Chapter 306

Chapter 306

Chapter 306. If it’s destiny, you have no choice but to follow it. From Kokartana to the Brando House. And from Brando to the Zenion Academy.

Time truly flew by.

Even the vacation, which had felt like it would last forever, reached its conclusion, and the second semester commenced.

Just as I anticipated, this second semester was a whole different story compared to the first.

“I feel like… I’m going to pass away.“

“Aster-gun, I don’t even need to finish my studies at the academy…“

Keeping up with coursework and studying ahead for the upcoming third year was grueling.

Chenbi and Ivelin looked increasingly exhausted with each passing day.

Even though Ivelin kept insisting she didn’t care about getting an academy diploma, I forced her to stay.

“The Mage Tower might be revealed to the world very soon. But if that happens, does it make any sense for the chief financial administrator of the Mage Tower to be a dropout from the Academy’s Basic Course?“

Aren’t you basically telling us to suffer and die alongside you?

Sharp.

“X-damn X-bastard…….“

Her complaints were also quite…

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t keep her here just because the academy was tedious and I wanted company in my misery.

Well, it’s not like that motive didn’t exist at all, but there was a far more significant reason.

What exactly was that reason?

It all stemmed from a single remark made by Muspellun-sunbae.

The times have shifted. I hadn’t lived through that past era myself, so I didn’t truly grasp what kind of age it had been, but the meaning behind “sunbae’s” words resonated deeply within me.

The Mage Tower could be constructed even a decade from now, and it wouldn’t be too late.

Money could be earned even a year later, and it would still be plenty.

However.

Chenbi and Ivelin looking increasingly worn out, Demian practicing magic with eyes that shone with a suspiciously bright and clear intensity compared to before the holidays, and even the countless students bustling in and out of the institution.

This exact scene would not exist a year from now. And it would never return for the rest of my life.

This fleeting, irreplaceable moment.

Therefore, what I desired was to experience this time together…

“Must be nice, isn’t it? While everyone else is struggling, you’re just sitting back and playing around.“

Ah, if you’re so envious, why don’t you become an archmage too?

In any case, by remaining grounded at the academy, I managed to discover a few things.

First of all, number one.

“Uh… this is actually a bit embarrassing. It’s been a long time since anyone wished me a happy birthday.”

“I had no idea! So today is Chenbi’s birthday!”

“Chenbi-gun, happy birthday.”

Chenbi’s birthday fell just prior to the midterms of the second semester.

Last year, everything was in such chaos that I couldn’t properly look after it, but this time around, the four of us gathered together and shared a cake.

Unlike his usual self, Chenbi offered a smile with tears glistening in his eyes.

“Thank you. I doubt I will ever forget this.”

Apparently, ever since Chenbi began studying magic, his family’s circumstances had deteriorated to the point where they couldn’t celebrate birthdays properly; hence, this was his first proper celebration in nearly a decade.

“Chenbi, this is my present to you!”

“This is…”

“A quarter of the floor space, I’m giving it to you!”

Demian transferred to Chenbi a quarter of one of the floors in the Mage Tower that I had previously granted him.

“Chenbi-gun, try this on. I’m not entirely sure if it will fit you well.”

“A robe?”

“Yes. It is mass-produced, but it’s a high-quality item manufactured by the Irekaine Workshop. It features basic defensive enchantments, warming magic, and a self-cleaning function.”

Ivelin presented him with a brown robe that suited Chenbi exceptionally well.

Of course, I wasn’t about to be outdone.

“I picked this up along the way.”

“……!”

What I handed over was one of the two “Irekaine Workshop artifact creation vouchers” that I had managed to squeeze out of the director-sunbae a while back.

For the record, I had already gifted the other one to Demian for his birthday during the summer vacation.

“C-can I really accept something this invaluable?”

“Sure. Use it to get yourself a proper robe or whatever you need.”

“You really are something…”

Chenbi stared at me as if he were thoroughly overwhelmed.

And yet, he kept checking Ivelin’s reaction, seemingly worried that she might feel left out; only for Ivelin’s eyes to spark with sudden excitement.

“Aster-gun… my birthday falls right around the time final exams wrap up.”

“Ah, right. I see. Ivelin’s birthday is around the end of finals.”

