52 – Escape 2 –
“Hey. Now our relationship has reversed. Well then, let’s see you call me ‘master’.”
This punk is Teseus Winterfield.
He’s an idiot who came all the way to the confinement facility near the imperial court and is causing trouble for no reason.
“Before you call me ‘master’, shut up before you’re sent to the Lord’s side.”
“Oooh~ A trash-like prisoner is talking nonsense to the successor of the duke.”
“You son of a b*tch.”
This guy is mocking me.
He’s giggling as I enter his territory as a prisoner.
But the problem is, I have nothing to say.
I am currently a prisoner.
He is the future duke.
The future duke and the son of the viscount.
And between the future duke and a prisoner, there is a significant difference in demeanor.
“So why did such a verdict come out? It’s practically not guilty?”
“I am innocent. Unless it’s a case where innocence was proven due to an error, there has never been a sentence below one year. The basic sentence is in years, but I don’t really know what’s what.”
“Well. Looking at it only from the result, the political struggle has intensified, so that’s the problem. So, who do you think will become the emperor?”
“Why? Are you starting to get involved in politics now?”
“If I graduate from the academy, I’ll have to get involved too. Otherwise, I’ll start a faction here.”
“So why are you telling me this just before being taken away?”
“Seeing that you were drawn in, doesn’t that mean I could be drawn in too? But if I were part of a faction or could control a faction…
If the trial had already taken place, then maybe it could have been stopped.”
Theseus seemed to have realized something through this case.
When I was drawn in, I couldn’t do anything, even though we were close.
I don’t know if he considered me.
Without political power, one might also be drawn into a faction.
Through this case, it was possible to see what could happen if there was no political influence.
I thought that I could replace it with powerlessness and didn’t think much about it…
Of course, I might have interpreted it too favorably.
Or maybe he didn’t think much at all.
Only he would know that.
Regardless of that, he opened his mouth to ask a favor.
“Hey, let’s just ask for one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Retrieve some money from Geummatap. There’s a promise during the detention period.”
“Kim Jong-un, is that it? But who is Kim Jong-un? I looked it up, but he doesn’t even appear in a single document.”
“He exists. The North Korean Supreme Leader of the Republic of Korea.”
That’s not a wrong statement.
He’s in the north.
Legally, he’s a citizen.
Hereditary leadership.
And has separate autonomy.
The only difference is that he’s a damn bastard.
“I think it’s time for me to go now. So, farewell. Dream some nightmares over there.”
“Yeah, you dream my dream.”
“That’s a disaster.”
“That’s why I’m asking you to dream it. I have to kill Neil in my dreams, at least.”
And that’s how Theseus left this place.
At least, his mind felt a bit more at ease.
Even if he rots, a friend is still a friend, and the atmosphere has lightened.
I found solace in the fact that even if I became a criminal by the Emperor’s order, the gazes around me didn’t seem to change.
However, my mind started to wander again.
It was because someone came looking for me.
“Abraqsas Sangdo. Are you there?”
“Uh, Professor Maximilian? Please break down that door like you did when we first met.”
“I don’t know what Kukdas is, but fortunately it seems to be intact.”
I harbored faint hope at Maximilian’s visit.
Just like at the entrance ceremony, I hoped he would break this iron window.
Knowing that wasn’t going to happen, I still hoped for it.
That’s all.
“So, unless you’re going to help me escape, why did you come?”
“You’ve been skipping a lot of classes lately, haven’t you?”
“It’s not that I seem to be skipping classes, it’s the truth. Kidnappings, dispatches, festivals, confinements. I’m not sticking with the Academy, so please just expel me.”
“I’ve thought about it and it seems like I haven’t given you any special merits.
There’s no merit in developing your skills or anything else for you. That’s why you want to leave like that.”
“Are you not hearing what I’m saying?”
“So I’m going to tell you about what you can learn at the Academy. Abraqsas Sangdo. In the end, you don’t seem to know much about the Academy, do you?”
“Shall I tell you about the wheelbarrow where the princess reveals secret money at the mud pit?”
“I’ll tell you that later, but for now, let me start with the urgent matter.”
I responded.
My victory.
“No matter what happened, the most important thing is what advantages you can gain.”
“Yes. So, what benefits can I gain for now? That seems to be the most important thing.”
The reason I wanted to leave was also to restrain the villain.
To restrain the villain, I had to grow first.
If I had been able to learn useful techniques at the Academy, I might have just stayed obediently.
The problem is that Guieon Geombeop, the demonic technique of the sword, completely devours other sword techniques.
If it hadn’t been for that, I might not have tried to escape even after cultivating at the Academy.
Because Guieon Geombeop is a peculiar sword technique that doesn’t end with learning.
“For now, forget about various things and just let it be. The most important point is… my technique.”
Maximilian offered to pass on his skills to me.
It doesn’t resonate much with me.
He’s never appeared in the WFS, and there’s been no mention of him.
