Saikyou Mahoushi no Inton Keikaku (LN) - Volume 12 - Chapter 66

Sixty-Sixth Chapter

Where the Will Is

Small bits of happiness accumulated in everyday life. Chewing on them was fine, but he seemed to have forgotten to swallow them. Being frugal, he kept rolling them around on his tongue, soaking in their lingering taste. In order to keep savoring the taste of happiness, he might have neglected reality.

That was how Alus had thought of himself lately. But it wasn’t like he had no regrets. After all, he’d gotten involved with the troublesome bonds of nobility. He let out a heavy sigh.

He didn’t need Loki to tell him that getting involved with Tesfia and the others would mean eventually being caught up in it himself... He knew that. However, this time it was his own fault.

As he thought about that, he waited for Lilisha to catch up. Seeing her strangely light steps, he looked at her with a bitter expression.

“Is there something on my face?” Lilisha asked with a prim expression, her hands behind her back.

“No, I’m just annoyed that it would come to this.”

“Oh, you’re the one who chose to do it. It’s not even a proper complaint.”

“I guess I can’t deny that.”

“Well, let’s just go for now. There’s nothing to do until we talk with the young son of Womruina.”

“That’s true. I guess you can say something constructive sometimes.”

“I think that ‘sometimes’ part was unnecessary.”

“No, not really,” Alus quipped, as he reluctantly continued walking.

At the end of the long hallway and some stairs was the parlor. Aile—the troublesome second son of the Womruina family—waited there for Alus’s arrival.

***

After Alus and Lilisha left the infirmary, Tesfia weakly looked down. Alus and Loki weren’t the only ones who’d been feeling gratitude about their everyday life. Tesfia and Alice were the same. Tesfia also realized how precious her time with Alus and Loki had become.

That was why, when the two had disappeared without saying anything the other day, she’d felt like that daily life had faded away, even though she had more or less understood that it was due to a mission. She’d been truly relieved and happy when they returned from Vanalis.

Thinking on it, it was a rather indulgent story. The Institute was ultimately a temporary training ground for the teaching of Magicmasters. Yet she was having the time of her life. She couldn’t help but look forward to each and every day.

So the shock of having that collapse at its very foundational level made her struggle to even stand up. More than anything, it reminded her that she was in no way ready for the unexpected. As depression and confusion set in, she felt an intense regret over having been so carefree up to now.

Feeling unsteady on her feet, Tesfia collapsed onto the bed. She covered her face with her arms and muttered to herself, “I’m pathetic...” As a Magicmaster, it was natural for Alus to be far ahead of her. But as a noble, she should be more resolute. That’s what Alus would consider when he saw how she acted.

Yet in reality, he was constantly saving her, to the point that he was now getting involved with noble business.

Just what was she doing? Alus was always protecting her and she couldn’t help him at all. It made her feel gloomy and small inside. So her true feelings happened to leak out.

“What are you saying now after all this time?” a silver-haired girl asked, tearing into Tesfia. Loki sat on a stool with her legs dangling, spinning herself around. With how small she was, she looked like a bored child. “I have a thing or two I’d like to say myself, but this is what Sir Alus decided on. If he’d really found it troublesome he would’ve withdrawn, but he chose not to. So why don’t you think about the reason for that?”

“Does that mean he’s let his guard down a little? That we’re closer now?” Tesfia murmured, while covering her eyes.

Loki furrowed her brow in annoyance. “Listen up. At the very least you’ve been deemed worthy of that much effort! But it’s nothing more, so don’t get full of yourself. Above all, you got Sir Alus involved in your own problems. So, Ms. Tesfia...”

“Wh-What?”

Loki paused for effect as she stopped spinning, and stared directly at Tesfia with a serious look. “Please brace yourself. Now that he’s getting involved with quarrels between nobles, there’s no turning back. No matter how it turns out, you’ll have to take responsibility as one of the parties involved. Make sure you don’t forget that.”

“Yes,” Tesfia weakly answered, after a pause.

The previous events had come at her like a bolt from the blue, so she’d been taken by surprise. While she was a child of the Fable family, one of the three great noble families, she wasn’t the head of the family.

Loki didn’t know much about noble society to begin with, so getting involved or giving advice would be too much for her. However, she did know how to be prepared, and what kind of mental attitude to have when making a decision.

