Chapter 47

The midterms finally ended with the submission of the last Magical Engineering assignment.

Dobby is free! Theo let out a cheer of joy at regaining his freedom.

However, there was also a pitiful fellow who couldn’t find his freedom. Like the arts and physical education majors whose entrance exams aren’t over even after the CSAT.

“…Congratulations.”

At Lucian’s mumble, Theo gestured to Zephyros with his eyes.

“Dude, what’s wrong with him?”

“The swordsmanship-related lectures determine the first semester midterm exam grades at the Flowering Festival.”

Since the Academy students were competing against each other anyway, a professor had raised the question of whether it was necessary to repeat the same thing twice, be it the midterms or the Flowering Festival.

Thanks to that, the Flowering Festival and the midterm exams were combined, and the importance and burden increased together, which was a sad story.

The desperation of the students participating in the festival also differed significantly, so the first place was often taken by a student taking a swordsmanship lecture.

Theo, who heard Zephyros’s explanation, slightly opened his mouth and asked.

“But, you take swordsmanship lectures too.”

“I’m not taking swordsmanship lectures, I’m doing my own personal swordsmanship training, so I’m excluded.”

“I didn’t know!”

“There’s no real reason you needed to know.”

Theo slowly nodded at Zephyros’s monotonous words.

“Because it’s a basic skill that the next duke must have.”

“My, what a hassle.”

“Isn’t it enough for the Duchy of Wind to just handle the wind?”

At Theo’s words, Zephyros let out a small laugh and explained.

“Now, the number has decreased to the point where you can become a duke just by having the power of the wind, but in the old days, most of them were Wind Masters.”

Therefore, controlling the wind was just a very natural basic qualification, not a decisive move.

In the past, there were many bloody battles to become a duke, and in the previous generation, five of the duke’s seven children could control the power of the wind, so the battle for the title was quite grand. At that, Theo asked again.

“Usually, how many Wind Masters appear in one generation?”

“Three at most. Once, not a single one appeared among ten children, so they had a collateral branch that manifested the power of the wind marry into the direct line to continue the lineage.”

Is it really not a dysfunctional family for no reason? Theo shivered, disgusted.

“What’s the criterion for judging which direct line member to marry to the collateral branch?”

“The one who most resembles the first duke in appearance.”

“Yep, a dysfunctional family.”

“Are all ducal families usually like that?”

At Lucian’s question, Zephyros let out a small laugh.

“This is actually a milder case.”

It was a smile so relaxed that it was a bit, no, very much of a jerk.

“The Nevera Duchy has a clear standard of wind.”

In other words, when a noble title is passed down without a clear standard, it could really cause a bloodbath.

“So, the Duke of Nevera usually has many children.”

“To increase the possibility of manifesting the power of the wind.”

“Yeah.”

So, it was safe to say that there were no cases of an only child like Zephyros.

However, the duke had boasted that his son would definitely manifest the power of the wind, and there were no vassals who would go against the will of the young and strong duke who had already slit the throats of his brothers to ascend to the ducal throne.

Most of all, as the duke had boasted, Zephyros really did manifest the power of the wind. At the very young age of four.

The duke’s attitude must have changed from that point on.

Lucian, who sensed something strange in Zephyros’s strangely subdued appearance, called him.

“Zephi?”

“Huh? It’s nothing.”

He clearly remembers the wind that had settled on his fingertips in his childhood.

“You’re going through a lot too. Isn’t it a hassle?”

He also clearly remembered the appearance of his father watching it.

“How could it be a hassle.”

Zephyros smiled immaculately.

At that smile, which resembled Lerwon’s when he consciously put on a mask, Theo momentarily opened and closed his mouth before shutting it.

“Hey, we’re friends.”

Instead, he only offered these words.

“Huh?”

“If a vassal pledges loyalty to you, and you bestow a corresponding benefit in return, that’s one kind of relationship─ but a friend is someone you just give and receive from without any price because you’re a friend.”

“Yeah, I know that too.”

“…As long as you know.”

Even though it seems like he doesn’t know at all.

Theo let out a faint sigh.

There was no way to get involved in a matter where the other party had no intention of telling. It was truly a frustrating friend, who would show trust to the point of being bewildering at one moment, and then draw a line at times like this.

* * *

“A lightning-struck ginkgo tree.”

Leonald mumbled softly at the request of the Hero he had seen for the first time in a while.

A lightning-struck ginkgo tree was a very precious material. To the point where even the Imperial Family only had five of them stored in the imperial treasury.

Of course, there was no reason why he couldn’t give it to Lucian, the Descendant of the Hero and the future Hero, but the problem was that it was a lightning-struck ginkgo tree.

A lightning-struck ginkgo tree was a precious object imbued with powerful magical energy, and the Hero was a being very far from magic.

There was no way he could not grasp the intention behind why he needed it.

“Could you perhaps tell me why you need such a thing?”

When Leonald asked with a gentle smile, Lucian remained silent.

Does Lucian even know that his attitude is deepening Leonald’s suspicion?

“Is it related to Theo Lisitoel?”

At that question, Lucian still kept his mouth shut without any agitation.

However, that silence gave the emperor more conviction.

