Chapter 166: Struggles of a commoner
In noble society, marriages and engagements were mostly done for political reasons. They were the best way to forge alliances with other families or make those families their vassals.
But if House Keldravon was already a close vassal of the imperial family, then there was absolutely no merit in having the only daughter of the imperial family be engaged to the Keldravon heir.
Not only did the imperial family not gain anything out of this engagement, but they also lost their only daughter, whom they could’ve engaged to some other family and actually gained benefits.
It was a double loss.
No matter how much she thought, she couldn’t think of... a reason...
Evangeline’s eyes suddenly widened.
"Don’t tell me..."
There was no reason for the engagement, yet it had still happened. Which could only mean...
"Are they... in love...?"
"Of course not," Adrian replied flatly. "The imperial family can’t benefit from marriages like the other noble families. After all, all the imperial nobles are already their close vassals, the ancient nobility holds hostility against them, and the regional nobles are too weak to forge alliances with."
Evangeline tilted her head.
"Then why?"
"Isn’t it obvious by now?" Adrian sighed. "They want to give that ducal house to the princess since the prince is going to become the emperor."
Evangeline blinked.
’That’s... what the hell.’
But maybe that was how noble society was in the end. She would have to one day get used to this.
They walked in silence after that. Adrian seemed lost in thought, and the same was true for Evangeline. She was trying her best to digest all the new information she had learned.
’There are other Phase Three applicants besides the two of us...’
From the start, Evangeline had thought that her greatest challenge in this entrance exam was going to be Adrian. She hadn’t even considered that other applicants could pose a challenge to her.
This was not arrogance.
She had once jokingly sparred with Ravian—who was still a Phase Two, just like almost all the children around her age.
The result? It wasn’t even a fight. Her physical abilities alone would’ve been enough to defeat him. That was simply the gap between the Phases. Ravian must’ve felt the same helplessness the two of them felt while fighting against that assassin.
That was why she had so easily decided that she was going to reach the top of the academy and reign over it like a queen.
’But looks like that’s gonna be hard now. Well, it changes nothing; I will still reach the top.’
Her eyes burned with determination.
She glanced at Adrian. He still seemed lost in thought.
’Is he thinking about the crown prince?’
Adrian had paid special attention to the crown prince when Ravian was speaking. And considering the rumors about the crown prince, was he worried about losing in terms of intelligence? Was that even a thing?
But just as she was thinking along those lines, Evangeline suddenly remembered something. She remembered her goal of defeating the imperial family and establishing the Caelis Empire. The empire that she was going to rule together with him.
She had totally forgotten about it after that incident in the slums.
’Well... now what?’
***
Flint walked through the crowded streets of the academy city, carrying Dragon in his arms.
"Ugh, I really hope I make the cut."
Based on how his exam had gone, he was feeling extremely unsure. Well, he had tried his best. He couldn’t have performed any better than that.
Neither of his parents knew how to read and write properly, and the same had been true for him for most of his life. It was not their fault; they simply didn’t have the means to learn. Knowledge was a luxury reserved for those in power, after all.
But the fact that he had only recently learned to read and write was not the only reason his exam had gone poorly. The other reason was that he simply didn’t have the necessary books available to him.
Thinking about it now, he had performed well enough despite all those limitations.
He looked at Dragon.
"I hope you weren’t hungry while I was taking the theoretical exam."
The black cat-like creature turned its three pairs of eyes at him and blinked a few times. Then it diverted its attention elsewhere moments later.
Flint sighed.
’Money is going to run out soon.’
The pouch full of silver coins that the strange girl had left for him had so much money that it had lasted until now, but it was going to run out soon.
The man who killed his parents had taken him in, raising him and teaching him how to fight. Sadly, the injuries the man had received once weren’t tended to on time, which caused various infections.
In the end, that man died two years ago.
Flint had been surviving alone in the harsh world since then. He had Dragon with him, so he wasn’t really lonely, but those two years had been extremely hard.
But his life took a turn when he reached Phase One a year ago. At first, he was driven half mad after seeing the glowing blue energy due to his trauma, but he got used to it somehow after a month.
But since he was now a mana user, he had the opportunity to turn his life around by enrolling in the academy.
And so, he spent most of the leftover money from the pouch on a trip to the imperial capital.
’I really am betting everything on something uncertain, huh?’
With so many others like him applying for the same reason, the chances of him making the cut were extremely small.
’My only advantage over these people is the fact that I was taught how to fight by an actual Phase Two mana user.’
But just as he was walking amidst the crowd, he noticed something strange. There was a part of the road where the crowd was much thicker. Most of the people were standing and staring in the same direction.
’Did a fight break out?’
Flint hesitated for a bit but then chose to take a look.
Wiggling his way into the crowd, he was finally able to see what everyone was looking at. But the moment he did, he froze momentarily.
In front of him, a boy and a girl were walking side by side. Ignoring the boy, his eyes began scanning the girl. There was no mistaking it.
It was her, the girl from back then.
She had changed a lot, just like he had, but her pinkish-purple hair and violet eyes were too unique. There was no way he wouldn’t be able to recognize her.
He regained his composure moments later.
’Calm down, it’s not like I didn’t expect this.’
Knowing that the girl had been a mana user even back then, it was clear that she was also going to be present here. He would’ve liked to repay her for all she had done for him, but there was nothing that the current him could do.
That was why he was planning to avoid her if they ever met.
Thankfully, she didn’t seem to have noticed him.
’Would she even recognize me if she did? No, does she even remember someone like me?’
Based on her nosy personality that he remembered, she must’ve helped plenty of other kids like him. There was no way she would remember every one of them.
Flint was just about to turn around and leave, but he paused.
’Why is there a crowd around her and that boy, anyway?’
He focused on what the surrounding people were saying.
"So that’s Adrian Caelis Ravenshade?"
"He looks so much like his father."
"The one beside him must be his fiancée, right?"
"Evangeline Florivelle of the Florivelle Count family."
Flint blinked.
’Florivelle Count family? Wait, she was a noble?’
He thought that she was a daughter of an extremely wealthy merchant, but to think she was the daughter of a noble. It was no wonder she had casually left him a pouch full of silver coins.
’Just what the hell was she doing out in the streets back then?’
He turned to the boy walking next to him.
’So he’s her fiancé, huh?’
From what he knew, most nobles get engaged at the age of fifteen. Considering that, it was not strange that she had a fiancé.
He turned around since he had learned her name, walking away.
But he furrowed his brow as he walked.
’Adrian Caelis Ravenshade... Ravenshade... Just why does this sound so familiar?’
1
Comments
Comment Rules
Please read and follow these rules before posting a comment. By submitting a comment, you agree to comply with all applicable rules below.
Site administrators and editors reserve the right to moderate, edit, or remove comments.
The following activities are strictly prohibited in comments and reviews:
Such comments will not make updates arrive faster. If a new chapter is available to us, we will publish it. If it has not been published, it means that we do not have it yet.
Do not flood the comment section by posting multiple consecutive comments. You may edit your previous comment to add more information, or include everything you want to say in a single comment.
Users who violate these rules may receive a warning. Repeated or serious violations may result in a temporary or permanent suspension of commenting privileges.
Commenting Suspended