It’s hard to believe he’s anything extraordinary.
“Of course… If the rumors about what happened at the Academy are true… He might have died back then.”
That’s just a speculation.
This is reality.
I can’t alter my course based on a mere possibility.
Moreover, there’s already a technique that’s close to the pinnacle of swordsmanship, the Kihonken, so unless he teaches me something even greater like the Ora Awakening, I…
“What?”
Maximilian Wilhelm. I may not know much about him, but I’m aware that he’s an Ora Master.
If he weren’t, he wouldn’t even qualify as an Ora Disciple.
But teaching the Ora Awakening is a different story.
It’s almost like revealing a magician’s unique magic.
It’s like Korea’s Three Stars publicly disclosing the entire semiconductor process.
“Really? Can I learn that from you?”
“It depends on your talent. Many can’t awaken to the Ora.”
The Ora Awakening is born from an unattainable desire by ordinary Ora users.
That’s why it’s called the final destination of a technique.
For a solo swordsman, it’s as if they’re wielding two swords.
For a blind person, it grants the power of sight.
For a spearman, it extends their spear infinitely.
For an archer, it transforms their arrows into rapid shots.
In the end, you have to feel your inadequacies and overcome them.
Talent and physical abilities need to support it.
Obtaining this knowledge is not easy, and it doesn’t mean you can learn it just because you’re taught.
But…
“Can you promise to teach it?”
“If the time comes, I will teach you.”
The probability of learning is low.
The chances are slim, but I know how to learn well.
The awakening technique is a kind of ultimate move.
Just like the bishop of the evil cult that kidnapped me showed.
Even with low skills, a single awakening technique can change the outcome.
So, if I can learn it,
I must learn it without a doubt.
To stay at the academy, you need this level of merit.
“Well, then let’s pretend I’m a novice when we meet next time.”
Maximilian left after saying that.
My head became even more complicated.
But I did gain something.
I had nothing to lose.
“…I guess it’s okay to stay at the academy for a year.”
Of course, the awakening technique is an ultimate move.
Since it’s a top secret, I don’t know much about his technique.
But as long as I can defend against enemies without learning it, it’s probably better to just leave.
What’s important is that staying at the academy won’t lead to one-sided losses.
“But there’s still a chance… It’s much better.”
There’s a next step. That’s important.
Even if I fail, I can move forward again.
At least I’m not like my previous life, where there was no next step.
I can succeed.
That fact, that there’s a Plan Z, made me feel somewhat better.
The guard approached me.
“Um… Lord Avraksas’s young master…?”
“Yes. Have all the visits concluded now?”
“No, there’s one more.”
“Who is it…?”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Avraksas.”
A woman and a small boy enter the scene.
The woman was not restricted.
Because she was also familiar with the scene.
The family I recently gained.
Abraksa and Caroline.
The two approached me with a prison between them.
“Mother…”
“You… are you okay?”
“Yes. Anyway, I only need to stay for about two weeks.”
“A full two weeks…”
“Did you forget how shocked I was during the few weeks I was kidnapped?”
“At that time, do you have any idea how shocked I was? No, what did you do to become so beaten up like that…”
“Huh? No, I’ve become weaker than usual.”
My mother doesn’t know that I was tortured.
Because I never told her about the fact that I was tortured.
I had to erase any part that could underestimate me, so I kept hiding the information even more.
“So you think I was just kidnapped for some reason and escaped.”
There was no need to correct any misunderstanding.
“Brother, are you okay?”
“Yeah. Just go. You’re practically innocent anyway.”
“But you’re still technically guilty…”
“Didn’t you see that the First Prince faction agreed to help me? I have a long way to go anyway. So don’t worry too much and just leave me alone.”
“Oh, I see.”
“But Mom is happy. To sacrifice her life to save your girlfriend.”
My mother suddenly made a random remark.
No way.
I looked at my mother with a questioning expression.
My mother looked at me with a pleased expression.
“You mean the Princess? Your girlfriend.”
Oh, god.
Did she really believe that was just a lie?
What was the reason for my reckless behavior?
The parents who call this reckless.
I immediately refuted them because I had a lot to say.
“First of all, it’s a baseless nonsense. Who in their right mind would bet with their girlfriend’s life?”
“On the other hand, who would gamble with their life against a demonic cult when they’re not even their girlfriend?”
“Well, do all knights worship their masters? If that assumption is true, then bodyguards shouldn’t exist in this world to begin with.”
“I was so surprised because the person introduced as your girlfriend looked exactly like the princess. That’s why I was anxious. If it’s known that your girlfriend is a princess, we won’t be able to enjoy a sweet date.”
“You don’t even consider listening to me, do you? Are you claiming that the Holy Maiden is also my girlfriend?”
“…Could it possibly be true?”
“Geez…”
I understand why this is happening.
It’s because I’ve lived a life distanced from women.
It’s not a big deal, it’s just a simple reason that, as a person in my twenties, I couldn’t perceive women as potential romantic partners when I was in my early to mid-teens.
