Chapter 571

Book 1 Chapter 571

“Step right up! Take your pick! These items are the pride of Rumeria City!”

“Straight from the far-flung southern territories! Sample the exotic delicacies brought by the desert beastfolk!”

“Come marvel at the exquisite jewelry fashioned by master dwarf craftsmen!”

“Feast your eyes on this genuine mithril fabric, hand-woven by elves!”

The streets of Rumeria City were packed with endless vendors, each boisterously advertising their products to the passing crowds.

As the focal point of the continent and the proud home of Rumern, the metropolis was never short on bustling trade or dense throngs of people. Yet on this particular day, the energy in the air felt entirely unique.

Under normal circumstances, the vast majority of shopkeepers in Rumeria City were humans.

Presently, however, merchants representing a multitude of distinct races had established their own stalls along the thoroughfares.

It was an exceedingly rare sight to witness such a diverse gathering of global heritages trading in a single location anywhere else on the map.

This grand assembly was the direct result of a monumental occasion: the world-wide celebration known as the Hero’s Festival. Because four prestigious hero academies had converged here to engage in fierce competition, an unprecedented variety of species had migrated to the city to witness the event.

Naturally, where massive crowds formed, commercial opportunities followed, making this immense gathering of traders a logical consequence.

Yet, even when dealing with members of the exact same species, friction is bound to occur within tight crowds.

When numerous distinct races possessing completely different cultures and values are packed together, disagreements become entirely unavoidable.

“Hey, you! Listen to me! How many times do I have to warn you not to encroach on my space!”

A human vendor was glaring fiercely at a nearby beastfolk merchant, his voice dripping with hostility.

“I merely set my crates down for a brief second because my load was incredibly heavy,” the beastfolk merchant replied, attempting to smooth things over. “Besides, I am already moving them out of your way. Are you not being needlessly aggressive?”

“Aggressive? Don’t make me laugh! If you are going to travel to another race’s territory to conduct business, the least you could do is practice basic etiquette!”

In a fit of pique, the human vendor swung his foot and forcefully kicked over the neatly piled containers belonging to his neighbor.

Crash!

The assorted culinary ingredients that the beastfolk merchant had meticulously prepared spilled out across the cobblestones, ruined.

Witnessing the destruction of his livelihood, the beastfolk trader’s expression instantly darkened with fury.

“What is the meaning of this blatant disrespect!”

Brimming with rage, the beastfolk merchant exposed his sharp fangs and unsheathed his claws in a defensive display.

The human vendor recoiled slightly, a wave of instinctual fear washing over him for a split second, before he deliberately put on a dramatic performance, wailing aloud.

“Help! Help! A violent beastfolk is assaulting a helpless human!”

Both individuals were operating simple street-side food stalls.

However, because the beastfolk were globally renowned for their unparalleled culinary mastery, the human vendor’s stand had been entirely deserted by patrons.

To make matters worse, the beastfolk merchant’s dishes were offered at a significantly lower price point.

For the human local, who relied on the annual festivities in Rumeria City to gouge tourists and turn a massive profit, the incredibly popular beastfolk stall was a constant source of bitter resentment.

As the human continued his loud lamentations, the beastfolk merchant stepped back, looking completely taken aback and defensive.

“Wait, that is a lie! You are the one who initiated this conflict…!”

“Oh, the tragedy! The established local businessmen are being driven to ruin by these aggressive outsiders!”

The human vendor intentionally amplified his shouts, desperate to draw the attention of the surrounding public and escalate the incident.

“It appears we have a disturbance over here.”

A voice cut through the murmuring crowd as a new figure stepped forward.

“Could someone explain what is happening?”

The human shopkeeper took note of the newcomer’s uniform and his bright, light orange hair, a smirk of absolute certainty spreading across his face.

In stark contrast, a shadow of profound worry crossed the features of the beastfolk vendor.

“Oh, thank goodness, a student from Rumern! Please, look at this disaster! This savage beastfolk has deliberately sabotaged my business and threatened an innocent local!”

