The Academy is Doomed

Chapter 102

Amon was feeling intense despair.

‘Ah, indeed, there isn’t a single old saying that’s wrong. This must be what that wise saying meant – when you have expectations, you get betrayed.’

Actually, he had no choice but to have expectations.

To mention once again, War Hero Marion!

Swordsmanship noble family, Sloth of the Marquis Pid family!

Skipping the rest, they were all figures who carried dazzling signboards.

‘Yet none of them has ever seen His Highness the Crown Prince….’

He had expected that people of Marion, Sloth, and Reinbelt’s caliber would have met the Crown Prince at least once.

And as for that ruffian Fiora of the Duke Pendorean family, he didn’t even expect to ask if she had dared to have an audience with His Highness the Crown Prince!

Though he did ask just in case.

‘Never seen him. Why do you ask?’

‘Just asking, you ruffian.’

‘Kyaaaak!’

‘Kuaak! My bones…’

Of course, in reality, Fiora had several interactions with the Crown Prince but when Amon, with whom she had deep emotional conflicts, asked, she just said she hadn’t seen him out of spite.

And the next day, Amon, who had come up empty-handed, was trying to eat breakfast in the cafeteria.

‘Sigh, our great colleagues won’t even give me a chance to use them as medicine.’

Just as Amon was grumbling and about to shove some pilaf into his mouth.

“Senior Amon.”

“Hm?”

Just as he was about to stuff the pilaf into his mouth, Amon slowly turned around at the voice from behind.

“Oh, Kai. What? Something wrong?”

“Nothing special.”

“…Oh, okay.”

Why would someone bother a person who’s trying to eat when there’s nothing special?

Amon, who had unnecessarily buried his face in his food tray, spoke without looking at Kai’s face.

“Going to eat?”

“No. I’m planning to eat a little later.”

“Really? Then what’s this not-special thing about?”

“Well, you see.”

Kai spoke as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“I heard you were going around asking about His Highness the Crown Prince after returning yesterday?”

“Eh?”

At those words, Amon slightly raised his head to look at Kai.

But strangely, Kai seemed to have a somewhat annoyed expression.

‘What’s this? Is he in a bad mood?’

From Kai’s perspective, he thought Amon should have asked him too.

After all, he was the Crown Prince himself!

But since Amon hadn’t come to him even after a day had passed, he came directly.

Amon, who couldn’t know this fact, continued speaking casually.

“Ah, yes. I had something I was curious about.”

“I see. Then why didn’t you ask me?”

Amon had nothing to say.

‘I didn’t ask because I’d never even heard of the Baron Straw family, so I thought you obviously wouldn’t know about His Highness the Crown Prince.’

But since he couldn’t just say that outright, Amon spoke with his professional face.

“Well, Kai. You’re my junior.”

“Huh? Y-yes, that’s right?”

“The others are my seniors, so it’s not much of a problem to take up their time with personal matters. But if I take up a junior’s time with personal matters, it might look a bit inappropriate to others, right? That’s why.”

To Amon’s gentle words, Kai responded with a stiff face.

“You asked Fiora but why didn’t you ask me?”

Amon felt a chill.

Did he go to Fiora and forcefully ask about that?

‘No, why is this crazy bastard being so scary?’

After clearing his throat, Amon said.

“That’s proof that that ruffian doesn’t even deserve to be treated as my junior.”

“Aha! I see.”

“But Kai.”

“Yes?”

“You said you have a fiancée, right?”

“Yes, I do, but why are you suddenly asking about that?”

When Kai tilted his head with a puzzled expression, Amon gave a rotten smile.

“Just asking. Anyway, did you really come here just to ask why I didn’t ask you?”

“Ask? What do you mean by that?”

After laughing haha, Kai cleared his throat slightly and said.

“Our Straw family, despite appearances, is from the capital. So I’ve had chances to see His Highness the Crown Prince from afar. That’s why I thought I might be able to help Senior Amon.”

“R-really?”

Well, isn’t there a saying that you should send people to the capital?

Both prestigious nobles and barely known lower nobles are desperate to live in the capital.

In the end, there are bound to be many nobles who stick to the capital despite their low recognition.

Kai’s family seemed to be one such case.

“I didn’t know that. Sorry for making you come here unnecessarily.”

“No, no. By the way…”

Kai smiled brightly.

“What are you curious about regarding His Highness the Crown Prince? And why are you curious?”

“Hmm, let’s just say the reason is personal circumstances.”

He couldn’t reveal the family’s private matters.

Kai nodded.

‘Well, it must be hard to say you want to cut off past grievances.’

Amon also thought.

‘I can’t say I want to cut off family grievances.’

It was the first time Kai and Amon’s inner thoughts aligned.

Anyway, looking at the enthusiastic Kai, Amon cleared his throat and said.

“Ahem, then do you know where I might be able to see His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“That would be in the capital, right?”

“I know that much. I mean things like making an official request for an audience, or places he frequently visits. As someone from the capital, haven’t you heard anything?”

Kai let out a sigh.

Places he frequently visits?

‘There aren’t any. I’ve never gone outside the palace because of people’s eyes, and even when I do go out, I only wander outside the capital while hiding my identity.’

But he was also hesitant to recommend making an official audience request to Amon.

‘It’s not time to meet directly yet.’