On the surface, this problem was one that should be resolved by the Fable and Womruina families. But more specifically, it was Tesfia’s problem. So for her to put the right foot forward, she needed to show her resolve. “Meaning...a show of will.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“It was nothing.” Loki masked the intent behind her words with a cold attitude. She felt that giving her any more would be helping her too much. If Alus were here, he’d probably tell her not to give Tesfia too much advice. If Tesfia relied entirely on others, she would end up powerless and unable to move forward.

Frankly, I never imagined that Sir Alus would go that far. And to think he’d take Ms. Lilisha with him. That was the problem. Lilisha had maintained a neutral position, and Alus had gone ahead and taken her with him to meet with Aile anyway.

Lilisha was nobility and she understood how the world of nobles worked. Her presence would help the negotiations, but bringing someone with an unclear stance was a double-edged sword. With the Womruinas being one of the three great noble families, there was no guarantee that the Rimfuge or Frusevan families weren’t working with them behind the scenes. If that was the case, negotiating with Aile would put Alus in a perilous situation. In other words, it was as foolish as a rider taking a horse into battle without gripping the reins.

“I’m sure there won’t be any time to be carefree in the future, so get whatever rest you can to recover mentally and physically. Since you’re so helpless, I’ll stay here a while.”

“Yeah, thank you, Loki.” Tesfia felt a weight drop off her shoulders. Despite Loki’s patronizing words, she could feel the kindness behind them. And when she felt it, her heart eased. The wound in her heart hadn’t fully healed yet, but she could deal with the tingle that remained.

“I’m here too, Fia,” Alice said, following Loki’s lead.

The presence of the two girls reassured her, but Tesfia couldn’t just rely on them, especially as a noble. She couldn’t show any more of her disappointing side. She might have realized that a little late, but she had two people that supported her, so she should move forward by her own strength.

She closed her eyes, then moved her arms from her face and jumped out of bed.

“A-Are you okay, Fia?” Alice asked, sounding worried.

Tesfia responded with a firm nod. I wonder why... There should be nothing but anxiety, but I feel a little relieved. It wasn’t just because Loki and Alice were by her side. It was like a small fire had been lit inside of her, keeping her core warm from deep within her soul.

Ahh, this is Al’s mana , Tesfia thought to herself. His mana wasn’t still circulating in her body, but she could feel a comfortable warmth in her back where Alus had placed his hand to calm her down.

She put aside the part where he’d seen her naked. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else. And just remembering how she’d been a while ago made her shudder. Self-loathing washed over her as she thought back to her attitude. She’d been depressed, brooding, and frozen in place, unable to move forward.

Tesfia couldn’t forgive that weakness of hers. At the same time she was a little scared. But...things were different now. Ah, my back is hot. No...my chest? ...Huh? As the reason for her rapidly beating heart became clearer to her, Tesfia’s cheeks turned pink. But she felt relief too, as if having confirmed the emotion. It only made her blush harder though.

She crouched down and put her hand on her chest so the other two couldn’t see. Then...she became embarrassed over how late to the game she was. Even so, her heart beat wildly, to the point that she was worried the others could hear the sound.

“Are you okay, Fia? Does it hurt somewhere?”

Her best friend’s consideration startled and almost pained her. “I’m okay, don’t worry.” Fanning her burning cheeks, she inwardly apologized to Alice over and over. “More importantly, what about you, Alice? You got hurt because of me.”

“This is nothing. Also, it’s not your fault, Fia!”

“What?! But...”

“Like. I. Said. It’s not your fault, Fia.” Alice left no room for dissent. She wouldn’t let Tesfia blame herself.

“Th-Thank you.”

“Jeez, you always get hung up on strange things. It’s nobody’s fault. In fact, let’s just make sure things are resolved well and then nobody has to take responsibility in the first place. I’ll do whatever I can to help!” Alice said, admonishing her friend in the usual manner, as she showed no regard for her own injured neck.

“Yeah, thank you. I mean it.” With her head cast low, as her way of repaying her friend, Tesfia focused on the words and finally returned to her usual bold self. “It might be wrong of me to say this, but...Alice, Loki, lend me your strength.”

“Of course!” Alice replied.

“What? No thanks,” Loki said.

“Huh?” Tesfia felt like she’d been left high and dry, her mouth amusingly wide open.

