Chapter 25
Chapter 25
“Can you handle it—”
The reason Ophelienne could say something so arrogant to someone as powerful as Inspector Nikolai, one of the top authorities in Porca, was simple.
She knew exactly where she stood.
First of all, both she and Matios were direct descendants of the prestigious Moretti family.
One of them would become the next head of the house. That weight was anything but light.
If Nikolai recklessly laid a hand on them without understanding the situation, the Moretti family wouldn’t stay silent.
But the biggest reason was the Empire.
The current Emperor had long been waiting for a justification to bring Porca under his control.
Now imagine this:
“What if an incident breaks out where ‘a Republic inspector forcibly interrogated an Imperial noble who was a victim’?”
It would cause chaos.
The Emperor, who had been waiting for an opportunity to intervene in Porca, would never let that slip.
He would definitely step in.
In fact, preparations might already be underway behind the scenes.
In other words—
The moment Nikolai made a careless move against Matios, he would end up dragging even the Emperor into it.
Ophelienne understood that perfectly.
That was why she stood her ground without giving even an inch.
“…What a sly little snake. Is she really nineteen?”
Inspector Nikolai clicked his tongue as he looked at her.
Her colorless eyes stared at him—calm, yet relentlessly sharp.
That wasn’t the gaze of a teenager.
It was the gaze of a cunning fox.
“…I should back off for now.”
Nikolai decided to withdraw cleanly.
He had only provoked Matios to see if there was anything to gain.
So he poked once—
And found a hornet’s nest.
Push any further, and he’d be the one in trouble.
For now, retreating was the smart choice.
“Well then, it seems I’ve been rather rude. Young masters of the Moretti family, I hope you understand I meant no harm. It appears Matios is in no condition today, so we shall speak another time. Please, get some rest.”
Nikolai’s gaze shifted to Matios, who was hiding in his sister’s arms like a coward.
“…The sister is dangerous, but the younger one looks weak. Easy to manipulate.”
He even looks gullible.
Just how much could he squeeze out of the Moretti family?
With pleasant thoughts in mind, Nikolai tipped his feathered hat in farewell and left the room.
“Pathetic.”
As soon as he was gone, Ophelienne spoke.
“He’s the type who pokes around looking for scraps to pick at. Not an inspector—just a hyena.”
“What should we do?”
“What do you mean? Ignore him. Someone like that wouldn’t dare touch us. He doesn’t even have the guts.”
Ophelienne gently brushed her hand over her worried brother’s face.
“Remember this, Matty. We are the glorious Moretti family. There’s nothing here for you to fear. You’re someone of a higher standing.”
With that, she stood and draped her white fur cloak over her shoulders.
“See you at the academy.”
And she left.
Alone, Matios stared blankly into the air before looking up at the ceiling.
I always thought I was weak.
Even if I was born into a prestigious family, I was just an adopted child with diluted blood—someone with no real authority. A useless existence.
But after seeing my sister today, I realized something.
“…A noble is still a noble, huh.”
I finally understood my position.
My sister was the Crown Prince’s fiancée.
My father was the greatest mage in the Empire.
There was no need to worry about someone like an inspector.
I went to Yuri’s room, following where my body led me.
It was right next door.
Unlike me, Yuri was physically fine.
She had been poisoned, but she hadn’t suffered any serious injuries.
She was sitting on her bed, wrapped tightly in a blanket, reading a children’s storybook.
I glanced at the cover.
“The Three Bear Brothers.”
…That brings back memories.
I used to enjoy that when I was younger.
Of course, now that I was seventeen, I was far removed from children’s books.
Though sometimes, I still picked one up for nostalgia.
Anyway—
“Yuri.”
She turned her head calmly to look at me.
The book remained open on her lap.
“I was going to visit you, but someone else was there, so I didn’t.”
“That was my sister.”
“Your sister?”
“Yeah. My sister.”
“Your female sibling?”
“…Yes. My female sibling.”
“I don’t have any siblings.”
“I see.”
“I don’t have parents either.”
“…..”
Where exactly is this conversation going?
Her face didn’t change at all.
It felt like I was talking to a doll with no emotions.
“…Well, I guess it can’t be helped.”
Considering her past, it wasn’t surprising.
“I’m sorry.”
Yuri lowered her head.
“You got hurt because of me. Those assassins were targeting me.”
“Yeah, that seemed to be the case.”
