After the suspicion that the second prince might be behind this incident leaked out, I resolved the situation there as the old man directed.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.
First, I threatened the commoners present.
I warned them that if what happened here got out, it would take just a moment for them to disappear, causing their faces to turn pale.
The one fortunate thing for me was that Mane was at the center of it all.
Born as a merchant, he had quickly realized that he could really be in trouble and actively cooperated with me.
Thanks to him, handling matters concerning the commoner dormitory wasn’t too difficult. Mane was desperately running around to prevent the danger coming his way.
The next step was to find Luca.
It would be problematic if the idiot trio started spreading rumors about this incident.
So I needed to silence them, but threatening them wouldn’t work since they wouldn’t listen anyway.
That’s where Luca came in. With his high reputation among the commoners, he would definitely be able to ensure the three of them kept their mouths shut.
“Is it these three? That’s not difficult. I can make them keep this secret for a lifetime within a week.”
So when I explained the situation to Luca, this was his response.
If someone else had said this, I wouldn’t have paid it much mind, but given who he was, I couldn’t shake the chill down my spine.
I felt he might actually bury them somewhere and make the secret perfect.
‘...Are you saying to kill them? You know that, right?’
“Professor Pado, let me tell you in advance, I’m not saying to kill them. You can understand that much, right?”
“Oh, is that so? I almost made a mistake.”
...Was that for real?!
There were minor issues, but I managed to get through them and asked Karia to find out why the idiot representative thought the second prince was backing him.
“Boss, I’m sorry, but while getting information is easy, breaking through the academy's security is a bit tough, you know?”
‘There’s a secret passage.’
“Don’t worry. I’ve looked into a secret passage with consideration for the lady’s bad joints.”
“Really? That’s new information to me!”
All these tasks were a way to deal with this matter as quietly as possible.
<Pressing for this matter will only be a hassle with almost no gain. But there’s plenty to lose.>
The old man explained that if I pressed this minor issue with the higher-ups, all I’d get was an apology.
However, he also noted that many and various enemies would be created because of it.
<So, in this case, we’ll find out just the rough circumstances and bury it.>
‘So you’re saying we should just let it go as a mere incident?’
<Exactly. You’ve already made enough noise. If the opponent has any sense, they’ll stop here.>
If they don’t, the old man seemed to be hoping that it would be quite enjoyable.
He didn’t elaborate further, so I didn’t know the details, but one thing was clear.
From now on, I could leave such issues to the old man.
Wow. How is it that a cleric is so skilled in politics? Or is it that clerics are skilled in politics?
From what I heard from Johan last time, it seemed that the church was also quite the shady business.
After going through that series of processes, the next evening, I headed to the back alleys to hear the results of last night’s events from Karia.
“Congratulations, boss. The second prince seems to be very smitten with you!”
...Huh? What kind of crazy talk is that?
At first, I thought Karia was just making a joke, but that wasn’t the case. Her words, although somewhat exaggerated, were not wrong.
The second prince had shown interest in me for a long time. He even came to me personally and extended his hand when the midterm exams were over.
At that time, I thought I had somehow overcome the crisis, but it seemed the second prince had continued to keep an eye on me.
Thanks to that, the second prince had heard the news of my confrontation with the first prince during the last Partlan festival before anyone else. Including the fact that I had insulted the first prince in front of everyone.
“I’ve heard that the second prince doesn’t seem to like the first prince very much.”
To say he doesn’t like him is a mild expression.
The second prince hates the first prince.
Because he is a rival for the throne.
Because he’s someone who possesses exceptional talent and makes himself a benchmark for comparison.
And because he doesn’t even consider him a rival.
He probably thinks about laughing at the first prince lying at his feet.
How delighted he must have been when he heard that the first prince was humiliated.
And how good he must have felt toward the person who brought that humiliation upon the first prince.
“It seems he wants to pull you into his side somehow.”
The moment I heard this, I instinctively felt that I would never be able to escape the second prince for the rest of my life.
Someday, somehow, the second prince would stand before me, and I would utter the words “idiot prince” in front of him.
Sigh. What can I do? As long as I have the mesugaki skill, this is a hurdle I have to overcome. I shouldn’t waste my energy on unsolvable problems; I should focus elsewhere.
‘But why...’
“Why did he want to torment me? Is the idiot prince really just an idiot?”
“...Are you talking about the second prince?”
‘Yes.’
“Yeah. Why?”
“Hey, boss. You wouldn’t call the second prince the idiot prince in front of him, right?”