Loki, ignoring the flow of the conversation, had completely surprised them with her refusal. There was a pause before her lips trembled like she couldn’t hold it in any longer, then she smiled mischievously as she continued. “Like I said, I refuse. But while I won’t personally help you, I can’t sit still if Sir Alus is moving. I-In other words...” She gazed at Tesfia, who was slow on the uptake, and let out a grand sigh. “In other words, I can at least accompany you a little.”

“Um, meaning...I can rely on you a bit?”

“Yes, it’s fine! Why do I always have to spell everything out for you?” To tell the truth, Loki’s decision was based on the changes Alus had gone through. Though she was reluctant to admit it, these two were probably one of the reasons. Without them, Alus wouldn’t be able to fully return to his usual everyday life. “Although it doesn’t really matter how enthusiastic you are since nothing will begin until Sir Alus returns.”

“Yeah, I know that. It also looks like Lilisha is helping too?”

Loki wanted to fix Tesfia’s misunderstanding immediately, but she let it be for now. Both she and Alice were misjudging Lilisha. From what Loki could tell, that girl wasn’t just a noble, a soldier, and Alus’s observer.

After Lettie had warned her, Loki had made sure not to judge Lilisha by her appearance. In fact, it was strange for Lilisha to have been chosen to keep watch on Alus since she didn’t have the ability to use magic. It was possible that she’d just been acting, but there’d been no reason for her to pretend in that situation. She felt like there was more to it.

But she could be trusted at least to the point where her betrayal wouldn’t hurt. That’s what Loki had decided after seeing Lilisha’s behavior and actions thus far. If she’d had harmful intentions towards Alus, she’d had plenty of opportunities to harm him directly. And if she’d tried, Loki would have put her body on the line to stop her when Alus took her along with him.

That said, her head hurt from thinking too much. Lilisha couldn’t be fully trusted as an ally, which complicated the situation. And Loki had her own thoughts about the recent changes in Alus as well. “I just hope it ends peacefully.”

“Wait, you mean it might not? Al made it sound like a pain, but...he was pretty calm, wasn’t he?”

Loki looked exasperated at Alice’s question. “That’s because you two were involved. It means that Sir Alus has acknowledged you to some degree. He might complain, but he’ll take on your troubles. Not to mention that Sir Alus has changed a lot lately.”

Despite her tone, she felt reassured by the changes in Alus. But there were still sides to him that were unchanged. In particular, he wasn’t skilled enough to please everybody, not politically and not socially. “Sir Alus might be close to his limits by now. That rude noble was clearly getting on his nerves.”

“...?” Tesfia was confused.

But that was as far as Loki would talk about troubling matters. Sir Alus is someone who has done a lot of fighting and work behind the scenes, after all. If Aile really was annoying, it wouldn’t be unthinkable for Alus to use force, even if he was fighting the Womruina family. From her point of view, if there was some bloodshed, or even in the unlikely possibility of death...the Governor-General and Alpha would do anything in their power to protect the ranked No. 1.

Even in the worst-case scenario, he would receive a greatly reduced punishment. And if Alus was unhappy about that and left the nation, no one could stop him. But it was unlikely that he would be so reckless, considering how he’d behaved before. Loki recognized that, and decided that thinking something like that would happen was pointless in the first place.

However, the other two somehow seemed to have picked up on Loki’s baseless fear. “Loki, can you not say something so scary?” Tesfia asked.

“But Fia, what if Al took Lilisha with him in case he wasn’t able to restrain himself?” Alice teased her, though it was a somewhat realistic-sounding possibility. Of course, she’d meant it as a joke.

“Not you too, Alice. I-If something like that happens...” Tesfia’s face turned pale with fear.

“Oh, it should be fine. Don’t take it so seriously.”

Tesfia glared at Alice, who scratched her cheek. Alice wore a forced smile and slid her eyes to the side to look at someone.

Loki sighed. “I was the one to bring it up in the first place, but it’s unlikely. Well, if Sir Alus actually does something, it will be the other party’s fault for pushing him that far.”

Although if he could get away with anything, Alus probably wouldn’t have quietly accepted everything that had happened at the Institute. But in any event, he wasn’t an easy card to control, not for the Governor-General, the ruler, or anyone else. Loki concluded that Alus had taken Lilisha with him to find a way to settle things peacefully. “Anyway, don’t waste your time worrying over nothing. And it’s about time you got some rest, Ms. Tesfia.”

