While Fernan was away visiting his family estate, time at the Academy continued to move steadily forward.
The entrance ceremony concluded with the top freshmen from each department delivering their oaths as representatives. Before long, the Imperial Academy began a new semester.
Fernan entered the lecture hall and took a seat. As students gradually arrived, the room grew increasingly lively and noisy.
"Fernan."
Someone approached while he sat silently, lost in thought.
"Your Highness. It's been a while."
"I'm disappointed. Didn't we agree to speak casually?"
"It's our first meeting since becoming second-years. I figured I should at least greet you properly."
Few people dared to approach Fernan, given the dignity of his household and the heavy atmosphere that surrounded him.
Only those with comparable prestige or those Fernan personally acknowledged as competent and maintained a level of familiarity with would approach.
Rudger Schwaben, the blond-haired second prince of the imperial family, belonged to both categories.
"I heard you came back early and were working on merchant guild matters?"
"I did."
"As expected of Pellenberg's heir—always busy."
"I'm not the heir."
"That's practically a done deal."
"Nothing is ever guaranteed."
"Typical merchant talk—so thorough. Don't you ever get tired living so uptight?"
"That's none of your concern."
"Yeah, yeah."
Rudger chuckled. After scanning the surroundings, he leaned in a bit closer.
"Anyone among the first-years catch your eye?"
"Why?"
"Because if it's you, you've probably already looked into them all."
"I've been observing everyone who made it into the rankings."
"A textbook answer, but also the correct one. This year's incoming class has quite a few talents."
Rudger nodded.
"What did you think of Aria Fridien?"
"The runner-up of the Magic Department?"
"Yeah. Seems like she's desperate to get close to the electors' children."
"Probably trying to gain their recognition. The Fridiens are seen as outsiders by the established electoral families."
"You're not exactly one to say that—weren't you the one who helped her?"
"I didn't really do anything."
That wasn't a lie. It was Duke Pellenberg who acted as the intermediary, and Fernan wasn't involved at all.
"What about Aint Armian?"
"She hasn't shown anything special yet, so I'm not sure. Aside from the name 'Armian,' she doesn't stand out much."
"Funny, considering I heard you visited her personally."
Rudger's lips were smiling, but his eyes were not.
"Well, she is from the former royal family. Of course I'd be curious if someone who hadn't attended the Academy in over a century suddenly showed up."
"Well, you are a merchant. A merchant's curiosity can rival a mage's. Ah, wait, you're a mage too, aren't you?"
Rudger shrugged with a grin.
"Looks like the professor's coming. See you later."
"Yeah."
'Rudger Schwaben.'
Watching him walk away, Fernan let out a silent sigh.
'Rudger Schwaben and Aint Armian. Schwaben and Armian…'
The current royal family and the former royal family that was overthrown by them. Though they once shared the same roots, they were now like oil and water—impossible to mix.
"Defeat her."
Rudger Schwaben had murmured quietly.
"The past is romanticized only when it stays in the past. Memories are more beautiful when they remain untouched. Let people know that the past is just that—past."
"And that it must forever remain only a memory."
A sharp pain throbbed in Fernan's head as a vision of the future he had once seen replayed itself.
A future where Rudger Schwaben moved to keep Aint Armian in check.
What should he do?
'…If I go by the prophecy alone, then Aint Armian is the one to bet on.'
But it wasn't as if Schwaben would completely collapse. It would still take a long time before Aint achieved victory.
Tap, tap. Fernan's fingers drummed on the desk.
The first lecture for second-year magic students was a 5-credit course titled "Combat, War, and Magic."
"All done already?"
As Fernan stepped out of the lecture hall, having completed the class, Hyde approached him.
"There was a pop quiz. I finished quickly and came out."
The professor had given a quiz on the very first day, earning the grumbles of many students—but it allowed Fernan, who finished swiftly, to leave ahead of the others.
"A quiz on the first day? That's one unusual professor."
"Unusual, yes. But with enough skill and background to pull it off."
Officially, it was to assess whether they remembered what they learned in first year—but Fernan didn't really care.
To him, the quiz wasn't that important to begin with.
"By next class, write down the name of a second-year Knight Department student you'll pair with."
