Chapter 45
‘Prisis, huh.’
Royce alternated his thoughts between the name Prisis and Ryu, who had just left.
This dinner turned out to be far more fruitful than he had expected.
Initially, he had attended merely to see Elaine’s friend—Ryu, the commoner who had become a hot topic at the academy.
‘I didn’t expect the Prisis family to be moving so actively.’
Not only had he learned Ryu’s true identity, but he also discovered who was backing him.
Royce hadn’t believed Ryu’s claims at first, but the more he thought about it, the more everything aligned.
A freshman at the academy showing skills far beyond belief couldn’t possibly appear without some backing.
Even for a brief moment, Ryu had matched him in skill, going toe-to-toe with his sword.
A talent of this level being admitted as a student instead of being recruited as a professor? Only a family as prominent as the Six Great Houses could manage such a thing.
Moreover, Royce sensed that Ryu hadn’t shown his full power.
His movements exuded a natural ease, suggesting he was holding back.
‘Where did they find such a talented individual?’
Rather than pondering what the Prisis family had detected, Royce was more curious about where they had found someone like Ryu.
Although Prisis’s support likely contributed, Ryu’s sheer talent must have played a role in reaching such a level at his young age.
Additionally, the Prisis family wasn’t a family of knights but one of mages.
The swordsmanship Ryu displayed wasn’t something he could have learned from the Prisis family.
Lacking formal structure but incredibly efficient and sharp, his style reflected the battle-hardened experience of a knight.
‘It makes me wonder what it’d be like to face him at full strength.’
Royce closed his eyes, recalling his sparring match with Ryu.
Though of an age where retirement from active duty wouldn’t seem strange, Royce’s competitive spirit still burned brightly.
Seeing a young talent like Ryu reignited his passion.
Knock, knock.
“Yes?”
“Father, it’s Elaine.”
Lost in thought, Royce was brought back by the knock at his door.
Elaine entered, her long hair flowing behind her.
“What is it?”
“Um, I was wondering…”
“Yes?”
Elaine hesitated before cautiously speaking.
“Can I ask what you discussed with Ryu earlier?”
“Hmm?”
Royce tilted his head, surprised by the question, and looked at Elaine.
Naturally, the fact that Ryu was working under the Prisis family and infiltrating the academy was a secret.
As a fellow member of the Six Great Houses, Royce had agreed to overlook Prisis’s activities.
So, he planned to tell Elaine only that the sparring session had gone well.
“Why are you curious?”
“Well, Ryu said…”
“What did he say?”
“He said he probably wouldn’t be able to visit our home again…”
“Hmm. A commoner knows better than to provoke the head of the Sinclair family. It’s only fitting he feels that way.”
“Father…!”
Elaine was startled by Royce’s words and stared at him directly.
Though technically true, it had all happened during the sparring match.
The father she knew wouldn’t react so strongly to such provocations.
‘Oh…’
Elaine’s initial distress faded as she noticed Royce’s amused expression.
It had been a long time since she’d seen him smile like this.
“Hmm. He said he wouldn’t come back? That won’t do. Elaine, if the opportunity arises, make sure to bring him here again. Tell him I’ve ordered it personally.”
“Huh?”
“If you tell him I summoned him, he’ll come even if he doesn’t want to.”
“Yes!”
‘Thank goodness.’
Elaine felt relieved by her father’s words and let out a quiet sigh.
Ryu’s comment about not being able to visit had been bothering her ever since he left.
She had invited her friends over with good intentions, after all.
“And when he comes, tell him I’ll properly teach him a lesson next time.”
‘With his pride, that should lure him in.’
Even from their brief exchange, Royce had sensed Ryu’s confidence and pride through his movements.
Royce was well-versed in dealing with people like that.
“Yes! I’ll excuse myself now!”
Elaine left with a cheerful tone, much brighter than when she entered. Watching her go, Royce smiled too.
He resolved that next time he saw Ryu, he’d truly teach him something.
***
‘So, it was real?’
“That’s my take on it.”
“…Oh.”
Upon leaving the Sinclair Estate, Ryu Yeong initially thought he needed to find Yuria Prisis as quickly as possible. However, that turned out to be unnecessary.
When Ryu returned to his office to ask Addy about Yuria’s whereabouts, Yuria was already there, right in front of him.
