Chapter 153

I’m going to upload an illustration of Grace in the announcement! Please check back in a bit!

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The United Academy is a well-known educational institution recognized worldwide, famous for its complicated international relations.

Originally founded to unite the world against the threat of demons, it has long since strayed from its initial purpose.

Fortunately, its original intent hasn’t completely faded, so it plays a role like a last bastion.

If signs of war emerge, the Academy intervenes immediately.

If a nation starts a war without a specific justification, it’s usually met with entry restrictions lasting decades.

Since it could lead to forsaking the future for immediate gain, they tend to exercise self-restraint.

Thanks to that, the conditions to meet the justification have become quite difficult, and for now, peaceful days continue.

“If it doesn’t spill blood, can we call it peace?”

“Yeah, right!”

“But this can’t last forever. There will definitely come a day when blood will flow.”

“That’s a wise statement!”

…

The Matra Empire, recognized as a major power in the West.

The emperor ruling that empire, Richard III, wore a complex expression while looking at the energetic young man who replied enthusiastically.

Both of them had angular faces and dark gray hair, a sign of their shared bloodline.

The difference was that Richard III was a middle-aged man with a distinguished beard, while the young man had a neat appearance.

Above all, the look in the young man’s eyes was unusual. It was not just passionate but bordering on ecstatic.

His blue eyes sparkled brightly, resembling those of a so-called clear-eyed lunatic.

“…Did you hear what I said?”

“Of course!”

“Ha…”

Richard III sighed deeply at the energetic response of the young man.

Today, his neatly groomed beard felt rougher than usual for some reason.

Though he was his son, that only complicated matters. The funny thing was that the gossip surrounding him was quite minimal.

The weight of the tags he carried was so impactful that there wasn’t much to gossip about.

“…My son.”

“Yes! Father!”

“Don’t you think you could govern more ordinarily? If it were up to me, I would love to pass the throne to you.”

Richard III had five children. Including the young man in front of him, there were three sons and two daughters.

The young man was the second son. Normally, the succession to the throne goes to the first son.

So where is the first son? It’s simple.

The second son, Karas, took care of that personally.

“I don’t understand what you mean!”

“Can you really claim ignorance?”

“Yes!”

“Huh…”

Richard III sighed again. It was a headache in many ways.

The first son that Karas dealt with had remarkable skills in handling power.

The problem was his excessive ambition for the throne. So he often suppressed his own brothers.

As they were suppressed, it wasn’t just their limbs that were cut off; it looked as though the next emperor was already decided.

“…Karas.”

“Yes! Father!”

“Can you stop with the talk of freedom? The ideology you hold is dangerous for us too.”

But things changed for Karas as he gained ‘enlightenment.’

Realizing he couldn’t do it alone, he formed alliances with his brothers to oust the first son.

As a result, the first son naturally lost power and ended up being confined to a secondary palace.

It was only natural that Karas became the crown prince due to this strategy. Up to this point, Richard III was satisfied.

“I’m sorry, but that’s not going to happen!”

“What if I were to depose you?”

“I would pull you off your throne!”

“Ha ha. Have you seen this crazy son?”

Richard III laughed helplessly. It was a classic case of stubbornness.

What’s frightening is that Karas has the capability to pull it off. He may lack other qualities, but his talent is undeniable.

A capable yet crazy guy. Deposing Karas and choosing someone else just doesn’t sit right.

‘Even if I say this outright, it’s true I can’t get rid of him…’

I really wish I could fix him. Unlike the first son, there wasn’t much justification to depose him.

Historically, even tyrants were tolerated as long as they did their jobs well.

Moreover, personality and politics are separate matters. From the perspective of nobles and commoners, as long as the ruler governs well, it doesn’t matter what their personality is.

“…Well. It seems I can’t persuade you just yet. So when will you give up this idea?”

“When the people realize true freedom and drive me out as emperor!”

“…”

Richard III put his hand on his face with a loud clap! Just the thought sends shivers down my spine.

The people unite to oust the ruler. If that happens, the long-standing line of the imperial family will be cut off.

It’s a dangerously radical idea, and the nobility was on high alert, although it has many contradictory aspects upon deeper inspection.

It is precisely because of these contradictions that he’s treated like the shepherd boy. Even that treatment is a bit close to being a lunatic by now.

