Chapter 156

The Adelhaid Ducal House is a first-class founding noble family of the Empire.

They govern the third largest territory in the Empire and are the second wealthiest nobles in the Empire.

Maximilian von Adelheit is the Duke and the head of the family.

He is an Archmage who has reached the seventh circle, and his talent is so exceptional that there seems to be no end to his abilities.

Thus, there are very few people who can treat Maximilian recklessly.

Yes, very few.

“…Hmm. The tea tastes good.”

“……”

Except for the middle-aged man sitting in front of Maximilian, who is of a similar age.

Maximilian took a sip of the fragrant tea. Although it didn’t completely dissolve the heaviness in his heart, it warmed the stuffy feeling in his stomach.

‘Hoo…. Good.’

With a bit of his emotions softening, Maximilian slowly scanned the man sitting before him.

The man wore a black coat with gold-threaded embroidery. Additionally, his slicked-back hair, neatly oiled, made an impression.

He had a firm, angular jaw and a tightly closed mouth to match. His bulging eyes and thick eyebrows gave the appearance of a valiant tiger, while his lack of a mustache and the emphasis on his chin beard flowing from his sideburns created a rare impression, allowing Maximilian to recognize the identity of the man before him at a glance.

“Sir Jericho. I was a bit surprised by your sudden visit.”

“I apologize. Duke Adelhaid. I came without prior notice because I urgently needed to convey something to you. Please forgive my rudeness.”

“…It’s fine.”

The Imperial Knight Order is considered one of the Empire’s strongest military groups. Among them, he has been given the position of regional executive officer in the city and is a loyal knight trusted most by the head of the Imperial Knight Order, having participated in the Great War as the Empire’s eleventh Swordmaster.

All of this pointed to the man before him, Sir Jericho Warren Valeguge.

If Maximilian is the Lion of the Empire, then Sir Jericho is the Tiger of the Empire. His claws are sharp, armed with a solid and sharp sword, and his valor is widely known due to the Great War.

Having performed military operations with Sir Jericho before, Maximilian knew better than anyone how formidable he could be.

‘Sir Jericho stands on equal footing with me.’

His military power is significant, and the authority of the regional executive officer is tremendous. He has the power to summon all Knights of the Imperial Order in case of emergency and to command them. Given that he belongs to the royal directly affiliated knightly order, it wouldn’t be inappropriate for him to represent the royal perspective.

This was the reason Maximilian could not treat him carelessly.

“The Emperor has expressed concern.”

“…The Emperor?”

Maximilian slowly set down his teacup. Sir Jericho had not yet touched his cup.

“Yes. Duke Adelhaid, the policy proposal you submitted regarding veterans and disabled veterans has surprisingly gained positive support in the Senate. It seems the Emperor agrees with your proposal, but he has expressed concerns regarding the subsequent social turmoil that might arise.”

“That’s an issue that must be corrected slowly, Sir Jericho. One cannot uproot such social problems overnight.”

“Duke Adelhaid. The royal budget is not boundless. Even if some nobles in the Senate express positive opinions, the execution of the budget falls to the Treasury.”

“The Treasury has not had a good relationship with the Senate for a long time.”

“That’s correct. Regardless of the Senate’s reactions, the Treasury might reject your policy proposal on political grounds. And that is already acknowledged as a natural right by the royal family.”

It was a troublesome matter. Maximilian murmured as he pinched his forehead.

“…However, compensation for the war veterans is something that must be resolved eventually.”

“The royal family is well aware of that. There are growing fears that unless we placate them soon, a repeat of the events from last time may occur.”

Hearing those words, Maximilian slowly raised his head. Sir Jericho’s bulging eyes were fixed directly on Maximilian, as if to pierce through his thoughts.

“Since we’ve brought it up, Duke Adelhaid, I require information on that individual.”

“…That individual?”

“The professor who is associated with the bomb incident in the city. The Professor of Theology at the Caldera Imperial Academy.”

“The investigation on that person is already with the Intelligence Bureau…”

“The Intelligence Bureau is one thing.”

Sir Jericho leaned slightly forward. In the shadows of Sir Jericho’s face, his bright yellow amber eyes glinted like those of a beast.

“This happened in the city, not anywhere else. Handling severe crimes occurring in the city falls under my jurisdiction.”

“…….”

“First, we need to extinguish the urgent fire, and then we must investigate that professor immediately.”

Sir Jericho stood up. The cold tea left before him remained unchanged since it was served.

Turning towards the reception room door, Maximilian opened his mouth.

“The policy proposal regarding war veterans cannot be retracted.”

“I understand, Duke Adelhaid. I too have desired your proposal.”

With those words, Sir Jericho left the reception room. His next destination was already determined.

“I must meet Chief Curbin.”

The Federal Intelligence Bureau headquarters.

