Chapter 129:  Star Lecturer (4)

The Grand Duke’s daughter of the North, Echina.

I was starting to grow anxious.

The fox who had once run away was now returning as a rising powerhouse.

Even the Western Grand Duke’s daughter and the Saint were directly helping him.

But no matter how I looked at it, this wasn’t just business.

There was that shameless Istina, curled up in his broad arms—something I’d confirmed through the reporters I’d secretly dispatched.

And Helena, who had deliberately ridden in the same carriage just to stick close by his side.

Anyone could see it for what it was—vulgar behavior, like wagging their tails at prey that belonged to me.

“How utterly ridiculous.”

Of course, the man I’d been keeping an eye on didn’t seem to be interested in them romantically—at least not yet.

But still—

I knew it instinctively.

Those two were women so beautiful, they could seduce nearly any man alive.

If he ever opened his eyes to that kind of thing…

It would only be a matter of time before he was ‘taken.’

“……”

That was something I absolutely could not allow.

I had lived a barren life, doing everything I could just to be recognized by my father.

And the first person to ever bring change into that life—

I couldn’t lose him, no matter what.

“If I put my mind to it, I could easily…”

With my hands clasped behind my back, I paced slowly around the office.

In truth, even though I spoke like this, I’d never actually tried to seduce a man before.

I never had to—date proposals and marriage talks always came pouring in on their own.

But no matter how I saw it, that diligent, workaholic fox wasn’t going to make the first move.

I bit down lightly on my index finger.

With the sharp fangs I’d inherited from my father.

“Haa…”

Eventually, I reached a conclusion.

Just like the Western Grand Duke’s daughter and the Saint pretended to help while sticking close to Roger—

I would also support him in recruiting that man he was after this time—Tom Reed.

“Yes. This is a strategic approach.”

I walked over to the birdcage by the window.

Then I picked up a note for the messenger bird and smoothly began writing my message.

Tom Reed.

No knight could possibly not know his name.

From his hands had come countless high-ranking Sword Experts and Swordmasters.

He was such a legend in knight education that he’d produced them even through short, intensive crash courses.

Thanks to that, even after he’d vanished from the industry, countless nobles had tried to hire him to educate their children.

But despite all the money they offered, most of them had been turned down.

And yet somehow, Roger had managed to invite him all the way to the hotel…

“What an incredible boy.”

I felt secretly proud, as if I had been the one behind it all.

And the more that feeling grew, the stronger my possessiveness became.

“That’s why… there’s even less chance I can let him go now.”

From within my black hair, golden eyes gleamed sharply.

But the mood had shifted—subtly but unmistakably—from before.

In the past, she had shone with nobility and brilliance…

Now, she resembled a beast that had cast everything aside to focus on a single prey.

“If that’s how you want to play it, then I have no choice but to make the first move.”

I tied the note to the leg of the messenger bird.

Then, I quietly watched as it flew up into the sky.

Its departing figure looked so very much like someone I knew.

The continent’s second-in-command, who had seized control of the Nord region all on his own.

“……”

My desk was stacked with achievements I had built up while Roger had been away.

“Luton Textiles rises to 2nd place in Nord’s clothing manufacturing industry.”

“Old Luton – Land acquisition contract.”

Luton Textiles had grown so much it had now expanded its factories to a third location.

And Old Luton—the land I had preemptively acquired after being the first to notice its growth potential—its value had skyrocketed several dozen times over.

Thanks to that, my wealth had begun to balloon like a snowball rolling downhill.

As if the business and managerial talents I had long kept hidden were finally coming into full bloom.

“If the fox jumped the fence and ran away, then I’ll just have to go and catch him myself.”

Unlike in my previous life, I had studied relentlessly and thoroughly.

In the past, I had only held a vague dream of becoming the commander of the knight order.

But now, I was reaching for—and beginning to claim—goals far beyond that.

“This time, I won’t let go.”

I quietly brushed my fingers over the Black Lion badge pinned to the curve of my chest.

Then, without even realizing it, the corners of my lips lifted slightly—lips as red and fresh as an apple.

A secret smile, one I had never shown to anyone.

「――――――」

The ripple effect of the messenger bird I had sent out was truly something else.

