Chapter 131: Star Lecturer (6)

The reason the Emperor gave me this opportunity.

It was his intention to bring in the brightest talents from the nation’s top academy.

That was all to prevent corruption in the empire, now entering a time of peace.

In a warless era, soldiers and knights were left with no real purpose.

And the place they were most easily drawn to—was the private armies of the nobility.

‘The stronger they become, the greater the threat to the Emperor.’

There’s no way the Emperor, who had grown shrewd through the imperial succession war, would be unaware of this.

That’s why he wanted me to scatter the nation’s knights as much as possible.

‘He probably approved of my ambition to become a noble because of this very condition.’

As a result, I was currently enjoying a certain level of trust from the Emperor.

He wouldn’t interfere much, even if I expanded my influence freely.

Now then, what should I do next?

Surprisingly, what came next was very simple.

‘I just need to make sure the knights I personally trained go on to live well and proudly.’

Even without joining the lackey ranks of the Imperial Family or powerful families, they could still become wealthy.

If that truth spread through my foundation…

I would gain recognition in the private military sector too, following the entertainment industry.

‘And if that happens, no one will dare mess with me anymore.’

A few unsavory connections floated to the surface of my mind.

But their faces vanished completely the moment I turned back to look at the lion crest of the Erian Foundation.

“……”

Meanwhile, Instructor Tom Reed still looked stunned.

As if the words I had just said had never once occurred to him, he seemed lost in deep thought.

“You’re really planning to give all these benefits to the knights…?”

Perhaps it was because he had seen firsthand how most of his students had ended up.

To him, the idea that knights would pursue wealth and personal gain—not someone else’s interests—sounded unfamiliar, even wrong.

“But if knights only care about money and themselves, then it’s not chivalry anymore, is it? How are they any different from mercenaries…?”

“There’s no need to see it so drastically.”

I waved my hand, reassuring him.

“What I have in mind is simply the ‘refinement’ of the knight profession.”

Refinement.

Helena and Echina immediately understood the intent behind that word.

“When the era of peace begins, there’s no battlefield where one can showcase their skills. Instead, sparring matches will become the norm.”

The Empire’s Best Sword.

The North’s Best Sword.

The West’s Best Sword.

And countless other such titles—popularity earned through them would become power itself.

In an age without war, this would be the only way to measure a knight’s strength.

“We’ll focus our training on those areas and aim for awards. Then employment will follow naturally.”

I glanced over at the knights of Nord.

And to leave a good impression, I left them with one last line I had prepared.

“I’m not saying we’ll train them to abandon chivalry. I simply mean that we’ll apply a new method of education, one suited for a rapidly changing era.”

“……”

A middle-aged man with a large scar on his cheek.

He looked at me with suspicion, wondering if a mere twenty-year-old like me had truly come up with all of this on my own.

Was there some powerful noble behind me?

Was I just acting under someone else’s orders, trying to deceive him again?

“If you’re still unsure, let’s do this.”

But I understood his mindset very well.

And I knew exactly how to open the door to his heart.

“If you’ll agree to become one of our instructors, I’ll grant you full authority over all education.”

“……?”

Full authority over education.

That was, in effect, the highest position in the foundation.

If this had been the old Erian, it might have made sense.

Back then, the foundation was little more than a hotel and nothing else.

But now, things were different.

Erian Hotel, Luton Textiles, Erian Knight Training Corps, Erian Arts Foundation, even the Erian Fashion Show.

At this point, it was fair to say it had become a full-fledged group.

And I was offering him the leadership of the newly formed Knight Training Corps.

To someone who, until just yesterday, had been living as a drunkard—this offer must’ve seemed utterly unreal.

‘Everyone else may find it baffling, but I know better.’

A knight’s reputation was fundamentally determined by “level” and “title.”

Especially in times without war, these two things would matter more than ever.

A nameless knight with real war experience versus a high-ranking Sword Expert knight.

If one had to choose between the two, whom would they pick?

The younger generation, unfamiliar with war, would naturally choose the more polished latter.

And Instructor Tom was the foremost authority in education who could raise knights to that level.

“I won’t interfere, no matter what kind of education you choose to implement.”

More than that, he understood the horrors of war all too well.

So he would naturally teach his students not just with crash courses, but also about the dangers of war and how to prepare for it.

