Chapter 317
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 317
Chapter Title: Lesson 62. Change - 2
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The final exams were incredibly dull.
Full Professor Thalia Liliana Campanella hadn't recovered from the wounds she sustained during the Union invasion, so all artifact-related exams were replaced with assignments.
And Xenon, who had inflicted not only physical but also severe mental trauma on Professor Campanella, had vanished without a trace, just like everyone else. As a result, Babylon and Constellations—one of the most anticipated subjects in the final evaluations—was outright canceled.
The problems weren't limited to the professors, though.
The top contender Dokgo Yeon had gone missing, and Lucein Ortima, heir to one of the Ten Great Families, never returned.
He probably had no intention of quitting the Academy altogether... but Ban Yu-won, who knew Lucein harbored feelings for Dokgo Yeon, couldn't help worrying about his future path.
In the end, with the practical final exam for first-year top spot, the only real rivals left were Ban Yu-won and Aire.
"I forfeit."
"You're really doing this?"
"A dragon's power never turns against a friend."
Even Aire threw in the towel pathetically right before facing off against Ban Yu-won.
She'd seemed a bit different since the Xenon subjugation—like a subtle change in her demeanor.
Maybe from interacting with the dragon child soldiers still bearing traces of the true dragon? Or gaining experience handling breath attacks linked with Asha?
Or perhaps something she felt during her clash with Xenon?
She'd always been obsessed with her identity as a dragon, but it felt even more intense now.
"Aire... if you have any worries, come talk to me anytime. Got it?"
"I'd be the one wanting to counsel you."
Meanwhile, her feelings toward Ban Yu-won seemed to escalate day by day.
She'd always been hard to read due to her stoic expression, but now her face clearly reflected her heart as she gazed at him.
"If it's tough, lean on me anytime. I can do better than Asha."
"Asha would get mad if she heard, but yeah. I'll ask you then."
"On that note, I have a proposal."
After the match ended anticlimactically with Aire's forfeit, she gripped his hand tightly and spoke cautiously.
"I want to join Rebellion..."
"Aire."
"Let's climb the tower together. I want to stay by your side."
She no longer mentioned joining Class 11.
But this was an even bigger ask—abandoning Rebellion's year-long tower exploration record to start from Room 1 with her.
First-years from different classes could form teams freely anyway, and Aire, the lone wolf of the Special Class, wouldn't care about the stares from other Special Class members, so teaming up was feasible.
"Aire."
"To be honest."
She squeezed his hand tighter and continued.
"I have this conviction that I won't see it through without being by your side."
"You know we've climbed to Room 300 already? Teaming with you means restarting from Room 1."
"If I join your team, I can make up for that loss quickly."
Yeah, she probably could.
Aire had showcased her absurd abilities even more during this expedition.
Though... she hadn't shone much against Xenon, but then again, no one had except Dokgo Yeon and Shati.
No matter how he weighed it, Aire's proposal was flawless.
Yet Ban Yu-won hesitated to respond.
It felt like Aire was filling Dokgo Yeon's empty spot.
'Of course, to rescue Yeon, I need a strong ally to climb the tower with me no matter what. Even if we climb without Aire as a trio, those records would mean nothing after we save Yeon anyway—no real loss.'
Yeah, rationally, he knew that.
But his heart, still holding onto Dokgo Yeon, rejected it.
It was overassigning meaning to her absence and harshly pushing away Aire for trying to step in.
"—Hoo."
Ban Yu-won took a deep breath and cast those feelings aside.
This was all for saving Dokgo Yeon—nothing else.
No time for weak escapism.
"Alright, looking forward to it. Aire, welcome to Rebellion."
"Yu-won...!"
Her eyes sparkled at his firm answer as she stepped closer.
Ban Yu-won now knew her feelings for him went far beyond friendship.
Right now, he was just grateful—and sorry.
He'd lost too much; there was no room in his heart for anyone else yet.
He tried not to show it as he spoke.
"Good thing we settled it now. Let's show our stuff in the two-week long expedition right after finals."
"I'm thrilled... So thrilled."
Had she been anxious about rejection despite pushing so hard? The noble dragon girl's eyes even welled up with tears.
Ban Yu-won held her hand back and offered an awkward smile.
The news reached Rebellion's honorary members, Mira and Shati, that very day.
Mira had never hated being Ban Yu-won's senior more than in that moment.
"I wanted to climb the tower with him too... What if that lizard wags her tail at my man?"
"What else? It just makes our harem stronger."
Mira glared at Shati's innocent reply, but she seemed utterly unfazed.
Maybe because she'd awakened annihilation magic thanks to Ban Yu-won, then gained so much from her fierce battle with Xenon—the senior master of it—overwhelming rivals like Mira and claiming top spot in third year.
"Shati, where'd you pick up that beastkin mindset?"
"Lucelle—."
"Wait, hold on. Did you just say 'our harem'?"
"Slip of the tongue—."
"...Shati?"
Right after finals ended, Ban Yu-won met with Ulrike Prominence as promised.
She'd wanted to return to the Academy and see him immediately, but he'd refused throughout—unable to face anyone after losing Dokgo Yeon... until now, when he finally had some mental leeway.
"Welcome, Master Yu-won."
"Master?"
"You're the family head's brother; this is how I should address you."
