I Became the Teacher of the Imperial Family’s Bastard

066. Investigation (3)

The experiences of Girugo shattered my understanding of common sense several times.

Starting with the matter of gods.

“In their doctrine, they view fate very negatively. There’s hardly any mention of hope, and even when it is mentioned, it’s treated as something insignificant. Considering they are twin goddesses, the difference in treatment is quite severe.”

Fate and struggle.

If you contrast them like that, the doctrine itself makes sense.

The shocking part is that they are hostile to fate.

‘Could it be that those guys are being moved by the Apocrypha?’

The identity of the enemy is leaning towards the goddess of fate.

Their purpose has also been revealed to be the destruction of the empire.

In that case, one of the most crucial scenarios I know of regarding the fall of the empire was the war with the barbarians, so I thought fate had played a trick on that front.

But this changes things.

“…Are those guys properly receiving divine power?”

“The shamans are receiving it. It even came up as a topic in their grand meeting.”

If they are receiving divine power, the god who is in opposition to fate wouldn’t just stand by.

In other words, the war they waged could be seen as purely an intention of freedom and struggle.

This complicates matters.

‘Blocking just the Apocrypha side won’t be enough. The war is a separate incident.’

If it were all connected, it would be easier to break it down step by step, but isn’t this a situation where crises are escalating in both directions?

While thinking, another possibility sprang up.

‘…No, are they connected?’

To block the tricks of fate, their god might have put Isaac forward as an apostle.

But even this is just speculation.

“Do the barbarians have any thoughts about the Empire?”

“They don’t really think about it. They’re just not interested.”

“Hmm…”

“Even if the gods hate fate, it usually ends there. You don’t go around killing everyone you dislike, do you?”

“……”

Well, I did go around beating up people I disliked until they were half-dead.

Whether it was during my rogue days or the war, the environment allowed it, so I couldn’t really empathize with that statement.

Anyway, various thoughts were passing through my mind.

I took a deep breath and carefully recited a name.

“Izak La Bodetta. Do you know this name?”

He was the Grand Master and the Great Warrior Chief of the barbarians before my regression.

The Empire’s nightmare, who fought endlessly with the Crown Prince.

I asked the question, thinking that his movements might be the key to all this discrepancy.

Girgore’s eyes widened.

“Huh? How do you know the Great Warrior Chief’s son?”

“…The Great Warrior Chief’s son?”

“No, how do you know him?”

“My question first. What kind of person is he?”

It was an unexpected fact.

At least, I thought he would be making a name for himself even at this time.

But they say he’s the son of the former Great Warrior Chief.

Of course, in the Empire, that would be considered a high-ranking position like the Crown Prince, but still.

He would be at the top and start a war within five years.

But it’s strange that he’s referred to as just the son of the Great Warrior Chief, not the Great Warrior Chief himself.

As I was getting a bit confused, Girgore spoke.

“…Just, a very peculiar barbarian?”

“Peculiar?”

“He was smart. Unlike other barbarians, he had deep thoughts. He could see the big picture. If the environment was right, he could change the era… Do you understand what I mean? It was the first time since Ias that I was surprised by someone’s intelligence.”

“Master…!”

“Haha, but I still prefer you. He had too strong a sense of self. Regardless of his abilities, he was hard to get along with.”

“…I will dedicate my soul. As I have always done, and will continue to do so forever.”

“Yes, yes.”

A farce unfolded before my eyes, but I had no time to feel any sentiment about it.

‘He has shown prominence in other areas. But he doesn’t mention anything about his martial prowess. Did he hide it? Or did he gain his strength through another means?’

The amount of information was too limited.

Anyway, one thing was certain.

A definite policy was needed regarding this matter.

I decided what to do after finishing Rebecca’s cleanup.

‘First, the succession ceremony. As soon as that ends, I need to head to the leyline.’

If there were no other intentions towards the empire, and if the barbarians were to start a war.

It would be right to head to their stronghold and investigate after meeting the minimum force requirements.

And it would be right to confirm Isaac with my own eyes.

‘If…’

The most easily conceivable scenario.

If it seemed that he was trying to push out the current Grand Warrior and take that position.

And if he harbored ambitions to invade the empire.

If that were confirmed, I would consider killing him on the spot before he fully matured.

This was not something that could be entrusted to someone else.

Comparing potential future events with the present and making flexible judgments was impossible unless one knew the future.

The policy was roughly being organized.

Girgore asked.

“But why the barbarians? Do they have any problems?”

“Not at the moment.”

“Huh?”

