Book 1 Chapter 991
991.
A place where the vast interior of Seirun could be seen at a glance.
Seirun's student council president's office.
Lunia, sitting in the president's chair, unfolded a newspaper placed on her desk.
For any race, newspapers are the easiest medium to understand the world's current events.
Of course, there weren't only newspapers published by elves on Lunia's desk.
Humans, beastkin, dwarves.
Newspapers from other races were all there as well.
“Just last year, we couldn't even see newspapers from other races. Considering that, hasn't our Seirun improved a lot, Senior Hardin?”
When Lunia asked with a slight smile, Hardin, the former student council president, nodded while reading the distributed elf newspaper.
“Indeed. This is all thanks to Lady Luna.”
“Wait. It was me who eased the unnecessary censorship.”
“True. But it wouldn't have been possible without Lady Luna.”
The original Seirun.
More precisely, in elf society, not only newspapers but even books from other races could not enter.
This was because the Pureblood Society, elven supremacists with immense power, thoroughly censored books from other races.
Their ridiculous reason was that these were inferior cultures without value outside of elven culture, which would lower the standards of elf society.
However, by Luna's rejection of the elven supremacism held by the Pureblood Society, extreme censorship also disappeared.
Immediately after becoming Seirun's student council president, Lunia allowed various books to be brought into Seirun.
Of course, a certain degree of censorship still remained.
This was because there were common banned books across all races, as well as books that could instill distorted values in developing students.
Especially for elves, accustomed to a static culture, the cultures of other races could be an excessive stimulus.
‘Just looking at Eiran right now…’
Lunia sighed softly and turned the page of the newspaper.
The world had entered an era of upheaval.
As such, information was a very important power.
‘There's nothing like a newspaper for quickly grasping the world's current events.’
Considering elf society, which had been isolated until now, it was even more necessary to actively and quickly access news from outside.
Lunia, who was turning the newspaper pages, paused.
The formation of the Heroic Alliance by human hero noble families and Leo becoming its leader was quite a famous story.
It was a big issue in Seirun at the time.
There was nothing new about the article concerning the noble family meeting, but there was one article that bothered Lunia.
[Zeltian, once a Heroic Noble Family, orders assassination of Karl Thomas, the one preparing for the beginning. Behind it: Sigas, the King of Desire?]
As the heir of the Rundia family, which had contracted with phoenixes for generations, Lunia was well-acquainted with the Zeltian family, famous for their summoning abilities.
‘Even a family like this makes deals with Tartarus.’
Lunia's face became serious.
‘Indeed. We're not in a position to talk about others, either.’
Even the Pureblood Society, which wielded immense influence throughout elven society, was colluding with the Necrolord Hel Kaiser.
The Pureblood Society's forces had been expelled, but that didn't mean they had completely disappeared.
‘Moreover… it's not like the Pureblood Society was the only one making deals with Tartarus.’
Darkness is rooted all over the world.
‘We need to remain vigilant.’
It was then that Lunia, looking at the newspaper, thought this.
Tap-tap-
A white bird perched on the windowsill was pecking at the windowpane with its beak.
It was a snowbird, a low-level phantom beast living in the northern part of the continent.
When Lunia opened the window, the snowbird flew in and extended its leg.
Lunia untied the letter bound to its leg.
“Is this a report from Eiran?”
“Yes.”
Lunia, who gave a small piece of jerky to the snowbird, unfolded the letter and read it.
Hardin made a puzzled expression upon seeing Lunia's complexion suddenly change.
“What's wrong?”
Lunia silently handed the report to Hardin.
Hardin's expression changed dramatically after checking the contents.
‘They found a woman who looks exactly like Lady Seirun?’
***
“Karl.”
“Oh! Eliza!”
Karl, who was studying with Chelsea in a private library room in preparation for the magic theory exam, wore a welcoming expression upon seeing Eliza, who had come to find him.
“Didn't the summoning department finish their theory exam? What brings you here?”
When Chelsea looked puzzled, Karl replied with a smug expression.
“Of course, she came to see me, her boyfriend! My beloved girlfriend!”
Karl made a fuss, approaching Eliza with open arms.
Chelsea was horrified by his seemingly fawning behavior.
“…Gross.”
“Eliza wouldn't think so, would she?”
“Gross.”
Eliza spoke mercilessly, but Karl didn't mind and tried to hug her.
Although Karl had a cunning personality and usually restrained his affection in front of others, Eliza's eyes flared when he tried to hug her in front of Chelsea.
It wasn't that she particularly disliked it.
It was because she knew why Karl was acting this way.
Eliza then thrust the newspaper she was holding into Karl's face.
“What's this?”
“Ugh! Phew!”
Karl flailed dramatically with the newspaper covering his face.
“Stop acting.”
When Eliza, arms crossed, spoke coldly, Karl paused, then wore an embarrassed expression.
“What's going on?”
Chelsea checked the newspaper's contents with a puzzled face.
And she was horrified.
“What? An assassination attempt? At the noble family meeting? Assassins came to the middle of Rhawalin's territory?!”
Karl scratched the back of his head, looking at Chelsea, whose eyes were wide.
“Yeah.”
“How did they infiltrate?! No, more importantly, are you okay? Weren't you hurt?”
When Chelsea worried, Karl chuckled, “Hmph-”
“Have you forgotten who I am? I am the one preparing for the beginning! Karl Thoma…”
“Kneel.”
“…Yes, ma'am.”
When Eliza spoke coldly, Karl, his shoulders hunched, knelt before her.
Eliza pulled over a chair, sat in front of Karl, and crossed her legs.
“When did you find out you were targeted for assassination?”
“Uh… right before the noble family meeting.”
Watching Karl speak timidly, a vein throbbed on Eliza's forehead.
