(44)
I never thought of it as a talent. I just wanted to live a normal life.
After hearing those words, I glanced at the dagger stuck in the desk.
For an ordinary human to learn enough poison to melt properly refined steel would take a lifetime of training.
Does he really think he has implanted scales tough enough to withstand Sererassie’s lightning in his own body?
With innate power comes a sense of duty and responsibility.
“Sister. Keep him in check.”
I said while aiming my sword.
Sererassie nodded and spoke.
“Bastatin. Do you know that unauthorized potion-making is punished by death?”
“!”
“The royal family is above that legal provision. How about you comply willingly?”
“Such childish wordplay!”
The creature adorned with green scales bared its teeth at me.
Its fangs elongated like a snake, and its yellow pupils were slit.
I thought it had mastered close combat and explosively manipulated my mana within.
The mana tightly wrapped around each muscle fiber.
I intended to accelerate with the Imperial swordsmanship’s first level technique and suppress it in one blow.
Tap, tap.
“Huh?”
That brief engagement abruptly ended as I started bleeding from my nose.
My vision suddenly blurred, and my legs lost their strength.
In a panic, I poured more mana into suppressing the poison.
“You.”
The green liquid that Bastatin had lifted into the air had halved, and the remaining half continued to vaporize, spreading throughout the entire shop.
“Ah.”
Sererassie staggered slightly.
As a mage, she didn’t know how to enhance her body with mana or suppress the poison within.
I cursed under my breath and swung my sword.
How dare he lay a hand on Sererassie?
“Do you even realize who you are defying? Do you want to be ripped into seven pieces? I’ll sever your tendons, shave your head, and throw you into a Wyvernfit!”
I aimed precisely at his wrist and swung down with all my strength.
Kang!
My sword shattered his scales and drew blood, but I couldn’t sever his wrist.
He raised both his scaled hands in defense and held his ground.
I reassessed his combat doctrine.
Bastatin’s fighting style wasn’t close combat; it was assassination using poison to drag out the fight.
My physical condition was deteriorating more rapidly than I had anticipated.
Bastatin was likely no more than thirty, but judging by his handling of the poison, his lineage had to be legitimate.
That made it more detestable.
The potion must have been created using his abilities.
Just as I was about to give up on suppression and shift to assassination, I heard a voice from behind me.
“Valen. I want to intervene.”
I gently lowered my sword that I had been raising.
“Sister. Don’t move. The poison is spreading.”
“Someone was abandoned in their hometown, while another is still living freely as a mage in the Magic Street. It’s envious, you know.”
Bastatin’s vertically slashed eyes gleamed.
“Jealous? The great Sererassie? Who is jealous of whom?”
“We were both born with talent through blood, and we both enjoyed it equally. So why am I here, and you are there?”
“I lived without a single royal support, while you entered the Ivory Tower as a genius from the royal family.”
He played along with every conversation, assuming we preferred to stay within the poisonous atmosphere.
“So you think I should bear more because I enjoyed more?”
“I won’t deny that I’ve gained this power due to bloodline. But I refuse to acknowledge that everything I’ve achieved is thanks to my lineage. I barely unlocked my talent, balanced work and study, and brought forth a respectable shop on this street at my age, unlike you who received support for everything.”
“Do you even know what hardship is…?”
“Valen. I’m speaking here!”
Sererassie interrupted me and shook her head.
She stood amidst the toxic mist, smiling faintly.
“Give me a chance to prove my loyalty as well.”
Her golden and silver hues flickered, contrasting each other.
Sererassie stood straight as if she hadn’t just staggered and recited a spell.
“Scattered in pieces, spreading with innocence.”
Blue lightning erupted from the air, and the green poison dissipated as if the mist had cleared.
Bastatin gaped, staring at Sererassie.
She raised her staff and said, “This is a basic detoxification spell, no—it’s too simple to even call it detoxification. Anyone can learn it in the Ivory Tower. If you truly built your strength through effort and practice, this mere magic wouldn’t let the poison spread.”
“!”
“Thanks to talent, you could produce an immense amount of poison, so I bet you never thought to refine it further or develop a new toxin.”
“You.”
“What good is effort, then?”
Sererassie said this with a somewhat displeased expression.
Bastatin gritted his teeth and began to gather green energy again.
“What do you think…!”
“You dared to attack a member of the royal family, so you shall pay for this crime with your life!”
I shouted, stabbing my sword in.
Bang! The floor shattered beneath me as I thrust down.
I grabbed his neck with my left hand and slammed him against the wall.
“Cough!”
He screamed, trembling.
His once playful and cheerful eyes were now quivering in fear.
“A little blood is akin to oil poured on a rusty sword for constructive dialogue.”
I spoke through clenched teeth, stabbing his foot with my sword, pulling it back, then delivering two strikes to his chin before stabbing him once more in the thigh.
Then, I pointed my sword directly under his neck.
The sound of scales grinding against the blade echoed.
“Now, tell me everything you know. I know that many of our relatives, the royal illegitimate children, are attending that Academy. I also know there’s a gathering of those brats. I know you’re helping them as a graduate.”
Someone once said this long ago.
If you sacrifice a bit of freedom for a little safety, you’ll end up losing both.
So if you’re going to act, you must do it decisively.
Don’t touch it at all, or tear it out completely.
This time, Jeilliris chose the latter.
I believed I had to do the same.
Six people corrupted, not one or two?
Some might ask if the Emperor’s oppression drove them to make extreme choices.
Yeah, extreme choices are good.
Even a worm will squirm if you step on it, and if you don’t want to die quietly, you must resist.
It’s arrogant to think that the weak will comply just because the strong suppress them.
Yet still, why choose the old ones who plan to use all of humanity as their food or toys?
