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Chapter 344

The terrace where I used to exchange stories with Bertus from time to time.

There, Bertus trembled as he poured tea, and likewise, his hands shook so much that the tea overflowed as he drank it.

I hung my head, unable to even look at Bertus.

I wanted to die.

And Bertus must have wanted to kill me.

“Why… did you do that?”

Bertus asked in a low voice.

“…Because of money.”

“…Money? What does that have to do with cross-dressing?”

“Well, there was a… a cross-dressing contest…”

“A cross-dressing contest? You mean at the festival?”

“…Yes.”

“Hasn’t your financial situation improved lately?”

“It’s not like having it is a bad thing…”

In a subdued voice, with my head down, I explained why I had cross-dressed.

This must be the punishment that’s befallen me, right?

Isn’t this the climax?

It’s hard to imagine a more difficult situation in my life, right? Having been punished enough, I can believe that only happiness awaits me from now on, right?

Bertus barely took a sip of his tea and then put the teacup down with a shaking hand.

“What, exactly… what… is this?”

Bertus seemed unable to grasp what to say.

It was Bertus with his mask off, but not in the usual sense—stripped away in a different way.

“Ugh. This… what… ah…”

“…”

It seemed that Bertus’ memory of seeing me in my cross-dressed state came flooding back.

Me, doing swordplay with the knights.

Me, trembling with my hands.

Me, spouting nonsense about alcohol addiction.

All those moments.

All those images.

It was all me.

“…”

“…”

In the midst of mixed feelings of guilt and self-loathing,

“Damn it… F*ck.”

I ended up silently listening to Bertus’ barely audible swearing as if I were a sinner.

“…I’m sorry.”

“What the hell are you sorry for, you bastard! When you say you’re sorry! What, uh! It’s not like! Uh! No! It’s not like that! I just! Uh! You, my brother! Uh! Just, just out of good intentions! Uh! This, this crazy!”

“Who, who said what?!”

Bertus finally exploded.

And I just ended up getting cursed at even more for my needless apology.

——

Bertus’ gaze towards me had changed.

To that of a madman who would do anything for money.

Fortunately, Bertus didn’t seem to hold a grudge against me or plan to spread any rumors.

Feeling as if his soul was being polluted just by mentioning or thinking about the incident, Bertus staggered into his room with a hollow expression.

I had considered the possibility that my participation in the cross-dressing contest might be exposed somehow, but I never imagined that I would end up confessing it myself.

“…”

It felt like hell, but my heart sank even more.

The incident where I coincidentally ran into Bertus had taken a strange turn and was leading to an investigation behind my back.

When people begin to dig into my background, my hometown, and the intricate details of my past, there’s bound to be holes in the excuses I’ve prepared, no matter how well thought out they may be.

Even if I handle it expertly, the fact that I appeared out of nowhere last year cannot be changed. And that is not difficult to discern once someone starts investigating properly.

It was a situation where Bertus could have discovered my true identity from an unexpected angle.

Fortunately, confessing my involvement in the cross-dressing contest threw Bertus off psychologically. With his pride wounded, he wouldn’t delve further into the issue.

The cross-dressing contest mission…

As impressive as the rewards were, it could have easily exposed me from an unforeseen corner.

I had knowingly undertaken the risky Riverrier Lanze affair.

Yet, the genuinely dangerous situation was derived from the cross-dressing contest.

If Bertus had done more digging without directly asking me, the situation could have turned truly perilous.

But.

Why, in such a life-threatening situation, was the feeling of embarrassment and wanting to die even stronger?

For a while, I could do nothing but sit there, unable to move.

——

There had been an incident that left both Bertus and me mentally shattered, but Bertus, being as busy as he was, rarely appeared in the Royal Class dormitory.

I too was losing track of the numerous events that had been set in motion.

Ellen still hadn’t returned. In the end, I had to carry on with my own routine.

