Chapter 174

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The next morning.

As preparations for the entrance ceremony were underway, two guests arrived at the Military Department’s Dean’s Office. One of them was Seoric Al Gorphant, newly appointed as an honorary professor from the second semester.

And the other was—

“It’s been a while, General.”

“General? I’ve already retired! Now I’m just the Dean of an academy.”

“But to me, you will always be the General.”

A brown-haired knight spoke. Like the Marquis Gorphant, she was one of the Empire’s famed five swords and the only female Master on the continent.

Rimer Yen Lapis.

Right after she answered, the conversation quickly shifted to the main topic.

“So, how’s the operation going?”

“We’re in the final preparations. If things stay on course, the event will take place in two weeks.”

“Hmm, in two weeks…”

Berge’s gaze turned to the calendar. Soon after, he nodded.

“A suitable time. There happens to be an important event at the academy then, so it won’t attract attention from other countries.”

“We don’t mind attention. The only one qualified to become the Emperor is our lord.”

Rimer’s voice radiated confidence. And why wouldn’t it? No one among the royal bloodline could surpass Chartang at this moment.

Power, character, influence, and to top it off, the legitimacy of being named the Crown Prince, he even gained loyalty from three of the Empire’s famed swords.

The gap was overwhelmingly distinct.

Yet, the reason for his eagerness to become Emperor was due to a recent discovery made by the Empire’s intelligence department regarding suspicious movements.

‘The Third Prince, Shuldeiron Lind Al Rubens.’

This younger half-brother, five years younger than Chartang, was allegedly seeking foreign support.

They couldn’t just sit back and watch.

Thus, Chartang planned the operation to firmly declare who the next Emperor would be, before any foreign forces infiltrated the imperial family.

“I trust you’ll handle that well.”

“Yes, considering that the only weakness our lord had has now vanished.”

Chartang’s unique weakness was none other than the hidden princess, Fertisha.

He cherished her deeply and did not want her to get caught up in this operation, which is why he enrolled her at Arsen Academy.

As long as she was in the academy, Fertisha would be safe, because Seoric was secretly responsible for her escort.

“By the way, how is the princess doing?”

At that moment, Rimer asked about Fertisha’s well-being, causing both Berge and Seoric to sigh simultaneously.

“Why? Is there a problem?”

“Umm, well…”

As she furrowed her brows and hesitated, there was a sudden knock on the door. A moment later, the door opened, revealing someone.

“Haaah, hello.”

A girl, yawning widely. With white hair and red eyes, she was the very subject of their earlier conversation—Fertisha.

“Ah! Rimer?”

“It’s been a while, princess.”

Fertisha, noticing Rimer a bit late, approached her with a delighted expression.

“What brings you here?”

“I’ve been given a mission by our lord.”

“Huh? A mission?”

“Yes, I might not be able to see you for a while, so I wanted to drop by before I left.”

“I see. I understand.”

Rimer was generally quite busy. Having often been away from the Empire on missions before, Fertisha nodded without further comments and turned back to Berge.

“But why did you call me today?”

“Before the entrance ceremony starts, I have a few things to remind you about.”

“Huh? Like what?”

She looked curious.

Berge spoke with a serious face.

“I heard it from Sir Gorphant.”

“Heard what?”

“That you interacted with other students in the dining hall before arriving here yesterday.”

“Oh, right! That did happen.”

It was just yesterday’s incident.

Since she remembered it well, when Fertisha readily agreed, Berge continued with his caution.

“Of course, you’re free to interact with other students. But please refrain from getting too close to the barbarian student with red hair.”

At those words, Rimer’s eyebrows twitched. She instantly realized who Berge was referring to.

Fertisha did too.

“Are you talking about Ulan?”

“That’s right.”

“Why shouldn’t I go near him?”

“…To be frank.”

With a brief sigh, Berge continued.

“He’s an uncontrollable entity.”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

“Even Sir Gorphant can’t guarantee his victory in a one-on-one fight against Ulan.”

Though it might sound like a dismissal, Seoric lowered his head. This meant Berge was speaking the truth.

“I feel the same way.”

Rimer, who had been quiet, added her thoughts.

She recalled the incident from months ago in the capital. How Ulan had seamlessly trespassed into her territory.

“I knew it right then. If it came to a one-on-one, I would definitely lose.”

Seoric’s agreement and Rimer’s acknowledgment provided enough credibility to Berge’s words.