Sitting in his office, sipping tea with Addy, Yuria looked exactly the same as he remembered her.
Her trademark grace and elegance were intact, as was her distinctly mage-like attire.
But such details were irrelevant. What mattered was that he met Yuria before Royce Sinclair.
Ryu couldn’t help but wonder if this was the result of investing stat points into Luck. After all, what were the odds that Yuria would visit his office at just the right time?
He felt genuinely fortunate.
After recounting the events with Royce Sinclair to Yuria, including the improvisations he made during the conversation, she smiled and assured him she understood. Ryu finally felt relieved.
Now it was Yuria’s turn.
The reason for her visit was to examine the Ghouls’ corpses Ryu had recovered during the Academy’s inter-year competition. She and Addy had already conducted a preliminary investigation.
What she said next, however, was completely unexpected.
“This works out perfectly. I’ve been meaning to investigate the Academy myself. As you know, Crescent Academy is directly controlled by the Empire, so external interference is nearly impossible. Our Captain really has an eye for foresight, doesn’t he?”
“Uh… yes?” Ryu stammered, caught off guard.
Yuria took another sip of tea, smiling slyly.
The excuses Ryu had thrown at Royce Sinclair, which he’d made up on the spot, turned out to be true.
Yuria genuinely suspected someone inside the Academy and claimed to have evidence supporting her theory.
What Ryu thought was a bluff had aligned perfectly with reality.
“I attended the Academy too, so I know this for a fact: an incident like this could never happen without internal cooperation. There’s definitely a collaborator on the inside.”
Yuria’s confident tone left no room for doubt.
With this revelation, the Ghoul corpses Ryu brought back suddenly became highly valuable. His initial intention was simply to gather data to aid the Black Shadow Corps.
But Yuria’s observations of the Ghouls’ corpses only reinforced her suspicions.
“I just can’t figure out their motive,” Yuria said, placing her cup down with a serious expression. “After we took the Hourglass, I thought they’d act more cautiously.”
“Wait, the same group behind the Hourglass incident is involved here too?”
“Most likely,” Yuria affirmed.
“Wow,” Ryu muttered.
He didn’t know where Yuria got her information, but her knowledge was vast. She even knew things that Addy didn’t.
‘Good thing she’s on our side,’ Ryu thought. If Yuria weren’t part of the Black Shadow Corps, she might have already uncovered his secrets by now.
“If the ones behind the Hourglass theft and this Undead incident are the same, their scale is much bigger than we thought.”
Ryu recalled the Hourglass retrieval mission he undertook with Erica. That operation had been anything but easy. Even Erica, who disliked asking for help, had admitted she needed his assistance.
Without him, the mission would have been impossible.
The barrier surrounding the Hourglass was unlike anything Ryu had seen before—an entirely new type of magic. On top of that, the two guards protecting it were formidable opponents.
Although it sounded like self-praise, Ryu knew he played a critical role in the mission’s success.
“I have some unconfirmed information,” Yuria began.
“What is it?” Ryu asked.
“Their goal might be to resurrect a demon.”
“A demon resurrection?”
“Yes, the resurrection of a nameless demon. Based on their actions, this seems like the most logical explanation.”
Yuria’s expression remained grave.
Ryu didn’t fully grasp the implications of a demon’s resurrection, but Yuria’s demeanor suggested it was a serious matter.
“Well, then,” Yuria said, suddenly shifting to a bright smile, “why don’t you officially work under me, Captain?”
“Huh?” Ryu blinked.
“In this case, I have more information than the entire Black Shadow Corps combined,” she said, her smile widening.
“Hey, Yuria, you’re part of the Corps too.”
“I suppose,” she replied with a shrug.
“So, is there something specific I need to do?” Ryu asked.
“Yes. There are a few individuals I’m suspicious of. If you investigate them yourself, I’m sure you’ll figure it out quickly.”
“Alright. That sounds doable.”
“I’ll provide you with the details later. But for now…”
Yuria stood up and dusted off her robe, signaling the end of their conversation.
“Show me that thing—Greenie.”
“Oh, you know about Greenie?” Ryu asked.
“Addy told me earlier.”
“Ha! Even Addy couldn’t resist bragging about it. It’s got that kind of presence, doesn’t it?”
Yuria chuckled silently.
Ryu decided it was time to properly show off Greenie to Yuria.
—
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