The Academy is Doomed

Chapter 59

The imperial crown prince, now just an ordinary teacher at Amonis Academy, Kai, was lost in thought, sighing quietly.

‘To think Senior Amon would be so despondent…’

At that very moment, Amon was dancing gleefully with the Gold Horizon fountain pen in hand, but Kai, unaware of this fact, let out a deep sigh.

‘It’s true that teaching credentials are important for a teacher, but for someone as capable as Senior Amon, those credentials are insignificant. I can’t believe he’s so upset about it…’

Kai was feeling sorrowful, as though Amon’s sadness was his own.

‘No, it’s not the credentials themselves; he’s likely disappointed in himself for failing to obtain something so trivial as a teacher’s license, leading to this state.’

Kai, who held Amon in such high regard, interpreted everything in a favorable light.

But there was nothing Kai could do about Amon’s condition.

The teaching certification exam was an official imperial test. Even as the crown prince and future emperor, interfering in such matters would be overstepping his authority.

‘Besides, even if I could, Senior Amon wouldn’t be happy about passing that way.’

No. He’d likely be overjoyed, affirming that his abilities were never in doubt.

Seated in a quiet spot in the academy’s park, looking up at Amon’s dormitory, Kai sighed in frustration.

“What are you doing here?”

“Ah, sir.”

The Azure Sky Sword King, Reinbelt, approached, patting his lower back.

“Whew, I must be getting old. Just a bit of sweeping, and my back hurts.”

“You started early this morning. It’s already nighttime.”

“Haha, has it gotten so late already? Anyway, what are you doing here?”

Though Kai was the crown prince of the empire, he was still young. Seeing someone so youthful with such a worried expression, Reinbelt couldn’t just walk away.

When asked, Kai sighed and answered.

“Whew, it seems Senior Amon is deeply troubled. He’s been like this for days now.”

“Hmm. That does seem to be the case.”

“I’ve been taking over his history classes in his absence. The students have been following me so enthusiastically that I’m starting to worry whether I might unintentionally take his place.”

Reinbelt, whose daily routine included hearing Raymond badmouth Kai after cleaning, found the prince’s concerns peculiar but chose not to comment.

“…Hmm. I see.”

“Anyway, I’m at a loss. Isn’t there some way to help Senior Amon recover and return to work?”

“Hmm, asking me…”

Reinbelt, stroking his beard with a pensive look, suddenly let out a small exclamation.

“I’ve got an idea.”

“Really? What is it?”

“Haha, hear me out.”

Reinbelt recounted his first encounter with Amon to Kai. The moment he proposed taking Amon as his disciple, Amon was overjoyed.

“From that, I gather he has a desire to grow as a warrior.”

“Oh, Senior Amon? Ah, indeed…”

Kai recalled the time Amon challenged him to a duel, and similar thoughts crossed his mind.

‘Indeed, Senior Amon is an extraordinary raw gem. Though unrefined, the sheer weight of his raw talent alone overshadows even polished jewels. If he were to receive proper training in swordsmanship…’

Kai shuddered.

It would be like giving wings to a tiger or placing a dragon pearl in the hands of a dragon.

‘However, given the circumstances of the Drake family, he likely never had access to proper training from a prestigious school of swordsmanship. Their territory is too remote.’

Snapping out of his thoughts, Kai spoke.

“Sir Reinbelt, could it be that you mean…”

“Yes.”

Reinbelt nodded and said.

“You’ve learned more styles of swordsmanship than I have, haven’t you?”

“Well…”

While his depth in any single style didn’t compare to Reinbelt’s, Kai had indeed studied a vast array of swordsmanship styles as the imperial crown prince.

Among them were Reinbelt’s techniques and those of the Pid family. Even the swordsmanship of fallen kingdoms and secret, esoteric traditions were in his arsenal.

“Why not teach one of those styles to Amon?”

“…”

“After all, teaching is a form of scholarship. A scholar’s desire for new knowledge surpasses that of ordinary people.”

