A total of 72. Gerhard Goldenheim, who had collected all the magic lamps, moved forward.
A huge cavern revealed itself, and in its center was a small altar.
["Is that...?"
Aint Armian's gaze remained fixed on a single spot, unwavering.
It was an instinctual attraction.]
[At the end of the altar was a sword. A crude longsword that gave off no particular feeling. Yet strangely, it drew his gaze. His heart and soul were pulled toward it.
Aint slowly approached the sword.]
Unlike Aint, Gerhard felt no spiritual attraction.
And there was no sword either.
Of course. Aint must have already pulled it out.
Though the sword was gone, there was a mark on the altar suggesting a sword had once been embedded there.
[Aint grabbed the sword. At that mont, a brilliant light rescued the entire cavern from darkness.]
[When Aint closed his eyes and opened them again, he was no longer at the altar or in the cavern.
"...Where is this?"
It was a secluded alley at the Imperial Armian Academy.]
"...So it's true."
Traces of magic remained. Though faint and about to disappear, the fact that traces remained, that there was a mark in the center of the altar where a sword had been embedded, and that Aint was no longer here were important.
Gerhard had to acknowledge it.
"Damn it."
The prophecy book was indeed real.
"So..."
The legion of demons returns and tramples the continent...
"So the already declining imperial family will rise again, and I'll clash with them and fall. My father will have no choice but to excommunicate to save our family, and I'll lose all my fa, honor, power, and money..."
Gerhard laughed. Haha, well.
"...What a terrible future."
Veins bulged in Gerhard's eyes.
"...Who dares to take money from ?"
Money is everything in this world. With money, anything is possible.
Losing that...
"I can never accept such a future."
That's what he would make sure of.
***
He returned to his lodgings. Gerhard, having reaffird that the prophecy book was true, organized his thoughts.
Among the contents of the prophecy book slumbering in his mind, three mories remained most vividly.
The key figure connecting all three was a single human.
The protagonist of this world, acknowledged by the prophecy book.
The one who would cause Gerhard's downfall.
The hero who would protect this world from demons.
"Aint Armian."
A first-year who had entered the knights' departnt at the Imperial Academy this year.
A descendant of the now declining forr imperial family.
An aspiring knight whose primary goal was to beco a Royal Knight.
Through various coincidences and efforts, he would eventually achieve his dream and ascend to emperor.
"This is a problem."
According to the prophecy, Aint was definitely a rising star. As a proper rchant, Gerhard should invest in him and stay close to collect the crumbs.
If only Aint's personality wasn't the exact opposite of Gerhard's, and if he didn't ultimately cause Gerhard's downfall, Gerhard might have rushed to him wagging his tail like a dog.
While he'd made a good first impression by giving him a top-grade potion, continued investnt might backfire.
It would be foolish to dig his own grave.
"What is the problem, sir?"
Just then, his servant entered and asked.
"Hyde."
"Yes."
"There's a rchant company that will definitely thrive if I invest. What would you do?"
"I would definitely invest."
"But what if the head of that company doesn't get along with ?"
"Is that a concern? Money can make personalities compatible."
"...You're right. It was an unnecessary worry."
Gerhard's eyes widened. It was a surprisingly simple problem. Money can do anything. Personality incompatibility was a trivial issue in the face of vast wealth.
He had just been intimidated by the enormous issues of world destruction and demons, but the fundantal principle was the sa.
Invest, and earn imnse wealth as a reward for bearing the risk.
"I need to et him right away."
"Pardon ?"
"There's nothing more foolish than missing the opportunity to invest because of hesitation."
Without waiting for his servant's reply, he grabbed his coat and went outside.
"...Um, a guest has arrived, sir."
One you invited.
The servant shook his head.
"I suppose I'll have to handle it myself."
He sighed deeply as he went outside.
***
Students who passed the entrance exam imdiately entered their assigned dormitories according to their ranking.
"Whew."
Aint was no exception. He lay down on the bed. The plush mattress wasn't as good as the one at his family ho, but it was quite decent.
Although he had passed, he hadn't ranked high enough to get into Lavidus Hall, which only the top students entered, or even Bless Hall, the next best. Instead, he was in de Base Hall, but Aint didn't feel bad about it.
There was a problem in the middle, but he had overco it well and achieved his first purpose in coming to the academy.
His gaze turned to the sword placed beside him.
Once the sword of Sir Gardner Alpenfassen, the empire's first Royal Knight, and now to beco Aint Armian's cherished sword.
A provision left by the first emperor and a treasure that would guide him to higher places.
With Gardner Alpenfassen's ego no less.
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