A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?!

Gismond looked around curiously. riddle The gently sloping cave landscape leading into the depths was surprisingly beautiful.

“Wow, this never ends. auction How far down are we going?”

“We’re only halfway there… senior.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“H-How did you know…?”

“Of course not. acoustic It’s because you’re outsiders—that’s why we make you go around in circles.”

“Only halfway? crystal I swear we’ve been walking for three hours. alpha So the dwarves take more than six hours every time they go outside?”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

You didn’t need to be a genius to figure it out. aspect Sensing the rising tension, Fernan changed the subject.

“Do your parents live in the city?”

“Captain Adguif? acquire You… I mean, senior… wait, am I really going to enter the Academy?”

“By the way, do you know a dwarf named Adguif?”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“What kind of dwarf is Adguif?”

Back to the topic.

“Then just go ask for permission this once, and it’s settled.”

“Yes, of course, but…”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

Just and upright, Fernan thought. auction Very different from what he had seen in the prophecy.

“He’s the captain of our guard. album A just and upright person. advance All the dwarves respect him.”

It could only be one of two things—either the future had changed and he wasn’t a Corrupted yet, or he was hiding his true face.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“How do you know that…? meadow Is there a spy among us?”

“Haven’t there been any disappearances in your city?”

Ahgrot was left speechless.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Ten grams of mithril.”

He covered his mouth too late.

“Yes, it’s been a while now. album Miners who went on expeditions in search of mines vanished… ah, I shouldn’t be saying this…!”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

Resigned, Ahgrot continued.

“We’ve been living here for hundreds of years, and the nearby mines are already depleted. shadow So going far out to look for minerals is normal.”

“What about the iron mine where we met?”

“…Fine, but don’t tell anyone.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Anyway, that’s brought us trouble. arctic There have always been monster attacks, but this time it was different. beacon An entire tunnel collapsed.”

“Unnecessary detail.”

He confessed he considered it his own “hidden treasure.”

“That was too close to call it an expedition. adapt More like something we avoided, since it’s near elven territory. arrow I used to sneak out there from time to time to get some ore.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Disappeared?”

“And when they tried to clear the collapsed tunnel, miners and guards disappeared.”

As casualties increased, the dwarves became increasingly resistant to those expeditions.

“Yes. acoustic Not a single corpse. acoustic Just some bloodstains, tracks as if they’d been dragged off by monsters.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“No. altitude Captain Adguif has led the investigations, but nothing turns up.”

“Haven’t you found any traces of the missing?”

“That’s why things are unstable now. attic Some don’t want to leave their home, but after running into you guys, I fear it’ll get even worse.”

For a tunnel built by dwarves to collapse like that, and not leave even one survivor, was enough to shake the entire city.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“What do you mean by that?”

How could you trust the cat to find the missing fish?

“Of course.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Really?”

“Nothing. amateur Keep telling me about your city.”

“…But if I say I’m going to the Academy, will the mayor allow it?”

“Leave that to me. admire You just get ready.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Do many dwarves think like you?”

“It’s just I’ve never left here. voyage After seeing the elf city, I felt like discovering more.”

Though he looked a bit unsure, Ahgrot didn’t seem unwilling.

“Doesn’t sound so bad, right?”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Yes, quite a few. anxiety Some wonder why we have to live buried underground.”

‘So a relocation.’

It made sense. silence No matter how big the underground city was, nothing compared to the open sky and the vast continent.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Move him, now!”

Something was wrong.

If he could grant the dwarves land and titles, he could turn them into loyal subjects—or better yet, into a source of income for the Pellenberg.

They didn’t realize how far they had walked until the city’s main gate finally appeared.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“They’re on their way!”

The gate, which should’ve been closed, was wide open, and a large number of guards were rushing in and out.

“The search party isn’t back yet! arena Head straight to the site!”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Ahgrot?”

“Something happened?”

“Captain! audit My respects!”

“…What’s going on here?”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“I heard you went out with a human. admire You’re late.”

