喵绅HCMOIC士网页版

Chapter 93

Chapter 93

“…”

Lavrenti quietly put down the newspaper she was staring blankly at.

“…Ha.”

A sigh, or perhaps a gasp, escaped her lips.

< Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Discussing the Highest Order of Merit. >

< Radiant Church. The 1st and 4th dioceses announce a prayer meeting for their benefactor. >

< The lost relic, the Sword of Saint Louis. Let's take a closer look. >

Lavrenti unconsciously fingered the medal she had placed beside her.

In the past, when she received this Silver Star Medal, she thought that she could finally walk alongside Karl, even if just a little. It wasn’t comparable to the Medal of Honor that Karl had received, but it was still proof of her significant military achievements. She’s sure she is qualified.

No, it’s more accurate to say she “was” sure. Karl had gone too far, too far out of reach.

‘The Highest Order of Merit is awarded to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the diplomatic relations between the Empire and other countries. It’s not even discussed unless it’s an exceptional case…’

In other words, it’s the diplomatic equivalent of the Medal of Honor. And because of his recent work with the Church, Karl was likely to receive it.

Or perhaps the discussion was already over, and they were now talking about when to award it.

‘This is unexpected. Can I handle this? It seems absolutely impossible.’

As a sniper, as a sharpshooter, there was one thing she absolutely had to avoid—getting nervous or tense.

A moment of urgency could disrupt her breathing, narrow her vision, and even freeze her thoughts.

So, Lavrenti had never lost her composure since becoming a sharpshooter.

But now… how could she remain indifferent now?

“Sergeant Lavrenti?”

“…”

“Sergeant Lavrenti.”

“Ah, yes. Did you call me?”

Deonik, who was tilting his head next to her, continued speaking.

“The admission preparations are all done. You don’t have to worry about tuition fees for each academic year, and if you need any extra money, you can always tell me.”

“I see. Thank you, Young Master.”

“No, thank you. I’m honored to be able to help someone like you. There’s no greater honor. Um. Hmm. But, you see…”

Deonik scratched his cheek and glanced at Lavrenti. It seemed like he had something to say, but he couldn’t easily bring himself to say it.

“Is there something you want to say?”

When Lavrenti asked for the reason, Deonik sighed and opened his mouth.

“We can take care of all the tuition fees. That’s why it was created. However… the Imperial Academy isn’t a place where you can continue to study just by paying money.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you receive four warnings for failing grades, you can no longer stay at the academy. Please keep this in mind and never neglect your studies. If such a thing happens, we can no longer help you with academy matters, no matter who you are.”

Ah, so there was such a thing. Wow. Four warnings for failing grades and you’re expelled?

In the military, they wouldn’t kick you out no matter how poorly you performed.

The academy is a scary place! That’s the kind of place Master voluntarily returned to!

If Karl had heard Lavrenti’s thoughts right now, he would have shouted, ‘It’s still better than the military!’ But unfortunately, Karl was currently overwhelmed by the disaster he had brought upon himself, so let’s exclude him.

“Young Master, do you happen to know how difficult the academics at the Imperial Academy are?”

“Yes, I do. I’m a graduate of the academy myself. Hmm, I don’t know how much it’s changed since my time, but if I were to guess…”

Deonik thought for a moment, then shook his head.

“It’s definitely not easy. Whether you’re a noble or a commoner, the pressure from the professors is immense. The only way to prove yourself at the academy is through excellent grades, a passionate attitude, and diligence. So, the pressure for academic results is even greater.”

“To that extent…”

“Even though I graduated, I wouldn’t call myself an outstanding student. It’s embarrassing, but I only graduated with average grades.”

From their conversation so far, Lavrenti felt that Deonik, the noble, seemed like a very intellectual person.

But even Deonik, who was like that, was only slightly above average. He was dissatisfied with himself.

‘Is this… really okay…?’

Imagine the moment when she had to leave the academy due to four accumulated warnings for failing grades.

She didn’t care about the gazes of others, the shame, or the embarrassment. Just imagining Karl watching that scene—

“Young Master, is there any place where I can get help with my studies?!”

Lavrenti’s voice was unusually urgent. Perhaps sensing something unusual in her tone, Deonik also said ‘Huh?’ and hurriedly replied.

“If you’re talking about help with your studies… Am I thinking of the same thing you are?”

“Probably. To be honest, I’m not very deep in learning. Young Master, I can be diligent, persistent, and patient, but I can’t do anything about learning. As you know, I’m a commoner.”

