Academy Principal’s Office.
Cromwell sighed as he processed the paperwork.
The last image of Astina I saw fluttered in front of my eyes.
“Is it right to leave him like that? … .”
Astina was mature.
I have had iron since I first entered the academy.
Even when he was young, no one could see him, and when he was in the student council, he carried everything by himself, even when other things were in front of him.
You must be carrying some burden even now.
After some thought, he would have argued that it was the best way to create an imperial army against the rebels.
As a writer called a teacher, he did not notice any of the disciple’s troubles.
He trained himself at the academy and visited himself occasionally, but he didn’t notice a single sign.
Astina is definitely strong.
No matter how strong you are, no matter how much you think mentally, this answer will not change.
That didn’t mean Astina was invincible.
Astina was also a stressful, sometimes frightening human being.
It was because of what happened to Astina that he thought he was alone to persuade the imperial nobles to face the rebels.
He would have acted like that, thinking that the best way to face something and respond to it was to confront the rebels.
Otherwise, Astina had no reason to confront the rebels.
Politically and as a human Astina, it was too risky.
I didn’t think the Imperial Army would lose, but I didn’t know what would happen to Astina.
Cromwell, who had fought Aryandor himself, couldn’t be more concerned.
Astina’s speech in the capital caused a stir.
The commoners who were being helped by the rebels also gave them a chance to think again, and raised awareness among others.
There was no way the rebels would leave Astina who had said such a thing.
Having killed Jeffrin in public, he could have attacked Astina in revenge for him, or he could have attacked him for political reasons.
Astina brought the Empire back together, so if you kill Astina, the central point, the morale of the rebels will rise.
It was a good prey for the rebels.
The saddest thing for Cromwell in this situation was that there was nothing he could do.
Although his position as vice-president of the academy is influential in politics, he was forced to act too passively.
Because he has always belonged to the academy and has been one of the representatives of the academy.
You can’t show your political inclinations, and you can’t move around.
This was especially true in such a big case of fighting the rebels.
“I’m sorry… … .”
Cromwell lamented his helplessness.
smart.
Then a knock rang in his room.
“field… … .”
Cromwell tried to speak to come in, but the door opened before he could finish speaking.
It could be said rude, but there was only one person who entered Cromwell’s room this way.
“A long time. Cromwell.”
It was Robert who opened the door and entered.
He was dressed in casual clothes and his hair was ruffled.
Cromwell saw the scene and jumped up from his seat.
“Robert… … ! Are you back?”
At Cromwell’s words, Robert smiled.
“Yeah, I’m done to some extent. I thought that vacation was being cut down in real time, so I couldn’t stay outside because my stomach hurts.”
“Yeah, well done. Sit down and talk.”
Cromwell smiled kindly and reached for the sofa in front of him.
Robert threw himself on the sofa Cromwell stretched out.
“Oh, yes. I’m still tired and I’m going to die.”
He looked at Cromwell in his semi-recumbent position.
“Did the academy have any problems?”
“There was more work outside.”
“It’s outside, I don’t know better than you.”
Cromwell also had several sources of information, so he had quite a bit of information, but not as much as Robert, who had been out for about half a year.
Robert, who was called a legend in the mercenary world, had more acquaintances outside the academy than inside.
And there was a big difference between what I saw and felt and what I heard.
As the information was transmitted, the authenticity could be unclear, and the content could be misleading.
“Again, didn’t Rudy have an accident?”
At Robert’s words, Cromwell smirked.
“The extent to which you accidentally finished second in the joint evaluation, or suddenly summoned and captured the rebels? Other than that, there was nothing else.”
“I haven’t been out for a while, but that’s a lot.”
It was a story that an ordinary student would have enjoyed several times as a side dish to the professors, but since it was Rudy’s story, it felt insignificant.
“Still, it looks like he hasn’t been stabbed yet.”
“… … Knife?”
“There are some cool girls around. He continued to have such an awkward attitude, so I wondered if he was stabbing himself while he was away.”
“Is it a woman problem? … .”
“Ugh, that indecisive bastard. I don’t know if you’re doing well.”
Robert smiled as he said that.
It felt good that he cared for Rudy.
“More than that, Robert. Did you hear about the Astria family this time?”
“You mean Rudy is properly competing for successor?”
“I know.”
“Someone tried to get it through, and of course you know.”
Cromwell’s eyes widened at that.
“You said you were going to investigate the Astrians. What did you hear from me?”
“Isn’t that related to spirit magic?”
“I did other things at the same time. After all, a lot of people came in while researching the magic of spirits.”
“haha… … .”
Cromwell smiled, but couldn’t even laugh inside.
