Persia Family, Conference Room
Seated at the head of the conference room was the head of the Persia family, with about ten people gathered in front of him.
Among them was Harpel Persia, Astina's older brother.
He was there not as the heir, but as the captain of the Persia family knights.
"So it has come to this..."
The head let out a deep sigh, his eyes filled with regret as he looked at Harpel.
Observing the head's expression, the person standing next to him spoke up.
"The decision to change the heir has been approved by 8 members, with 1 abstaining and 1 objecting."
Upon hearing this, the head rose from his seat.
"Thank you all for attending. Food has been prepared at the mansion, so please have a meal before you depart."
With a weary countenance, the head left the room.
The others in the room turned their attention to Harpel, awaiting his reaction.
Harpel glanced at them and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Then he made his way towards the door, taking slow steps.
"I won't be joining for dinner. I'm sure it would ruin everyone's appetite, so I'll leave now."
Harpel spoke these words before departing from the room.
As he walked a short distance, a knight approached Harpel.
"Captain, what happened?"
The knight was Eric Richard, vice-captain of the Persia Knights.
"I've been dismissed."
"Dismissed..."
Anger flared in Eric's eyes.
"Those bastards...! How much have you accomplished, only to be dismissed?"
Eric expressed his agitation.
He was the son of the former captain of the Persia Knights and a friend who trained in swordsmanship alongside Harpel.
He had witnessed all of Harpel's actions and efforts thus far, which fueled his anger even more.
"Eric, calm down."
"No, how can I stay calm right now...?"
As Eric spoke, he gazed at Harpel but couldn't continue his words.
It was because Harpel's face reflected a myriad of emotions.
His teeth ground together, and his fists clenched tightly.
The one who was most angry about this situation right now was Harpel.
'What... did I do wrong...'
He had dedicated himself to the family, pouring his efforts into compensating for his shortcomings and sacrificing sleep to make up for lost time.
But all he received in return was indifference and now they were plotting to strip him of his position as the heir.
"Ast... ina."
Harpel gritted his teeth, repeating Astina's name.
She was born from the same mother, no doubt about it.
Yet, why did he lack the same abilities she possessed?
He could accept his own shortcomings, but it was difficult to bear losing the only thing he had.
"Are you... alright?" Eric asked, observing Harpel.
Harpel turned his gaze towards Eric.
"Eric."
With eyes burning with anger, he spoke.
"Where is the invitation from the Academy?"
---
Raei Translations
---
The temperature was gradually rising, signaling the arrival of Homecoming Day and the impending final examinations.
In the meantime, several events have taken place.
First, I showed Professor Robert the magic book Luna had obtained.
Robert began researching the book, and I was able to learn a few simple spells from it.
Meanwhile, Astina smoothly succeeded in securing her position as the heir.
Her success stemmed from the solid foundation she had laid beforehand.
Astina skillfully persuaded the nobles, and Rie had previously dealt with the nobles of the capital to prevent any potential rebellion.
Although there were some minor objections, they were virtually non-existent.
In other news, Yeniel had returned to the Academy.
According to Astina, she had taken care of all issues.
I had full confidence in Astina's abilities to handle such matters, so I didn't worry too much.
The most exciting news for me was that Evan had begun learning swordsmanship.
Evan, now in possession of Andrei's sword, started his training.
This was good news, the story will progress more smoothly.
Andrei's sword was no ordinary blade.
It possessed the ability to slash mana.
Usually, to achieve such a feat, one would need to create a sword aura.
However, this particular sword had the capacity to store mana within itself, allowing for mana slashing without the need for a sword aura.
Of course, utilizing this ability required the expenditure of one's own mana. But for a wizard, who possessed ample mana compared to others, it wasn't an issue.
With this sword in his possession, facing Serina wouldn't be difficult for Evan.
Serina had never encountered a swordsman with a sword aura, nor had she ever faced a magic swordsman.
If Evan could combine his swordsmanship to cut through the elemental and unleash magic attacks, the chances of her being caught off guard were high.
It was the same in the game.
***
"Come on, give it your all. Isn't this what you trained for?"
"Ugh..."
Rie and I were walking together now, transporting props for the upcoming Homecoming Day.
She whistled merrily as she led the way, while I struggled with the heavy load.
