The public notice was corrected within a few hours to include the first-years as well, and within a day the participants were selected.
Rosalia reviewed the documents.
"Three from the first-years."
Aint Armian, Aria Pridien, and Berian Kalburden.
It seemed the first-years had been intimidated by the unknown threat of monsters.
In truth, this was just right. First-years were still lacking, and they required too much attention on the battlefield.
At least the headmaster's order—that Aint Armian must be included—was fulfilled.
'Naturally, because it's monsters.'
If Aint Armian were to make a name for himself in battle against monsters, the Schwaben faction would foam at the mouth and throw a fit.
'Valosh isn't here…'
Likely because of her, but that was none of Rosalia's concern.
"And twenty from the second-years."
Confirming the surprising outcome that every eligible student had applied, Rosalia handed the papers to Professor Grad.
"All of them? Every last one applied?"
"Yes, that's correct."
Checking the papers again, Grad chuckled.
"At least there are no cowards among the second-years."
"There are cowards. They just don't want to fall behind."
"Ambition makes for good fuel. Who are they?"
"Who else? Fernan Pellenberg and Luina Verchev, who took all the top spots this time."
When they applied, Carlo Deneb and Almon Donertz, who had been pushed down to second place, immediately followed suit.
Once the top and second-ranked students all applied, the rest of the class burned with the determination not to be left behind.
"The only one left out was Rudger Schwaben."
"He must have changed his mind after hearing that Aint Armian was participating."
"It's destiny."
"Armian really is something. Anyone could be emperor, yet for nearly nine hundred years one family monopolized it. And even though it's been a hundred years since that family stepped down, they're still not to be underestimated…"
Yet, strangely enough, they weren't deified either.
"It just means the First Emperor's feats were that great."
"Indeed. After all, he slew the Demon King and the demons and saved the world."
That pride of being the descendant of the First Emperor still weighed heavily in the hearts of imperial citizens.
It was undeniable that this pride and honor had played a great role in keeping the Armian dynasty on the throne for so long.
"Still, twenty is difficult to manage."
Even if they only defended atop the walls, even with Altriarch's elites beside them, this wasn't a sparring match—it was war.
In a chaotic battlefield swarming with monsters, he wasn't confident he could keep twenty students perfectly safe.
"I don't particularly care. I already warned them not to expect safety, so they must be prepared."
"Even so, can we really let that happen?"
Even if he threatened them by saying he couldn't guarantee their lives, their duty was to return every student alive and unharmed to the Academy.
That was what it meant to be a leader. At least, that was what Grad believed.
"Then what do you propose?"
"Hm. We'll cut them from the top. Half of them. I could maybe handle ten. What do you think?"
"I don't mind less trouble. And since you'll take the role of the villain, I'll gladly follow along."
Professor Rosalia shrugged her shoulders.
"Annoying, but somehow not hateful."
Grad snorted roughly.
"And there's one correction."
"What is it?"
"Not ten—thirteen. Including the first-years."
"The second-years paired up until third place, right? No need to force pairs—just take three and three. That'll keep it under ten."
Not a bad idea.
"Do we really need to go that far? They chose this themselves. They should bear the responsibility. In this case, they'll only blame you, Professor."
"Better to be cursed at. A student dying will haunt my sleep."
"You think the Headmaster will just sit still?"
"That's why we need to cut quickly and run off to Altriarch, don't you think?"
Grad scratched the back of his head irritably.
"Then it's settled."
"Yes, understood."
Rosalia nodded.
She truly didn't care. She had no real interest in this deployment, nor in the students.
'Six people?'
Since all twenty eligible students had applied, they decided to cut from the top three.
They said only up to third place counted, and the rest were cut.
"If you're dissatisfied, defeat me. Then you may go."
"..."
The students stayed silent.
"Why limit it to six?"
"Because that's the maximum I can take responsibility for."
"..."
"What's with those faces? Dissatisfied?"
"No, sir."
'So he's sentimental?'
Fernan hadn't thought so, but Professor Grad's firm stance made him quickly assess the situation.
'If they cut at third place from each faculty, then it'll be me, Carlo, Rudger. And Luina, Almon, and Alia.'
Gert and Neria, whom he'd intended to bring as backup, could no longer participate.
'They were just insurance anyway, so it can't be helped. But…'
"What about the first-years?"
"Three of them will participate."
'At least that's fortunate.'
Fernan would stake his entire fortune and his wrists that Aint Armian was among them.
