Chapter 92: Second Semester (2) (1/2)

Hadekain’s castle.

Yeriel picked up the necklace on the desk. It seemed to be an artifact, specifically an accessory that recorded a certain scene.

“Take a look,” Jolang suggested with a hand gesture. Yeriel still had her suspicions about him, but she soon infused her magic into the crystal ball of the necklace.

—You only need to carry out your mission. No matter what the outcome is, Yeriel will be kept imprisoned in the estate.

Hearing a familiar voice, she began to watch the video in silence.

—That’s all she’s good for.

Jolang observed her expression carefully, but she wasn’t sloppy enough to show her agitation in front of her foes.

—I’m certain of it. Her every move remains insignificant, yet she’s even added surveillance to her list of duties.

Along with his voice, it partially reflected Deculein’s figure. He was sitting on a fancy chair at their mansion, swirling a glass of wine with a frown on his face.

—If she’s going to do something stupid…

Deculein looked at his company. She couldn’t see who it was, but their red hair stood out.

—I’m certain you already know what to do even if I don’t say it.

The video ended. It was short, but according to the date of the recording, it happened last year.

Jolang smiled.

“I think you as a wizard can confirm the authenticity of this artifact better. That’s not all.”

He then held out a piece of some sealed paper.

“Red hair isn’t common, so I looked it up and found out that…”

Jolang obtained certain documents by mobilizing all his connections in the adventure guild, demonstrating his power to break through even those that prioritized trust and loyalty above all else.

“Look at the target.”

Yeriel checked the paragraph he pointed to in the Ganesha-Deculein contract.

──[Guild Submission Agreement]──

◆ Overview: The Red Garnet Adventurers faithfully must fulfill the mission assigned by Deculein von Grahan Yukline.

◆ Target: Yeriel von Delun Yukline.

◆ Content: Verbally delivered for security.

(*Client has paid for the first-class confidentiality fee, preventing the details from being written in this contract.)

◆ Seal /—–/

───────────────────────

“I don’t know what kind of mission it is, but with you as its target, it’s obvious—”

“Moron.”

“… What?”

However, Yeriel’s reply was far beyond what Jolang expected. Looking at him, she smiled.

“Nothing. I was just wondering if you only learned of our poor relationship now.”

“… Haha. Really?”

“The way you talk would make anyone think I devoted myself to the estate’s work because I like Deculein so~ much. Enough. If your business is over, just piss off.”

Much like her, Jolang wore no expression as well. Instead, he spoke calmly.

“If so, then you understand what I want to say even better.”

“Even better, my ass. Are you really a complete moron? You can’t even seem to understand the words ‘piss off.'”

He displayed a soft smile when she cursed, but when she spoke again, his face hardened.

“Freaking dickless bastard.”

“…”

He clenched his fist hidden under the desk as lines of humiliation and shame ran through his eyes. Jolang trembled. Yeriel just twisted the corners of her lips upward.

“What are you looking at? I said piss off.”

“… You’ll regret this one day.”

After leaving that threat, Jolang slammed the door shut.

Yeriel, quietly staring at his disappearance with the knights of the Imperial Palace, immediately shifted her gaze to the necklace and contract on the desk.

“Miss.”

When her butler entered the room, Yeriel looked out the window quietly.

In the passageway, she could hear loud sounds coming from Jolang’s explosion of anger, but the night itself had finally regained its peace.

She stared at the starry sky.

“Hey.” She muttered, her voice filled with sorrow.

“Yes?”

“I think Deculein never intended to keep his promise from the beginning.”

She traced the contract and the necklace with her finger, admitting he had successfully fooled her until now.

He told her he’d even swear an oath on the surface but actually performed such dirty deeds behind the scenes. Though he reassured her repeatedly, it was all part of his plan to use her and throw her away at some point.

“Is that so?”

Deculein only promised verbally, possibly already knowing she would reject his notion to take an oath since they were still members of the same family in the end. Believing his words, she received nothing but betrayal in return.

That damned bastard.

“What should I do?”

She knew, at the very least, not to tell him any of this. She shouldn’t show even the slightest sign of her being aware of his plans.

Jolang wouldn’t speak to him first anyway. He came to her to prevent Deculein from gaining more power than necessary, after all.

“… We— No, this estate has long been on your side.”

Those words were reassuring, but Yeriel felt a sense of sadness she couldn’t quite grasp in the corner of her heart.

Did she still desire to become closer with the one she called older brother?

“Thank you. You may go back.”

“Alright. Rest well, miss.”

As soon as her butler left, Yeriel turned off all the lights, allowing the light of the night sky outside the window to pour into the lord’s office. In the darkness, she played the necklace’s video again.

“…”

Listening to Deculein’s cold words and looking at the contract more intently, Yeriel secretly wiped away her tears.

*****

… Students began returning with their suitcases, the rivalry and cheers between the knights occasionally resounding. Likewise, the dormitories and shopping streets returned to their ordinary lives.

