I Became the Teacher of the Imperial Family’s Bastard

Chapter 74

074. Cadet (5)

If someone were to ask me if I was angry about the current situation, my answer would be ‘ambiguous.’

Of course, the problem needs to be solved, but emotionally, absurdity rises before anger.

‘So transparent. Really.’

At first… yes, it must have been the second prince’s side intervening to increase the imperial influence.

If a knight has an outstanding career, they will eventually gain political power.

I guess the situation changed when I intervened.

It’s obvious that the plan is to plant the prince’s loyalists instead of royal knights to monitor the movements.

It’s so typical of the second prince to expect something without even considering it.

If I had even mentioned taking the first place in the tournament, it might have been different, but how can he be so short-sighted?

No wonder he ruined the country.

Anyway, that absurdity was the biggest part of my emotions.

Nevertheless, there was a clear reason for pretending to be angry and causing this commotion.

‘It’s good to give a justification.’

Firstly, even if I deal with the goatee, they will try to cut off the tail, but this situation still burdens the second prince.

It means I can keep him quiet for a while.

Secondly, I can personally select the talents for the loyalists.

I can personally test each one and discover those with potential.

What a great opportunity this is.

There are two evaluation criteria.

Perseverance and talent.

For the first five minutes, I beat them relentlessly.

I beat them so madly that none of the standing ones were left unscathed.

Because the level of perseverance and ferocity to stand after such a beating was absolutely necessary.

Otherwise, how could they endure the training ahead?

Twenty passed the perseverance test.

They were twenty who would die standing today, and I evaluated their ‘talent’.

Zzzzz―!

“Ugh…!”

“Cough…!”

“Ugh…!”

“If you can’t withstand mana, you can’t go to the royal family. Those who want to give up can just collapse.”

For the last five minutes, I have been pounding mana into their bodies for three minutes.

I am testing their mana adaptability.

No matter how good their physical activation is, if they can’t feel mana, it’s useless.

One day, you’ll hit the limit of your growth.

This was a measure to prevent that.

From noble mtl dot com

Those with talent instinctively suppress it the moment they feel another’s mana entering their body.

The more perceptive ones know how to reverse it and send it back to their enemy.

This level is what the world calls talent.

Can’t do either?

Then you faint.

Those guys sprawled over there were exactly those kinds of people.

“Only four left now.”

I looked around.

Liam stood up, even while coughing up blood.

Ruben and Nathan also staggered but got back up again.

Even the guy who was the top of the fourth year was still alive.

In between, they screamed and endured.

That b*stard Ruben even cursed at me.

‘I’ll correct that later…’

That was the overall assessment.

Among the four, only Liam was ordinary.

Despite being ordinary, he was the type to endure with sheer willpower.

The other three?

When I injected mana, they tried to return it to me.

Especially impressive was the top of the fourth year.

If trained well, he could easily reach the upper ranks of an expert.

With this, the shopping is over.

I’m satisfied.

At that moment, I couldn’t help but laugh.

How should I put it?

I rolled my tongue for a moment, then opened my mouth.

“That’s it. We didn’t make it to ten minutes… but this should be enough.”

Suddenly—

The guys stopped.

For a moment, their expressions went blank.

It seemed they couldn’t grasp the meaning of my words right away.

It wasn’t that the knight’s brain was made of muscle.

“You’re accepted.”

The moment I added that explanation.

The four of them looked at each other.

Tears welled up in their eyes, as if they were overwhelmed with emotion.

Then,

“…This is damn hard.”

Thud―!

They collapsed simultaneously.

And then they started giggling.

The entire large hall was filled with their laughter.

For some reason, the ending felt empty.

I turned my gaze to the audience.

“What are you doing not clapping? They just got selected for the royal guard.”

These guys have no stage manners at all.

Only after I pinched them did I hear the sound of clapping.

I felt pleased as I adjusted my clothes.

That roughly concluded the situation.

As for what happened afterward,

“Young master, it was truly impressive how you exposed the injustice and disciplined the cadets. You are indeed worthy of Pharos.”

