Published at 5th of December 2025 8:02 pm

Chapter 196

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Its over?

As I left the detention center, an unmistakable hollow voice rang out.

Turning, I saw the Crown Prince holding a liquor crate, waiting with only one attendant. The attendant bowed politely upon seeing me and warped away.

It was truly touching. The professor doesnt even know youre my disciple, yet you spent a whole hour visiting.

You think youre in a position to say that?

Not even calling me Your Highnessthat stings.

She slowly approached, close enough to feel her presence.

I may have used your professor, but as the dear homeroom teacher of my beloved cousin, I thought hed be useful, so I asked for his blood as a bonus. Good thing I did.

Shes talking about blood.

I sneered and asked,

Good thing?

Who knew such a big fish was buried in there? If I hadnt used Johannes Ron, I wouldnt have met you.

Her gaze pierced me. Thats the right word.

Her eyes fixated on mine so obsessively, it felt like she was studying the shape of my irises.

As my patience waned, she turned her head and said,

Dont be so prickly. The professor will live peacefully beyond his natural lifespan without issues. If he runs out of money, the imperial family will provide. If he needs attendants, a carriage, or a house, well supply them. If he needs the best treatment, hell receive it under the Hohenzollern name for life.

Dont believe me? He lent me a week, so Ill repay him more. Once I release those used by me, I never let them live poorly.

Funny conviction.

Isnt it the duty of a monarch to reward a subject who gave everything with utmost devotion?

She turned to me with a radiant smile.

In that sense, maybe Your Excellency should consider it.

My answer is a flat no. If youre just wasting time like this, Ill leave.

In a hurry, are we?

Her tone shifted again.

She slightly blocked my path.

I called you to apologize. I have something that might help you.

Something Ive never shown anyone in my lifedoes that pique your interest?

When I just stared without answering, she gave a gentle smile, stood beside me, and grabbed my elbow.

Were warping. I promise its not dangerous.

She waited for my consent.

Anyway, Leo and I had already planned. If anything went wrong, hed follow immediately.

If that didnt work, Id rewind time.

Lets go.

I closed my eyes, and a cool breeze brushed my face.

A forest?

The air carried a fresh, woody scent.

I slowly opened my eyes.

Not exactly a forest, but a park with many trees. It felt untouched by humans for a long time. Even now

No, theres one.

Just as I thought no one was here, I saw someone leaning against a gas lamp, lying down. Their attire was nearly that of a beggar.

The Crown Prince, unbothered by their appearance, approached.

Daniel.

Long time no see.

She sat before him and waved her hand, prompting the beggar to react.

Mmm.

Wake up.

Uh, its been a while. Elise?

She didnt respond.

Instead, the beggar kept babbling.

Good to see you. Guess what I saw yesterday? A kobold ate my leg. We need to exterminate these damn monsters.

Whats he talking about? Is he not quite right in the head?

The Crown Prince, used to it, smiled gently.

A kobold? Thats just a fairy from folktales, Daniel. Time to wake from your dream.

She took out the liquor shed brought and poured it into his mouth without hesitation.

Cough!

He choked, sat up, and coughed violently.

Astonishingly, his eyes cleared, and he looked at us with regained clarity.

Hm, thats it. Elise, long time.

Whats thats it?

Haha, looks like youre finally seeing the world clearly.

Yeah. Still, my stance on exterminating kobolds hasnt changed. Theyre in my ears, gnawing at my brain.

Wasnt it your leg earlier?

I realized by now.

Its not just sleep-talking. This mans mentally unwell.

The beggar nodded at me.

Whos that?

My friend.

Friend? Dont be a nuisance. That young man doesnt think of you that way.

Daniel scolded her.

Knowing his mental state, the Crown Prince just smiled softly, no matter what he said.

So, whyre you here at this hour?

Its almost morning. Dont beggars wake early to beg?

You provide for me daily, so why would I?

Hahaha. Glad youre doing well.

She laughed, then pointed at me.

Actually, Id like you to tell me about this friend. Focus on what he doesnt know.