I couldn’t bring myself to answer that. Though I didn’t want to, it was clear that I would end up doing it.
“Wow.”
As Karia mumbled about needing to find out about the second prince’s faction, she continued.
“To continue the conversation. It wasn’t the second prince who led this incident. It was someone from the second prince’s faction.”
The people from the second prince’s faction knew better than anyone that the second prince’s favor was directed toward me.
In the past, I had just been a talented person, but that’s different now.
Because I had produced the unprecedented result of overpowering the first prince with my skills. The second prince’s eyes were now focused on me. If I were to join the second prince’s faction, it would be obvious that he would cherish me.
“It was just a light check on someone who might become a rival. They probably wanted to tarnish your reputation in any way possible.”
So, to summarize, they believed I would hinder their rise to power, so they were preemptively putting up checks against me.
Hearing that made me chuckle.
Wow. I can really feel that my reputation has risen. If it were before, they wouldn’t even have attempted such checks. Now, does Lucy Alrn pose a threat to them?
<Hmm. If what this person says is true, this won’t be a one-off situation.>
‘Right.’
Because the second prince is interested in me, they’re trying to check me.
If he doesn’t stop paying attention to me, their underhanded tricks will likely come from all directions.
Anyway, it’s true what they say, that only fools gather around fools.
...Huh?
While I was thinking about that, a sudden idea popped into my head.
If the second prince is interested in me, and that’s why they’re checking me, then if I eliminate his favor, wouldn’t all problems be resolved?
‘Grandpa. Grandpa.’
<What is it? I was thinking for a bit.>
‘Should I just call him the idiot prince?’
Bishi sparkled her eyes, exclaiming that she had never tasted anything so delicious, while laughing at the girl who was watching her.
“Why?” “Oh, um. Aren’t you going to eat that?” “I have my own.” “Oh... really?”
Days passed since Lucy had ordered Birma to take care of the situation.
At first, Bishi thought Birma was just a nuisance, but as time went on, her perspective changed.
Birma had qualities that reminded Bishi of her younger brother, whom she had lost long ago.
She had an innocent demeanor that suggested she didn’t know much about the world. She expressed joy in a pure manner. Even clumsily, she tried to take care of others.
So, at some point, Bishi began to seriously look after Birma.
Since she had received something from Lucy, she felt that she should at least do this much.
In truth, it was a little ambiguous to call it an excuse. The book Lucy had given her was definitely something extraordinary.
Bishi still remembered it clearly.
A book written in an ancient language that she couldn’t even interpret. And the moment she handed that book over to Adri, the reaction she had shown.
As soon as Adri received the book, her eyes trembled. It was as if she had come across a treasure she thought she would never find.
“I received it from Lady Alrn.”
As she blinked while repeating that name, she suddenly burst into maniacal laughter.
It wasn’t a laugh filled with the joy of the living but rather a shriek that a vengeful spirit might release.
Bishi, who had only ever seen Adri’s usually polite and childlike demeanor, was completely overwhelmed by that laughter, but it was only for a moment.
Before long, Adri stopped laughing and returned to her usual self.
As it turned out, that book contained the secrets of a necromancer who had once led a great clan in the past.
If it had been handed over to the underworld, it would have been worth a fortune.
A necromancer’s artifact was something everyone would seek with burning eyes.
Lucy had given such an item to Bishi without expecting anything in return.
At first, Bishi had followed Lucy’s orders out of obligation, but that was no longer the case.
Having received so much from Lucy, her feelings had shifted from fear to gratitude for the kindness she had been shown.
She found herself seriously pondering how to repay that kindness.
But honestly, what could she offer in return? The clan of that lady was impressive. They used the best of everything—maces, shields, armor—nothing but the finest. They had plenty of money, were clever, and now had rich connections.
Was there really anything I could do to repay them?
No matter how much she thought about it, she felt there was nothing she could do.
Furrowing her brows while resting her chin on her hand, she sighed at the lack of answers and then relieved her stress with the dessert that had appeared in front of her.
As she was returning to the academy dormitory, she saw a crowd gathered in the square.
Was there some announcement?
Bishi tilted her head in confusion and spotted a friend at the outskirts of the crowd, approaching her.
“Hey, what’s going on?” “Oh. Ah, Bishi!”
Upon recognizing Bishi’s face, her friend quickly lowered her voice and whispered to her.
“Hey. Hey. It’s complete chaos right now!” “What do you mean?” “Lucy Alrn called the second prince a derogatory name?!”