“So, for my birthday, what are you going to give me…?”

Shouldn’t you just be grateful that you’ve managed to keep your life intact?

“…….”

Naturally, even though I phrased it like that, I had already prepared Ivelin’s gift.

…Well, my future self would, at least.

Anyway, this occurred right around the conclusion of the midterms for the second semester of our second year.

The third imperial princess, Bellose, came to find me.

“Aster, did your exams go well?”

Ah, so she was actually asking an “archmage” if he did well on a basic-level exam at the academy.

“……That expression of yours is truly obnoxious.”

“Ahem, cough.”

I cleared my throat for no particular reason and shifted my gaze away as I inquired:

“In any case, what brings you here…?”

“It’s about what I mentioned before. The Council of Seventy-Two.”

I tilted my head.

“The Council of Seventy-Two?”

“You promised. That you would lend me your name and the name of the organization you belong to.”

Only then did I recall what the “Council of Seventy-Two” actually was.

And what exactly was the Council of Seventy-Two?

A phantom organization meant to substitute for the Mage Tower.

That was precisely what it was.

“Do you have a moment?”

“Of course.”

There was absolutely no reason to decline.

This was about winning over the Third Imperial Princess Bellose; even if I didn’t have time, I had to make time.

Yes, exactly.

First, before conversing with Bellose, I needed to recall the Council of Seventy-Two in greater detail.

“Let’s see… why did I choose the Council of Seventy-Two again?”

At first glance, it might seem like a name pulled completely out of thin air without any real basis, but when I selected it, I had racked my brains extensively in my own way.

So, the reason it became the Council of Seventy-Two was… right, it was this.

An organization, whatever it may be, to which an archmage belongs. The Council of Seventy-Two to which an archmage belongs. I compared these two concepts.

Which one sounded more imposing?

It was a very subtle difference in nuance, but in my estimation, the second option carried a much grander presence overall.

And why was that?

Think about it.

“The Council of Seventy-Two to which an archmage belongs… you get the picture, right?”

If you merely state “some organization that an archmage is a part of,” the first question that pops into mind is, “And where on earth is that place?”

But if we register it as “the Council of Seventy-Two,” what happens?

People will think, “Wow… is this a collective consisting of seventy-two individuals on par with an archmage?”

And here, a brief pause.

There was an essential detail.

“I absolutely cannot become the Master, under any circumstances.”

Because if it’s “the Council of Seventy-Two whose Master is an archmage,” then it sounds like “the archmage and his underlings,” doesn’t it?

In other words, it would completely ruin the original creative vision…

Which was precisely why Bellose was inquiring about the position of the Master. I had previously informed her that there was a separate Master.

“What does the Master say?”

“Well… they said to do whatever you wish.”

“That sounds as though you are telling me it is fine to borrow the name of the Council of Seventy-Two, am I understanding correctly?”

The location we had relocated to was the director-sunbae’s hidden retreat.

In response to Bellose’s inquiry, I nodded appropriately.

In reality, this entire conversation was just a formal performance of a role-playing game.

I was the one who fabricated the Council of Seventy-Two, and even if Bellose didn’t know the precise specifics, she likely had a vague idea.

But the reason she wasn’t prying…

“…Because it serves Bellose better this way too.”

If, by some chance, the Second Imperial Prince came to believe in the actual existence of the Council of Seventy-Two, from his perspective, nothing could be more troublesome.

For the record, my own rank within the Council of Seventy-Two was fourth.

It would be one thing if a secret organization nobody had ever heard of aligned itself with the Third Imperial Princess, but an archmage holding merely the fourth rank?

“If it were me, I’d weep.”

Because it implied there were at least three other beings comparable to or perhaps even superior to an archmage.

Wow. Looking at it from that perspective, she seems to possess quite a wicked personality herself.

“She doesn’t even genuinely believe I’m an archmage, yet she still proclaims that I am, and even while suspecting it’s a facade, she remains utterly determined to provoke the Second Imperial Prince.”

If she had been born into the Deculan House, she undoubtedly would have been the next Head of the Family.

Yes, indeed.

Anyway, after confirming the Master’s (my own) intent, Bellose began to speak earnestly about the next steps. To summarize, it came down to this.