Girls who liked me? It was obvious.
As if young kids can hide their feelings well.
But the reason I just let it slide was because I thought about the future.
The reason why I couldn’t see my peers as romantic partners.
It’s because of age, not because I hate women.
“Is it because I was close to a girl one time, Alice, that the only thing I think of as a girlfriend is practically her? I don’t know about the future, but definitely not now.”
Anyway, those thoughts will disappear later on. I’ll just let it be.
Just in case, because Abraxas might reveal this fact.
I conveyed my intentions properly to my younger brother.
“You. Father, or our brother, or even the relatives, if they make this fact known as a well-established fact, know that I’ll have it under control.”
“…The relatives weren’t that gullible, were they…?”
“Then why is Mother acting like that?”
“Because it’s what my brother did. That’s probably why. She’s just impressed by my brother’s actions report.”
It seemed like I was ruining my mother.
How can she be impressed by seeing that form?
I wonder how the hostage panel of the night battle tactic, which is protected by hostage coercion, can be transformed into a moving story.
To me, it seems like a date violence.
“When you come out, make sure to visit me again, Hamma. Abraxas.”
“Take care, brother.”
The time for the two to leave arrived. The two of them left for the territory like that.
The landscape came to find me after the two had left.
An expression of exhaustion.
It seemed tired because the next duke, Professor Jerip of the Academy of Archmages, the Marquise, and their child all came at once.
“Now that all the visits are over. Is it alright if we prepare to leave now?”
“Yes. There’s nothing left to do even if we stay here.”
An employee suggested that we start preparing to leave now.
I agreed to their words.
After all, one of the affairs that needed to be dealt with in the northern region came to mind.
Since I had not been able to come since I was cloaked in a birthday cake at Teseus’s birthday party in the north.
“Excuse me.”
The employees tied me up from both sides and led me away.
As we went out of the juvenile detention center, I saw the carriage that had been prepared in advance.
It was a carriage for those who were banished for political purposes.
“In two weeks, you will come back to this place in the same carriage. After arriving here, you just need to fill out some simple documents.”
“Understood.”
“Then, I hope you have peaceful days.”
I boarded the carriage with those words.
The carriage naturally summoned iron bars composed of magic.
The inside of the carriage was somewhat luxurious.
At least better than trains in Korea.
The carriage slowly headed towards the north.
I took a moment to rest inside the carriage.
—-
What is visible is a massive prison.
The entrance was normal, perhaps because esteemed individuals visit.
Of course, not only high-ranking individuals stay here.
The facilities below were very poor.
As the carriage that was transporting me arrived there,
A crowd of people gathered behind the iron fence.
The prisoners there were all watching me.
“Who is this bastard? Why did they bring this troublemaker?”
“Is he a high-ranking person? How long will he be imprisoned?”
“Uhuhu!”
“I wonder how much this gentleman will scream here?”
Countless people surrounded me in that situation.
The sight I saw when I got off the carriage was truly appalling.
“It seems we’re about to arrive…”
I had made preparations here to carry out my plan.
From the beginning, the Emperor paid attention to me and sent me here.
“It seems you have arrived…!”
Since I had separately explained my plan to the staff,
The staff informed me that the preparations for the plan were complete.
“Please come in.”
I decided to proceed with my plan.
The door opened again, following my instructions.
And outside the door, there were numerous people.
Each person stood with a different expression.
And among them, one person was slowly walking towards me.
“What…”
“What is it…?”
“Could that person possibly…!”
When opinions were divided among the prisoners about who that person was,
“Hey. Isn’t that the prison warden?”
“Why that son of a b*tch?”
“What kind of interesting event is he planning?”
Some prisoners who were not quite realistic were having such thoughts.
Some of them realized that the situation had become serious.
But nothing changed.
They were prisoners who were not given freedom.
The warden, who rushed over, knelt in front of a man who was lined up in order.
“Huh?”
“Why is that son of a b*tch?”
“What’s going on?”
When everyone felt doubtful about the warden’s actions,
The warden resolved their doubts about the series of actions.
“I welcome the rightful ruler of this territory and the ultimate decision-maker of this prison… Duke Wilson Winterfield.”
At that word, the noise of the world momentarily disappeared.
Wilson Winterfield, the father of Theseus.
To me, just a known middle-aged man.
The inside of the prison froze like the North Pole with his appearance.
“Well… more importantly…”
Duke Winterfield received the warden’s greeting casually.
Then, he looked straight at me.
I smiled and waited for him to speak.
“It’s been a while.”
“You’ve gotten older.”
“You haven’t lost your cheekiness.”
And when that conversation resounded.
The surroundings did not move beyond the level of silence, as if frozen.
After that, I turned around and said to the prisoners.
Don’t be rude.
“Then, please take care of me. Res.pected. Elders.”
Ultimate skill, summoning a duke.
Summoning my friend’s dad to gather my presence.