novelraw Chapter 17 : Chapter 17
Chapter 17 : Chapter 17
Chapter 17: Sector 28
Lensis also discovered Ered shortly after.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was about to ask you the same qu—.”
Ered trailed off mid-sentence.
Lensis had company.
A man with jet-black hair combed neatly to one side.
His skin was white as snow.
Not a single small flaw could be found.
Lensis also had a considerably noble appearance, but the man with jet-black hair was a level above him.
He looked like a statue rather than a human.
Nobility wasn't just oozing from him; it was overflowing.
At a glance, he looked like someone who had never experienced hardship in his life—
Thump.
Ered instinctively dropped to one knee.
“I greet Your High Imperial Highness.”
The opponent was of the Emperor's bloodline.
There was no way I wouldn't recognize him.
The Emperor had more than 20 children.
Ered knew the faces of every single one of them in a row.
Not only that, but all of the Emperor’s close relatives as well.
It was only right to recognize him first and show courtesy.
It was my duty to save a member of the Imperial Family the trouble of introducing himself.
The fact that Lensis was staying by the side of such a being meant….
'Lensis. Did you really become a member of the Imperial Guard?'
Moreover, he seemed to be quite well-recognized.
The being Lensis was guarding was Marcus Caesar Granat.
The Emperor's 8th child.
A person somewhat distant in the line of succession to the throne.
Still, a Prince is a Prince.
Furthermore, he was a legitimate son.
Lensis was solely responsible for the safety of such a noble being.
Lensis's talent was superior.
So I had guessed that he might receive a call from the Imperial Guard.
'But the guard of a Prince?'
To take on such a heavy responsibility while still a cadet.
Ered was seized by a sense of inferiority.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't catch up to him.
That was not a problem unique to Ered.
Even the peers who were said to "fly and crawl" would lose their luster in front of Lensis.
Lensis's talent was truly top-tier.
It was at a level that could be counted on one hand even among all-time Prominence cadets.
What made it even more infuriating was that Lensis was a lazy fellow.
'He was famous since his cadet days for approaching classes half-heartedly.'
And yet, the fellow was a perennial top student.
'He even asked me why I worked so hard. With an expression that said he couldn't understand it at all.'
During that time, I did my utmost to catch up to Lensis.
When I accumulated achievements by eliminating wizards on dispatch missions and joined Obsidian, I had prided myself on having narrowed the gap with him quite a bit.
That was a foolish delusion.
'Just how far do you plan to get ahead?'
I even felt like I had moved further away from the fellow instead.
“How long are you going to stay like that?”
“…I apologize.”
Ered snapped to his senses at Marcus’s single word.
I sprang up from my kneeling position.
Unintentionally, my stray thoughts had lasted too long.
“I see he is someone you know?”
Marcus asked, looking back at Lensis.
“He is a classmate from Redstone.”
Lensis explained in a polite tone.
Even he, who was usually arrogant and self-indulgent, was obedient in front of the Prince.
“A classmate?”
A peculiar light appeared in Marcus’s eyes.
The noble being’s gaze scanned Ered up and down.
Ered hastily lowered my head, fearing I might commit the error of accidentally making eye contact with him.
“So you were a Prominence. No wonder I thought your aura was unusual. Then those eyes must be camouflage lenses. Does hiding your identity mean you’ve infiltrated the Academy under cover? If so, you must belong to Obsidian. Infiltration is their specialty, after all.”
Marcus’s sharp deduction poured out like rapid fire.
Only the identity of being a Prominence had been revealed.
Yet the secrets Ered had kept were peeled away one by one by Marcus.
Is it truly because the Emperor’s bloodline is different?
“Your share must be included in the fact that this beautiful garden turned into this state.”
Ered quietly observed Marcus’s reaction.
Fortunately, his tone was not one of reproach.
Rather, it was the opposite.
Marcus’s expression was tinged with interest.
“There are not many in the Academy equipped with combat power capable of leaving such violent traces. Since Lensis wouldn't have caused trouble without my permission, you are the only one left. It seems your opponent was quite a skilled individual.”
His tone invited an answer.
'What should I do?'
Ered was caught in a dilemma.
Most of Obsidian's missions are top secret.
And Marcus was a student currently attending the Academy where the mission was taking place.
'I am a citizen of the Empire.'