“That is a complete fabrication! You were the one who kicked my goods first!”

As the beastfolk merchant vehemently defended himself, Kal, the Rumern representative, raised a calming hand.

“Let us establish the facts calmly. Would the beastfolk merchant kindly present his perspective of the events first?”

Encouraged by the fair treatment, the beastfolk trader detailed exactly what had transpired.

“I see. I understand your point of view.”

Kal nodded slowly in comprehension, then turned his attention toward the human shopkeeper to receive his statement.

“Before I offer my side of the story, student, I recognize the immense stress of your duties. Please, accept this small token for some refreshments later.”

“My, what a generous gesture.”

Kal let out a subtle, knowing chuckle as he observed the human smoothly sliding a heavy pouch of coins directly into his pocket.

The beastfolk merchant watched this exchange, his face contorting into an expression of deep scorn and hopelessness.

After patiently enduring the human vendor’s overly embellished and lengthy recollection, Kal offered another nod.

“Understood. It sounds like you found yourself in a frustrating position.”

“Precisely! You see it perfectly!”

“Therefore, you need to issue a formal apology to him.”

“…What did you just say?”

“You might feel resentful about the loss of your clientele, but such destructive behavior is entirely unacceptable. Furthermore, if your prices weren’t so artificially inflated to begin with, you wouldn’t be suffering from a lack of patrons, would you? The Hero’s Festival is fundamentally designed to foster unity among our diverse races and provide a joyous occasion for everyone, is it not?”

Catching the faint, icy smile playing on Kal’s lips, the human vendor began to tremble with indignation.

“As a representative of Rumern, your duty is to defend your fellow mankind! How can you possibly take the side of an outsider!”

“True heroes do not show favoritism toward any single race, you know.”

“Don’t play innocent! You literally just accepted my bribe…”

“Ah, this? Didn’t you explicitly state this was merely pocket money for refreshments?”

Kal effortlessly twirled the coin pouch around his index finger, projecting an air of supreme nonchalance and sly amusement.

“Insolent brat! Even if you attend Rumern, a mere sophomore has no right to treat me with such utter contempt! Give me your name at once! I shall file a severe grievance against you with the Rumeria City Merchant Association!”

Completely consumed by fury, the local shopkeeper finally lost all semblance of restraint.

Even for someone enrolled at Rumern, having a formal complaint lodged by a resident against them to the powerful Rumeria City Merchant Association could result in severe administrative headaches.

Furthermore, because Kal had maintained a polite and mild-mannered demeanor throughout the interaction, the merchant had mistakenly perceived him as a weak target who could be easily intimidated.

Just as Kal began to casually rub the side of his face in response to the fierce threat, another voice intervened.

“How utterly absurd. Is a simple street vendor actually attempting to blackmail a student of Rumern?”

Stepping out from the perimeter of the crowd to stand beside Kal was Jueun, a young woman from the southern regions possessing distinctive light brown skin.

Observing Jueun standing with her arms firmly crossed and an intense, piercing gaze, the surrounding onlookers began to whisper excitedly among themselves.

“Wait, isn’t that girl Jueun Torbina?”

“The prodigy who claimed the number one ranking among the freshmen in the Rumern magic department?”

The citizens who recognized her identity began to murmur rapidly, spreading the word.

Faced with this sudden revelation, the human merchant felt a wave of anxiety wash over him.

“You possess remarkable audacity, threatening the individual currently serving as the acting student council president of Rumern.”

“Look over there, isn’t that Eliza Helgin?”

“The sole successor to the prestigious Helgin family line!”

“Wait a moment, did she just say what I think she said? That boy is the acting student council president of Rumern?!”

The spectators who overheard Eliza’s declaration gasped in sheer disbelief.

As the true gravity of the situation became clear, all the color completely drained from the merchant’s face.

“I—that is to say… I had no intention…”

Staring coldly at the terrified man, Eliza spoke with unmitigated disdain.

“Deliver a message directly to the leadership of the Rumeria City Merchant Association. Inform them that they are expected to report to the Rumern campus without delay.”

