Ch.125125. Resources

It was already the fourth day since Erick had returned to the marquis residence.

“…Ember. I’ve already washed up, you know?”

“The inner corners of your eyes are still dirty, so hold still.”

Ember was wiping around Erick’s eyes with a handkerchief dampened with makeup remover.

It was a somewhat ticklish thing to do, but she had an excuse. After all, Erick had single-handedly revived an abandoned mine just hours ago.

‘They say the Hero can change terrain by himself.’

Who would have thought that was actually true?

Erick had entered the mine, which had been closed for 90 years, at dawn today.

Tunneling work was dangerous business that often cost workers their lives, but for Erick, it was just a task he could accomplish as easily as doing calisthenics. He said he had managed to find a coal seam by cutting through thick rock with his holy sword infused with aura.

“…Thinking about it now, I shouldn’t have mentioned the abandoned mine in the first place. I didn’t expect Erick to actually draw his sword and take action.”

“Sorry, but that mine belongs to me anyway. With just some support beams, we could start extracting right away, so it’s a profitable venture considering the brief effort.”

Erick replied softly with his eyes closed.

He wasn’t wrong. Thanks to Erick’s few hours of labor, they now had a usable resource. The only sacrifice Erick made was getting his face temporarily dirty from coal dust. That was all.

But Ember had no intention of downplaying Erick’s efforts.

‘Still, the fact remains that he did hard labor knowing his appearance would get messy. And he’s a marquis, no less.’

Would Commander Waynelight have entered his own salt mine even once in the past ten years? This wasn’t simply something to praise as practical. Though Erick himself seemed to think it was no big deal.

“By the way, Erick. We shouldn’t publicize what you did today, right?”

“…It’s best to keep it quiet.”

Erick had instructed that they should officially claim the problem was solved by bringing in technicians and mages.

Ember agreed. It was the right thing to do, if only to maintain the Hero’s dignity.

However, regardless of not telling others, Ember intended to remember what Erick had shown today for a long time. She also liked that they now shared a secret. Who would ever imagine the Hero developing underground resources?

“All done, Erick.”

“Thanks.”

Ember stared at Erick’s now clean face.

Erick sat before her in a relaxed posture. Though it wasn’t exactly an intimate situation since it was broad daylight, she couldn’t deny feeling a certain warmth.

These leisurely moments felt almost too precious, knowing they wouldn’t last long. After all, Erick was unlikely to rest for an extended period.

How should she make this valuable time more meaningful?

After pondering briefly, Ember…

Slowly leaned forward and buried her face against Erick’s chest.

It was somewhat impulsive, but Erick naturally extended his arm to embrace her shoulder. He even adjusted his posture so Ember could nestle more comfortably against him. Feeling a sense of fulfillment, Ember snuggled into Erick’s embrace.

And in that position, she enjoyed a brief nap, thinking this must be happiness.

***

At the same time, at the Academy.

Weaver, a full professor in the magic department, was humming a tune for once.

He had recently sold the spoils from the Tetrad subjugation (bone powder) at a good price.

He hadn’t personally negotiated with elder mages, but had submitted it to an auction house for valuation.

The bone powder of Akrich, who had been a member of the Tetrad.

It had considerable value not only symbolically but also as a magical material. Thanks to that, he was able to get a good price of 240 million.

Half of that was Professor Weaver’s share.

The short selling, the reward for slaughtering the beastmen, and now this payment.

He had already completely recovered from the losses caused by Cordana. No, it was more than that.

And he expected to profit even more in the future. Erick was quite a generous party leader.

However, apart from making money, he was also attending to his duties as a professor.

‘I won’t be in the Hero’s party forever, so I need to take care of my main job.’

The Academy was preparing for an important event.

It was a practical assessment where first-year cadets would form groups of four (limited to the knight and magic departments) to compete against active knights.

Though it seemed like child’s play, it was an important event for evaluating the potential of the cadets.

“Hehe. They must all be nervous by now?”

“Indeed. I was so lost when I was a first-year.”

Some professors were reminiscing about their youth while focusing on preparations.

The first-year practical assessment was an event closely watched by both knightly orders, the magic tower, and the court mage corps. Exaggerating slightly, it was an event that could determine the cadets’ future careers.

Professor Weaver, being an Academy graduate himself, felt particularly nostalgic.

As a senior and mentor, he intended to give his disciples advice that would benefit them. He was also willing to reassure any anxious students, telling them not to worry because he, an active member of the Hero’s party, would be watching over them.

Shortly after, Professor Weaver stood before the cadets with a determined expression.

“Now, as you know, this assessment is no joke. The knights you’ll be facing are Expert-level, and they’ll give their all except for using aura. You can think of this as an event to showcase yourselves as valuable assets to influential people.”

