A Famous Traitor and Treacherous Genius

108 – Cornerstone for the Academy (1)

After cutting up the vampire.

The result of climbing back onto Pegasus and walking for a while.

‘Didn’t you come in here?’

I was able to immediately figure out where the emperor’s invasion route was.

‘It’s possible to break through the maze physically, but I don’t think nine people can go down this path in a row?’

If you’re as big as the Marquis of Claydoll, you’d have to walk sideways like a crab in the sea, but it’s not theoretically impossible.

‘No. The distance was a bit far, so maybe they just advanced straight into the forest?’

Although it is theoretically possible, there are cases where it does not match reality.

It is like that now.

‘Considering the emperor’s personality, it would be faster and better to just destroy the forest maze from the front.’

This underground passage, created hundreds of years ago, is a place where vampires are running backwards even at this very moment.

“White Gold Sutra. How much further do we have to go?”

Here, it’s too long.

“Just a little more.”

“You said that before.”

“You really just have to go a little further forward.”

“Where did you say you’re arriving?”

“You’re asking because you want to check on purpose. It’s somewhere in the plague-contaminated area.”

“…Through the canyon, all the way there.”

Considering the distance on the map, it is probably a straight line from Gibraltar to the port of Sirene.

Do I have to keep walking in this cramped place, relying on a single point of light?

Do you even get nervous and slow down because you don’t know what will appear in front of you?

‘This is too much.’

If nine sword masters were to run sideways through this narrow space, they would just break through head-on.

If it were me, I would do that.

Or even pinpointing the elven forest, the barrier where the elves live, and attacking it from the air.

“What are you thinking with such a sinister expression on your face?”

“Can you please stop talking with your head turned back like that again? I’m really scared right now.”

“What do you have to be afraid of?”

“The shadows are so dark this way it looks like some kind of horror play.”

In the Empire, the technical term for this is ‘horror’.

Although she has a beautiful face, she looks expressionless and has her back to the light, making her look a bit scary.

“I can’t believe someone who has at least reached a high level of mana is afraid of something like this.”

“It’s an advanced level. There’s still a long way left.”

5 years.

“You saw it.”

And the time at the Well of Mana.

“Originally, that vampire should have been cut down in one blow.”

“She cut her twice, but she wasn’t the opponent also a high-class one?”

“If it had been a master level, it wouldn’t have been possible, but even if it was an advanced level, it would have cut off Dengeng’s head with a single blow.”

I have become a superior in terms of mana.

“I haven’t dealt with many vampires, but I have fought many people who breathe in vampire ash.”

“It’s a silver story, right?”

“Yes. In my dream.”

I don’t often talk about this with other people, but at least I feel a little more comfortable talking about it with Baek Jin-gyeong.

“Some bald man was cut across the back and up to half his spine. Do you know what happened after that?”

“You don’t know.”

“Exercising troll-like regenerative powers, he held onto the sword embedded in his spine with the strength of his muscles.”

“…Are you a monster?”

“They are surprisingly human.”

Although it was a being that transcended humans, it was like a monster wearing a human mask.

“The people I have to deal with are stronger and more monstrous monsters than those people. Didn’t you see it for yourself, Prince?”

“I see. 20 years ago, I was weaker than the main woman. I was weaker than Erwin.”

“…”

“But I don’t know now. I only heard about him through hearsay through Erwin, so I can’t gauge the extent of his skills.”

I guess so.

The crown prince has already been strong since I was a baby, and he is becoming even stronger at this moment.

‘It’s a bit difficult to keep up.’

You have to walk faster than the prince walked to catch up.

And the method is now in my arms.

“Now that I think about it, do I have to go down this road from now on?”

“Why?”

“…No. In this narrow space where you can’t even run a horse properly – ugh?!”

As soon as I could say it, Pegasus started running.

“…!!”

“It looks like he’s been provoked, and he wants to show off his skills.”

Even while running so fast that it seemed like the cave might collapse, Lord Platinum smiled leisurely and continued her words.

“It’s okay to walk leisurely and talk with you. Pegasus is a child that can run as fast as sound.”

“…!!”

Crazy speed.

It doesn’t seem like even imperial bikes or airships can reach this speed, but Pegasus is running on the ground at a speed that far exceeds that speed.

“It’s faster than this in the sky.”

I can’t say.

I felt like the moment I opened my mouth, the wind pressure passing by to the left and right of this narrow cave would tear my mouth apart.