I observed Girgore for a moment.

Certainly, among the Golden Knights I’ve encountered so far, he was the most competent.

The advantage in our relationship was definitely due to the ability to lift curses.

It was worth giving him a bit more of a clue.

“…I’m considering various possibilities. Since they were on the list of suspects the moment we realized there was an external threat.”

“Ah?”

“Even if that’s not the case, it would be useful if we consider fate as our enemy.”

“Hmm, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, is that it? Got it.”

It was a possibility that couldn’t be ignored.

Although it was still uncertain how the barbarians operated, if used well, they could become the best weapon.

Having fought against them, I was confident in this.

I stood up from my seat.

“For now, just keep that in mind. I’m leaving.”

“Ah, take care. I’ll drop by to say goodbye before I leave.”

“Sure.”

I left the place.

As I stepped out of the Papal Palace, the outside air somewhat cleared my mind.

‘Still, it’s much better than when I knew nothing.’

The road ahead was long, but at least the direction was set.

I just needed to proceed steadily, without rushing or being too relaxed.

This concludes the summary of what has been revealed.

Having finished the macro tasks, it was now time to handle the micro ones.

So,

‘…What should I do about that prince b*stard?’

As always, the most annoying part was the main job.

* * *

The next day, I woke up early in the morning, washed up, and headed out.

My destination was the Imperial Palace.

I entered the palace in time for the regular class schedule and immediately hit the prince.

“Ugh…!”

“Get up. You seem to be still out of it.”

“No, wait… You hit my solar plexus…!”

“Yes, I hit your solar plexus, so it must hurt there.”

Tap, tap.

I lightly slapped the prince’s cheek with the end of the sacred tree branch.

Seeing his forced smile made my anger rise.

Have you ever seen a person who wouldn’t be satisfied even if you ground them up and drank them?

“I told you several times from Igrosia to the capital before we parted ways. Don’t recklessly unleash your temper. Pretend it doesn’t exist.”

It’s not a difficult story.

So, this b*stard didn’t listen to me and was secretly training his temper in the imperial city.

“I didn’t use it…”

“Don’t bullshit me. I could feel it even while sleeping in the mansion.”

“…Are you a monster?”

The monster is you.

The reason I could feel it is because I know this energy as well as the Crown Prince.

I’ve been beaten down to the soul by the nature of domination for over ten years, how could I not know it?

I can distinguish domination by the mere tremor of the air.

You could say it’s a kind of trauma.

Anyway, that’s that.

“It’s an ability that will be used if you stay still. But if you try to force it at this stage?”

“…If I do?”

“The timing will be delayed. No, you might miss it forever. An incomplete body will decay first. Even in such a state, if you hastily try to match the realization, the body, which is not meticulous, will not be able to handle the temper even after becoming a Sword Master. A fragile vessel will be created.”

“Aren’t you using it well?”

“Does it look like I’m using it well? After one fight, I cough up blood for days.”

I spoke seriously.

It’s only thanks to the performance of the necklace that it ends like this.

In fact, I tried to handle most of the battles with the sword, and didn’t use the temper unless it was urgent.

Especially the Crown Prince.

“Domination is different. My shattering or Lord Drenor’s… Tsk, in those cases, the user’s qualifications are not greatly tested. But domination?”

“…Yes, I used it myself.”

The Crown Prince lowered his head.

Every ability comes with a price.

Domination, which is called the pinnacle of non-attribute, has only one, the user becomes the attribute.

The temper itself tries to break an unqualified master as if it has its own ego.

Even though I informed him several times, this is the result.

This really made me angry.

He was pushing even harder.

“…I’m sorry. I was impatient.”

“Is that the end of your excuses?”

“The empire is in crisis, isn’t it? The enemies we face are not easy. I thought my weapon was needed. If you analyze this, you can reach a higher level faster…”

A shadow had already fallen over the prince’s face.

“…So there will be fewer things left to you alone.”

“……”

It was a commendable thought.

Except that I didn’t want it.

I sighed.

This master-disciple relationship was uncomfortable in this way.

If it were a relationship like in a previous life, I could have said, ‘Just do as you please.’

‘This guy’s personality isn’t completely ruined yet.’

The current prince still has a human conscience.

Since there was no time of madness in the prison, he acts like a person.

This had to be left to some extent.

From noble mtl dot com

What I had to create was not the strongest warrior, but a wise king.

I chose my words carefully.

I softened my expression and faced the prince directly.

Only then could I answer.

“…That’s why I’m here.”

“That’s a ridiculous statement.”

