Chapter 138 : Chapter 138
Chapter 138. The Deal They Do Not Know
His Majesty the Emperor or the head of the Ability Management Bureau.
If the report card had to go to one of them anyway, the Ability Management Bureau was better. Even if Radel was the top student, he didn't want to boast about his report card in front of His Majesty the Emperor.
But going to Ivan to receive the report card wasn't entirely appealing either.
Radel asked Armandy, who had come to his room.
‘Armandy, what would you do?’
‘If it were me, His Majesty the Emperor would be better.’
‘Why?’
Armandy had an expression asking the obvious.
‘Because he is your father, Prince. Couldn't you receive a prize or something for doing well.’
I didn't think of that.
Radel reflected on himself for not thinking about receiving something from the Emperor.
But wasn't Ivan also like an uncle if strictly speaking?
Seeing that he asked to meet because of the report card anyway, it seemed he had something to say…….
Looking at the Ability Management Bureau building, Radel vowed to get something out of it if he could.
* * *
Armandy was walking towards the Director’s Office of the Ability Management Bureau.
“……I have a bad feeling about this somehow.”
He had returned to the Ability Management Bureau as soon as the Academy vacation started.
However, the Ability Management Bureau didn't deploy him immediately to another mission.
Although he had gone to deliver a letter to the 8th Prince’s Palace in the meantime, he hadn't even finished reporting on the mission to monitor imperial family members or undercover missions, as well as things that happened at the Academy.
Amidst this, a summons from the Director.
Although Armandy hadn't neglected his duties as an Ability Management Bureau Agent, there were many corners that pricked his conscience secretly.
Especially regarding matters related to the 8th Prince, he had nothing to say even if questioned by the Director.
Getting involved in the 8th Prince’s affairs and raiding the Black Fang Guild, helping the 8th Prince conquer the Academy Dungeon in the middle of the night, bringing internal data under threat, etc…….
All sorts of uncomfortable things came to Armandy’s mind.
It was then.
A person he didn't really want to see appeared from the opposite side of the hallway. It was his colleague Pirenzo Korva, who was undercover as an Academy liberal arts professor.
“What are you doing here.”
“What about you, what brings you here.”
Armandy retorted bluntly at Pirenzo’s words.
The two who encountered each other in the hallway of the Ability Management Bureau started a staring contest.
While glaring for a while, Armandy asked first.
“Don’t tell me you are also on your way to the Director’s Office?”
“You too?”
Both of them had received a summons from the Director’s Office. Realizing that, Pirenzo and Armandy’s expressions darkened.
Pirenzo opened his mouth with difficulty.
“Honestly, I came prepared.”
“Prepared for what.”
“Is there anything else for us to be prepared for but one thing.”
“Don’t say ‘us’. It feels dirty.”
When Armandy shuddered and refused to be grouped together, Pirenzo also made an uncomfortable expression.
“Do you think I’m doing this because I like it. What reason would there be for you and me to be grouped together. It must be because of the 8th Prince.”
“Ha……. That is true.”
He had no choice but to admit those words.
Thinking about it, Pirenzo was the only person in the Ability Management Bureau who could understand Armandy’s feelings the best. Because both were in a position of being threatened by the 8th Prince.
‘Should I call this fortunate.’
Armandy was confused whether to feel relief that at least he wasn't the only one suffering, or to feel repulsion that he had something in common with Pirenzo, whom he wanted to be involved with the least.
Pirenzo paused for a moment and said.
“Even if the Director imposes disciplinary action, I intend to accept it willingly. I want to take responsibility for my choices.”
Was it really a choice though…….
Armandy wanted to ask if it wasn't due to threats rather than a choice, but just shut his mouth.
In fact, Armandy had similar thoughts.
If one did something wrong, one must take responsibility.
Disciplinary action was something he had already come prepared for.
However, when he opened the door to the Director’s Office, Armandy had a premonition.
That perhaps something worse than disciplinary action might be waiting.
“Armandy, seeing you here makes me even gladder?”
Waiting for them in the Director’s Office was the 8th Prince.
At the appearance of him, the culprit of everything, Armandy opened his mouth unconsciously.
Pirenzo was the same.
“No, why is the 8th Prince here…….”
“Professor. I am glad to have an opportunity to see you like this during vacation.”
The 8th Prince spoke nonchalantly and offered a handshake to Pirenzo.
Even after shaking hands with Radel, Pirenzo couldn't grasp the situation and asked once again.
“What brings you here?”
“It’s not a place I can’t come to. I came because there is something to receive from the Director.”
Radel spoke calmly, but Pirenzo was greatly flustered.
An imperial family member frequenting the Ability Management Bureau itself made no sense.
What kind of organization was the Ability Management Bureau.
It was an organization that managed and monitored imperial family members with Abilities.
That an imperial family member, who was a target of surveillance, was sitting confidently inside the Ability Management Bureau.
“Well, that’s not important. You just need to know that the talk with the Director is finished. What’s important is that from now on, you two have to follow me.”
Unlike the flustered Pirenzo, Armandy was used to this absurd situation.
Although he thought it was unusual from the moment he delivered Ivan’s letter to the 8th Prince in the first place. He couldn't help the ominous feeling.
‘What is this, this feeling of being sold off……?’
