Chapter 224
The morning of January 2nd.
What is the New Year?
The aning differs for each person, but just the aning that sothing new has begun makes even the ordinary daily life, dulled by familiarity, take on a different significance.
However, school was not one of them.
“Ugh, I never thought today would co….”
“Guhk…. School even in the new year.”
“Just hold on a little longer, myself…!”
The cadets groaned with a pseudo-Monday sickness.
I was no different.
The reason today was particularly harsh was because it was the day of the winter vacation ceremony.
‘I shouldn't think about winter vacation. It just makes ti go by slower….’
It was a long vacation that continued until the end of February.
Of course, with the café, Peacemaker activities, and personal training, the vacation wouldn't really be a vacation, but it was a vacation nonetheless.
‘I'll be able to focus on work for a while.’
Juggling the academy schedule while also managing the café and Peacemaker activities was, by no ans, an easy task.
For a while, I would at least have so breathing room.
I also had to train.
There was still untapped potential hidden within .
‘Unique skills… I just don't get it.’
From the ‘Saint Gunner’s Dual Pistols’ passed down from the Star Child to the ‘Ulvhadin’s Vow Bullet’ granted by the ancient Hunting God.
Having two unique skills was amazing, but I couldn't use either of them properly.
They were no different from a good-looking but useless thing.
‘The Star Child said that unique skills are not sothing you receive, but sothing you recreate as your own….’
That's why he granted the essence of the technique but didn't have it take root in my body.
The grand finale was not far off, so I had to complete it within this winter vacation.
There was plenty of ti….
“Hey, Martin.”
Just then, Luri spoke to .
“Martin, I got so information about the King of the Underworld.”
…Completing the unique skills within the winter vacation, is that even possible…?
Anyway, I went up to the rooftop with the related parties.
It was , Luri, Adela, and Anette.
On the way up, I glanced at Adela, and she looked as if nothing had happened.
For a mont, heat flared up in my face.
‘How embarrassing.’
To think the day would co when I'd wear a dog collar in my life.
Perhaps because I had no resistance to won, it remained in my mory even more.
I shook my head to clear the mory.
“So, Cadet Luri.”
As I opened the rooftop door, a cold wind blew in.
The vacation ceremony would begin soon.
I had to go down before then.
“Two branches of the Elidore rchant Guild have been taken over by the King of the Underworld.”
At the sudden bombshell declaration, everyone's expression changed.
Taking over the rchant guild of Elidore, one of the Four Great Ducal Families of Imperium, the strongest on the continent?
“They were small branches, so the impact on the guild itself is almost nil. They were run almost like a service to the poor in the lawless zone.”
“That's a relief, but what do you an by taken over?”
Anette asked, her face serious with surprise.
“Even if they are small and their main work is charity, they are still branches of Elidore. And two of them, at that.”
“I don't know either, Your Majesty. The people followed the King of the Underworld as if they were possessed.”
It was a serious matter, but there was no information.
This was no ordinary serious matter.
I frowned and asked.
“Cadet Luri, please tell in detail. How did you find out about the branches' betrayal and for what reason did they betray you.”
“After hearing about the King of the Underworld here last ti, I imdiately investigated the lawless border zone. Then I discovered corruption in two branches, and the slush fund was flowing into the lawless zone.”
The lawless zone.
I suddenly had a feeling it would beco the next battlefield.
“When I looked into who the branch manager was, it turned out that retired executives from the rchant guild had volunteered to take charge of the branches. I didn't believe it at first either. Even when I dispatched an auditor and interrogated them, they only said they served the King of the Underworld….”
In the end, it was a mystery.
Instead of being solved, the questions only grew.
Having said that much, Luri added.
“I don't know what the King of the Underworld is thinking, but he attacked Elidore. My dad took it seriously too. The Elidore Ducal Family will soon take action.”
Until now, we had only been in conflict with the Four Great Ducal Families; this was the first ti we received assistance.
Thinking of them as allies felt reassuring.
“This is as far as I've found out.”
Since Luri had shared her information, it was my turn.
“Have you all heard about the incident where Frohadin returned and caused a terror attack on the train?”
“Of course.”
“Yes!”
Well, it was on the front page of the newspaper, so it was impossible not to know.
Adela expressed her doubt.
“But why does he suddenly co up?”
“Actually, it wasn't just Frohadin there, but also Vistavern.”
“…Vistavern?”
Anette tilted her head.
But Adela and Luri were different.
“He…, didn't he die?”
“That's right. I heard that too…, I heard he was even laid to rest in a tomb.”
“That's right. I even killed him myself.”
He died, was laid to rest in a tomb.
At those words, Anette turned pale.
“A-are you saying a dead person ca back to life? Y-you an, an undead?”
“No, he was a truly living person. Vistavern was distributing Angel dic, and Frohadin was cooperating. And they were Apostles of Chaos.”
Suddenly, Vistavern and Frohadin were involved with Angel dic, which I was sure was connected to the King of the Underworld.
And on top of that, Chaos.