He looked compared to Robert.
Robert, who moved his body for Rudy himself, and himself who couldn’t even move a little for Astina.
I felt strongly that I was a bad teacher.
“What were you doing more than that?”
“I’m not always the same. Just doing academy work… … .”
“The Astina guy wasn’t serious.”
Robert nailed it.
He always was.
He seemed to be looking around with a dull feeling, but he knew the situation more than anyone else.
“Are you going to just leave him alone?”
“… … There is nothing I can do right now.”
“If you say that, I won’t say anything.”
Robert stood up.
“Don’t regret it later. I say this as someone who has regretted it.”
“… … Yes, thank you.”
“Anyway, I didn’t come here to tell you this.”
Robert walked in front of Cromwell and pulled a small marble out of his pocket.
“Look at this with you and the principal.”
“… … What is this?”
“Secrets of the Astrian family.”
To be more precise, it was about necromancer magic.
Cromwell didn’t even bother to say that.
“Didn’t you come after work?”
“I don’t think now is the time to attack. I know that my life is precious.”
Robert found the place where the necromancers were gathering.
It didn’t attack right away.
The leader of the rebels, Damon, who deals with necromantic magic, hovered around him, and nearby was Ferian Astria, the current head of Astria and Rudy’s father.
Astria’s lord and necromancer, who dealt with space magic, could not be dealt with together.
“By the way, why are you giving this to me?”
Cromwell knew who Robert was working with.
The Prime Minister of the Empire, Jason Ophilus.
If you hand it over to that person, it’s practically the end of it.
After all, it was left to the Empire.
“Something is wrong with me.”
“Are you uncomfortable?”
“I mean, it stinks. It smells very coppery.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t believe Robert, but it was a bit strange to tell the Prime Minister of the Empire that he smelled rotten.
It’s Jason Ophilus, who helped McDowell and finished several decades for the Imperial faction.
There was no reason not to believe it.
If the prime minister had any plan, the balance of the empire would have collapsed.
Because of his power, the balance between the imperial faction and the aristocratic faction was maintained to some extent.
But when I said that such a person was suspicious, I had no choice but to raise my doubts.
“First of all, I’m not saying this with certainty or any basis, so don’t worry about it.”
“okay. But, how are we going to do this now?”
Robert shrugged.
“I’ll attack you later when there’s a break.”
“Are you talking directly?”
“Then who are you going to entrust this with?”
“How about leaving it to the Empire instead? Then the Empire will take care of it.”
“Are you going to create a division between the imperial faction and the aristocratic faction under the current circumstances? Do you plan on doing a three-way battle?”
There was no need to create divisions in a situation where the rebels and the Empire were clashing.
“For now, only you and the headmaster know. just in case.”
“… … i get it.”
Robert heard Cromwell’s answer and walked towards the door.
“Then I go to rest.”
Robert waved his hand and walked out of the principal’s office.
Cromwell saw Robert off and stared at the marble he had handed over to him.
***
on the day of the final exam.
I relaxed.
I didn’t think of anything else.
For now, I was just getting ready to take the exam, throwing away my original worries.
“In the magic circle… … The formula is… … .”
Read again what you have memorized.
The final exam after the joint evaluation is said to be easy, but one cannot be vigilant.
I should get a high score here.
Because I lost to Yeniel in the joint evaluation, I had to struggle somehow to get over Yeniel’s score.
Fortunately, Yeniel didn’t get a good score in the last midterm exam.
When I was walking to the exam hall while reciting a book like that.
“Hey, you go like that and you fall.”
A familiar voice was heard.
As I lifted my head and looked to the side, there was a man with a sparse beard.
“Professor Robert?”
“Will it make a difference if I study a little now? Don’t fall and ruin your condition, and go to the exam room quickly.”
Robert smiled and said to me.
I quickly ran to Robert.
“When did you come? If you come, would you please tell me?”
“What are you calling? You just have to say hello when you see your face.”
He laughed at Robert’s remark as if it was a new thing.
“Before returning to the capital, I wanted to learn more about black magic, but unfortunately he wasn’t there.”
“Now, what are you going to learn from me? I’m just studying on my own.”
“haha… … .”
“Anyway, I have something to tell you, so please come to my room after the exam.”
“Are you going to tell me?”
“Don’t wonder now. Then do well on the exam.”
Robert patted me on the back and walked forward.
“… … What do you want me to say?”
I questioned it for a moment and then shook my head.
As Robert said, you’ll hear it a little later, but there was no reason to be curious.
Now the test came first.
I quickly walked into the exam room.
Then he opened the book and muttered to himself.
“It’s going to be senior.”