Huh? No way. If thats the case, you get out.

I nearly let out a hollow laugh at his blunt refusal.

I held back for courtesy, but the Crown Prince laughed freely.

Oh, I have to leave for you to talk?

Yeah. Or tell your story in front of him.

Hm, not bad. I want to be lifelong friends with Sir Ernst, so Ill take this loss.

She looked at me and said,

Alright. One more sip first.

She silently poured liquor into his mouth.

It shouldve been annoying, but her calm expression and practiced movements suggested shed done this often.

The beggar gulped it down, looking at her with slightly sharper eyes.

Youve piled up more karma since we last met.

Karma, huh.

You and your kin are no different from Herod. My head hurts from the wailing, so tone it down.

Quite the insult. But historically, he was a great king, so Ill take it as praise.

Lend me that slick tongue. If I argued with it, Id live long with a sound mind.

Instead of responding to his nonsense, she looked down at him quietly.

Daniel chuckled and spoke.

This talk means little to us, so lets discuss something that young man might like. Humans are a synthesis of finite and infinite, temporal and eternal, freedom and necessity.

Picked up Sorens phrases somewhere new?

Youre not going to dig through books for it. What you need isnt his work. He wrote that about human selfhood, but judging from another level

He wagged his finger, eyes darting, then fixed on the Crown Princes.

The finite, infinite, temporal, eternal, free, and necessary being is none other than you.

Haha

Chance made you so. Havent I always said? Elise, why do you keep me as an advisor?

For providence.

She murmured with a faint smile.

For providence, as you just said.

Even if it didnt start by your will, isnt it time to move? You know the master has appeared.

Maybe.

She stepped back, as if done listening.

Thats enough, Daniel. The one beside me doesnt know himself, so tell me more about him.

No. Unless you turn back the calndar, I wont give you a grain of rice.

She silently poured more liquor. He jolted up, coughing harshly, then looked at us with a satisfied expression.

Yet he still didnt speak. It was a maddening scene, but she seemed used to it.

Half-jokingly, she smiled at me.

Ill be stuck here forever if I stay. Ill step out, so call me when youre done.

She cleanly vanished from the space.

The beggar hiccuped, as if breathing wrong.

I said nothing, but he spoke as if reading my thoughts.

Dont worry. I forget everything after this. I dont spill secrets, especially of those who owe me.

I was considering rewinding time, thinking he might read something and pass it to the Crown Prince.

I didnt say it, yet he answered precisely.

Not just a beggar.

The Crown Prince keeps him close deliberately.

His words must be worth hearing.

Even if, like earlier, theyre cryptic.

Codes can be deciphered, and I partly understood his earlier cryptic talk about the Crown Prince.

Anyway, nothing to lose.

I knelt on one knee to meet his gaze.

Instantly, he burst into wild laughter.

Hahahaha!

What?

No, its just obvious. You really didnt want to be Rosalind?

Rosalind?

Why here?

I stared at him.

You were supposed to play Orlando, right? But I say youre finally in the right role. You came to live as Rosalind. You must live as her.

A chill ran down my neck.

I stared into his hazy eyes without blinking.

Youre ready for it, arent you?

As expected.

No wonder Abraham keeps him around.

Hes not talking about a play.

Hes talking about why I had to come to this world.

Or are you still far off? Doesnt matter. You have no choice.

I stayed silent.

It felt like a blow to the head, and I couldnt voice my questions. Even expecting he wasnt ordinary, knowing I came from another world was shocking.

But soon, my lips curved upward. I dont know where she found and hid this guy, but this is a rare opportunity.

Even if I dont understand the information now, hearing it ensures I can use it when needed.

Besides, why should you, already Abel, become Orlando? Youre already yourself. Brothers killing brotherswhat a play theyve staged for centuries. If the ending had Abels blood crying to the heavens, people wouldve recoiled, but they all live happily, as they like, dont they? This is a rotten play. The Abel before me is walking through hell, and life doesnt wrap up with love like a Shakespeare comedy.

Abel.