"If the knight student doesn't agree to the pairing, it won't be valid—so don't just write down anyone and make a fool of yourself."
During the exam, the announcement she had written on the board turned out to be the core of today's lecture.
Pairing, or Partners. The long-awaited moment had finally arrived.
The first thing Fernan did—like being struck by lightning—was to confirm the protagonist. Next, he began to tamper with his connection to Luina, the one who would lead to his downfall.
The seeds he had sown throughout the vacation were finally beginning to sprout.
'And I'm curious to see who that guy ends up partnered with.'
Just then, the top student of the Magic Department, Carlo Deneb, came out of the classroom a little later than Fernan.
Carlo looked at Fernan with a strange gaze, then quickly turned his head when their eyes met.
'Originally, your partner was ruina berchef, wasn't it?'
A pairing of first and second place—textbook, but undoubtedly powerful.
However, since Fernan had altered the future, he was quite curious to see who Carlo would end up with instead.
'If this incident causes a change in the future, that would prove the prophecy is not fixed.'
Even the act of persuading Luina berchef to preemptively become his partner had already altered the original path—but that particular detail wasn't written in the prophecy.
Which meant, from now on, this was the real test.
It was the moment when the future described in the prophecy was meant to unfold.
'Depending on the result, I'll be able to decide how to deal with Aint.'
Whether to approach her actively or passively.
If the future could truly be changed, then the future where he ended up ruined might also be overturned.
"Are we heading to the Knight Department now?"
"Yes. The first-year Knight Department's opening lecture is War and Practical Dueling, right?"
War and Practical Dueling was a 5-credit lecture for first-year Knight students. It overlapped conceptually with the Magic Department's Combat, War, and Magic and was known for having students duel on the very first day to gauge their level accurately.
It was also the lecture mentioned in the prophecy.
"Winner! Aint Armian!"
The referee raised the match-ending flag after checking the condition of the fallen cadet.
Cheers erupted from the spectators at his declaration.
"Aint won!"
"She beat Anto Denern!"
"She was no match for him during the entrance ceremony!"
"Is this the power of royal blood…?"
"Still, Aint didn't even place in the entrance exam rankings, and Anto was ranked 10th!"
Everyone was stunned by the sudden upset.
Everyone except one.
The one who created the miracle—Aint—lifted her sword high and roared.
'This is only the beginning. I will restore my family's honor.'
This was the moment the name Aint Armian began to spread among professors and cadets alike.
This was the turning point where Aint Armian began to shine after obtaining Sir Gardner Alpenfarsen's ego sword.
It was something that absolutely had to be witnessed.
"This must be the first time a second-year mage is auditing a first-year Knight Department lecture."
"Don't talk nonsense. What's the status?"
"I've already bribed the assistant, so there should be no issue."
"Only the assistant?"
"According to Academy regulations, professors are prohibited from accepting bribes from students and will face severe disciplinary action if caught."
"And?"
"But picking up an unclaimed pouch of gold someone conveniently dropped in their own home? That's not against the rules. Professor Grad, who just happened to find such a pouch at home, was delighted by your scholarly passion and has graciously allowed you to audit—as long as you don't interfere."
"Excellent."
The Knight Department had a noticeably different atmosphere from the Magic Department—more energetic and full of vigor.
Part of it came from the fundamental difference between mages and knights, but it also stemmed from their environments: while the Magic Department had many labs, the Knight Department was filled with training halls.
"Should I go in as well?"
"It's just auditing. One more person won't be a problem."
"But Professor Grad only mentioned you, milord."
"After all the money I dropped? If that becomes a problem, then that's the real problem."
And if it did become a problem, he'd just visit the professor's house and drop a little more.
Fernan, accompanied by his attendant, entered the lecture room, avoiding as many eyes as possible.
"Next! Aynan Elaine and Pellon Hark!"
True to its Knight Department style, the lecture room had a small dueling arena in front of the podium.
At the assistant's call, pairs of first-years came up to duel. Off to the side, the burly, scarred Professor Grad silently observed the duels with a critical eye.
Thanks to everyone's attention being fixed on the duels, Fernan managed to slip in and sit down unnoticed.
