CH 44

The wind danced on a clear day.

If it were a bit cooler, it would've been a nice breeze.

But the day was heating up, so the wind felt warm rather than refreshing.

In this hot weather, many students were training hard in the training hall.

They swung their swords, pausing only to wipe the sweat off their brows.

The indoor training hall buzzed with the intensity of students practicing swordsmanship.

Among these diligent students, one stood out.

A girl with silver hair, swinging a gleaming rapier with speed.

Her movements were unpredictable, with no excessive movements to them.

She seemed to target only the essential points of a person's body.

Her swordsmanship was beyond ordinary student standards.

"Wow... Is that the skill level required to get into the academy?"

"It's as if she's wielding moonlight."

As her silver hair whipped through the air with her movements, she seemed to be dancing in a cascade of moonlight.

Other students stole glances at her, awe-struck by her skill, while practicing their own swordplay.

Of course, most didn't realize that her movements were those of a trained assassin.

They simply saw an exceptional swordswoman.

"Haah...."

The girl, Yeniel, put down her sword and started wiping off sweat, aware of the increasing gazes around her.

'I'm overdoing it.'

She hadn't planned to draw so much attention.

She just wanted to train like any other student, but as her thoughts wandered, her body moved of its own accord.

What had Yeniel so deep in thought was none other than Rudy Astria.

Rudy Astria's standing in the academy was changing.

Not only had he repelled outsiders who plotted and infiltrated the academy on homecoming day, but he also thwarted Serina's attempt to steal a priceless sword.

The academy was buzzing with the news.

If asked who the strongest first-year student was, everyone would point to Serina, who consistently ranked first.

The Elementalist Department students were stronger than others in their year because of their unique abilities.

And so, Serina, undoubtedly the top of the Elementalist Department, was thought to be the strongest.

But Rudy Astria had stopped her.

Given these events, everyone began to reconsider their opinions of him.

A student excelling not just in academics but also combat.

And now, they had to rethink his character, given how he repelled the intruders.

-Actually, isn't Rudy Astria a nice guy?

Upon reflection, he hadn't done anything notably bad.

The bullying incident had been a misunderstanding.

-But... what about the rumors from the family...

The majority of the students started to see Rudy Astria in a more positive light.

While some still felt uneasy due to his past reputation, it was clear that the public opinion of Rudy Astria was improving.

This change sparked Yeniel's curiosity.

When she was trained as an assassin for the rebel faction, she was taught about her enemies and the activities of certain nobles.

When they taught her about the Astria family, Rudy Astria's name came up.

They described him as a careless young master.

A man who would be nothing without the Astria family.

They told her that he was merely a pawn for the Astria family to use and discard.

But the reality in front of her eyes was different.

He was now the talk of the academy.

He was in the spotlight during the midterm camp and again on homecoming day.

Once could be due to luck, but twice was a pattern.

And she heard that he had a hand in the library fire incident as well.

However, besides the homecoming day event, the other incidents didn't draw much attention to Rudy Astria.

All the praise went to others.

The common thread was that all those people were close to Rudy Astria.

Yeniel felt like she was onto something.

Could Rudy Astria be a low-key powerhouse?

A hidden puppet master, who keeps a low profile.

Seeing things that way, it all seemed to make sense.

He gives his own merits to those around him and helps them grow.

Then, he hides in their shadows and pulls the strings.

Hidden from the world.

Yeniel remembered something her master said when she was an assassin.

-Yeniel... The truly powerful do not reveal themselves. Those who manipulate from behind the scenes, they are the real power.

-Eh? What about emperors and dukes? Are they weak?

-...Why are you asking questions?

Back then, she thought her master was just rambling. But now, his words seemed to make sense.

Rudy Astria seemed to be living proof of her master's teachings.

He was influencing the world without making his presence known.

Rie becomes the emperor, and Astina inherits the Persia family.

These two will then become the focal points of the Royal faction.

And Rudy Astria is from the Astria family, which is on the opposite side.

Considering that Ian Astria, who usually didn't show up, attended this homecoming day, it seemed that he and Rudy weren't on bad terms.

So, he might be in a position to influence both the Royal and Noble factions, without holding any title himself.

"A fearsome guy..."

Perhaps his effort to blend into the academy crowd was also part of his plan.

Masking his true nature...

Yeniel's mind wandered back to the midterm camp period.

