Midterm Evaluation (4)
Duke Yohaiden's face contorted in fury after Zeke explained the whole situation.
His voice, laced with anger, boomed.
“...So, that damned snake, the First Prince, is planning to humiliate our Sere in front of everyone...”
Zeke looked at Duke Yohaiden in surprise.
To be honest, Zeke was certain that the First Prince was behind this midterm evaluation based on his intuition,
but he had thought that Dios would be the one on the surface.
‘That's why I thought it would be difficult to persuade Duke Yohaiden... How did it get resolved so easily?’
Zeke was even prepared to use his authority as a benefactor if necessary, but he was rather flustered that the Duke believed him without a shred of doubt.
“Do you not doubt my words? From what I've heard, the First Prince has a pretty good image.”
“Hmph, how could I not know that shady bastard? Everyone is fooled by the facade he puts on, but I can see right through him.”
Although he had the image of a doting father and a bit of a pushover, it seemed that a Duke indeed had a different level of insight when it came to assessing people.
“That guy has had his eye on Selena since she was very young. But he can't fool me. That wasn't the look of someone who loves our Sere, it was the look of someone evaluating an object, judging whether it would be useful to him or not!”
Ah, he really was just a doting father.
Zeke nodded awkwardly.
“But, you asked me to gather people? Not to completely overturn that ridiculous scheme? If we complain to Ramielli Academy, something like that can be easily hushed up.”
“Ah, that's not my style.”
“Style?”
“Yes, I prefer to pretend to play along with the schemes of those who try to backstab me, and then backstab them in return.”
Zeke spoke sinister words with an indifferent face.
“Indeed, you're quite... that way inclined.”
“I'm quite gentle and affectionate as long as I'm not the one being targeted first.”
“...No matter how I look at it, you seem far from gentle and affectionate...”
The Duke was speechless at the sight of Zeke shamelessly spouting such nonsense with a straight face.
“Alright, I understand. I'll leave that part to you.”
The Duke agreed.
If Zeke had acted recklessly and said he would take care of it himself, it would have been different.
But the fact that he already suspected the First Prince as the mastermind was enough to earn him a passing grade.
“So, all I need to do is gather the people?”
“Why don't you join us, Duke?”
“...I'd like to, but...”
“Your Grace. Aren't you curious to see how splendidly Selena will perform?”
At Zeke's subtle words, the Duke's eyes widened.
Naturally, the image of Selena excelling in the midterm evaluation came to his mind.
The reason this guy was saying this must be because he was certain that Selena would show a remarkable performance.
‘I want to see it!’
He wanted to see it.
Yohaiden's youngest daughter.
How cute and lovely she would be.
And how wonderfully she had grown.
He wanted to see it so intensely that he wanted to capture it in a video crystal ball and watch it over and over again.
But...
The Duke closed his eyes tightly.
“For me to move directly... I have a lot of work piled up...”
“Work... you say?”
“Yes, Lost Hope. We still haven't found anything about those damned bastards. They're so well hidden that we can't even find a single hair. In a situation where we haven't even found a single clue about them... it's a bit... difficult to make a move.”
The Duke said with a sigh of frustration.
Ah, Zeke remembered that he had left out one important fact.
No, it wasn't that he had forgotten, but rather that it wouldn't have been a problem from his perspective, so he hadn't bothered mentioning it.
“Then I can give you a clue.”
“You have a clue!”
The Duke Yohaiden shot up from his seat.
“Yes, I know when and where they gather in large numbers.”
Zeke had been secretly communicating with the Adventurers' Guild Master.
The group that had asked the Adventurers' Guild Master to gather sacrifices before.
After gathering the information the Adventurers' Guild Master had provided and analyzing their characteristics in various ways, he had confirmed that they were indeed the Lost Hope bastards.
“Where! When! Tell me where they gather!”
Duke Yohaiden shouted, his spit flying.
“Hold on, calm down. Wouldn't you like to hear what I have in mind first?”
The Duke realized that he was getting too excited.
But it was no wonder he was acting this way.
It was because they hadn't found any clues even after scouring the Empire with the combined forces of Yohaiden and the Imperial family.
Zeke's clue was like finding an oasis in the desert.
“Ahem. I've calmed down. Tell me.”
“I've already passed that information on to Eustia.”
“What!!! Why!!!!!”
The excitement he had managed to suppress surged up again.
Was the reason for telling him to calm down to make him even more angry!
Thick veins bulged on the Duke's forehead.
“I don't like the Eustia bastards.”
“...?”
The Duke looked dumbfounded at Zeke's following words.
“But... why did you give them the information?”
Zeke smirked.
