------------------
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
------------------
Chapter 205
The prince of the Panisys Kingdom.
Upon hearing the news that he had appeared at Aquiline Academy, I set aside my rest and rushed over.
He is one of the key figures of the royal family.
And now, that very figure had left the royal court and come to Aquiline Academy.
It was obvious what the state of the royalist faction would be.
‘If we’re not careful, the noble faction might barge into the academy following the prince.’
If that happened, things would become extremely complicated for us.
The current team assembled to breach the Demon Dungeon is a crucial force even for the Empire.
Not only are most of them nobles, but they’re also considered some of the world’s most promising talents.
Naturally, the Empire could not afford to neglect them.
From the perspective of the noble faction, overheated by the civil war, this team could serve as a valuable card to prevent external interference.
They do not want outside forces to ruin their rebellion.
For them, if the rebellion fails, only purges await.
Victory means revolution.
Failure means treason.
For them, only these two outcomes exist.
Thus, the moment our existence is exposed, they would likely detain us under the pretext of safety and protection.
Of course, if they did that, they would face worldwide condemnation.
We had defeated the Ascended Apostle.
Meanwhile, Panisys had made the worst move by withdrawing even the forces stationed at the entrance of the Demon Dungeon.
If Panisys were to imprison us after all that?
It’s obvious what kind of backlash would follow.
However, the noble faction, already overheated by civil war, only focuses on the present rather than the future.
They believe that whatever wrongs they commit now, they can compensate for later.
Thus, they must win at any cost in the present.
It was clear that’s how they were thinking.
And now, the prince had come to Aquiline Academy.
If we got tangled up with him, we could end up detained altogether.
Moreover, not all of our injured had recovered yet.
At this point, it would be difficult even just to escape Panisys with everyone.
"This way."
Following Solvas's guidance, I arrived at a location where several royal knights of Panisys were gathered.
Each of them looked exhausted and battered.
It was evident how difficult it had been to extract the prince from the royal court.
As I entered, the knights immediately stood up.
A wariness was evident in their eyes.
They had fought tooth and nail to protect the prince — their reaction was understandable.
"Greetings. I am Vikamon Niflheim, currently serving as an assistant instructor at Zerion Academy. May I ask if there is a representative among you?"
If I had introduced myself with my family name included, I might not even have gotten the chance to speak.
Even though I was excommunicated from my house, I could still use it when needed.
"I am Solvas Umbra. I vouch for this man’s identity."
Then, Solvas, who had accompanied me, stepped in to assist.
Given the reputation of his family, Solvas had a keen ear for politics.
He too foresaw the consequences if we got entangled in this matter.
It would clearly be a disastrous move for Panisys in the long run.
The crazed nobles couldn't see the future, but the younger generation of nobles could.
Seeing Solvas gave me hope that Panisys’s future wasn’t entirely bleak.
"I am Crama Berilio, Vice Commander of the Panisys Royal Knights."
At that moment, a middle-aged knight stepped forward.
Among all the knights, he seemed to be the most wounded, his entire body wrapped in bandages.
It spoke volumes about the dire state of the royal family.
"You’ve been through a lot. Sir Crama, as I mentioned earlier, I hail from the Empire. Currently, at Aquiline Academy, students from Zerion Academy are also recovering from injuries."
"Injuries, you say?"
"Injuries sustained during a fierce battle against an Apostle attempting to ascend through Panisys."
Crama’s eyes widened.
As the Vice Commander of the Royal Knights, he would fully understand the significance of an Ascended Apostle.
He would also understand that the kingdom had forsaken its global duties amidst the civil war.
"What happened to the Apostle?"
He asked cautiously.
Panisys had been shaken to its core by this rebellion.
If they had also failed to stop the Apostle, they would not have been able to avoid worldwide denunciation, and it would have meant Panisys’s downfall.
"The Apostle was successfully defeated."
Crama’s expression eased slightly.
It was a small relief amid the chaos.
"I apologize. We ended up leaving everything to you."
He bowed his head in apology.
To them, the kingdom was everything.
And now, with the kingdom on the brink due to the civil war, there was little they could do.
They could only hope that the Apostle had not chosen Panisys as the place to ascend.
Even as knights, they were still bound to follow orders from above.
"It’s alright. However, we would like to avoid any further damage resulting from the civil war."
This was also for the sake of Panisys’s future.
Fortunately, Crama wasn’t the type of person to miss the point.
"Yes, we will do everything we can to ensure that no harm comes to those who have displayed such heroism."
He too had become a knight for the glory of Panisys.
He understood the risks that could arise because of us.
But if he had truly been able to prevent them, the civil war wouldn’t have broken out in the first place.