"Aren't the first-years in more danger? Wouldn't it be better to exclude them and send second-years instead…?"
"To be clear, I have full authority over the dispatch from the Headmaster himself. If you object, prove your worth to me."
"..."
Those who had been voicing complaints all closed their mouths.
"At least we're lucky to go."
"If the top-ranked are excluded, no one else would be allowed. Are you all ready?"
"Yes. We were told to only pack personal belongings…"
Luina counted on her fingers, checking off her gear.
"But is it really okay to accept so much help…?"
"This is a battlefield against monsters. Even with good equipment, it's still dangerous."
And besides, I'm your sponsor.
Of course, that last part he kept to himself. It wasn't something to say in front of the other students.
"Oh, and I also packed different kinds of chocolate."
"…Thank you."
Gratitude? He could easily spend as much as needed if just a few chocolates could earn him more favor with the Royal Knight (true).
This was why money was good. Truly, money could buy anything.
"Silence!"
At that moment, Professor Grad's shout rang out. The noisy lecture hall quieted down.
"Now that I've informed you of the participants, I'll tell you about the schedule."
The six students gave small nods.
"Tomorrow at dawn, we will travel to Count Altriarch's domain through a teleportation circle."
Altriarch. If the Verchev family was the shield that guarded the Empire's northern frontier, then Altriarch was the wall that defended the Empire's west.
Since the Academy had teleportation circles connecting it with all the Elector families, such a thing was possible.
Of course, the cost would be astronomical. That was proof of how seriously the Headmaster regarded this mission.
'Surely they didn't cut it down to nine participants just to save money…?'
While Fernan was thinking this, Professor Grad continued his explanation.
"…Our purpose is, above all else, to experience war and to experience monsters. If anyone gets carried away and acts like they're a hero, I'll personally smash their face. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
"The six of you, return to your dorms immediately and pack your belongings. Be at the Dimensional Hall by dawn, 5 o'clock sharp—do not be late."
The Dimensional Hall was where the Academy's teleportation circles were installed and specially managed. Unauthorized people could never set foot inside.
"And since we also need to prepare, today's lecture will be given by other professors. The six of you are dismissed."
Fernan left the lecture hall with Luina.
"Isn't this fun?"
Rudger, who had followed them out, suddenly slung an arm over his shoulder.
"What do you mean?"
"In the end, all of us ended up going with our pairs. Don't you think that was intentional?"
Now that he thought about it, it was true.
Both Fernan and Luina were first-ranked.
Third and second place, Rudger and Almon.
And second and third place, Carlo and Alia.
Alia, who had remained stuck in fourth place, had moved up one spot when she paired with Carlo. It was a masterstroke.
"That's true."
"Luina, last time your condition wasn't good, so we never had a proper match. But this time will be different."
"This time, we're not dueling. We'll be fighting together as allies."
"What if we made a bet on who kills more monsters?"
"I refuse."
"Why?"
"We're going to defend the Empire. There's no room for games."
Fernan chuckled at how Luina firmly brushed Almon aside.
At times like this, she seemed like her usual self, but when it came to him, she acted a little differently.
"..."
Just then, he felt a burning gaze from behind. It was Carlo Deneb.
When their eyes met, Carlo strode forward.
"Do you know what Aria Pridien said to me?"
It was an abrupt start.
But Fernan kept his merchant's poker face and asked back.
"No."
"She said she was disappointed."
Carlo muttered in a low voice, continuing.
"She said it would've been better if you had come out instead of me. That I was weaker than you."
"Those are the words of a child who knows nothing."
What a clean provocation.
But amusingly, the Aria he knew wasn't provoking—she was simply being honest.
"The funny thing is, I couldn't deny it."
Carlo's teeth ground audibly.
"Because I lost the top spot."
His voice grew harsher.
"I was angry even though it was true. I didn't think I'd ever be dismissed by a mere first-year. That's why I wanted to defeat Aria Pridien and win the Magic Tournament, to prove my worth again."
"But you lost."
"Yes. I lost. Pathetic, isn't it."
It had been by the smallest margin, but a loss was still a loss. The second-year runner-up had been defeated by a first-year runner-up.
For Carlo—who had always seen himself as special, who stood out even among the exceptional students of the Academy—it was an unbearable shock.
That was why, the moment Fernan applied for the dispatch, his body had moved instinctively. If he fell further behind here, he had the dreadful feeling he would never catch up again.
"I realized how complacent I had become, intoxicated by the hollow title of top-ranked. I was an arrogant fool. But I don't make the same mistake twice. Losing the top rank will be the first and last time."
