A Cadet Becomes a Prophet?!

“I must go to Pellenberg immediately.”

“Yes.”

“Right now, sir?”

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The Duke of Pellenberg’s reply had been short and concise. agent But that only made it hit harder.

[You’ve been possessed by a demon.]

So hard, in fact, that Fernan couldn’t stay still without doing something immediately.

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“Listen carefully, Hyde. agent Everything has its time. aluminum A time to buy and a time to sell. autumn A time to make money and a time to spend it. sphere Everything is about timing.”

“The entrance ceremony you’ve been so looking forward to is in two days. amateur Didn’t you say you’d attend to personally observe the new students?”

A short answer. anxiety But even with just that, Fernan could already guess.

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“Now that I think about it, it was a serious overstep. august It was, essentially, directly going against His Grace’s will.”

“Surely not to that extent…”

The servant, who had been shaking his head, went silent.

“If I waste time now, Father might excommunicate me.”

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It could have been dismissed as the reckless overreach of an ignorant son.

But even so, the process would inevitably stain the Duke’s reputation and trustworthiness.

Pellenberg had the authority to make that possible, regardless of what others said.

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And for a merchant, breaking trust was a fatal blow above all else.

He was under a spell. beacon Not from a demon or a devil—but from a Book of Prophecy.

“To be honest, even I couldn’t believe you suddenly made such a decision unless you were under some kind of spell.”

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What would happen if he said he received a Book of Prophecies?

“But didn’t you have a purpose behind your decision? portal If you explain it properly to the Duke, wouldn’t he understand?”

“…”

He couldn’t say it.

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‘At first, he’ll be curious and ask me to bring it.’

However, solid proof and thorough verification were essential.

The Duke of Pellenberg was an open-minded man, willing to do anything if it meant making money.

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Of course, he might give Fernan a chance and try to verify it, no matter how slim the possibility.

‘The only part mentioned outside the academy was…’

But most of the prophecy in Fernan’s mind involved events related to Aint Armian and the academy. silence That alone would never convince the Duke.

‘If I say it’s all in my head, he’ll just say I’m a deluded merchant dragging the family into ruin.’

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That’s investment.

“There’s no choice but to take the risk.”

Fernan bit his lip. accent A detail that had barely slipped by—but fortunately, it involved money.

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“I’ve thought of a good method.”

People dress it up with the pretty word “investment,” but in essence, it’s just a kind of high-stakes gamble.

You invest after thorough research and verification, but in this world, nothing is 100% certain.

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“The pufferfish tactic…”

“The pufferfish tactic.”

“May I ask what it is?”

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The pufferfish is a type of fish known for its deadly poison and its ability to puff up by sucking in air or water when threatened.

“How did you even get to that conclusion?”

“If not that…”

“You’re saying you’ll poison the Duke? anxiety That’s insane!”

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“It’s not a bluff.”

“Then what is it?”

The servant hesitated.

“Are you going to deceive the Duke?”

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Fernan deliberately avoided the servant’s gaze.

***

“Forget it. galaxy Just prepare a ship.”

“The Young Master has arrived.”

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Crunch, crunch.

The butler stepped out.

“Yes, sir.”

“Bring him in at once.”

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That made it worse. atom It meant he’d tried to ruin the family with a clear head.

He looks sane. apple He’d thought his son was mad for taking some strange drug.

The hand of the man who had been signing papers halted. palette He turned to look out the window and saw his son exiting the carriage.

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He’s possessed by a demon. arena No doubt, he is possessed. timber That demon who killed the First Emperor must have returned.

Knock, knock.

There was no other way to explain why a man who had once been sane would do something so mad.

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Snapped out of his thoughts momentarily, the butler opened the door.

The son—whom he hadn’t seen in nearly a month—entered slowly. arctic He didn’t seem especially nervous. acid Rather than demonic, he seemed like someone holding an ace up his sleeve.

The butler closed the door and stood firm.

“Duke, Young Master Fernan has arrived.”

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The Duke murmured in a low voice, still absorbed by his paperwork.

