Chapter 141: Training (2) (1/2)
“Isn’t that too grandiose?”
In Hadekain, the Yukline Castle.
Yeriel was a little disconcerted when she met Deculein upon his return to the estate because of the mentors that he recruited for the Yukline Magic Training.
“…This is the tail wagging the dog. You didn’t even think about how much money it would cost, did you? Did you give all of the down payment by family check?”
This training wasn’t a very important event. Rather, it was only a part of the Yukline sponsorship policy. In addition to wizards, there were many remaining sponsorship schedules, such as knights, painters, musicians, and many others. But if he hired Bercht’s elder…
“It’s good enough because it’s Yukline.”
The Lord, Deculein, asserted himself. Yeriel pouted, but she had no choice but to stop complaining about what he said next.
“Be proud of your family.”
“…”
That caused Yeriel pain. It hurt as bad as if he had dug her heart out with a chisel.
“…Still, this old man Gindalf has a bad relationship with us.”
Yeriel forcibly twisted the topic. She wasn’t childish enough to express her pain.
“It’s all in the past.”
“…You said you would never forget.”
Deculein took a sip of tea without a further word. Yeriel, who was reading his face, spoke.
“But, you know? Because of this, there are so many applicants for this training. So, I’m thinking of taking other wizards besides the University ones.”
“Do you mean adventurers?”
“Yeah. The world is changing fast. Considering the Underground Passage, we should keep our relationship with the Adventure Guild as good as possible. If we give them access to the training, they will like it too.”
From the moment the training expenses increased this much, Yeriel had only compensated the investment in her mind. She said support, but it was an intangible investment.
“I’ll leave it to you. Young people will be better able to adapt to the rapidly changing world.”
“…What’s with that? You’re young enough, aren’t you?”
Then, with a small smile, Deculein stood from the lord’s seat. Yeriel was stunned for a moment by his faint smile, but she quickly ran and got the lord’s seatback.
“I will go.”
“Huh? …Yeah.”
Yeriel watched Deculein’s back as he left.
“…”
Although she somehow managed to hide her cold and sore heart.
Slam-
The moment the office door closed, Yeriel felt nauseous.
“Ugh!”
She ran to the bathroom, grabbed onto the toilet, and vomited.
Blaaaargh—!
She spat up the contents of her stomach, though she hadn’t even eaten much in the morning. Once, twice, three times, four times. Vomiting until pale bile came out, she leaned her frail body against the wall.
“Kek… hah.”
Every day. It was hard to live as if nothing had happened. It was hard to bear the fact that she wasn’t Yukline. Of course, she smiled nonetheless and worked hard for the estate and the vassals, but…
Deculein was not her blood relative.
‘I’m not a Yukline.’
That fact did not change.
“Really…”
Did her mother cheat, or did her father accept them knowingly?
“…Why?”
However, whatever happened, even though Deculein knew that. Although he had known it for a long time, he still…
—Yeriel will be still Yeriel.
A voice imprinted in her memory. Deculein’s trembling voice.
“…Sniff.”
Yeriel wiped her eyes with her sleeve. She washed her face before more tears flowed, then returned, as if nothing had happened, and sat in the Lord’s chair.
Knock, knock-
“Yeah. Come in.”
It was the butler. He, who had been with Yukline for multiple generations, presented a stack of documents to Yeriel.
“What is this now?”
“The wave of monsters are not far away. This is a request for cooperation from the Imperial family.”
“Oh yeah?”
Yeriel, scanning the contents, frowned.
“They want quite a lot.”
“Yes. It seems that the Imperial family is also watching the development of Yukline these days.”
Hadekain and Yukline were enjoying an unprecedented boom in recent years. Of course, they were a family that had been counted as one of the most famous wizard families since long ago, but they were around the 4th or 5th place in terms of the overall family hierarchy.
But these days, the reconstruction of the Underground Passage, the progress of various manufacturing industries, the development of the family magic tower and the family knights, and the Rohalak concentration camp received almost unlimited support from the imperial family. Of course, it was not without its side effects.
Some monsters and beasts come out of the Underground Passage, alongside astronomical industrial investment costs and fraudsters who would take advantage of them given any chance. The steady guerrilla terrorism from the Demon Bloods and the inevitable checks of the central political system also couldn’t be forgotten. But since it was all something Yeriel and her staff had foreseen, the countermeasures were clear.
“Why don’t you pay everything like this? Let’s not be bothered. Pay in cash.”
“Yes, my lady. What about the bribe to the center?”
“Hmm. Give it to…”
Push the priesthood or the Imperial power? This was another problem. During the predecessor’s period, they were placed in imperial power and suffered a great disadvantage…
“Shall we go with the imperial court? I’ve heard something interesting from an insider.”
“Yes.”
It would be different this time around. The current Emperor, Sophien, didn’t seem the type to trust her ministers.
“Oh, right. How is the ‘divorce’ going?”
There was one more piece of good news. That woman, Julie, a thorn in her eyes, fell into the abyss.
“You can’t bring in a corrupt knight as a companion, can you?”
“Yes. We are discussing it, but it is still stagnant. We must have the permission of the elders of the family.”
“Tsk. Really? But seeing that Deculein didn’t do anything, she’s probably out of his mind.”
Was she abandoned by Deculein because of her sin, or did she end up refusing him and was swept away? The latter was more convincing for Yeriel, who still remembered the old Deculein, but any reason was good. There was no benefit for Yukline to be married to Freyden in the first place.
“Okay then. You can go.”
“Yes.”
Yeriel sent the old butler back. She remained alone in the spacious office and closed her eyes. She still felt nauseous, as if her intestines were all twisted, but it should be okay.
“…It’s okay.”
‘If only I endure. If only I endure.’
Nothing would change.
‘I don’t have to suffer like this. No, I don’t deserve it. Deculein must have already gone through this rough process. He must have accepted me as Yeriel in the end after more anguish than this….’
“Ugh… haah.”
Yeriel swallowed back rising nausea.
* * *
Meanwhile, Epherene finished her training preparations. She sent all of her luggage to Lake Isle, nearly completed the thesis submitted to Deculein, and passed the exam with a near-perfect score. So now…
“Now! One special Roahawk!”
Epherene met with the club members in the 「Pig’s Flower」. Julia, Rondo, Ferit and the rest. It had been a while since the whole group gathered.
“Woah-!”
The special was literally a whole roasted Roahawk. Epherene took the legs first.
“Oh, right. Ifi.”
“Huh?”
Julia grabbed her attention while Epherene ripped off the meat.
“How are you going to take care of the public support?”
Public support. This was a required course for magic tower wizards. As soon as winter began and the migration started, the wizards stopped researching for a while and were called out to care for the Monster Waves. Public support was largely divided into civil support, which was relatively safe, and firepower support, which was dangerous but helpful for one’s career.
“Well. Maybe I will follow the Professor.”
“Professor Deculein?”
“Yeah. And you guys?”
Epherene finished a leg the size of a man’s forearm in just 3 minutes.
“I’m going back to our territory to provide private support.”
“Me too.”
The commoners, Ferit and Rondo, who entered the university on a scholarship from their rural estates, had a particular destination already in mind.
“Uh-huh~, I see~.”
Julia looked to Epherene.
“Where is Professor Deculein going?”
“Gulp— Well? I don’t know yet. I heard that it was the last test for the selection of the chairman.”