“Have mercy! I was entirely blind to your identities! I beg of you, overlook my ignorance just this once!”

The vendor instantly threw himself onto the pavement, begging for clemency, but Eliza merely offered a dismissive sneer.

“Come along, let us depart, Kal sunbae.”

Jueun lent a hand, gently guiding Kal by the shoulder as the trio walked away from the gathered spectators.

Once they had safely navigated through the parting sea of people, Eliza glanced backward, her face a mask of disappointment.

“You are utterly incapable of wielding your own social leverage correctly. How pathetic, Kal Thomas. Though, I suppose such timidity is to be expected from someone of common lineage.”

“Are you actively insulting Kal sunbae right now? He simply chooses not to brandish his authority like a weapon at every opportunity!”

Eliza turned her freezing, calculated gaze toward Jueun, who had dared to challenge her assessment.

Jueun instinctively pulled back her head slightly under the intense pressure, but quickly recovered her nerve and lifted her chin in defiance.

Eliza slowly tightened and relaxed her fist, her eyes locked onto the younger girl’s rebellious posture.

“Come now, let us all maintain our composure.”

Kal stepped into the space behind Eliza, gently resting his hands upon both of her shoulders to de-escalate the tension.

“Remove your hands.”

With a sharp, irritated motion, Eliza shrugged her shoulders to throw off his touch.

Faced with her icy demeanor, Kal merely raised both hands in a gesture of innocent surrender and gave a relaxed shrug.

“Everything that just transpired was entirely calculated.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“By their very nature, merchants are individuals who would gamble their own safety if it meant securing a profit.”

Given that Kal hailed from a lineage steeped in the art of alchemy and regularly engaged in corporate trade through those connections, he possessed an intimate understanding of mercantile psychology.

In his earlier days, Kal had been an active participant in the Merchant Club. To this day, a vast majority of the first and second-year students at Rumern relied heavily on Kal’s personal logistics networks whenever they required rare components on short notice.

“Considering this is a monumental festival unlike anything the world has ever witnessed, the Merchant Association is bound to attempt egregious price gouging.”

Kal gave another casual shrug.

“However, the Hero’s Festival is meant to be far more than a mere athletic tournament. It is supposed to serve as a sanctuary of unity where every culture can find joy.”

In that moment, Kal reflected deeply on the philosophy shared by Leo.

Leo had explicitly stated his desire to forge a grand celebration where all peoples could assemble and experience genuine happiness side by side.

Kal brought his footsteps to a temporary halt.

Gazing out at the thoroughfares of Rumeria City, which were currently alive with the vibrant movements of countless diverse heritages, the environment felt vastly removed from its typical atmosphere.

‘Indeed… this scenery bears a striking resemblance to Gadsthrone, the ancient city I witnessed within Lord Dweno’s realm.’

A legendary municipality from an epoch long past, where every citizen coexisted in absolute harmony and mutual support.

A mythical paradise that had long since faded into the forgotten pages of historical records.

‘It is highly probable that Leo sincerely intends to manifest such a harmonious reality for our world.’

This endeavor wasn’t merely a tactical move to prevent internal betrayal while facing a catastrophic global menace.

‘He likely intends for everyone to forge an unbreakable bond while conquering this crisis together, ensuring that this spirit of fellowship is inherited by future generations.’

“Fascinatingly enough, deep-seated animosity and cultural fractures almost always ignite from the smallest grievances.”

Kal offered a light smirk.

“If you journeyed all this way to celebrate, only to find yourself fleeced by greedy vendors, it leaves a incredibly bitter taste in your mouth, doesn’t it?”

“Is that your entire reasoning?”

“You could have easily just surrendered that trivial sum of money to him.”

As both Jueun and Eliza stared at him with expressions of utter bewilderment, Kal let out a disappointed sigh.

“This is precisely why wealthy, sheltered young ladies fail to grasp reality.”

“Did you honestly just relegate my status to that of a naive child?”