Mere verbal promises were meaningless.
My gaze flickered toward the door he was guarding.
Ultimately, the only one who could properly guarantee this was the prince himself.
At that, Crama's face darkened.
It was the face of someone who expected that hearing a favorable answer would be difficult.
But he also knew he could not shoulder all the responsibility himself.
"I will try speaking with His Highness the Prince."
Crama knocked and entered the room.
Isabel, who had followed behind me, made eye contact with me.
Worry for everyone was evident in her eyes as well.
A civil war was a matter of national survival.
Given the tense situation where anything could happen at any moment, worry was inevitable.
I wrapped my arm around Isabel's shoulder.
"It's okay. There's no problem. Whatever happens, I'll take care of it."
I didn't want to instill unnecessary anxiety in her.
So I spoke lightly, and Isabel looked at me for a moment before lightly tapping my side.
"You better not overdo it again."
"Of course."
Although Isabel still looked somewhat skeptical, her face showed that some of her anxiety had eased.
"Oh, darling?"
Just then, a familiar voice reached my ears.
There stood a woman, drying her hands with a handkerchief as if she had just come from the restroom.
"Vinesha?"
My eyes widened at the sight of her.
I hadn't expected Vinesha to be here.
Soon after, Grantoni appeared behind her.
"Grantoni, you—"
"Oh, soulmate!"
Grantoni grinned and clacked his teeth together cheerfully.
Why were these two here?
I couldn't understand for a moment.
Then I noticed their clothes were dirty and disheveled.
"Don’t tell me... you two broke Prince Maron out?"
Vinesha and Grantoni exchanged glances.
Then a light shimmered from Vinesha's pendant, and her eyes sparkled emerald green.
Musika had possessed Vinesha.
In that moment, Vinesha raised her arm diagonally, and Grantoni struck a pose behind her.
"That's right, we did it!"
"Ahem, the heroic duo!"
I let out a hollow laugh.
They had said they would go seek help from the royal family of Panisys, but I hadn't imagined they would bring Prince Maron back themselves.
'I did think it would be hard for the knights alone to get him out.'
The noble faction would have targeted Prince Maron above all.
They would have prepared for fierce battles against the royal knights.
But they hadn’t accounted for an unexpected variable:
The duo of spirit summoners.
Thanks to their efforts, Prince Maron and the royal knights had safely escaped to this place.
"You two did something incredibly dangerous."
"The path of heroes is always fraught with hardship."
Coming from a former hero, it sounded remarkably persuasive.
------------------
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
------------------
"So, boy, have you come all this way to walk the hero’s path again?"
Musika, wearing a cocky expression, imitated the old Duke of Whitewood.
"Status report."
"A hero doesn't look at status reports — they just charge in!"
"That's why so many of them ended up in graves early."
"Well, that’s true!"
She still had the same lively energy.
Even so, it was a relief to see Musika and Grantoni safe.
"Shall we go in?"
Just then, Crama opened the door and asked.
Isabel and I exchanged glances and nodded before stepping inside.
Solvas quietly followed us.
"Good luck!"
"Heehee, you’re going to have a hard time."
Musika and Grantoni tactfully stepped back.
Once inside, the room looked utterly wrecked.
This was a room at Aquiline Academy used to receive guests.
Thus, it was filled with luxurious furniture, but now, all of it had been used to barricade the windows.
Because the furniture blocked the windows, the room was very dark.
In a corner of the room,
a young boy was huddled under a blanket.
He looked like he could be no older than a high schooler.
He was breathing heavily, his face full of fear.
Crama let out a quiet sigh.
I might be a teaching assistant, but I was still a noble from another country.
It did not reflect well for the prince to show such fear in front of us.
My eyes flicked toward Crama.
He reluctantly opened his mouth.
"His Highness Prince Maron is still recovering from the shock of escaping the royal palace."
He tried his best to present the prince in a favorable light.
But no matter how he wrapped it up, the reality was hard to ignore.
If a prince was this frail, it was natural that those who served him would waver.
This time, I glanced at Solvas.
My gaze asked whether Prince Maron had always been like this.
Solvas swallowed hard and gave a small nod.
The royal family of Panisys had a long history of inbreeding.
As a result, many genetic diseases had appeared, including conditions that made it difficult to produce heirs.
Recently, with a shift toward more openness, the royal family of Panisys had started welcoming bloodlines from outside.
However, genetic diseases do not vanish overnight.
The current king of Panisys was also born with a hereditary disease, which made it difficult for him to produce an heir.
Overcoming these hardships, Prince Maron was finally born.
Prince Maron was the only heir to the throne of Panisys.
