Chapter 292 : Chapter 292

Chapter 292. Academy Autumn Festival (3)

“Finally, ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍I can breathe.”

After briefly switching shifts with Serge, Armandy caught his breath.

At least it was a relief that someone as capable as Serge existed among those muscle monsters.

The Meteor Shower Knights were packed with nothing but rough, hulking brutes.

Lizardmen rampaged about wielding kitchen knives instead of swords.

Armandy simply could not entrust the chicken stall to people like them.

At a glance, they were all muscle and no brains.

Even if they had done some farming in Raviedel, running a business was a different matter entirely.

Orders and payments would inevitably get tangled.

‘Why did they only bring people like this?’

What was the point of cooking chicken if there was no one to sell it?

Just as Armandy was growing increasingly frustrated, someone appeared before him—

the vice commander of the Meteor Shower Knights.

The last hope of the Meteor Shower Knights.

Serge Sorte.

He said that he handled the knight order’s finances and accounting as well, and began taking orders beside Armandy.

“I ended up doing all sorts of things while cleaning up after what our commander started.”

When Armandy stared at him in surprise, Serge replied awkwardly.

In any case, his presence eased the pressure on Armandy.

He even told Armandy to go take a short break.

Serge showed no signs of fatigue at all.

A knight’s stamina really was on another level.

‘The Meteor Shower Knights…….’

Armandy knew that the Meteor Shower Knights were staying in Raviedel, the territory of the 8th Prince.

Whether it was merely a temporary contract for maintaining security or something more had been unclear……

Lost in thought, Armandy headed behind the tent.

‘Still, they are no ordinary knight order.’

Among the empire’s private knight orders, they were counted among the elite.

Even if they were frying chicken now, their true ability could not be ignored.

And yet such a group was staying in the 8th Prince’s territory.

Not only that, they were helping with the academy festival.

At this point, it meant they were not on merely ordinary terms with the 8th Prince.

Just then, a suspicious figure appeared before Armandy.

“Huff, huff.”

A man wearing a teddy bear costume.

It was Pirenzo, his colleague from the Ability Management Bureau.

Breathing heavily, Pirenzo pointed at his own head.

Armandy immediately understood what he wanted.

“You want me to cast Freezing Magic?”

Nod.

Armandy clicked his tongue.

“You mean inside that costume, right?”

Nod.

“Then stop doing such idiotic things. In this weather, what kind of cooking do you think you can do wearing that…….”

Sweat poured down, breathing was difficult, and children even ran up and kicked him as they passed.

No matter how much he was helping the 8th Prince, Armandy could not understand why Pirenzo, an academy professor, needed to hide his identity to this extent.

Yet Pirenzo merely pointed silently at Armandy.

The meaning was obvious.

‘Mind your own business.’

“……This bastard?”

Armandy glared at him as if ready to throw down.

His glasses flashed.

“No, I told you it is not like that!”

A shout rang out.

It was Beck Ardan, commander of the Meteor Shower Knights.

He was shouting forcefully at the 8th Prince.

To anyone watching, it looked as though the knight commander were threatening Radel.

At that sight, the expressions of Pirenzo and Armandy—both agents of the Ability Management Bureau—froze instantly.

Pirenzo had already drawn a throwing knife.

‘Do not interfere.’

Armandy grabbed Pirenzo’s arm and quietly shook his head.

They were, above all else, agents of the Ability Management Bureau.

They were cooperating with the 8th Prince by order of the Director, but they could not forget their duty.

Even if a member of the imperial family was in danger, they had to observe.

Yet even as he restrained Pirenzo, Armandy’s fist trembled.

‘Of course. There is no way the leader of a group like the Meteor Shower Knights—who cause trouble everywhere they go—would obediently follow the 8th Prince.’

He had even mistaken them for being on good terms with the 8th Prince.

‘What was I expecting?’

Had he truly hoped they would sincerely become the 8th Prince’s strength?

Armandy let out a bitter smile, then felt shocked at himself.

Was this not the reaction of someone genuinely worried about Radel?

“Hoo. I just wanted to say thank you. That is all.”

While Armandy was still reeling, the commander of the Meteor Shower Knights was laying bare his feelings to Radel.

As the commander spoke at length, the tension drained from Pirenzo’s arm.

Eventually, he even slipped the throwing knife away.

“I like my current life.”

Listening to the commander, Armandy realized that his initial assessment had been correct.

The Meteor Shower Knights truly were not on ordinary terms with the 8th Prince.

With complicated emotions, Armandy watched the scene unfold.

“Hey, Your Highness.”

Now the commander of the Meteor Shower Knights would pledge his loyalty directly……

“I am saying that I will support you now.”

And the 8th Prince would accept it.

Armandy’s eyes sank.

With this, the 8th Prince’s standing would rise.

That powerless prince would no longer be ignored as he once had been.

‘He will accept it. Of course he will.’

Yet the words that came from Radel’s mouth were completely unexpected.

“……Ah, that will not be necessary.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Radel added,

“I will pretend I did not hear that just now.”

‘What?’

Armandy’s jaw dropped in shock.

‘He rejected it?!’

It was the second shock he had received that day.

***

“You have been waiting a while, right?”

Armandy wore a complicated expression as he watched Radel appear at the chicken stall.

Even so, his hands continued working diligently.

