Chapter 170 — If You Want Someone to Remember You

1

The Abrel family.

For those who inherited the blood of dragons, their dragon-like eyes were the family’s symbol.

These eyes allowed for rapid spellcasting and the ability to see the true nature of mana.

With these eyes, they could even anticipate the spells their opponent was preparing, making the family powerful enough to rise to greatness.

But at some point, the dragon’s blood within them began to wane.

The Abrel family, which had once thrived on the power of these eyes alone, slowly started to decline.

Perhaps it was inevitable, as they had grown complacent, relying on talent rather than effort.

Still, their influence remained formidable, largely due to their exceptional information network.

“We’ve completed the report on the strange occurrences at the academy.”

“There are victims, but no one has managed to identify the perpetrator. Quite an odd situation.”

“The young lady has volunteered to investigate further.”

Recently, the family had been facing a new issue.

Nia.

She was the Abrel family’s prodigy, the child in whom the dragon’s blood manifested most strongly.

She was the heir who would lead the family into the future.

The family had high hopes for her, and she was growing into those expectations with remarkable steadiness.

Now in her third year, a time when she should be focusing on her studies, these strange events at the academy were not only hindering her growth but also potentially tarnishing the family’s prestige.

“Well, at least we have a legitimate reason now. We’ve been invited to the academy for the upcoming midterm exams.”

The head of the Abrel family, seated at the highest place in the room, waved the letter bearing the academy’s seal.

It had arrived a few days earlier, an official invitation expressing the Emperor’s intent to visit the academy during the midterms.

Naturally, they too would need to make their presence known.

Many noble families would attend.

Some to strengthen alliances, others to check on their family members’ progress, and still others to seek higher positions.

Such social gatherings were opportunities, a place where the powerful came together to shape the world.

“We’ll gather accurate information there.”

“Indeed. Who will accompany me?”

The Emperor himself would be present.

If the head of the family did not attend, it could be seen as a challenge to the Emperor’s authority.

No matter how influential a family might be, even the smallest affront to the Emperor could lead to devastating consequences.

That was the Emperor’s power.

One man raised his hand in response to the family head’s question.

He was Nia Abrel’s older brother, a man without the dragon’s eyes.

Because of that, he had voluntarily stepped down from his position as heir.

“I will go, Father.”

“You? Very well. As an academy graduate, you’ll be well-versed in how things work there.”

“Thank you.”

“Prepare yourself. We leave in two weeks.”

The family’s eldest son bowed his head.

He too had high hopes for Nia.

Since he had given up his own position, she was the one who would bring honor to the family.

He had graduated from the academy with excellent grades.

Though he hadn’t been the top graduate, he had ranked within the top 1%, bringing pride to the family.

If only he had been born with the dragon’s eyes, he would surely have become the heir.

But he no longer harbored any lingering attachment to that position.

What mattered was that someone capable would inherit the family, ensuring its ultimate greatness.

That was the dream shared by everyone in the Abrel family.

‘I’m looking forward to this.’

“This meeting is adjourned. Don’t slack off on the investigation.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Lord, I apologize for interrupting, but we’ve just received urgent news.”

As the family head rose to adjourn the meeting, the door opened and a man hurried in.

This man, known as the “eyes” of the Abrel family, entered in haste.

The family head frowned slightly but quickly returned to his seat, his expression changing from displeasure to curiosity.

“What is it?”

“It appears that Count Acre and the Caesar family are preparing for a territorial war.”

“…What did you say?”

What was this?

Why would the Caesar family suddenly move?

Why had the slumbering Red Dragon suddenly awakened?

A whirlwind of thoughts raced through everyone’s minds, but the family head set his curiosity aside for now.

The news was monumental, and the faces around him grew tense.

So, the Conqueror’s family was finally rising from its long slumber.

“We’ve just received word from the capital. The Emperor has granted his permission.”

“…Why has the Acre family drawn their ire?”

“I’ve heard that two individuals were nearly harmed on the Acre estate.”

“Hah…”

What to do?

A territorial war involved a massive web of interests.

The resources needed to supply such a war would be vast, and magical artifacts and siege weapons would also be required.

There was no way the Duchy of Caesar could handle all of that on its own.

If they inserted themselves into the situation, they could stand to gain quite a bit.

The mercenaries of the Abrel family were renowned; no matter where they were needed, they could demand a hefty price.

New complications were arising.

And this news was beginning to spread across the entire continent.

2

Nia started her day as usual.

Her stride was always confident, and she frequently received greetings from others.

Being the third-year student council president carried significant weight.

Today seemed no different from any other day, yet her expression appeared somewhat hurried.

A letter had arrived that morning.

There was important news she had to deliver to Manus, so she headed quickly toward Class 3-A.

“Manus! Are you here?”