“Enough of that nonsense; let’s talk about what to do at the Academy. Is there anyone you’re interested in?”

“Yes! There is!”

“Who is it? Is it the princess of Tartar?”

Richard III mentioned Princess Kara of Tartar. An unavoidable mention from the empire’s perspective.

Before Tartar founded its nation, the Matra Empire had its fair share of headaches due to the Tartar tribe.

They consistently crossed borders and raided, and even if they were to be suppressed, they’d have to venture into the desert.

These are acts of plundering due to scarce resources, but damage is still damage. Naturally, they couldn’t be viewed positively.

“I’m interested in the Tartar princess, but there’s someone else I’m more interested in!”

“Who might that be?”

“A man rumored to be a wildman!”

“…Wildman?”

At the mention of a wildman, Richard III frowned. He couldn’t quite recall who that was.

But he quickly realized who the wildman was. The rumors around him had reached even the Emperor’s ears due to the Academy’s notoriety.

“Why are you interested in that wildman? Besides being strong, there’s hardly any reason to be interested.”

That’s pretty much it. From Richard III’s perspective, Sivar was merely a talented individual.

There aren’t many people as strong as Sivar in that age group, but there are others just as strong.

So unless he caused a remarkable incident, there wouldn’t be much reason to pay him any mind.

“I’m not concerned about the strength! I’m merely curious if that wildman knows true freedom!”

“…”

Well, there you have it. Richard III chuckled in vain.

In that moment, Karas clenched his fist and, with eyes sharper than before, declared what he desired.

“I can’t wait to see how he reacts! A wildman who has lived in the boundless wilderness enters a civilization devoid of freedom! How fascinating!”

“…Oh God.”

Richard III squinted his eyes and searched for the heavens. He couldn’t think of a way to correct this idiot.

It would be better if he were power-hungry like the first son or a reckless fool like the third son. Those could all be smoothed over through the Emperor’s authority.

But with someone like Karas, a lunatic with deep convictions, even correction is difficult. Yet to ostracize him would mean losing a valuable talent.

‘Is God really abandoning us…’

To be honest, he hasn’t abandoned them.

“Oh no! It’s about time to head out! I’ll take my leave now, Father!”

“…Are you going with Leo and Diana?”

“Yes! I’ll make sure he doesn’t get too cozy with other ladies!”

“Just watch yourself, you little brat.”

I’m just going to grab some popcorn and enjoy the show.

*****

The long-awaited Freshman Banquet day has arrived. A freshman banquet could be considered a miniature politics scene.

While waiting for the freshman banquet, I also trained with Rize and checked my report card sent to the dormitory.

The grades were naturally top tier. But because of my behavior during the midterms, the points were low.

Still, it’s a considerable amount of points that I think will be useful later. I plan to use all of this for investment.

‘The higher the points, the easier it’ll be to buy quality herbs at a low price or easily obtain workshop materials.’

The targets for investment are of course, Eli and Jane. They’re talents that bring in returns the more you raise them.

I can gather rare herbs in the Chaos Forest, but there are clear limits, and the workshop materials go without saying.

I jotted down what I needed to buy and quickly changed clothes. It was almost time to go.

“You look good in that. The banquet is in the auditorium, right?”

“Yeah.”

Rize, who helped me change, said. She won’t be attending the banquet.

There’s really no reason for her to attend, and it could end up being noisy for no good reason. Instead, Rod has a high chance of attending.

If any unnecessary disputes arise, Rod will just quell them directly. That gives a hint about how significant his status is.

“Is it uncomfortable?”

“My pants are tight.”

“That can’t be helped.”

I managed to find pants in a larger size, yet they still felt uncomfortable. What on earth are they made of?

However, they didn’t look odd or billowy like bell-bottoms. The fit was just right.

“If you’re feeling awkward, staying close to someone you know is a good strategy. You know?”

“Yeah.”

I’m planning to stick close to Luna or Eli anyway. With Grace and Kara, being in that position means I have no choice but to follow along.

In contrast, Luna and I are relatively free. We can show interest, but that’s about it.

‘Luna or Eli might have some guys sniffing around?’

Both are stunning beauties with fantastic figures. Especially Eli, whose charm requires no explanation.