“Thank you, sister…”

“But your words were a bit… too harsh.”

“……”

“My heart sank. Bad words are not acceptable. I believe you are a kind person, but others tend to believe what they see first.”

“…I’m sorry.”

I was scolded by my sister.

She seemed more sad than angry.

I couldn’t bring myself to say, “What if those b*stards get pissed off?”

Do you know?

When there’s someone who feels sad just because I use foul language, I feel like I have to act nice for no reason.

Especially if that person has never used a swear word in their life.

…I learned a lesson.

From now on, I’ll try to hold back my swearing in front of my sister.

* * *

It didn’t take long for the events of the cadet competition to spread throughout the entire system.

After all, isn’t that how the audience is?

Half of them are nobles, so the story spreads first among the noble families.

And the other half are cadets, so imagine how shocked their families must have been to see the cadets return in a near-death state.

It’s an environment where rumors can’t help but spread.

“They say the young lord of Pharos defeated the cadets 100 to 1 without using a single bit of mana?”

“Don’t even mention it! One of the cadets who got hit that day is a friend of my father’s friend’s brother’s colleague, and they say the young lord of Pharos’s skill is beyond genius. They even say he might be on par with the crown prince…”

“Ah, so is that rumor true?”

“What rumor?”

“You know, the one that says the young lord of Pharos is terminally ill. That he was born with a talent that a human body can’t handle, and he’s dying every moment… So he’s teaching the crown prince to leave his enlightenment to the world.”

“That… makes sense?!”

Yuren’s evaluation was completely overturned that day.

From a suspicious scoundrel to a knight with astonishing martial prowess.

A genius whom the heavens feared and planted an incurable disease in.

And…

“They say you’re the leader of the sixth golden generation.”

“That’s some real bullshit. Are you saying I’m on the same level as those trashy b*stards?”

“I’m one of them too, you know?”

“That’s why I’m saying this.”

“…”

Kallios let out a hollow laugh.

He lost his words in response to that confidence.

Still, he’s someone I serve, so can’t he speak a bit more gently?

With a hint of disappointment, Yuren, who was lying on the sofa in his pajamas even though the Crown Prince had come to visit, frowned and spoke.

“Your Highness, do you know how angry it makes me when you look at me like that?”

“How did I look at you?”

“Like a young lady sulking because her feelings were ignored.”

“…That’s a terrible analogy.”

A chill ran down his spine.

Kallios composed his expression as goosebumps rose.

It was in such a moment.

“More importantly, what happened with the aftermath? It seems like that’s what you came to talk about.”

Who was the Crown Prince and who was the vassal?

The sight of Yuren receiving the report while lying down made Kallios chuckle, but he didn’t voice any complaints.

At least today, Yuren had the right to do so.

“We’ve replaced the professors. There were quite a few people from the Second Prince’s side, so we made some adjustments. And we put Viscount Wheaton in prison. When we dug around, it turned out he had done quite a lot here and there.”

The Second Prince’s faction, which had been wriggling, was now firmly crushed.

Putting Viscount Wheaton in prison was one thing, but taking control of the educational institutions was quite an encouraging achievement.

Erylda provided additional explanation.

“The Second Prince’s side will be busy for a while. The influence Estro had on the military academy was quite significant. Corruption was so rampant that even a slight poke would make it leak, and with this incident on top of that…”

Erylda laughed as if she found it satisfying.

“They should have been more moderate. Their greed is always the problem, isn’t it?”

Kallios also chuckled.

Indeed, even at today’s meeting, the Second Prince’s close associates were quiet.

Seeing them watching his every move made him feel a sense of relief.

In the end, he got busier, but so what?

Recalling the meeting, Kallios, who was in a good mood, said to Yuren.

“You’ve worked hard. You truly are our treasure.”

No matter how many talents there are, it’s never enough.

Among them, those who caught Kallios’s eye and even taught him were few and far between.

One of them was Yuren, and for that, he was immensely grateful.