Of course, since he had cast magic to change his face, no one would recognize at a glance that ‘Kai’ and ‘Kaias’ were the same person, but they might feel something off.

Clearing his throat, Kai said.

“Well…They say His Highness the Crown Prince rarely comes out. Moreover, there are widespread rumors that he doesn’t accept separate audience requests.”

“R-really? Then what does he like?”

“What he likes…”

Kai tilted his head.

Come to think of it, he doesn’t particularly like or dislike anything.

“That’s not really known either.”

At Kai’s answer, Amon’s eyes trembled with irritation.

‘This bastard, why did he even come?’

He came, forcing himself saying he could help, but he doesn’t actually know anything.

‘Should I be grateful that he at least made me realize I don’t have to snoop around trying to meet the Crown Prince…’

It felt like having the sprout of hope crushed under someone’s heel.

Amon gave a rotten smile.

“I see. Thank you. You’ve been a great help.”

“Don’t mention it, Senior. I’m glad I could help.”

“Hahaha.”

Burying his face back in his dishes to eat, Amon waved his hand dismissively.

“Then let me eat.”

“Ah, yes. Enjoy your meal.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

After Kai withdrew, Amon became lost in thought while eating.

‘So in the end, there’s no way to meet the Crown Prince?’

Considering the family records, he needed to target the time when he was Crown Prince.

Munching on his pilaf, Amon muttered.

“He doesn’t accept separate audience requests?”

After swallowing the pilaf with a gulp, Amon said.

“Well, opportunities can be created if needed.”

* * *

Anar’el blinked with a blank expression.

It was because of Amon’s sudden suggestion.

‘Since it’s Sunday and a day off, how about visiting Her Majesty the Empress at the Imperial Palace?’

To that suggestion, Anar’el tilted her head.

“Well, that’s fine, but why suddenly?”

Actually, Empress Victoria had already asked her to visit separately, so she was planning to make time to visit soon anyway.

But why would Amon suddenly make such a suggestion?

Amon spoke in a polite voice.

“When we visited the Imperial Palace last time, there was an incident and we didn’t get a proper chance to catch up, right? That’s been weighing on my mind until now.”

“Hmm.”

“Even though I received special leave to take a day off, I’m saying this out of concern that the Principal might become weak from only looking after the academy’s welfare.”

At Amon’s words dripping with consideration and concern, Anar’el narrowed her eyes.

“Does this have anything to do with the question about whether anyone has seen His Highness the Crown Prince?”

At that question, Amon’s face stiffened.

‘Oh no! This elf isn’t just a simple blockhead!’

Indeed, she lives up to the name of High Elf.

Amon, revising his mental evaluation of Anar’el slightly, bowed his head while speaking in a sweet voice.

“How could that be! I’m merely thinking of the Principal’s welfare as the future head of academic affairs.”

“Oh my! Is that so?”

“Of course, of course.”

“Hmm. Not a bad idea though.”

Anar’el had also been accumulating stress recently.

‘Teacher Phais…no, Phais, thanks to that person being a spy, the plan to distribute flyers fell through, and with the war situation and everything else, there’s been a lot going on.’

Moreover, according to rumors, the reason this war ended quickly was because Empress Victoria personally led her lady-in-waiting corps to subjugate Mother Kraken.

When else would she meet Victoria, her friend of 50 years, if not at a time like this?

Anar’el nodded.

“Then that’s what we’ll do.”

“A wonderful decision. Then could you take me with you when you go?”

“Teacher Amon, what exactly are you trying to do by meeting the Crown Prince?”

Amon’s cheeks trembled.

‘She’s grown a lot.’

It seems the elf who had gone through numerous hardships and adversities could grow this much.

Eventually, Amon decided to confess his true intentions.

“Actually, I have something I’d like to say to His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Something to say?”

“As you might guess from last time, His Majesty the Emperor seems to quite hate our family.”

“That’s right. It seemed like he hated not just Teacher Amon, but the entire family. What exactly happened between Teacher Amon’s family and him?”

Amon shook his head.

“It’s a family matter, so it’s difficult to tell you.”

“A family matter…I see.”

Anar’el fell into serious thought.

‘Seeing how the good-natured Sandrio acted, it seems like no ordinary hatred. What deep story could there be…?’

It was indeed a story deep enough to make Anar’el faint if she knew.

“Anyway for that reason, it seems His Majesty the Emperor’s emotional wounds are already too deep to be reversed.”

“So…you want to establish a connection with the Crown Prince. Is that it?”

Amon nodded while wiping away tears.

‘That blockhead elf now understands everything at a glance…How moving.’

Amon couldn’t hide his joy at the Principal’s growth!

And Anar’el interpreted those tears of joy differently.

‘Indeed, how much emotional suffering must they have gone through.’

Combined with Amon’s career-oriented tendencies that she had heard about before, Anar’el felt like she might cry along with the tears Amon was showing.

And as the Principal, she felt a strong desire to resolve the future head of academic affairs’ hardships.

“If that’s the case, alright! I’ll try to arrange a meeting with the Crown Prince!”

Actually, it wasn’t difficult for Anar’el.

She just needed to tell Victoria ‘Let’s meet separately without Sandrio.’

And seeing Anar’el flapping her ears as if saying to just trust her, Amon smiled.

“I’ll put my trust in you, Principal!”

At that moment.

“…It must be getting into autumn.”

Kai was shivering and fixing his clothes due to a sudden chill.