From the campus’s atmosphere alone, it could already be inferred that the reopening of the Imperial University was imminent.

“Head Professor!”

Students heading back for college from their hometowns or other countries enjoyed a peaceful break while waiting for their classes to begin, but their educators spent their time quite differently.

Both the undergraduate professors and the magic professors busied themselves with class preparation.

“Here, I found it!” Allen said, approaching me. She was about to leave at the end of the last semester but seemed to have decided to stay a little longer.

“These are the old plans you mentioned before.”

She held out a pile of documents. Epherene’s father, my still-veiled friend, had previously written a lesson plan proposal.

I intended to consult it for my second-semester class.

“… Hmm.”

I read through the papers.

[Lecture Title: Pure Use of the Four Major Elements]

Its essence was to enable the students to handle elements in a purer manner, but it was obvious why Deculein didn’t accept it.

After all, it was a theoretical lecture so advanced it should be taught to, in modern terms, master’s and doctoral students instead of undergraduates.

“I think it’s going to be a pretty advanced course.”

“Ah! Advanced?!”

Allen’s eyes widened in surprise. I nodded, causing her to fill up with awe.

I thought of changing its scope to a more appropriate one in a way that suited my aptitude, perhaps along the line of [Pure Use of the Four Major Elements: Manipulation Series] or [Pure Use of Earth and Fire].

Deculein’s talented with the manipulation series, and his attributes were earth and fire.

“Okay. Good work. You may go back.”

“Oh, this one’s for you as well. It arrived earlier.”

Allen handed over an entire sponsorship package. It would probably contain just one letter from Epherene again, though.

“Then, I’ll be going~”

After Allen left, I opened it.

[To my sponsor.

I am Solda Epherene.

As you might have already noticed, I’ve been promoted to the next rank now. I’m not a Debutante anymore, but… I feel unhappier now than before after I volunteered under the guidance of a vicious professor named Deculein. Of course, I did it of my own will, and I have no regrets about it, but that blue snail is far more vicious than I (omitted) thought…

… Because of him, I, unfortunately, had no choice but to use most of your precious donations in an instant. As far as I know, I paid for several Knowledge Copyrights, but all that registered in my mind was that my budget disappeared like a snail gnawing on wood.

Regardless, I, Solda Epherene, promise you that I’ll surpass that blue snail one day, sponsor. I will become a wizard great enough to prove your choice to support me wasn’t wrong.

Until then, I’ll be shortening my letters.

With kind regards,

Solda Epherene.]

“A blue snail….”

I folded it up and put it in the drawer. Afterward, I turned on a crystal ball that displayed the interior of the [Teaching Assistants’ Lab].

Whoong—

Through the hologram, I saw Epherene studying and Drent in the middle of research.

“It feels empty.”

That room could easily fit dozens of people together and had a lot of high-end equipment. Even its desks, chairs, air purifiers, and thermostats were all top-notch.

However, it was only occupied by two people.

If only Sylvia were sitting with them.

But this was better. Class attitude, comprehension, talent… she was perfect at everything.

“… She must be doing well on the floating island.”

Moreover, the Yukline and Iliade were enemies. If we stayed together longer than we already did, I didn’t know what kind of insanity Glitheon would do.

Coming to terms with it, I walked out of the office.

Today’s job was an investigation as the head of the Financial Planning and Coordination Office. My first destination was Louina’s office on the 43rd floor. She consumed the most money these days, after all.

Ding—

“…?”

As soon as I got out of the elevator, I frowned. There were way too many wizards in the hallway.

“Oh, welcome, Chief Executive Officer,” Louina said, having noticed my appearance.

“… There are quite a lot of teaching assistants here.”

“Oh, them? I’m holding an internship period.”

“Internship?”

“Yes.”

“How many interns do you have?”

“A hundred. There were too many. Even after careful examination, I only managed to narrow them down to 100 people.”

Her voice sounded indifferent.

Honestly, I didn’t care at all.

Any ten of her interns wouldn’t be as good as Drent, and even if one were to combine all 100 of them, they still wouldn’t be as good as Epherene.

“This floor seems infested with cockroaches.” I blurted out before I could hold it back.

At that moment, the chattering in the crowded hallway stopped. All of Louina’s one hundred teaching interns looked at me almost simultaneously, but they immediately rushed back to their work when our eyes met.

She crossed her arms.

“Cockroaches? That’s going too far.”

“… Just give me the report.”

“Here. I have it all sorted out.”

She swiftly handed me a document, almost as if she had been expecting me.

I glanced through it and put it in my briefcase.

“Oh, right. Chief Executive Officer. I heard you took the Luna family kid under your guidance.”

“I did.”

“She does have talent. What are you going to do with that child?”

Our gazes met in silence.

Now that I thought about it, I realized she was our classmate back then.

Deculein and Epherene’s father. She probably knew even a little about their relationship.

Louina continued.