Chapter 407: Temporary Farewell (1)
It was a fantastic year for the First Grade students of the Saint Freya Academy. Most of them had something to boast about when they returned home.
Boasting could be broadly divided into two categories: boasting about oneself and boasting about others. There was no doubt that 90% of them would go around saying stuff like ‘I know a friend who…’ when they returned to their homeland.
As for Paul Ackermann, his life had changed a lot in this year. There were so many things that he wanted to boast about that he didn’t even know where he should start from.
The past fifteen years of his life couldn’t even compete with the single year he had spent at Saint Freya Academy. On top of his tremendous growth, he had also stepped onto the largest stage for youth transcendents in the Sia Continent, the Challenger Cup, and advanced to the top 32, making a name for himself.
What pride! What glory!
The old him would have never dreamed of achieving such a feat.
The glory he had earned in the Challenger Cup greatly changed perceptions of him in the Austine Empire, and the reason why he was able to come this far was all thanks to Roel’s help.
Without Roel backing him in the entrance ceremony, accepting him into the Bluerose Faction, and entrusting him with great responsibilities, it was likely that he would have just been discriminated against and shunned by the student populace due to him being an illegitimate child. He would have spent his days in helplessness and frustration.
Without Roel’s guidance in terms of transcendent abilities, there was no way he could have grown so quickly or even comprehend the way to use his Origin Attribute.
Through Roel, he had met many people whom he would have never been acquainted with. With Roel’s victory in the Challenger Cup, he rose to prominence as one of the leaders of the Bluerose Faction and the vice-chief of the Request Club.
That was why he specially paid a visit to Roel to express his gratitude when the semester came to an end.
Roel also felt wistful when he thought about the time they had spent together. He had never thought that they would grow so close.
The younger him had never liked Paul. While he understood that the in-game Roel deserved his eventual downfall, it was still hard for him to feel goodwill toward someone who had caused his death.
Even during their first meeting, he was subconsciously averse to Paul. He only lent a helping hand because he was disgusted by those Austinean bullies, not to mention that he had his motives for wanting to get close to the protagonist too.
However, his perception of Paul slowly changed over time as he found the latter to be an endearing person. At some point in time, he found himself earnestly wishing the best for Paul.
That was why he felt particularly touched by Paul’s heartfelt gratitude. He was heartened to know that everything he had done was appreciated by the latter.
“I did lend you a helping hand, but all I really provided you is a conducive environment. It’s your diligence and kindness that allowed you to come this far. That’s why, Paul, you can be a bit more confident in yourself.
“You’re no longer just an illegitimate child anymore. You’re part of Leinster’s golden generation, a leader of our Bluerose Faction, and the vice-chief of the Request Club. I hope that you can return to Austine with your head held high.”
“… I will, big brother Roel.”
Paul was moved to hear Roel’s evaluation of him. He thanked the latter once more before heading off to complete the last mission entrusted to him.
It was no easy feat for Roel to meet up with Lilian in Saint Freya Academy due to the differences in their background, but such barriers weren’t applicable to Paul. As half-siblings, it wouldn’t be odd for the two of them to meet up, especially right before journeying back to their homeland.
It would be reasonable for them to plan their schedules together and look out for each other.
With such a legitimate pretext, no one would doubt Paul to be an agent maneuvering a secret rendezvous between two top leaders.
Thanks to Agent P’s help, Roel and Lilian successfully met up with each other. The venue was a familiar location to the two of them—the tower beside the grass field.
The sun had started to set by then, and there weren’t many people on the grass field anymore.
“I didn’t expect senior to choose this place as our meeting location. Isn’t it too open?” asked Roel worriedly.
He would have preferred a more enclosed location, but Lilian wasn’t concerned about it at all. She replied with a smile.
“Don’t worry, I had my magicians set up a barrier around this tower. No one will be able to see us from the outside.”
“That’s a relief. Now that I think about it, this place is really filled with memories.”
“Isn’t it? This is where we first met at the start of the semester. Don’t you think that it’s fitting for us to part here as well?”
“Indeed.”
Roel nodded in agreement.
The two of them had a stand-off here more than half a year ago, when Roel first entered Saint Freya Academy. Back then, Lilian viewed him to be a troublemaker seeking to undermine her order, and he saw her as a prodigy from the Ackermanns whom he needed to guard against.
Neither of them could have imagined that they would eventually come to where they were.
As they thought about the past, the two of them exchanged gazes and smiled in unison. Looking at the setting sun, Lilian tucked her hair behind her ear and remarked wistfully.
“Time flies by. Another semester has passed in the blink of an eye. We’ll have to temporarily part ways soon.”
“You must take care of yourself, senior. Will you be alright in the Austine Empire?” asked Roel.
Of the several women whom Roel was acquainted with, the only one he would have trouble offering a helping hand to was Lilian.
