Chapter 177
(Kyle
Calendar Year 509: Age 16)
The Headmaster's Intentions
Translator : PolterGlast
I braced myself
slightly at the Headmaster's complete change in demeanor. Just a moment ago, he
had been speaking of the royal family's secrets as lightly as if it were idle chatter...
Could this be
something extremely dangerous?
"Do you know the
reason why I was so surprised that you had a Gravity Mage in your service
before?"
The Headmaster's gaze
was piercingly sharp as he looked at me.
"I had thought it
was because it's a magic attribute that is rare in the kingdom and on the verge
of extinction... but am I wrong?"
"That is both
correct and incorrect. Not on the verge of extinction, but rather, it was
destroyed. That is the truth of this country's history that does not appear on
the surface.
You once asked in a
class at the academy about what happened to the Dark Clan, did you not?
Once, the Dark Clan
unified—no, ruled over—the twelve clans that resided in the demon territory.
But that was taken from them by the first King of Kyle.
After that, with the
exception of a few, most of them vanished. From the main stage of this
country's history."
"The overt
history... you say?"
"That is right.
Only these words have been passed down to us now.
『Light opposes the darkness,
and Gravity controls the darkness. 』
In the history of this
country, the clan that governs light and the clan that governs gravity have
already lost their legitimate bloodlines.
Among the twelve
clans, the lines of these two have become mere shells, and neither of their
ducal houses manifests those magics in their bloodline. The only magic they can
use is the bloodline magic of the other clans with whom they have intermarried
along the way."
That's true... I've
heard that my brother's Light Magic is also extremely rare, and that among the
twelve clans, the three clans of Light, Dark, and Gravity, in particular, do
not appear on the main stage.
"From here on is
my own speculation, but I believe that all the legitimate successors were, over
the long course of history, eliminated by the darkness. And thus, those who
could resist the darkness and control the darkness were lost from this
country's history."
"Then..."
"The Imperial
invasion of years past, and the rebellion this time—is it not possible that
there is someone pulling the strings behind all of this? I have been thinking
that for a while.
For a plot by a mere
viscount (Hiyorimi), the scale is far too large. The incomprehensible movements
of the first Cadet Knights were the same. And the former Viscount Hiyorimi's
bloodline magic was Dark.
What I could not
understand the most were the movements of the former Count Goyoku. That man is
a coward who is only greedy, a petty villain whose only talent is to slurp the
sweet nectar around him.
Even if he was snubbed
by the leaders of his faction, his actions were too bold and unnatural.
Originally, he had neither the ability nor the nerve for it."
"So, behind the
former Count Goyoku was the former Viscount Hiyorimi. Is that what you're
saying?"
"In formal terms,
yes.
When I looked into it,
Hiyorimi was working under Goyoku to bring you down. And there, Goyoku was
likely taken in. Just like the first Cadet Knights.
But... would the Dark
Clan, which has moved so meticulously up to this point, so easily step into the
spotlight? That too is a great question.
The ancestors of the
nobles who currently possess Dark bloodline magic in the kingdom are the
descendants of those who broke away from the Dark Clan at the time of the
nation's founding. But there is no sign that any other such nobles have made a
move.
If that's the case,
could there be another mastermind? Could they have been manipulating Hiyorimi?
That is what I am thinking."
"So from now on,
we need to keep an eye on the Dark Mages?"
"That much, even
I do not yet know. But there is something important here that must not be
forgotten.
You saw Hiyorimi's
final moments, did you not? His mind had already collapsed, and he was no
different from a living corpse.
On the battlefield
that caused him to become that way were your brother, who is of the light, and
your wife, who is of gravity. This may have some connection to the lore.
It would be reasonable
to think that Hiyorimi became that way after being exposed to Light and Gravity
magic. But you are also aware that not all Dark Mages become that way, are you
not?"
"Yes, I have a
Dark Mage among my own subordinates. When he was training in my domain, he was
exposed to Light and Gravity magic, but there were no abnormalities."
"That's right, and
the same goes for his second son, Baron Copper. He, too, fought alongside your
brother.
I will continue to
investigate this matter on my end, but I want you to take today's conversation
to heart as well. It is a matter of great importance to the future of the
kingdom, so I want you to be vigilant and not let your guard down.
If I find out
anything, I will let you know as well, so I would be happy if you would
continue to show your face at the academy from time to time."
"Yes? No, excuse
me. I am to be promoted in the fall... well, I'm not sure if I can be promoted
due to my long absence, but I am in a position to be here for at least another
two years, am I not?"
"Hohoho, I forgot
to tell you earlier.
From this autumn, you
will be a special scholarship student, and with that, there are no class
attendance requirements or exams. You will have the right to come to the
academy when you wish and freely participate in any classes you wish to attend,
and after three years, you will automatically graduate.
You will have many
opportunities to exercise your skills in domestic affairs as the head of your
house, such as managing the new domain and soldiers you acquired in this war,
will you not? I felt a sense of shame at the thought of summoning you, who will
be a cornerstone of our national defense, to this Royal Capital and holding you
back."
You know, I would have
liked you to tell me that from the start. I mean, I'd been wondering about that
point for a long time.
"Regarding the
series of conspiracies surrounding you, I believe the immediate crisis has
passed. We have gained collaborators like ourselves in various quarters, and I
believe the purpose for which you were summoned has been achieved.
There is no longer a
need for the foolish measure of shackling a young hawk with wings to soar high
in the sky and keeping it on the ground, is there?