“If it were a ranged fight, the Dean of the Magic Department, Diplyn Cernio, might have an edge, but she’s currently missing…”

Berge trailed off with a bitter expression.

“So, as it stands, there isn’t a single strong individual at the academy who can match Ulan.”

“Of course, he did express his intention to be affiliated with the Empire through recent negotiations, but trust is fleeting.”

This meant it was dangerous.

No matter how much Seoric was tasked with escorting her, it would still be difficult to protect if things went wrong, hence the warning.

Yet, Fertisha shook her head.

“I won’t.”

“What?”

“I have a duty to find out about him.”

“What do you mean?”

“My brother mentioned he wants to make him my knight.”

“…!”

Berge and Seoric’s eyes widened.

This was the first time they had heard such a thing.

The two looked at Rimer with astonished expressions, as if questioning the truth of Fertisha’s statement.

With a sigh, Rimer nodded, further amplifying their disbelief.

After all, Ulan was a beast that couldn’t even be tamed. How could such an individual possibly become Fertisha’s knight?

‘Even with an imperial decree…’

There was no guarantee that Ulan would indeed serve Fertisha. So, it was only natural they felt astonished.

“Honestly, I think my brother was just saying that whimsically. It would be a waste to use a Master as merely an escort.”

Of course, Fertisha didn’t take Chartang’s words too seriously either. Just then, her eyes sparkled like stars.

“But I’m curious.”

“Curious about what?”

“The spirits are whispering to me.”

Her gaze turned toward the air.

What reflected there were shapes of light gracefully gliding through the air like fireflies—the spirits.

These beings were visible only to her.

They whispered in a voice that only Fertisha could hear.

“Ulan is special.”

A flame that defies destiny.

The spirits all chanted in unison, calling Ulan such. And there was an additional reason for her curiosity.

“Do you believe in reincarnation, Sir Dean?”

“Huh? Reincarnation?”

“Do you think we have past lives?”

“Hmm, not exactly, but I do believe in similar passages mentioned in the scriptures.”

There’s a saying in the scriptures about ‘the ring of stars’.

In summary, it states:

“All life is of the stars. We are born from the stars, become starlight reaching towards the sky, and after time passes, we are reborn as stars again.”

This implies that the world is eternal, and all lives are merely repetitions through endless cycles. While contemplating this, Fertisha nodded.

“Then the story would proceed quickly.”

“What do you mean?”

“I feel like Ulan and I are bound by some connection from a past life.”

“…Huh?”

They were caught off-guard by this unexpected answer.

Berge, Seoric, and Rimer all questioned with astonished voices, while Fertisha’s expression remained grave.

“When I first saw Ulan, I felt an inexplicable familiarity. As if we had been together for a long time.”

The spirits echoed similar sentiments.

They claimed that Ulan and Fertisha were bound by an invisible thread. One that would never break despite the countless ages repeating.

Meanwhile, the three, including Berge, were left speechless, filled with confusion at Fertisha’s incomprehensible words.

Fertisha then smiled brightly.

“So, I’ll consider your warnings off the record.”

“But princess…”

“You don’t have to worry. I’ll handle things just fine.”

With her firm tone, Fertisha drew the line.

This made it clear that they shouldn’t continue the discussion. Realizing this, Berge sealed his lips tight, his expression clearly displaying his difficulty in handling the situation.

Just then—

Bang! Ding!

The sound of bells resonated from the plaza.

It was the signal announcing the start of the entrance ceremony.

In the auditorium of Arsen Academy, the inside looked neat and tidy.

It was hard to believe it had been a complete mess six months ago during the entrance ceremony.

As time passed, countless students began to gather in groups. Reuniting after a long vacation, they blossomed into conversations.

The hall slowly turned lively.

Then, as it grew increasingly boisterous—

“Phew, I almost arrived late.”

“It’s all your fault.”

“What? What did I do?!”

“If you hadn’t dragged Ulan into the morning training, we wouldn’t have been late!”

A group of students entered.

As soon as their presence was noted, every gaze in the auditorium divided into two.

One was Ivella Elea’ad.

A standout performer from the Military Department by the end of the semester, she was regarded as having talent on par with Himel Deorg.

The second was Delia Arpen.

A genius mage who had excelled in the semester and held overwhelming magical prowess and talent.

The looks directed at both girls were filled with envy, jealousy, and various other emotions.

It was then that—

“As long as you’re not late, it’s fine.”

A sudden deep voice broke through.

At once, all gazes melded into one, turning towards the source of the voice.

