Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 240

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 10.
Not All Children Are Angels (10)
Joshua had said as much himself, but Tomison still couldn’t accept it. Moreover, the more he listened, the more his irritation grew. Despite having nothing to do with the matter, the words spilled from his lips unbidden.
“But that child is a soloist.”
The senior named Leonard scoffed with a dismissive snort.
“That’s only because a tiny, pretty thing stands out better as a soloist. That’s how teachers’ minds work.”
Leonard suddenly entered Mona Hall and pointed to the portrait hanging before the entrance.
“Do you know what Mona Sid means? The woman who founded this school—a genius vocalist. The subject of this enormous portrait.”
When Tomison turned to look, the woman in the portrait appeared young, yet her hair was ash-gray. Leonard climbed onto the tiered seating as he spoke.
“This place was built for people like that. Not for someone like Joshua who merely dips his toes in before leaving. Are you planning to do the same?”
“That’s not my intention, but…”
As he began to respond, Tomison suddenly felt himself agreeing with the senior’s words, so he forced strength into his voice.
“I won’t quit singing, and I don’t think Joshua will either. A voice like that… you simply cannot abandon it. You mustn’t. For the sake of music itself…”
Leonard looked down at Tomison with an expression of utter disbelief.
“What? For the sake of what? Are you saying music would suffer if Joshua stopped singing? You’re completely out of your mind.”
As Leonard began descending the stairs, Tomison felt fear, yet he could not retreat now.
“Because in my entire life, I will never hear another song like that. There is ample reason to revere it.”
Students passing by gradually gathered near the entrance to watch the two of them argue. One of them chimed in.
“Leave him alone, senior. We don’t need to say anything. Go tell Joshua directly. Beg him on your knees not to stop singing for the sake of music. Though he’ll probably quit anyway.”
Leonard descended the remaining steps and spoke as he headed toward the exit.
“Ah, so I see you have refined taste. Then why don’t you eagerly follow him around and ask for lessons? Actually, Joshua isn’t only good at singing. You all know that, right?”
Another student laughed and picked up the thread.
“That’s right. Singing isn’t what Joshua does best. He actually has an extraordinary talent in another area. Anyone who ever attended Mona Sid throughout history would have to kneel before such a gift. And he’d probably be happy to teach you too. You seem to have some natural aptitude. I can see the makings of it.”
“What is it?”
The seniors burst into laughter and departed before Tomison.
“The talent for earning people’s hatred!”
When afternoon classes ended, students from Mona Sid gathered in small groups at Cookie Hall. What was originally a study room where students enjoyed tea, snacks, and leisure when classes were not in session had acquired that nickname, much like other places throughout the school. It was here that one could learn the latest rumors and involve themselves in amusing incidents created by others.
Chess had become fashionable at Cookie Hall recently. Since the Republican Revolution, many children of Republican Party members had come to Mona Sid, and chess was a game they had introduced. Soon several chessboards were placed throughout Cookie Hall.
The student who played chess best at the school was Timon Reynolds, son of a high-ranking Republican Government official. Though his academic performance was ordinary, he was exceptionally skilled at games of this sort.
Timon was also deeply absorbed in radical Republican theory and had a habit of engaging in debates anywhere. Above all, he despised students of noble birth. In his view, the Republican Government should execute or imprison all the dithering nobility in Keltika. He habitually complained to his friends that he couldn’t understand why they were being left alone.
However, the Republican Government had recently lost strongholds one by one and now struggled merely to hold Keltika. The defense lines were maintained at the level of citizen militia only because Keltika was a naturally fortified stronghold.
Outside, Royalist nobles were gathering and rapidly building their forces. Though still divided, if they joined hands to attack Keltika, victory would be all but impossible. For this reason, the Republican Government lately refrained from moving against the surviving nobility. This was not the time to carelessly provoke their enemies.
“The Republican Government is afraid, that’s why! My father said so too. If we hesitate like this, the cause of revolution becomes muddied and the people begin to doubt us. The leaders are too indecisive!”
The central table at Cookie Hall was the designated seat of Republican Party children. Other students rarely approached that area. Playing chess with cups of cooling tea before them, Timon and his friends were engaged in heated debate that day as well.
One friend tilted his head and spoke.
“Don’t the citizens of Keltika support us sufficiently?”
“Is Keltika everything? Keltika is the capital, but when you consider all of Anomarad, it’s like a single teacup on this table—that much. To rally the common people of the south and east, we can’t take such a passive stance.”
“Then what should we do?”
“Obviously we must spread the revolution! We should declare that we’ll support any uprisings! That way the people will be inspired and strike down those noble bastards, won’t they?”