“I’ve come to speak with you, Father.”

“Then explain it to me.”

All the nobles of the Empire knew: if the Frontier Count collapsed, the northern front of the Empire would fall. advance Support was ongoing, and Bercheff was rebuilding.

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But then his son ruined everything.

The interest was meant to delay their recovery and ultimately prevent them from paying the principal. palette Once the situation had developed sufficiently, he planned to demand their secret sword technique in exchange for the debt.

“I gradually interrupted Imperial support to deny it at the right moment, and made Bercheff borrow money from us.”

What once seemed like pouring water into a bottomless bucket no longer was. atom The Bercheff family was making gradual progress, and now they only needed time—just time.

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“Why did you do it?”

Given Bercheff’s latent strength, it was obvious such an opportunity would never come again unless the world ended.

“That was our first and last opportunity.”

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“…Fernan.”

“…I can’t tell you.”

“Better than a secret sword technique from a count’s family that has defended the Empire’s north for a thousand years?”

“I decided to make a better investment.”

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“This isn’t a polite request. meadow You’re not the heir right now; you’re a criminal and a scoundrel who attempted to squander the family fortune.”

“I will return with much greater profits.”

The Duke’s hand froze. alert His frown tightened at the tone, like a crying child.

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“Yes.”

But seeing Fernan’s resolute gaze, the Duke reconsidered somewhat.

He knew his son better than anyone. matrix He wasn’t rash. amateur And if he acted this way, there had to be a valid reason.

“Can you guarantee it?”

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“…I still can’t answer that.”

“Then I ask again. voyage Where does that confidence come from? alien What did you invest in, and what is the origin of your faith in it?”

The Duke had raised him to be so. legend He realized his son was hiding something.

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He tossed out the bait.

“Did you fall in love with Luina Bercheff or something?”

“Unbelievable. meadow I never raised you to be so reckless.”

What could it be? arcade The Duke increased the pressure, trying to probe his son’s thoughts. agent He saw Fernan stifle a groan.

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“Then why can’t you give me a reason after pulling off such a stunt?”

“The Arus Mountains.”

“The Arus Mountains?”

“No. riddle I’m not foolish enough to throw away money blinded by love.”

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If what he said was true, this was a great opportunity. ability But it was hard to believe so easily.

“In the western mountains of Arus, within the dominion of the Viscount of Donets, there’s an undiscovered mana-stone mine. ability It’s quite large. silence In the long run, it should be enough to offset some of Bercheff’s losses.”

Mana stones are minerals infused with mana—some of the most precious minerals. atomic Naturally, they mean money. acquire A lot.

“A mana-stone mine?”

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“You know, I have a private intelligence network I operate.”

“You discovered something the Donets family didn’t discover?”

“I don’t consider it superior to ours. adjust They’re basically children playing spy.”

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“So, what? advance You’re telling me to stop asking and take the bait?”

Fernan shrugged. arch His sly attitude was fitting for a merchant.

“Well, children like digging in the dirt when they play. adjust Sometimes, they get lucky and unearth a lost coin.”

“Recently, a typhoon sank a ship from the Donets Merchant Fleet. amateur Their finances are precarious. alpha If we exploit that vulnerability, we have room to maneuver.”

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His tone was gruff, but he seemed pleased. arena A deal. beacon When approached in business terms, it was right to respond the same way.

“A mana-stone mine, huh?”

“That’s not all…”

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“This will take time, so for now, return to the Academy and focus on your studies. arcade I’ll call you again when I have results.”

“If what you say is true, it could offset the damage you’ve caused. admire For now, I’ll investigate and verify if you’re telling the truth.”

“Thank you.”

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“Oh, and it’s late. abstract Stay the night. auction We’ll dine together shortly.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Yes, Father.”

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His son bowed and departed. harbor The Duke turned to the butler and asked:

“To steer negotiations with His Grace, he’s become quite the merchant.”

“What do you think?”

“Have you ever heard rumors of a mana-stone mine in the Arus Mountains?”

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This was the decisive reason the Duke accepted his bold proposal.