Dancing is okay, but if I feel any sneaky hands, I’ll stop it immediately. I already have a few suspects in mind.

‘Since they say the Crown Prince is coming, those two would follow along, right?’

The twin siblings of the royal family, notorious for their horrible personalities.

If the Crown Prince is a lunatic, then the twins are known as troublemakers. And they truly are.

It’d be best to avoid entangling with them. If worse comes to worst, I might just have to toss a punch.

‘Moreover, a princess of the Hwan Empire is also visiting…’

This might relate to Lee Yeon-joo, so I need to be cautious. By the way, I’m pretty sure Lee Yeon-joo is going in disguise.

At that moment, they’ll most likely attempt an assassination. If I can prevent that, I might gain a great ally in the future.

“Now, go on! Just keep the mishaps to the level that Lord Chaos would enjoy.”

“…”

Looks like they’re not telling me not to cause trouble. What are they really thinking of me?

I chuckled to myself and moved forward. Like Rize said earlier, the banquet is held in the auditorium.

It wouldn’t take long to reach the auditorium, so I took a leisurely stroll while taking in my surroundings.

‘There are quite a few people.’

There were many attendees, not just freshmen but figures from various nations.

Word has it that the Crown Prince will be attending as well, so even more people will likely gather.

The attention will likely be more on the Crown Prince or other figures rather than on me.

“…Hmm?”

Then, I suddenly spotted someone who stood out remarkably. They were way too noticeable from a distance.

A dancer’s outfit, bright white against their bronzed skin. Unlike the outfit worn during the last ritual, this one was in pants style.

Yet the top was cut to expose the abdomen, looking quite revealing. Only one person has such characteristics.

“Kara?”

“Um? Ah! Sivar!”

I ran into Kara at the entrance of the auditorium. She greeted me with her trademark breezy smile as soon as she saw me.

I couldn’t help but let my eyes linger on Kara’s standout abs today before forcing myself to look up.

“I didn’t expect to see you here. It seems we keep meeting like this, huh?”

“Right?”

“Let’s hurry. Everyone else is already inside.”

I realized I was running late. Kara took my hand, leading me into the auditorium.

As soon as we held hands, I felt eyes on us, but I ignored them all. This was nothing.

“Wow.”

“That’s amazing.”

As soon as we stepped into the auditorium, both Kara and I gasped in awe simultaneously.

The auditorium I had seen before was just an ordinary one, but today it resembled a true banquet hall.

Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the curtains on the windows were the color of red, creating a unique atmosphere.

“Oh, you’ve come! I was wondering when you’d arrive.”

“Huh?”

While I was taking in the auditorium, a familiar voice pierced our ears.

We turned and saw Grace, holding a wine glass in one hand, greeting us. Her outfit was spectacular in many ways.

“Wow. You’re quite bold!”

“And you, Miss Kara, are daring as well. Is that Tartar’s traditional dress?”

Grace wore a black dress with a purple sash around her waist.

However, the front of the dress was almost completely revealing, exposing her cleavage entirely.

If she moved slightly to the side, even more revealing parts could be seen. As Kara said, it was quite an audacious outfit.

‘Is that what they call a runway?’

It was enough for vulgar thoughts to pop up. I’m not one to think like this, but the outfit forced such thoughts.

Fortunately, Grace wasn’t shy about my gaze. On the contrary, she slyly crossed her arms, emphasizing her curves.

With a chest as prominent as Kara’s, even the slight movements would stimulate male desires. She really came prepared.

“Sivar, have you ever tried any alcohol? If not, I can recommend something.”

“I’m curious. Should I try a drink?”

“Hmm…?”

I focused on keeping my wavering gaze steady and thought deeply. I’ve never had alcohol, but it’s not something I particularly like.

Getting tipsy is fine, but I dislike the peculiar bitterness. Feel free to call me a child for it, but I genuinely have a child’s palate.

“Is it good?”

“There are some you might like. There’s a sweet one that’s excellent.”

“I’ll drink it.”

“Great! But don’t overindulge, alright? You understand?”

“Got it.”

At that moment, I should have taken Grace’s advice seriously. Little did I know about what I needed to watch out for in civilization.

“It’s delicious!”

“Right? Should I pour you some more?”

“Yeah!”

Things were getting dangerously exciting.

[Faith is increasing!]

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