“What should I do? What should I do…?”
The dean of the Continental Academy anxiously bit his nails, unable to stay still.
He recalled the face of the Emblem knight who had just reported the evacuation of the students and the disappearance of both Cherrya Emblem and Enoch Gray.
‘We will deliver the news to Lutinas.’
The dean’s face contorted grimly.
Two heirs of the most powerful ducal families in the Lutinas Empire had gone missing together in the Carmedan Jungle.
If the worst happened and they never returned, he would not be able to escape responsibility.
“Of all places, why did it have to be the Carmedan Jungle for the academy’s graduation exam?!”
There was a reason why the King of the Pavan Kingdom had bowed his head and insisted on using the Carmedan Jungle for the graduation exam.
Pavan had lost many outstanding knights due to frequent large-scale monster outbreaks and was suffering from a severe shortage of knights.
But this wasn’t just Pavan’s problem.
Only the Lutinas Empire, with its long-standing and prestigious knight orders like the Emblem and Gray, could maintain its military strength due to the sheer number of aspiring knights drawn by its reputation.
Thus, the King of Pavan naturally viewed Lutinas’ growing influence as a threat.
“Is there even a single ruler on this continent who doesn’t owe a debt to the Emperor of Lutinas? And now, because of pride, they use the Continental Academy instead?”
The dean stomped his foot in frustration and gritted his teeth.
Pavan wanted Lutinas’ help, but they didn’t want to be seen as indebted to them. So, they used the Continental Academy’s graduation exam as a means to their own ends.
When the King of Pavan first bowed his head and handed over countless treasures, the dean had been pleased.
But now, that moment felt like a distant memory.
“Damn it all!”
The disappearance of Cherrya Emblem and Enoch Gray couldn’t simply be dismissed as an unfortunate failure of a mission entrusted to the Emblem Knights by the King of Pavan.
This incident would go down as a catastrophic misjudgment—sending Continental Academy students into a place so dangerous that even the Emblem Knights were at risk.
The students of the Continental Academy were the heirs of noble families from various empires and kingdoms across the continent.
If their families decided to hold someone accountable, it wouldn’t just tarnish the academy’s reputation—the dean himself might be forced to step down immediately.
“How much did I go through to become dean? How much?!”
Unable to control his rage, the dean started throwing everything within reach—books, candlesticks, vases.
The crashing and breaking sounds echoed through the room.
Just as a vase shattered against the office door, a calm voice rang out.
“How unfortunate.”
“…….…!”
Recognizing the voice immediately, the dean froze. The book he had been about to throw slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor.
“I hurried here as fast as I could, thinking time was of the essence. Yet, it seems the dean had the leisure to waste time on a tantrum?”
“Y-Your Majesty…?”
The King of the Pavan Kingdom.
The very person the dean had been grinding his teeth over and cursing just moments ago was now standing before him.
Disguised in a hooded cloak, the King of Pavan had concealed his face, but his voice was unmistakable—no noble in Pavan would fail to recognize it.
“How… how did you get here?”
“I heard that something happened at the Continental Academy.”
With that short reply, the king strode into the room, throwing the door open wide before seating himself on the sofa.
“Sit.”
“….…Yes.”
The King of Pavan acted as though he owned the place, arrogantly tilting his chin to signal the dean to sit.
Even though the dean of the Continental Academy deserved at least some level of respect—even from the king—this was not the case.
The academy had a long history of educating not just Pavan’s royalty but also the nobles and royals of other nations.
But this particular dean had been placed in his position through the King of Pavan’s influence—he was nothing more than a political appointee.
And so, he had no choice but to obey.
“Is Cherrya Emblem truly missing?”
“It seems that way for now.”
“Does the Lutinas Empire still not know about the situation?”
“One of the Emblem knights said he would deliver the news personally. By now, they should have received it. Emblem’s messenger falcons can traverse the entire continent in under two hours.”
“Tsk.”
The King of Pavan clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.
But without losing his composure, he continued speaking.
“Missing, you say? They should have been dead.”
“…..……!”
“I’ve always wondered how the Emperor and Crown Prince of Lutinas have managed to stay alive for so long. Now I understand. That woman—her work is sloppy.”
“What… what do you mean, Your Majesty?”
The dean was confused. The King of Pavan spoke as if the disappearance of Cherrya Emblem and Enoch Gray was of little concern.
Unable to grasp his intentions, the dean gaped in surprise.
Seeing his dumbfounded expression, the King of Pavan smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth before shrugging.
“No need for you to know. You have only one task. Announce that Cherrya Emblem and Enoch Gray went missing in the Carmedan Jungle due to personal matters.”
“What? But… how can we claim that when it happened during the graduation exam?”
“Is your thinking really that simple? We’re talking about Emblem and Gray—bitter enemies. One as a student, the other as an examiner. Just imagine how deep the resentment must have been.”
“Are you saying… we should frame their disappearance as a conflict between the two rival houses?”
“Exactly.”
The King of Pavan nodded, satisfied that the dean had finally caught on.
“I’ve already sent a search party into the Carmedan Jungle—to turn their disappearance into confirmed deaths. So, you understand what you must do, don’t you?”
“…Yes. Leave the students to me. I’ll handle it properly.”
“Hahaha. That’s the spirit. After all, you wouldn’t want to lose the position you worked so hard to obtain, would you?”
The King of Pavan laughed heartily, but his eyes gleamed coldly.
His message was clear—if things didn’t go as planned, the dean could forget about keeping his job.
Swallowing hard, the dean nodded furiously.
“Then I’ll leave it to you. Since I came all the way here to personally entrust you with this task, I trust you will see it through.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Leave it to me.”
The King of Pavan patted the dean’s shoulder a couple of times before pulling his hood back over his head and leaving the office.
Left alone, the dean sneered and muttered to himself.
“Cherrya Emblem… How dare you act so arrogantly, bringing up the King of Pavan in front of me? This is the end for you.”
Since the King of Pavan had decided to eliminate Cherrya Emblem and Enoch Gray, it didn’t matter what had happened in the Carmedan Jungle—they were as good as dead.
With their deaths, the Emblem and Gray families would suffer a major blow, and the Lutinas Empire’s dominance would finally be halted.
Without the two ducal families, the Lutinas Empire would be like a sword without a blade.
“Hahahahahaha!”
The dean burst into laughter, eagerly anticipating the grim news.
Little did he know that the very people he and the King of Pavan were so desperate to kill—Cherrya Emblem and Enoch Gray—had already been safely rescued and had arrived back at the academy.
***
“…You bastards.”
Seffield Emblem.
A swordmaster beyond human limits.
He had just returned from the Carmedan Jungle, silently carrying Cherrya and Enoch to her assigned room without anyone detecting his presence.
“So, they planned to kill my granddaughter?”
A swordmaster of his caliber had hearing far superior to that of ordinary humans.
Even the Emperor of Lutinas, well aware of Seffield Emblem’s abilities, used written notes when discussing confidential matters.
But the fools of Pavan had no such caution.
The conversation between the King of Pavan and the dean, echoing from across the academy, had reached Seffield Emblem’s ears with perfect clarity.
“They’re dead.”