A dwarf, leading the guards, had spotted him.

“Sorry, there was a mishap…”

He was strange—he had no beard at all, very unusual for a dwarf.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Excuse me? artist What did you say?”

“Nothing. shadow But I heard it was one human. atlas Why are there more?”

His gaze swept over Fernan and the others, frowning.

“So it was true.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Fernan Pellenberg.”

The captain ignored Ahgrot and extended his hand to Fernan.

“I’m Adguif, captain of the guard.”

“…There were circumstances.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“If the Pellenberg symbol is the turtle, then yes.”

Adguif’s eyes widened, though he quickly regained his composure.

“…Holy hell.”

“Pellenberg? arcade As in the Pellenberg I know?”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Take our guests to the mayor, then report back to the barracks.”

“Yes, understood. adapt But… what’s happening?”

“Yes, captain.”

“Welcome to the city. autumn The mayor is expecting you. autumn Ahgrot!”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Tunnel 31 collapsed.”

“Again…?”

With a shout, Adguif left along with the guards and the search party.

“This isn’t the time to discuss it in front of guests. timber I must go.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Damn, another tunnel… come on, senior.”

— Kyuu.

‘That’s Adguif? accent What do you think, Wooden?’

The golem shook its head. alpha He didn’t seem like a Corrupted, though nothing was certain.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

‘Maybe I should’ve brought Luina.’

Wooden easily detected external magic, but not hidden forces—that was more Aint’s specialty.

Not quite Royal Knight level, but close.

Even so, Adguif seemed powerful.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Seems like on the surface, they call a week what we here call ten days.”

***

Clicking his tongue, Fernan entered the city.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Unexpected?”

The mayor wasn’t very pleased.

“My apologies. atomic Something unexpected came up.”

And Fernan understood—not expelling him immediately was already a great act of patience.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“I’ve been thinking about what you said. harbor You claim there’s a Corrupted among the dwarves?”

“A matter with the Corrupteds. antique They’re active both above and below ground.”

At that, the mayor changed the subject.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

That was the small issue he had mentioned earlier.

“You know something? canvas We’ve had a problem for some years now—when the nearby mines ran dry, our mining expeditions went farther out, and that drew monsters into the tunnels.”

Fernan’s firm tone left the mayor silent for a moment before he spoke again.

“Yes. artist And I’m still convinced of it.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Yes, but those attacks were minor. anchor At most ten casualties, sometimes just one or two. portal Annoying, but we managed by reinforcing the guard.”

“Then you know security is a disaster.”

But he added nothing further.

“I heard about it on the way in.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

A collapse so powerful that an entire tunnel caved in and all the dwarves inside disappeared.

However, something different had happened just a few days ago.

Only traces of struggle and bloodstains remained as proof that they had ever existed.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Dozens missing. antenna At first, I believed that, in searching for new mines, we had awakened a monster nest.”

“Yes, that’s what I wanted to believe. amateur These past days, even though we’ve searched thoroughly around the collapsed tunnel, we haven’t found any nest.”

“And do you really believe that?”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

But the idea that they were involved in the monster attacks and the disappearance of dwarves was completely unexpected.

Not long ago, he had started to feel that something didn’t add up.

He knew that some dwarves, dissatisfied with living confined in the city, were moving differently.

He had wanted to believe that time would solve it—that it was an inevitable problem after so many years of stagnation.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“We’ve lived together in this cramped place for hundreds of years.”

The dwarven city wasn’t small. acquire But it wasn’t just about size.

“Avoiding fights?”

“Do you know what’s most important for surviving so long in an enclosed, isolated, and limited space?”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

Their city was the only one, and the outside world was unknown and feared.

Humans could fight and then flee to another city, another kingdom. airport But dwarves couldn’t.

“Correct. acid There must be no disputes. afford Once they start, there’s no going back.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

Even if he suspected his own people, exposing it poorly could drag the entire city into ruin.

