Chapter 177 Academy Incident (3)
As we approached the main gate of the academy, the security guard was dozing off.
Perhaps it was because he had dragged all the useful people to the battlefield, so he gave a rather clumsy impression.
“Will it be all right for a moment?”
“Uh, um… … ?”
The guard opened his eyes and looked at my face.
“what? Why are you back at this hour?”
He shot with a frown on his face.
“Looks like I went out without permission and now I’m back… Why are you guys such a mess these days? No matter how many professors are out there, do you think it would be acceptable to act like this?”
Maybe it was because I was awake, it seemed like I was misunderstanding.
“Your classmates are fighting the Dark Heaven Demonic Cult right now. You should think about developing your skills quickly and going to the battlefield as a graduate, like this… Tsk tsk.”
“… … .”
“what is your name?”
In front of the guard who pulled out his notebook while clicking his tongue, I said calmly.
“This is Ernas Landstein, a student of the Ferdinand Class.”
“Ferdinand class, major student, Ernas… … .”
The guard stopped moving after writing down my personal information in the notebook.
“Aernas… … ?”
“This is Ernas Landstein.”
“… … .”
There was silence for a moment.
He looked at my face with a pale face.
“Ernas Landstein?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Huh… … !”
He screamed and stepped back.
The notebook also fell to the floor.
“Eh, Aernas? How did Ernas get here… … .”
“I have an urgent matter. May I go inside?”
“Oh, no, of course, of course. Of course!”
Without even being able to pick up the notebook he had dropped, he exclaimed urgently.
“D-Go in! hurry!”
“thank you.”
After bowing my head and saying hello to the man who opened the door, I passed the front gate of the academy.
The academy, which had returned after a long time, was just quiet.
All I could hear was the lapping of the water in the lake.
“Well, by the way, why are you in such a hurry today… … .”
“You don’t have to worry about it. Keep an eye on the front door.”
“Ah, I see!”
I immediately used psychic surgery.
As he jumped over the lake, he used Atillion’s magic detection technique and was able to recognize the entire academy.
‘There’s a lot of energy in the main building.’
The main building built on the largest island.
There are three large and powerful magical powers there.
It would be Aldbaut, Ferdinand, and Yoles.
‘It looks like they’re all in one place… … .’
It is midnight now.
There’s no way they’d be together for no reason.
I bit my lip and headed towards the main building.
“omg?!”
The instructor guarding the front gate of the main building hurriedly drew his sword.
But when he recognized my face, he opened his eyes wide.
“Eh, Aernas?”
“It’s been a while, Instructor Anneliese.”
Anneliese Granger.
The instructor in charge of Black Class 6.
Due to the limitations of his talent, he is staying at the lower rank of the graduate, but… His swordsmanship skills are quite decent, and he is a fairly excellent person as an instructor.
“Looks like you’re on duty at the main building.”
“Yes, I was assigned to the main building… Uh, but how did you get here? Didn’t you just go to the south to subdue the Dark Heaven Demonic Cult?”
“The subjugation is over.”
“yes?!”
It seemed that the news had not yet been delivered to the lower level instructors.
“I have something urgent to tell the president, so I ran alone from the south.”
“What the hell is going on… … .”
From noble mtl dot com.
“sorry. It’s confidential.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Anneliese nodded.
“If it was usual, I would have you wait here, but… It seems urgent, so I’ll guide you right away. Please follow me.”
“Thank you, Instructor.”
So I went into the main building under the guidance of Anneliese.
I’ve been to the main building a few times, but this was the first time I visited in the middle of the night.
“I’m glad you came back safely. It seems like you’ve been fighting all over the empire without a break.”
Anneliese said as she walked down the dark hallway.
“How is everyone else? I know that among those from the Black Class 6, Celine, Chloe, Schmitz, and Viola are moving together.”
“Yes, everyone has made many achievements.”
“okay. Really, everyone has become great graduates. I am really proud of the position I once served as an instructor.”
Anneliese seemed to be genuinely delighted with our performance.
