Royal Road of the Extra Scribe

54

A tea party of the core members of the Salion faction.

Although the lack of cookies was disappointing, I sensed it wasn’t the place to intrude.

However, perhaps because I had approached too confidently, their gazes turned towards me.

“Oh…!”

Erina, widening her eyes upon seeing me. Meanwhile, Casper furrowed his brow, and Gilbert tilted his head.

“There’s no turning back once they’ve noticed.”

After urgently sending Erina a look to come find me later, I tried to leave without drawing attention, but Erina, misunderstanding my gaze, cautiously invited me.

“Would you like to join us, Ilane-nim? Father, is it okay?”

“Out of the blue, aren’t you? More importantly, Erina. Do you know this person?”

“Yes. We’re acquainted.”

“That’s interesting. Fine. What’s your name?”

It was an awkward situation, but my attention was already fixed on the greasy cookies on the table. How could there be such moist cookies?

Just this once, I decided to close my eyes and join them.

“My name is Alse Ilane. It’s an honor to meet you, Gilbert-nim.”

“Ilane? Ilane… Where have I heard that name before?”

He soon clapped his hands and said, “I remember now.”

“Is it Lord Ilaine, who has taken up the position as Rainfall’s lord this time?”

“Yes, Lord Ilaine is my elder brother.”

“Hmm.”

His expression changed. If he was Lord Ilaine, then he belonged to the Helian faction.

But still, he was just a lord. Since it was uncertain when he might change factions, rather than being cautious, they welcomed him.

“I had some curiosity about Rainfall as well. Please, have a seat here.”

There was only one chair left next to Erina. As I sat down next to her, Casper’s face twisted uncomfortably.

“Let’s switch seats.”

He stood up straight away and said, but Erina coldly rebuffed him.

“There’s no need for that.”

“But Erina…”

“Lord Ilaine is a guest. My father also has questions he wants to ask. It’s not up to you to dictate things.”

“Ugh…”

From Noble mtl dot com

Casper sat back down reluctantly.

I was snacking on some cookies, whether they were there or not.

There weren’t many cookies left, which was a bit disappointing, but Erina quickly slid some from her plate to mine.

Seeing this, Gilbert sent a look to Erina as if asking for an explanation.

Erina began to introduce me instead.

“Lord Ilaine is a highly acclaimed figure who ranked first at Rainfall Academy, having integrated both general and military studies.”

“Oh, I see. But I heard there are few students from Calipher at that institution. It must not have been difficult to rank first. Unlike what Casper achieved at our Gransel Academy, he couldn’t secure the integrated first place.”

“That’s not true, Father. Lord Ilaine spent a year at Julia instead of Rainfall during middle school and still ranked first. It’s said that he was also classmates with Milias at that time. Moreover, he didn’t miss securing the first place even in elementary school, so he is exceptionally talented.”

“Really? That’s surprising. I always thought Casper never missed the first place.”

Upon this, Casper interjected.

“I had to miss the Academy many times due to private tutoring; it was unavoidable.”

“Hmm. But Erina, how do you know so much about him?”

I was getting goosebumps too.

“Are you a stalker or something?”

Seeing my disgusted expression, Erina waved her hand.

“Oh, no! I just heard it from Joan!”

“From Joan? Why is Joan’s name coming up?”

“Father, you don’t know. Lord Ilaine participated in the steward training at our mansion about two years ago. Joan was the one who conducted the training.”

“Steward…? Oh, that’s right. There was such a thing back then…”

“Yes, there was a rude group trying to kidnap me. Lord Ilaine protected me then.”

“You’re talking about Prince Eldrick’s incident. Now that I think about it, your father did mention there was a brave child who protected you.”

“That’s right. That was Lord Ilaine.”

Erina smiled as if longing for something. Sensing the atmosphere becoming strange, I quickly changed the subject.

“Brave, you say. I was just busy running away.”

Gilbert nodded.

“No, still, becoming such a respectable military cadet indicates you had the potential. I also want to express my gratitude for what happened back then.”

“I’m not sure how to respond.”

The ship must have been filled to a certain extent. I was about to get up from my seat when Gilbert, as if signaling the beginning, started bombarding me with questions.

“By the way, Ilaine. I heard that Rainfall recently started mining gold. Do you happen to know anything about it?”

“I believe it was decided that Crossing would be developing that. Our family has no involvement in it whatsoever.”