“Your audacity truly knows no bounds, Kal Thomas.”

Jueun glared fiercely at Kal, grabbing his arm to shake him in frustration, while Eliza merely let out a frigid, amused chuckle.

“Regardless of the details! Even if they conduct their business with absolute integrity, the sheer volume of visitors guarantees immense wealth. We absolutely cannot permit them to poison the festive environment with malicious price gouging! My father, who manages a modest corporate family enterprise, always emphasized a core truth: to cultivate a festival that everyone can genuinely appreciate, you must completely eliminate predatory pricing! This is an ironclad principle that even Lena sunbae wholeheartedly endorsed.”

Kal firmly tightened his fist.

“Since an arrogant vendor from the Rumeria City Merchant Association was foolish enough to instigate a fight with the acting student council president, Lena sunbae can now utilize this exact incident as the perfect leverage to subjugate the Association, can she not? Truth be told, the sole reason I was permitted to venture out into Rumeria City during this hectic phase of event management was to purposefully manufacture a political pretext to bring down the Merchant Association.”

“I do not care what strategy you deploy, simply secure a viable political excuse for us to exert total control over the Merchant Association.”

“You expect me to handle that?”

“Precisely.”

“In what manner?”

“That is an administrative puzzle you will have to solve through your own ingenuity, is it not?”

“Wouldn’t the entire matter be instantly resolved if Hark sunbae simply issued a direct decree?”

Kal questioned, turning his gaze toward Hark, who was diligently sorting paperwork at an adjacent desk.

“The governing official of Rumeria City does not wield royal sovereignty. He lacks the legal authority to simply command the internal operations of the Merchant Association. Our only viable path is to coerce them utilizing standard diplomatic procedures.”

“And what exactly do these standard diplomatic procedures entail?”

“We either intentionally provoke a public altercation, or we uncover some trivial administrative infraction to exploit.”

“An excellent plan. I doubt there will be any significant blowback from such an approach.”

Kal could only offer a weary sigh at their suggestions, which sounded anything but standard or diplomatic.

‘Naturally, what local faction in Rumeria City would possess the suicidal bravery to hold a grudge against the direct heirs of the legendary Zerion and Rigard families? My situation, however, is entirely different.’

As an ordinary citizen lacking noble lineage, Kal felt immense trepidation at the prospect of making a mortal enemy out of the Rumeria City Merchant Association, an entity that commanded vast financial authority across the globe.

Having concluded his retrospective tale, Kal gave a relaxed shrug.

“At this juncture, I shall quietly recede into the background, allowing Lena sunbae and Hark sunbae to seize upon this magnificent opening to utterly dismantle the Merchant Association’s leverage.”

“Is that the true motive behind you requesting myself and Jueun Torna to accompany you today?”

“Indeed. The very second a physical confrontation began to materialize, I was entirely confident that either you or Jueun would retaliate with enough ferocity to make the instigator suffer. Furthermore, due to the exact same political immunity enjoyed by Hark sunbae and Lena sunbae, there is absolutely zero risk of any retaliatory consequences falling back on either of you.”

“So you deliberately manipulated my presence for your own ends? How exceptionally devious.”

Absorbing Kal’s explanation, Eliza allowed the corners of her mouth to curve into a subtle smirk.

‘And here I assumed he was merely behaving like an incompetent fool.’

Despite realizing she had been utilized as a political pawn, a sense of quiet gratification washed over her features.

“In any event, since we managed to secure some spending money from the exchange, why don’t we treat ourselves to an incredible meal?”

Ahaha! Jueun murmured quietly under her breath as she observed Kal’s joyous laughter.

“Kal sunbae, you appear to be in remarkably high spirits.”

“Haha, of course I am! How could I not be ecstatic now that I have finally escaped that suffocating office! The moment the Hero’s Festival officially commences, I will be completely liberated from that absolute administrative purgatory!”

“But that freedom is merely a temporary reprieve, is it not?”

Kal’s professional destiny had already been firmly decided; Lena had identified him as an exceptionally competent asset to be retained.