Why on earth would a magician aspirant who had just transferred a month ago need such a precious object.

“If it’s difficult, it’s fine with me.”

“Lucian, I’m not trying not to give it to you.”

He wanted to gauge more if possible, but at his attitude, which seemed as if he would leave at any moment, the emperor let out a sigh.

Half of his heart wanted to give it without asking any questions, and the other half wanted to ask in detail about its use.

In the end, it would flow towards giving it to Lucian either way.

“It is a material that can cause problems if misused, so I must know how it will be used.”

“It is to be used to save a person.”

“On the Hero’s honor.”

“On my honor.”

Then it should be fine. The emperor handed the key to the treasury to a servant who was by his side.

“Please give Lucian what he desires.”

“I understand.”

The man, who bowed his head, left the audience chamber first, and Lucian bowed to the emperor and then left the audience chamber.

The person who had been waiting outside slowly moved his feet.

Lucian, who was quietly following him, asked cautiously.

“By any chance… are you blind?”

“How did you know?”

At the servant’s surprised question, Lucian smiled awkwardly.

“When I was at the orphanage, the grandmother who sometimes helped me was blind.”

“It seems it’s noticeable.”

An answer flowed out as if it were no big deal at the surprised mumble.

“Yes. She stayed by my side for a long time, so she remains particularly in my memory.”

The conversation did not continue after that.

The servant, who stopped at the treasury, opened the door, went inside, and handed him a tree branch about the size of a person’s forearm.

“This is what you mentioned.”

“Thank you.”

Contrary to the words that it was difficult even for the emperor to obtain, it was not very heavy, and Lucian held it carefully.

Now, to give this to Theo─

“Are you going to give it to your friend?”

Suddenly, a question flowed from the servant. Meeting the servant’s gaze directly, Lucian answered calmly.

“Is there any reason I should tell you what I did not tell His Majesty?”

“There is no need… yes. You are right. I have overstepped my bounds, I am sorry.”

At the sight of him quickly bowing his head and apologizing, Lucian felt an unknown sense of guilt.

He hadn’t intended to answer so sharply, but he felt as if he had unintentionally bullied him.

“I cannot explain in detail.”

“It is not that you are not explaining, but that you cannot explain, I suppose.”

Lucian did not hear the servant’s small mumble, which was even tinged with hostility.

* * *

He really got it?

And the size was just right, enough to make what I wanted. In fact, it was so big that I wanted to use it for myself as well.

“He just gave it to you?”

“I just… skipped the explanation.”

My jaw dropped.

No, is that possible for the current Lucian?

It was truly surprising. It should be a time when he’s so uncomfortable with the emperor.

“Thank you so much.”

I felt as if the already heavy wood had become heavier.

There was no need to go that far to get it. I could have just asked my father if necessary.

“So how are you going to use it?”

Fortunately, sunbae had told me in advance that it was okay to mention the taboo to Lucian or Zephyros.

To be honest, I felt quite sorry for just hiding it and saying I didn’t know, especially since Lucian had gone this far.

I slowly explained that Lerwon had intended to become a monster, ‘Ouroboros’, through a forbidden spell, that I had noticed it in advance, and that a special talisman was needed to turn him back into a human, and that the material for that talisman was a lightning-struck ginkgo tree.

Watching Lucian’s face contort while listening to the story was not a very pleasant experience.

“How did you know all that?”

I had already thought of a suitable excuse. But, the thought that it was a lie made me feel a little uncomfortable.

“I had a dream.”

“A dream?”

“Yeah, a prophetic dream.”

They say a lie is a snowball rolling down a slope.

I just hope my end isn’t me being buried under an endlessly grown snowball.

“In that dream, sunbae succeeds in becoming a monster. He kills the professor and turns the Academy into a mess.

You succeed in stopping sunbae as a Hero, but in the end, sunbae chooses death.”

It was suicide, but at the same time, it was murder.

Some nobles cursed Lucian for not being able to kill the monster, but Lucian suffered from the guilt of having killed his sunbae.

It was a sweet-potato situation, but in the end, it meant that Lucian was that much of a just and upright person.

“Because of that, you suffer and face quite a few crises.”

Lapidemy is, in the end, an epic story of a single human chosen by the Holy Sword, Lucian, becoming a Hero who saves the world.

“When that whole story ends, you will surely become a hero.”

A hero who will save the world must have trials and crises.

The world revolves for that purpose.

“But, I wish you weren’t a hero.”

Because heroes are lonely.

Lucian is a person who suits being an ordinary Academy student more than a hero or a Hero. If possible, I hope he can complete all his years at the Academy without being dragged into a war.

“In your prophetic dream, am I a hero?”

I cherished that story.

It was a feeling that could definitely be called love.

Yes, I loved the story called 「Lapis Academy」.

“Yeah. You were a perfect hero, even if you stumbled a little. But, I hate that dream.”

Because it’s a story written in the blood of this world.

Because it’s a story woven with your pain, with the pain of the world.

So, I….

“I hope you don’t become a hero.”

At the same time, a parchment with a bluish light appeared in front of me.

+++

<Main Quest>

-Reward: ■

-Failure: Destruction

+++

It was a Main Quest window full of noise.

I looked at it with slightly shaken eyes.

*

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