“Your Grace. I didn't say I told Eustia how to deal with them.”
Huh━.
Only then did the Duke understand why Zeke had leaked the information to Eustia first.
Using barbarians to control barbarians.
Duke Yohaiden and the Imperial family knew that they could catch those bastards by grinding magic stones into powder and applying it to their swords.
But, how would it feel if they didn't know that?
Duke Yohaiden already had experience with this.
‘They would feel like immortal, unreasonable beings...’
Duke Yohaiden hardened his face and organized his thoughts.
‘I shouldn't tell His Majesty about this either... If I tell His Majesty, he will surely tell the Eustia bastards how to deal with them. He wouldn't want one of the two Dukedoms to gain too much power...’
Yohaiden wasn't on bad terms with the Emperor, but they weren't close enough to concede when their interests were at stake. That's how politics worked.
He looked up at Zeke Clayman.
Shivers ran down his spine.
For a single individual to devise such a plan against a Duke's family.
He gulped.
“But you said you consider Iriel Eustia your student.”
“I dislike the Eustia family, not Iriel Eustia as an individual.”
“...Then.”
“Yes, let's leave Eustia to attack the Lost Hope bastards for now. If we do that, Eustia will either be annihilated or suffer massive losses and flee. Such an opportunity to check Eustia without lifting a finger... Surely you're not thinking of throwing it away?”
“...Alright. But what will we do after they deal with Eustia?”
Zeke shrugged as if asking why he would even ask such a question.
“The Lost Hope bastards are just strong and impervious to swords, but they still get tired when they move their bodies.”
“...So, you're saying that our side can swoop in and finish off the exhausted bastards.”
“Yes, that's right. Originally, I was planning to do it myself, but it seems like it would be a better picture if you stepped in, Your Grace.”
The reduction of a rival, Eustia, and the honor of eliminating the danger that defeated them.
It was an opportunity to catch two birds with one stone.
“You're a scary man.”
“I have no intention of betraying Selena, so you can rest assured.”
“It sounds like you're saying that if a family like Eustia crosses you, you'll become enemies with Yohaiden, except for Selena.”
“Did I get caught?”
Zeke said those words without changing his expression.
The more the Duke talked to him, the more impressive the young man seemed.
How long had it been since he felt this way?
Duke Yohaiden had rarely seen anyone who could stand before him with such confidence.
At most, it was Duke Eustia, who was on equal footing with him, or the Emperor.
Even the princes bowed their heads before him.
But this Zeke Clayman...
“...Forget it. So, is that all you wanted?”
“I have two more things.”
The Duke pressed his forehead with a sigh of exhaustion.
“But these two requests are quite reasonable, and they're nothing to you, Your Grace, so don't worry.”
“Alright, tell me.”
“First, I need information about the Gilbert family. What kind of relationship they have with the First Prince, and why Yuri Gilbert is under the First Prince.”
“Hmm... In a situation where you're at odds with the First Prince, it's certainly bothersome to have the First Prince's man in your class. Yes, that's nothing. I've heard rumors, but I'll gather some solid information and give it to you. So, what's the other thing?”
“Give me some magic stones.”
“...Why?”
The Duke's inner thoughts slipped out before he could stop them.
“Do you know how much magic stones cost these days, young man?”
“I heard the price has gone up about five times.”
“You say that even though you know?”
“It can't be helped... I used up all the magic stones I had to come here today to tell you this information. I have no magic stones left.”
The guy shook his head as if he was truly regretful.
“Then I don't have any magic stones to coat my sword with, so if the Lost Hope bastards suddenly attack Selena, I won't be able to fight them properly and I'll die, and Selena will also be in danger. Those guys like women like Selena, so they might kidnap...”
“St-Stop! Stop! Alright! Take them!”
And so, Zeke Clayman successfully obtained everything he had asked for.
* * *
In the spot where Zeke Clayman had left, the Duke looked as if he had aged ten years.
‘That damn bastard... He took thirty magic stones. He's a robber! Ugh!’
He had been robbed of nearly a third of the magic stones he had been carrying.
‘But I can't say no when he says he'll use them to protect Selena.’
And the information about the Lost Hope bastards that he had given.
It was more than enough to compensate for the cost.
Rather, he owed his benefactor an even greater debt.
But, there's something called...
Manners, isn't there?
He could have at least shown some gratitude and bowed his head.
But that stiff bastard didn't seem to care about such things, he was shamelessly brazen.
As expected, that guy might be good for Selena, but not for him.
However, the Duke didn't make a final judgment about Zeke.
Rather, his evaluation had skyrocketed, placing him far above his own sons.
“Butler. Summon the vassals.”
“Yes.”
“And the whole family.”
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