By Zephyria There was more than just Michael Ernhardt’s affairs to worry about.
Shierun Academy graded students by merit, largely excluding their noble titles. This was to identify and utilize talented individuals from all backgrounds, regardless of whether they were from a Duke, Marquis, Count, or Baron family. It was a necessary step for those who would later need to employ them, but since I was also subject to evaluation, my days were hectic.
My every move was reported to Beneto Loki Sheeran.
Beneto was cunning. To prevent his power from being divided, he pitted Richard and me against each other in a competition, while he remained in the position of evaluator.
It wasn’t just about succession. His entire life was like that. He placed Floyd’s Princess, who was supposedly already dead, and Kate Anti Sieran on the same level for comparison, and made Valentia, Yeldidus, and Kiadris compete side-by-side. He couldn’t even draft laws or policies himself, yet he acted so high and mighty, merely picking and choosing policies that suited him from those others had created.
However, the Emperor’s mistakes were not meant to be judged in his own time. What did it matter if some half-wit, connected to me by blood, couldn’t act like a decent father?
The higher one climbed the ranks, the fewer warm couples who loved each other there were. At best, perhaps Valentia? But who knew. What kind of face might they put on, hidden from information beyond my reach.
Fortunately, Beneto was not a greedy man. Even if he didn’t actively strive for the best results, the mighty Empire ran well enough on its own. In that he didn’t ruin this vast Empire with corruption, Beneto was a reasonably decent Monarch.
What felt the most like shit to me right now was Richard. He acted not like a successor, but like a concubine. He always leaned in as if about to fall into Beneto’s embrace, smiling coyly and whispering pathetically. ‘Father, did you see? Richard did it. It’s thanks to you watching over me.’
That idiotic bastard.
Anyone in the Imperial Palace could tell who Beneto was thinking of when he looked at the First Prince’s face. Floyd’s Princess, who was said to have died long ago, had also flitted around the entire palace pretending to be innocent. Perhaps inheriting that blood, Richard’s fluttering behavior, his way of acting pitiful towards everyone, was utterly repulsive.
The many fools in the Imperial Palace, whose eyes were in their feet, were easily charmed by Richard’s demeanor. Whenever the pretty, powerful figure smiled gently and handed them a trivial snack, saying, ‘This is just for you,’ they would melt, giggling. What was it about that, anyway?
To crush such a person and ascend to the Imperial Throne, more objective metrics were needed.
I had to achieve higher grades than Richard in all the classes I was taking. Though I acted nonchalant in front of others, Shierun Academy couldn’t be entered by simply throwing money at it. Because of that, the overall level of talent was high. There was no room to breathe if I wanted to achieve grades superior to other students.
Through the Academy’s work-study scholarship program, I made acquaintances with professors and was introduced to practical experts in various fields. I consistently interacted with my peers, strengthening bonds among fellow students and expanding my influence. The twelve businesses I was tasked with managing as soon as I turned fifteen still required a great deal of attention.
I had absolutely no room to waste on unproductive tasks. I pushed the morning’s work to the back of my mind.
I was returning from Professor Galef Fisher’s office for a pop quiz in business administration tomorrow. I took the test before the professor, checked the print quality of each handout, and wrote down a few special symbols on the handouts that couldn’t be copied with Magic Artifacts.
The trust of the professors and the admiration of the students I gained through this work were resources not easily obtained. That’s why I always volunteered to participate whenever such opportunities arose. Fortunately, thanks to being born with a bloodline that prevented me from leaking exam questions under the pressure of others’ authority, most professors trusted and utilized me greatly.
Now, I just had to return to the dormitory and write a five-page essay, and today would be safely over…
Just then, strange, colorful sounds came from the dark abyss.
It was close to midnight. The thought of just passing by was fleeting.
A Monarch’s position is one where even natural disasters must be taken as their responsibility. If an accident were to occur within the Academy, it would inevitably fall upon me as well, for failing to prevent trouble beforehand despite attending the Academy. No matter how annoying and shitty it was, I had to check what was happening.
And so, I headed towards the Martial arts training ground.
And the moment I saw the shadow swinging a sword in the dark abyss from afar, my feet froze.
It was him again. Michael Ernhardt.
Could there be such an elegant and precise straight line in this world?
From the sword, which tore through the air with immense speed and force, only faint sounds, like someone gasping for breath, could be heard. Occasionally, blue Mana would spark like embers from the tip of the sword. Though beautiful even in daylight, its glow at night was even more enchanting.