A place that Sir Jericho’s footsteps would head towards in the near future.

* * * * *

The damp rainy season that seemed like it would continue forever was now nearing its end.

The end of August. It wasn’t just the passing of the month but also the conclusion of an endlessly long and hot summer.

The soon-arriving September marked the beginning of autumn as the sky rose higher.

Judging by the unusually sweltering weather in the city, the oppressive heat had not completely dissipated, but it appeared that a full autumn would be welcomed before October arrived.

Yes, September is the season of autumn colors. Leaves begin to turn red and yellow, and with the humid heat subsiding a bit, a cooler breeze begins to blow.

And at the Caldera Imperial Academy, the harsh proving ground known as the mid-term assessment was opening its season.

Students arriving at school bearing this burdensome reality were filled with a tension quite different from usual. Freshmen taking their first exam since enrollment, as well as sophomores and juniors, were no exception.

A particularly peculiar aspect was that several professors also bore signs of tension on their faces.

“Did that exam end up passing, after all?”

“It seems that way.”

“Seriously… I wonder what Professor Antorelli is thinking…”

They were the first-year professors from the Theology department, including Professor Marcello.

Several days after Professor Madison’s ‘swift’ meeting, he summoned the Theology professors again for another meeting.

As the previous urgent meeting ended in less than five minutes, Professor Marcello and the other Theology professors expected this meeting would also be quite rapid, so they attended.

The expected outcome of the meeting, in the end, was the withdrawal of Professor Antorelli’s proposal. The conditions presented by Professor Antorelli were unreasonable, and it seemed unlikely that the meticulous Professor Madison, known for his strict demeanor, would accept the proposal.

And the result was completely unexpected.

– As the top professor, I shall approve Professor Antorelli’s integrated exam and unrestricted open book exam. No objections shall be accepted.

In the secondary urgent meeting led by Professor Madison, he had fully accepted Professor Antorelli’s proposal. This was an extraordinary act for Madison, who is known to be thorough in his work and does not easily rush.

– Ah, no… Professor Madison, do you truly find Professor Antorelli’s exam plan to be suitable?

– I believe so.

Professor Marcello and the other Theology professors tried to protest; however, Professor Madison’s demeanor, who oversees the first-year exam, was extraordinarily firm.

At this point, it became unbearably curious for the other Theology professors, including Professor Marcello.

The unprecedented and completely new form of Theology exam planned by Professor Antorelli. How remarkable could it be to have captured Professor Madison?

Moreover, the additional remark made by Professor Madison during the meeting was enough to leave the other Theology professors bewildered.

– If it were an unrestricted open book exam like this for the Theology exam… wouldn’t that lower the difficulty considerably? In other subjects, the limits of difficulty would not apply, but the range of difficulty for the Theology exam is exceedingly narrow.

– You needn’t worry about that. When I personally solved the exam paper submitted by Professor Antorelli, I also took over an hour.

– …Excuse me?

Professor Madison is meticulous about timing. He is the most impatient man at the Caldera Imperial Academy, living by the motto that swiftness is life.

Thus, the idea that he would take his limited free time to work on Professor Antorelli’s exam paper is astonishing. Investing more than an hour, rather than just a few minutes.

What is even more remarkable is that Professor Madison attempted the Theology exam. He initially intended just to review it, but the questions were so interesting that he ended up challenging them, which raised eyebrows among the other professors.

– Um… may I inquire if you completed the exam?

– Yes. It did take longer than I expected, but I succeeded in completing it. Professor Antorelli even graded it for me.

– If it’s not too much trouble, could you share your score?

– It wasn’t perfect, but I believe I passed comfortably.

Professor Madison had worked through Professor Antorelli’s exam paper.

And this fact connects to the boastful statement made by Professor Antorelli earlier.

– Even if someone has never read the Bible, they should be able to take the exam, and moreover, they won’t stray beyond the confines of Theology.

Professor Madison is not a fool. If he believed Professor Antorelli’s exam had strayed from the bounds of Theology, he would have without hesitation dismissed the exam paper.

However, Professor Madison, who meticulously reviewed and even took the time to work through Professor Antorelli’s exam, did not spare high praises, calling it “a completely new and innovative exam,” and directly approved his exam plan.

Professor Antorelli had upheld his words.

Even someone who has never read the Bible could solve it, and without leaving the boundaries of Theology, the difficulty was sufficiently assured that even Professor Madison, who ranks among the top professors, failed to achieve a perfect score. It might even be overwhelming for the students of the Theology Department.

Therefore, it would be a fair exam for all students. It would not impose a narrow standard, nor would it be a simple exam that provides no teaching through its rigid format.

At this point, Professor Marcello and the other Theology professors had no choice but to think this way.

‘Clearly, you mentioned that other Theology professors could sit in without any problem…’

With this in mind, they decided to take the direct approach.