Published at 6th of February 2020 9:55 pm

Chapter 69: Quickening / Fomenting Trouble.

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

“Wh-What……did you do……? “

“Nothing special. I told you, remember? For a mage, if you don’t do at least this much damage, then it’s useless.”

“…………”

　They were speechless. After all, they didn’t think there was much merit in raising all the 【Magic】 skills evenly. Then, after noticing how strong a real mage is, they realized that they, Court Mages, couldn’t even be truly called Mages.

“My First, Second, and Third Form spells from the four major attributes are all Grade nine. The Fourth Form ones, all are fifth Class. As for the Lightning Attribute, the First, Second, and Third Form are at Grade nine, Fourth Form is at Grade seven, and Fifth Form is at Grade one. This alone increases the power of the First Form spell this much.”

　I spoke after showing them a clear picture. There’s nothing more persuasive than this, and everyone silently listened to my words.

“You all too will raise the First Form from all attributes to Grade nine. This is your top priority.”

“……With that, how much will the damage go up? “

“Generally, it’s about 1.5 times. If the Second Form catches up, then two times. And if you also raise the Third Form, it’s thrice as much.”

“That’s certainly…… a lot.”

　I must’ve convinced them. Forgetting her usual attitude, Sherry-chan had a bitter expression with her arms folded.

“Speaking of which, some of you might’ve been taught not to learn your weak attribute. If any of you haven’t acquired the First Form, come to me later with the Grimoire and I’ll teach you a little trick.”

　After giving out those instructions, all the Court Mages answered “YES”. Their voices were a little disjointed, but still, this was huge progress considering I was being ignored up until the middle of today.

“And so. What’s needed to raise the skills to Grade nine quickly? Do you know? “

“Experience training, is it?”

“Correct.”

　Captain Zephyr was the one who answered my question, although with a sour face. Why would he make that face for something like earning experience points? Perhaps he knows what a “Quick Growth Method” is, but isn’t sure if it would work out well with this many people. Well, to solve the problems posed by danger, budget and motivation, I guess it’s too much for the Captain alone.

　However……this time, it will probably work out. Knowing that they can do that much damage if they try hard, will definitely get them motivated. That’s what online games were all about. The lower players move while motivated by the higher players. And once you find the “trick” to it, all that remains is to work hard at it.

“There should be no serious danger if you follow my instructions. I’ll talk to Maine about the budget.” And looking at the current them, motivation should be no issue. “All that’s left is to do it.”

　Everyone was itching to start. In their mind was, ‘if it’s the First Form, we should be able to raise it without much issue’. And that with nothing but some effort, they too would be able to attain “that damage” with ease. They’re simple people.

　They can’t help but to long for that vivid picture still fresh in their minds. Just like when I was a beginner and decided to aim for the top of the world, they too wanted to reach that point where their spell would do that damage themselves. And the method to attain that would be given to them free of charge. There was no way any of them wouldn’t reach out.

“Ideally, the First Form of the four major attributes should be raised to Grade nine. That way, you’ll be able to use a Magic Curtain on the battlefield. Each and every shot of your First Form spells will be twice as strong as those of the enemy, raining down on them like angry hornets. How’s that sound?　The First Royal Court Magician Division will become the elite of the elite. Nobody would get close to you. Nobody will challenge you. Bows and arrows will mean nothing against you. And thanks to you, all the existing war tactics will have to be made anew.”

　That speech was a bit exaggerated. However, the effect was outstanding. It was enough to make the Court Mages temporarily forget things such as their pride and social status, and place his or her expectations on me, thinking “This teacher might be telling the truth”.

“This is an unprecedented challenge. But, would you like to face it? “

　At my final push, Captain Zephyr nodded wearing an expression filled with determination.

“Then, this is it for today’s lecture. Wait for further news.”

　　＊　＊　＊

“Those bastards of the Vinz Newspaper! “

　Djarum, the leader of the Third Knight Order, was seething with anger, alone in his office.

　Slamming the morning paper on the desk, he swung down his fist on it several times. His whole body trembled as his complexion changed from red, to blue, and then to purple.

　Why was he so angry? It was because of the undeniable facts that were written in the newspaper.

　If everything were to come to light, it would be a situation that would not end with just the First Knight Order, but also the Prime Minister and the First Prince, not to mention himself. That’s why now that it has started to come to light, he couldn’t help being mad.

　Tearing down the newspaper, punching the desk, throwing stuff around and stepping down on them; no matter what he did, the anger didn’t stop. Thus, as a result of his rampage, after a while, the office was devastated as if a storm had passed through.

　One of his subordinates then came to see him in such a room. But after taking a glance at the messy room, he opened his mouth with a face of “I’m just a messenger”.

“Captain Djarum. His Majesty is calling for you.”

“What did you say! ? “

　――Sooner than he expected!　Djarum immediately forgot his anger, and in turn, he became extremely agitated.