Lilian was the most popular champion pick for the Challenger Cup, but she failed to clinch the highest trophy. That would stir widespread disappointment for her in the highly nationalistic Austine Empire. On top of that, she had two older brothers who were constantly plotting her death.
It was hard for Roel not to worry about her.
Looking at the deep furrow on Roel’s face, Lilian’s lips couldn’t help but curl upward. She took a step forward and raised her hand to unfurrow his forehead.
“Relax, it’s a small problem. Lucius and Aubrey won’t be able to shake my position with just this much. Besides, have you forgotten that there’s Paul now? My imperial brothers will start directing their efforts on dealing with him now that he has achieved decent results in the Challenger Cup. It’s unlikely that I would face much pressure from them.”
“I see…”
Roel blinked his eyes in surprise, not expecting that Paul’s outstanding performance in the Challenger Cup to have such rippling effects.
In Eyes of the Chronicler, Paul wasn’t able to participate in the Challenger Cup. He had helped many people through the Request Club, but his reputation was mainly limited to within the academy. It couldn’t compare to the fame he had gained from advancing to the top 32 in the Challenger Cup.
Paul was still in the line of succession despite being an illegitimate child, and his odds of laying claim to the crown had risen since he had proven his competency as a transcendent, something that the other two princes struggled to do.
This was both an opportunity and a threat. Some nobles would likely start approaching Paul when he returned to the country, be it to take a risky all-in bet on him or just to play it safe by staking on all sides. However, this also meant that his two older brothers would view him as a major threat and attempt to strike him down.
I’ll have to offer some words of advice to him.
Roel filled Lilian in about the progress concerning Astrid’s liberation, and the latter heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that Wilhelmina was willing to help them on this matter. She told Roel to contact her through Paul if he needed any assistance from her.
She wanted to help in Astrid’s rescue too, but there was something else she had to attend to. She needed to investigate the Ackermanns for records relating to the Ascart House.
Ever since she became aware of her connection to the Ascarts, there was a lingering doubt in her mind that Emperor Lukas was aware of the Kingmaker Bloodline and her inheritance of it.
Previously, in the Witness State, Astrid had mentioned that a matriarch of the Ascart House, Caroline Ascart, had worked together with the Ackermann Imperial Family in the final years of the Second Epoch, but Lilian was completely unaware of this despite being well-versed in the Ackermanns’ history.
Something was amiss here, and Lilian felt that there was a need to look into it.
“You need to tread carefully. The order you have received from Emperor Lukas at the start of the semester is rather strange. If possible, try not to alarm him,” advised Roel.
“I know. Rest assured, I’ll move carefully.”
After exchanging some words of concern, Roel and Lilian finally reluctantly parted ways.
Chapter 407.2: Temporary Farewell (2)
Roel began making preparations for his long journey back to the Ascart Fiefdom.
While he was packing up, Chris invited him over to her residence to talk about some matters, and Alicia chose to tag along.
Other than his close friends, the person who was the most delighted over his victory in the Challenger Cup was none other than Chris. She was happy to see her student making a name for himself, but more importantly, she was overjoyed at having secured a legitimate reason to make a house visit.
Maintaining a long-distance relationship was already tough enough as it was, let alone two individuals who had been estranged for many years.
She had consistently exchanged letters with Carter over the last few months, but their interaction had been mostly limited to that of old friends. She knew that she had to do something more to breach his defenses. As the esteemed youngest sage teacher of Saint Freya Academy, it went without saying that she… knew nothing at all.
It couldn’t be helped. IQ didn’t equate to EQ.
Ever since she was jilted in her student years, she devoted her entire life to work. For twenty whole years she hadn’t dated anyone at all, making her a bona fide ‘single dog’. She was much more mature and rational than before, but at the same time, she lost her youthful recklessness that allowed her to charge forward bravely in a relationship. Her worries and reservations resulted in the frighteningly slow progress of her relationship with Carter.
Unwilling to just maintain the status quo between them, she sought her fellow ‘Conquering the Ascarts’ Men!’ ally, Alicia, for help, who then offered her a terrifying proposal.
“Alicia, you seem to share a tight bond with Roel. How did you get close to him?”
“Lord Brother and I have always been that close.”
“Is that the case? Then, do you know of any strategies to quickly advance a relationship?”
It was rare for Chris to approach a junior for advice. Alicia carefully thought over the question before hitting her fist on her palm, seemingly having thought of a good idea.
“When it comes to quickly advancing a relationship, the best way is still to rely on drugs.”
“A-ah? Drugs?”
Chris was horrified to hear a potential criminal plan coming from a young woman’s mouth. What further frightened her was how naturally Alicia mentioned it, as if it was perfectly normal.
“That’s right. Lord Brother is a smart person, but he’s innocent when it comes to relationships. As long as I can ‘secure’ him, it would be my victory.”
“No, I mean, won’t most people get angry at something like that?”
“Of course. Lord Brother would definitely get angry, but I’m not afraid. I just have to burst into tears, and that would soften his heart right away.”
