Chapter 123:
<b>Trantor: MarcTempest</b>
<b>Proofreader: naturallyInconsistent</b>
Chapter 123 From now on, you have to find it yourself.
Miss Scarlet You must have woken up by now, right?
A week had passed since the decisive battle, and the mood of the Judith family was calm and quiet.
It was only natural.
A huge storm had swept through the family and left behind its aftermath.
Youre the Knight of the Flickering me, after all. You must have recovered. But just in case, stay quiet. Quiet.
But what if youre awake? Youve been skipping meals for a week, havent you? Thats not good
Thats up to thedy to decide.
The maids had a hard time breathing after the duel, but now that a week had passed, they could whisper some words.
And in the end, the young master won, right?
The youngest maid asked, and the head maid, Katarina, red at her with a fierce look.
I told you to be quiet just now. Listen.
Im so confused. Between the young master and thedys orders, what should we prioritize from now on?
The maid trailed off, looking at Katarinas face.
By then, the eyes of the other maids were all fixed on Katarina.
They didnt dare to ask, but the young maid had voiced the question that they were all curious about.
Katarina felt a bead of sweat on her forehead.
To be honest, she was curious too.
In other words, she didnt know what to do either.
In the end, she could only give a theoretical answer.
Lets just watch for now. Theres no need to wonder about what to do. Staying still is our job.
That was when it happened.
Thump- Thump-
The heavy footsteps made the maids straighten their clothes and stand in line.
Has n arrived already?
The owner of the voice that asked was the head of the family, Theodore.
Yes. Hes waiting in the dining room.
The head of the family looked as stern as ever.
The maids also bowed their heads with solemn expressions.
What about Scarlet?
Thedy is
Katarina couldnt finish her sentence.
She shook her head quietly, looking up at Theodore.
I see. Good work, everyone.
Theodore ended his short words and moved his steps. His destination was the dining room where n was.
The maids lifted their heads only after the footsteps hadpletely disappeared. Now, the only thing left was silence.
For a week since the battle.
The Knight of the Flickering me, Scarlet Judith.
She hadnt left her room at all.
You won, n.
Theodore, who sat across from n in the elegant dining room of the Judith family, finally broke the silence.
It was the first thing he said in twenty minutes of sitting face to face.
It was a good me. I was satisfied.
Im not yet.
You want to go further? Well. Thats not bad.
The head of the family thought that the will to prove himself further in a field that he had already proven was wee.
Before the duel, I had a meal with Scarlet. She said that it was the first time we spent time together, just the two of us.
Theodore said calmly.
When I heard that, I realized that it was also the first time for us to have a meal together, just the two of us. I felt that I had been neglecting my children all this time.
Yes.
n answered briefly.
His interest was directed to the food on the table.
More precisely, to the cooking methods of the ingredients that he had never seen before.
Baked fish
The flesh of this fish seemed especially delicate.
He could feel the texture of the fish that had been cooked with natural fire, not magic.
What if it was touched by magical fire? He wondered what the name of this fish was.
That was what he was thinking.
n, your magic skills are amazing.
Theodore opened his mouth again.
I was surprised. You defeated Scarlet with only magic. Not only me, but many people were astonished.
Hmm.
n didnt react much.
He had some fun in the duel, that was true. But that was it.
He didnt think it was anything remarkable.
I want to hear it once in this ce. What made you focus so much on magic?
The head of the family appreciated ns passion, but he didnt understand the reason behind it.
What makes my son work so hard?
Before being the head of the family, he wanted to hear it as a father.
***
I cant imagine how hard it must have been for you to ovee the unfamiliarity of magic, when you were so skilled in swordsmanship.
Theodores eyes were serious.
If you dont mind, Id like to hear your story.
Proof.
Proof?
Yes. Thats the only thing that matters in my life.
Proof.
As soon as he heard that familiar word, Theodores lips curled up slightly.
His son was indeed, strikingly simr to his mother who had passed away.
This time, it was n who asked.
As you promised, I will reveal my family and status when I think its necessary.
At ns words, Theodore smiled inwardly.
Is that enough for you?
He became curious.
Would his son, who had proven himself beyond his imagination, be satisfied with just the name of his family?
The answer came quickly.
I just thought it was better than nothing.
Right. I have to keep my promise. Judith is a family that proves itself before being a knight family. As long as that meaning continues, I dont care.
And so, the silent meal continued for a while.
Theodore was the first to break the silence.
n, Scarlet seems to be very heartbroken.
He said calmly.
Shes not used to failure or frustration. And she saw her mothers me, so she must be in shock. Im a bit worried as a father.
n was silent for a while.
He still fixed his gaze on the steak, cutting the meat smoothly without any waste.
And finally, he uttered a word.
These high-quality dishes thate in order are very convenient.
High-quality dishes thate in order?
Theodore was a bit puzzled by the sudden change of topic, but n just moved his utensils calmly.
With these, I dont have to worry about what to eat, what to do, or anything like that. I just have to eat and thats it.
Excuse me for a moment.
The maids carefully cleared the empty tes.
They also refilled the wine sses that had shrunk a bit.
Scarlet lived like that until now.
n held the ss and swirled it slightly. The liquid inside danced gracefully.
From now on, she has to find her own way.
Theodore finally understood what n wanted to say.
He listened to his sons next words without moving a muscle.
n took a sip of wine.
He liked the exquisite aroma that lingered in his mouth.
A true knight stands on her own feet.
n wiped his mouth with a napkin and stood up.
Well, Ill be going then.
I returned to the magic department.
There were many ces I had to go, but the first one was obviously the deans office.
Of course, the visit was not quiet.
n Is that n?
Should we go and say hello?
You do it. Youre good at that kind of thing.
Oh,e on!
The tant stares, the people who followed me sneakily, the whispers.
Many elements mixed together and made my surroundings somewhat noisy.
Hello!
Even a female student blocked my way and greeted me.
Ignoring herpletely was my answer, if it was an answer.
Finally, I arrived at the deans office.
Wee, n.
The dean of the magic department, Cte, greeted me with a smile in her eyes.
She ced a sheet of fancy paper on her desk.
I approved the tower project.
The document I submitted with my n had the deans seal on it, proudly and veryrge.
But there are still some hurdles left.
She made a circle with her index and thumb fingers, and showed me a round shape.
One of them is funding. Even with the best support from the magic department, its still far from enough.
Cost.
It was a reasonable reason, and I expected it from the beginning.
The tower was the supreme institution for magicians.
It was the milestone for all magicians, and the ce where they could unravel the truth of the world with magic alone.
To justify the word supreme, it had to have the appropriate evidence.
The research cost to utilize the power source, the facilities to handle it, the manpower All the elements that came to my mind had different costs attached to them.
In other words, the amount needed was astronomical.
But.
If its not enough, Ill just fill it up.