“If there’s anything in the curriculum you believe is wrong—patriotic indoctrination or anything else—just revise it as you see fit.”

To speak so plainly, despite saying I’d taken on this role by the Emperor’s command…

Tom Reed looked at me, lips parting in disbelief.

“You’re utterly reckless. Or perhaps… it’s the kind of idea only someone barely twenty could have.”

Thanks to my blunt and straightforward demeanor, he quickly came to a realization.

There was no shadowy figure pulling my strings from behind.

“……”

Only then did he begin to seriously consider my proposal.

And at last, glancing up at me, he asked a single question.

“Are you sure you want to give someone like me this opportunity…? I’m someone who ran away from the military.”

At the instructor’s words, I stopped in my tracks for a moment.

Then, turning slowly toward him, I spoke.

“I’ve run away before too.”

And not so long ago, at that.

“People aren’t racehorses, built to only ever look forward.”

I shifted my gaze toward the guests and knights seated in the audience.

As if to say, You’ve all had moments like that too, haven’t you?

“When a person realizes they’re wrong and chooses to step back—that’s something only a human can do.”

“Right. If you’re convinced your judgment is right, then there’s nothing shameful about it.”

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

And Helena, quietly listening from a distance, also nodded, as if she found my oddly human reasoning rather amusing.

“What you did is nothing to be ashamed of, Instructor.”

A man who had lived his whole life as a fugitive.

He looked as if it was the first time anyone had told him his life hadn’t been a disgrace.

“……”

He, who had until now met every word of persuasion with a piercing stare, lowered his head for the first time.

He silently looked down at his calloused hands—hands that had trained countless students.

Then, fiddling with his fingers, he fell into deep silence.

And at last, he managed to say just one thing…

“Give me a little time to think.”

It was, quite clearly, a positive response.

“Of course. Stay here for a few days and take your time deciding.”

「――――――」

And just like that, the lecture came to a close—ending with Bennett, Echina, and my final persuasion.

Guests who left the venue quickly spread word that Tom Reed, the man who had disappeared into legend, might be coming to Erian.

Thanks to that, even that same night, his name and the Erian entrance process began popping up in conversations throughout the streets.

“I heard the Imperial Academy is backing the Erian Foundation?”

“Then it’s true—His Majesty the Emperor really trusts Director Roger?”

Everyone seemed excited, looking forward to the revival of Nord.

As a result, Erian Foundation’s theme stocks once again soared rapidly.

Of course, it owed much to the efforts of Mansachs, who’d been hanging around the hotel like a leech.

He personally wrote and published a note in the newspaper’s finance section.

“……”

However—

Echina was still taking a very cautious view of the situation.

“You sure this is okay? He didn’t give a definite answer.”

“Yes, this should be enough. He’s just barely sobered up, after all.”

Having returned to the hotel after a long while, I personally took a cloth and wiped the nose of the elephant statue.

Purring like a cat, my eyes narrow and sly like a fox.

“The important thing is that we got him to stay here. Now he’ll gradually take a look around the foundation, and his closed heart will start to open.”

“The way you’re saying that… you sound like some boss from the criminal underworld.”

Echina looked at me with unimpressed eyes as I gave her a wicked smile.

“Letting someone come to their own conclusion is the most powerful form of persuasion. That’s how the secretaries of old used to convince their lords.”

“……”

At my mention of my days as a secretary, Echina’s expression briefly softened.

After standing silently on her own for a moment, she came over to my side as I straightened the frame of her mother’s portrait.

“Let’s wipe it together.”

And just like that, we found ourselves standing side by side.

I glanced at Echina’s delicate face up close and said casually,

“By the way, Lady Echina, your face looks especially radiant today.”

“Really? I think I look the same as always.”

The Grand Duke’s daughter briefly covered her lips with a fist and let out a soft cough.

But I could tell.

There was no way I wouldn’t notice—after all, I had served her personally.

She had clearly spent more time managing the family business than training lately, which meant less exposure to the sun.

“……”

Not to mention, nearly all her investments and ventures were succeeding.

When your work goes well, your appearance naturally becomes more beautiful too.

Thanks to that, the once worn-out, decadent look in her eyes was now replaced by a healthy brightness.

I believed it was all because she had taken charge of the family affairs.

“You’re starting to feel more like a young woman my age now, if that makes sense.”

“Well… basically, you’re saying I look better this way, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Echina nodded calmly as if she understood.

