Chapter 81

Viscountess Cecilia was smiling with her face and hands as white as snow.

There was no trace of murderous intent, not even a hint of breathing, but it was a sign of her intense anger.

Allen's remarks, which had been doubting his qualification since earlier, combined with the way she had just reported, seemed to have hit the mark of what this wife was most angry about.

I had anticipated that a sudden viscount family like ours, which had produced a Class A qualifier, would face strong opposition from the upper nobility, but I didn't expect it to be this hostile...

Belwood, who was a kappa even if he was mocked, sighed inwardly and tried to change the subject.

"This is just a bumpkin researcher who got a bit too cocky, ha ha ha! Of course, as long as I haven't achieved satisfactory results, I wouldn't dare to beg for additional research funds. Oh, by the way, you mentioned earlier that I had sullied the Avenir family. Could it be that Allen has done something impolite...?"

At this remark, Countess Avenir glared at Belwood.

"You're being awfully disingenuous. During the social events in the capital at the beginning of spring, you reported that your son was in danger of failing to qualify for Class E, but it turned out that he qualified for the Knight Course, ranking 4th in Class A, above our Perly. Moreover, on the first day of class, he thoroughly defeated our child in front of everyone and used her as a stepping stone. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Count Avenir hurriedly reprimanded his wife.

"Now, now. You should have received a report from Perly herself that it was due to her lack of skill. While there are parts of the Lovene family's preliminary report that I don't agree with, the mock battle itself was fair, and it's a samurai's way to accept defeat gracefully."

"Didn't you say this morning that you would expose the charlatan's true colors? I hear that Allen Lovene had clear signs of training specifically for spear combat, which wasn't even part of the entrance exam. Why would he receive such training? And it seems he has the favor of the young lady. It seems you had a very thorough plan, didn't you?"

With this sarcastic remark, Belwood stammered in response.

"Training for spear combat... I have no idea. It must be a mistake..."

The countess turned her face away, muttering, "Hmph, as disingenuous as ever."

"...You assigned Dione as Allen's escort to the capital, didn't you? Dione is quite capable. He must have given Allen some training on the way."

Cecilia, with her pale hands, calmly added, but the countess glared at her with a sarcastic smile.

"Is it really possible for a mere escort to provide such training that could humiliate a genius like our child, who is hailed as the Avenir family's greatest talent? It's as if talented people are falling from the sky. How envious!"

"Enough!

No matter the circumstances, a loss is a loss. Especially since the mock battle was overseen by the nation's hero, 'God's Godolphin.' There's no room for foul play. The more you complain, the more miserable Perly will become. That's enough."

Nicks, with a logical tone, reprimanded his wife, but it was futile to reason with a mother who was emotional about her child.

"Aren't you upset?!

You've seen with your own eyes how much effort that child has put into supporting the young lady! The child you've raised with your own hands, who has been practicing with a spear since the age of two, has won this glory...

And it has been tainted by a charlatan from the countryside, who has sullied the Avenir family's first glorious Class A qualification?"

The countess glared at her husband, tears in her eyes.

The atmosphere at the table was already at its worst.

And with a look that blamed everything on them, the Lovene couple was given a stern gaze.

But ignoring such an atmosphere, Duke Meria Dragoon, standing nearby, instructed a steward to fetch "the agricultural tax data of the Lovene territory for the past 15 years" and then asked Belwood with a smile.

"Belwood, according to my granddaughter's report, your son seems to have shown no interest in qualifying for Class A and even tried to transfer to Class E. Was this your instruction?"

"Huh?

Allen trying to transfer to Class E...

I'm sorry, but I leave all school matters to him, so I don't know. To be honest, he hasn't even sent a single letter since he qualified and moved into the dorm. I have no idea what's going on. Oh, what a headache."

Belwood scratched his head with a wry smile, genuinely perplexed.

"Hmm, but when it comes to qualifying for Class A at the Royal Academy, most families would go to great lengths to support their child, even if it means taking on temporary debt...

It seems the child himself isn't very attached to the school, and you, Belwood, don't seem particularly moved by your son's qualification?"

Meria's face was still smiling, but the light in his eyes was that of a predator sizing up its prey.

"No, no, qualifying for the Royal Academy has been the Lovene family's 700-year-old dream. I don't know about that lazy fellow, but I am genuinely delighted. It was a sudden event, and with rumors flying about our outstanding tutor, I've been busy dealing with it. ...By the way, you say the child isn't very attached to the school? Could Allen have done something?"

Belwood asked the duke cautiously, and the duke answered with a pleasant smile.

"Oh, there's no problem. His homeroom teacher is that old fart Godolphin, whom I went to the Royal Academy with. When he was suspected of cheating during the orientation, he apparently told the old fart, 'Did you think I would cling to the school and wag my tail? I will crush anyone who stands in my way, no matter who they are.'"

The table erupted in noise.

"Ridiculous!

Did he challenge the 'King's Dagger,' Godolphin von Vankish?!"

"He could destroy the entire family!"

"Your Grace!

If you leave such a dangerous boy unchecked, it could have a detrimental effect on the Dragoon family! You should summon him and make him understand his place!"

But the duke, still smiling, waved off the suggestion with his hand.

"Don't make a fuss over such a trivial matter. It's just a greeting for the child. There's more. Despite securing a place in the noble dormitory after being confirmed for Class A, he chose to stay in the general dormitory, known as the 'doghouse,' to hone himself, and all the Class A students were so impressed that they moved there too. He also founded a club called the Slope Club, which grew to over 100 members in just a month, and he is enthusiastically guiding them, including those older than him. I heard he manipulated the vice president of the Explorer's Association, 'Enemy of the Earth' vein hunter Satowa Fjord, to bend the rules and register as a G-rank explorer. I was in the capital until recently, and there wasn't a day when I didn't hear his name. The Dragoon intelligence department, along with the kingdom's information agencies, are in a frenzy trying to figure out who he is. Isn't it amusing?"

Meria's face was still smiling, but his eyes were not.

"What is that boy up to..."

Belwood face-planted on the table, but Cecilia smiled. The color had returned to her face and hands.

"Viscountess Lovene, aren't you surprised? Isn't it unexpected?"

Meria leaned in, looking closely at Viscountess Cecilia's face.

"No, Your Grace.

I am somewhat surprised. But—"

Cecilia looked straight into the duke's eyes.

"Is there a parent who isn't happy with their child's growth?"

Cecilia smiled, her lips parting like a young girl's.