Chapter 156
Chapter 156
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 156
>Chapter Title: Horde of Evil? Unbowed
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After arriving in Hazen.
The first thing I did after receiving the Heavenly Origin Art paper from Parun was to meet with Library Director Teheman senior.
“It took you quite a while. Did everything go well on your trip?”
“Yes, thanks to your concern.”
I apologized for being later than planned, explained my upcoming trip to the Blandoga estate, and asked for his understanding.
Fortunately, Teheman senior supported the trip without any objections.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely free.
“I prepared these just in case, and it looks like they’ll come in handy after all.”
“This is…….”
A bundle of parchment nearly a handspan thick.
When I asked in bewilderment, a proud smile spread across Teheman senior’s face.
“I can’t let Rapiter’s books leave the premises, so I selected a few and summarized them. It’s not as good as reading the originals, but better than nothing.”
Who else is this meticulously prepared?
“By the way, I’ll give you a simple test when you get back. So, make sure to study it thoroughly.”
“It’s bringing tears to my eyes.”
“From joy?”
“……Yes.”
And so, I received homework over my summer break that I never asked for.
After that, I contacted the Blandoga family using the communication orb Damian had left behind.
For some reason, it was Ransi who picked up instead of Damian, and she said she’d come to Hazen herself.
Then, for a few days, I holed up in the dorms avoiding Shine’s eyes while devouring Teheman senior’s assignment.
“Ugh.”
To meet Ransi, I sat in a quiet café in Hazen and stretched my stiff body.
With a bit of time left before our appointment, I peeked into Teheman senior’s summary, and my head throbbed like it was splitting open.
‘He expects me to memorize this?’
I’d underestimated it because it was a summary, but that was a huge mistake.
Sure, it was monstrously thick for a summary, but I figured it’d still be better than reading dozens of books.
White is paper, black is my future. In other words, it’s pitch dark ahead.
The individual words were familiar, but their combinations were incomprehensible. I was starting to doubt if these were even the letters I knew.
“Whew.”
I took a sip of coffee and tried to focus on the summary again when a voice came right then.
“Lord Aster, have I kept you waiting?”
“Oh, Ran…….”
I almost called her Ransi out of habit, but the words caught in my throat.
‘What did I used to call Ransi?’
I couldn’t remember.
When it was just me, I’d say Ransi this and Ransi that, but I wouldn’t have used casual speech.
Calling her Lady Ransi, Miss Ransi, or Ransi felt awkward on my tongue.
“You can call me whatever feels comfortable.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Then I’ll go order a drink.”
“Ah, yes.”
As reflexive honorifics spilled out, I thought to myself.
‘If it’s awkward to say, maybe I just shouldn’t say it?’
Yeah, that way there’d be no discomfort.
With the naming issue settled for now, Ransi returned with her drink and took a seat across from me.
“How have you be…….”
“Let me catch my breath. I just stepped out of the warp gate. Please excuse me.”
“Ah, yes.”
Awkward silence.
It didn’t last long before Ransi spoke.
“If you’re asking how I’ve been, I’ve been well enough.”
“Ah, yes.”
“And you, Lord Aster? Have you been well?”
“Yes.”
“That’s a relief, then. However, the reason I came to see you today is to ask for your understanding on a certain matter.”
“……?”
Ransi straightened her posture.
I couldn’t help tilting my head at the sight, but she soon opened her mouth.
“One of the vassal families is raising an issue regarding your enrollment at the academy.”
Now?
It had already been several months since I enrolled.
And back then, there hadn’t been any noise about it.
Even if there had been, I wouldn’t have known, but if there was trouble, Bianca wouldn’t have pushed me into the academy in the first place.
‘No matter how promising I seemed, she wouldn’t stir up chaos just to force it through.’
“The reason I came to see you today is actually to inform you of this situation and…….”
Amid my growing doubts about the bizarre circumstances, Ransi’s voice rang in my ears.
“How about postponing your visit to the main estate until next time?”
* * *
For now, I sat calmly and sorted through the situation.
It wasn’t shocking so much as utterly absurd.
First question.
“Does it even make sense for a vassal family to challenge my academy enrollment?”
A vassal family is just that—a vassal family.
They might have some say in Blandoga matters, but questioning the matriarch’s decision was out of the question.
Only then did Ransi begin to reveal the full story behind it.
In short, here’s what happened.
“Officially, Lord Aster, you’re registered as a ward of the Blandoga family.”
However, unlike typical wards who become bound to the family after graduation, you bear no obligations.
In other words, it’s simply a relationship of goodwill.
“Did you know? At the academy, you’re registered as a Blandoga ward. And at the end of the semester, your report card flew straight to the family.”
“And……?”
An ominous feeling washed over me.
‘Report card? Oh right…… there was such a thing.’
I’d completely forgotten.
But wait. I didn’t do that badly, did I?
That’s when Ransi drove the nail in.
“You missed the interpersonal combat evaluation. And you had a few absences.”
“…….”
“The report cards sent to sponsors include detailed information not shown to students, like study habits. And in yours…….”
Gulp.
“The incident with the Doranpega second son was a big one.”
“So…….”