Then, turning slightly away, she quietly clenched a fist and struck a subtle pose.

“…?”

Reflected in the smooth leg of the elephant statue, I saw her movement.

Unaware she was being seen, Echina glanced back at me and said,

“That’s good enough, then.”

The Grand Duke’s daughter returned to her usual cold expression.

And then, folding her arms, she asked in a deliberately casual tone,

“By the way, it’s almost dinner. Care to join me?”

“Gladly. I was just getting hungry. Should we ask the hotel chefs?”

I hadn’t yet tried a meal since the Erian Hotel was elevated to five-star status.

It would be perfect to try it now, especially with Echina and Helena—who had likely eaten fine cuisine their whole lives—joining in to help evaluate.

But—

Echina, who usually didn’t care much about meals, made an unexpected suggestion.

“No, I think we should eat out today.”

“Eat out, ma’am? Is there a place you had in mind?”

At my question, Echina stayed silent for a moment.

Then, coming to a stop, she said clearly,

“There’s a new restaurant that just opened across the street. I’ve been curious about it.”

“Understood. Let’s do that, then.”

Now that I thought about it, I had hardly ever seen Echina dine out with anyone.

Not in my past life, nor this one.

Well, no matter how beautiful she was, with those piercing cold eyes, it must’ve been hard for people to get close.

The thought of sharing a meal with her wouldn’t even cross most people’s minds.

So, to avoid making things awkward, this seemed like the perfect time for a group dinner.

“Actually, this works out well. We’ve been so busy that our foundation still hasn’t had a single team dinner.”

“…Huh?”

At my perfectly innocent and harmless reply, Echina’s pupils lost their shine.

As if the situation was going completely off from what she had intended.

“Everyone’s okay with that, right?”

But by then, I had already turned away from her and was speaking to the staff and colleagues who’d followed me out into the lobby.

They readily agreed, seizing the moment.

“Sounds great! You’re treating us, right, Director?”

“The place across the street is that new Eastern restaurant, isn’t it? I’ve been curious about it.”

Yuria clapped like a seal in agreement, and Mansachs looked thrilled at the thought of a free meal.

But—

Their expressions froze over completely a moment later.

Because behind my cheerful face, they had spotted someone’s icy, dead-serious stare.

Sensing that strange shift in atmosphere, I turned my head as well.

And Echina, just like that, returned to the warm gaze of a gracious knight.

“Then let’s all go together.”

“Ah, I… suddenly don’t feel so well…”

“I think something urgent just came up at home…”

Yuria and Mansachs immediately began avoiding eye contact with me.

All I could do was blink at their flustered behavior.

‘What kind of excuse is “I think something urgent is going to happen”…?’

But amidst it all, one person remained as steady as ever.

“Oh my, is that restaurant called ‘Élégante’ by any chance?”

It was none other than Helena Yekaterina.

At some point, she had been listening in and now smoothly slid in between me and Echina.

“That’s one of the places sponsored by our family. If we go together, we can probably get a discount.”

“Oh, really?”

She somehow knew exactly how to appeal to my frugal nature and said just the right thing.

“Yup. And I haven’t had dinner yet either—shall we go?”

“Understood. I’ll get things ready right away.”

I headed over to the front desk and asked for a suite room and VIP service for Tom Reed.

Meanwhile, Echina and Helena remained behind together under the massive elephant statue.

“You put on makeup today, didn’t you, Echina?”

As expected of another woman, the blonde Grand Duke’s daughter immediately noticed the change.

Helena tapped her own cheek with a finger and said,

“I wonder what made our noble knight suddenly start caring about her looks~.”

“Aren’t you going home, Helena?”

But Echina wasn’t one to back down.

She shot back fiercely, eyes flashing like a predator—just like her father’s.

“My brand has already crushed yours overwhelmingly here in Nord. Isn’t it time for you to go back?”

“Crushed is a stretch. It’s just a few percentage points. And I’m perfectly happy with second place.”

Helena smiled brightly, as if she didn’t care about any of that.

“Besides, our goal’s something else entirely now, isn’t it?”

At those words, the Northern Grand Duke’s daughter quietly turned her gaze to the wide back of a certain man.

And slowly narrowed her sharp eyes halfway.

They had stopped eyeing the bait the fox offered.

Now, they were starting to hunger for the fox himself.

And that was only the beginning.

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