Chapter: 46
We were able to wrap up the last day of the fair with a complete sell-out. For a club we started this year, it was nothing short of a dazzling and legendary achievement. Louise seemed genuinely happy every time our eyes met. If I had known she would be this pleased, I might have sent someone to buy it every day.
“Thank you for fulfilling my personal request.”
“Considering how hard you work, this is nothing I can’t do.”
“Still, you should accept the money. It wouldn’t be good if a civil servant didn’t handle financial transactions with civilians properly.”
“Haha. Is that so?”
I met with the Vice Principal in front of the accommodations to pick up the cookies, and despite his insistence that he didn’t need the money, I managed to awkwardly shove it into his hands. After all, it’s true that I bothered the Vice Principal with a personal favor, and forcing him to spend money was part of that.
And while it seemed like he was joking, if a Prosecutor were to handle money affairs strangely with civilians, I’d find myself in hot water. Getting caught and detained by those enforcement jerks is definitely not a pleasant experience. Honestly, I wouldn’t want to meet those guys, ever.
“It seems you have a lot of affection for the club members.”
“I’m glad you think so.”
I replied with a smile to the Vice Principal who spoke with such a cheerful tone. At least from his perspective, it meant I looked like an acceptable advisor. I felt satisfied that my image had been properly established after all the hard work.
After watching the Vice Principal until he was out of sight, I checked the size of the cookie bag in my hands.
‘Well, this is definitely a small portion.’
Thankfully, the quantity was nowhere near the mass production level I experienced in the club room. On the last day, I thought Louise would throw most of them away, so she made only a little, but it was just enough for a single meal.
Besides, tomorrow, outside of the ranking announcement in the auditorium and the banquet in the evening, I didn’t have any other obligations. Since the announcement was set for noon, I could leisurely enjoy my meal. There was no need to head out in the morning.
Anyway, it was pretty obvious that the first place would go to the pastry club, so there was no need for me to be there in person. Yet, as the advisor, I still had to make an appearance. It’s a bit of a hassle, but what can I say? Once you’re handed a business card, you’ve got to play the part.
I had never been to the Academy’s auditorium until now. The most I’d seen was the exterior while wandering around the campus. I hadn’t been inside since there was no reason to go in, but the outside looked like a rather massive building.
‘Wow, it’s huge.’
And the interior was breathtaking. A grand first floor with a second floor overlooking it. If the seats were packed, it would easily pass for a concert hall.
“The first floor will be crowded, so how about staying on the second floor?”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
As I was admiring the stillness of the auditorium’s interior, the Vice Principal suggested heading to the second floor. I agreed, as that seemed like a good idea. The first floor was bound to be filled with students and staff, and it would feel awkward being squished in there. Watching from the second floor seemed much more comfortable.
Once up there, the stage didn’t feel that far away either. It looked like I would be able to watch Louise receive her award properly.
‘If I clap from here, I feel like she’d be able to hear it.’
Nodding in satisfaction, I waited quietly. One by one, students began to gather on the first floor. There was still a bit of time until noon, but I certainly couldn’t say anything. After all, I was the first one here.
Soon, the first floor filled up quickly, while only a few faculty and student council members made their way to the second floor. Even though there weren’t many people up here, it felt awkward, and I couldn’t imagine how uncomfortable it would have been on the first floor.
‘Where’s Marghetta?’
I spotted student council members around the second floor, so naturally, I began looking for Marghetta, but unfortunately, she was nowhere to be seen. Since the President was also absent, it seemed the two were involved in the award ceremony.
To think the President would have to present an award alongside the Duke’s daughter; I couldn’t help but worry about his mental state. Still, he must have built some resilience through his student council activities. As a future civil servant, I trusted he could handle that much.
Before I knew it, noon arrived, and the ranking announcement began. Contrary to my expectations, it wasn’t the President and Marghetta handling the awards; instead, the President and Principal were in charge of the proceedings. ‘Where’s Marghetta? Did something urgent come up?’
‘If that’s the case, then they wouldn’t need to be here.’
With the exception of the President on stage and the missing Marghetta, all the student council members were on the second floor. If Marghetta had something urgent to deal with, surely someone would have volunteered from among them.
But of course, as an outsider, I didn’t need to worry about that. I had my own matters to attend to.
As I shifted my gaze to the approaching footsteps, I noticed a brown-haired girl walking toward me. She wasn’t part of the student council, nor was she one of Louise’s friends from my initial unexpected encounter. This was someone completely unfamiliar to me.
Upon noticing me looking her way, she smiled but continued her approach without stopping.
“Hello! How have you been?”
As she arrived in front of me, she bowed her head gently in greeting, but I had no clue who she was. It would be extremely awkward to act like I recognized her.
“I wanted to see you at the cafe, but it’s nice to run into you here.”
‘Ah.’
Letting out a small sigh at her words, I offered my hand. She grasped it, and I could feel the texture of crumpled paper in her grip.
It was the Senior Manager from the Intelligence Department.
“Are you still around?”
“I just got back. Something cropped up, so I had no choice.”