The streets, which until now had been filled only with refined noble gentlemen, ladies, and hotel guests…

Were now being flooded by knights from all across Nord.

Men and women, tall and striking, dressed in pristine white uniforms.

Their appearances, along with their noble aura—

Easily captured the attention of the various designers and artists based in Old Luton.

And the inspiration they gave off was a bonus.

With wide, sparkling eyes, people watched the knights pass.

The destination of those young, passionate onlookers was the Erian Hotel.

Because today—

Was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to attend a special lecture by the most successful and accomplished senior among them.

Echina.

The application period had only lasted one day.

And yet, nearly a hundred people surged up onto the red carpet, their feet quick with excitement.

All of them burning with the hope of meeting their idol.

――――――

Amidst the crowd pressing toward the main gate, one familiar middle-aged man came into view.

Today’s protagonist.

Tom Reed.

It had been a long time since he’d shaved, and now he stood in front of the hotel in a stiff-looking suit.

He had originally planned to come in his usual ragged clothes, without much thought.

But the innkeeper who had hailed him a carriage had insisted—going so far as to force a suit onto him.

“How much did they pay her to go this far…”

Once a legendary instructor in his prime, he clicked his tongue and stepped into the hotel.

The Erian Hotel—a five-star establishment, one of fewer than ten in the entire Empire.

“Let’s see…”

With clouded eyes, he looked around the hotel lobby.

And the first thing he noticed was an absurdly large elephant statue.

He had once been deployed to the Eastern front, so he was somewhat familiar with the culture.

Even if most Imperials tended to look down on those traditions.

For some reason, however, this hotel had proudly placed a symbol of Eastern culture right at its entrance.

“Even when I first saw him, I thought—he’s a strange one.”

Thinking that, he made his way to the center of the lobby.

Just then, a woman approached him—someone who had clearly recognized him.

It was the petite and neatly presented red-haired hotel manager, Yuria.

“Welcome, Instructor Tom.”

“A pleasure. I’m Tom Reed.”

A woman he had never met before, yet she knew who he was.

Naturally, he assumed she had been sent by the person who’d invited him, and glanced around.

“I don’t see Lord Roger anywhere.”

“The representative is currently preparing for a special lecture. He’s upstairs.”

Tom gave a silent nod.

At the same time, he thought to himself,

‘So they really went all out just because I agreed to come.’

Still, he had no intention of opening his heart so easily.

The nobles he’d seen up until now—

They always talked big with fancy words, but their actions behind the scenes told a very different story.

He was a retired instructor who had trained himself not to be swayed by any kind of sweet talk.

So with the same rigid expression he had worn in his active duty days, he stepped into the elevator with Yuria.

“I’ll ride with you for a moment.”

Several Nord knights flooded into the elevator behind them.

Tom instinctively glanced at the young people who boarded with him.

‘Their eyes… are good.’

Most regional knights wasted their lives, blocked from promotion.

They would half-heartedly build up a career as knights, then get engaged to someone their parents picked.

They didn’t train hard. Instead, they just sucked up to the right people to climb the ladder.

But—

The young people standing in front of him felt different.

They had clear goals and conviction, and they were pushing straight ahead on that path.

They were the kind of talents that matched the knightly ideal he had always believed in.

And talents like that—could only be born under an exceptional senior.

In other words, a strong leader.

“The North must not be fully rotten yet.”

Yuria lifted her head at the weight of his comment.

Tom shook his head slowly, brushing it off as nothing.

“It’s nothing. The southern regions have already started falling apart, but up here, the atmosphere still feels right.”

Feels right.

That, at least, he would admit.

Still, even if a place had good young talents—

Could those at the top be just as decent?

With his arms folded, Tom Reed stepped off the elevator.

And then his gaze landed on the banner hanging above the lecture hall.

“Bennet Tolkien: The Reason I Was Able to Endure Without Breaking.”

Bennet Tolkien, the great singer.

Tom knew that name well.

Even back when he had been actively serving on the battlefield, Bennet was already a renowned vocalist.

Although there had been an incident in his past where he smuggled war orphans into enemy territory, Tom had never considered him a traitor.