“One order of boneless, seasoned chicken!”

After packaging the chicken, he quickly took the next order and shouted toward the tent where the frying was happening.

“Six half-and-half! Four plain!”

“As expected, you are good at this.”

Radel helped Armandy pack the chicken into small boxes.

With Radel joining in, the work sped up, but Armandy’s chest felt unbearably tight.

Unable to hold back any longer, Armandy finally asked,

“What did you talk about earlier?”

“Hm?”

After confirming that Serge was not nearby, Armandy lowered his voice.

“The commander of the Meteor Shower Knights.”

Radel grinned when he heard the question.

“So you saw it.”

“It was not intentional, but that is how it turned out.”

“How much did you see?”

“You do not need to know. Just tell me what you talked about.”

Armandy answered brazenly.

Radel, seeming amused, spoke.

“Why? Are you going to report it to the Director?”

Armandy fell silent.

Of course he intended to report it to his superiors.

But with Radel saying it so bluntly, he suddenly felt like a coward.

‘Wait, I am undercover at the academy. I am an Ability Management Bureau agent. This is my job.’

Cowardice, my foot.

This was why he had endured hardship and entered the academy as a student.

This was his duty.

To report the situation of the imperial family in detail to his superiors.

‘Do not waver, Armandy.’

And yet, he wavered again.

Because of what Radel said next, shrugging his shoulders.

“You will find out anyway. I saw your notebook earlier—there are a lot of Ability Management Bureau agents around here.”

“……Tch!”

Armandy nearly bit his tongue.

He had just realized that his agent notebook was still in Radel’s possession.

He was reminded of how this cursed life of servitude had begun in the first place.

His teeth ground together on their own.

Grit.

As Armandy clenched his teeth, Radel asked,

“What is wrong? Is it hard?”

“Do you really have to ask?”

“Leon is over there. If it is hard, look at Leon and cheer up.”

Armandy was speechless.

“What does the 9th Prince have to do with—!”

He was talking about the 9th Prince as though he were some decorative cat that lifted one’s spirits just by looking at him.

At Radel’s impertinent attitude, Armandy lost all words.

How had the noble 9th Prince ended up sharing a booth with such an undignified 8th Prince……!

There had to be some unavoidable reason, just like with himself.

As that thought crossed his mind, another question arose within Armandy.

“How exactly did you persuade the 9th Prince?”

“Hm?”

“You did not really proceed according to that secret…… friend plan or whatever, did you?”

“That is exactly what I did.”

Radel was sincere.

If it had not been the Secret Friend Operation, how else could he have opened Leon’s heart?

Seeing Radel’s confident expression, Armandy was dumbfounded.

No matter how he looked at him, Radel was someone whose thoughts could never be read.

Armandy gave up on questioning him and decided to just finish the work as quickly as possible.

“Hoo…… What is the point of me saying anything. More importantly, when do I get to rest?”

At that, Radel widened his eyes as if asking what he was talking about.

“Rest? What rest. Now we have to go to the Transmutation Magic booth.”

“What?”

Armandy felt as though he had been struck on the head.

“You have to go make iced coffee, do you not?”

Work here and then go straight there?

Armandy’s mind went blank.

He could already picture himself running between two booths all festival long, working like a slave.

That lunatic……!

It was the third shock Armandy had suffered in a single day.

***

After leaving the stall in Serge’s care, Radel stepped outside the integrated major booth.

He intended to visit other major booths as well.

Naturally, he was not going to enjoy himself.

‘It would be best to help the nearby booths first.’

From the start, he had planned to help the first-year major booths whenever he could.

Pasion, his senior with a double major, had said that during festivals, he rotated through his major booths one by one.

It was the way to survive without offending either of his professors.

Radel willingly decided to follow that approach.

It would not be easy, but as an integrated major, he resolved to visit every booth.

“Let me think…… was it this way?”

As Radel moved toward the next booth, a notification sound rang by his ear.

Ding.

[Beck Ardan’s Affinity has surpassed 20.]

[Beck Ardan’s Affinity has reached 40.]

It was a message indicating that the Meteor Shower Knights commander’s Affinity had increased.

‘It went up?’

He was certain he had spoken clearly earlier……

Radel recalled the conversation he had had with the knight commander.

***

“I will pretend I did not hear that just now.”

Beck Ardan’s expression stiffened.

With his pride thoroughly crushed, he barely managed to speak.

“Is the Meteor Shower Knights not good enough for you?”

“No.”

Radel shook his head.

“They are too much. Far more than I deserve.”

“If that is truly how you feel!”

Beck’s breathing grew rough.

“Then all the more, you should not say such things. Your Highness is making a mistake.”

Yet Radel’s eyes were calm.

“I believe I have told you before. What you must do when a problem arises.”

At those words, Beck recalled that night.

The night when everyone had gathered wearing masks.

‘If you truly wish to become my followers, remember one thing. Whenever a problem arises, you must abandon me without hesitation.’

The absurd words spoken by the prince before him were still vivid.

Just as calmly as he had back then, the prince said,

“The only thing I can give you is that freedom.”

To Beck, those words sounded like this:

You may leave at any time.

Even after the 8th Prince departed, Beck remained standing there.

Heh.

The corner of his mouth lifted.

“Right. So that is how it is.”

Once again, he felt a fire ignite in his heart.