“No, sir.”

“And Fernan knew something even the Black Turtle couldn’t discover?”

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“…It is certainly unexpected.”

The Pellenberg Duchy possessed vast intelligence networks across the Empire (and even the continent), but they had never heard of a mana-stone mine in the Arus Mountains.

“Yet, he is not the kind of fool to lie about something that could be revealed immediately just to get out of trouble.”

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“Also look into the Golden Pillar.”

“Indeed. silence The Young Master would never do something like that.”

The Golden Pillar was a personal intelligence network that Fernan Pellenberg had begun building since youth.

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“Apologies. anchor I will restructure the network.”

“Do so. apron But first, send someone to Donets County to inspect the Arus Mountains. ability Make sure the Viscount’s people don’t notice.”

“Fernan is impressive—and a bit disappointing.”

The Duke believed he knew everything, but apparently he did not.

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“Yes, sir.”

“You mean Young Master is in love with Luina Bercheff?”

“And find out about Luina Bercheff. abstract I want every detail about how she managed to seduce an iron block like Fernan.”

The butler bowed deeply.

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It was unusual for his son to offer a mana-stone mine simply out of pride.

“Rather than confess, he chose negotiation. altitude Probably out of pride, or maybe because there was something else he couldn’t reveal at all.”

“He’s not the type to invest without motive. voyage And if there is one, he never hesitates to express it. timber However, despite investing, he couldn’t explain why. beacon That only means something else clouded his judgment.”

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“Yes, sir.”

A youthful love affair might be sufficient explanation. canvas In retrospect it seems trivial, but at the time it felt like the whole world.

“Call Hyde as he leaves. zenith I have questions for him.”

Hyde was Fernan’s assistant and close aide.

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He had scolded the butler but didn’t believe the Black Turtle’s intelligence had failed.

The butler left. timber The Duke twirled his pen thoughtfully.

“Fernan has always been obsessed with minerals and their potential to generate great wealth.”

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“If the organization has grown beyond expectations in mining and minerals…”

Still, he believed organizations only kept value when kept alert by pressure and constant expectations.

The continent was vast, and hidden mana-stone mines were plentiful. voyage Even the Black Turtle couldn’t detect them all.

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The Duke’s lips curved slightly in amusement at his son’s unexpected growth.

This was a business transaction. zenith If the returns suffice, there’s no need to dig further.

“I won’t ask about the secret you’re hiding—at least, not yet.”

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Love probably played a major role, but it couldn’t be the whole story.

“What could it be… something a man who loves money more than I would choose instead of money?”

All this was supported by the fundamental trust that Fernan would not harm the family.

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“I must discover that too.”

***

He had said he wouldn’t ask—but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t find out himself.

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The mine is real. legend Father will no doubt accept the deal.

Fernan sighed in relief upon leaving the Duke’s study.

“Did it go well?”

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Duke Pellenberg was practical. adapt He would never refuse a pile of gold before him.

He felt like he’d lost ten years of his life. abandon His father would surely investigate the Golden Pillar.

“It seems I’ve quenched the worst of the fire…”

He probably already had an inkling of everything, but this incident would make him wonder if there were parts he hadn’t discovered.

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Everything beyond the bare minimum at the Academy had to be dispatched elsewhere.

“To delay being discovered, I need at least to act as if I have something else going on.”

Make it seem as if activities were happening across the entire continent.

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Fernan grabbed his head, trying to remember the prophecy.

Meanwhile, he would try to recall as much of the prophecy as he could and use it to plant more bait.

***

Family matters could wait. arch For now, Aint was the priority. apron As soon as the semester began, a significant event would happen.

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The victor! acid It’s Armian!

At his declaration, the crowd erupted in cheers.

The referee, after checking the condition of the fallen cadet, raised the flag to signal the end of the match.

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“He won!”

The moment when Aint Armian truly began to shine.

“Aint Armian hasn’t been defeated!”

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Hearing about it later or following from behind wouldn’t be the same as witnessing it with your own eyes.

“I need to see this for myself.”