'Javier, you scoundrel!'

Earl Klaus Gerondester's face twists into an ugly expression the moment he remembers the face of a certain First Rate Scholar. The young lad's raven black hair, his overconfident smile, and his tall, sleek physique seem to radiate an air of mystique.

It infuriates him!

Not too long ago, this boy was nothing but a powerless student who was under his control.

Now?

He had become a Senior Professor in the Academy!

How infuriating!

How utterly annoying!

Klaus can't help but be even further enraged when he remembers the smug expression Javier made at the end of that Trial Hearing. The Noble Faction lost, and seven of their members were sacked from the Royal Academy.

Not only was this a huge blow to the reputation of the Noble Faction, but it was also a way for the Royal Family to remove members of the opposition and add some of its one people.

Seven people fired means seven vacant positions—some of which are Senior Professor positions.

Filling those up with Royal Faction loyalists would be catastrophic.

The Noble Faction is already struggling to keep a grasp on the Royal Academy, but if this happens, it will officially be the death of their Faction—especially if that new policy passes and becomes a reality.

'The Colegium Reform… we can't let it become a reality!'

That's why, despite his initial skepticism, he accepted his invitation to this place.

He—Klaus Gerondester—has become desperate.

"My Lord will see you now…" A fair young lady with a bountiful chest and a pristine outfit suddenly appears before Klaus, bowing her head slightly as she gestures for him to enter a vast room closed off by an elegant door.

Klaus nods, his anxiety rising as he slowly rises to his feet.

Normally, he would appear to be a distinguished fellow. With sleek, neatly combed black hair, a tall and noble build, as well as shining purple eyes. His beard is neatly trimmed, and his facial features give off an air of elegance.

Even now, despite his advanced age, he looks like a handsome man barely in his forties.

His attire represents the grace and prestige of High Nobility—with a pure white shirt and tie, covered by a black suit whose colors match the shirt but are still embroidered in gold. Atop the tie is a silver-coated brooch that displays immense grandeur.

A long red cape flows behind him, shimmering with gold designs that sparkle with glamor with every step he takes. Atop his shoulder, and drooping down both sides to the point of nearly touching his feet, is a sash that bears the same color and design as the cape. Atop the sash is yet another brooch that displays his family's crest and properly elevates his appearance to another degree.

His shoes are polished to mirror sheen, and his expression is cold as it should be.

This is the proper demeanor of a High Noble.

This… is Earl Klaus Gerondester!

However, despite all his efforts, the air of power around him has already been suppressed.

After all, there are levels to the hierarchy, and right now… he is about to meet someone far higher than him in the food chain.

He gently opens the door and proceeds into the vast room whose decor puts his to shame.

The rare materials and sleek designs are far too impeccable to be comparable to what an Earl could possibly afford. Even if he could, certain craftsmen are only accessible to certain members of society, hence it isn't a matter of what money can buy.

For example, even Javier had to be gifted the clothes he wore for the Royal Banquet.

Even for his graduation, he had to leverage his connections with all kinds of people, like Serena Rudinger at the time, so he could obtain certain materials.

For the Earl, even though he has access to several luxuries and privileges, it is clear that the man he stands before his a notch above him. No, not just a notch, but several notches. The distance is comparable to an elephant and an ant.

In this case, it is clear who the ant is… the great Earl Klaus himself.

"Sit. Please." A young voice echoes within the room, as a man facing the massive windows in the hall doesn't even turn to look at him.

In terms of age, the Earl is old enough to be this youth's father.

However, the barrier of status has made it such that even Klaus cannot complain about this arrangement. He is, after all, a Noble Supremacist who heavily believes in the hierarchy. As much as he exerts his power on those inferior to him, he also recognizes his place.

He calmly proceeds to his seat, a massive sofa that curves to form a 'C' shape. At the center is a pristine table that reeks of wealth.

Only when Klaus sits does this young man finally shift from his position.

He slowly turns to face the Earl.

"I'm glad you honored my invitation, Earl Gerondester…" His smile is broad, exemplifying a certain childishness that comes with age. However, his expression shows a deep scheming nature that should not be underestimated.

Even Klaus, a great schemer himself, feels a certain pressure coiling within his heart.