She had circulated the rumor that she had allied with the archmage, but as time went on, skeptical voices began to surface. External doubts could easily be disregarded, but the real issue was that such murmurs were also arising from within her own faction. What was the conclusion?

“This presents an excellent opportunity to quiet those anxious voices a bit…”

“Yes, and I am also considering making an official announcement regarding the Council of Seventy-Two.”

In other words, it wasn’t just about quelling internal anxiety, but also about boosting morale.

Bellose said this, then stared intently at me, as if she held something further to disclose.

“For the announcement, I intend to gather solely the nobility of our faction. However, many uninvited guests will likely show up as well.”

“Most likely.”

At a noble banquet, dozens of servants bustle about to attend to everyone. No matter how strictly one tries, unmasking every spy concealed among them would be no easy feat.

And…

“…It seems she doesn’t even plan to weed them out.”

I realized this simply by noting that she had gone out of her way to reserve a banquet hall in Hazen. If she had desired secrecy, she would have hosted the gathering within the territory of one of her loyal nobles.

But.

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

“Uh, if it wouldn’t be too much trouble…”

Bellose moistened her lips with a sip of tea and paused to select her words carefully. Watching her stretch out the dialogue made me tense up for no reason.

What was she going to ask?

It wasn’t long before Bellose finally spoke.

“Could you perform a demonstration of force for me, just this once?”

A demonstration of force?

“Yes. What you displayed at the opening ceremony was spectacular, and it isn’t that I lack faith in your capabilities… but other aristocrats might not view it the same way.”

I could comprehend why Bellose was being so cautious.

That was how it was.

“She doesn’t believe I’m actually an archmage… yet we still have to put on a display of power, so she’s anxious.”

If we display absolutely nothing, that’s one thing, but if we put on a half-hearted show, it will be exposed as a fraud.

And one more thing.

“Her faction is still unstable, huh?”

I had heard that she was recently attempting to expand the scale of her faction.

But it appeared she hadn’t managed to fully control even the newly integrated nobles yet.

“Could you manage it?”

At Bellose’s question, I let out a soft chuckle.

“Could I manage it?”

Is that even a real question?

My answer had been decided from the very start.

“Of course.”

My heart aches.

A society that encourages violence… this reality where, despite loving peace, you ultimately find yourself with no option but to clench your fist.

But what can you do?

“If it’s destiny, you have no choice but to follow it.”

I tightened and relaxed my itching fist while asking:

“What is the plan?”

“If you can pull it off, any method is perfectly fine. Just ensure that none of my people end up injured.”

In other words, she was relying entirely on my creativity…

For the first time in quite a while, I felt an uncontrollable urge to create.

……And then.

After spending a few days soothing that bubbling creative impulse.

The day of the banquet finally arrived.

“Let’s see now…….”

Before stepping into the banquet hall, I performed one final check on my attire.

“Height-increasing shoes… no issues there.”

Ah, I’ve continued to grow taller lately. Regardless, I kept wearing the lifted shoes to boost my stature, preparing for when I would become taller.

“The clothes… immaculate.”

A custom-tailored suit, specifically ordered in pure white.

And lastly…

“The mask as well. Yes. It functions perfectly.”

A half-mask with the digit “4” inscribed upon the forehead, enchanted with cognitive interference and voice modulation magic.

Just as I completed the final inspection.

“……Hoobae, where on earth is this? You claimed you were treating me to a meal.”

I glanced over at the masked “Born of the Cutting Wind,” Mayserln-sunbae… no, at “someone” from the Council of Seventy-Two, and flashed a smile.

They say food tastes vastly superior at someone else’s banquet, you know?

Besides, if I went wearing a mask entirely by myself, I would look a bit ridiculous.

“Let us head inside. The food is going to get cold.”

I began walking forward, observing the nobles and attendants filtering into the banquet hall.

Mayserln-sunbae fixed me with an expression that seemed rather dissatisfied, but then proceeded to follow along behind me.

“By the way, hoobae.”

“Yes?”

“Does the number ‘8’ stamped onto my forehead carry any significance?”

“Ah, that.”

That signified that he occupied the eighth position within the Council of Seventy-Two.

For the record, my own position was the fourth.