Ulrike seemed remarkably detached upon reuniting—what was the word? Transcendent.
Her arrogance and bravado had washed away completely.
Her pride as heir to one of the Ten Great Families had shattered against the rightful usurper Ban Yu-mi, replaced by affection and loyalty toward Ban Yu-won.
She knew she was in a twisted state now, but she loved this new self.
Losing the lifelong burden of heirship had lightened her heart immensely too.
"Please, have a seat. There's so much to tell you about the changes in Prominence."
"I don't really need to know that."
"You do. Unless the family head marries, you're the top candidate for next head—and even without that, as her brother, you're the highest-ranking in the family."
"And you?"
"I'm Master Yu-won's accessory."
Ulrike smiled softly as she said it.
"Thank you for thinking of me. But I'm happy now."
Mm. Ban Yu-won groaned inwardly.
She was stunningly beautiful, but her haughty attitude had always ruined it—now she was finally utilizing her looks properly, making his heart race.
If the Dokgo Yeon in his imagination hadn't glared daggers, his thoughts might've veered dangerously.
"First, here's this quarter's financial statement. Thankfully, the family head succession battle didn't impact operations much. A few families unilaterally terminated contracts, but they'll come around soon. Word will spread that this family head is stronger and bolder than the previous one across all Ten Great Dimensions."
The Prominence financials she handed him left Ban Yu-won slack-jawed.
He'd thought running YouTube's top-earning channel made him untouchable, but that notion crumbled instantly upon seeing this quarter's net profit.
The scale of the money alone exceeded imagination—and astonishingly, this was just one quarter's earnings.
Four quarters a year... multiplied by four...!
"This is just the business sector isolated. We earn plenty from non-business sources too. I've compiled the data here; take a look..."
With every document Ulrike pulled out, Ban Yu-won grew more terrified.
No wonder— if Prominence was this loaded, what about the universe's richest, the Melodia family?
Now he understood why they casually whipped out insane artifacts during crises, smashed them, and never went bankrupt.
"Next, the family forces operations and management report. As you know—not your fault at all, but many soldiers and direct lineage combatants died or were injured in the succession battle. Thanks to the Life Candies you sent, even the critically wounded recovered fully, preventing major losses, but..."
"It's become a four-letter proper noun... Anyway, they've really thinned out."
As Ban Yu-won read silently, Ulrike hurriedly added.
"But under the family head's command, we've reorganized. Numbers are down, but quality surpasses the previous era."
"Thanks to the Inextinguishable Flame's power?"
"Exactly. Our family was sustained by the Inextinguishable Flame and the Constellations' backing. But the Constellations were merely enemies trying to suppress and devour it... Now that they've vanished and the Flame has regained its full power, enhancing every member's innate abilities, everyone's growth rate is overwhelmingly faster."
Not for nothing is it the family head's authority, huh.
Ban Yu-won nodded, feeling the Flame—Crimson Blaze—burning within him too.
He sensed it growing on its own.
He'd thought it was from intense skinship with his sister, but apparently not.
"At this rate, we'll fully restore our forces soon and even aim for top among the Ten Great Families. We can surely support whatever you wish to do, Master Yu-won."
"You're working hard with Sis. Thanks."
"Th-thank you? It's just... what I'm supposed to do."
She'd changed so much—was her brain tampered with or something?
Ban Yu-won stared at her head with that rude suspicion, but Ulrike blushed and bowed her head, misinterpreting.
"If there's... anything you desire from me, just say it anytime. I'll gladly..."
"No, that's fine. Sorry, not the time for that."
"Ah."
Realizing her mistake, Ulrike bowed deeper.
"I'm sorry, truly."
"It's okay, really. And... tell Sis too. It's not her fault, so she can contact me without worry."
Knowing Ban Yu-mi's personality, she'd have messaged that very night if he'd returned to Union straight away—but ever since someone must've informed her of Dokgo Yeon's death, no contact.
She might be blaming herself, thinking he lost a teammate from overexerting to help her.
One could think that looking at the sequence—but how could Dokgo Yeon's death be Ban Yu-mi's fault?
Recalling his sister—tough exterior, delicate heart—Ban Yu-won smiled bitterly.
"Got it, I'll tell her... And."
Ulrike lifted her head cautiously.
"Even without the oath, I want to help you always... Anytime, just say the word."
"...Yeah, Senior."
"How...!"
A slender smile curved her lips, but hating to show her crumbling expression, she hastily fanned her mouth with a fan.
Her crescent-moon eyes still betrayed her heart.
Ban Yu-won sighed inwardly at how heavy everyone's affections felt, but as first-year top student, he didn't forget his duty.
"Congrats on topping the year."
"I feel bad for her. She grew so much this year. Must be because you raised her."
Kshana, second-year star of his club Union Expedition.
Her sound-manipulation authority had advanced astonishingly; she boldly challenged Ulrike, got thoroughly beaten, and settled for second in second year.
An absurd achievement that made him reevaluate Special Admissions.
"Next year, more Special Admissions students will come. The stares they'll get will be worlds apart. First-year top and second-year runner-up are Special Admissions, after all."
"Probably."
Come to think of it, improving Special Admissions' image was one of the club's goals.
Feeling a twinge of disillusionment at his own indifference now, Ban Yu-won smiled bitterly.
And the following Monday.
The last first-year tower expedition approached.