Even when the curtain finally fell on the Hero’s Festival, he would undoubtedly be worked to the absolute bone under her command.

Faced with that reality, Kal merely flashed a radiant, unbothered grin.

“Come on. Given my current academic metrics, advancing into the third year is an mathematical impossibility anyway. Wielding the authority of the acting student council president wasn’t a bad way to conclude my final chapter at Rumern! Honestly, you could argue I got incredibly lucky!”

‘This is truly the single most joyful individual facing academic expulsion I have ever encountered.’

Jueun could only stare at him with a look of profound disbelief.

‘Then again, looking objectively at Kal sunbae’s test scores, surviving the transition to the third year would be an uphill battle.’

Deep down, a wave of genuine anxiety for his future rippled through her.

Kal had openly confessed in the past that his original ambition was merely to survive the opening term of his freshman year.

Considering he had successfully managed to endure all the way until the concluding term of his sophomore year, this academic journey was an absolute triumph from his personal vantage point.

Even so, Jueun could not help but view the situation with a profound sense of melancholy.

His internal pool of mana was laughably microscopic when measured against the monstrous standards of the typical Rumern student body.

To make matters worse, his innate aptitude for conventional sorcery was thoroughly mediocre.

While his proficiency in the domain of alchemy was nothing short of miraculous, his profile as a standard magic scholar was riddled with glaring deficiencies.

Yet despite these academic shortcomings, Kal’s administrative execution and practical intelligence were utterly peerless.

‘Is there truly no viable method to assist Kal sunbae?’

As Jueun remained locked in anxious contemplation, shifting nervously.

Eliza likewise kept her sharp eyes fixed intently on Kal’s retreating figure as he walked ahead.

Having successfully terrified and subdued the leadership of the Merchant Association who had arrived in a panic, Eliza spoke aloud to herself, her expression intensely analytical.

“Regardless of the complexity of the task assigned to him, he executes it flawlessly every single time, doesn’t he? His utility is truly remarkable.”

Eliza slowly caressed her chin, a calculating brilliance dancing within her eyes.

“Leo. What strategies can we employ to extract even greater utility from Kal’s talents?”

Eliza posed the query with absolute gravity, standing directly within the grand office of the student council president.

In response to her intense inquiry, Leo, who was systematically reviewing a mountain of official documentation, offered a calm reply.

“That is an obstacle that Kal must ultimately navigate and conquer through his own merits.”

“We possess an incredibly simple resolution to this matter. Do not forget that I currently wield the executive powers of the acting chairperson of the academic board.”

Catching the sweet, manipulative smile spreading across Eliza’s face, Leo merely offered a faint, knowing smirk.

“Absolutely not.”

“And why is that? Wouldn’t it be immensely beneficial to keep your closest companion by your side throughout your education?”

As Eliza knitted her brows together in clear dissatisfaction, Leo spoke with total emotional detachment.

“If his personal growth stalls out to the point where he remains nothing more than a convenient subordinate for Lena sunbae to exploit, then perhaps such a fate is exactly what he deserves.”

“So you are firmly denying my request?”

“You seriously need to cultivate a far sharper eye for evaluating human potential.”

“Excuse me?!”

At Leo’s blunt critique, an expression of profound indignation washed over Eliza’s features.

While Eliza historically maintained an unshakeable, aristocratic composure in all social spheres, her emotional control frequently fractured whenever she dealt directly with Leo.

Eliza locked eyes with Leo for several tense moments before letting out a sharp, defensive huff, casually twirling a strand of her hair around her finger.

“Fine then. In your personal estimation, Leo, do you truly believe that Kal possesses the capability to advance into the third year entirely on his own strength?”

“Predicting the future with absolute certainty is impossible. However, is the act of shattering one’s own limitations not the very founding creed of our institution?”

Leo let out a soft, confident chuckle.

“If we are speaking about Kal, I have no doubt he will shatter whatever barriers stand before him, delivering a performance that will force everyone to acknowledge his worth.”