After Aint Armian successfully concluded the negotiation, Fernan brought Tulwin Esrin under his custody to the villa of the first prince.
“I saw the recording. I appreciate that you extended your hand during Esrin’s peril.”
“The corrupted are enemies of humanity, I merely did what had to be done.”
“But… was it you who guided him?”
“Whom and about what, Your Highness?”
“About the negotiation. Does Aint owe it to you?”
Fernan received the tea served by a servant without even flinching.
“Why do you think that?”
“Because the impression Aint gave me when I first met him was different. Now he seems like another person.”
Fortunately, Ferant’s expression as he said it wasn’t exactly a negative one.
“At first I signed happily because the terms were reduced significantly, but thinking it over, I feel like I was tricked.”
That I allowed myself to fall for such a classic method I still have much to learn. The first prince clicked his tongue.
“Both demands were perfectly reasonable.”
“I know. Compared to what a civil war would’ve cost, this came out dozens of times cheaper.”
Though in truth, it wasn’t just a civil war—it would have also been a future where he himself died, something he couldn’t possibly know.
“So then, even if I felt tricked, I want to accept it gladly. If it allows for a smoother relationship with you and Aint, I’ll gladly pay.”
Whatever political turbulence came with it would be his responsibility. If he couldn’t even bear that, how could he hope to be king of a realm?
“I appreciate that view.”
Fernan and Ferant shook hands.
“Fernan Pellenberg…! I’ll never forgive you! I swear it!”
The furious Tulwin was finally handed over to Ferant.
“What will you do with the third prince?”
“With what he’s done, not even executing him now would be enough, but I can’t do that.”
“I understand.”
It was because of royal authority.
If it were revealed that a prince had sold out his own people to the corrupted to spark treason, the authority of Esrin’s royal family would plummet.
“But according to the record, you seemed quite used to fighting the corrupted…”
“Yes. They came aiming to kill Aint.”
“Do you think they’ll continue moving forward?”
“A demon has already descended. Do you think they’ll stop after failing just once?”
“Aint, what about you?”
“I think the same, Your Highness. They won’t stop until humanity is wiped out, or until they are completely exterminated.”
Ferant nodded slightly. It wasn’t that he ignored that reality, but he wanted to hear it directly from the one designated as enemy of the demons.
“I hope our relationship doesn’t end here.”
“That depends on how sincerely you pay your debt.”
“…I’ll do my best.”
“No matter what, it’s too much. If at least you reduced—”
“Do not tarnish my honor.”
An attendant of the first prince grumbled, but quickly fell silent under his lord’s rebuke.
Fernan paid it no mind. Convincing the nobles or emptying the royal treasury was Ferant Esrin’s matter.
Thus, the negotiation ended.
***
The matters of Alprosen and those of Esrin.
It had been worth negotiating with the rector and leaving the Academy.
Many things had happened, but they managed to thwart all of the corrupted’s attempts and even obtain unexpected gains.
However, it wasn’t a situation that could be easily closed.
“It’s ready. You can send it to my father.”
“Yes.”
Fernan handed the head of the Golden Turtle branch a copy of the record and a letter.
In them were the proofs that Count Daniel was a corrupted.
“Get it to him as quickly as possible. No one must see the contents.”
“Of course.”
The head left hurriedly. Fernan slumped into his chair, tapping the armrest absentmindedly with his fingers.
“How do you think things will go?”
“Didn’t you say you’d make it public?”
“Yes, but not completely.”
It was the same as not being able to punish the third prince of Esrin for collaborating with the corrupted.
Daniel Kool was, after all, a noble of the Empire. And not just any noble, but a high-ranking count.
If it were revealed that someone like him was corrupted, the Empire’s prestige would plummet.
It would be best to conceal it and handle it discreetly, but Daniel Kool was already dead.
If his vast territory and fortune were managed without a clear explanation, it would only generate opposition from the other nobles.
In the end, they would need to show solid evidence and get everyone to accept the truth.
Maybe not all nobles, but at least those of the highest rank would know Count Daniel had been a corrupted.
“My father will handle that well. The problem is what comes next.”
With his death, Daniel Kool had left behind an enormous fortune and a vast territory.
Since it was impossible to bequeath those possessions to the children of a corrupted traitor, everything became unclaimed land.
And in the Empire, hyenas hungry with greed were plentiful.
This wasn’t just any land—it was a great county, something everyone would covet.
“If handled poorly, war will erupt.”
Neighboring lands would do everything possible to claim a part, and the electors would try to give the county to nobles from their own factions.
In that process, conflict would be inevitable.
“That’s not good. Not good at all.”
At another time it might not have mattered. Clashes and infighting were routine in the Empire.
But now the corrupted were lurking, waiting for any opportunity.
Even a minor conflict could be exploited and amplified to weaken the Empire.
He even suspected that Daniel’s very death had been part of their plan.
“That’s why I sent my father a solution.”
“You recommended someone?”
“That’s right.”
“Who?”
“Ferdicas Armian.”
“…What?”
Hyde blinked, surprised by such an unexpected name.
“He holds the title of elector prince, but his territory is small, and after years of isolation, he has less influence than a mere baron. Even if he gets Kool’s county, it won’t produce a major synergistic effect.”
And not only that.
“He also has the best argument. It was Aint who revealed Daniel Kool was a corrupted and executed him with his own hands.”
Though in truth it had been Luina and Rob, only the party knew that.
“But he’s still an Armian. If the Armians grow too much, there’ll be those who oppose it without hesitation.”
“There will also be those who support it.”
The rise of the corrupted made the need for the Armians more and more evident.
And Aint had once again shone in these circumstances.
“The corrupted are increasing, and a demon has already been summoned. What do you think most people will believe?”