“Y-Yeah, okay...” But Tesfia struggled with sitting still and doing nothing. She wasn’t even sure what to do anymore. If she tried to think about what could happen and how to deal with it, there would be no end to it.

However, her top priority was the Womruina family’s movements. As the Fables were one of the three great noble families, Frose had often taken her when she was a child to interact with the Womruina family.

However, she had long forgotten about it. Or rather...tried not to remember. When she touched on that part of her past, she felt a sharp pain in her heart. At the same time, a throbbing headache hit her, and she gasped. Her body tensed up, and she groaned as she pressed down on her temples. Why...? I can’t remember anything. 

Suddenly, there was a loud shattering sound that blew through the infirmary. It came from the main building Alus and Lilisha had gone to. One could guess what had happened from the distinctive sound. The window must have been broken and thrown up countless shards that had rained down onto the ground.

The three girls instinctively flinched. Once the sound stopped, they looked at each other with twitching cheeks.

***

A few minutes earlier... 

Alus casually walked towards the Institute’s parlor, which seemed strangely far away.

It was unclear what Lilisha was thinking—or perhaps she was just being irresponsible—but she looked like she was enjoying herself, while Alus couldn’t hide his lack of enthusiasm. That was mostly because he was aware that he was doing something out of character for him.

I wonder if I can justify this bothersome situation somehow. I’d like to at least gain some kind of advantage for myself. As to being out of character, he felt as though he’d let his emotions get the better of him, and even had some embarrassment mixed in.

On the way, Lilisha had given him a summary of the Womruina family, but he’d only responded half-heartedly as they walked down the hall. He was even starting to feel nostalgic for the hustle and bustle of the campus festival.

Alus felt his mental strength being sapped from the seemingly never-ending troubles coming his way. Although this time, as Lilisha had pointed out with a smug look, it was a situation he had created out of his own volition. So no matter how much he tried to justify it, it wasn’t convincing.

“So what are you going to do? The time for resolving it peacefully has already passed.”

Alus looked a little bitter at Lilisha’s question. Normally, Tesfia should have taken the matter into her own hands. That would’ve been better for her sake and for his. But he’d easily understood that the situation was beyond anything she could handle.

Not to mention that Aile had something dangerous about him. It was probably his unusually skilled way of controlling an opponent’s mind and draining them of their energy. Alus had clearly felt it when he’d confronted him.

When it came to manipulating others, the ruler, the Governor-General, and Sisty came to mind, but Aile was doing something different. It was something born of a distorted and malicious mentality. Aile believed it was normal for those above to look down on those below. It was the arrogance of nobles taken as far as it could be.

That’s why Alus had given him the cold shoulder. But this time Tesfia was involved. She was exceedingly simple for nobility, so Aile was practically her natural enemy. In fact, just meeting with Aile had cut away at her mental resistance.

So it was far too early for her to be able to deal with him. If she lost, Tesfia would have to abandon the way of the Magicmaster...everything she’d worked for thus far. And it wouldn’t even have been by her own choice. It would’ve been the result of getting manipulated and pushed into a corner, which made it completely unreasonable.

If it had been what the Fable family wanted, then Alus wouldn’t have gotten involved. But from what he’d heard, it seemed the Womruinas were one-sidedly pushing for it. They believed they could do whatever they wanted by using their influence, so this event was like the very embodiment of the arrogance of nobility that Alus hated. It had touched on his anger, meaning that it had gone beyond what he could allow.

So now I’m pretending to be a hero of justice. It’s not even a funny joke... 

Alus recalled his feelings... How he’d cut away everything unnecessary including compassion and efforts expended on others’ behalf. Everything but himself was inconsequential...or it should have been.

So did that mean that he’d been sympathizing more with Tesfia and Alice because of the time he’d spent teaching them? No, he needed to analyze and understand the situation correctly. In terms of effort, I’ve actually put in a lot of work. So having some hotshot noble ruin that would be the worst. 

Moreover, their growth had been spectacular. Their potential had far surpassed what Alus had first assumed it to be. With the right training, they would be able to make remarkable contributions upon their graduation.

He’d seen glimpses of it at the Seven Nations Friendship Magical Tournament. Before then, Alus’s impression of them had been “not mediocre.” But lately he’d started to enjoy watching them grow.