“That sounds good in theory… but realistically, there’s no way to send support. And the nobility won’t be easy targets anymore like they used to be. If we act too aggressively, won’t we endanger Keltika itself? The borders are in a state of total confrontation right now. We can’t hold out like this much longer. People are exhausted.”
“Your willpower is weak, so you tire easily! Do you understand how critical this moment is? The problem is that you can’t go support them right now? Either way, we need to show that we’re united! If the common people in other cities learn how we’re living here in Keltika, they’ll be consumed with envy, won’t they? We must exploit that sentiment. If we set an example first, they’ll realize over there just how thrilling revolution can be!”
“Set an example, how?”
“Of course—we need to arrest those wretched Nobility who are still strutting around Keltika, don’t we?”
Timon Reynolds finished speaking with confidence, but his friends exchanged uncertain glances. Mona Sid, which had been a prestigious institution since the kingdom’s days, had no shortage of former Nobility students. And there were many students who were neither Nobility nor members of the Republican Party.
The Nobility-born students were dispirited and didn’t blend well with the others, but the ordinary students both feared and were intimidated by those they once wouldn’t have dared sit beside. And though Nobility privileges had been abolished, only partial confiscation of their assets had occurred, so it was difficult to say the wealth gap had completely disappeared.
Chess had already been forgotten. Among the friends mulling over Timon’s words, Giles nodded and spoke.
“True. When I see those bastards at school, my mood sours. Just from their eyes alone, I can feel them looking down on the other students, and their manner of speech and accent—how insufferably refined! I nearly choke trying to respond, afraid I might vomit up my lunch.”
Another student tilted his head.
“I don’t know. They seem to go out of their way not to cause trouble, don’t they?”
“What does that matter? Honestly, the fact that we’re studying in the same place disgusts me. What’s even more ridiculous is that there are still those who cower and grovel before the Nobility children. Those fools don’t seem to realize the times have changed.”
Just as he said this, Tomison entered Cookie Hall. He passed by the round table and walked toward where the teacups were kept. When Giles saw him, thinking he’d caught his prey, he spoke loudly.
“Ah, there’s another one. Didn’t he say he came to admire some precious young lord from a Duke’s Family Clan the moment he enrolled?”
Tomison didn’t know that Joshua was from a Duke’s Family Clan. So he didn’t realize they were talking about him and picked up an empty teacup from the shelf. As he walked toward the hearth to get warm water, he heard mocking laughter behind him again.
“With such loyalty being offered, I wonder if the young Duke will do anything for you? Might you receive a Knighthood soon?”
Giles snickered and suddenly stood up, following behind Tomison. The moment Tomison turned around with his tea, Giles performed an exaggerated courtly bow. Tomison was startled by his senior’s behavior and nearly spilled his tea. Giles giggled as he asked.
“I hear you’ve received a title? What Territory were you granted?”
“What are you talking about, senior?”
Words like Knight and title were now practically forbidden, so Tomison’s face flushed with embarrassment. Satisfied with his joke, Giles continued his mockery, twirling his finger.
“With such generous loyalty as you’ve shown, surely the young Duke would grant you at least a title? What a narrow-minded lord he must be.”
Anxious about being misunderstood, Tomison cried out.
“Who is this Duke? I don’t know any such person. I’m just a country bumpkin—I know nothing about Nobility!”
Then Timon approached and placed a hand on Giles’s shoulder.
“That’s enough. Words like lord and title—we don’t want to hear them, even as jokes.”
He then looked at Tomison, who stood terrified and bewildered.
“So you’re that new student who said he admired Joshua von Arnim. Don’t you think there are plenty of people worthy of admiration in this world besides some upstart relying on his paltry bloodline?”
“Yes… yes?”
It didn’t take long for Tomison to grasp the situation. He asked carefully, yet innocently.
“Joshua is Nobility? A… Duke…?”
Timon laughed in disbelief.
“To not realize someone is Nobility even with ‘von’ in his name—what a pathetic country bumpkin you are. Well, since you didn’t know, your situation is actually better. Now that you know he’s Nobility, you won’t go around talking about admiring him anymore, will you?”
Tomison’s eyes widened, then blinked as confusion crossed his face.
“Does that matter? I only admire him because he’s an excellent soloist…”
Timon’s brow furrowed.
“You can’t read the situation. Is it because you’re a country bumpkin that you don’t understand how the world works? I told you—he’s a rotten Nobility!”
Tomison finally grasped his senior’s intent. But instead of backing down, he said this.
“Joshua may be Nobility, but I still think his singing is excellent.”
Timon’s eyebrows twitched.
“Are you certain you won’t regret those words?”
Children of Rune – Winterer
Author: Jeon Min-hee
Published by: 14th Month Books
The copyright to this book belongs to the author and 14th Month Books.
To reuse all or part of the contents of this book, written consent from both parties is required.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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