With the background of Pharos, outstanding skills, and practical help.

Not a single thing was lacking, making him look so endearing.

Of course, it seemed that Yuren did not want such affection.

“Well, isn’t it time for you to leave? You must be busy.”

Even waving his hand, he was clearly showing that he wanted to rest.

I should have noticed from him lying in his pajamas until the afternoon, but it seemed he had been holed up in his room ever since that incident.

Does he even realize that his behavior lends weight to the terminal illness theory he so despises?

‘…No, he must know.’

Perhaps he was too tired to even make excuses.

After all, he was not the type to care about others’ opinions.

Kallios shook his head and said,

“We’ll discuss the matter of the Imperial Guard later. I’ll be going now.”

“Yes, take care.”

Kallios left the reception room.

He was just passing through the main gate.

“…Ah, Your Highness the Crown Prince. And the First Princess is here as well.”

“Hmm? Ah, Lady Pharos.”

He met Cecilia, who was just entering the mansion.

Kallios felt a fresh sense of wonder.

‘It never ceases to amaze me.’

Ash-gray hair and violet eyes.

If not for that, she would be the complete opposite of Yuren in every way.

Her appearance was beyond delicate, almost pitiful, with a gentle manner of speaking and a calm demeanor.

She was the epitome of a noble lady.

‘How can this lady be Yuren’s sister?’

Kallios couldn’t believe it even as he saw it with his own eyes.

Feeling such sentiments, he spoke.

“It seems you were out.”

“Yes, there was a tea party.”

“Unlike Yuren. He doesn’t seem to enjoy social activities.”

“How could the future head of Pharos move about carelessly? My schedule exists for Your Highness and the royal family.”

A perfect answer.

Cecilia bowed her head briefly and spoke.

“If I had known you were coming, I would have stayed at the mansion. Next time, I will surely…”

“Ah, I will make sure to inform you in advance next time.”

Though he answered thus, Callios knew.

He knew that Cecilia would not entertain him next time either.

There was a reason for his certainty.

‘Even this time, I had informed her in advance.’

What could be the reason Cecilia didn’t know?

It was simply that Yuren hadn’t told her.

No, more than that, he must have sent her out of the house.

So much so that every time Callios visited, Cecilia was absent due to some other matter.

It was truly a coincidence.

What could be the reason he couldn’t introduce his sister to him?

‘Did he think I would take an interest in the young lady?’

To be honest, it was Yuren’s ambivalent feelings of wanting to curse Callios but not wanting to show disrespect to the imperial family in front of Cecilia. However, Callios, who did not know this, fell into a brief contemplation.

It was at that moment.

“Your Highness, excuse me for a moment.”

Cecilia approached.

Then she reached out her slender hand and straightened the crumpled collar.

When Callios blinked, Cecilia spoke.

“As the one who will become the master of the empire, you must carry yourself properly. Though the gaze of all people may be a burden, please consider the weight of the throne.”

Cecilia, who had taken a step back, bowed her head.

Was he being scolded?

It was ambiguous, but it was new.

“Thank you. I will be careful.”

“And also…”

“Hmm?”

Cecilia hesitated.

Callios felt a small curiosity and waited for her answer.

Then, finally, Cecilia spoke.

With a voice filled with worry.

“…Is it true that the young master is really ill?”

“?”

“There are rumors going around… And the young master never tells me anything bad. If he were ill, wouldn’t he have told His Majesty? Do you know anything about it?”

Kallios stifled a laugh.

Yuren’s illness?

Other than being a pain in the neck, he didn’t know much.

Next came admiration for that genuine concern.

Is this what an ideal sister is like?

He himself couldn’t be like that.

If Erilda were ill, his first thought would be, ‘Who will do the work?’

Whatever it was, it was clear that the person was kind and innocent.

And then, adjusting her collar and giving advice, there was something endearing about it.

Kallios chuckled and replied.

“Not as far as I know. It’s just a bizarre rumor, so don’t worry, my lady.”

Cecilia finally let out a sigh of relief.