“Tsk tsk, Helian fellow. To just hand over the development rights to Crossing like that…”

He began probing me about the overall situation in Rainfall.

During the process of Kurabel nationals migrating in large numbers, Rainfall had already surpassed a population of 300,000, becoming a respectable mid-sized city.

As a result, the status of our family was gradually but surely rising.

It seemed like Gilbert had a great interest in pulling our family into his faction.

“It was your father who chose the Helian faction, so the heir who inherited the title might have a different perspective.”

“I’m not sure about that. My brother is quite astute, so it’s hard to read his thoughts like mine.”

Perhaps he vaguely sensed my evasive answers as Gilbert’s gaze narrowed.

“Hmm, come to think of it. There have been frequent sightings of Wade in Rainfall lately. What do you make of that?”

“Obviously, they must be fakes. The real Wade is here.”

That was not a lie.

Because I am here.

“Do you really think so? Well then….”

But that was when it happened.

“You seem quite leisurely, Gilbert?”

It was the Helian Duke. Appearing with his attendants, he did not hide his discomfort.

“What’s the matter, Regnat. I hope you’re not disturbing the intimate time with your daughter.”

“If that’s the case, shouldn’t you handle your tasks first? But then again? His Majesty is requesting specific survey data on the Madon territory. Surely… that was the task you committed to completing by today, right?”

“As for that….”

“No need to make excuses to me. Report directly to His Majesty. And….”

Helian turned his gaze and spoke in a chilling voice.

“And you, Wade. What are you doing here exactly?”

Although he was looking at Casper as he spoke, the warning was undoubtedly directed towards me.

Casper, who seemed to consider what he had said to himself, stood up awkwardly.

“I, I will return to training now.”

Casper hurriedly left the room.

I also tried to subtly leave, but the Helian Duke did not miss it.

“Would you mind helping me for a moment over there? I have something to pass on to Ironheart.”

Of course, there was nothing I wanted to pass on.

When we were alone, the Helian Duke reproached me in a low voice.

“What was that earlier! Are you trying to threaten me? Could you end up siding with those scoundrels?”

From his perspective, it must have seemed very risky.

With Gilbert, Erina, and even Casper present there. If I were to join them, the risks of the fake act would disappear, and the Salleon faction would gain momentum.

“It’s not like that. I just happened to get some food by chance.”

“Food?”

As I explained the situation with the communal diet, the Helian Duke clenched his forehead.

“Understand. There were many foolish ones who had a history of misconduct there. We have to proceed harshly to straighten out their minds, even if it’s tough.”

“Is this for filtering out?”

“That’s the idea.”

Already over 50 individuals who couldn’t endure this lifestyle and applied to return to the regular forces.

“Even so, it’s too harsh. Rather than playing with food, it would be better to increase the training intensity.”

“Understood. Since a week has passed, I’ll start mentioning about easing up. If you have any specific food you’d like to eat, feel free to speak up. I’ll have my subordinates arrange it for you.”

“Oh, in that case…”

I listed off the menu.

The variety of the menu made even the Helian Duke burst out laughing in disbelief.

***

After the month-long special training came to an end.

We finally changed out of our military uniforms into civilian clothes and entered the classroom to receive military strategy lessons.

I thought this military strategy class would be boring, but it turned out to be quite the opposite.

It seemed that the kingdom was preparing a high-level curriculum to properly train the officer cadets during this opportunity.

“Welcome, my soldiers. I am Dunan Grimmwood. Some of you may have heard of me, even if you haven’t seen my face.”

Dunan Grimmwood.

The top military leader in the Calipha Kingdom and a skilled warrior among the top 20 in the continent.

Soldiers called him Dunan of the Wilds.

“Dunan General is teaching the class himself?”

“What can we do? My heart started racing all of a sudden.”

The officer cadets buzzed with excitement at the appearance of the giant.

Dorothy, Dunan’s son, sighed with a dark expression.

“Quiet down. I understand your surprise. There’s a reason behind this.”

Dunan then explained the turbulent international situation due to consecutive wars.

“In this context, this year’s officer cadets are quite special.”

Because of their admission to the Epsilon High Academy.

The Epsilon Academy, located in Platon, the former capital of the Epsilon Empire, is the pinnacle of higher education institutions.

This academy, located in a neutral zone not affiliated with any country, was known for accepting students from various nations.