He makes a forceful grin, his rubbery smile strained to the limits. "Please, Lord Duke, call me Klaus. It is an honor to be in your presence."

Indeed.

The man who stands before Klaus is a Duke—albeit a stand-in one.

He is yet to fully pass the Ceremony, but without any other proper candidate, he has taken on the position unopposed.

Duke of the Ravenwood Household—Julian Ravenwood.

'The Ravenwood Duke Household belongs to the Royal Faction, so I was skeptical of meeting the new Young Master who suddenly became Duke. But, based on my reception thus far, it seems he holds a far friendlier disposition towards the opposition compared to his father…' Klaus thinks to himself, both cautious and curious.

He can't help but wonder what he, specifically, is doing in this man's presence.

Julian notices this detail and smiles.

"I won't beat around the bush, Klaus. Let me be straightforward instead…" His eyes narrow, and a certain emotion flickers within.

It is an emotion that Klaus has come to know too well in the past week.

Hatred—deep, unbridled hatred!

"I despise Javier Aditi. He is responsible for the death of my older sister and brother. He is the cause of my father's stroke; despite all treatments, he remains unresponsive. I despise him greatly, and beyond him… I resent the Royal Family for protecting him like they have been for some time now." Julian speaks out with unfiltered passion, his teeth gritting and his serene expression quickly turning ugly with every statement he utters.

Even Klaus is stunned by the level of emotion displayed by this Duke.

'I thought I hated Javier, but this Lord Duke… his hatred is on another level…' Klaus's eyes widen as he takes mental notes on areas of improvement in his distaste for scum like Javier.

"I had hoped the Royal Faction would help me get justice for Javier's actions, which have harmed my family in many ways, but they remain silent on the matter. They constantly protect and even elevate him. He is like their golden boy. I can't stand the sight of that. As such, since the Royal Faction won't do anything about it…" Julian pauses, staring meaningfully at Klaus.

The latter nods, completing the statement. "… You wish to side with the Noble Faction on the matter of Javier Aditi?"

"Correct." Julian nods. "I have already started making moves in the shadows, but doing things like that would take too much time. As such, I've set my eyes on the Royal Academy. Most of the Nobles in the Royal Faction within that place are under my banner, which means, although they are under the Royal Faction by name… they still answer to me as their superior."

Klaus's eyes widen the moment he hears this.

'T-this… If he truly wishes to stand by us, even if it is a temporary alliance, it means our Noble Faction won't collapse, after all!'

Not only can they prevent the Colegium Reform from passing, but they can also create more obstacles for the Royal Faction and regain their authority. Julian's interference would be buying them a lot more time.

This is good news that Klaus didn't think he would be hearing!

"I know what you're thinking, but your scope is still too small. Why treat the symptoms when you can simply find a cure? I don't simply wish to buy time, but to completely destroy my opponent."

"Oh? Then what does Lord Duke have in mind?" Despite being seen through by Julian, Klaus does not feel any negative emotion.

In fact, he is glad!

Such a competent person as a Duke would naturally be a threat, but now that he is on their side, it sends relief through his body. After all, sometimes, an incompetent ally is worse to have than a competent opponent.

With Julian showing keen insight as well as ambition, Klaus can feel assured.

"The Royal Family intentionally made Javier a Senior Professor to strengthen their position in the Academy, but also to protect him from my clutches. They know I can't carelessly attack him in the Royal Academy, which means he has to be gone from there so I can make my move against him."

"But why is the Royal Family protecting him?"

"I… don't know." Julian's frown grows deeper, his eyes burning with deeper annoyance. "It makes no sense. He's just a nobody who turned into a local hero, yet they're treating him like the crown jewel! How absurd!"

"…."

Klaus nods in agreement, but doesn't dare speak.

To be honest, he understands how valuable Javier Aditi is and how exceptional his accomplishments are. Just his efforts at subduing that Cadre 5 Magivore are more contributions to the Kingdom than what most Nobles accomplish in their lifetime.

Not only that, but the boy is brilliant, easily ahead of his peers by miles.

Klaus personally handled all of Javier's scripts when he was still a student in the Academy, which is why the latter always scored a C in the Core Courses. However, this made Klaus actually interact with Javier's answers, causing him to recognize how impressive he was.

