episode_0068

After the brief commotion had subsided, we sat around a large table with Empress Alexandra and Alexei at the head of the table.

“I see. The supposed liberator shaped like an eyeball is roaming the empire…”

After hearing all the information we have found out, Empress Alexandra takes on a calm but haughty attitude and taps her cheek with her finger. I remember that being a habit of Empress Alexandra when she is upset.

“Tudle dum, tudle di.”

“Old.”

Empress Alexandra calls the two guards, who can barely tell by the exposed tail that they are female wolves, and gives them a chilling order.

“Tell the rice-bugging intelligence agency to come up with a plan. Once the plan is established, share it with me and Dean Ivory.”

“Okay.”

“Egghead, go to the Northern Margrave and find out if he has any relevant information or countermeasures in place. Bring them all.”

“Yep!”

“Boppalrabbit, go to Dean Ivory and deliver the confirmed information to the Imperial Liberator Research Team and squeeze something out of them. ”

“Go!”

The guards (disguised as night ravens) who had received several orders from Empress Alexandra dispersed, and the Empress now turned her attention to me and Elfin.

“It was very impressive. Your wisdom shines in Sogookseo.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“I enjoyed it too.”

“I hope you enjoyed it, Mr. Gukseo.”

The Empress and her husband, who had congratulated me, now turned their gaze to Elfin.

“Elfin. I was surprised to see that you did better than I thought. You’ve grown more than I thought.”

Empress Alexandra praised Elphin for his performance. Elphin, unfamiliar with the Empress’s praise, simply blushed slightly and lowered his head.

“But is there a reason why you didn’t use the ‘Perion Great Dual Shield’ that was passed down from the royal family?”

My head snaps to the side as the first word I hear comes out of the Empress’s mouth. The fighting technique called Perion Great Dual Shield has never appeared in the game. I thought Elfin was a knight type who used a sword and shield.

“…I just wanted to stick to the basics. After today’s test, I decided to actively use the royal family’s fighting techniques from now on.”

“Do so. The royal family’s fighting skills are not only effective, but also prove that you are a member of the royal family.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

As the two were trying to end the story like that, I shamelessly asked them, as a veteran of Academy Story 2, not wanting to miss out on a concept I was hearing for the first time.

“What is Perion Great Dual Shield?”

Elphin was about to answer my question, but Empress Alexandra raised her hand to stop him.

I thought it was such a big secret that I couldn’t tell anyone, but Empress Alexandra looked at me and smiled, wiggling her eyebrows as if she was having a blast.

“Oh, Perion Great Dual Shield is a combat technique that is secretly passed down to members of the Imperial Family. Elfin combat techniques are not yet fully developed, so if you are curious, you will have to come out to the Imperial Palace and meet him privately.”

At Empress Alexandra’s words, Elphin lets out a small sigh, and Alexei glances at the Empress, then shrugs his shoulders as if he can’t help it, leaving a word behind.

“Anyway, I told you not to stop it.”

I thought that I should never meet the Empress alone, because I didn’t know what would happen if I did, so I smiled awkwardly and said that I understood.

“Is this the test of wisdom? The test of wisdom is known to be a difficult ordeal, so I hope you all succeed.”

Finally, the Empress and the King who had been encouraging us left the VIP room, leaving us behind, and the slight tension in the VIP room finally dissipated.

“Oh, there is a princess among the female members of the family, so I will have a chance to meet the Empress outside of state affairs.”

Marquis Jude said so, fluttering his collar. She didn’t have many opportunities to meet the Empress, as she wasn’t a member of the central nobility like the Duke of Moratium, the Marquis Anastasia, or the Duke of Knight Sustaind.

“Still, this could be an opportunity.”

But even within that, as if they had caught a glimpse of something possible, Sir Nicholas and his daughter Bandi, who are known as the “Full Housewife,” have similar expressions on their faces as if something has occurred to them.

“Anyway, since you’ve successfully completed the test of strength, let’s have some fun! Last time, we visited the Duke of Icarus’ mansion, so today, it’s time to introduce our Anastasia mansion to my son-in-law!”

“Oh, Marquis Lucio. Our Goldbunny mansion is also close. Objectively speaking, this mansion is more splendid and elegant…”

“What? What kind of elegance is that mansion that’s just filled with money? It’s the mansion of our Anastasia family that has been passed down since the founding of the Perion Empire…”

“Tteing, that means it’s just an old mansion! Our Goldbunny mansion is built by the best architects and artists…”

As I was blankly watching the two marquises bickering over who would invite me to their mansions, someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“Son-in-law, do you want to come to my house?”

“…Okay.”