“No, it’s not.”

The prince furrowed his brows.

I answered.

Taking a cue from my sister’s words.

“A master exists for the growth of the disciple. Pharos exists for the completion of Ortaire. So, I am here.”

I knelt down to meet the prince’s eyes.

“I am just fulfilling my role. As a master, as Pharos. So that the tree that has not yet grown does not fall in the storm.”

“…!”

Why does he look so strangely moved?

I held back the urge to scratch my upper lip and continued speaking.

“So, if you truly care for me, take it slow. What I sacrificed will shine through your enlightenment, Your Highness.”

“You…”

The crown prince’s lips pressed tightly together.

For some reason, his eyes glistened.

And that oddly infuriating expression too.

“How fortunate I am to have someone like you. Yuren, you are my…”

“Uh, damn it.”

Whack!

“Ugh!”

As he tried to embrace me, I instinctively scratched my upper lip.

A chill ran down my spine.

What if I hadn’t stopped him… just the thought made me feel nauseous.

I stood up and took a step back, saying, “I warn you, don’t ever do that again. I really want to kill you.”

A surge of murderous intent rose within me.

I barely managed to rein it in, leaving the prince alive as I departed.

Teaching is so exhausting…!

* * *

After that, I never woke up in a cold sweat, feeling the oppressive weight of control.

With peaceful dreams, I had managed to live like a human for the past few days.

My body had recovered, and work was getting sorted out here and there, so there was no rush.

It had been over two months since the incident at the Imperial Palace.

I could truly call this a long-awaited rest.

Staying cooped up at home, eating, sleeping, and eating some more.

Then, when Aria came to visit, I would entertain her a bit.

Of course, it wasn’t all play.

“Ah! Maximus! You mustn’t tear that!”

[Meow?]

The mansion’s garden.

Aria was playing with a puppy.

Why a puppy all of a sudden…?

‘…It’s a spirit.’

That was a spirit wolf.

It was training to adapt to the cloak of the wind wolf obtained from Gilrgo.

Facts learned so far.

The size of the wolf could be adjusted depending on how much mana I infused into it, and if adjusted well, it could be kept out all day without any problem.

So, I was building a bond with it while keeping it out.

Spirits, by their very nature, grow stronger the longer they spend time with their contractor.

Indeed, even in the last battle, the wolf’s attack, which dug into the blind spot, played a significant role.

The stronger it becomes, the greater the increase in combat power.

That was the judgment, and so I left it as it was.

“Maximus! Let’s go over there this time!”

[Yip!]

When I turned it into a puppy, Aria, who saw it, happily ran towards the wolf.

The wolf, now named Maximus, seemed to like Aria, wagging its tail vigorously and following her around.

‘Is it really building a bond with me?’

I had a moment of doubt, but wasn’t it an automatic tool to play with Aria?

Lying leisurely, I couldn’t deny the newfound comfort and left it as it was.

It was one of those times.

Aria, who had been running around excitedly, seemed tired and came near me, panting.

Her eyes were sparkling, indicating a high level of satisfaction.

“Did you have fun?”

“Yes! Maximus is so smart! I think he could even guard the royal treasury!”

“The guards will cry. Please don’t.”

“Yes!”

Aria plopped down.

The wolf curled up beside her.

As they began to doze off, swaying in the gentle breeze.

‘…No, but do spirits even sleep?’

That was the thought running through my mind.

Flash!

Aria opened her eyes.

She got up and exclaimed, “Ah!”

“Aria forgot something!”

“What is it? We already had lunch… Dessert?”

“No! A letter!”

“What?”

“I have to deliver a letter to Pharos!”

“?”

Aria took out a crumpled letter from her handbag and handed it to me.

My eyes narrowed as I looked at it.

“…It’s the royal seal.”

A letter with the seal that only the royal family can use.

When I looked up, Aria was beaming with pride, her shoulders squared.

“Second sister, Her Highness, asked me to deliver it! Aria didn’t forget and delivered it!”

“Second Princess, Her Highness?”

“Yes!”

[Squeal!]

The Second Princess.

In other words, the woman who taught Aria the phrase ‘handsome men are bad guys’ and is infamous for using the national treasury to fatten up playboys, sent me a letter.

I couldn’t help but tilt my head.

‘Why?’

Did I have any connection with that woman?

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t recall any.

‘…Let’s check it out first.’

I furrowed my brows and opened the letter.

The content was brief.

[Master Taesa, I seek your guidance.]

First of all, that’s a question.

‘Why am I an elder?’

It just scratches me.