'Aynan Elaine. Ranked 61st. Pellon Hark. Ranked 37th. Tough luck for Aynan. Pellon should win easily.'
The duel pairings were chosen at random by drawing names from a box. It was pure luck—and being paired against someone more than ten ranks above you was just misfortune.
"The gap in skill is obvious. Pellon Hark will win."
"I think so too."
As expected, Aynan Elaine put up a decent fight but was ultimately defeated with ease.
'It'll be the same for Aint Armian too… except that one's different.'
More specifically, her lineage and the weapon she gained.
'No, even if most people have forgotten, the fear and terror of that time still linger. Those feats couldn't have been achieved without real talent.'
She had defeated legendary demons, after all. If that could be done with just a special weapon, anyone could've done it.
'Aint Armian is special. If anything, it was her environment that held her back. The decline of Armian's secret sword art is a well-known fact.'
The long-awaited moment had arrived.
"Next, Anto Dnern! And Aint Armian!"
Ranked 10th in the Knight Faculty, Anto Dnern, and Aint Armian stepped forward.
"Anto's going to win, right?"
"Of course. Anto's ranked 10th and Aint is 38th. There was a huge difference in skill during the entrance exam too."
"Still, he's from the Armian imperial family, it's kind of pitiful. To be humiliated in public like this…"
"Former imperial family. And even if he is, what can you do about a lack of talent?"
Whispers filled the surroundings. Perhaps because the Armian royal lineage was still respected and revered across the Empire, the murmuring wasn't too harsh—but everyone was certain Aint would lose.
"Milord, you came to see Aint Armian too, didn't you?"
"Yes."
"Who do you think will win?"
"What about you?"
"Hmm."
The attendant examined the two students carefully.
"That Anto Dnern… didn't he place 10th in the entrance exam?"
"He did."
"And Aint Armian was 38th, dragging down the expectations people had for the Armian family."
"That's also true."
"But that's strange. To me, it doesn't look like the gap between them is that big."
He tilted his head curiously.
"Begin!"
The duel started instantly.
"Winner: Aint Armian!"
Defying everyone's expectations, it unfolded exactly as the prophecy foretold.
"..."
A glint of interest flashed in Professor Grad's eyes.
"Aint won!"
"Aint defeated Anto Dnern!"
"He couldn't even compare back during the entrance ceremony!"
The classroom was filled with gasps of shock from the students.
'Just as the prophecy said—helping Aint Armian stop the demons is the best course of action.'
Fernian believed it was the best choice for the most favorable future.
But he still couldn't be sure.
Would the content of the prophecy change if he acted differently?
'Or am I making things worse by interfering?'
Or perhaps, no matter what he did, everything would still unfold as the prophecy described.
At least for now, events were following the prophecy. That was enough reason to trust it, though it didn't make him particularly happy.
'No, the future can't be set in stone. I'll confirm it during the next lecture.'
Taking advantage of the noise, Fernan rose from his seat.
"Let's go."
"Did you already know?"
"Know what?"
"That Aint would win. You didn't seem surprised at all."
"I had a hunch."
"How?"
"I met him once by chance."
"Did you spar with him or something?"
"No. I could just tell by looking."
"What kind of nonsense…?"
Just then, one student caught his eye—staring silently at Aint Armian with an expressionless face.
"That guy's Berian Kalburden, isn't he?"
"Who…? Ah, yes. He entered as second in the Knight Faculty."
"It's him."
"Sorry? What do you mean?"
A villain. The first adversary the protagonist must overcome to grow.
["…And I must ensure it remains nothing more than a memory of the past."
"Yes. I believe I must focus on the present, not the past. On a new future."
Berian Kalburden's pupils turned cold.
"Whether his skills suddenly improved or he was just hiding them before, Anto Dnern is finished. Aint Armian will never rise beyond this."
Because I'll make sure of it.]
He was the pawn taking orders from Rudger Schwaben.
Soon, he would fight Aint…
'And that's exactly where my knowledge of the future ends.'
What happens after that—Fernian still didn't know.
"Let's go."
"You're not going to tell me what you mean?"
"You'll understand when the time comes."
The noble and his attendant left the Knight Faculty.