“That’s true…”

Kai agreed, and Reinbelt grinned broadly.

“If nothing else works, try dangling the royal family’s secret swordsmanship as bait. He’ll fall for it, hook, line, and sinker.”

Kai curtly dismissed Reinbelt’s jest.

“That’s absolutely out of the question.”

“Huh? Is the royal swordsmanship so secretive? I’ve learned most of it, though.”

“That’s because you’re one of the empire’s four great knights. But Senior Amon is…”

Kai stopped himself.

Even though Reinbelt was deeply tied to the imperial family, there was no need for him to know about the disgraceful entanglements with the Drake family.

“Hmm. So, teaching swordsmanship to Senior Amon, huh.”

He remembered his promise to his father, the emperor, to conceal his identity and abilities.

‘The main point is to keep others from knowing I’m the crown prince. But since Senior Amon already knows about my skills, teaching him swordsmanship shouldn’t be a big issue.’

Resolving himself, Kai nodded firmly.

“I should at least bring it up with Senior Amon first.”

“Haha, good idea. And if possible, try teaching him a bit of my swordsmanship too. From what I’ve seen, it seems to suit him.”

“Oh, your techniques too? Would that be alright?”

“I’ve already told him I’d take him as a disciple. Why not? Just don’t mention that it’s my style.”

“Pardon? Why is that…?”

Reinbelt smiled faintly.

It was a seemingly gentle smile but concealed dark schemes and ulterior motives.

“I don’t want to burden Amon unnecessarily.”

Kai gasped in admiration.

“Ah, as expected of the humble Azure Sky Sword King.”

“Hahaha! You flatter me!”

Turning away with a laugh, Reinbelt smirked mischievously.

‘Once he learns my swordsmanship, I’ll have him completely in my grasp.’

After all, having learned his techniques, there’d be no escape for Amon! He’d become a true disciple.

So, let him cast aside worldly attachments and walk the path of a warrior!

‘Hehe, Amon. What a promising talent. If I tie him to me now, he’ll be useful later.’

Unaware of Reinbelt’s schemes, Kai headed to Amon’s dormitory.

Amon, lovingly polishing the fountain pen gifted by his students with a handkerchief, turned his head at the sound of a sudden knock.

“Senior Amon, it’s Kai. May I come in for a moment?”

Hearing the voice accompanying the knock, Amon frowned.

‘Kai? What’s that brat doing here at this hour…?’

Had it been Marion, Sloth, or Anar’el, he would’ve shouted at them to leave. But Kai was different.

‘At least that kid hasn’t teased me.’

As his junior, he likely didn’t even dare to think of making fun of him.

Thus, compared to the delinquent colleagues like Sloth or the useless principal, Kai was at least someone Amon considered worth treating as a human being.

Still, Amon quickly hid the fountain pen in his chest pocket and lay back in bed.

It wouldn’t do to jump out of bed after receiving a gift—it would look too silly.

“Alright, come in.”

“Yes, I’m coming in.”

When Kai entered and saw Amon lying in bed, he let out a sigh of pity.

Amon, who had often feigned illnesses in his youth to avoid digging potatoes, was so adept at pretending that Kai mistook him for a genuine patient.

“Se-Senior, are you okay?”

“Uh, yeah…I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine at all.”

Kai murmured in a voice tinged with concern.

Amon quickly scanned his hands.

‘Empty-handed.’

Not even knowing the common courtesy of bringing something when visiting the sick.

‘Does he not even know the saying, “Arrive with full hands, leave with empty ones”?’

Well, he is a young noble and just starting in society, so perhaps it’s understandable.

Presuming as much, Amon managed a feeble smile and said:

“So, what brings you here?”

“Oh, yes, senior.”

Kai smiled faintly and said:

“How about learning some swordsmanship?”

After pushing Kai out of the room, Amon flopped back onto his bed, grumbling.