“You’re not angry?”
“Why would I be angry at you? It’s those bastards’ fault.”
She was the victim.
I wasn’t messed up enough to blame her.
“But… why did you save me?”
“What, was I supposed to leave you and run?”
“Yes. If it were me, I would have.”
You crazy woman.
You just say that so casually?
I let out a small laugh.
“I’m not as messed up as you. I don’t abandon people and run.”
“Anyway… you seem fine, so that’s good.”
“Matios, you’re kind.”
“Anyway, since you’re fine, I’ll go.”
“…Hey. Aren’t you curious?”
Just as I was about to leave, Yuri spoke softly.
“About why this happened?”
“Not really. I’ll get going.”
“I’ll explain it later at school.”
“I said I’m not interested.”
“I’ll send you a message. Let’s meet there.”
I said I’m not interested, damn it.
…In the end, I agreed to meet her.
I returned to the academy.
Under the excuse of recovery, I took time to rest.
The professors understood my situation and marked it as medical leave.
And as expected—
The Empire moved.
“Imperial noble attacked in Porca’s Thorn Forest”
“What is the cause of Porca’s weak administration and security?”
“What was the Porca Academy doing?”
Imperial media immediately seized the story.
They emphasized that I was clearly a victim and focused heavily on the incompetence of both the academy and Porca.
They questioned how a student could be openly attacked and severely injured at the so-called world’s greatest educational institution.
The academy tried to contain the situation, but the flames of media outrage didn’t die down easily.
Once ignited, the anger stirred the pride of the Empire’s citizens.
And so, the Emperor—
“Reluctantly,” under the justification of responding to public opinion—
Announced plans to dispatch Imperial troops to Porca.
The scale?
A full division of about ten thousand regular soldiers.
The Porca council immediately opposed it.
As a neutral nation, they would never accept foreign troops.
But when the Imperial army advanced to Porca’s outskirts and set up camp—
Everything changed.
Soon, other nations began to move as well.
Powerful countries like Charlan and Hispania pressured the Empire.
Even the Pope himself stepped forward and openly condemned the Emperor.
Porca was the center of the continent.
If it fell into the Empire’s hands, the balance of power would collapse.
Tensions escalated rapidly.
But it didn’t last long.
With the Pope’s involvement, the Emperor eventually withdrew his forces.
However, he left a clear message:
“If such an incident happens again, the Empire will always be ready to intervene.”
“…A great emperor really is something else.”
I recalled Emperor Friedrich.
The first time I saw him inspecting the knights, I was so scared I started crying.
I still remembered what he said.
“Stop crying. Am I your mother?”
Back then, I thought it was indifference.
Now I knew—
It was contempt.
He admired strength.
And despised weakness.
A man who unified a fractured empire and reclaimed a stolen throne after centuries—
There was a reason he was compared to the founding emperor.
“…This is basically staged.”
On the surface, it looked like the Empire backed down.
But they had already gained what they wanted.
The Emperor never expected success in one move.
This incident was just groundwork.
Next time something happened, the Empire would have a legitimate reason to intervene without hesitation.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Shu.”
As I lay wrapped in blankets, a small fairy fluttered toward me.
“How is it? This is where I’ll be staying. Nice, right?”
“There’s no good or bad. It’s just… fascinating. The last time I was here, it was an empty field. Now there’s a building.”
Shu flew around the room.
After 1500 years in the forest, everything must seem amazing to her.
“What’s this?”
“A lantern. Like a torch that never goes out.”
“And this?”
“A fountain pen.”
“Can I try it?”
“Go ahead.”
She struggled to lift the pen, which was bigger than her body.
“…Huff… it’s too heavy.”
She dropped it before she could write.
“Hmm… what’s this? It looks strange.”
This time, she picked up a pistol.
“That’s a gun.”
“A gun?”
“Think of it as a stronger version of a bow.”
“Stronger than magic?”
“Stronger than low-level magic. The advantage is that anyone can use it.”
“Ooh…”
She examined it with curiosity.
After flying around in fascination, she gently landed on my shoulder.
“But Matios… why is your star so small?”
“…You can see that?”
“I can’t not see it. Your star… it’s not even one.”
“Then help me. I want to grow it, but I have no idea how.”
“Of course. You’re the most interesting human I’ve met in a long time.”
Shu flew in front of my face and lightly pressed my nose.