The Genesis figure killed by his brother Cains jealousy. Contextually, its closer to Lucas story.

Now hes talking about Luca, not me.

Is my brother Cain?

I dont know your brother. But I know your blood seeps deep into the earth, crying innocence.

Thats not my blood.

Only God knows. Im sleepy. As you heard, half my brains gone

Whys he on about brains again?

Even if it sounds like nonsense, I cant end the conversation. I grabbed the liquor bottle and asked,

Want some?

Oh, yes, yes. Good.

He took it with trembling hands and guzzled.

Each drink seemed to clear his mind, not intoxicate him.

He opened his eyes sharply and shrugged.

Whatll you do? Our Almighty Father wont cast Cain out of Eden, even if he kills his brother. Whyd you make that choice?

What choice did I make?

He ignored my question, rambling on.

It sounded like that.

Cain was permitted to live in Eden by God. But these Shakespeare characters solve everything in Arden Forest! As if Cain doesnt matter, whatevers in that forest resolves all conflictsis that Yahweh and Shakespeares will? Im no sage, but you know.

He closed his eyes, lost in thought, then opened them as the wind blew.

The worlds a stage, and all humans merely players. They have their exits and entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts.

And youve lived as all humans. So now, more than any character, you must become Rosalind. You have to.

I dont see how that relates to why Im here.

Be Rosalind.

In what sense?

The comedic romance protagonist? Ive done that countless times in reality.

Since my late teens, my career was filled with it. Whether I wanted it or not, my life and job were acting out emotions the world deemed most valuable, though they meant nothing to me.

As he says, in the 21st century, I was never *not* Rosalind.

And now I must become her?

Youre already prepared.

He stared at me intently.

He hadnt answered a single question, just spouting his own thoughts.

You may want it or not, know it or notit doesnt matter anymore. Want to know why?

Caesareas around the corner. Enjoy the trip.

A kindly smile spread across his face.

Then, his head dropped, as if powered off, losing consciousness.

I slowly stood.

Cryptic, isnt it?

The Crown Princes voice.

A gift I cant give again, so treasure it.

Whered you find him?

Long ago. I heard of a lunatic spouting creepy nonsense in southern Prussia, so I went to see

She laughed, gazing into the air as if recalling the past.

And found this gem. If you decipher it well, itll be useful. Hes led me to victory so far, but his sparks fading, or something. To think hed let Sir Nicolaus hold his life.

If deciphered well, its useful.

I agree.

Following the catacombs and my bouquets message, now Ive got this to decode.

She grabbed my arm and continued.

By the way, itd be nice to know what you heard.

No need to respond.

I nodded to move, and she warped us.

The scene before me was the street near the prosecution. A cold winter breeze blew.

Releasing my arm, she looked at the dawn sky and said,

You must be satisfied with how it turned out. You killed the Chairman, returned the professor to normal life, crushed Primrose Path Your standing as Nicolaus is stronger than before.

Fixing her gaze on me, she smiled.

I lost this time.

So, todays gift is for living peacefully going forward.

Peace, huh.

Didnt I give you my information? Well, its only useful if you can decipher his words.

I just smiled, saying nothing.

She seemed done detaining me, checking the skys color before speaking.

Its quite late.

Unlike before, she gave a clean, smiling farewell.

See you later, Sir Ernst.

***

Three hours later, I arrived at school.

You look super sleepy, Lucas~

Narce said, seating me.

No wonder I look sleepy.

I dont know how many nights Ive pulled.

Plus, Id grown used to no morning classes, so being called at 8 a.m. wasnt exactly familiar.

Still, I know why they called us this early.

I smiled, looking at our classs interim homeroom professor.

As the professor gave various announcements and wrapped up the morning assembly, he smiled, surveying the students.

Everyone, good news. The 2nd-year Magic Department Class 2 professor will return this Friday, the day of the third exam.

Huh?

The professor? Wasnt he on leave?

The students eyes widened. They didnt know about his detention, but all regretted his sudden, unannounced departure.

