Chapter 74

"Wh-What did you... do...?"

"There's no 'what' or 'shit' about it. I told you, didn't I? A magician isn't worth a damn unless they can deal this much damage."

"......"

She was speechless. She hadn't expected that raising the [Magic] skill evenly would have such an impact. And she realized just how high-level a real magician was, and that she, a court magician, wasn't even a magician yet.

"The four major attributes are all at level 9 for Types I, II, and III. Type IV is uniformly at level 5. For the lightning attribute, Types I, II, and III are at level 9, Type IV is at level 7, and Type V is at level 1. Just this alone can boost the power of Type I to this level."

He spoke clearly, showing the exact numbers. It was the most convincing argument possible. Everyone listened in silence.

"Raise all the Type I skills of other attributes to level 9. That's your top priority."

"...How much will the damage increase?"

"Roughly 1.5 times. If you can catch up with Type II, it'll be 2 times. If you can reach Type III, it'll be 3 times."

"That's... indeed, a significant... increase..."

They couldn't help but be convinced. Cherry, forgetting her usual attitude of regret, crossed her arms in silence.

"That's how it is. Even if you think you're being tricked, raise your Type I skills. If you can't learn the Type I of your weak attribute, come to me with a magic book later, and I'll teach you."

After giving these instructions, all the first court magicians responded with a "Yes," though their voices were scattered. Considering they had been largely ignored until now, this was a significant improvement.

"So, what's needed to raise your skills evenly to level 9? Do you understand?"

"Training and experience, right?"

"Exactly."

Zephyr, the captain, answered with a face that looked like he had bitten into a bitter bug. Why would he make such a face just for earning experience points? Probably because, despite knowing it was the fastest way to grow, he couldn't execute it properly due to organizational constraints, such as safety, budget, and motivation. It was difficult for the captain alone to resolve these issues.

But... this time, it might work. Once they realize that they can deal that much damage if they try hard enough, they will definitely be motivated. It's just like in online games, where lower-level players are inspired by higher-level players to take action. Once they understand the "easy way" to do it, it's just a matter of putting in the effort.

"The danger will be manageable if you follow my instructions. I'll talk to Mina about the budget. As for motivation, well, this situation should be enough. The only question is when to start."

Everyone was eager. They thought they could easily raise their Type I skills. They were trying to accumulate simple efforts to easily reach "that level of damage." They were simple-minded.

Once you've seen that vivid scene, you can't resist the admiration. Just like when I was a beginner and strongly wanted to be the best in the world, they strongly want to deal that much damage themselves. When the method is laid out before their hungry eyes, no one will resist reaching out.

"The ideal is for everyone to have all Type I skills at level 9 in all attributes. Then, we'll cast a magic barrier on the battlefield. We'll rain down Type I spells, each with nearly twice the power of the enemy's, and turn them into swiss cheese. How does that sound? The First Court Magician Corps will become the elite of the elite. No one will come close. No one will be allowed to charge. We'll even shoot down arrows. We'll rewrite all existing tactics."

It was a slightly exaggerated speech, but it was highly effective. It made the court magicians, who had temporarily forgotten their pride and status, think, "Maybe this instructor is telling the truth," and gave them hope.

"This is an unprecedented challenge. Are you up for it?"

With my final push, Zephyr, the captain, nodded with determination.

"Then, that's it for today's lecture. Wait for further updates."

* * *

"Vinz News!"

Jarl, the Third Knight Captain, was raging alone in his office.

He slammed the morning newspaper on his desk and pounded it with his fist. His whole body trembled, and his face turned red, blue, and purple.

Why was he so angry? Because what was written in the newspaper was an undeniable fact.

If this came to light, not only himself, but also the First Knight Corps, the Chancellor, and even the First Prince would face serious consequences. That's why he couldn't keep his composure once it was exposed.

He tore the newspaper, hit the desk, threw things, and stomped his feet, but his anger didn't subside. After a while of rampaging, his office was left in a state as if a storm had passed through.

One of his subordinates visited the room in this state. The subordinate glanced at the messy room, made a face as if to say, "Again?" and then spoke.