“……”

“If you prove your potential, you can receive sponsorship from powerful nobles throughout your academic years. It’s like them giving pocket money to promising talents to curry favor early on… Haha. That sounds a bit materialistic.”

“……”

“To enjoy such benefits, you need to prove your abilities first. Feel free to ask if you have any questions.”

Professor Weaver made his announcement confidently and then gazed at the cadets.

‘They’re probably curious about the sponsorships?’

But no matter how long he waited, no questions came. Both the magic and knight departments maintained silence.

Did they all have family tragedies? Or were they so confident about handling the practical assessment that they were being nonchalant?

“…Really, no questions?”

Professor Weaver urged, but still no questions came.

After some awkward silence, one magic department student finally raised his hand hesitantly.

“Professor. This might be a rude question, but…”

“Oh, that’s fine! Go ahead.”

“How much does a full professor at the Academy earn?”

“Huh? That’s what you’re curious about in this situation?”

Professor Weaver let out a chuckle.

No, it wasn’t such a bad question after all.

It was reasonable to wonder what kind of treatment and life one would have after graduating from the Academy with excellent grades and building a successful career.

Professor Weaver decided to explain in detail, partly to motivate the children.

He explained that full professors start with at least 50 million Lyra in salary, depending on rank and prior experience.

Magic department professors have many opportunities for additional income.

He honestly confessed that he himself had earned decent money by collaborating on various civil engineering projects.

“Actually, the side income is often more than the annual salary. If I had specialized in magical engineering, I would have earned even more… Ah, sorry to the knight department friends.”

A life where one could live among the upper class in the expensive 3rd district of the imperial capital while still saving millions each year.

Professor Weaver cleared his throat after finishing his explanation. While not everyone could become a full professor, he believed it was right to dream big.

But the first-years’ reactions were far from admiration.

Instead:

“So about 100 million a year. Not much left after living expenses, huh?”

“I thought a full professor in the magic department would easily make 500-600 million a year. Maybe I should join a ducal trading company instead?”

He heard these preposterous whispers.

600 million? Did they not understand how much money that was?

Thinking it must be a joke, he turned toward the voices, but the students just gave him blank looks, as if wondering why he was reacting that way.

‘They’re serious. Those kids.’

Professor Weaver felt momentarily overwhelmed.

…Of course, he wasn’t in a position to criticize them. When Cordana was at its peak, he too had casually talked about 1 or 2 billion.

But as their teacher, he was genuinely concerned.

When he was obsessed with Cordana, he was already a skilled 6th circle mage, and even after losing nearly 600 million to Cordana, he still had his solid position as a professor.

But these children were just rookie first-years.

Not all magic department graduates would join the magic tower or court mage corps. Some might end up as vassals to rural barons or communication officers at adventurer’s guild branches until they died. The knight department wasn’t much different.

It was troubling to see such attitudes in students who needed years of dedication to become competent professionals.

Where had things gone wrong?

‘…Sigh. What can I do about this?’

Knowing that a few words of admonishment wouldn’t change their minds made it even more frustrating.

But regardless of Professor Weaver’s concerns, the practical assessment began as scheduled.

A public duel observed by the faculty and even external dignitaries.

The reality was disappointing from the very beginning.

“Don’t hesitate, come at me!”

“Wah, I thought I was going to die!”

“…Why is the mage just standing there? Are you perhaps related to Yuni?”

“No, I’m not…! But why are you being so serious? We weren’t told about that.”

Thud!

Four first-year cadets, floundering against a veteran from the Black Iron Knights, subdued within 40 seconds. This wasn’t a duel; it was more like punishment.

In previous years, there had been students who showed pathetic performances out of fear, but this year the number was unusually high.

Each group seemed to include one or two members who held back their teammates by losing their composure.

As a result, one ridiculous duel followed another.

“Professor! S-save me!”

“…Stop the match.”

The professors had already intervened to stop matches several times.

Even the knight who had volunteered to be a practice opponent for his juniors looked dejected.

The dignitaries, who had initially been smiling and looking at the cadets with amusement, now wore gloomy expressions. Whatever had caused this situation, everyone seemed to realize it was no laughing matter.

One promising talent (from the Waynelight family) did show impressive skills, but that was no consolation. He fought competently while his teammates stood around like fools. In a way, it was an even more depressing scene.

Professor Weaver felt a heaviness in his chest as he stared into space, freshly realizing how the country had deteriorated.

‘Should I ask the Hero about this…?’

No, that wouldn’t be right. He couldn’t ask him to get involved with the Academy too. He couldn’t disturb the Hero’s rest with such a trivial matter.

…However, this considerate thought didn’t last long.

The very next day after the assessment, urgent news came from a completely unexpected source.