Chapter – 41
The Duke continued speaking.
“Saint Paula’s bird was an artificial magical beast created by using the traits of a corruption-type magical beast as the base. There is someone inside the church who is making those things. I haven’t identified them yet, but I will soon. If you had entered the church, it would have been easier to find, but that’s no longer possible.”
To explain, it was an artificial magical beast made by mimicking a bird similar to Saint Paula’s bird.
That beast was infected by a corruption-type magical beast, which caused the chaos.
“I had expected that much. But there was one thing I didn’t foresee. The corruption-type magical beasts disappeared all at once before Gartla arrived. Why do you think that happened?”
“Maybe the corruption-type magical beast was just unlucky.”
The Duke fell silent for a moment. It was a warning silence, but Ilyx didn’t mind.
“I suspect you and your senior.”
“Are you saying we solved that problem by ourselves?”
“Yes.”
“No, we didn’t.”
Ilyx raised his hand.
“I am just an ordinary academy student. I don’t know magic or swordsmanship. I don’t have any hidden power either.”
“But you have sacred aptitude. Aether, right?”
“I may have the aptitude, but I don’t know how to use it.”
The Duke stared at Ilyx silently for a moment. But Ilyx ignored it.
“Your senior is gone too?”
“Yes. My senior is also just a normal student.”
Ilyx decided to lie down mentally. Whatever. Father won’t find out. It was true that his senior possessed Aether, but judging from how darkly the church had failed to notice, even Laugin must not have known. How it was hidden so well, Ilyx had no idea.
“Are you really unrelated to your senior regarding this matter?”
“Yes.”
“Then why is he beside you?”
“I saw him in my dream.”
“You expect me to believe that nonsense?”
“What can I do? It’s the truth. Believe it or not is up to you, Father.”
“Then is he still beside you because of that dream?”
“It’s because he’s a friend.”
“So, he’s beside you because he likes you?”
“Yes.”
Or what else could it be?
Indeed, even the father couldn’t find it out.
“Ilyx.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I will investigate your senior. Very carefully. Thoroughly.”
“Yes, thank you for your effort.”
“You might discover something you don’t know. Something unpleasant. Something quite disappointing.”
The Duke’s eyes stared straight at Ilyx. They were eyes that reminded one of a fierce predatory bird. But Ilyx met his gaze calmly.
“Answer honestly, Ilyx.”
“I am doing so.”
“Don’t joke.”
“You simply don’t believe me, Father.”
The Duke said softly,
“Stop trying to amuse me, Ilyx. You never had many friends at school. Until last semester. That was only two months ago.”
“I did have them. It’s just that Father failed to find them.”
“I have watched everything about you.”
“Not everything, I think.”
The father was still smiling, but his eyes were frozen.
“Where is he from?”
“We don’t ask about each other’s private lives.”
“You aren’t curious?”
“Yes.”
“But I am very curious. Very much so.”
“Well, yes. I see.”
Ilyx remained unmoved. He was still holding up well. He was used to this situation.
“If you plan to harm, threaten, or try to persuade my senior, please tell me first.”
“And what would you do if I did?”
“I will protect him.”
“What?”
The Duke let out a hollow laugh.
“What if your senior is a dangerous person? What if he is a traitor or a spy like the ones who died before?”
“What does it matter? We are friends.”
“He might not think the same way.”
“No, he does.”
Surprisingly, the Duke’s eyes softened slightly. Unexpectedly, that statement made him relax a little. It was an unusual situation, so Ilyx had to focus a bit.
“You must be very close.”
“Yes.”
“So close, yet why didn’t I know?”
“You should reconsider thinking you know everything about me, Father. What you lack, what can I do about it?”
In the end, the Duke could not endure any longer and stood up. Ilyx asked while still seated.
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes.”
The Duke took a moment to steady his breathing before speaking.
“Right now, I don’t think I can go any further. Because I don’t know anything about your friend. So let’s talk again later. I hope there will be something to talk about next time—whether it’s you or me.”
“Understood. But before that, there is something Father must do.”
“Very well. Speak.”
Ilyx stretched out his hand.