Seeing the positive response, the professor raised his voice.

With the professor returning, morning classes will normalize after the third exam. Great, right?

That wasnt great, as the students didnt respond.

But the professors return brightened everyones faces. The scene showed how much our homeroom professor cared for us.

The interim professor answered trivial student questions and ended with a reminder.

Only four days remain to practice for the third exam. Manage your condition, maintain teamwork, and train your best.

Professor, whats the third exam like?

I cant tell you that, haha. But you dont need to feel pressured.

No student felt pressured.

After facing surprise scenarios like a train station and the Alps in the second exam, we were confident we wouldnt flinch at any field.

As you know, after the third exam, the final qualifiers and teams will be announced. With the professor returning on exam day, shouldnt our Class 2 proudly claim the top team spot?

The students faces grew serious. A gulp echoed somewhere.

It was truly the final stretch.

The month-long first-to-third exams were ending, and teams for external deployment would form in early February.

Berserk incidents had dropped significantly from early January, averaging 50 to 100 daily in the capital, but thats no reason to relax. Its not a small number. Since it typically takes multiple mages to handle one case, it means 50 teams are needed.

Thats all for the assembly. Go train.

Students advancing to the third exam rushed out with more energy than usual.

As I lazily got up to leave the classroom, someone grabbed my shoulder.

Lucas.

Oh, Yulia.

You look exhausted. Did you train a lot over the weekend?

Haha

I brushed it off with a laugh.

Our team didnt train much on weekends, unlike weekdays. How could we, with Primrose Path to handle? Most teams were similar.

Then, Tsheringen stopped abruptly.

Ah.

What?

You got your ear pierced, Lucas.

Though Id done nothing wrong, my heart sank.

It wasnt long ago that I had to hide it from my brother, so I wasnt immune yet.

And, more importantly

I have cognitive distortion magic on.

Sure, maintaining it consumes stamina, so I didnt cast it strongly, but its surprising she noticed something so small.

As I thought this, my core tingled.

Looking up, I saw Leo, heading to the training grounds with friends, glance back from the corridors end. As usual at school, he gave me a cold look before turning and disappearing downstairs.

Whats this bastard doing?

I prepared to strike his core if he sent another signal, but thankfully, Leo didnt provoke further and just went down.

Rubbing my core, I asked Tsheringen,

Does it stand out?

No. Can I take a quick look?

It doesnt stand out, yet she noticed. Like Leo, her combat magic skills must sharpen her observation.

No problem, but look? Why?

Yeah. Is that okay?

Go ahead

Haha, thanks.

Tsheringen reached toward my artifact but froze, her expression hardening. Before I could wonder, she smiled and said,

Its sky blue.

Really? Its barely colored.

Lucas.

Whys she suddenly saying my name?

Did she sense the class leaders magic power? I stared at her, thinking that.

But her words were unexpected.

Would you accept an artifact as a gift? I have one thatd suit you.

Oh.

Thats what this is?

Relieved, I laughed and shook my head.

Thanks, but Ill pass. Its hard to remove.

How about another piercing?

Must be high-quality.

Ive never seen her push like this.

We rarely talk outside training or magic, so I lack data.

She pointed to her own ear.

Yeah, its good. I wear it daily. It stabilizes core fluctuations, helping during training. These artifacts magic lingers, so the effect persists even after removal.

Sounds nice.

Let me know if youre interested.

Got it. And

I smiled, tapping where my necklace was.

I made good use of the artifact you gave me before. Thanks.

It helped during the baptism.

Kept my humanity intact.

Tsheringens eyes widened, then she beamed.

No big deal. See you at evening roll call.

She waved and headed to the training grounds.

I turned to Narce, whod been lingering nearby, waiting for the conversation to end.

Lucas! Heike wants to eat dinner together tonight. Wanna join?

Sure.

Narce kept chatting until we reached the training grounds.

This is school, and Im Lucas here, so I cant talk about Primrose Path or other matters. Its right, but chatting with a friend after so long felt fresh.

Narce moved from artifacts to training.

