Chapter 152: The Knight Won’t Forgive the Golden Sun (1)

It had been said thousands of times already, but when it came to its scale and magnificence, the Royal Academy was something else to say the least.

The fact that it had a colosseum so large it could house thousands of people to watch a War Game was crazy enough, but all around the Academy, there were also many large facilities such as a large art gallery, a swimming pool, and a horse riding arena.

Looking at those things, it felt like the Academy wasn’t just a mere institution to train young cadets, but a whole territory, or even an Academic City. In such a place, there was a party hall that was uniquely open and reminiscent of a Greek temple.

It wasn’t a building that was normally used, so usually whenever the cadets passed by and saw it, they’d mistake it for nothing but decoration.

“Wow…”

“This…is that dreary building…?”

“The Academy never ceases to surprise me.”

But today, said building had turned into something else entirely.

All the cadets were overwhelmed by its magnificence that made them feel breathless. Just as one of the cadets said, it was originally a dull-looking building, but now, it had turned into a beautiful and splendid work of art.

Just like a flower garden, flowers filled its surroundings as vines sporadically climbed on its wall. Varieties of flowers bloomed all over; some of them weren’t even in season. This sight made the cadets think that this was the Academy, no, the Pendragon’s show of power.

“They seem to have prepared all this in a hurry.”

“It doesn’t look gaudy at all. Just appropriately flashy.”

“We failed to take the initiative, but it seems like we can still show off our power, huh?”

But, the nobles who were used to attending parties weren’t fooled by its flashiness. They quickly analyzed what lies behind it. In their eyes, it was clear that everything was set up in a hurry, but then again, it was the first time that state guests made an official appearance in such a party.

They knew that a party was sometimes used as a kind of show of force to show the power of the kingdom to foreign envoys.

Like telling them something along the lines of: ‘We can do this kind of thing no problem.’

Though it might seem childish, it was no exaggeration to say that this childish method had been going on throughout the history of mankind.

However, from the perspective of innocent cadets who didn’t know of such things…

“T-This is the first time I’ve ever seen so many flowers!”

“So pretty…”

This view was simply an eye candy that would turn into an unforgettable memory.

In a way, it was the case of ‘ignorance is bliss’.

The nobles who were obsessed with power and authority could only let out a bitter smile of envy at those cadets as they couldn’t watch the spectacle in such an innocent way. They felt as if they were seeing their young self—pure, and innocent, hadn’t been corrupted by the harsh world like the way they were now.

However…

“The food’s tasty, and the drink’s decent. But, is it okay to eat this?”

“Of course. In the case of finger food, the servants will offer them personally. Although, most people wouldn’t eat them.”

“I don’t know why, but I don’t feel like eating anymore.”

“…Ahaha.”

Even though he was an adult, or rather, even though he was a knight, a certain knight just enjoyed the party without paying any attention to the dark side of the party. Of course, it was none other than Lee Han. He diligently ate the finger food and non-alcoholic champagne that the servants offered to him.

Not only was he not interested in flowers, the political maneuvering of the nobles would be a pain in the neck if he got entangled in it. That was why, instead of wandering around like an idiot, he figured that it would be better for him to just keep filling his stomach.

“It’s better than acting like I know everything.”

“I agree!”

Levy vehemently agreed with his honest opinion. Of course, it wasn’t because she was a sunflower for her master, it was because she really wanted to avoid getting involved with the nobles.

And it was only natural.

“That person is the one who was adopted by Tristan…”

“She’s beautiful… Hmm… should I try to arrange a marriage for my son?”

“Shut up, even if she’s just an adopted daughter, she’s still a Tristan. If you provoke them for no reason, it’ll only make your family suffer.”

“But don’t you know just how much it would benefit you to become in-laws with the Tristan? It’s definitely worth the risk.”

“…You really are something else.”

After all, there was no way that she’d willingly interact with those kinds of people.

In addition to the cadets, there were quite a few nobles from outside the Academy that were invited, so the party hall was quite crowded. It was normal for many people’s conversations to be mixed up and not be heard. However, while ordinary people wouldn’t be able to hear it, Levy was able to eavesdrop on many people’s conversations. After all, she was an excellent disciple of Lee Han.

There are really endless ways to use Martial Power.

Although she started later than others, her hard work never betrayed her. She still had many shortcomings, but she was able to use her [Martial Power] skillfully. Hearing the whispers around her was something she could do quite easily.

…She could even hear those who unintentionally judged her or looked at her with contempt.

However, Levy just let out a bitter laugh rather than getting angry when listening to them.

I already knew that this place is this kind of place, but it really is such a rotten place.

Noble society.

Lee Han never had a positive outlook on nobles and treated them like they were jokes, but those remarks were also indicators of his ‘distrust’ toward the nobility. And now, Levy could finally understand why.