As a citizen of the Empire, there is a duty to naturally follow the demands of the noble bloodline.
'But I am also Obsidian.'
One must not carelessly disclose Obsidian’s secrets to a third party.
A conflict between two principles.
In other words, it was a difficult situation.
“I wasn't asking for an answer. I have no wish to put a loyal Prominence in a difficult spot.”
A gentle smile was drawn on Marcus’s lips.
Fortunately, he showed tolerance.
Although I didn't answer his question, at the point Ered hesitated, it was as good as half-admitting the truth.
“I liked this garden. Although it cannot be compared to the garden of the Imperial Palace, it had its own modest charm. Therefore, I used to stroll here whenever something to contemplate arose. It is a pity it has turned out like this.”
Marcus clicked his tongue.
“Of course, you must have had unavoidable circumstances. Isn't that so? For example, the garden was damaged in the process of confronting a vulgar crowd that dares to believe in the Republic’s magic within the sacred Academy.”
…His insight is like a ghost's.
The truth of the incident was being revealed in detail from the tip of Marcus’s tongue.
'Did he already know? That subversive elements exist in the Academy?'
Ered swallowed hard.
Well, Marcus is of the Empire's highest ruling class.
There is no fact in the Empire that they do not know.
“What is your name?”
“I am Ered Young.”
“'Young'? How interesting.”
A strange light flashed in his eyes.
It was a similar reaction to Captain Sailo Wiga from before.
“Yes, Ered. I wish for the culprits who made a mess of the garden to be caught quickly. Can you do that?”
“Of course.”
Marcus’s gaze was piercing.
Ered nodded reflexively.
The opponent’s age was clearly that of a peer.
Yet the weight felt from him was far beyond that.
He seemed like a being born wearing dignity from the start.
“Lensis.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Lensis replied with a bow.
“Should a situation arise where Ered needs help, make sure to cooperate at any time.”
“I shall follow your command. As long as it does not interfere with my guard duty.”
***
Commoners and Nobles.
A clear wall exists between the two classes.
However, it wasn't to the extent that it couldn't be crossed at all.
Cases where a commoner was elevated to nobility depending on their abilities were rare, but they certainly existed.
But starting from the Imperial Family, the story changes.
Even if one pours in vast wealth and fame, becoming a member of the Imperial Family is impossible.
The Emperor of the Empire is a being equal to a god.
The Imperial Family are the noble ones mixed with the blood of such an Emperor.
Daring to covet a position in the Imperial Family?
Harboring such a thought alone is blasphemy and treason against the Empire.
The 8th Prince Marcus.
He is a lofty swan.
He is of a different species from the ducks.
Whether it be a talented commoner or a noble with great family prestige.
They are just ducks.
No matter how hard they try, they cannot change the species itself.
A swan does not mingle with ducks.
It only rules.
Perhaps because of that, Marcus did not belong to any faction in the Academy.
'He didn't seem like a person who would take interest in a childish fight to pick sides.'
I had only shared a brief conversation with Marcus, but I could feel that he was a being on a different level from his fellow students.
At any rate, the Prince also wishes for the subversive elements within the Academy to be arrested as soon as possible.
'I should start producing results soon.'
Ered entered the interior of the main building while lost in thought.
'…Why is it so empty?'
Suddenly, I realized the fact that no students were to be seen.
'It was time for moving classes.'
I soon realized the reason.
A mishap that occurred because I neglected classes while focusing on the mission.
The next class is Magic Engineering.
In order to live as a citizen of the Empire, a minimum knowledge of magic engineering is inevitable.
Therefore, magic engineering was a mandatory course at the Academy as well.
Furthermore, a significant number of students take advanced courses to become magic engineers.
Due to the nature of the subject where experiments are frequent, magic engineering tends to have frequent practical training.
Thus, in most cases, classes are held in separate labs.
'I should hurry.'
Just as I was about to head to the annex where the lab is located after packing my major books.
'…Joffrey?'
I saw the fellow who had just entered the main building.
He hasn't discovered my presence here yet.
'Why did he come to the main building? Does he plan to skip class?'
I was about to call out to him reflexively but closed my mouth again.
Joffrey, moving quietly on his heels.
His way of constantly checking left and right was that of a thief without a doubt.
Come to think of it, Joffrey also had suspicious aspects.