How many thousands, tens of thousands of times must one train to draw such a straight line with such a small frame? Recalling the sweat of effort that small, delicate boy must have produced, my breath naturally subsided.
The first thought that came to mind was this:
That kid must be suffering immensely too.
At least, if I went through such hell, I could become Emperor. Absolute power, capable of shaking this vast Empire with a single fingertip, was something anyone would covet besides me.
But Michael?
He had no need to neglect all the basic education for his future as a noble and immerse himself solely in Swordsmanship. The Ernhardt family had been quietly and ordinarily farming and brewing alcohol for several generations.
Indeed, it was undoubtedly Valentia’s influence that drove him so hard at such a young age. Oscar Valencia, the current Young Duke, was surprisingly foolish for his appearance. Was he the kind of person who would push his nephew like that for the sake of his own children?
Did he need to draw his sword with such a pained expression?
They said he underwent discipline training in the Martial arts training ground right after his first birthday party. With that small, pretty, slender body. Since he was even smaller than he was now…
I already knew that Michael had consistently trained only in swordsmanship since he was very young, but after seeing the pathetic and sorrowful basic sword forms just now, my feelings somehow changed.
His stiff reactions, his rude attitude, his tendency to step back a couple of paces, treating every everyday object as unfamiliar—all of it was now completely understandable. If he had lived having had so much taken away from him to live as a Shadow Guard, it would naturally be so.
Beneto also kept many guards who acted in such a manner, so it wasn’t particularly unusual. Thinking that Michael Ernhardt’s social circle was narrow and limited might also be due to that, which made me feel suffocated.
In any case, there wasn’t just one or two disgusting people in this world. I wanted to blow them all away.
It was silent.
Michael Ernhardt stopped swinging his sword, and I held my ground, unable to take another step. The boy, holding his sword with an arm tautly swollen from swinging it excessively, slowly turned towards me. His moist blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight.
Ah. That expression again.
Vast and sorrowful, as if seeing something deeply missed…
I couldn’t swallow or exhale a breath carelessly under his gaze, which was fixed on mine. And then I realized why Michael Ernhardt’s gaze made my insides twist and shake.
While there were quite a few people with black hair in the Sierran Empire, there was no one with eyes as purely black, without any other color mixed in, like mine. Because of that, from the very first moment I could perceive the world, people blinded by useless superstitions couldn’t look me straight in the eye. Not just people, but no beast could look me straight in the eye.
I was accustomed to people fearing me without me doing anything.
A gaze that looked at me so directly, without a hint of fear…
It was unfamiliar and ticklish.
Suddenly, I wanted to say it was unnecessary.
That he could stop, that I would fix everything once I became Emperor, that I would give him freedom.
The impulse to say such trivial words pounded in my chest. However, I was someone who had been trained to think dozens of times before uttering a single word. Such words were not meant to be exchanged between him and Ernhardt. He had no relation to me, and I was not yet qualified…
To avoid saying anything pointless, I forced my lips to part. It took me tens of seconds to decide on the most neutral greeting, one that would reveal no emotion.
“…I seem to have interrupted.”
“No, sir.”
If Michael Ernhardt was being raised with Valentia’s sword, then my approaching him now was a clear disadvantage. It was better to keep Valentia neutral. There was no need to make Valentia an enemy just to pull Michael from their grasp. But.
The boy’s eyes, gazing up at me, were still moist.
This was the first time in my life I had seen a small, pitiful being who did not fear me.
I didn’t want this kid to live like me. I wished for his life, where he had silently repeated only what he was told without knowing what would happen to him, to become more colorful. It was a strange impulse.
It wasn’t like me. Truly, rationally speaking, this shouldn’t be happening. I couldn’t bring myself to leave.
“What is it. Since this morning?”
“Did something happen?”
“Nothing happened… I just couldn’t sleep.”
Now, even that voice, which cut off abruptly, sounded sweet.
Michael, who had been gazing up at me, shifted slightly to the side. He glanced at me as if to say ‘follow me’ and walked away with light steps. His small body disappeared under the shade of a tree, and I followed.
My mouth felt dry. Michael sat down casually on the ground with a thud and patted the spot next to him. His small shoulders carried the unique scent of dust, characteristic of someone who had trained all day. The uncleanliness I would normally detest somehow felt fragrant.
Michael still stared intently at my face, and I felt a prickle of guilt, unable to meet his gaze directly.
“Isn’t it you, Senior, who has something going on?”
“…I just couldn’t sleep, either.”
“Shall we just look at the stars before heading in?”
Stars.
…Stars? With me?