Oh, right. Arent you curious about Team 1s teamwork?

Team 1 is Leo and Tsheringens.

With the other four members all bottom-tier, now that team qualification is out and only individual qualification remains, theyll each strive to stand out, unlike before when they harmonized for team points.

Id thought before:

They somehow built a solid team.

They struggled early but quickly found balance.

Im just impressed by their ability to create teamwork in a every-man-for-himself atmosphere.

Yeah, you heard. Leo and Yulia are something else~ But our team will do better!

Probably.

I answered, opening our training grounds door.

Like yesterday and the day before, the third training session was peaceful.

Truly, it was rare these days.

Amazingly, nothing happened from Monday to Friday, and during that time, I organized Primrose Paths Abraham investigation records, sending them real-time to international bureaus to block the Crown Princes nonsense. Purifying Bavaria, supplying divine power for Wittelsbach potions, and advising on imperial berserk incidents were my entire routine.

It felt like returning to the days before Abraham appeared.

This is the right pace, but it doesnt feel real.

Thus, four days passed without incident.

Friday.

The third exam day arrived.

***

[*We will now begin the 2nd-year student corps third selection.*]

Here again.

I thought, looking at the Imperial First Academy logos plastered around.

Unlike before, it wasnt the gymnasium but the training grounds use by the First Academys student corps.

Finally, the third exam.

Waited a month for this? Finally the end.

Chatter echoed among students lined up before the start.

Then, a broadcast came from above.

[*To all 2nd-year students advancing to the third exam, the exam regulations will be announced shortly. First, well reveal the third selection matchups.*]

Hm?

Matchups?

Unexpected.

The students reactions mirrored mine.

The third exam is more about individual qualification than team exams.

Students ahead muttered quietly.

Huh, what? Are there bonus points this time too?

I checked the chart.

Team 1 vs. Team 3, and Team 2 vs. Team 4.

The two winning teams each get 1 bonus point.

Hm.

The low bonus points aside

Team 1 and Team 3. Skipping a team to pair them?

Team 1 vs. Team 3 means Ill see Leo against Elias.

Im on Team 2, so its not my concern.

Team 4 has no close friends except Melvin, so fighting them is good. Plus, Team 4 lacks standout membersjust a solid upper-tier team.

Too bad for those two.

Leo, Yulia, and Elias.

Itll be a bloody exam.

Since the second exam filtered out the truly unskilled, a team matchup for bonus points shouldnt exist. Why?

Theyre all good.

Especially Teams 1 and 3, evenly matched, making it impossible to predict a winner.

Well, since its come to this, Ill enjoy watching Eliass team and Leos team face off for bonus points. Its a rare sight.

I relaxed my shoulders, thinking that.

[Announcing Team 1.]

Announcing?

Murmurs rose around me.

I felt the oddity too.

The teams were already set.

Whats this about?

[*Team 1: Josefine Luon / Hildegard Blomberg / *]

Huh?!

Whats that? Im on Team 4!

What? The teams

Narce, beside me, looked at the matchup chart in shock, then gaped at the next name.

[* / Narce Farnese / Leonard Wittelsbach*]

Huh?!

?

I was stunned too. Whats this?

Narce is on my team. Now suddenly with Leo?

These crazy bastards did what on exam day?

Of course.

I thought during third training, Its going *too* smoothly.

Yeah, too smooth.

Typical Imperial Second Academy. A school that drops you in the Alps without gear wouldnt let the final exam be this peaceful.

It was so absurd, my lips curled up.

[Team 2.]

[Team 2: Victoria Biermann / Joachim Gleichen / ]

No time for this.

Time to think.

Team 1 is all top-tier. Two are nearly untouchable.

Team 2, all mid-to-low-tier.

Compared to Team 1, its weak. No issue. Theyre facing Team 4, not Team 1.

So, whos on Team 3, facing that formidable Team 1

[Announcing Team 3.]

[Team 3: Lucas Askanian / ]

Narce and Leos gazes pierced me simultaneously.

My prediction was spot-on.

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