86 – 86. One Wish
“Student Leon. Please proceed to the auditorium now. The princesses will commend your achievements and the dedicated guidance of the professors.”
It was an announcement from the staff.
“What’s with this ‘commendation’ again? Just give us a break.”
Note: The context acknowledges that all characters are fictional and above 21 years of age.
Academy 2nd-year student Leon Loader muttered weakly, his dirty blond hair mixed with patches of black.
From Noble mtl dot com
He was finally dressed up for conquest.
He even trimmed his beard and forced himself to eat.
Since he started taking medicine, he had no appetite and only ate one meal a day, filtering out the rest. But today, he ate because he was told not to.
It was because the princess had made her way to the Academy.
She said she was already waiting with the students in the Great Hall, to encourage Leon and the professors of the Swordsmanship Department.
“A princess… If she’s a princess, she can freely enjoy the medicine, right?”
No, not just enjoy it, but have it for free. She’s of noble blood.
Actually, among the juniors Leon had been close to in the first semester, there was a princess.
Anais Calla. They happened to keep running into each other and were able to build a friendship. She wasn’t just any princess, but the ruler or current owner of the Eastern Kingdom. In the end, she was the daughter of the Britannia Emperor and the granddaughter of the Eastern Kingdom Emperor.
With such a status, she could have asked Alan, the director, to make the medicine.
But why did Anais personally make the syrup… Even now, it was a mystery. Honestly, it didn’t have much effect.
“But still, I shouldn’t blame her.”
He wanted to leave the health syrup as a memory.
Putting that aside, could the princess who came today be Anais?
He had seen her leaving in a carriage at the end of the first semester. She looked somewhat gloomy, so Leon deliberately smiled brightly as he saw her off.
If that Anais is in the Great Hall now, he was considering asking Alan to talk to her.
Because they were friends.
Friends should be able to do that much for each other.
“If Anais is in the hall, ask her for a favor. Maybe she’ll listen if you don’t ask for it for free, but petition the Emperor to lift the ban on the monastery. Then maybe she’ll grant you a break and let you go outside for a while…”
Leon closed his mouth without uttering a word. It was the sensation that something was getting twisted.
Anais, supposedly abandoned in the monastery, how could she be sitting in the Academy Auditorium? Naturally, she must still be in the monastery.
Abandoned ultimately means being confined.
Leon almost became a despicable person on the verge of making a difficult request to someone who was confined. As if it wasn’t challenging enough to embarrass someone in a difficult situation. He should have just taken one morphin, but he ended up taking two, wondering why he did that.
A more realistic approach was needed.
It’s not like Leon was being chased by impatience.
Because he was getting enough morphine as it is.
It was really tough when he only received two doses a day. More than half of the day had to be spent without the influence of the dru*g. If he forced himself to endure, strange noises would ring in his ears.
But now, with four doses a day, if he timed it well, all his waking hours could be spent immersed in euphoria.
Adding a pillbug on top of that would make all worries disappear, and the land of happiness would open up.
‘Actually, it’s more of a matter of quantity than frequency now. One pill is too weak.’
That problem could be solved gradually.
Leon, who remembered what he had to do first by setting priorities, needed to meet President Alan.
Meet him and honestly make a request.
Just a bit more of the pillbug,
Even though they had an agreement, people still need flexibility.
He planned to boldly start with 100 and negotiate, one by one, gradually reducing the number. That was the basics of negotiation. Even if he managed to pull only half, it would be 50, and if he negotiated even half of that, he could still get 25, which would be a tremendous achievement.
“Okay. Let’s negotiate.”
“Leon?”
“Ah… No, I didn’t say that to the professor.”
“I understand.”
Leon clenched his fist tightly.
Soon after, he entered the venue.
The grand hall where most of the academy’s official events were held was filled with people.
Although it was a restless atmosphere, the murmurs ceased when Leon appeared.
“Leon Roderdale, a second-year student from the Swordsmanship Department! And five professors from the Swordsmanship Department! Please step onto the stage.”
Leon slowly ascended the stage.
There was no tension.
He just wanted it to be over quickly.
Still, he had expectations for the prize that the princess would award. With that money, he could secure a bit of ease, even if it was just a little.
“By the way, President Allen is an idiot. He could make a fortune by selling things at the academy store. There are even people who pay 50 talers for op*ium. And yet, they’re stingy with Monglong and Beolleong… Sigh… That’s why people need to be smart.”
It’s really disappointing.
Leon muttered to himself as he stepped onto the stage.
In front of him stood the First Princess of the Empire, Victoria Kallail, not Anais.
Her hair was a bright blonde, almost platinum, and she was dressed in unnecessarily flashy attire. Her expression was somewhat dark, as if something unpleasant had happened. I’ve heard from Anais before that she’s a really nice person, but her expression told a different story.
Still, she showed proper etiquette. I had to pay my respects.
**
Princess Victoria glanced up and down at Leon Roderdale standing before her.
“At first glance, he seems ordinary.”