Even as a student, Javier's breadth of knowledge and insights were too frightening.

He couldn't be allowed to continue.

If he continued, he would end up surpassing actual Nobles, disrupting the balance and also shattering the Noble Supremacist ideology that Klaus was brought up with.

Hence, Klaus constantly interfered, ensuring Javier was discouraged and left the Department.

But… who would have thought the boy actually decided to fight back?

This enraged Klaus, causing him to resort to the petty scheme that would have normally cost Javier his admission. But, he received protection from all kinds of people in the Royal Faction, hence he was preserved and made to flourish, eventually causing Klaus's deepest fears to be actualized.

Javier… surpassed all the other Nobles.

'He is a special boy, exceptional in all manner of ways. But… he is still not a Noble! He does not possess our special bloodline, hence he is an existence that cannot be allowed to continue!'

That is Klaus's current assessment.

If Javier, someone with an ordinary background, continues to exceed the accomplishments of Nobles, then what would be the point of Noble Supremacy? Would people really hold the Nobles in high regard any longer? Where would their legitimacy come from?

These are his worries.

Hence, he has to agree with Julian Ravenwood regarding the elimination of Javier Aditi.

But… how?

"I will take control of the Royal Faction from right under their noses and appoint a new Headmaster. Even though Grand Scholars are a rarity in the Kingdom, there are still a few of them in the Academy. But, do you know why, out of all of them, I called for you?"

"C-could it be—?!" Klaus immediately forgets his noble demeanor, his eyes bulging in shock as his voice rises beyond his control.

Julian sees this and nods intently, his shrewd gaze flashing with eerie light.

"Earl Klaus… what do you think about becoming the next Headmaster?"

*************

Finally, some more good news!

Aunt Leila has finally responded to my message after all this time.

I was initially hesitant to see her reply, but after checking it out, it turns out I was worried for nothing. It appears she is completely on board with the arrangement and would like to work with me on this project.

My Aunt is only an Intermediate Alchemist, which means she can't be compared to a Senior Alchemist like Anna. However, beggars can't be choosers.

My situation has worsened, and I can already feel myself losing some weight despite eating healthier than ever. That means, just as I thought, regular food will eventually become insufficient for me to properly sustain myself with.

With such a dreadful problem getting worse, I've found myself being in a bit of a hurry.

I have gotten too desperate to be picky about my options.

Thankfully, the Spring Term is about to conclude, and it won't be long before Summer Break begins. I'll go visit her during that time and hopefully find a way to resolve my issue.

Even a temporary fix will do at this point, to be honest.

Apart from that matter, there's also something else—an unfortunate consequence for obtaining an Honorary Knight title.

If it were an ordinary title, perhaps I could have flown under the radar, but because it is a High Rank Knight title, I have been scouted by Earl Balric Wolfshade. He wishes for me to join the Department of Martial & Chivalric Studies as a part-time instructor.

According to him:

"We're severely understaffed, Javier! You have great fame and the title qualification to hold a secondary position here. You also possess the skills the back it up. Please, Javier… remember I did you a favor too. This is simply how society works. I scratch your back, you scratch mine… hehe!"

That sneaky old man!

From the start, he wasn't helping me because of his good intentions.

He simply saw it as an opportunity for me to be of use to him and his department! I should have seen this coming from the start... Tch!

But, what if I had?

I would still have had no choice but to proceed with the arrangement.

That's how precarious my situation was at the time.

Besides, there was no way I could have settled for anything less than a High Rank Knight Title, since that would defeat the purpose of going for the Honorary Knight Exams. Only with a High Rank Title could I have possibly proved my competence as a Senior Professor during the Panel Hearing, thus delaying further action from my opposition.

Unfortunately, it had to come with this baggage.

Argh… more work!

As much as I don't like this arrangement, I recognize how influential Earl Balric is within the Academy and how useful he has been to me. We belong to the same Royal Faction, too, and helping him would be strengthening our Faction as well as improving the quality of education in his Department.

After considering all of these things, as well as how my actions would offend him if I refused, I finally caved in and accepted it.

So, right now, other than being a Senior Professor in the Department of Sciences & Natural Philosophy… I have also become a Martial Arts Instructor at the Royal Academy.

Ahh… I can't wait for Summer Break.

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