Adela had once studied the Cosmos Empire as a ans of revenge, and Elidore, which Luri belonged to, had been a secret cooperating organization of the Peacemaker for generations.
Anette was a bit lacking in general knowledge.
“…Chaos?”
“What is that?”
“…?”
Anyway, none of the three knew about Chaos.
I explained about the cosmic god who stood in opposition to Cosmos.
“…Then we're in big trouble.”
Even Adela comnted with a serious face.
Who would have imagined that sothing that started with the thought of catching the head of a drug dealer would get this entangled.
It had beco sothing that must be resolved.
If this was left alone, who knows how things might flow according to Chaos' will.
‘I have to do it.’
I declared.
“I will go to the lawless zone during the vacation and resolve the matter.”
Just as I was about to ask them to defend the capital.
“ too! I'll go too!”
Luri raised her hand.
“I am the heir of Elidore. If I go for the purpose of a local inspection, I can go through the proper procedures and receive support. Isn't Elidore's support worth receiving? And I have plenty of reason to participate!”
It's dangerous, so no thank you.
…The ti for saying that had passed.
Luri was a proper contractor of a Spirit King.
She was a talent who would be a great asset.
“I understand.”
“I shall go as well.”
“I, too, shall go.”
Simultaneously with my answer, Anette and Adela also declared they would accompany .
“I have decided to protect humanity. Furthermore, this life, you saved it, Martin, so it is only right that I serve you. I am not an animal that does not know gratitude, so I will accompany you and achieve military rit.”
“If you're going to have a fun massacre by yourself again, leaving behind, I will never forgive you, you insolent thing.”
Thus, a 4-person party to go to the lawless zone during the vacation was ford.
Originally, I planned to go alone for mobility and stealth, but having more power increases what we can do, so it's not bad.
For example….
“We don't know what might happen there. There's no visible danger like a Demon Lord, but it is a branch of the apocalypse. If possible, I'd like to have support troops on standby.”
“I understand. Elidore has an elite rcenary corps directly under its command.”
“I will also say sothing to the Emperor.”
“I will mobilize the Defardly Knights.”
I an, crushing them with force.
[Ding-dong-deng-dong~]
Just then, the academy broadcast rang.
[Ah, ah, this is an announcent from the broadcasting club. The vacation ceremony will begin shortly….]
Without a word, we all started running.
We couldn't afford to get punished at the vacation ceremony.
‘Saved.’
I was able to join my class line before it was too late and move to the main auditorium.
“Hmmph!”
Teacher Hailey glared at with hawk eyes, but I knew she would let it slide.
‘Winter vacation, huh.’
A huge auditorium.
Actually, the only ti I had seen this place was during the sumr vacation ceremony, but this body had not.
One more ti.
It was at the 1st-year entrance ceremony.
The prologue of the novel, 「The Fallen Crown Prince of the Cosmos Empire」.
Gilbert holds his entrance ceremony here.
It was the beginning of a great legend, a grand epic of him saving the continent until his graduation.
‘Still, I've co this far.’
There were so many tis when it wouldn't have been strange if I had died suddenly, yet I sohow made it this far.
After the winter vacation, there would be the entrance ceremony for the new students and our promotion ceremony to the 2nd year.
Let's try to survive until then sohow.
“Welco, everyone.”
Principal Lukfels stood on the podium and began his speech.
“Another year has passed.”
Lukfels, who had reached the realm of a transcendent, spoke as if he were used to it, but my soul had experienced this world for less than a year.
“Fellow cadets. Winter vacation has begun. It is also called the 'Great Vacation' because the vacation period is exceptionally long.”
Yes, it would be a long… very long vacation.
“It's an early topic to bring up, but spring is a ti when all things awaken. When the warm sunlight shines down on the earth, new shoots grow, and the snow lts, the great nature that had been sleeping as if ti had stopped, begins its cycle again. That's why people also call spring the season of beginnings.”
Having said that much, Lukfels paused for a mont.
“But, is winter really a season where ti stands still?”
He brought up the main point with his characteristic expressionless face.
“During the winter, animals survive on the food they stored during the fall. But that alone is not enough. Even when winter cos, animals fatten themselves up, grow their fur, go out hunting, or find safe hos. Plants also begin a fierce competition for energy conservation, waiting patiently for spring to co. All of this is to survive the winter and reach the paradise-like spring. Our evaluation of winter as a ti when ti has stopped might just be from our human perspective. Winter is the most fierce because it is harsh. Winter, too, has its own competition and survival, a cycle of great nature.”
Principal Lukfels.
I was srized by the eloquent speech of the man who loved his cadets and education more than anyone else.
“We are the sa. To welco a refreshing spring, we humans also need thorough preparation. Review, preview, correction notes, etc.”
Headache-inducing words made a surprise appearance without warning, but Principal Lukfels was trying to say one thing.
“Everyone, survive the winter for the sake of spring. The harsh winter will present you with cruel and severe trials and tribulations, but overco them. Only those who win will survive, beco stronger, and tread upon the spring earth.”
Winter vacation.
At that ti, I did not think that it would be the final page that would draw the grand finale of all this.
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