Chapter 194

There were only two moments in my life when I felt this flustered.

The first was when I suddenly found myself falling into a forest. Just thinking about it makes me realize how utterly bewildered I was.

The second was the unexpected transfer of the Crown Prince, Karas. While I could understand Danyerin’s transfer, his was completely out of the blue.

My first meeting with Karas occurred during a freshman banquet, but the real activities would start after the academy’s collapse.

Up until then, I had only heard scattered whispers; meeting him directly like this was almost unheard of.

The very reason I was confused was precisely this: Why on earth did Karas transfer to the academy?

Thinking logically, there was absolutely no reason for him to be here. He should be focusing on politics at the Imperial Palace instead.

“Why are you here?”

So I bluntly asked. What led him to transfer to the academy?

Karas was seated next to me—not directly across; Danyerin and Yeohye occupied that spot, leaving me with no choice.

At one point, Yeohye tried to swap seats, but Karas stopped her, claiming he was more comfortable here.

“Why does it matter? I’m here because I have things to do as well. And it’s not like I’ll be here for long.”

Karas answered nonchalantly. His clear gaze made it difficult to read his thoughts.

Seeing this made me uneasy. Normally, this would be a time for him to stay at the palace and build a foundation.

Weren’t his twin siblings stirring up trouble not too far away? Just like during the freshman banquet.

Fortunately, thanks to me smashing a bottle over someone’s head, the incident was swept under the rug, but the troublemakers could still cause havoc at any moment.

‘At least Karas has a better reputation than the twins.’

I knew that compared to the chaotic prince and his promiscuous sister, Karas had a much better standing among the officials.

A prince who’s busy with indulgences and a disorderly princess—one can glimpse the traits of a tyrant in them.

However, Karas simply isn’t the type to treat others poorly. He’s just a madman.

“I wanted to see how academy life was going. It’s a perfect opportunity to explore the cultures of different countries.”

“Really?”

“Of course, I’m sure culture means nothing to you, but hey, that’s just stating facts, not an insult.”

Even though he kept throwing facts at me, I didn’t feel offended. They were, in fact, true.

In any case, he came here to explore each country’s culture. Sounds like a noble intention at first glance.

Since the academy gathers talents from all over the world, it would be an ideal place to observe various cultures.

Moreover, seeing it in person will certainly leave a stronger impression than just hearing about it. That’s just how culture works.

“It sounds like a truth that feels like a lie. Can you tell me your real purpose?”

“I’d rather not.”

Karas responded firmly to Danyerin’s question, his smile a bit too smug for comfort.

Noting Danyerin’s slight frown, it seemed she was feeling some hesitation. Karas was not easy to read.

He had this conniving aspect about him mixed with a hint of madness. His unpredictable personality was a wild card, even if I knew it would be in a different way.

“Well, at least it’s good to be in the same class as Sivar. It should be entertaining.”

“··· ···”

Look at him. He’s already smiling at the thought of causing trouble.

Rod, sensing the same vibe, wore an expression that was a mix of laughter and concern.

Dealing with one troublemaker was tiresome enough; now there are two. Rod will invariably get a cascade of flashy reports.

“What… let’s hope for the best. This seems like a problem beyond my control now.”

“You needn’t worry about that. What’s bound to happen will happen, right?”

“··· ···”

Rod cast an uneasy glance at Karas, who exuded confidence.

Then he looked at me, his gaze akin to someone who’s seen the future—a sage’s sight, perhaps.

“······I’m curious who will be influenced by whom.”

Excuse me, grandpa. I can hear you loud and clear.

He probably muttered that on purpose so I could overhear.

Whether I’ll be affected by Karas’s insanity or if he’ll be swayed by my temperament, or even if we’ll blend into one—nobody knows. With Chaos sending out signs of faith, something tells me an incident is bound to happen.

“Well then, you kids have your chat. I’ll be stepping out for a moment.”

“Me too.”

“You stay here.”

“?”

Why am I the one left behind? I shot a questioning look at Rod.

But Rod was stubborn. For whatever reason, he forced me to sit back down.

I felt a bit puzzled but complied with Rod’s request since it was his wish.

“Princess, I’ll be stepping out for a bit.”

“Sure.”

Yeohye, the escort knight, read the vibe and exited smoothly. Soon enough, only the three of us were left.

Initially, an awkward silence enveloped the room. I too was at a loss about how to respond to the situation.

If Danyerin were alone, I’m sure we’d have a good chat. But now, with Karas in the mix, it was a bit trickier to bring up certain topics. So, I was left just observing.

“Sivar really listens to the Chancellor, huh?”

The first to break the silence was Danyerin. I turned my gaze toward her.

Her eyes and even her mouth curved slightly. She was offering just the faintest of smiles.

Due to her upbringing, Danyerin often kept a poker face. So this slight smile was quite rare.

“Is there a reason for that? Given that he seems like he would never listen.”

“Umm… etiquette?”

“Etiquette?”

“Yep. Etiquette training.”

After undergoing that etiquette training, he never misbehaved again.

Of course, he was always on the lookout for opportunities, but Rod sensed his moves like a ghost.