Is this wind pressure?

I don’t know.

But at least I know for sure that it is the pressure that Pegasus creates as it runs at full speed.

“That’s why I said it. Just go forward, just a little further.”

I asked for the distance.

“We’re all there now.”

I never thought that that little bit was time.

Pa–ah!

The moment Pegasus ran out through the darkness, I looked up at the sky blankly, feeling as if the world had stopped.

“…”

The black sky was covered in darkness, and the stars embroidered in it were twinkling.

“Then let’s head straight to Gibraltar. It’ll be faster than now…Hehe, it’s fitting right?”

“That… “

Although I felt a little dizzy, I somehow strengthened my body with mana and caught my breath lightly.

“I don’t want to fall in the middle and die.”

“Really? You know very well. Then…”

Lord Platinum patted Pegasus on the back.

“Let’s fly with all our might. We can fly as much as we want in the Land of Guardians.”

“With all your might…?”

“Oh, no. It’s not flying.”

Tuk.

“Running.”

The moment Pegasus stepped into the air-

P—ang!

Pegasus immediately flew diagonally and started running through the air.

“…!!”

As expected.

Rather than charging through this long distance, it was much better to advance straight into the elf forest.

* * *

Early morning, 5 o’clock.

At this time, the servants slowly wake up and prepare breakfast, and some of the knights go out for early morning exercises and begin training.

“I’ve been there.”

“…Once again, it seems like you came back really quickly.”

I ran into my father who came out early in the morning to the Gibraltar family’s private training ground.

“How did you come? Did you sneak in to avoid the eyes of the guards patrolling the territory?”

“Have you released the soldiers?”

“As the budget increased, we also increased the number of soldiers. We assigned children from orphanages to go with them.”

“It’s definitely effective, but don’t tell them too much.”

If you find out how they got here, that soldier should be rewarded.

“It flew in the sky and fell from the sky.”

“…?”

It’s real.

“I dug into the ground in the elf forest, passed through the canyon, and came out of the exit of the magical beast contamination zone, then flew through the sky and just arrived. I immediately felt that my father was here, so I came here right away.”

“It certainly seems like it’s gotten stronger, but…”

My father tilted his head.

“Fall from the sky?”

“High Road, Platinum Lord Aiferia gave me a ride on the Heavenly Horse. Pegasus.”

“Huh.”

My father opened his mouth in surprise.

“Only you?”

“Father?”

“Fly in the sky?”

It’s early in the morning so you’re not fully awake.

“…I wasn’t riding alone, I was stuck right behind Baekgeumkyung. I’m embarrassed to say it, but like a lady riding on the back of a knight.”

“Still, you flew in the sky?”

My father’s voice gradually began to become more serious.

“Didn’t you say that Lord Platinum was staying in Gibraltar?”

This man.

Do you want to ride it?

“Hey. When Lord Platinum first came here, wasn’t he riding a thousand horses?”

“I came running.”

“…”

“I shook off the guards and climbed over the mansion wall in one go.”

You hide the Heavenly Demon.

But. Showing this to Gibraltar is no different from exposing your whereabouts to vampires.

‘Now that I think about it, I think I rode the Heavenly Horse a bit far away from the territory when I left here.’

You didn’t see the Heavenly Demon.

It was my first time seeing the Cheonma, but I thought I had already seen his father.

“Grey. So when is the White Gold Lord coming?”

“While he was out, he said he was going to catch a vampire. He’d be back in two days.”

“…”

“Even if you ride her Pegasus, you have to hug her from behind her her platinum siren her.”

“I don’t think it would be impossible if we get Charlotte’s permission.”

Ah.

I’m serious.

‘Well.’

After my mother died.

My father sometimes spent time flying in the sky, perhaps to relieve his loneliness.

“Are you interested in flying?”

“Rather than saying I’m interested, isn’t it natural for a man?”

“But you can fly.”

“That means releasing mana and jumping through the air. Even that is only for a short moment.”

My father can fly between the gates without a bridge.

“Pegasus…”

“Father, I will let you fly. Could you please set a budget?”

“Is there a way? Isn’t it possible to open the Gyeongryong gambling hall more quickly?”

“Even if I open it, it’s still a long way from being activated, and there’s no point in bringing Drake or Griffin.”

My father wants to fly in the sky.

“What if there is a flying object that your mother isn’t afraid of?”

“…”

With my mother.

“I don’t have time to make a separate plan right now, so I’ll hand it to you next time I come. This time, I need to bring some supplies.”