* * *
Before Armandy and Pirenzo arrived at the Director’s Office.
Radel was drinking tea with Ivan.
“It is good to see you after a long time, Prince.”
“So am I.”
Ivan Chartrion, the head of the Ability Management Bureau, observed Radel answering calmly. It seemed like just yesterday when he wrote the recommendation letter for Academy admission, but he had grown and returned in the meantime.
Not just surviving, but being the Academy top student.
Thinking it was indeed a decent investment, he took a sip of tea.
“I saw your Academy report card well. It was impressive.”
“I was lucky.”
At Radel’s words, Ivan chuckled.
“I am also from the Academy. But I have never been the top student even once.”
Well, since Ivan was also an imperial family member, he would naturally have graduated from the Academy.
Ivan paused for a moment as if reminiscing about his school days, then opened his mouth.
“Although they say luck is also skill, there are things that cannot be done with luck alone. It was possible because of the Prince’s efforts. You have done much better than I expected.”
Ivan praised Radel and took out the report card from his bosom.
“However, there must be those who hate and envy this report card.”
His eyes shone sharply.
“The better grades the Prince achieves and survives, the sharper knives someone will aim at the Prince. Am I wrong?”
Radel shook his head.
“No. The Director is right.”
“The reason I brought up such words to the Prince is to make one proposal. I want to trade the wish ticket the Prince possesses.”
Wish ticket…….
The only wish ticket Radel possessed was the one he received after yielding the Hunting Competition victory to the 5th Prince, Venus.
However, that was a wish ticket where Venus said he would grant one request.
It wasn't something the head of the Ability Management Bureau would show interest in.
“The Prince might not know, but the Esven Marquisate, Prince Venus’s maternal family, is not an ordinary magician family. Since the establishment of the Ability Management Bureau, it is a place where agents have never infiltrated even once.”
It was said that it was so secretive that all employees working inside were people who had worked there for generations.
Entry for outsiders was virtually impossible.
“I do not wish for much. Just visit there once with our agents.”
Ivan said he didn't wish for much, but wasn't he trying to penetrate the security of a family that had never been breached using Radel’s wish ticket.
It wasn't content that was particularly good for Radel.
Because he could have asked for a rare magical beast with Venus’s wish ticket.
To have to blow it like that.
As Radel pondered, Ivan whispered in a secretive voice.
“Instead, I will pay the price for the deal sufficiently. Is there anything you want?”
Ivan asked Radel and tapped the report card with his fingertips a couple of times.
Tap, tap.
Radel recalled the words Ivan just said.
The better grades he achieves, the more people aim for Radel’s life.
Right now, Ivan was giving Radel an opportunity through a deal.
“Yes. I thought of what I want.”
As soon as he realized Ivan’s intention, Radel opened his mouth reflexively.
“Lend me agents of the Ability Management Bureau. Don’t you have to monitor me anyway.”
“Hmm. You mean agents of the Ability Management Bureau.”
“I am not asking you to lend them continuously. Only when I need them.”
A smile brushed past Ivan’s lips.
“Then until when do you mean to borrow them……?”
Radel didn't hesitate this time.
“Until I graduate from the Academy.”
Like that, a secret long-term contract unknown to Armandy and Pirenzo was concluded.
* * *
“It’s good going all together. Isn’t it, Armandy?”
Radel asked Armandy sitting next to him in the carriage.
Although time was delayed a little due to stopping by the Ability Management Bureau, thanks to that, he gained companions like this, making him feel reassured.
Now that he didn't know what happened in the territory, moving alone was dangerous.
No matter how much he thought about it, borrowing the two was an excellent choice.
Radel looked at Armandy with a refreshing mood.
But Armandy had a sour expression throughout since departure.
“Yes, very…… good.”
Pirenzo was the same.
The two were prepared for disciplinary action but didn't want to keep getting involved with the 8th Prince. They just wanted to pay for their sins quickly and leave Radel’s side.
But somehow, instead of getting further from Radel, they were getting closer.
‘I hope you move exclusively for the 8th Prince for the time being. I will allow some degree of autonomous action. However, do not omit reports.’
Even the Director betrayed their expectations.
Armandy and Pirenzo wondered if this made sense, but they couldn't disobey orders from the top either.
They felt unjust.
Was there truly no way to escape from the 8th Prince’s grasp?
At that time when they were struggling against unreasonable fate, someone appeared in front of the carriage.
“Stop! You savage humans!”
A group of Lizardmen was blocking their way.
“If you don’t want to die, hand over what you have and leave!”
These Lizardmen were those deployed as the second unit because the colleagues who left to block the road in the morning disappeared.
Because about ten colleagues had already disappeared, they selected and brought only stronger and more threatening warriors.
Thanks to that, they had nothing to fear.
A Lizardman swung his sword and shouted.
“If you don’t come out right now…… Ugh!”
Bam!
In an instant, the Lizardman flew sideways and was slammed.
Pirenzo had gotten off the carriage before anyone knew and dealt with the Lizardman.
Zip!
This time, an arrow of wind flew and pierced the Lizardman’s thigh.
Armandy was already chanting the next spell.
Watching them attack the Lizardmen indiscriminately as if they had caught the perfect prey, Radel smiled a pleased smile.
As expected, he thought it was a good idea to bring companions.