From now on, for you,
the academy shall...
be a place where you
can gain friends who transcend status and position,
be a place where you
can scout for future subordinates,
be a place where you
can solve the mysteries you face.
It would be good if it
could be changed into a vessel that provides that kind of value."
"I had no idea
that you had been thinking of such things, and having fallen into suspicion and
paranoia, I have been extremely rude in my many discourtesies up to now. I
deeply apologize."
"Hohoho, it's
quite alright. I am, just as you and your brother think, a cunning old
fox."
It seems I had become
a special existence not only in terms of my title, but also at the academy. But
with this, I can now freely return to my domain when I wish, and I can
concentrate on domestic affairs over there.
"Now then, just
as things have been settled...
In the fall, the one
who will become your brother's wife will graduate, but this time, the one who
will become your wife will be enrolling, will she not? Furthermore, it has been
decided that your younger sister will be coming the year after.
Even if they come to
the Royal Capital, if you, the one they're here for, are absent from the
academy, both of them will feel lonely, will they not?"
Tch! Just as I
thought, a cunning old fox. Even as he says I'm free to do as I please, he's
already made sure to have a plan to keep me here.
"As I thought...
I'm no match for you, Headmaster. I have just been reminded of that once
again."
"When I speak
with you, it seems that even this stifled kingdom has a bright future. I hope
to form an unchanging friendship with you from now on. To the extent that it is
not a burden, I would be most pleased if you would also keep this old fox
company."
The Headmaster said
this and laughed cheerfully.
After this, I had
several other discussions with the Headmaster. This was because there were
others besides myself who were attending the academy.
I had deliberately not
had Mary and Sasha accompany us to the war this time. They are to continue
their studies for three years.
The same goes for
Sigur and Karla. I did not have them accompany us this time either.
This was because the
students from the domains of Margrave Hastburg and Viscount Gorman (at the
time) had not participated in the Cadet Knights. They, too, will continue to
attend, as they are to take on command roles in the future Frontier Knights
branch.
I'm thinking of giving
them the new mission of, while studying at the academy, scouting for and
recommending any promising candidates for future civil and military official
posts.
"By the way,
about the Magic Combat Training Course... To be honest, after seeing your and
your comrades' performance and the results of the conferment of honors, we've
been flooded with applications. Including the 40 from the Restorationist
faction, the number of students in the course starting this fall has already
exceeded 300, and the teachers are screaming. So, I have a favor to ask of
you."
Here it comes! What is
it this time? It goes without saying that I instinctively braced myself.
"No, no, I'm not
thinking of shackling you. When you look at mages as a military force, the
difference in power between the mages you have and the vast majority of others
is too great. No, perhaps I should say it's a difference in resolve.
Even the teachers
provided by the academy probably don't have anything they can properly teach
them. For that reason, even if they study in the same circle, for the excellent
ones, it would simply be a waste of time.
As a countermeasure,
I'm thinking of establishing a Magic Tactics Research Department above the
Magic Combat Training Course. This department will have no teachers. Its
purpose will be for the members of the department to research tactics and hone
their skills together.
This will be a special
department that only those who have a skill level above a certain standard and
are Royal Command Mages can belong to."
"I see. To
separate those who are learning the basic course, those who are not Royal
Command Mages, and those who are Royal Command Mages and have the resolve and
ability. This is the content that I proposed to you before, is it not?"
"Exactly. This
course is for six months, but those who wish can remain for up to one year.
Also, we will allow parallel enrollment with other courses, and the academy
will provide various conveniences such as credit transfers and lecture
adjustments.
This way, for the
mages you have who are still in your domain, and for those who are already
studying in the civil servant track, the burden on them in the future will be
reduced, will it not?
Also, for the time
being, we want to treat all except the 26 who have been made public as
classified by the kingdom, and make it unnecessary for them to come here. There
is also the matter of the Gravity Mage. This will be a private arrangement
between you and me."
"Thank you for
your consideration. Am I correct in understanding that those with practical
combat ability will be allowed to skip grades in the Magic Combat Training
Course and be admitted to the six-month Magic Tactics Research Department, even
from their first year?"
This way, I can also
call the 26 who have already been made public here in shifts while I am in the
Royal Capital. Of the 10 who are here, 7 have not yet taken the course. There
are 16 remaining in Teigoon. If I have 7 come in the first half of this
academic year, and then about 5 in shifts every six months after that, the
pretext will hold.
"Just as you say.
And while the Magic Tactics Research Department will have no instructors, they
will accumulate practical training through joint exercises with the Royal
Knights.
In addition, in the
form of a one- or two-month expeditionary exercise, you are free to dispatch
students to your domain and use them for practical training, such as monster
extermination or construction work. In fact, that might be more beneficial for
them.
And, I would like to
commission the Demon Territory Count, from the academy and the Royal Knights,
the task of devising these training contents and having the mages themselves
provide instruction on-site. For the price of 500 gold coins per half-year for
two years, for a total of 2,000.
Well, after two years,
by the time you graduate, we will likely have raised the human resources to be
able to do it on our own. It would be very helpful if you would accept this
request... what do you say?"
Hmm, I'll think about
the training menu with the Commander, and the mages will mainly be
instructors...
There are three years
until the next calamity, and four years until the final one. If the overall
military strength increases, the burden on us will also be reduced. I'll be
able to travel to and from my domain more freely than before, so I suppose I
should compromise here.
Mulling over these
calculations, I made my decision.
"Understood. I
will accept that matter."
And so, we were to
greet the second year of our academy life with a new system. In the end, one
way or another, I ended up keeping one foot in the academy...
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