“What is it?”

The letter had caused her to be late for class, but that meant she no longer had to wait to catch Manus.

He didn’t seem to know or care about the news, as he looked as calm as ever.

Seeing him engrossed in a difficult magic theory book, she figured he must have been in deep concentration.

She grabbed his hand and quickly pulled him out of the classroom.

This wasn’t something everyone needed to hear.

As the two of them left together, the murmuring in the room grew louder.

There would surely be strange rumors circulating again, but that was the least of her concerns right now.

“I’ve got some top-secret news.”

“What is it?”

“Alright, listen carefully, because I’m only saying this once!”

“I’m listening.”

Manus crossed his arms and looked at her.

Why had she called him out so suddenly?

Could it be that people were starting to forget about her?

Was something happening in her family?

Had he involved her too deeply in things?

As he stared at her lips, waiting for her to speak, he wondered why the moment felt like it was stretching endlessly.

“You see… the Acre family and the Caesars are going to war over their territory.”

“…I know.”

“Right! I thought you didn’t— Wait, what?”

Manus let out a long sigh and spoke to Nia.

Why was she delivering old news? Wasn’t the Abrel family supposed to be good at intelligence gathering?

“I already know. Is that why you brought me out here?”

“No… but… when… Ah.”

“My sister didn’t come here for nothing, you know.”

“That’s true…”

Manus’s gaze seemed to silently convey annoyance as he looked at her.

Nia smiled awkwardly.

Of course.

Thinking Manus wouldn’t know about something so important had been foolish.

Not to mention, his sister had visited him directly, so of course, he would’ve already heard the news.

Nia felt a mix of embarrassment and relief.

Seeing Manus’s brief moment of concern also made her feel a little proud.

“Enough with the nonsense. How are you feeling?”

“Nonsense…? Well, fine. I’m doing alright.”

“That’s good to hear.”

With that, Manus turned away.

There was nothing more to discuss, so he planned to return to his reading.

“You’re really harsh, Senior Manus. But…”

There wasn’t much she could say to someone who was genuinely worried about her, so Nia let out a small smile as she walked away.

She seemed alright now, and Manus felt some relief as he returned to the classroom.

Things would progress slowly over the next three years.

But somehow, they had to resolve everything before then.

He could dismiss her as a character that didn’t exist in the original game, but…

Right now, she was a person standing before him, suffering.

All he wanted was to find a solution as quickly as possible.

Ideally, Nia would be chosen by the tower, preventing her from being forgotten by the world.

Manus found it impossible to focus on his book and stood up.

There was still some time before class started.

He felt the need to get some fresh air to clear his mind.

“Hey, where are you going?”

He heard Nia calling from behind him, but he ignored her and kept walking.

3

The Duchy of Caesar.

Today started like any other peaceful day, but the atmosphere in the duchy was anything but calm.

Everyone was moving busily, and many visitors were arriving at the mansion.

Labeth, watching the procession of people heading toward the mansion, spoke.

“How are the preparations?”

“Nearly complete. Her Highness the Empress will arrive this afternoon.”

“There weren’t any issues?”

“None. Also, there’s information from the Lady—Manus has expressed interest in participating in the territorial war.”

Labeth turned toward Wei.

His eyes, filled with curiosity, concern, and a hint of doubt, looked at her.

She responded to his unspoken question.

“I believe it’s likely due to the issue with the Order.”

“Does he understand how reckless this is?”

“Perhaps not entirely… But he has grown a great deal. I’m sure he has his reasons.”

“Hmm.”

Labeth nodded quietly.

It seemed his second son was doing more and more to attract his attention.

Perhaps that was a skill in itself.

There were many who spoke of Labeth as omniscient, almost god-like in his abilities.

But even he couldn’t fully understand one person—his own son.

No matter how powerful he became, no matter how much he could reshape the world, if he couldn’t earn his own son’s love, he would still be a poor father.

Manus had earned considerable merit in the battle against the Dire Order.

Having regained a degree of trust, Labeth was willing to respect his son’s wishes.

“Grant him permission. Send him the details in writing.”

“Yes. Should I inform the academy as well?”

Labeth nodded silently.

His eyes shifted once more to the busy people in the mansion.

The time had come for the Conqueror’s banner to rise again.

Count Acre.

A master-level warrior, but could he withstand the power of magic?

The memories of Mythos Academy came flooding back.

The days when he’d dominated the league with his magic as a young man.

The warriors back then had been helpless against him.

Count Acre had also graduated from the academy with top honors.

“This should be interesting.”

A small grin began to form on his lips.

He wondered how much of his magic the fully-grown warrior could withstand.

And how futile the resistance of his soldiers would be.

The winds of war were gathering, dark and ominous like approaching storm clouds.

–TL Notes–
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/MattReading

Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt