Chapter 127
If a current student went missing, it would cause a huge commotion, but after graduation, there wouldn’t be any issues. Especially if it was a commoner returning to their hometown—even if they never arrived, it wouldn’t raise suspicion.
“Have you secured the list?”
“Yes. Currently, there are fourteen candidates. We are continuously ranking them, and will ultimately narrow it down to those rated as superior or top-tier.”
“You must be careful not to include the wrong ones.”
This meant that children of nobles or wealthy merchants should not be included.
While a common commoner disappearing on the road might be a frequent occurrence, it wasn’t the same for nobles. Most would have escorts sent by their families, which made them distinguishable, but since there had been a mistake in the past, the First Prince gave a cold warning.
“Yes. I will examine them thoroughly.”
The Count also swallowed dryly, recalling that previous mistake. How could anyone have predicted that the runaway youngest son of a border duke would disguise himself as a commoner to enroll?
Since then, whenever an opportunity arose to select goods from the academy, he developed the habit of verifying with his own eyes. After all, nobles carried themselves and behaved differently.
‘I’m concerned that I couldn’t properly assess Norman since he was bedridden…’
He hadn’t heard of any noble with beautiful black hair and purple eyes. With such looks, the social circle would have been turned upside down, so it couldn’t go unnoticed.
Of course, there was the possibility, as the Prince suspected, that he could be young master Fei Vinter, but since one person couldn’t exist simultaneously at both the mansion and the academy, he seemed certain to be a commoner.
“The ledger?”
The Prince’s voice snapped him back to attention. The Count’s smile twitched as he tried to maintain it. For some reason, his son, who was extremely upset, kept avoiding meetings. He had even sent the knight whom his son adored so much.
But since he couldn’t report this straightforwardly to the First Prince, the Count smiled casually and lied.
“It will likely be resolved soon.”
“Good. The rats are still sniffing around, so you’d better hurry. If you want to live longer, that is.”
“O-of course, Your Highness. I am grateful for your trust.”
The First Prince wore a seemingly benevolent smile.
“If I don’t trust the Count, who would I trust to say such things?”
“Th-thank you.”
When with the Prince, the Count felt exactly like a mouse placed before a snake, so he smiled while sweating profusely.
“Ah, and have an invitation sent in my name.”
“To whom should it be sent?”
“Fei Vinter.”
The First Prince said nonchalantly. He had intended to be satisfied with Norman, but since things had gone awry, he might as well have him in front of him to admire.
‘It’s a shame I won’t see the reaction when this news reaches Duke Vinter’s ears.’
* * *
Because Luwen had escalated the situation, professors who were concerned about contagion from the start ordered my roommates to return to their dormitory and wait. I’ll have to buy them lots of delicious food later to make up for them being confined because of me.
After a long time of professors coming in and out of my room annoyingly, they finally left, and I was alone in the dormitory. Even Luwen had been ordered to wait in a special room and had left the dormitory, so I was alone…
“Young master, how are you feeling?”
I couldn’t help but gape when I saw Luwen boldly opening the door and entering.
“Weren’t you supposed to return to the special room?”
“As if I would leave you alone. I came secretly.”
I was at a loss for words at his confident reply. But secretly, I was pleased. I had thought I would have to spend time alone and lonely, but with Luwen here, I couldn’t feel more secure.
Unlike my good mood, Luwen examined me with a somber face and asked.
“Are you in pain?”
“It doesn’t hurt. Just a bit stinging and itchy? Tolerable.”
“Since it seems no one else will come today, you should take the antidote.”
“Let’s do that.”
It might have been better to leave it as is, but I wanted to do as he said because I felt sorry for Luwen, who looked depressed every time he saw me.
‘Anyway, I can apply it again tomorrow, and the rash won’t subside immediately just from taking the antidote, so it shouldn’t matter.’
Since instant recovery is only possible with lost magic, I poured the antidote I had prepared into my mouth.
“Ta-da. All done.”
“Well done.”
Luwen smiled faintly and took the empty cup to place on the bedside table.
“Will you take a bath?”
“Yes. I’ll be back. You rest too.”
After patting his shoulder, I gathered a change of clothes and left the room.
When I returned, shaking my wet hair after finishing the bath, I found that the damp sheets had been replaced with new ones. Luwen, who had been sitting in a chair by the bed with his arms crossed, stood up and reached toward my head.
“Let me dry your hair.”
“I told you there’s no need for this. You’re not here to serve me.”
“But today, please let me indulge my selfishness.”
Luwen led me to the chair. I felt a strange desperation from him that made it impossible to refuse. He took a towel and began gently wrapping my hair to remove the moisture.
‘He really enjoys this?’
Our reflections showed in the window. I didn’t understand why he liked taking care of someone, but seeing his smiling face made me feel that refusing out of respect for him would actually be the wrong choice.
‘Is it because I look like this?’
I could understand why Luwen kept feeling troubled after unintentionally seeing my reflection in the window. All of my exposed skin, including my face, was red and blotchy.
‘I certainly do look sick.’
The professors who came to examine me had serious expressions too.
As I recalled the situation, my concerns naturally surfaced with it. I closed my eyes and immersed myself in thought.
‘Count Escardo seems suspicious.’
Why on earth had he come to see me with the professors?
When one of the professors called his name, I thought I had misheard. But the professor treated the Count like a superior and bowed obsequiously. His voice even trembled when explaining my symptoms and saying it would be difficult to treat within a day or two. He was frightened because of whoever was behind the Count, not the Count himself.
That’s when I realized that the First Prince had brought Count Escardo with him. I suspected he brought him to the academy because of Adrian, but I couldn’t guess why he came to examine me. The First Prince has no shortage of minions, and there are imperial physicians, which made it even more puzzling.
‘There must be a reason he was chosen as the messenger to check my condition.’
The only thing that came to mind was the Opera House. Given the information I had received from Linder, my thoughts naturally went in that direction.
‘Are they targeting me?’
Since I was planning to personally visit the basement of the Opera House anyway, I would welcome it if they made the first move. However, if my suspicion was correct… the problem was that they were targeting country Norman, an academy student.
‘Surely those bastards aren’t shopping here?’
The village where the academy is located is an area with high population flow. This means that even if some people disappeared, unless they were local residents, no one would pay attention. Strangers frequently come and go here.
‘Students are like travelers.’
They’ll leave after graduation… right?
‘…!’
As several pieces fell into place in my mind, I felt goosebumps all over my body.
The Opera House that had just started construction and the First Prince coming to the academy with the Count. The Count specifically coming to check on country Norman.
‘I think these crazy bastards are really selecting people.’
The most appropriate person to check on sick Norman would be an imperial physician who came with the First Prince. The fact that it wasn’t the case made me suspicious of other intentions.
Combining all this information, there was only one answer.
‘The auction will be held to coincide with graduation.’
And those on their list wouldn’t make it home.
‘Kidnapping nobles would cause problems, so most of them will probably be commoners.’
This is a world teeming with dangerous monsters, animals, and Kans. There are many reasons to go missing on the road. If too many students failed to arrive home, they might get caught, so the number on the list probably isn’t large. Maximum estimate would be around ten. To be safe, perhaps three or four.
‘I seem to be one of them. The others might be…’
I felt an unbearable nausea at the thought that a place where people strive for their dreams and futures appears to some as the optimal location where “goods” are gathered.
I already wanted to overturn the slave auction house, but now my determination was even stronger. If left unchecked, people would continue to be forcibly taken and have their lives twisted.
“I’m done.”
Luwen’s voice reached me, but I was too excited to respond immediately. There was a world of difference between preparing for an event that might happen vaguely and recognizing a somewhat concrete reality that was right in front of me—it provoked an entirely different level of anger.
‘Once this is over, I’ll need to start working on Adrian immediately.’
If I saw any tendency in him to be part of this, I wanted to eliminate him quickly. If internal whistleblowing wasn’t possible, he would also be destined to be punished along with them.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