Worry and anxiety couldn’t resolve anything.

I even had a fencing match with Olivia, but lately, my focus had been on the utilization of magical power itself.

Ugh.

Alone in the practice arena.

Your Magic Power level has reached 20 (A-).

Special conditions have been achieved.

‘Magic Control’ and ‘Magic Sensitivity’ talents evolve.

You have acquired the ‘Talent – Magic Mastery.’

Through the practice arena’s mirror, I could see my body enveloped by refined magic power.

Finally, I succeeded in attaining Magic Mastery, one of Ellen’s talents.

I had nearly exposed my true identity because of the cross-dressing contest and suffered a great embarrassment.

But it had brought me very close to Magic Mastery.

When I first acquired the Magic Sensitivity and Control talents, I honestly couldn’t grasp their essence. However, as a result, I was able to obtain Magic Body Strengthening, and it was clear that the assistance of those two talents was significant.

Now, I could use Magic Body Strengthening without self-suggestion, and I had even gained the higher-level talent of Magic Mastery.

My Magic Rank was now A-, which was quite high.

Rumble!

As I felt the surge of magical power throughout my body, I became capable of a different kind of Magic Body Strengthening.

The manipulation of magical power had become more sophisticated and detailed, and its output had also increased.

Obtaining Magic Mastery wasn’t the end.

As I grew more accustomed to it, the Magic Mastery talent would make me even stronger.

It wouldn’t be right to say I’m on the same starting line as Ellen. That guy is still better than me and will become stronger at a faster pace than me.

Thanks to numerous cheats, I can now walk a little faster.

But I shouldn’t be satisfied with just this level.

The moment I become complacent is the end. I still have a long way to go.

Nevertheless, with just one talent called magic mastery, my understanding and utilization of Magic Body Strengthening have increased significantly.

I’m getting stronger abnormally fast.

Under the name of the Royal Class, such abnormal aspects are accepted as normal, but I wonder how long this can last.

After finishing my training in the practice arena, I returned to the dormitory, showered, and changed my clothes.

-Chirp!

-Tap tap!

A sparrow could be seen tapping on my window with its beak.

-Creak

As I opened the window, the sparrow flew into the room, and as soon as it hit the curtain, it took the form of a human.

“I am here to serve you.”

“Ah.”

It was Sarkegaar, who always took the form of a maid when entering the dormitory.

——

I was sitting in a chair, and Sarkegaar stood still in the center of the room with her hands clasped.

“The Lord of Wednesday has come to find me.”

“I thought so. How is it?”

“I was a bit flustered since I hadn’t received any information, but I listened to the situation and took care of it for now.”

Considering Lucinil’s age, the expression ‘taking care of it’ seemed a bit off. In reality, it felt more like ‘looking after a child.’

“It wasn’t exposed to the outside, right?”

“Yes, she came secretly late at night by herself.”

Sarkegaar was also in a stealth situation. So, Lucinil must have been careful not to expose herself to the outside.

I briefly explained to Sarkegaar what happened at the Vampire Council.

“It’s a greater achievement than you could have imagined.”

“Yeah, honestly, I didn’t think it would turn out like this.”

Sarkegaar seemed satisfied with the outcome, which turned out much better than expected.

“But you must be careful. I don’t know much about the Vampire Lords, but from what I’ve heard, Antirianus seems dangerous.”

“True. However, I can’t choose who I should join hands with.”

In this situation, it’s not the time to be picky about allies. If a suspicious person is willing to side with me, I have to join hands with them.

“And Cantus Magna and Akasha… I think they are excessively dangerous.”

“That’s true. But there’s a high possibility that what I want is there. It’s bound to be a very powerful force in itself.”

“It would be ideal to provoke a conflict between the Black Order and Cantus Magna and take advantage of the chaos. However, it’s troubling that we don’t know what Akasha is.”

Is it really right to provoke Cantus Magna without knowing what Akasha is?