“Whatever you need, just tell me. I’ll have it ready right away.”

“Then… “

This is the most important.

“About 500 pairs of women’s underwear.”

“…?”

“It looks like it might be a bit of a problem to get it, so let’s prepare this slowly. I should at least take some extra travel robes with me.”

Even if there is a risk that the number of elves who break the rules due to their longing for the outside world will increase, I have a duty to spread a part of human civilization to the elves.

For my purity.

* * *

After eating breakfast and taking a shower, I checked in my room about what happened in the county while I was in the forest.

“Young master~~~!!”

Robert came over immediately after hearing that I had returned to the mansion.

“You’re alive!”

“I didn’t go there to die, but you’re making such a fuss.”

“Wasn’t it barbaric? It’s said that elves ostracize humans and shoot arrows between the eyes of any human they see!”

“It’s barbaric, but it might not be called barbaric.”

“?”

“I’ll tell you the details once I get permission. Even if I’m curious, I hope you understand. There are circumstances where I can’t tell you.”

There are only a handful of people who know that I have been to the Elven Forest and will continue to go there in the future.

“Sir Robert, you didn’t make a mistake, did you?”

“No problem. Just say the obvious!”

Father, mother.

And Sir Mente and Robert.

“For your safety, Robert, I can endure Morgania’s torture!”

Just these four people.

“Isn’t this something you keep a secret from not only your younger siblings, but even Queen Carmen? How could I go around talking about it?”

“Has anyone asked about Gray Gibraltar’s whereabouts?”

“There was, and everyone agreed. They answered as the master said.”

Sir Robert’s expression turned serious.

“You are on a mission to hunt designated monsters in the plague-contaminated zone, according to the Count’s orders.”

“It’s not wrong.”

It is not wrong to go through the plague contaminated zone and head to the elf forest, hunting vampires along the way.

“Did everyone believe it?”

“Rather than believing, they seemed disinterested! Some people even said, ‘You finally sent your eldest son to a contaminated area to die!'”

“If you send it without an escort, that kind of sound can come out. Even if you think about Gibraltar in the past, it’s the same.”

Thanks goodness.

Because no one thought that mana was being absorbed from the elf forest.

“I think that’s enough for an external smokescreen…”

The problem is that while I am staying in the Elven Forest for a long time, if an incident occurs in Gibraltar that I need to respond to.

“What is the system for responding in emergency situations?”

“Currently, I am under the Count’s command. He is in a position to send me as a messenger at any time.”

“Your father paid a lot of attention.”

There is a barrier in the elf forest, so real-time communication is impossible, so a physical means of communication is necessary.

“Rest assured, young master. If something urgent happens in the territory, I will run to the elf forest and call out to you in front of the elf forest, as promised.”

“I hope that doesn’t happen, but if it happens while I’m away, please forgive me, Sir Robert.”

A plague suddenly breaks out in the Seville territory.

Either St. Geo got drunk and fell down the stairs and broke his neck and died.

Unless there is such an incident, it is unlikely that Robert will come running all the way to the elf forest despite my training.

“What are the imperial newspapers you have collected?”

“Here it is. These are the parts that I scraped separately and you said there were special points.”

“Thank you so much.”

Although there are almost five days’ worth of newspapers piled up, it is possible to understand the trends of the empire through them.

“… That’s amazing, Sir Robert. You could ask his father to give him a separate bonus.”

“Hehe. I have some eyes to see now.”

You can even figure out 90% of the situation in the empire just by summarizing the parts that Robert has scraped.

“The Empire has finally announced the establishment of an academy.”

“…Finally.”

Scrap first.

“A construction ceremony was held. The Empire is receiving support to select 9 people to study at the Kingdom Academy.”

“…Wait a minute.”

One thing that is different from history.

“Not 10 people, but 9 people?”

“Yes. Well, this is one of the editorials.”

Robert took something out of his pocket

“What on earth is so treasure-“

“This is an editorial stating that the imperial family will select the imperial granddaughter Astasia as the first international student. Recent photos are also here.”

“Sir Robert.”

I was handed a page from the Imperial Newspaper kept in a frame.

“I will definitely take you to the elf forest sometime in the future, about five years later. I promise.”

In the frame, Astasia is wearing a fancy imperial dress, but she is smiling brightly.

As always.

“Why 5 years?”

“Because it’s a bit barbaric now.”

“?”

“There is such a thing.”