What they saw was a red-haired barbarian, completely bare-chested.

It was Ulan.

Silence swept the auditorium.

The atmosphere shifted as everyone held their breath while gazing at Ulan.

Unlike the mocking, disdainful stares filled with negativity from six months ago, the current looks fixated on Ulan were marked by only two emotions.

Fear and reverence.

The fear of a monster who once turned this place into chaos with just his voice, and reverence for the strongest who had become the youngest Master in history.

However, the attention didn’t linger for long.

Before the entrance ceremony began, a girl with white hair made her grand entrance.

“…!”

A girl walking gracefully.

From the moment she made her presence known, every eye in the auditorium was drawn to her.

As if entranced by something.

“Was there such a girl in the academy?”

“No, I’ve never seen her before.”

“Oh right! I have heard something.”

“I heard a transfer student was coming today.”

Chattering students.

Even the professors couldn’t escape either.

Everyone had to look at the girl filled with interest for a very simple reason.

‘Because she’s beautiful.’

Noa shrugged her shoulders.

As such, in the original story, Fertisha is depicted as the most beautiful among the seven heroes.

Of course, Ivella wouldn’t lose out either.

When she dressed up like during her date with Ulan, she could easily rival Fertisha.

‘However, there’s a flaw here.’

Fertisha didn’t usually dress up, meaning what would happen if she put in the effort to get ready?

It would undoubtedly cause a commotion.

‘Moreover…’

She was of mixed blood—human and spirit. Perhaps because of this, she emanated an ethereal charm.

Not to mention her figure was quite impressive.

She had curves in all the right places. Noa felt she could never compete with that level of perfection.

‘Sigh, it’s so unfair.’

She sighed inwardly, then shook her head.

‘No, wait a minute…’

Maybe it could be fair.

Because, after all, Fertisha had a total of three penalties.

She held the most penalties among the seven heroes.

And upon meeting specific conditions, all her penalties would activate simultaneously.

What would happen if that did occur?

‘A disaster would begin.’

A catastrophe far stronger than Ivella’s jealousy or Delia’s obsession. While Noa shuddered at the thought—

“This concludes the entrance ceremony.”

And so the ceremony ended.

Shortly thereafter, students moved to their assigned classes.

Delia headed to Class 1, seemingly reluctant to part from Ulan, while the much-anticipated Fertisha made her way to Class 2.

“Let’s go too.”

So did Ivella, Ulan, and Noa.

Upon reaching Class 3, just as all the students settled down, the door creaked open. A familiar face stepped in.

“Did everyone have a good vacation?”

A lizard man, licking his tongue.

It was Professor Miel Gulakas, the head of Class 3.

After exchanging greetings with the students, Professor Miel swiftly directed a stern gaze at Ulan as if admonishing him for skipping the re-exam.

Silently, Ulan lowered his head under that fierce stare, and Miel quickly diverted his gaze.

“Alright, let’s proceed to share the main academic schedule for the autumn semester.”

The major schedule was divided into three main categories.

First, there was the exchange meeting with Larba Academy, a sister institution with whom they had been associating for decades.

This was an event pushed back due to their previous engagement with Eloden Academy.

“Next up is the school trip.”

This was scheduled after the mid-term exams of the second semester. Its purpose was to broaden their horizons, covering six days and seven nights to explore nearby kingdoms.

“The venue hasn’t been confirmed yet, but personally, I think there’s a good chance it’ll be set in the Arpen Duchy.”

The students expressed lukewarm reactions.

To most of them, Arpen Duchy was perceived as a remote place.

In contrast, Ulan reacted indifferently as he had already been there.

“Lastly, we have the sports festival.”

After delivering the information plainly, additional explanations followed.

“It’s scheduled for two weeks from now, and since it substitutes for the physical endurance test, the results and performances from the festival will reflect in your grades.”

As the brief explanation wrapped up, someone raised their hand high.

“I, Professor!”

“What is it?”

“What exactly is a sports festival?”

“There’s no need to overthink it. It’s simply an event that fosters camaraderie through various competitions while testing participants’ physical capabilities.”

A more detailed response followed. Upon hearing it, the student who asked the question widened their eyes and faltered.

“Testing physical capabilities means…”

“The better your strength and stamina, the more advantageous you’ll be.”

As soon as Professor Miel’s explanation concluded, all students’ gazes, including Noa’s and Ivella’s, converged onto a certain spot in the back by the window.

“Why?”

It was Ulan.

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