The image of Rudy, unflinching even in the face of a surprise attack.

As if foreseeing the ambush, he overpowered her with a single move.

The memory sent shivers down her spine.

Who could dare label such a man a fool, or a disposable pawn of the Astria family?

Such rumors wouldn't have spread without deliberate action.

Could the spread of those rumors have been Rudy Astria's doing?

Yeniel shivered, her brows furrowing.

"How far ahead has he planned...!"

But even with these suspicions, she was powerless.

She was bound to Astina.

The magic binding her heart could end her life.

"Should I consider myself fortunate to be under his wing?"

Yeniel was an assassin affiliated with the Rebels, but she had no grand purpose driving her actions.

She simply did what she did because it was the only path available to her.

So, even if Rudy Astria was orchestrating a sinister scheme, she didn't care as long as she remained unaffected.

However, knowing such an individual existed within the same academy...

"I should warn Evan to be careful."

Evan wasn't connected to Rudy Astria, but he was the only person aware of Yeniel's circumstances.

Initially, Serina was also in the loop, but she had been taken to the capital.

So, Evan was the only person Yeniel could confide in.

If, by any chance, Evan made a misstep with Rudy Astria and he vanished without a trace...

Yeniel wiped away her sweat and cleaned her sword, lost in her thoughts.

Then, she left to study for the final exam with Evan.

---

Raei  Translations

---

"Huh? Rie already brought them?"

Luna, unloading a stack of notes she had gathered from friends, was taken aback by the news that Rie had already delivered some yesterday.

She had gathered these notes by asking her friends for their help.

However, hearing that he had already received the same set of notes, dampened her spirits.

"Oh, looking at them closer, these notes are different. Thank you so much, Luna."

"No, no! It's only natural for me to help as a friend."

After exchanging a few words with Rudy, Luna left the room.

"So he already had them..."

Luna muttered to herself, her expression crestfallen.

Luna felt a great deal of guilt towards Rudy.

While her recent research had been progressing well, and she had been sharing her results with Rudy, it felt like it wasn't enough.

The opportunity to attend the academy was thanks to Rudy, and the fact that she couldn't help him when he got injured fighting Serina last time still gnawed at her.

'If only I were stronger, there wouldn't have been a need to involve others...'

Luna felt a strong desire to do something more for Rudy.

However, she couldn't come up with any ideas.

"Hmm..."

Just as she was about to head to the library with a dejected expression.

"Ah, young lady. You're a friend of Rudy's, aren't you?"

The nurse managing the ward addressed Luna.

The nurse recognized Luna, as she was often at Rudy's bedside when he was unconscious.

With a somber expression, Luna responded to the nurse.

"Can I truly call myself a friend of Rudy..."

".....What?"

Caught off guard by her own words, Luna hastily waved her hands.

"No...No! Is there something you need?"

"Oh, could you give this to Rudy? It's his hospital bill, and the academy has requested immediate payment."

"Ah, thank you."

"No, I should be the one thanking you."

The nurse handed Luna the bill and walked away.

As Luna examined the bill, she noticed Rudy's student details.

The details were not extensive, just the basic information.

"Huh...?"

Among these details, one piqued her interest.

Rudy's birth date was noted there.

His birthday was the same day as the final exam.

"Birth...day?"

Luna started counting the days remaining until the final exam.

"So there are 10 days left...!"

Luna clenched her fist.

Her motivation sparked anew.

"A birthday gift!"

The day the final exams conclude.

That's when she would present him with a gift.

She believed that a post-exam gift would be genuinely appreciated by Rudy.

"But...what should I give him?"

In truth, there wasn't much she could offer as a gift.

Anything she bought wouldn't hold much value for Rudy.

With all her money going into research fees, she had none left for herself.

Rudy was also wealthy enough to support her financially.

Although the sentiment behind a gift outweighs its price tag, a cheap gift might be disappointing.

So, she needed something more unique.

And only one option came to mind.

"Should I make it myself...?"

If it's a handmade gift... it would hold a value that money can't buy...

"But...would it be too much?"

Various scenarios played out in Luna's mind.

From Rudy joyfully accepting the gift to him discarding the awkwardly crafted item...

While Rudy probably wouldn't outright discard the item, she was still worried.

After an internal struggle, Luna reached a decision.

"I'll make him a gift!"

She believed it would be fine if it was a gift filled with her gratitude.