Because they’re hypocrites who never said what they’re truly thinking.

Those who had sinister intentions toward her would try to befriend her by showing their gentleness and kindness in front of her, all while keeping their dark feelings in their hearts.

Some were jealous of her for her sudden rise in status.

Others were jealous of the power she possessed.

There were some who approached her because they thought that she could be useful to them.

Levy was sickened by all of that. After all, she had already had her life ruined by the nobles before. In fact, the one who had the strongest antipathy toward the nobles might not be Lee Han, but her.

But the reason why she could smile and not get angry at those people was…

“I could go and take care of them right now if you want me to.”

“…Don’t worry, Master. I’m fine.”

“But I’m not. Well, I already remembered their faces. I’ll give them a one-hour course of Twisting Muscle and Bones in secret later.”

“I-I’m really fine… .”

Thanks to someone who got truly angry on her behalf. It was because of him that she could confidently say that she was okay.

And why she could laugh freely like this.

“-Nevermind. I’ll do it now.”

“Master, no! Wait!”

…Although, he’d sometimes lash out like this and start embarrassing her.

Awkwardness and joy swirled inside Levy’s heart, which was a little ironic.

There was a bit of bad taste here and there, but the party wasn’t all that uncomfortable or unpleasant.

“Wow, this is the first time I’ve seen you in your uniform, Instructor!”

“You look great, Instructor!”

“Could you please not wear that kind of clothing from now on? It’s bad for my heart.”

After all, this was also a chance for him to see the different sides of the cadets that he was familiar with.

“…Why did you rush at me like this as soon as you saw me?”

The Chicks.

All the girls approached him, showing off their best looks.

Usually, they were all weak, timid girls, but perhaps because they were noble ladies at their core, the moment they dressed themselves up and covered their faces with makeup, nothing else came to one’s mind other than the word ‘pretty’. They had this freshness that made even the flowers surrounding the party venue pale in comparison.

As expected, young people are all bullies.

“Your fathers gonna cry like crazy later.”

“Why?”

“Because they’ll eventually have to marry their pretty daughters to a man.”

“Huuu… What are you talking about?!”

It was rather surprising, but Lee Han and the chicks weren’t on bad terms. After all, he made them exercise to keep their bodies strong and took care of them in many ways, so the girls, unlike the male cadets, didn’t have any hard feelings for him.

If anything…

“Instructor, please dance with me later!”

“Me too!”

There were even girls who had feelings for him.

Unlike the pure feelings that Levy had, theirs might have been a little lighter and calculated, but their feelings were still positive.

Lee Han wasn’t stupid enough to not notice this, so he blurted out a line that lightly brushed the situation aside.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not alone today, so get permission from my partner first.”

“Wow, that’s too much…”

“You are bad, Instructor.”

Using his partner as an excuse.

He used Levy as a shield, but his method worked better than expected.

Though Lee Han might not have much thoughts about her since she saw her every single day, Levy was a beautiful woman who was admired even by others.

After all, even Karin called her by an awkward nickname like ‘The Academy’s First Love’ the other day.

She was a pretty girl with a smile that stimulated a man’s protective desire to protect her.

Because of her presence, even the young ladies couldn’t carelessly take Lee Han away, and Levy, who usually looked like an innocent baby bear, had an oppressive smile on his face, making it even harder to approach her.

“Hmph…”

So, the young ladies couldn’t do anything but gnash their teeth.

This went both ways though; the men who had feelings for Levy were also gnashing their teeth, blaming Lee Han because they couldn’t approach her right now.

‘Evil bastard!’

‘Do you think being strong is all there is to it, huh?!’

‘…I wanted to dance with Miss Levy too.’

‘Damn it!’

Before he realized it, he had unconsciously built other’s resentment towards him.

“…Why does my back feel so hot today?”

The stinging jealousy coming towards him was an unfamiliar feeling to him.

However, before he could find the cause of his jealousy…

[[One of the 17 sultans who rule the Western Continent, and the owner of the largest oasis, Sultan Salah Al Adil Mohammed, is entering!!]]

[[The ivory tower of mage! The great disciple of the owner of the Magic Tower, Huiy de Bayron, nicknamed the Golden Magician, is entering!!]]

…As those people, followed by all sorts of fancy introductions, entered the place, everyone’s eyes, including Lee Han’s, gathered in one place. He could see the two men entering one after another.

The handsome man wearing unfamiliar foreign clothing that didn’t diminish his dignity even in the slightest was probably the sultan, while the man with blond hair with a somewhat cynical expression that walked after him was probably the other guy. What Lee Han felt about them was…

A tanned guy and a blond punk?

He tilted his head as he stared at the two men whose gold and stylish hair seemed to be appropriately divided in half.

Hm…

Just from the way they look, they look like gnolls.

It was an overly harsh evaluation, but it was his honest impression about them.