The identity was Count Miho Iron Foxtrot, who was smiling very beautifully.

The Iron Foxtrot Mansion was a beautiful mansion of moderate size, neither too big nor too small, nestled in a quiet mountainside.

“Hmm, this looks pretty good too.”

“Ah, I asked one of the architects I became friends with who designed Marquis Jude’s mansion. There’s Artisan Othello.”

“Aha, if you’re an Othello craftsman, then you’re right. Haha!”

“Oh my, I was so focused on the argument that I didn’t even notice Count Miho snatching it away…”

The Dukes of Moratium and Knight Sustained chuckle at the reactions of Marquis Jude and Marquis Luciola. Count Iron Foxtrot simply looks happy.

“Master, are you here? Oh my, why are there so many guests?”

A female Arctic fox, who appears to be the maid of the Iron Foxtrot Countess, comes out to greet us, dressed neatly in a maid outfit. Her eyes widen when she sees me, the other females, and five noble couples.

“Sister Seolgi!”

“Yeah, you’re here? I have to go get ready quickly.”

Hoyo greeted the chief maid, who was called Seolgi, by hugging her once, and then the chief maid, Seolgi, entered the mansion with her long tail wagging.

A while later, everyone was seated in the mansion’s reception room, and welcome tea and snacks were served.

“It took some time because it was a bit impromptu~”

Count Miho hums and asks for understanding, and the other nobles nod their heads as if it were okay.

“Count Miho, would it be helpful if you could help me with some chefs and ingredients?”

“I would appreciate it if you could do that~”

Since the Iron Foxtrot is not too far from Goldbunny Street (on the opposite side of Anastasia Street), Count Miho accepts Marquis Jude’s offer without hesitation, and Marquis Jude’s secretary, who received the order, leaves the reception room.

“The mansion is quiet and beautiful.”

“Thank you for the compliment, son-in-law. The mansion is really pretty because my husband worked on it.”

Sir Iron Foxtrot, her husband, smiled at Count Miho’s humility.

“I’m glad you like it, son-in-law.”

“I really like it, Master.”

“Once you pass the next test of wisdom, then I’ll have to lead you to Anastasia’s mansion!”

Marquis Luciolas declared as he drank his tea, but surprisingly, Marquis Jude did not react much to Marquis Luciolas’s teasing and just drank his tea.

“So be it, Marquis Lucio. When our son-in-law or princess conquers the test of courage and ascends to the highest position of honor, we will hold the greatest banquet in the empire at our mansion.”

“Ugh, Marquis Jude…”

Watching the two marquises bickering again was more entertaining than any TV show, and I didn’t even realize how much time had passed. The two dukes and Count Iron Foxtrot, who were watching, seemed to think the same thing.

“It would be really cool if Ain passed the test of courage.”

“He’ll be the first male winner in history.”

“No, we still don’t know if we’ll pass the test of wisdom or not?”

I put on the brakes as Bandi and Bam were making a fuss, but Hoyo looked like he really didn’t know.

“Won’t we win?”

“On what basis?”

“Uh… It’s just a feeling. Nyahaha.”

As Hoyo stuck his tongue out and laughed, Ion and Elfin followed suit, and Lulu was the only one who looked serious.

“You’re babbling. The Test of Wisdom is no ordinary test. The reason why only about half of the participants fail the Test of Strength is because most of the participants fail the Test of Wisdom.”

Lulu, who said that, started to think about something while unfolding the miraculous logic that ‘the test of wisdom that Ain is taking is the same as me participating in it’.

“What are you thinking?”

When I asked Lulu, she frowned and said, ‘I’m thinking about the past test of wisdom.’ But there’s no way she’d come up with a sharp idea.

Even in Academy Story 2, the Test of Wisdom is not easy, and most players tend to look at the genealogy compiled in the strategy community rather than solving it on their own.

As for me, I was closer to reporting solutions to the strategy community genealogy.

“But Ain, Elfin. Do you have a sharp countermeasure for the Test of Wisdom?”

I feel like the eyes of the females as well as her parents are focused on Bandi’s question, but I really don’t have a good answer.

Because the test of wisdom can sometimes be a feast of riddles, an essay test, and at other times, questions that feel like a personality test.

“There’s no particularly sharp number. But rather than thinking too much, it’s important to quickly say or do what you think is right.”

Moreover, the Test of Wisdom cannot be done with someone like the Test of Strength, so it really has to be done with Nana Elfin’s individual skills.

“Okay, let’s worry about that later, and for now, let’s celebrate passing the test of strength.”

As Marquis Jude clapped his hands and spoke, the room became a place of lively conversation again.