“That, at least for now, the right thing is to strengthen the Armians as a bulwark against the demons.”
“Exactly.”
That the Armians were still small was actually convenient.
“And if the Armians prosper, they’ll be able to pay off their debts, don’t you think?”
“That’s the real reason, isn’t it?”
“Let’s say it’s a two-for-one.”
Fernan leaned back in his chair.
“In the end, it’s a general plan. The problem is whether my father will accept it and how he will carry it out.”
The hardest part would be convincing Schwaben, whose radical opposition was guaranteed.
The best strategy wouldn’t be to persuade him, but to gather the support of the other electors and nobles to crush him by majority.
“It’s time to go. We’ve really been away for a long time.”
It had already been over a month since they left the Academy.
At first, he didn’t imagine it would take so long, but unforeseen events had delayed everything.
Though it wasn’t a bad thing—it had been a journey with an unparalleled bounty.
Fernan stepped out with Hyde. In the branch’s dining hall, the others, who were eating, welcomed him cheerfully.
“Is everything done already?”
“Yes. It’s time to go back. Let’s return to the Academy.”
“Let’s eat first.”
Fernan took a seat and the servants brought the dishes.
“You’ll see, this time will be different.”
“Let’s get promoted first, then talk.”
At that moment, Aint and Verian’s conversation reached his ears. Though it sounded like something casual, Fernan frowned with suspicion.
He put down his fork and asked,
“What are you two talking about now?”
“Well, the jousting tournament, of course.”
“This time I’m confident.”
“Me too, this time…”
“It seems you’re not aware of something.”
All eyes turned to Fernan.
“You won’t be able to participate in the jousting tournament.”
“…Huh?”
“What?”
“What I mean is, even if you start running full speed right now, you won’t arrive at the Academy before the tournament begins. Also, we have to pass through Armian to pick up Silver as well.”
“…Huh?”
The pupils of all the knights from the Academy present dilated, refusing to accept reality.
***
‘They didn’t come today either.’
Combat, War, and Magic. The joint class with the Knight Department.
Ludger checked the empty seats.
One was Fernan’s, and the other, Luina’s.
It had already been a month since both had stopped attending so suddenly.
Even so, none of the professors were concerned about looking for them. To them, their absence felt natural.
‘Aria Fridian, Verian Kalburdern, Gismond Elt, and Aint Armian too.’
Not only second years, but even fourth years—those names had vanished.
Why? Not even Ludger knew. He had sent letters to their families but couldn’t find out anything.
Although he already suspected—if the Pellenbergs, with their vast network of information and trade, had decided to hide them, finding them wouldn’t be easy.
For that very reason, he was even more curious.
Where exactly had they gone?
Why had they left?
And how did they do it?
‘This is the headmaster’s doing. Without his authorization, it would’ve been impossible.’
It had already been more than a month of absence from the Academy. Logically speaking, such a thing should have caused problems.
If the nobles moved to question it, the situation couldn’t be brushed aside, but so far everyone remained silent.
Inside and outside the Academy, people were watching closely, searching for clues as to where they had disappeared.
‘What the hell are they doing?’
Lost in those thoughts, the class came to an end.
And until the very end, Fernan and Luina didn’t return.
‘I don’t know whether to be glad or annoyed by this.’
It was a relief not to have to fulfill his brother’s order to get close to Aint to monitor him.
But at the same time, it troubled him not knowing what Fernan and Aint were scheming.
‘No… it’s better to see it as a good thing. Family matters aren’t my problem.’
After all, he was already completely excluded from the line of succession to the throne. Whether power was big or small, it wouldn’t be him ruling it, but his brother.
“Your Highness.”
At that moment, someone approached in a hurry. It was his teammate, Almon Donertz.
“You’ve seemed troubled lately. Is something wrong?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Then I’m glad to hear it.”
Almon didn’t press further.
“If it’s about Fernan and Luina’s disappearance, don’t worry, they’ll be back soon.”
“What do you mean?”
Since he was just thinking about that, his tone came out a bit sharper.
“The Foundation Anniversary is approaching, right?”
“The Foundation Anniversary?”
“Yes. Fernan might be an enigma, but Luina would never miss the jousting tournament.”
Luina had always aspired to the glory of the champion’s title in that tournament.
Even though she had already won it once, nothing felt better than conquering it again.
“I also hope to see her return. Last year, I lost absurdly to someone else, but since then I’ve been honing my sword…”
“…Right, that was coming up.”
Almon was talking about Luina, but Ludger thought of Fernan.
Fernan wouldn’t compete in the magic tournament, but he would return anyway. He had to bet on it.
As long as money was on the line, Fernan would come back. Surely.
‘Though… what’s the point of him coming back?’
It didn’t seem like he’d tell him what he had been doing.
‘No other choice, I’ll have to extend a hand to Aint.’
Even if he hated it, the fear of his brother forced him.
Silently, Ludger bit his lip.
“By the way, lately Carlo’s been with Professor Dominique a lot.”
In the distance, Carlo Deneb could be seen talking with Professor Dominique, heading to the research building.
“I heard he enrolled in his private course during the break.”
“I thought those tutorials weren’t very effective, but it seems he and Dominique make a good pair.”
Carlo’s aura felt much more refined than before.
“He must be working hard. Even the professor seems to be pushing himself more to balance it with his research.”
“No wonder he looks a bit more haggard.”
It made sense. Carlo had been top of the class throughout his first year.
But since second year, Fernan had shattered everything, so now he had no choice but to push himself desperately.
“I hope Carlo manages to get back at Fernan.”
“That wouldn’t be bad, but I want to be the one to beat Luina.”
Almon clenched his fist, full of determination.
However, Fernan and Luina didn’t return.
Not even when the registration period for the jousting tournament ended and the festival began.
____
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