"Captain Jarl, the king has summoned you."

"What!?"

—Too fast! Jarl instantly forgot his previous anger and became greatly anxious.

He would likely be asked to explain in front of the king. The First Knight Corps would be the main respondent, but the public document in question was under the jurisdiction of the Third Knight Corps. If the questioning went deep, he would undoubtedly be asked to disclose the public document.

"...I'll go immediately."

Jarl responded to his subordinate and desperately thought.

He had to buy time. Because...

"We need to tamper with it urgently!"

The public document regarding the agreement between the vigilante R6 and the Second and Third Knight Corps had not been tampered with yet.

If the Second Prince faction saw the unaltered public document, the First Prince faction would be in a difficult position. At the very least, Jarl, the Third Knight Captain, would have to take responsibility. He might even be sacrificed as a scapegoat.

He had to avoid that at all costs. With that in mind, Jarl responded to the king's summons.

---

"The reason I have gathered you here is none other than the front page of today's Vinz News. Chancellor, what do you have to say?"

Gathered before King Bawel were Bal Morro, the Chancellor, Highry, the Minister, Klaus, the First Prince and Captain of the First Knight Corps, Memphis, the Captain of the Second Knight Corps, and Jarl, the Captain of the Third Knight Corps. The idea was to confirm the facts among the relevant parties before making it public.

"Indeed, it is completely baseless. It's utterly infuriating."

"Is that so? What about you, Klaus?"

"There can be no such thing as a breach of agreement, Father. Suppressing the anti-government forces is a given, and there was no need to make any agreement in the first place. I struggle to understand why such a discussion even came up."

Klaus declared boldly, as if he didn't even know about the existence of a ceasefire agreement. Two people, Minister Highry and Memphis, the Captain of the Second Knight Corps, found this "unconvincing."

"What about you, Memphis?"

"Yes. At this point, I am not aware of any such agreement. I will immediately begin an investigation within the Second Knight Corps."

Memphis was confident internally that there had been a breach of agreement without his knowledge. However, he lacked evidence.

The Second Knight Corps was, in a sense, the army. Memphis was a die-hard patriot, a soldier who couldn't stand to wag his tail to the empire. In other words, he was part of the Second Prince faction. Therefore, he had been collecting information on the First Prince faction's misconduct to corner them, but he hadn't been able to catch them.

Now, a scandal had dropped in like a gift. He couldn't let it slip. He decided to move cautiously and collect solid evidence.

"What about you, Jarl?"

"Yes, yes. This is a complete surprise to me. According to my understanding, the Second and Third Knight Corps were struggling with the suppression, but with the support of the First Knight Corps, we were able to resolve the issue early. That's how I remember it. Yes."

Jarl, the Third Knight Captain, decided to deny it. He would deny it to the limit and buy time until the public document was disclosed. During that time, he planned to tamper with the document.

"Highry?"

"Yes. From the looks of everyone's faces, it's clear that there was indeed a breach of agreement."

"What! Highry, are you mocking us!"

"Wait. Highry, explain your reasoning."

"If I were one of the parties under suspicion, I would propose the disclosure of the public document to prove my innocence. But no one is mentioning it. I suspect it's because there are facts in the public document that should not be confirmed. It's a simple deduction."

"I see, the public document."

Bawel nodded in agreement. Seeing this, the Chancellor frowned, and Jarl turned pale. The minister continued his attack.

"If this breach of agreement is true, it is a crisis for the knight corps and, by extension, the government. A major overhaul is necessary. If it turns out that the suppression of the anti-government forces was carried out with a persecution-like brutality, it would be a collapse of the state. Such evil and inhumane individuals should not be involved in the politics of the Castor Kingdom."

"Why do you say 'persecution'! Suppressing the anti-government forces is a given!"

"Do you know, Chancellor? Currently, in the slums of the capital Vinston, theft and robbery are becoming a problem. With the vigilante R6 gone, unorganized petty criminals are increasing, and the security situation has worsened compared to before. If this continues, a group of criminals worse than the vigilantes will dominate the capital... Hmm. There has been no suppression force since R6. Is this negligence?"