“Don’t put yourself down, Sergeant. You’re a war hero—”

“That doesn’t matter. What’s urgent for me now is not to look pathetic in front of my Master. It’s not to be kicked out of the academy for academic reasons!”

“…”

Has he ever seen her so desperate? Deonik thought for a moment and shook his head.

No matter how hard he tried to remember, he had never seen Lavrenti like this. It seemed like the first time she had shown so much emotion. So, it felt even more serious.

“Umm…”

Someone who could fill Lavrenti’s lack of knowledge to some extent.

Of course, he couldn’t just assign anyone. His family’s pride was also at stake, and above all, the place Lavrenti wanted to go was the Imperial Academy.

Therefore, the person he assigned should also be a graduate of the academy. And they should have achieved excellent academic results.

‘Plus, they shouldn’t look down on Sergeant Lavrenti just because she’s a commoner.’

He wanted to help. His comrade. He really wanted to help his comrade in need.

This was a way to repay some of the debt he felt in his heart. It was an act of repaying Karl for what he had received by helping Karl’s other comrades.

‘…Wait.’

Suddenly, the face of a woman flashed through Deonik’s mind. More precisely, she was a member of his family.

“Why Lavrenti of all people?! I really hate you, brother!!”

“You want to know why I’m doing this? Fine. I’ll tell you. But you won’t like it!”

Selena, who had suddenly hit him a little painfully and screamed not too long ago.

Deonik, remembering his younger sister, stroked his chin and slowly opened his mouth.

“Actually, I know someone who can help Sergeant Lavrenti.”

“You do?!”

“Yes. She graduated from the academy with excellent grades. No, not just excellent, but the highest possible grades. And now she’s even preparing for grad school. She’ll be a bit busy, but… if she uses her vacation, she can help Sergeant Lavrenti to some extent.”

From what he had heard, the relationship between Lavrenti and Karl had become quite awkward.

He didn’t fail to understand Selena. Whether male or female, it was only natural to feel a sense of rivalry towards someone of the same gender vying for the affections of the opposite sex they liked. And if they could get rid of them, they would want to.

‘But Sergeant Lavrenti is Karl’s comrade. If their relationship becomes uncomfortable, it will only be awkward for Lenny. It might be better to bring them together like this and improve their relationship.’

If he told his sister this news, she would probably get angry again, asking what he had done.

But this was an opportunity. By helping Lavrenti, Selena herself could be in a more advantageous position.

Believing that Selena would understand him someday, Deonik decided to push through with his plan.

* * *

“…”

The woman leaned against the window, staring blankly outside.

A distant foreign land. A world similar to her homeland, but never the same.

Once, they competed for the sole order of the continent, but now it was a place where she had to acknowledge their superiority.

And, perhaps from this day forward until her death, it was a space akin to a prison where she would have to spend her days.

“Haa—”

She didn’t want this. She just wanted to live quietly, like a mouse. If they asked her to give up her noble status, she could have done that too. She just wanted to live a quiet life in her homeland, no matter how.

But the blood flowing through her veins made even that impossible. This was an eternal shackle that would bind her until the moment she died. No, even in death, it would probably keep her limbs tightly bound.

“Fifth Princess Lefia Arkebel. As soon as you’re ready, head to the Empire. Go and enroll in the Imperial Academy. Strive for the peace of our kingdom and the Empire.”

The cold order of the Second Princess, who, though a half-sister, she believed she had a decent relationship with.

Already perceiving all her siblings as rivals, she had pushed Lefia out of the kingdom, even though Lefia had declared she had no desire for the throne.

This was the result. A direct descendant of the royal family, not even a collateral branch, was studying abroad at the Imperial Academy.

Even the number of escorts was less than ten. It was called studying abroad, but in reality, it was no different from ‘exile.’

‘After my studies are over… what am I supposed to do?’

It was the moment when Lefia, the Fifth Princess of the Lasker Kingdom, sighed once again.

Crack!—

Just as she heard an ominous sound, her body suddenly tumbled towards the entrance of the carriage.

The carriage’s wheel broke, and Lefia, who hadn’t expected this at all, was thrown out.

“Ah!”

She was a precious princess of the royal family. In other words, she hadn’t trained her body. Therefore, in this situation, all Lefia could do was let out an “Ah” and be flung out of the carriage—

“Ugh.”

“Huh?”

—but that didn’t happen.

More precisely, she was caught by someone who happened to be passing by—the recipient of the Medal of Honor, a war hero, and the benefactor of the Church.

“No way. What in the…”