The pain from that training still lingered vividly in my memory. It was the first time I had experienced such agony in my life.

Even I, who had endured all kinds of torment in the forest, couldn’t handle Rod’s whippings.

“Etiquette training, huh? That’s an amusing term. Perhaps it fits the Hwan Empire’s values. They value etiquette pretty highly.”

Danyerin threw out a joke that was half serious. She was quietly building her own strength.

If I could back her up, it would be extremely reassuring. But not yet; timing is everything.

I first needed to sort out my issues with Lee Yeon-joo before anything else could progress. Until then, I wouldn’t make any headway.

“Speaking of which, what did the Matra Empire value again? Justice, was it?”

Danyerin, seemingly unfazed by my silence, turned to Karas.

Karas maintained his sharp gaze as he answered her question.

“Meaningless justice.”

“Huh?”

Danyerin raised an eyebrow at his unexpected answer. After all, “justice” was the very word that symbolized the Matra Empire.

Yet here was the crown prince, casually declaring that justice was meaningless.

That could easily shake the foundations of a state, yet it didn’t seem to faze Karas at all.

“Most people think of justice as inherently good. But that’s far from the truth. Nothing’s as pointless as justice.”

“Sounds like quite the story behind that.”

“Indeed. From the brother who locked me in a storeroom to the headache that is my twin siblings—so many daunting matters.”

Karas smiled widely as he casually detailed his circumstances. His nonchalance in sharing such weighty matters was a bit unsettling.

Did that make Danyerin feel a similar unease? The smile on her face had vanished.

Perhaps it was because she had a similar past or sensed something peculiar from Karas.

“Justice is meaningless. The so-called right path, the values to pursue—they’re all meaningless in the face of human desires.”

“Human desires, you say?”

“A prime example would be a famine.”

Famine is one of those gateways a nation must face when headed down the path of destruction.

It’s a calamity that can be viewed as a natural disaster, but combined with a state’s incompetence, it’s often irreparable.

Moreover, it’s a disaster that lays bare the raw nature of human desires. People are desperate for food; they’ll claw and fight for survival.

“Parents eating their children or raiding others’ supplies—against such horrendous conditions, justice becomes utterly irrelevant. In the end, justice cannot prevail over human desire.”

“Which is precisely why we establish nations and protect our people.”

“That’s true, but all I want to do is dive into the essence of being human.”

Karas said this while shooting me a glance. Suddenly, memories of what he said at the freshman banquet resurfaced.

One should never underestimate human desires, he said. Even with fairness, as long as humans harbor desires, there’s always a sense of unease.

Humans are intelligently designed, so they can suppress their instincts. But when the environment changes, those instincts inevitably come to the forefront.

Even among those in civilizations, many fail to suppress their instincts. The reason is simple.

If they don’t, they’ll die. Even a lack of sleep can lead to certain death.

“There’s a wide variety of people in this world. And each has their own desires. I want to explore that.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“If it’s meaningless, let’s make it meaningful. Let everyone firmly believe it to be justice.”

“··· ···”

His words conveyed a steel-like conviction. A heart that would never falter was apparent.

The issue lies in how those two concepts came together to spiral in a bizarre direction. Danyerin’s silence reflected this plight.

“······that’s quite dangerous of you.”

“I hear that quite often.”

“Countless lives will be lost—regardless of status.”

“Bodies are spilling even now. It has always been that way, and it will remain so in the future.”

Despite Danyerin’s warning, Karas took her concerns lightly. If one only observed this side of him, he’d hardly differ from a tyrant.

Yet if Karas were to ascend to the throne as history dictates, he would be more than a tyrant; he’d be seen as a brilliant ruler.

Why “brilliant” and not “wise”? Because he is far from benevolent. A complex character, indeed.

“Are you saying that for your ideals, it’s alright to spill the blood of the innocent?”

“Innocent? Which ones are you referring to? Those who keep their mouths shut, or those who pretend not to see?”

The debate between Danyerin and Karas continued, with Danyerin being sharp and Karas remaining relaxed.

I was caught in the middle, blinking in confusion. I might understand the history of the Soul World, but when it came to the art of kingship, I was pretty much a novice.

I never had an interest in politics in the first place. I didn’t even know why I was here.

“Well, it seems wise to ask Sivar for his thoughts. What do you think?”

I saw this coming. As opinions remained stubbornly divided, Karas directed the question at me.

Danyerin’s gaze shifted to me as well. I was left staring blankly, quietly returning the question.

“······why me?”

“Because you’ve shown me the essence of humanity.”

“I’m curious too. What on earth did I say to warrant this reaction?”

Wait. Why is everyone looking at me like this?

Even Danyerin’s serious expression suggested this was quite a serious matter.

But I couldn’t offer any advice. I certainly couldn’t just whip out knowledge of the future.

I pondered deeply on how to extract myself from this situation. The conclusion I reached was…

“······wanna grab a bite?”

A classic topic shift.

Whatever that came out, I had no clue.

“Hmm. Seems like you’re quite faithful to your instincts. Quite satisfying.”

Why are you satisfied?

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