Chapter 43: Rumors (part 1)

The sun shone bright in the sky, like any other day.

The emperor was receiving a report from his minister.

“It is said that a cadet who summoned two summons, like His Majesty the First Emperor, appeared at the Academy.”

“Really? Did that cadet also summon a 5-star summon?”

“No, it is not that high.”

“Still, they must be someone destined to be talented in the future.”

“…Yes, indeed.”

“Increase the security at the Academy to ensure no harm befalls that cadet. What else?”

“This is a report on an invasion at the Southern Absolute Defense Line.”

“What is it?”

“It concerns a traitor discovered due to an attack by demons coordinated with a covert expedition.”

“Well…”

The emperor sighed, falling into silence. Invasions by demons happened frequently, but never had the human side been persuaded to steal information and launch such a calculated attack.

“Could this be a false report?”

“Since it was reported by the Duke of Eritz, there is no chance of that.”

“Yes, he wouldn’t fabricate something like this.”

The title of duke wasn’t granted simply for possessing a 4-star summon. It was a rank attained by those who sacrificed body and soul for the Empire, proving loyalty and accomplishment. The Dukes of Eritz had shown fiery passion and loyalty for generations.

“The duke deserves a medal. What else?”

“The duke reports that Academy cadets defeated the high-ranking demons and protected the duchy.”

“Academy cadets?” 

The emperor was intrigued. Naturally, the Academy cadets were heirs of noble families, so it wasn’t impossible that some had 4-star summons… 

‘Still, no successor with a 4-star summon would be sent to the Duke of Eritz,’ he thought. 

That meant the cadets who protected the duchy likely had 3-star summons. Defeating higher-tier demons with lower-tier summons was the mark of warriors with great ingenuity and talent.

“Then reward the cadet as well.”

“Yes, understood—”

“…No, I’ll go to the Academy personally.”

“Your Majesty, that may be…”

“It’s been a while since I last saw my daughter, and I also want to see the cadet with talent akin to the First Emperor. Make the arrangements.”

“Understood.”

As the emperor spoke, he thought of the upcoming Academy schedule—the ranking matches in which all cadets participated. The event wasn’t far off.

***

At the Academy.

“Good work, everyone, on the school trip.”

During morning roll call, Instructor Oliver looked over the cadets who had just returned and spoke warmly. He knew everyone had completed the training safely, having received a report through magical communication, but he still gathered documents as per protocol.

Some cadets had forgotten to bring back forms from the dormitory, but he chose not to send them back at this time.

“Hand in the paperwork today and open your textbooks to page 43 for History of Empires…”

The cadets followed Oliver’s instructions, opening their textbooks. 

I followed suit, flipping to the right page.

The academy didn’t teach many subjects—basic language and math, the history of ancient empires, and the theory and practice of summoning were the core subjects. The theory and practice of summoning took up the most weight in the curriculum. Though the theories were sometimes flawed, they were gradually being refined.

‘I suppose it can’t be helped.’

It was inevitable that some theories were incorrect. First of all, there weren’t many summons to study, and researching them wasn’t easy. Summoners were all nobles, and to study summons required the cooperation of those nobles. However, most nobles were themselves summoners, with neither the need nor the will to study their own summons. 

If a crisis threatened humanity, perhaps the nobility would cooperate in summoning research. But, for now, the current level of understanding was sufficient to fend off demons.

Many nobles, secure in their vested interests, were reluctant to see their power diluted by making knowledge of summons widely accessible.

While lost in thought, I was startled as a crumpled piece of paper hit my head and tumbled across my desk. I turned to see Syrah grinning mischievously.

“Open it, read it,” Syrah mouthed, then turned her gaze back to the blackboard to avoid detection from Oliver.

Carefully, I unfolded the note, making sure Oliver wouldn’t notice.

[Wanna grab lunch together?]

It was a simple, playful note. A harmless, refreshing message that only someone of our age would send. 

Wanting to return the lighthearted gesture, I scribbled a small [凸] (its antonym is 凹, so get it?) in the corner of the note and tossed it back at Syrah. 

The paper sailed through the air, landing on the back of her head and slipping down her neck.

“Ah—!”

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