　Most likely, he would be asked to explain this issue before the king. The subject of the answer would be handled by the First Knight Order, but the Third Knight Order was assigned to handle the official documents after all. And if the investigation goes deeper, it’s certain that he will be requested to disclose the official documents.

“……I’ll be there immediately.”

　Answering to his subordinate, Djarum then frantically started to think.

　He had to somehow earn some time. The reason being.

“If I don’t tamper with these documents quickly……! “

　The official documents on the agreement between the R6 and the Second and Third Knight Orders had not been touched yet.

　If the Second Prince faction confirms the contents of the official documents before they are falsified, then the First Prince faction will be in a predicament. And, at the very least, Djarum, as the captain of the Third Knight Order, will be held accountable. And in the worst-case scenario, just like a lizard’s tail, he will be cut off.

　This was something he wanted to avoid at all costs. With all this in his heart, Djarum answered the King’s call.

“As for the reason why I’ve called you all here at this time. It’s about the front page’s article of this morning’s Vinz Newspaper. Do you have something to say about this, Prime Minister?”

　Five people were gathered in front of King Barwell: Prime Minister Val Morrow, Minister Hairai, First Knight Order Captain First Prince Klaus, Second Knight Order Captain Memphis, and Third Knight Order Captain Djarum.

　Before disclosing the story to the public, the idea was to confirm the facts with those involved.

“Yeah. This is a completely rootless story. Honestly, it’s bothersome.”

“Is that so? How about you, Klaus?”

“There wasn’t a breach of agreement, Father. After all, suppressing the rebels is something that doesn’t require an agreement to be made in the first place. Why did this story of an agreement come out after all this time? ……This is something I fail to understand.”

　Klaus declared in a dignified form, “I didn’t even know of the existence of a ceasefire agreement”. However, two people thought those were “barefaced lies”. They were Minister Hairai, and the Captain of the Second Knight Order, Memphis.

“What do you think, Memphis?”

“Yes. For the fact that there was an agreement made, I wasn’t informed of such at that moment. I will commit myself to a thorough investigation within the Second Knight Order as soon as possible.”

　Memphis was convinced there was something being hidden. He basically said, “There was a violation of the agreement I wasn’t informed of”. However, there was not enough evidence.

　The Second Knight Order was the standing army, so to speak. And Memphis was a patriot by nature, a soldier who couldn’t stand to sit idly and wiggle his tail to the Empire. In other words, he was with the Second Prince faction. That’s why he had always worked hard to acquire information on the illegal activities the First Prince faction might be part of, but they were wary of him so it was hard to grasp their tails.

　And then, at this time, a chance had finally appeared in the form of such a scandal. There was no way he would let this chance slip by. He decided it was necessary to move carefully, without rushing, and properly collect any evidence.

“And you, Djarum?”

“Y-Yes. This was a story that truly came out of the blue for me. To my perception, while I was having problems with the suppression using the Second Knight and Third Knight Orders, we were only able to reach a prompt resolution only with the help of the First Knight Order. That’s what I remember. Yeah.”

　Djarum, the captain of the Third Knight Order, decided to deny it. And to continue denying it to the bitter end, in order to extend the time he had to disclose the official documents. All the while, his brain was working on ways he could tamper the documents with.

“Hairai.”

“Yes. Gentlemen, I can tell with certainty just by looking at your complexions. There was indeed a violation of the agreement.”

“What did you say!　Hairai, you bastard, are you taking us for fools!? “

　The Prime Minister was the one who shouted at the Minister.

“Wait. Hairai, tell me why you think so.”

“If I were in the shoes of the suspected party, I myself would propose to disclose the official documents related to the suppression of the bandit group in order to prove my innocence. However, nobody has mentioned this. It’s almost like saying there are facts in the official documents that shouldn’t be seen. It’s just a simple reasoning.”

“I see, the official documents, huh?”

　Barwell whispered to himself as if convinced. Seeing this situation, the Prime Minister frowned, while Djarum’s face went completely pale. The Minister then began to talk as if pushing forward the subject.

“If the violation of this agreement is indeed true, it will become a crisis in the Knight Orders, and thus, to the national politics. A thorough revision is needed. If the genocide of these people was carried under the pretense of repressing rebels, this could spell, in the worst-case scenario, the collapse of the country. If there were such outrageous and wicked people like these, they must not take part in the politics of our Castall Kingdom.”

“Why do you call that a genocide!?　Suppressing the rebels is a natural thing to do! “

“Were you aware, Prime Minister? Currently, crimes such as theft and robbery are common problems near the slums of this royal capital, Vinceton. Now that the R6 bandits, which up until now had been a deterrent, have disappeared, the number of small scoundrels has increased, and thus the security has greatly deteriorated. As a result of this, with things going as they are, vulgar criminal groups are starting to appear more and more in the capital. But, since the suppression of the R6, no other suppression team has been assembled. Is this negligence? “

“……Obviously, I’m aware of that. However, the truth is, that will never end. After a while, we’ll do a roundup of the criminals. Still, there’s no reason to call that genocide. I’d like an apology.”