“…”
This woman is terrifying!
Chris was rendered speechless by Alicia’s plan. She did consider it for a moment, but she swiftly understood that it was impossible for her to carry out the same tactic.
Alicia’s plan was built on a single condition—Roel’s almost bottomless indulgence for her.
Such a relationship couldn’t be replicated by others, let alone Chris, who had only managed to exchange three letters with Carter thus far.
In the end, she decided to approach the much more reliable Roel for advice.
Carter had been too busy with military matters in recent years that he had very little time to spare for his children. Due to that, Roel wasn’t able to get a good gauge on Carter’s relationship status. However, he did know what kind of person Carter was, and a person’s character wouldn’t change that easily.
He knew for certain that Carter wasn’t a heartless man.
“Father has always kept his distance from women.”
“H-he does?” Chris muttered apprehensively.
“But again, most women approached him with ulterior motives in mind. It would be hard to generalize it,” Roel quickly reassured her.
“I-is that so?”
After careful discussion, they decided to take things a step at a time. As soon as Carter sent a letter informing them of his return, Roel would inform Chris about it right away and try his best to stage a meeting between the two of them.
As for how the meeting went, that would depend on Chris herself.
Romance was ultimately a matter between two. Outsiders could create opportunities for them to advance their relationship, but it wouldn’t do to meddle too much.
After confirming their plan with Chris, Roel and Alicia returned to the Azure Manor to prepare for their return. While they were packing their luggages, another group of visitors knocked on their doors.
It was Wilhelmina and Teresa.
Pendor was located even further from Leinster than the Ascart Fiefdom. Even though the transfer students had come to Leinster as a group, they chose to return in separate convoys. Wilhelmina and Teresa had only chosen to return together because of their closer ties.
The two of them were just dropping by the Azure Manor before going on their way, so they didn’t talk much other than wishing each other a safe journey.
Kurt had chosen to leave earlier, presumably because he wanted to right Grandar’s name as soon as possible. Selina did drop by to bid him farewell before she departed. She even got angry at him for staring at her head for beast ears.
Stuart and Brittany hadn’t left yet. In fact, the valkyrie had been eyeing Geralt closely over the last few days, causing the poor man to tremble like a frightened rabbit for quite a while. He had calmed down since then, likely because he had figured out a way to escape from her clutches.
As for Juliana, she turned out to be the most troublesome one of them all. Just a few days ago, she visited the Azure Manor and strongly insisted on visiting the Ascart Fiefdom as a guest.
Roel wasn’t sure what she was planning, but there was no doubt that she was gunning for Alicia. He vehemently rejected her request, leaving the latter with no choice but to give up.
This incident raised several doubts in his mind.
He was almost convinced that there was some kind of deeper secret hidden in Alicia’s bloodline that wasn’t explored in Eyes of the Chronicler, but regardless, it didn’t change the fact that Alicia was his beloved younger sister.
After three days of preparation, it was finally time for Roel to leave Saint Freya Academy.
There was quite a commotion during his departure. The Sorofyas’ convoy had somehow converged with the Ascarts’, so there was a massive group of students from both Rosa and the Theocracy seeing them off. It was almost like another festival.
There wasn’t much of an issue with them traveling together since the Ascart Fiefdom and Rosa were neighbors. It would also be much safer since both convoys would be able to look out for each other over the long journey. It sounded like a good idea to do so, and it would have been so if not for the somewhat weird atmosphere.
“Miss Charlotte, this is our carriage. Do you have no sense of propriety?”
“Miss Alicia, you must have forgotten that I’m still formally engaged with Roel. I don’t see any problems with me sharing a carriage with my fiancé. What’s truly problematic here is how you keep bothering my fiancé just because you’re still young.
“You!!”
Roel looked at the two carriages beside him, followed by the two women glaring at each other in front of him, and he suddenly felt a migraine setting in.
He couldn’t bear to criticize Alicia, and the two of them had already gotten used to sharing a carriage even though it defied conventions in this world. As for Charlotte, he wasn’t in a good position to say anything either.
Charlotte had often supported him financially, and she was one of the greatest contributors to the development of the Ascart Fiefdom. On top of that, the two of them were indeed engaged even though their engagement contract was no longer binding anymore. Even at this very moment, the clothes he was wearing were designed by her.
Unwilling to offend either side, Roel could only divert their attention elsewhere. He was glad that Nora had returned to the Theocracy in advance. The sheer chaos that would break out if she was here too would have driven him insane.
Speaking of Nora, he was reminded of some questions that had been lingering in his mind for a while now.
It had been many days since he had won the Challenger Cup, but he hadn’t received a letter from Nora yet. They had been exchanging letters ever since they were still children, and she would make sure to write to him every now and then no matter how busy she was. It was worrying how she hadn’t sent a congratulatory letter over despite his spectacular victory.
Is she busy at the moment?
Roel wondered as he watched the world outside the carriage’s window pass him by.