“Does he really think that’s something to say to someone who’s bedridden? Well, I’m mostly fine now, though.”

Lying on the bed with his legs crossed, Amon pulled out the fountain pen from his pocket.

“Ah, just looking at this relieves some stress. Who would’ve thought I’d get to use a Gold Horizon fountain pen in my lifetime?”

When it comes to gifts for the sick, there should always be a generous ‘jeong’ (affection).

“But coming empty-handed and talking about swordsmanship? Seriously?”

Well, to be fair, learning swordsmanship could be quite useful in many ways.

“But the continent seems peaceful for now, and even if something big happens, I’ve already fallen out of favor with that damned emperor, so earning merit probably won’t lead to success.”

Initially, Amon thought becoming the disciple of Reinbelt, the Azure Sky Sword King, might help him climb the ladder by leaning on the support of one of the Empire’s Four Great Knights. But Reinbelt had chosen a life of picking wild herbs over ambition.

“In the end, learning swordsmanship would just be useful for peeling potatoes or prepping wild vegetables. So, I suppose…”

Amon twirled the Gold Horizon fountain pen and smirked.

“I’ll just trust the students I’ve raised and live my life.”

Students who were truly the light and salt of the earth!

As he twirled the pen and chuckled:

Clink!

The nib of the pen flew off and rolled on the ground.

Amon blinked.

“What the…?”

The Gold Horizon fountain pen wasn’t just valuable for its brand name—it was renowned as a luxury item for its durability.

“B-but why did the nib fly off? How is this even possible?”

A chill ran down Amon’s spine as he hurriedly examined the pen.

Gold Horizon.

As he stared at its emblem and brushed it lightly with his thumb:

‘It smudges…?’

The emblem wasn’t properly engraved but had been drawn on with ink.

In other words, this item was—

‘A counterfeit.’

Realizing this, Amon rolled his eyes back and collapsed.

The betrayal by the students he regarded as light and salt of the earth dealt him such an overwhelming shock that he fainted.

It turned out the pen being a counterfeit was due to a mistake by the merchant guild.

A highly detailed counterfeit had accidentally been mixed in with the genuine items.

As such, the guild issued a formal apology, refunded the purchase, and as a gesture of atonement, provided a genuine fountain pen.

At least, up to this point, the situation seemed resolved.

However, the emotional scar Amon suffered showed no signs of healing.

“S-sir, this one is genuine.”

“……”

“The counterfeit was a mistake by the guild.”

“……”

To Amon, who had already shut the doors to his heart, those words did not register.

Though the students forcibly handed him the genuine fountain pen, Amon only scrutinized it with suspicious eyes, over and over.

“Sir! Please pull yourself together!”

“C-Chloe, calm down. Let’s step outside for now.”

Raymond and Boris dragged the wailing Chloe out of the room. Left sitting blankly in his chair, Amon was approached by someone.

“My, my, what a pitiful sight.”

It was Reinbelt.

Having heard the gist of the story, he clicked his tongue and handed something over.

“Take this. It’s mail for you.”

“……”

“Oh, come on. I’ll just leave it here.”

Clicking his tongue again, Reinbelt left, leaving Amon alone to stare blankly at the mail.

‘…Mail?’

Even in his state of emotional shutdown, Amon found himself curious about the unexpected correspondence.

Thus, he absentmindedly picked up the mail and opened it. His eyes narrowed as he looked inside.

A letter and a hefty pouch.

‘This pouch is…?’

As he fiddled with the pouch, color began returning to Amon’s face.

A strange vitality coursed through him.

Realizing this, Amon carefully untied the pouch.

And then—

“H-huh!?”

A pouch brimming with gold coins!

The sight flung open the tightly shut doors to Amon’s heart.

‘W-what is this…?’

Gold coins?

No, who sent them?

As questions bubbled up, Amon hastily opened the letter that had come with the pouch.

But as he read it, his expression grew increasingly rigid.