"Why are you making me do this? Why not ask Locke? Why me?"
"It's your responsibility. I'm handling all the paperwork, so you can handle the manual labor."
I couldn't argue with that logic.
Rie had taken on the role of the student council secretary, relieving me of my paperwork duties.
Initially, Astina wanted me to continue as the secretary, but I refused, and in the end, Rie volunteered to take on the task.
"And Locke is busy with Astina. That's why she asked you."
I wished she had asked someone stronger than me...
The words lingered on the tip of my tongue, but I refrained from uttering them.
She had, after all, taken on the role of secretary on my behalf.
I felt a sense of pride as I carried everything.
I wouldn't have been able to lift this in the past.
My strength and stamina have greatly improved due to my consistent training.
"Hello?"
Someone called out to the both of us.
"Hmm?"
A woman stood before us, her eyes concealed by a black cloth, dressed in the attire of a nun.
She drew nearer to us, her cane gently tapping the ground.
A beautiful rosary adorned her neck, its brilliance suggested she was a person of high status.
"...Huh?"
Rie's eyes widened upon seeing the woman.
There was only one individual in the empire who possessed such distinct features.
"The Saint?"
The woman before us offered a somewhat awkward smile.
"Um... are you students? Could you perhaps tell me where the headmaster's office is?"
Both of us stared at her, wearing expressions of confusion.
Why was the Saint alone here?
I decided to respond to her question for the time being.
"If you head towards that large building over there and go to the third floor, you should find it."
"Oh, thank you."
The Saint responded with a radiant smile to my words.
She was about to depart but hesitated for a moment.
Then, she fixed her gaze intently on me.
"By any chance, are you Rudy Astria?"
What?
Why was my name suddenly brought up?
"Do you know me...?"
The Saint was a character who rarely appeared in the game.
Even without her presence, the story wouldn't be affected much.
The events she was involved in didn't revolve around her, nor was she at the center of them.
Hence, I knew nothing about this person.
"Well... no. I was just curious and asked. Well then, take care."
The Saint uttered those words and walked away nonchalantly.
"What was that?"
As I was about to leave, Rie tugged at my sleeve.
"Hey... doesn't that seem strange to you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Wasn't the Saint supposed to be blind?"
I tilted my head in confusion at Rie's remark.
Wasn't that obvious?
She had black cloth covering her eyes.
And since she was tapping the ground with her cane, I naturally assumed she was blind.
"But she knows where the largest building is and heads straight for it?"
"Huh?"
Observing the Saint's back, I noticed she was proceeding toward the main building with remarkable ease.
"What's going on?"
Both of us stared at her, thoroughly bewildered.
---
Raei Translations
---
The following day.
The Academy's interior was adorned like a lively festival.
It wasn't setup like a real festival, with little shops side by side.
It was simply decorated more than usual.
Additionally, there were various activities scattered around that the graduates could enjoy.
It was a gathering that had the atmosphere of a festival where both graduates and students could have fun together.
"Rudy!"
Luna approached with a radiant smile.
Originally, everyone seemed to be occupied, so he had planned to explore on his own.
This was his first time attending such a festival, and he had hoped to run into Evan and Serina.
But then, Luna had come to see him the day before.
-Um... Rudy, what are you planning to do tomorrow?
-Are you going to explore? Yeah?
-I have something I want to do... but it feels a bit awkward to go alone...
-Ah! Riku and Ena said they were busy because they wanted to meet some seniors... If it doesn't work out, I'll ask someone else...
-Really? You'll come with me?
How could he refuse when Luna asked in such a way?
However, it seemed that Luna had been fighting with Riku and Ena lately.
Why were those two so busy?
Every time Luna wanted to do something, they always seemed occupied.
Honestly, Luna, who was always studying, should be the busy one, not them.
Were they excluding her?
But whenever he wasn't around, the three of them were always together.
"Rudy, is something bothering you?"
While he was pondering, Luna gazed at him innocently.
Looking at her face, his worries vanished.
There was no way they would ostracize someone as kind as her, right?
"No, not at all. Actually, it's about to start soon. Let's go."
"Okay!"
The two of them made their way to the central auditorium to witness the event that marked the beginning of Homecoming Day.
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