'He framed Stiny. Claiming he carried around suspicious books or recited incantations.'
On the other hand, such a side of Stiny couldn't particularly be found until now.
The only information among those given by Joffrey that turned out to be true was the fact that Stiny walked around alone secretly in the middle of the night.
Even that wasn't very valuable information.
'Stiny faced a death threat in the garden.'
Until now, the person who bullied Stiny the most in the Academy was Joffrey.
He was a fellow who was anxious to bury Stiny from the Academy altogether, not just at the level of simple bullying.
'Maybe that guy….'
Meanwhile, Joffrey’s footsteps drew closer and closer.
'He's coming this way.'
Ered hid my body behind the window curtain.
I erase my presence.
It is not a difficult task.
Slide.
Joffrey opened the back door of the classroom and entered.
An empty classroom.
He stopped in front of the students' individual lockers lined up in a row.
He put his hand into his pants pocket and pulled something out.
A size small enough to fit snugly in his palm.
'What is that?'
Joffrey shoved that object into the gap of the locked locker.
At a glance, it looked like a note.
Having achieved his goal, he escaped the classroom as if fleeing.
The footsteps moved away rapidly and then disappeared completely.
'Interesting.'
Ered quietly came out from behind the curtain.
'He put something in my locker.'
I purposely didn't catch Joffrey.
I don't know yet with what purpose he approached.
Interrogation won't be too late even after checking the contents written on the note.
Creak.
I opened the locker and unfolded the note Joffrey had left.
***
It was entirely gray.
The paths leading in and out, even the surrounding buildings.
I even felt as if I had stepped into a world composed only of black and white.
A line of abandoned buildings.
There wasn't a speck of individuality.
They looked like castings made in the same mold.
Soot and stains were settled like old grime all over the exterior walls of the buildings.
It meant it was an area with poor maintenance.
Sector 28.
Once, it was an industrial complex where several factories gathered.
Now it has degraded into an abandoned factory zone.
It's because of magic engineering.
As modern mechanical devices operating through magic stones and mana circuits were developed in large quantities, existing inferior methods were forced to gradually fall behind.
I heard that redevelopment would take place soon.
It seems there is no progress yet, though.
Step.
Ered jumped over the wall where barbed wire was draped.
The rusty steel frames creaked eerily.
Wind squeezed through the broken glass windows, creating a sharp sound.
Swish.
I rechecked Joffrey’s note.
A brief note with only the date, time, and place written on it.
Even the business matter was not listed.
'Did he feel certain I would come even after giving me a note as insincere as this?'
Well, I did end up coming.
Outside the Academy.
An abandoned factory with no people.
The time is 10 PM.
The reason for calling me to such a place is obvious without looking.
'He's here.'
Ered felt a presence.
It's a quite far distance.
If it were an ordinary person, they would never have noticed.
Before long, a man appeared, squeezing through the alley between the abandoned factories.
'It's not Joffrey.'
It is a fact that can be known from the pattern of footsteps alone.
His face was not visible because he was wearing a mask, but his physique was different from Joffrey's from the start.
He was neither the wizard of wind nor the unidentified wizard who appeared later.
'It's a guy I'm seeing for the first time.'
Ered quietly activated mana detection.
Not even a handful of mana is detected.
“You sure came well without any fear?”
The guy opened his mouth.
A bizarre voice mixed with mechanical tones.
It was to the point where I wondered if he was a non-human being.
'He used a voice modulator.'
He must have wanted to hide his identity.
“I heard that Prominence had their emotions castrated, so was that saying true?”
“I am at a level where I can ignore your clumsy provocation. If you want to irritate me, you'll have to try harder.”
The opponent knew the fact that Ered was a Prominence.
It's not something to be surprised about anew.
Because I had activated the mana circuit unsparingly in the process of dealing with the wizard of wind in the garden.
'I had boldly revealed my strength with the intention of capturing him alive.'
If an interrupter hadn't appeared in the middle, I would have succeeded.
'The person associated with those guys was not Stiny, but Joffrey.'
I have approached the truth by one step.
“Haha. He's an interesting fellow indeed.”
The guy laughed, his shoulders heaving.
“Let's stop this meaningless battle of nerves and get to the main point.”
Ered looked straight into the guy's eyes inside the mask.
“Who the hell are you guys?”