Although that would’ve been unbelievable to his former self. Restricting his comfort zone to the Institute would have been unthinkable before, when he’d only known the battlefield. So even if it was unproductive, his peaceful Institute life had been more comfortable than he’d thought.

Loki was here, as were Tesfia and Alice, and even Felinella. And while her allegiance remained unknown, Lilisha added some spice to his daily life as well. Even moderate changes to his peaceful life felt refreshing now, when in the past he would have been bored out of his mind.

Of course, he hadn’t asked any of them to get involved at the start. It had just happened in the flow of things. And now he was reluctant to let it go. It had become worth something to him.

Alus scratched the back of his neck, as if getting himself fired up. “So she wants to become a first-rate Magicmaster, huh...” He thought back to what Tesfia had said.

He’d just been saying it to himself, but Lilisha answered him anyway. “But first rate? That’s such a vague goal.” She made it sound like she was ridiculing Tesfia, but her tone of voice revealed more complex emotions.

It might be Tesfia’s ideal, but it was like playing pretend, or looking up to heroes and princesses. Novice Magicmasters would eventually become soldiers. And ideals couldn’t guarantee anything in the Outer World where harsh reality ruled and the strong feasted on the weak.

While Lilisha wasn’t the same as Alus, he could sense that she wasn’t just some naive and sheltered noble. So to her, Tesfia’s purity seemed childish, as if she was dazzled by the ideal.

Then again...Alus could kind of understand it. “Yes, there’s still plenty of stuff left to fill her empty head with.”

Alus’s bitter expression had changed to a calm one, as if he’d resolved something inside. A first-rate Magicmaster... Like Lilisha said, it was a very vague goal. Tesfia had used the expression because she wasn’t satisfied with her own strength. The path and its nature were just as vague as her words.

But he could hear her inner voice speaking. She wanted to become much stronger. She greedily desired strength, and she was willing to use that strength for the right reasons.

She probably already knew that strength was more than just mastering magic, and now Tesfia was trying to change even more. Her mind and body were slowly maturing. It was likely that she had a vague awareness of it herself.

That was why she’d looked at him with earnest eyes. She couldn’t leave this place of learning yet. It was because Alus accepted her sincerity that he was walking forward with this, even though he knew it was troublesome.

Finally, he reached the first step of the staircase that would eventually lead him to a strange and intertwined destiny. At the top of the main building was an area where students were the least likely to go. The only things there were the principal’s office and other management offices.

Of course, with a floor that size, there were also rooms for visitors. Moreover, all of the rooms had countersurveillance measures and were spaced farther apart than was necessary. The white wallpaper in the rooms seemed to glow by itself, which would leave most students awestruck. In a way, it was like a sanctuary that was intimidating to them. But it was nothing to Alus.

When Alus and Lilisha arrived, he could sense the presence of people in the parlor. A plate next to the door identified it as the “Number 1” room. Also, the fact that the room’s light was on told Alus that this was where their uninvited guest was.

He’d reached for the door knob when the door opened from the inside, revealing a woman. “I didn’t think the principal would be here...”

Sisty turned to Lilisha first, as if to put him in his place. Her gaze was tired and the way she hunched over made her look older. She then looked at Alus and sighed, saying in a hushed but insistent tone, “Not you again. You troublemaker!”

Even though he understood the circumstances, it was still a little painful for Alus to hear. He shrugged and tried to come up with an excuse. “Well, it’s the Fable family’s trouble this time. And aren’t you the one who told me to teach Fia? So it’s not unnatural for me to get caught up in her problems.”

“Ugh, that’s... No, just what are you talking about?”

“I was only acting in good faith. And there hasn’t been any actual problem yet.”

“There’s been more than enough already! This is an incident! The Womruinas are one of the three great noble families, do you understand that?!”

“Of course.”

“I explained that part to Alus myself,” Lilisha put in, acting like a teacher’s pet.

“Even if you told him, I don’t think it meant anything to him...but thank you, Ms. Lilisha. I’d like to avoid any more trouble... I already have my hands full...” Realizing it was pointless to continue, Sisty cradled her head in an exaggerated manner and took a deep breath as she leaned against a nearby wall. She was being a little dramatic, but it did look like things had taken a toll on her mental state.

Seeing that, Alus awkwardly scratched his cheek. “It probably won’t cause any problems for the Institute. Besides, you wouldn’t want a student to leave against her will either, would you?”