Then she pressed her temples firmly and spoke.
“Why didn't you say anything?”
‘If Karl knew, then Father must have known too.’
“I tried to handle it alone.”
“Alone? Father didn't help you?”
When Eliza asked in surprise, Karl nodded.
Chelsea, listening to the story, was also surprised.
“Even if Zeltian has been out of the heroic noble family ranks for quite some time, they are still an influential noble family. And you tried to handle it alone?!”
“Well. It would have been truly dangerous if I were defenseless, but the first assassination attempt happened within the Rodren Empire, and after that, I stayed in Lumern.”
Karl shrugged.
“At first, I tried to gather evidence within the Rodren Empire and deal with it. But it seemed that a family like Zeltian couldn't be brought down with just any evidence.”
“So?”
“Since then, I kept showing openings to provoke more assassination attempts.”
Karl himself became the bait.
No matter how much they operated in the shadows, if they attacked him, they were bound to leave a trail.
“With my intelligence network, I caught evidence that Zeltian was targeting me. And evidence that they were connected to Tartarus. Although I did receive a little help from Sia in the process.”
Karl was the one who drew the big picture and grasped the core.
With their trail caught like that, the Zeltian family itself was ruined.
Chelsea clicked her tongue in amazement.
‘Sometimes he seems so timid, but in crucial moments, he's incredibly bold.’
To remain composed when people were after his life, even in a safe place.
It was a strategy impossible without extraordinary daring.
‘To deliberately expose himself to assassination threats.’
And against those colluding with a Tartarus legion commander.
It made her realize anew why Karl had risen to the position of a hero.
“But you were too reckless! What if you had gotten hurt?!”
Then Eliza shouted in anger.
“And Father too! He called you his son-in-law, so why didn't he help you?!”
Karl said, watching Eliza rage.
“If I had told him, he would have helped me anytime. But…”
Karl recalled the letter from Elkan that had arrived this morning.
It was a letter that praised Karl's abilities but ended with the grumbling remark, ‘He has no cute side.’
“But?”
“Since it was something that fell on my lap, I wanted to solve it myself.”
“What?”
“If I only received help from you, how should I put it? I felt like I wouldn't be able to stand tall in front of you?”
Karl scratched his head with an embarrassed look.
“Because it was something I could do alone. I wanted to solve it alone. My family… and my power are less than yours, but perhaps it's a stubbornness to want to be equal?”
“Haa.”
Eliza held her head and sighed.
‘He subtly seems not to, but he does have pride.’
And the only person he shows that pride to is Eliza.
She felt disappointed and annoyed, but at the same time, she understood his feelings.
“Get up.”
At her words, Karl sprang to his feet.
“Whatever it is, the Zeltian family is finished.”
If it were merely an assassination attempt, perhaps.
But with evidence of their collusion with Tartarus revealed, their lifeline was completely severed.
As a massive family, there would be much to gain.
It was clear that Zeltian would be dismantled by countless surrounding forces.
“That's outrageous. Karl, you were only threatened and gained nothing, did you?”
“Huh? Why not?”
Karl smiled broadly.
“What?”
“Do you really think the Zeltian family was the only one who disliked me?”
They might not have gone as far as assassination attempts, but there were certainly families who sympathized with Zeltian.
Among them, there must have been families who secretly supported Zeltian.
The reason Karl deliberately dragged out the affair was to catch all those individuals as well.
“Because I've got leverage.”
‘Well. I didn't think the Zeltian family would actually make a deal with Tartarus. But what do I care? My life was threatened.’
Karl chuckled inwardly, grumbling.
“I'll extract as much as I can.”
Karl had risked his life to finish off Zeltian, and he had no intention whatsoever of letting others benefit from it.
“What's next?”
“I'll send them to hell.”
Karl's face grew serious.
His life was threatened.
Shouldn't there be a price to pay for that?
“Eliza. Is there anything you want?”
Looking at Karl, who was asking with a broad smile, Eliza and Chelsea thought of Hércia, the future city of the Hergin family.
A future metropolis that would develop to rival Lumern.
Seeing Karl's resourcefulness, they felt that it might truly not be a futile future.
***
Thump- thump-
Hearing that Eiran had returned from her mission, Lunia quickly headed underground.
It was to see the ice sculpture that Eiran's party had brought.
“Principal, Professor Herdium. Is this it?”
“Indeed it is, Student Lunia.”
Seirun's principal, Rune, nodded with a serious expression.
Lunia hurriedly stood before the ice sculpture.
She saw Seirun, holding a girl as if protecting her.
Lunia's eyes widened.
“We can't be sure if the one trapped inside is truly Lady Seirun, but… it's clear that the two elves trapped in the ice are alive.”
Herdium adjusted his glasses, wearing a serious expression.
“And this ice is a seal made of star magic. It seems to be a spell hastily cast to protect herself from external attacks.”
“You failed to break the seal.”
“Yes.”
Lunia's face became serious.
If this was truly Seirun, it was a serious matter.
It meant that a hero dungeon had appeared somewhere at the discovery site.
Lunia, who was examining the ice sculpture with a serious expression, turned her gaze to the girl cradled in Seirun's arms.
Lunia, who had been absently looking at the girl whose face she couldn't discern, suddenly widened her eyes.
“Huh?”
“What's wrong, Student Lunia?”
“The clothes that girl is wearing.”
“Clothes?”
“That's definitely the school uniform of Valhallrun!”
“Valhallrun, you say…?”
“Are you referring to the educational institution of the High Elves during the Age of Gods?”
“Yes, that's right.”
It was the uniform Lunia had seen before in Luna's world.
“Wait. In that case, this girl…?!”
Everyone looking at the girl wore an astonished expression.
“Could it be Lady Luna?”