Anyone who had actually lived through the battlefield would know—no one had the right to condemn such actions.

Even if the children were from the enemy nation, what fault could possibly lie with them?

Tom himself had once escorted orphans during a prisoner exchange.

So deep down, he had always felt a quiet sense of kinship with Bennet.

‘But still, why would so many knights show up just to hear a singer’s lecture?’

With that thought, Instructor Tom entered the lecture hall alongside the others.

Then he took a seat in the special reserved section where his name had been written.

“……”

Most of the knights and guests were already seated.

At that moment, the lights focused all at once on the stage.

Soon, a middle-aged man stepped onto it.

His appearance was a far cry from when he used to wander the slums, homeless.

“Good to see you all. I’m Bennet Tolkien.”

――――――

Applause filled the auditorium.

The sound was so loud it made Tom’s ears ring, and he furrowed his brow slightly.

“It’s probably your first time seeing me start with a greeting instead of a song, right?”

The lighthearted joke brightened the atmosphere.

But even in that warm air, the retired instructor’s expression remained cold.

Because without a doubt, somewhere in this lecture…

There would be a subtle request for praise and trust toward that man—Roger.

Otherwise, there would’ve been no reason to invite him here.

‘I don’t know how he managed to sweet-talk this guy, but it’s not going to work on me.’

Resolute in his thoughts, the instructor continued to watch the lecture.

But then—

Surprisingly, not once was the name “Roger” mentioned during the entire talk.

There wasn’t even a single word of thanks to him for providing the venue.

All Bennet did was recount the story of his life and how he came to stand on the stage of a hotel once again.

And unless someone had read the newspapers or seen a performance beforehand, there was no way to know who had helped him.

“Well then, I suppose it’s about time to wrap things up.”

“……?”

The lecture, which had lasted a full hour, was now coming to a natural end.

There had been no hidden messages, no manipulation—just a straightforward delivery.

“There’s only one thing I truly want to say to all of you here today.”

With a kind expression, Bennet looked out at the audience.

“When you really believe you’ve been pushed to the very edge of a cliff…”

His eyes—those of someone who had truly faced the end of life—matched his words.

“Just once more, take a look around you.”

This was a man who had given up everything and lived on the streets.

And yet, someone had reached out to him.

Someone who had asked him, just once, to gather the strength to try again.

“You are not alone.”

Now, perhaps even to Tom, that hand of salvation was being extended.

“That concludes my talk. Thank you all so much for listening.”

Bennet gave a final bow to bid farewell.

And as if on cue, thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience.

――――――

“That’s it?”

Tom asked with a less-than-impressed expression, turning to Yuria, who sat beside him.

In response, she leaned in and whispered that there was still a little more to come.

「Next, we will hear a few words from someone who has joined us especially for today’s occasion.」

Of course. So it wasn’t over yet.

Now it was finally that kid’s turn.

Instructor Tom immediately straightened his posture.

In his mind, the reason they’d brought out the rescued singer first was clear—

It was all part of the setup, a build-up to make his own speech seem even more impressive by comparison.

Returning to his sharp, piercing gaze, he stared squarely at the stage.

Fully expecting to see that sly fox-like man with narrow eyes take the spotlight.

But—

Contrary to his expectations, the person who stepped onto the stage was someone completely different.

Different not just in appearance, but in aura as well.

――――――

Measured footsteps echoed across the hall.

And as if recognizing the owner of that sound, the knights seated among the audience rose to their feet all at once.

Each of them raised a clenched fist to their left chest, showing respect even before the woman had arrived on stage.

It was like watching a war general enter in the middle of battle.

“You may be seated.”

With sharp, icy eyes—Echina Luton.

The moment she took the stage, the atmosphere shifted entirely.

Tom, upon seeing the Grand Duke’s daughter’s face, understood at once.

This—this was the source of the strength he had sensed in those Nord knights outside the hotel.

“I am Echina Luton, and I will be delivering today’s special lecture.”

With an expression as cold as ever, she took her place on stage.

But a few of the female knights noticed it right away—

That she was wearing makeup. Ever so light, barely perceptible, but there.

A delicate, meticulous change—something the men would never notice.

But this was only the beginning.

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