“Well, no,” Sisty said with a sullen expression. She must have felt a sense of conflict between her teacher position and her position as director of the Institute. However... “Are you certain you can finish this without leaving any possibilities for future trouble?” She grabbed Alus’s shoulders and stared at him with a serious expression.

“You’re overreacting.”

“No, make sure you remember this...the Womruina family is just that powerful. Even you would do best to be careful.”

“Even so...”

“If you take it somewhere else, I will do whatever I can to help.”

“Thank you. Then I won’t hesitate to rely on you,” Alus replied.

“What! At least hesitate a little...okay?”

“And to think you were one of the Three Pillars.”

“I have my position to consider. I’m just a hired employee, a public servant. At this point, if things get worse, there’s nothing that I can do on my own. But that doesn’t mean that I want Ms. Tesfia to leave the Institute. I can’t relax for even a second...”

“Oh, just hearing that is a relief,” Alus said with a smirk.

Sisty puffed up her cheeks. “Don’t you dare tease me! But knowing you, you probably have some sort of plan in mind. So I’m just not going to worry about it,” she sarcastically concluded. She slapped Alus on the back. “Apparently, he just wants to speak with you, Alus. I’m sure that he’ll let Ms. Lilisha sit in though. I won’t be present myself, so Ms. Lilisha, try to cover for Alus. He hates nobles, you see.”

“Yes, I am aware of that, ma’am.” Lilisha smiled, again the honor student.

Feeling there was no use in talking any further, Alus put his hand on the knob before turning around. “Sorry, but I don’t have any plans or cards up my sleeve. I’ll be stepping onto the battlefield empty-handed for the first time in a while. Not that I’m going to give any ground.”

Having shown his resolve, Alus stepped through the door with Lilisha and closed it on a dumbfounded Sisty, as they went inside to meet the dangerous visitor.

***

After the door closed, Sisty made her way to her office, but then decided to turn around. Oddly enough, her steps had a bounce to them despite her previous attitude.

She knew it was inappropriate considering the situation, but even so, she couldn’t stop her face from relaxing into a small smile. “Well, Alus, it looks like you really did change. I could hardly believe my ears when Berwick told me. I wonder why it’s so exciting to see a child grow up.”

She thought back to when she’d questioned Berwick about Lilisha’s background. At that time, Berwick had also mentioned that Alus had told Loki about his past. It might look like a small thing to an outsider, but for Alus it was a big step forward. Seeing the change in him, Sisty felt like she’d achieved her purpose as an educator. It wouldn’t resolve the present problem, but it was still something to rejoice over.

A bright mood overcame her, like she’d returned to active duty. Or perhaps...like she’d become younger in a way.

Although he’d never admit it, Alus had given up calculations and prospects of the future in an attempt to do what he felt was right. And his motivation had had to do with his relationship with a fellow classmate. They had formed a kind of bond.

Oh, how nice it is to be young. Alus had said that for once he didn’t have any cards up his sleeve. It wasn’t much different from being reckless. Of course, the rashness of youth probably played a part in it. Just this once though, Sisty envied that youth. She wanted to touch it and be inspired.

Maybe being a little stupid wasn’t all that bad. In this day and age, there were very few who could act on what they felt was right, instead of holding themselves back with thoughts of self-preservation and self-interest.

What’s this? Did maternal instincts somehow awaken in me? I can already imagine my peers making fun of me. Sisty narrowed her eyes and tried to restrain herself. She could understand why Lettie was so concerned about Alus. The more difficult the child, the more adorable they were.

The edges of Sisty’s lips curled up into a slight smile as she walked. “Maybe I should cut loose a little.” She mischievously held a finger to her lips.

However, it was only for a few seconds. After a slight tilt of her head, her expression returned to normal, to that of the Institute’s mature, cautious, and farsighted principal. But who could blame her? That was the insurmountable gap between someone truly young and an adult who had already grown old.

“If something does happen, I’m sure Berwick will get involved. He does owe me quite a bit. But what to do if the Womruina family’s donations dry up...?”

Frankly, the donations from the Womruinas were so much that the Institute couldn’t afford to overlook them, though the reason they accepted them was because they were nobles. And the Womruinas were related to the current ruler, Cicelnia, which would make refusing them even more difficult. “Well, if it happens, it might be a good opportunity.”

Muttering to herself, Sisty made up her mind, and walked back to the principal’s office with light steps.