"Of course, I am aware. But it's a never-ending task. We planned to capture them all at once after some time. Therefore, there is no basis for calling it a persecution. I demand an apology."

"Indeed, you say. I suspect that you suppressed the vigilante R6 for 'political' reasons. R6 had very high public support, especially among those who opposed the empire's approach. It's clear that the gap between the rich and the poor will widen if trade with the empire progresses."

"That's a baseless claim! You're spouting nonsense! You're trying to frame us to seize power! Aren't you ashamed to do this in front of the king!"

"On the contrary, aren't you the one who is so flustered that you're ashamed? It's like you're confessing."

"Shut up, you!!"

"Enough."

Bawel's single word stopped the raging Chancellor and the calmly provoking minister. They immediately fell silent and bowed their heads.

Then, Bawel broke the silence as if passing judgment.

"It seems this is not just a fabrication. After each of you conducts an investigation, submit detailed reports. I will review them personally and, if necessary, order the disclosure of the public document. Depending on the situation, I may summon the parties involved for questioning. That's all."

—The curtain of a great upheaval was raised.

"Summon Jarl."

Bal Morro, the Chancellor, was surprisingly calm.

Given his situation, this incident should have made him as anxious as Jarl, the Third Knight Captain.

However, the Chancellor was even impressed. "Well done, to hit this point."

The weaknesses he had anticipated for the First Prince faction were numerous scandals involving Klaus, the First Prince, and White, the First Princess, or the pursuit of the Aisine Duke's dissolution. Therefore, he had prepared countermeasures for these obvious "vital points."

But. The actual breakthrough was unexpectedly about the "suppression of the vigilante." He had never imagined they would attack from that angle.

"Who... is behind this..."

The Chancellor had seen through it.

This "too clever" approach was not the work of Minister Highry or Prince Mina, the Second Prince. It was a tricky and clever strategy that set him apart from previous opponents. He had a gut feeling that someone was hiding behind the scenes.

Then, who was it? The answer came to him in seconds.

"Is it that magician...!"

He judged by comparing the recent changes around the Second Prince. Second, the special temporary instructor of the First Court Magician Corps, was suspicious.

"Damn, we lack information."

A completely unexpected person had suddenly emerged. It was natural to have little information.

However, the Chancellor had regrets. He could have sent more spies to the Royal Magic Academy, even though it was a stronghold of one of the Second Prince faction's key figures, Paula Memento, to strengthen his information network. He could have released more dogs into the adventurer community. If he had wanted to, he could have obtained information on Second. But it was too late. Regrets come too late.

"Excuse me, I'm late."

"Jarl. Do you understand the matter?"

"Yes, it's about the plan to tamper with the document, isn't it?"

"If you understand, that's good. Act quickly and carefully. They are likely to have thorough surveillance."

"Yes, we can't be picky about the means."

"As long as it doesn't come to light, it's not a problem. Use whatever you need, and do it perfectly."

"Y-Yes, I understand."

A bead of sweat ran down Jarl's temple. His stomach had been in turmoil since this morning. But there was no turning back now.

"By the way, Jarl. Can you investigate the man who became the temporary instructor of the First Court Magician Corps?"

"The temporary instructor, you say?"

"Yes. There's a high possibility that this Second is involved in the current incident."

"What...!?"

Jarl showed a look of surprise and then suddenly realized.

He recognized the name Second.

"Chancellor, if it's that person, leave it to me."

"What? Have you already taken action?"

"Yes, I've sent one of my dogs into the corps."

"Well done!"

Here, the bad side of Jarl emerged. He jumped at the opportunity like a fish to water, falling into the trap set by Winfield. His motive was the impure desire to claim the credit for himself. He embodied the Third Knight Corps' way of "taking credit for the work of subordinates and presenting it as their own."

"Jarl. Let's turn this misfortune into a blessing. I'll leave the information gathering on him and the document to you. Depending on the situation..."

"Yes, leave it to me."

Their dirty smiles foreshadowed that they would be cornered even further, but that was a story for a little later.

Thank you for reading.