Sarkegaar seemed to think that my desire for power was enough for me to covet Akasha, regardless of whether it was possible or not.

“Things are starting to fall into place, Your Highness.”

Sarkegaar showed a sinister smile. I had gained the power of the Vampire Council, and the Lord of Wednesday had joined the ranks to cooperate.

From the remnants of the demons, something worthy of being called a force was now being completed, and Sarkegaar was genuinely delighted.

However.

Please, do not smile so charmingly with that face.

It feels like cognitive dissonance when you smile like that with a face that appears so innocent!

Of course, the mission was not over yet.

“How is the contact with the revolutionary forces going?”

“We’re cautiously looking into it, as acting hastily may cause mistakes. We’ve been able to find out about a list of those who have definitely been involved, although not the entire upper echelons.”

Sarkegaar showed a list of several people.

Names, including Oscar de Gradias, were listed.

Most were bureaucrats of commoner origin, and there were even some nobles among them.

“Especially, there are many illegitimate children abandoned by noble families.”

“I see.”

Illegitimate children of noble families often enter the temple under hidden identities. They could have enrolled in the Orbis Class as well.

Children who have noble blood but were abandoned.

Their resentment could be transformed into a desire for revolution. Most of the names would have been thoroughly verified by Sarkegaar, so the participants were certain.

However, in the end, the small fry were not necessary.

What I needed were the core factors. Making contact with them and establishing a cooperation structure with the demonic forces was my task.

And from the list Sarkegaar provided, I found a name I recognized, if not particularly familiar.

I pointed to the name.

“This gentleman, while not part of the upper echelons, is certainly an important figure.”

“Indeed.”

Owen de Gatmora.

The name of the merchant guild master was written there.

The merchant guild master had provided a substantial amount of research funding to the magic research club. He paid me as a bribe for collusion with the royal family.

There had been no particular requests or connections with the merchant guild since then, but they were making money now. All the goods for the magic train shop business were provided by the merchant guild. And I had no particular issues with them.

Sarkegaar’s investigation confirmed that the merchant guild master was involved in the revolutionary forces.

“So, the one who poured money into me for collusion with the royal family is secretly supporting the revolutionary forces…”

I could not tell whether he simply wanted money or if he genuinely dreamed of revolution.

Whether this guy was part of the upper echelons or not, he was important because he could lead to the upper echelons.

“Alright. Make contact with Owen de Gatmora, and if necessary, approach him in the name of Darkland. Also, keep in mind that I might meet with him personally depending on the situation. Consider that as well.”

Sarkegaar wore a cautious expression.

“Your Highness, please bear in mind that they may refuse to cooperate with us out of fear for the name of the Demon Realm.”

“Hmm, that wouldn’t be ideal.”

Sarkegaar’s words carried a hint of skepticism about the potentially negative outlook.

“Once they’ve been caught by us, they should know that terrible things will happen the moment we expose them to the Empire. From the moment their tracks are found, they have no choice but to join us or face death.”

The revolutionary forces must choose. They have no choice but to realize that if they don’t join us, we can bring them down in other ways. We don’t even have to do it ourselves.

All we need to do is hand over the secured list to the Empire.

Though they could deny it.

The Empire is extremely sensitive due to the power struggle with the Holy Knights. If they perceive the revolutionary forces as an additional threat, they will do everything in their power to annihilate them.

So, they won’t be able to ignore us.

“I have infiltrated them successfully, Your Highness.”

Sarkegaar is entrusted with the task of making contact with the revolutionary forces.

“If necessary, seek Lucinil’s help. You’re more likely to require magic in your situation than I am.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

Sarkegaar’s tasks are supported by Lucinil, who will be with him for the time being.

Things are progressing step by step.

As tasks unfold one by one under the name of Valier,

I will gradually distance myself from the identity of Reinhardt.

I quietly watched the figure of Sarkegaar, flying away like a sparrow.

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