Is there really any possibility of getting away from dru*gs?
According to Alan, who would be sitting next to Sienna in the auditorium on the second floor by now, it was already over. But looking at his face gave a glimmer of hope.
A bit blurred, but still, eyes looking straight at this side. A demeanor that was dignified, with a distance from an invalid. His mouth was properly closed, not muttering or trembling hands.
Victoria, thinking it surprising but taking her time, spoke slowly.
“Leon Rotherdale.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Leon has achieved remarkable success at a young age. His achievements will be admired not only in his generation but also in the generations to come. Every child dreaming of becoming a knight in the empire would hope to be like Leon. I, too, express my admiration for Leon.”
“Thank you.”
So far, it was a smooth exchange of greetings.
But the real deal started now.
“Leon, do you know why I address you as ‘Leon’ and not by your title?”
“…I don’t know.”
“Leon, if you wish, you will soon receive a title. It is unusual to be granted a title during one’s studies, but considering Leon’s abilities, it is not an excessive treatment. The empire is prepared to break tradition to favor talents.”
“…”
It was not just encouragement; Victoria mentioned a reward outright. It was exactly as discussed with Alan.
However, Leon showed no reaction. While the eyes of the students around him sparkled blatantly, the person in question remained indifferent.
“…It’s not just a title. If Leon agrees, I will grant you a mansion in the Goldbridge District. It is originally the residence where relatives of the royal family lived. You should be well aware of how extraordinary this privilege is.”
“Thank you.”
“And, while managing that mansion, you will be provided with a housekeeper, butler, maid, and four gardeners. Naturally, the salaries of all staff will be supported by the royal family until Leon’s death.”
“…”
“There is one more thing. I will arrange a suitable position for your father as well. How about a director position at Britannia Trading, a state-owned enterprise?”
As soon as those words were spoken, a murmuring spread through the hall.
Even though he was a Master, is it appropriate to be treated so well? That must be what they’re thinking. After all, he’s not just a Master, but a Master who embarks on journeys with clear eyes.
Even the students who looked at Leon Loaderdale with envy had perplexed expressions.
But Leon, the person in question, remained calm.
“He really doesn’t seem to be moved at all.”
Perhaps he is not interested in wealth and glory.
Or maybe his attention is completely focused elsewhere.
I couldn’t understand how someone could disregard titles, mansions, and consideration for their family just for the sake of dru*gs. Is lying down and drifting away after taking dru*gs really better? I simply couldn’t comprehend it.
“Leon Loaderdale. If you agree, I will present this proposal to His Majesty as is.”
“Yes. I am grateful for your consideration.”
“However, there is one condition.”
Leon looked at this side with an expression that showed no particular curiosity.
Victoria casually informed him.
“Quit the dru*gs.”
“Pardon?”
“…I said quit the dru*gs. In exchange for guaranteeing titles, mansions, servants, and even benefits for your family. You are aware that some students believe that morphine and ephedrine help with training, but you have already surpassed that, haven’t you?”
“No, what the…!”
“Give up the dru*gs. Then you can have it all.”
Immediately after, Victoria could see a crack forming in Leon Loaderdale’s expression.
It was not just an impression.
He glared fiercely at Princess Victoria, his expression twisted.
From Noble mtl dot com
**
What nonsense is this? Give up the medicine?
“Why is the medicine suddenly here?”
Leon felt a sense of unease and bit his lip tightly.
In his heart, he wanted to curse at the shameless face of Princess Victoria.
But he held back. It would be insane to argue with the princess in front of the professors and students filling the hall.
For now, he would endure.
“Just say you’ll stop it and then secretly take it later, right?”
He had been given a position and a mansion, so he could just eat it alone in that mansion.
It would be foolish to have a confrontation with the Empire’s First Princess in this place. Leon, who had been glaring at Victoria, quickly lowered his gaze.
“Ah… I’m sorry. That’s…”
He tried to apologize and let it go, but…
The First Princess touched his nerves again.
“Anyway, it’s not like you can get it anymore. I just ordered Alan, the CEO of Maidof Pharmaceuticals, to stop producing ephedrine. I plan to indefinitely suspend it until I confirm if it really has any effect. Morphine will also be strictly controlled, except for military use.”
What? Indefinitely?
Leon felt like everything was becoming distant.
Why did he become a master? Why did he fight demons and wield a sword?
It was unfair, but he couldn’t even argue. It was difficult enough to keep his composure and continue speaking. He could only look at Victoria with a bitter smile.
At that moment, one of the princess’s bodyguards pulled out a vial.
Leon had a moment of anticipation, but provocation followed immediately.
“This is the last potion. Originally, it was meant for you, but it’s soon to be discarded. I’ll say it again, if you just give up on the potion…”
Discarded?
Give up?
Finally, the moment when even the last strand of patience snapped.
“Hand it over!!”
With his eyes rolling back, Leon decisively charged towards the knight holding the vial.
It was to reclaim the unfairly taken vial.