“But now that the fight against the Dark Heaven Demonic Cult is over… Are you all coming back to the academy? I still have to go through the curriculum.”
“yes… Yes.”
I answered vaguely.
“Aernas will be able to take on the 4th exam, the graduation exam, right away.”
“The requirements have not been met yet.”
If you pass the 3rd exam, you become a major student belonging to a specific class.
Major students can apply for the 4th exam if they are qualified, and can graduate from the academy if they pass the 4th exam.
Therefore, the time of graduation is different for each student.
“Aernas should be allowed as a special exception.”
“well… … .”
“Honestly, isn’t there anything more to learn at the academy?”
“I have a lot left to study with Professor Ferdinand.”
After having such a conversation, I came to the president’s office.
Even without the use of Atillion’s magic detection technique, he knew that graduates with enormous magical powers were waiting inside.
“Sir, Ernas Landstein has come to visit. It is said to be urgent.”
As Annelize spoke while knocking, a voice came from just inside.
“Let them in.”
“Aernas, please go in.”
“Yes, thank you, Instructor.”
After nodding to Anneliese, I went into the president’s office alone.
It was dark inside the president’s office… Aldbaut sat quietly in front of his desk.
And on the left and right stood Ferdinand and Yoles.
‘To Yoles… … .’
Yoles was seriously injured during the battle with Carleon.
Since the whole body was burnt, a long period of recuperation was required even for a graduate of the highest grade.
But now, Yoles didn’t seem to have any problems.
‘This… Did you feed them the black elixir?’
Black Elixir, the highest grade of Elixir, also has the effect of maximizing healing power.
If an ordinary person eats it, the wound just heals quickly, but if a graduate who has reached the climax eats the black elixir and focuses its energy on the wound, you can see new flesh sprouting in real time.
This is the action of baby chickpea, one of the main ingredients of black elixir.
‘There is no reason for the imperial palace to give Yols the black elixir right now, so it must be Aldbaut’s judgment.’
Had it been a novel, Yoles would have died a long time ago.
If I hadn’t intervened in time, Mikhail would have died in battle.
Will that Yoles stand with Aldbaut and raise his sword against me?
“Sorry for the middle of the night. I have an urgent matter, so I came to see you.”
I bowed my head in front of the three professors.
Ferdinand and Yoles kept their mouths shut with serious expressions on their faces, and Aldbaut alone opened his mouth.
“It’s been a while, Ernas.”
Aldbaut stared at me and said.
“I already heard that you defeated the Patriarch of the Dark Heaven Demonic Church. Very good.”
“You have already heard.”
“The imperial palace will be very happy. They will try to appoint you as Grand Duke of Lichtenau.”
Despite saying that, Aldbaut wasn’t particularly praising.
“however… Why did you come here instead of going to the imperial palace? As the commander of the Knights of Lichtenau, shouldn’t you give priority to reporting to the imperial palace?”
“As I just said, there was an urgent matter.”
“What’s urgent?”
Aldbaut narrowed his eyes and glared at me.
“Aernas, perhaps you have other thoughts?”
“What do you mean?”
“Until now, you have destroyed other masters of swordsmanship and even destroyed the Dark Heaven Demonic Cult. They even neutralized the Iron Blood Knights.”
“… … .”
“At the point when even Brantly Agrippa died… Now, the only force left in the Empire that can keep you in check is here at the academy.”
Hearing that, I slowly opened my mouth.
“I’m sorry, but it seems a bit misguided.”
“Why?”
“I belong to the academy. So what you just said does not hold.”
“It’s a matter of leaving the academy.”
“I have no intention of taking the 4th exam right now. I didn’t even meet the requirements.”
“It just means you can go out on your own.”
“… … .”
“So, Aernas.”
Aldbaut glared at me and said.
“The reason you came here… Isn’t it to hit the academy, which is now the last stumbling block?”
“Do you mean the academy is a stumbling block?”
“You become the absolute power of the empire… It’s an obstacle that gets in the way.”
Hearing that, I bit my lip.
Then he sighed and opened his mouth again.