“Please give me 5 kalan.”
“What do you need that little money for?”
It was a trivial amount. For both the Duke and Ilyx, hundreds of times that amount would accumulate in their accounts in just five seconds of breathing.
“I borrowed it from my senior. I have to repay it.”
“Why did you borrow it?”
“I needed to buy clothes.”
The Duke’s eyes turned toward the worn clothes Ilyx was wearing. The garment looked like it had changed owners five times, and some of those owners must have been rough with it.
“That?”
“Yes.”
“You borrowed money just to buy that?”
“Even something as insignificant as this isn’t free.”
Another silence followed. The Duke’s gaze could intimidate even a rebellious legion into polishing their character in one second, but not Ilyx. If stone were diamond, the hammer striking it would only become more dangerous.
In the end, the Duke gave up first.
“Fine. I’ll give it to you.”
When the Duke knocked on the door, it opened, and one of his aides peeked in.
“What is it, Your Grace?”
After a brief exchange, the aide opened his wallet and handed over the money. The father took it and gave it to Ilyx.
“One thousand kalan. First pay back your debt, and spend the rest on dinner. Make sure it’s something delicious and ridiculously expensive.”
“Yes, I will do exactly that.”
Ilyx folded the stack of bills and put it in his front pocket.
“I cleaned up the house you stayed in last time. I felt uneasy continuing to use a house that was turned into a sea of blood.”
It was finally time for Ilyx to become tense.
“You mean I should move into the mansion?”
“Of course not. Living in the same house as you is uncomfortable for me as well, no matter how large it is.”
The tension immediately disappeared.
Ah, then it didn’t matter what he said next.
“I just found a new place. I gave the address to Zephyr, so follow him. And for the time being, I will contact you through Zephyr.”
“Until when?”
“As long as necessary.”
“Can I change it?”
“Do you dislike Zephyr?”
“Zephyr will probably dislike me too.”
“Understood. Whatever. Next, I will assign Maimon as your escort. Of course, not as a personal attendant. The child doesn’t know how to do such things. I will send a list of candidates for attendants separately, so choose whoever you like.”
Ilyx looked at his father. For a while they looked up and down at each other.
“Do you dislike Maimon?”
“Yes.”
“Even if you dislike them, stay with them. Originally, they were supposed to help you after you entered the church. And Zephyr as well. Since you didn’t go, both of them have been idle for a few months, so please take care of them.”
It was a pity that Zephyr couldn’t be made to suffer, and it was fortunate that Maimon didn’t have to suffer.
“I will accept that.”
Maimon was kind anyway, so he could just endure it, and Zephyr would dislike Ilyx as much as Ilyx disliked him, so it was fair.
The Duke patted Ilyx’s shoulder once and left.
A moment later, the sound of the door closing came from behind.
Thud—
“Is the conversation finished?”
The vice-principal Poras entered and asked. Ilyx stood up from the couch.
“Thank you for arranging the room, Vice Principal.”
The vice-principal smiled gently.
“His Highness is one of the school’s sponsors. He sends many excellent students to this school. His visit is always welcome.”
Ilyx bowed politely and left the room.
Passing through the academic administration office, he went outside and saw his senior.
The senior was standing in front of the window, looking outside. Fortunately, the Aether had calmed down. The venomous snake noticed Ilyx first and turned its head sharply. Its wings rose and its tongue flickered rapidly. If one ignored the pool of deadly poison filling it, it was truly a beautiful snake.
The senior turned his head.
“Done?”
“Done? More like it just started.”
Ilyx held up the paper he had just received from the academic office.
“What is that?”
“The senior student record you saw earlier.”
“Oh, why did you bring that?”
“It’s not anything special enough to bother carrying. No, it’s mediocre.”
“……”
“But still, even if it’s nothing special, I should at least take the copy they give every semester.”
Ilyx looked at the record.
It was a very diligent and unremarkable record. The grades were average, there were no special talents or extracurricular activities. Just attending school, taking only the courses required for graduation.
Then Ilyx’s eyes stopped on Elphini’s birth date.
“We’re one year apart.”