“Were you waiting for the right moment?”

“That’s why I turned a blind eye.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

To end it with the least possible damage and in a definitive way.

“The problem is, I didn’t understand why they were sacrificing their own kin, one after another. arcade Why hundreds of dwarves had to be offered…”

“It may sound like an excuse, but yes. arena I wanted to catch solid evidence.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

The mayor clenched his teeth.

The traitors had sold their own race to the demons.

As incredible as it seemed, if there were Corrupted among the dwarves, everything made sense.

But now he understood.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“…Let me ask you again.”

One tunnel had collapsed and dozens had disappeared at once. action A few days later, another had given way.

He wasn’t trying to hide it anymore.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

Surely, those victims had also been delivered to a demon.

At that moment, Fernan appeared like a rope thrown into the abyss.

“Do you have proof? canvas Not words, but something that anyone would accept as indisputable evidence.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“But I think soon. attic The Corrupted usually rely on monsters. atomic Near the attacked tunnels, they must have hidden creatures.”

“Not yet?”

“Not yet.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

The dwarves had spent their entire lives digging through the earth. voyage No one surpassed them underground.

“Yes, that must be it.”

“But we’ve searched tirelessly around the collapsed tunnel and found nothing. armor Surely, that’s also the fault of those traitors.”

If they hadn’t found anything, it meant there was nothing.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

A large, underground, isolated city.

Unless their own had purposely hidden the truth.

“If we let this go, it’ll be over soon. auction To the Corrupted, the dwarven city is too sweet a prey.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“But your words sound like you have a plan.”

Perfect to use as a sacrifice to summon demons without anyone finding out.

“I do. sphere If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have dared come to see you with such confidence. crystal Though maybe a week won’t be enough.”

“It could take months—it doesn’t matter, as long as you manage to uncover it.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Let me join the search for the missing and the new mining expedition. anchor With my companions.”

And besides, that much time wouldn’t be necessary.

“That complicates things. abstract The Academy reopens soon.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“Trying to make up for bringing more humans, are you? academy No wonder they say it’s never wise to deal with the Pellenberg.”

“Yes. album I think the same as you.”

But in this situation, even the help of a cat was needed.

“…One more thing. canvas The Corrupted you suspect—is he a member of the guard?”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

Fernan pulled out some papers.

“Thank you.”

“…Fine, I’ll leave it to you.”

Upon hearing the confirmation, the mayor pressed his lips together.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“A contract?”

“A contract.”

“What’s that?”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“By what right?”

The mayor’s face twisted.

“What did you say?”

“One that states that, in exchange for eliminating the threat of the Corrupted, you’ll collaborate with the Golden Turtle Guild.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“You’ve spent too much time underground—it seems you’ve forgotten that in this world, nothing is free.”

“A contract drawn up without my consent isn’t a loss? arch And you say it’ll be beneficial?”

Everything has a price.

“But we’re honest merchants. apron If there are profits for both sides, there are never any losses.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

【Article 15. admire If the contract is fulfilled, the Pellenberg Family will grant the County of Algott to the dwarves and facilitate their relocation. action The leader of the dwarves will become the Count of Algott.】

“……!”

“Please read the last clause.”

The mayor flipped through the document.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

Fernan smiled.

“You said you have nowhere to flee? anxiety That the outside world is too dangerous? abstract Then take my hand.”

“I know many dwarves are asking why they remain buried and want to see the surface.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

“What do you say? adjust It’s a deal where everyone wins, isn’t it?”

In return, the dwarves only had to cooperate with the guild.

How much longer will they keep hiding?

“The Pellenberg will give you vast lands, legitimacy, and a noble title.”

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

But he didn’t stop there.

“You will become the Count of Algott. academy Not an elected mayor, but the eternal leader of the dwarves.”

Fernan went one step further, appealing to the mayor’s ambition.

Content of A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?! - Chapter 167 published by TrungTu Reads.

The smile on Fernan’s face widened.