“Let’s speak honestly. I’m concerned that the bandits from the R6 might have been suppressed because they were in your way, ‘politically’ speaking. The R6 was supported by the populace. They were particularly supported by those who opposed making a compromise with the Empire. Since, as commerce with the Empire deepens, the gap between the poor and the rich would become more widespread.”

“Those are completely baseless accusations!　Nothing less than rubbish!　That’s not something people in our position should be uttering!　Aren’t you ashamed to say such nonsense before the King!? “

“Let me say the same to you, aren’t you ashamed of such an unsightly display?　It’s almost like you’re confessing.”

“How dare you, bastard! ! “

“Can you two, stop?”

　One phrase from Barwell was enough to quiet down the raging Prime Minister and the opposing minister speaking calmly. These two immediately shut their mouths and bowed down.

　And then, as if to give his judgment, Barwell broke the silence.

“It looks like this might not be just a made-up story. After each of you investigate this issue, I want a detailed report. I’ll go through it and, if needed, will order the disclosure of the official documents. If that’s the case, I shall summon the concerned parties. That’s all.”

　――And like that, the curtain of this great turbulence came down.

————

————

“Call Djarum.”

　The Prime Minister, Val Morrow was extremely calm.

　Given the circumstances in which he was placed, the uproar this time was a matter concerning the Captain of the Third Knight Order, Djarum.

　However, even the Prime Minister was impressed. “They did great to poke their nose this far” ―― He thought.

　He had anticipated some shortcomings in the First Prince faction, but those were some scandals related to Prince Klaus, and Queen White, as well as the persecution and decimation of Duchess Icene, which he identified as a particularly “critical point”. Therefore, countermeasures for those scenarios had been established.

　But. The actual breakthrough came surprisingly because of the “Suppression of the righteous bandits”. He never expected the weak link would be that issue.

　However, if they were to poke around too deeply…… that could become a considerable key point. With just a single poke, if he were to be careless about it, everything he had worked for so far could go up in smoke.

“……Just, who in the world are you……?”

　The Prime Minister had been seen through.

　And this way of doing things was too clever for it to be the work of Minister Hairai or the Second Prince Maine. A tricky and clever scheme that set it far apart from his political opponents of the past. He had sensed someone lurking behind the scenes.

　But who was that person? The answer to his question was answered in less than a few seconds.

“That mage……!? “

　He came to the conclusion that the most recent changes occurred around that time with the Second Prince. A man named Second, appointed as a temporary lecturer for the First Royal Court Magician Division. The timing was suspiciously perfect.

“Tch, I don’t have enough information.”

　A person completely out of his radar had suddenly appeared. Therefore, it was just natural that his information on him was lacking.

　Still, the Prime Minister lamented. Although it was the stronghold of Paula Memento, one of the more prominent figures supporting the Second Prince, he could send some spies to the Royal Magic Academy to widen his information network, and he was also able to release some sniffing dogs among the adventurer community. Therefore, so long as he wanted to obtain information about that person called Second, he could. However, it was late now. He lamented he couldn’t do so sooner.

————

“Pardon me. Sorry, it took me this long.”

“Djarum, huh? You know why I called you? “

“Yes. It’s about altering ‘that’, correct?”

“It’s great that you follow. It needs to be done fast and carefully. It’s likely the other side will keep a watchful eye.”

“Yeah. In that case, there aren’t too many options.”

“So long as no traces are left, it should be okay. I don’t care what method you use; it just needs to be perfect.”

“U-understood.”

　A drop of sweat came down Djarum’s temple. His stomach had been hurting ever since this morning. But there was no turning back now.

“By the way, Djarum. Could you look up information about that man who became the lecturer for the First Royal Court Magician Division the other day? “

“The temporary lecturer? “

“Yeah. There’s a high possibility that this person called Second might be involved.”

“What……! ? “

　After showing a surprised face, Djarum was then immediately relieved.

　He was familiar with that name.

“……Mister Prime Minister. If it’s about that person, leave it to me.”

“What?　Were you already working on it? “

“Yes. I have one of my Order’s dogs on him.”

“I’m impressed! “

　Here, the bad habit of the man called Djarum came to light. He just jumped straight into the trap that Windfield had set to him. His motivations were also impure, of wanting to show off “I can do this all on my own”. It embodied the core ‘values’ of the Third Knight Order of “Looking down on others as excellent people by taking the credit of their subordinates”.

“Hey, Djarum. Isn’t this a great opportunity to lay a trap? I leave to you gathering information about that man, in addition to dealing with the documents. If everything goes according to plan……”

“Yes, just leave it to me.”

　It was still further ahead the time when these scheming smiles would turn into cornered wails.

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