As I inquired while swallowing the blank sheet of paper, the Senior Manager shrugged lightly. Yet, there was a heavy sense of weariness in her demeanor. In translation, it meant, ‘I returned here for important information that couldn’t be transmitted via crystal communication.’
Even the Senior Manager who’d made this bothersome trip back to the Academy to relay such important details, and I, who had to hear this crucial information, found the whole situation quite miserable.
“We have finished handling the corpses. At first, we thought they were unidentified remains, but thankfully, we tracked down their families.”
“That’s good news. How many were there?”
“About three? Fewer than expected.”
I nodded along to her words.
‘Three families of traitors.’
“Bereaved” was a term used metaphorically to describe the three noble families linked to the third glory that had transformed into corpses. To find out there were three rebellious families that interacted with the insurgents was staggering.
Sure, it was few compared to the grand Apels revival rhetoric, but at the very least, the third glory was nothing more than a flimsy group akin to a tutorial. It could even be argued that having three could be quite a lot.
“Did I say something too dull? Let’s just watch the rest of the ceremony.”
“Agreed.”
As the Senior Manager and I met each other’s gaze, we both turned our attention back to the first floor. The Senior Manager quickly pulled a small scroll from her clothing and tore it, causing a faint veil to wrap around us before fading away.
“For the next five minutes, no one will hear our voices.”
“What about our appearances?”
“Our appearances stay the same, so we’ll keep it informal.”
After a quick cough, the Senior Manager opened her mouth in a tone that didn’t quite match her disguised appearance:
“Prosecutor’s Executive Manager Carl Krasius, heed the imperial edict from the Emperor.”
I briefly bowed my head in front of the Emperor’s decree. Normally, one would kneel and lower themselves respectfully, but I was allowed to just bow due to the informal manner.
As I lowered my head, the Senior Manager continued.
“When the Great Emperor Amanca received a heavenly summons to establish a new decree, the entire continent glorified the Great Emperor for restoring the mandate of heaven, desecrated by hypocrisy and greed. It is with great honor that Livnoman, a descendant of the Great Emperor, upholds the mandate and maintains peace; how could his dignity not reach every corner?”
The proclamation definitely had a lot of flowery language. Noting that it mentioned both the Great Emperor and the mandate made it clear the Emperor was rather irked.
“Yet, there exist fools hiding in the shadows who dare belittle the lawful guardians of the mandate, which is deeply lamentable. Despite His Majesty’s efforts to punish disloyal subjects, it’s a shame there are those who still do not revere Livnoman in the shadows.”
The imperial decree was reaching its conclusion. Under the circumstances, it was easy to predict what orders would follow. From the very first sentence, the Emperor’s anger was palpable.
“Thus, I, Corvus Amanca Livnoman of Kefellofen, the rightful ruler of Kefellofen, decree: the Prosecutor’s Executive Manager, Carl Krasius, shall execute the Emperor’s decree to purge those who threaten the peace of the Empire.”
“I will heed the imperial edict.”
And that was it. With just a few words, the fates of three noble families had been decided.
Finally, the Senior Manager relaxed her voice, wiped the cold sweat off her brow, and sighed.
“Isn’t it a bit harsh for a Senior Manager to be the one delivering the emperor’s decree?”
“What can you do? It means His Majesty wants it done that badly.”
An imperial decree isn’t something just anyone can convey, let alone do so informally. Only someone of at least a Minister’s rank can perform such a task. Yet, here was a Senior Manager from the Intelligence Department, who wasn’t even a Manager, informing me of the decree informally. Deep down, she must have wanted to cry.
But what could she do? It seemed the Emperor found even taking the time to select a Minister to send to the Academy far too tedious.
‘He probably lost his mind upon hearing the name Apels.’
The revival of a nation that had crumbled 300 years ago had suddenly resurfaced during his reign, so I could understand why he’d be furious. Especially with the knowledge that there were noble families who had interacted with that treacherous revival army. He probably wanted to eliminate them entirely.
“I passed the information on to the Prosecutor’s Executive Manager, but we still don’t know how deeply those three families are tangled up in this matter. They could have conducted business with them unknowingly, or they could be deeply involved in acts of rebellion.”
“Is that really important?”
The Senior Manager shrugged again.
“Not particularly.”
Indeed, it was not important. Whether it was a mere transaction or proactive involvement, the fact that they were implicated in treasonous activities couldn’t be denied. The reality that they interacted with the Third Glory remained unchanged.
“Someone who climbed the ranks by spilling the blood of his comrades.”
I closed my eyes quietly as the memory resurfaced. That bastard left way too easily. But those who aided that bastard still remained.
When I opened my eyes, the Senior Manager had vanished, and the award ceremony was approaching its conclusion. I saw Louise receiving the trophy from the Principal. As applause erupted around her, she raised the trophy with apparent joy.
Scanning the area, Louise managed to spot me on the second floor and beamed, to which I returned her smile. Congrats, Louise.
‘I’m glad.’
That Louise created a memory she wouldn’t forget.
‘Really glad.’
Especially since those I had to kill still lingered in the shadows.
With that satisfying thought, I started clapping.
Today, for some reason, the crystal in my pocket felt unusually heavy.
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