puffed up at Yuri's Tirbo impression.
"Leave it to us. We'll handle it. Empire matters are best known by those who've lived there."
"Thanks. The Tower Master won't see us. Go talk to him. Tell him the Empire's using black magic."
"Black magic?"
The exchange knights exchanged glances, then smirked and nodded.
"Got it. We'll deliver the message properly."
"Appreciate it. You guys!"
Yuri beamed and shook hands with him.
"Let's go right now."
"Now?"
"Yeah. Unless it's tough? No time later..."
"No, let's go. The Magic Tower's in Mattehorn anyway. We'll guide you since you don't know the way. Hahaha..."
The exchange knights ignored the Revenge Knights' sharp glares and took the lead.
Jared asked Yuri.
"Your Highness. You okay with this?"
"Why not?"
"They're looking down on you."
"No adult gets mad at a kid showing off. That's all they are to me."
"Ooh..."
"Let's see if they move as I intend. Head out."
"Yes."
The exchange knights and Yuri's Revenge Knights soon headed for the Magic Tower at Mattehorn's center.
It was called a tower, but from outside, it looked like a sturdy mansion.
Once inside, Hernando and Marie Rose took over guiding.
The two headed to the top floor and cast a spell together. An arch-shaped pattern appeared on a blank wall, forming a real door.
Hernando explained.
"This is the audience chamber to meet the Tower Master. If he agrees to an audience, you'll meet him."
"Really?"
"For reference, even when Marie Rose and I called, he didn't show..."
As Yuri instructed, Hernando half-opened his mouth and scratched his head. Suddenly, even he looked like an incompetent mage. Truly an amazing gesture.
The exchange knights said.
"So we just go in there?"
"Yes. Persuade the Tower Master in the audience chamber. That the Empire's deep into black magic."
"Alright. We'll give it a shot."
The exchange knights opened the door and filed in. Over twenty vanished in an instant.
The door closed.
Yuri turned to Hernando.
"You said you've been working hard—not just camping in the audience chamber grumbling, right?"
"Of course. Every magical investigation possible."
"Good."
"By the way, Your Highness."
Hernando eyed the audience chamber entrance worriedly.
"How the hell are those knights gonna persuade the Tower Master? They'll probably just badmouth you and praise the Empire."
"That's exactly it."
"Pardon?"
"You and Marie Rose approached too innocently."
Hernando blinked at Yuri's words.
"Me, innocent?"
Marie Rose, meanwhile, winked.
"His Highness is right. I'm so innocent I know nothing?"
Hernando furrowed his brow at her. Marie Rose jutted her chin defiantly, as if to say "What're you looking at?"
"What?"
"Looking at an innocent person."
"Don't. It'll wear out."
"I'll look less."
As the two bickered, Yuri sighed and continued explaining.
"Anyway, humans have an irresistible desire. Mages especially have a particularly fatal one. Know what it is?"
"What?"
"It's..."
Yuri raised his brows.
"The desire to retort to stupid statements."
The exchange knights opened the door and strode straight into the audience chamber. Unlike from outside, it was surprisingly spacious inside. Somehow, chairs matching their numbers were prepared.
They sat one by one.
Opposite them sat a table with a crystal orb and a lavish single chair, but an invisible barrier prevented crossing.
One knight spoke up.
"So, we just talk here and the Tower Master or whoever shows?"
"Probably. He's listening through that crystal orb, right?"
"Hmm."
They exchanged glances.
The exchange knights had never intended to go along with Yuri's plan from the start. Fond of the Empire, they didn't believe in black magic at all. They figured Yuri was colluding with other nations to slander it.
One knight said.
"Tower Master. You listening?"
"......"
"Let me tell you. Black magic doesn't exist. Our prince must've seen wrong—black magic isn't some evil thing anyway, right? It's just a branch of magic. I know a bit about magic. What is magic? Using mana from great nature! With a mage's will! To create miracles!"
"Ooh..."
"Not bad, this guy."
The other knights clapped at his words.
"Please scold our clueless prince who's babbling nonsense. We beg you!"
As he wrapped up, another knight chimed in.
"He's right. Black magic? Human sacrifice? Total conspiracy theory. Haha, how do you get magic from that? Magic can't form without pure mana, right? Clean mana from great nature! Only a beautiful, kind soul with a good heart can power magic—I learned that as a kid!"
"You from the prodigy program?"
"This guy's too good for a knight."
"Right! Gotta have a kind heart to use magic!"
"My nanny told me that too as a kid."
"Was your nanny a secret mage?"
"These guys..."
The crystal orb on the opposite table vibrated faintly, but the knights, drunk on their own words, noticed nothing.