“So you’re saying I’m aiming for the position of emperor.”
“Aernas… You are a scary person.”
Aldbaut’s voice grew sharper and sharper.
“In the meantime, you have been eliminating one by one those who might stand in your way. At first, they were the heirs of other famous sword families, and later they even started to eliminate the heads of the famous sword families themselves. Recently, the Iron Blood Knights were neutralized, and finally the Black Heaven Demonic Cult was eliminated.”
“… … .”
“You are like that… Isn’t there a guarantee that the imperial family won’t use a sword?”
It wasn’t that Aldbaut had unreasonable suspicions.
Looking at my track record so far, it’s enough to have such doubts.
“That’s why I’m suspicious. you… I wonder if they came to neutralize the Academy, the last remaining force in the Empire.”
“I understand what the president is thinking.”
I said in a calm voice.
“Anyway, if I made an excuse that I wasn’t, you wouldn’t even want to listen.”
“Yes, I know you well.”
Aldbaut smiled bitterly.
“Supposing you said you didn’t mean to… There must be many people who will support you. I mean, let’s make him the emperor, not the Grand Duke of Lichtenau.”
“I will not deny that there is a possibility.”
for example… Serine’s father, Marquis Just Bastian, must already be moving under the surface.
“Don’t feel unfair, Aernas. Looking back on the history so far… Because there are many cases like this.”
“There are countless examples of Tosa Gupin.”
It is common in history to remove a person who has made great achievements.
A subject with power and reputation could threaten the monarch’s position at any time.
When the hunt is over and you don’t need the hound, you just kill it.
“But, President.”
“what?”
“It is still too early to vomit me. You’d better wait a little longer.”
“What do you mean?”
“Because the fight is not over yet.”
Saying that, I turned my gaze to Yoles and Ferdinand.
“Professor Yoles, Professor Ferdinand.”
“… … .”
“I will also tell the professors. There are still enemies to fight for the future of the Empire.”
Yoles and Ferdinand opened their eyes wide.
“I don’t know what the president said to the professors. but… I want you to lend me a little more strength.”
“Eh, Aernas… … .”
Ferdinand said in a trembling voice.
“What are you talking about? Are there still enemies left?”
“It remains.”
“The Dark Celestial Demons have also been destroyed, and all sword masters have been incapacitated. But what kind of forces are you fighting against?”
“that… … .”
“no way… Are you talking about fighting the Landstein family? with your father?”
Landstein family.
Although he is definitely one of the six master swordsmen, he has not been involved in any of the fights so far.
This is because the head of the household, Perfectio Landstein, is holding a memorial service for the iron-blooded sword in a mausoleum in the eastern sea.
“No, Professor.”
“yes? Anyway, with your father… … .”
“I have to fight my father too, but my real enemy is not my father.”
“What, what?”
Yes.
From now on, I must fight Aernas’ father, Perfectio.
However, the enemy that must be defeated in order to reach the true end of this story is not Perfectio.
“From now on, I will fight the one who will stain the whole world with blood. To do that, we need the cooperation of professors.”
“To stain the whole world with blood? Are you referring to the remnants of the Black Heaven Demonic Cult?”
“no. The Black Heaven Demonic Cult was just trying to create a world where everyone fought against everyone.”
The Black Heaven Demonic Cult was just trying to break down the social system and create anarchy.
“So, then you’re saying that there are more vicious guys than the Dark Heaven Demonic Cult?”
“Yes, depending on your point of view, they are worse than the Dark Heaven Demonic Cult.”
“They were hiding in this empire? I can’t believe it.”
Ferdinand shook his head.
“Aernas.”
Then Yoles, who had been silent all along, opened his mouth.
“then… Who the heck is that?”
Yoles’ eyes were sharp.
It was a gaze trying to see through the truth of my words.
Receiving that kind of gaze from Yols… I said in a clear voice.
“The founder of the emperor, who has been preparing for a resurrection since a thousand years ago in order to make this land a true ‘world of swords’… The iron-blooded sword emperor is the enemy we must defeat.”