No matter the circumstances, we can’t be lenient.
“Tell me everything about their hideouts, lodgings—everything you know. And you’re coming with us. You have to confirm their faces.”
Bastatin distorted his face and shook his head.
“I won’t die.”
His green hair extended to his knees, transforming into three snakes that lunged at me.
Sharp, venomous fangs glinted in the air.
“Solidify and push away with lightning.”
Sererassie chanted.
Zap!
The brief bolt of lightning solidified the snakes and forced Bastatin back.
The creature, leaning against the wall, screamed and staggered.
I stepped forward and thrust my sword in gently.
Clink, crack!
The sword pressed down upon the scales covering his neck.
“You knew about the six people who were corrupted this time, didn’t you?”
“!”
For the first time, his face twitched.
“If such an incident happens once more, the knights will come not to protect us but to decapitate you. It won’t be a summoning order but an assassination order. Before that, come into the Emperor’s line of sight. It’s too costly to ask for freedom instead of death when there’s so much to lose.”
I whispered to him sweetly like a devil.
“Don’t you want to save those Academy kids?”
As much as I hated to admit it, it’s true that the one who fights harder is often the more cowardly.
I could afford to be cowardly if it meant preventing the illegitimate children from rampaging in the capital.
He trembled, gritting his teeth.
“Don’t lie. How can I trust you, Valenciaunos?”
I smiled faintly and replied with the composure of a cowardly strongman.
“You can choose not to trust me.”
In the capital, large academies were clustered together, where various students attended.
Sons and daughters of court nobles aiming to become mages, Imperial knights, or administrative officers, studying magic, swordsmanship, and administration.
Sons and daughters of the bourgeoisie, such as merchants or large workshops, receiving higher education, fostering connections.
Wealthy farmers or small landholders from around the Capitol dreaming of rising status through connections and education.
Orphaned or ordinary children but receiving sponsorship due to good grades.
There had originally been a few from the provincial high nobles who came to the capital as half-hostages, but they quickly returned to their families during the brief chaos before Jeilliris’ ascension.
They were such significant figures that their absence was greatly felt, but for students, a year is an exceedingly long time.
Furthermore, the court nobles’ children leading the trends and factions in the Academy were secretly pleased to regain control.
They rejoiced at the return of their world, adorning themselves with shiny accessories and artisan-crafted bags, showcasing their knowledge, culture, and skills in cafes where students gathered.
“Is everyone preparing well for the upcoming exam?”
“Of course. We all know the answers our professors expect.”
A girl shrugged her shoulders.
“I’ve already memorized all the administrative law stuff. What about the magic assignment?”
“‘Mass-producible healing potions’; honestly, I don’t get why there’s such a focus on mass production.”
“There are two reasons.”
The boy who spoke was tall, with ash-gray hair and blue eyes, exuding cheerfulness.
“The first reason is to ensure that children from families with poor finances can submit their assignments.”
The court nobles around him all lamented in unison.
“Haha. That’s quite an insincere reason.”
“This is the Academy of Learning; how can professors be swayed by the financial situations of such people?”
“It makes more sense to research more effective potions, even if it requires expensive reagents.”
“If you can’t afford the reagent costs, you shouldn’t be here.”
“Tsk. The mandrake roots and flowers I managed to procure will become a nuisance.”
The boy with ash-gray hair continued speaking.
“And the second reason is that our Academy’s benefactor desires it.”
The students narrowed their eyes.
“Benefactor?”
“Our Academy operates under the foundation established by the Ducal House of Aquilis, right?”
“The one who sponsors forty percent of the operating costs annually is the one high up there.”
The gray-haired boy pointed toward the Imperial Palace.
A silence fell among the students who once boasted that the world belonged to them.
He continued, his expression showing dissatisfaction.
“I don’t quite like that the royal family intervenes in the sacred Magic Street, wielding gold. But how about we consider the professors’ circumstances this time?”
One by one, the students began to nod.
Very quickly.
“I think so too.”
“Of course, it’s you. I’ve never seen a young noble with as much poise and refinement as you, Jin.”
“Yeah. You’re a pride of our court nobles.”
“Not to be compared with those who only engage in fratricide daily. They say six even died recently.”
“That’s just the number of illegitimate children; they say an uncountable number have perished in the Crimson Crescent Palace every month.”
The court nobles felt a sense of pride in leading the Empire as bureaucrats like cogwheels.
The fact that they maintained the Empire in place of the former emperor, who had abandoned his duties due to old age, was also attributed to their efforts.
Even Jiiliris, a swordmaster and grand mage, respected them and governed the country, so their status had risen to great heights.
“Is it possible that one of those illegitimate children is among us?”
“Ahahaha. How could that be?”
“How could those who depend solely on blood sit among us cultured ones?”
Jin awkwardly laughed and stood up.
“I’m just going to step out for a moment. I have more to memorize.”
“Alright. We all know of your diligence.”
“You could do everything from being a mage to an administrative officer and a knight. I envy you.”
“That’s because of the effort I put in every day.”
Valenciaunos hid behind the door of the dormitory Bastatin had mentioned.
Before long, the door opened, and a student appeared.
Jin, with ash-gray hair, stood in front of the mirror, panting.
As he entered, he crumpled the letter that had been lying in front of the door in his hand.
His blue irises were oddly trembling in the mirror.
“I almost got caught. If I had been just a bit later…”
The blue irises twisted, eventually revealing yellow ones.
“Damn it. Why are these guys causing trouble again at a time like this?”
Sitting at his desk, he frantically unfolded the letter and immediately pulled out a magic potion from the drawer to drink.
Valenciaunos grinned as he watched his back.
Then, he drew his sword to block the spiky attack rising from the floor.