Selected students would spend their second and third years of high school at the Epsilon Academy.

“Don’t fall behind the cadets from other countries. Strive to win even the smallest things. Prove that you are the best.”

With the chaotic international situation, there were competitions between nations even in these minor aspects. Officer cadets were considered as potential talents for the battlefield and were being directly compared.

Therefore, to cultivate the skills of the officer cadets, Dunan, the top military leader, personally took charge of their military education.

“However, don’t worry too much. After all, you are currently known as Calipha’s Golden Generation.”

Saying so, Dunan glanced at Luan Chase, Casper Millias, and me.

As the military strategy class began in earnest.

Dunan explained practical situations and demanded answers from the officer cadets.

“The battle in the Feriton Marshes was particularly brutal. The enemies, leveraging their numerical superiority, tightened the encirclement, and our supplies kept dwindling. Amidst that, the worst crisis struck our forces. What do you think that was? Dorothy Grimmwood. Tell us.”

“M-me, is it me…?”

“Is there anyone else?”

“Could it be… that the enemy received reinforcements?”

“Wrong. Didn’t we say that the front line was stuck, making it impossible for us and the enemy to receive reinforcements?”

“Ugh….”

Dunan roared like thunder. It seems he’s even harsher to his own son to avoid any suspicion of favoritism.

“Next, Luan Chaise. Speak up.”

“…I’m not sure.”

“Admitting you don’t know is good. It’s much better than pretending to know. Next, Casper Milias!”

Casper rolled his eyes and said, “Perhaps there was a dramatic change in the terrain. I heard that the Periton Marshland is particularly harsh in its natural environment.”

“Well, it’s abstract, but it’s close enough.”

Upon hearing this, admiration echoed around, “As expected of Wade…” “Impressive.”

It would have been nice to just gloss over the answers, but Dunan turned his gaze towards me.

“Alth Iline. Speak.”

“Annoying….”

“What did you say?”

“It’s nothing. If there was an event that could be described as the worst misfortune in the current situation, it would involve issues with supplies. If, as you mentioned, we were in the Periton Marshland from May to June, it overlaps with the period when the Periton Feeding Bugs are active as adults. These bugs, when larvae, burrow into places with food using their small bodies and after a certain period, they grow into adults and consume all the food in that place. Therefore, I believe there was damage to supplies.”

“You hit the nail on the head.”

Cheers erupted here and there.

I was being recognized as a top performer within my peers.

Having been top of my class at Julia Academy and also at Rainpole Academy, rumors were bound to spread.

Among the male cadets, I was considered next in line after Casper and Luan.

Dunan scribbled something on what seemed like a score sheet and continued speaking.

“We failed in supply management due to our unfamiliarity with the local geography. Consequently, we broke through the encirclement before supplies ran out. Surprisingly, this became a constant that could exploit the enemy’s weakness. Thanks to the bugs, we were able to seize the right moment for attack. I thought they were damn bugs, but they turned out to be lovely creatures. My adjutant, Gerald, even stripped naked and bowed to the bugs.”

Ha ha ha! Laughter filled the classroom.

I thought it would be strict, but it turned out to be a surprisingly witty lesson.

“Such coincidental elements can occur on the battlefield. And we must be able to control such aspects. After experiencing this battle, at least in the units under my command, we didn’t suffer from supplies being eaten by bugs. Well done. Sit down.”

“Phew.”

As I sat down, curious glances were fixed on me from all around.

Some of the female cadets, in particular, stared at me as if to devour me, so I had to cover my face with my hand.

Even after the lesson ended, some cadets gathered around me, mostly female cadets. They were commoners.

“Alth, can you spare a moment? We’d like to discuss the lesson…”

“Feel free to call me. After all, I’m a low-ranking noble.”

“Then… Alth?”

That’s why they clung to me like this. It was similar to the interest the maids had shown me during my previous household education.

Due to the law that stated if the parent was a noble, the child would also be noble, male commoners at the bottom of the hierarchy were popular among commoners.

Because there were many benefits to be gained from holding a noble position, there were cases where marriages were strategically arranged.

Of course, among the nobles who adhered to pure-blood principles, it was greatly looked down upon.

“Hmph. Such lowly beings.”

Casper’s disdainful gaze towards me was one of the reasons.

That guy, how would he react if he knew I had royal blood in me?