It was obvious how preciously he would have been raised.
However, that ended up having adverse effects.
Because he was overly sheltered and raised too delicately, Prince Maron grew up with innate weakness.
He was vulnerable to stress and danger, and his ability to respond was poor.
When incidents occurred, he would not take the lead himself but would leave things to others — a classic avoidant type.
That was Prince Maron.
Unlike Iris, who, despite being an imperial princess, attended Zerion Academy and built a reputation for herself.
Despite being of similar age, Maron hadn’t even enrolled in Aquiline Academy — proof enough.
This must have caused anxiety even among the Panisys noble faction.
Especially now, with the Empire taking the lead on the world stage.
What would happen if Prince Maron, the only heir, were to ascend the throne in such circumstances?
To be honest, Panisys' future looked grim.
Prince Maron would merely waver and fail to govern properly.
His instability would shake all of Panisys.
This became the driving force behind the nobles’ movement.
Rather than accepting an incompetent king, they would establish a new dynasty.
That was the reason behind the Panisys noble faction’s coup.
And now, Prince Maron was at Aquiline Academy.
There was no way the nobles would leave him alone.
"Your Highness Prince Maron, I am Vikamon Niflheim from Zerion Academy."
Even though I introduced myself, Prince Maron didn’t respond.
Instead, his eyes turned toward Crama.
It was clear from his gaze that he expected Crama to handle the situation in his place.
He was avoiding even basic greetings.
This was giving me a headache.
"We at Zerion Academy have just dealt with an Apostle who ascended at the Demon Dungeon, and we are currently resting here at Aquiline. Since civil unrest could potentially cause diplomatic issues, we would like to request your Highness’s guarantee of our safety."
Still, I couldn’t avoid saying what needed to be said.
As soon as I mentioned the guarantee of safety, Prince Maron’s eyes shook violently.
"I-I can't even protect myself. How could I protect anyone else?"
"It's alright. We only need your word. We’ll handle the rest ourselves."
I had no intention of actually seeking their protection.
I only needed the justification to deter the noble faction.
"Ugh, v-very well. So be it. I would like to rest now, so could you please leave?"
With his dismissal, we had no choice but to leave the room.
"……Since His Highness Prince Maron has given his word, no harm should come to you."
Crama tried to reassure us.
Poor man, having to serve such a lacking master.
"Can I ask about the current situation at the royal palace?"
"……The soldiers and knights hired by the noble faction have nearly overrun the palace."
Even with the Panisys royal family's weakened forces, I doubted it would be breached so easily.
When I showed my skepticism, Crama made a dejected expression.
"There were people among the nobles’ forces who could wield Mystics."
Mystics — at that word, my expression darkened.
At the same time, one group came to mind.
Mysticism.
The very group Vulcan and I had crushed.
‘Could remnants have survived?’
I pressed my hand against my chin thoughtfully.
It was also possible that another group of Mystic users existed independently from Mysticism.
‘Mysticism was still in its early stages and growing at that time.’
According to the main story, Mysticism would only fully form in Act 5, next year.
It wouldn't be strange if some Mystic users belonged elsewhere for now.
‘So this is the result of the story getting twisted.’
I swallowed hard.
Everything — from the timing of the civil unrest in Panisys to the Apostle’s ascension — seemed too well-aligned.
There was a greater force manipulating the flow of events.
"Thank you for telling us. I’ll keep it in mind."
"Yes. I promise no harm will come to you."
After finishing my conversation with Crama, I returned toward the infirmary.
"Isabelle, once everyone wakes up, let’s head back to Zerion Academy immediately."
When I subtly shared my plan, Isabelle agreed.
Staying at Aquiline Academy any longer was too risky.
Moreover, we couldn’t afford to meddle in another country’s internal affairs.
"Solvas, you're worried about your family too, right?"
"……Yes, that's right."
"You don't need to worry about us anymore. Thanks for taking care of us."
"It's nothing. I should help where I can. You saved my life, after all."
Once upon a time, we had fought fiercely.
Still, from now on, I felt we could get along pretty well.
KWAANG!
At that moment, an explosion rang out from the direction of the men's ward.
The three of us flinched and immediately ran toward it.
There, we saw Ban with his sword drawn.
At the same time, we saw someone desperately jumping out the window.
Ban slashed at the ground at his feet.
The spell binding his feet split apart.
Solvas frowned as he realized what kind of magic it was.
"Shadow magic."
At the mention of shadows, my expression also darkened.
"Ban, what happened?"
"Hannon was kidnapped."
Hannon Irey, who had been sleeping and recovering after his injuries.
He had been abducted.
------------------
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
------------------