“Yes, several elders at the main estate, including some key figures, raised issues about your study habits—especially the trouble with the Doranpega second son.”
In other words, I’d given them an opening.
Ransi moistened her lips with coffee and continued calmly.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of the problems.
“I didn’t mention it to avoid worrying you, but there have been other stories about your conduct.”
More?
As I voiced my doubt, Ransi calmly listed out the big and small issues.
“When Young Master Damian returned to the main estate, he started swearing.”
“No, he’s how old and swearing is just…….”
“It happens, sure. But the point is, he never did before. ‘Damn it,’ ‘goddamn,’ ‘rotten’—he sprinkled in all sorts of curses at the perfect moments.”
The nursemaid who’d raised him since childhood fainted at the sight.
‘……What?’
He never acted like that at the academy.
“Of course, I don’t think this is entirely your fault, Lord Aster. Kids pick up bad habits from peers sometimes; it’s natural. But.”
……There’s more?
“Do you remember Blood, Sweat, Tears?”
“Blood…… Sweat, Tears?”
“Maybe Dragon Statue rings a bell? The one designed with thousands of scales and even a mouth that breathes fire.”
“……Ah.”
The dragon statue came to mind instantly.
But wait.
“Was it No. 1? No. 2?”
“It was No. 2, but with No. 1 scrapped, the dragon statue became No. 1.”
Congrats on the promotion—no, that’s not the point.
The numbering wasn’t important right now.
“But why would that…….”
“I didn’t plan to show you this far, but please wait a moment.”
Ransi’s hand dipped into her subspace pouch and emerged with a stack of documents.
She flipped to the back and handed it to me.
“This is…….”
“The final budget proposal for Blood, Sweat, Tears No. 1. It even got the matriarch’s approval.”
“…….”
One, ten, hundred……
I counted the zeros on the budget and shook my head in despair.
“This can’t be…….”
“You think it’s impossible. Good. But according to Young Master Damian, you’re the one who planned Blood, Sweat, Tears No. 1?”
What? Me?
“I heard you wrote the proposal.”
“…….”
Come to think of it, I remembered.
I’d thrown in everything under the sun thinking, ‘No way this all gets approved.’
Wait, hold on.
“But that was…….”
“You didn’t think it would pass?”
“……Yes.”
“Lord Aster, Young Master Damian is the Blandoga young patriarch.”
That one sentence made everything click.
I’d written it as a joke, but the servants took it seriously…… and now blood, sweat, and tears were real—
“Did the matriarch really approve all that?”
“Yes, she promised she would.”
“Even if it was a promise, common sense…….”
“This is Blandoga.”
The common sense of a prestigious house differs greatly from mine.
“And it wasn’t without cuts. The pond project was scrapped due to budget. They originally wanted to scrap the statue too…… but you chose the dragon statue, right, Lord Aster?”
“…….”
“I was shocked. A statue more expensive than building a pond.”
At this point, I was speechless.
I could only hang my head, unable to even say sorry.
“Well, this part is actually fine. To be precise, when we erected a statue in the Blandoga territory square before, it drew tourists. Long-term projections say the budget can be recouped. However…….”
However?
“The initial shock was too much. The administrators panicked and even sent petitions to the elders. The elders passed them to the matriarch.”
“What did they…….”
“Want to hear?”
I subtly shook my head at the question.
“No.”
“Good call.”
For the administrators, Blood, Sweat, Tears No. 1 must have been a nightmare. At least they interpreted it favorably.
Wait, but even so.
That didn’t justify a vassal family challenging my academy enrollment.
“But why the vassal family……?”
At my question, Ransi closed her eyes briefly.
“It’s not a typical vassal family.”
“Then……?”
When I probed gently, Ransi shook her head slightly.
“Telling you more would overstep my station.”
What? A vassal family that’s not a typical vassal family?
That’s when it hit me.
Ransi opened her eyes again and continued calmly.
“Anyway, the vassal family is using these as pretexts to challenge you, Lord Aster, but the situation will sort itself out soon.”
“How…….”
I closed my open mouth.
I knew it was a dumb question even as I thought it.
Excluding the patriarch, the matriarch’s authority was absolute, and she could crush this nonsense with sheer power.
No matter if it was an ‘atypical’ vassal family, that fact wouldn’t change.
It just needed a little time for a clean resolution.
In any case.
“If you visit Blandoga now, Lord Aster, the vassal family members will nitpick you for all sorts of reasons. Of course, they wouldn’t dare openly shame Young Master Damian’s guest…….”
“Noble bastards are sneaky like that; gotta give ‘em credit.”
“……?”
Oops, slip of the tongue.
“Ahem, plenty of ways to give petty jabs.”
“Yes, so I recommend postponing your visit at least until the vassal family members leave. Or until the situation clears up.”
“So that means…….”
“At least past the break.”
Hearing this, Damian’s phrase suddenly came to mind.
“What a load of bullshit.”
“……Pardon?”
“Damian calls situations like this ‘bullshit.’”
“What does that…….”
Seeing Ransi flustered for once, I declared confidently.
“I’m going. To Blandoga.”
True justice is forged in oppression.
‘Horde of evil?’
Unbowed.
No way in hell.