"…This isn't the time to say it, but to be honest, I don't care much about being top-ranked."
"I don't believe you."
"Think what you like."
Fernan shrugged. Carlo, his resolve hardened, locked eyes with him once more, then turned and left.
"Let's go too."
"Yes."
Fernan headed toward the branch of the Golden Turtle Merchant Guild.
"This is the plan sent from the Bardian branch."
Bardian referred to the island located between the two continents where the Academy stood.
In other words, this was the plan his son was sending to the Duke.
"A plan about the blacksteel ore mine."
At present, that was the only thing worth sending.
The Duke spread open the documents. The report listed the environment where the blacksteel ore vein had been discovered, nearby monster nests, profitability, and many other factors in clear detail.
"…What's this?"
It also included the funding and manpower required to develop and maintain the mine.
The Duke rubbed his eyes.
"Is something wrong, Your Grace?"
"Would you take a look at this?"
The butler leaned closer. The Duke's finger pointed at the section listing the required forces.
"Five hundred mercenaries, plus the Red Turtle Order and the Blue Turtle Order?"
The Red Turtle Order was the Pellenberg Ducal House's pride, the finest knight order of the family. The Blue Turtle Order was its greatest mage corps.
Considering that their commanders were respectively a Royal Knight and an Archmage, the combined strength of these two orders could easily crush most kingdoms.
"…Is the young master planning to start a war with Prazia or something?"
"He's not such a fool."
The Duke, though momentarily taken aback, quickly discerned his son's intent.
"He's playing me."
It was a shallow ploy—demanding something excessive at first in order to secure his true objective.
"What he really wants is… half the mercenaries, and the Red Shell Knights and Blue Shell Mage Corps."
"Even those two units are elite-level forces by any standard. It's absurd to commit that much strength just to guard a mine."
Fernan surely knew it was a waste.
The Duke pondered why his son would draw up such a reckless plan.
"…Fernan has never strayed from the proper path before. Has he?"
"No, never."
"But when it came to Luina Verchev, and matters related to demons, it was different."
"Yes."
"Then this time it must also be one of the two."
No—it could only be one.
Unless Luina herself went to mine blacksteel ore, she had no reason to be connected.
"It's a demon—or a fiend."
In that case, the demand for such large-scale forces made sense.
"That audacious brat…"
The Duke let out a dry laugh.
Fernan wasn't the type to shoulder impossible burdens on his own. If he made such a decision, it meant he judged the possibility real.
"Never have I seen someone greedier than myself."
It meant he didn't even want to share the profit, not even with his own father—only to use his father's men and resources.
Even with the upfront payment from the blacksteel ore, it was galling.
"It seems the student has surpassed the master."
"Butler, whose side are you on?"
"Yours, of course, Your Grace. What do you intend to do?"
"Send the Red Tail Knights, the Blue Tail Mage Corps, and a hundred mercenaries."
Those two were the Ducal House's third knight order and mage corps. Their standard was the lowest among Pellenberg's forces, but even so, they were top-tier by continental measure.
"As galling as it is, if fiends are truly involved, we cannot let them slip away."
"Yes, I'll see to it."
The butler nodded. The Duke's eyes sharpened.
"And the fiends hiding within Pellenberg's lands?"
"We've identified forty-one. Thirty-three were killed in the sweep, and eight captured."
"That many had crawled in, hm."
"What have you learned?"
"…I beg your pardon, Your Grace."
The butler bowed deeply.
"Even after killing their leaders, it seems they were bound by a double geas. During interrogation, the moment they tried to speak, they coughed blood from their seven orifices and died."
"A geas? Even Lord Dureo couldn't break it?"
"No. He's still investigating, but he says it isn't something that can be undone in a short time."
"For even Lord Dureo to struggle… How long have those bastards been preparing over the last thousand years?"
The Duke clicked his tongue and shifted the topic.
"What about war supplies?"
"We've been purchasing discreetly and steadily. However, prices have risen due to the monster wave in the Taklakan Desert."
"Keep buying regardless."
"Yes."
It might look like a loss now, but it was not.
The moment he saw Andromalius through the recording sphere, he had known.
The war was beginning.
The tragedy from a thousand years ago was once again raising its head.
"Pellenberg became an Elector family of the Empire and the richest house on the continent through the war against demons a thousand years ago."
So then—
"What shall we gain from this war?"
How exciting.
His eyes glimmered with greed.