That Piece Of Trash Was Me - Chapter 74
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 74
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Dawn.
Crown Prince Ferdinand drove his sword into the ground and took several deep breaths.
Logically, driving a sword into a stone training ground shouldn’t be possible, but this was a place where the impossible became commonplace.
This was a special training ground gifted by the Magic Tower immediately after the late Former Empress Olivia gave birth to Ferdinand.
No matter how much damage was inflicted, if there was immense Divine Power nearby, the training ground would be restored within a day.
The Temple praised the Magic Tower for creating such a remarkable invention and personally blessed it, but in truth, Current Emperor Alessandro deeply despised this training ground.
The training ground itself was proof of the irrationally immense Divine Power flowing through Ferdinand’s body.
A training ground despised by the Emperor couldn’t possibly be properly maintained.
Even if the Crown Prince came here daily, drenched in sweat from his training.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
In the gloomy training ground overgrown with shadows and weeds, the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard.
Ferdinand took a deep breath and turned around.
“Master.”
Schulz Schmidt, the Crown Prince’s Pneuma, was walking toward him.
Cold eyes.
Neat appearance.
Schulz Schmidt, the Crown Prince’s Pneuma, was said to be a once-in-a-century genius in all existing fields of study.
However, his gaze was inherently dry.
As if he were molded from sand made of ground gold, he showed absolutely no interest in anything other than academics—truly the epitome of a scholar.
But thanks to his handsome appearance, countless Noble Young Ladies, Noble Ladies, and even Ladies-in-waiting often couldn’t take their eyes off this genius Pneuma.
In Schulz Schmidt’s arms was an armful of thick books.
No, let me correct that.
It was an armful of thick exam papers.
“Yesterday’s exam was almost perfect scores across the board. Except for Ancient Language.”
“Master.”
“So today I thought I’d increase the Ancient Language portion by about 20 percent. Would your schedule allow for that?”
“Master.”
“Well, they do say you can sleep when you’re dead. It’s fine. You seem capable. You wouldn’t fail, would you?”
“…I suppose I must.”
If I don’t want to be compared to that damn ‘first disciple.’
Not long after coming to the Imperial Palace, Schulz Schmidt had told Ferdinand:
“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
Blue eyes shining earnestly behind his monocle.
“Your Highness will become my, Schulz Schmidt’s, second and final disciple.”
“Who was the first?”
“I’ll tell you about that later. That person prefers quiet things, contrary to their outward appearance.”
“Contrary to their outward appearance?”
“Yes.”
Then it must be a noble.
A domestic noble at that.
He didn’t ask anything else.
In fact, he wasn’t curious.
Ferdinand had lived a life where he wasn’t particularly curious about anything.
“Your mother died because of you. Remember that until the day you die, Crown Prince.”
Because he had lived a life where he couldn’t afford to be curious.
But after becoming Schulz Schmidt’s disciple, Ferdinand couldn’t help but wonder who that damn ‘first disciple’ was.
What kind of monster could it be?
Someone who could solve all the incredibly difficult Ancient Language Problems and Academic Problems that Schulz Schmidt brought without uttering a single complaint.
Perhaps he really had taken a monster as his disciple.
The amount of study Schulz Schmidt demanded of the Crown Prince was so beyond imagination that it naturally drew irreverent glances.
If Ferdinand hadn’t known Schulz Schmidt’s temperament, he might have suspected that Empress Carmi had sent him as an assassin to kill him through studying.
“You’ll be leaving the Imperial Palace within the next six months.”
“…”
“I won’t be able to help you then, and after you return, you’ll be of age, so you need to finish everything academic-related now.”
It wasn’t wrong.
“It might be a bit difficult, but if you’re my disciple, it’s possible.”
“Because your first disciple managed it?”
“Yes. Your Highness, who will be my second and final disciple, will surely accomplish it as well.”
“…Yes.”
That damn first disciple.
Ferdinand became genuinely, truly curious about Schulz Schmidt’s first disciple.
What kind of monster could this mysterious person be, the only one among countless students to be acknowledged as a ‘disciple’?
But the resentment and curiosity that had flared up was only momentary.
“Spring is coming soon.”
Now it was the end of winter.
Ferdinand came here 365 days a year to swing his sword, even when he was writhing in pain from Divine Power and poison.
So he had a rough idea of when pink flowers would bloom in this weed-covered training ground.
The reason pink flowers bloomed here in particular was simple.
His deceased mother, Former Empress Olivia, had loved pink flowers.
Since the Magic Tower had dedicated this gift to the son of Empress Olivia, they had planted pink flowers as well.
Empress Olivia had left this world during her favorite season.
That’s why Emperor Alessandro hated spring the most.
Spring was also the season when Ferdinand got slapped the most for no reason.
Though the frequency had noticeably decreased since Schulz Schmidt became his Pneuma.
Perhaps that was also due to Schulz Schmidt’s ruthlessness in making him study all day.
Abuse required time, but Ferdinand had to be caught by Schulz Schmidt all day studying Ancient Language, reading Academic Journals, and researching Treatise on Rulership.
Though he slept at dawn and woke at dawn every day, it was a thousand times better than being exposed to senseless abuse.
Thud.
Looking at the exam papers he received, it seemed like he’d have to study until dawn again today to barely finish.
“You always study without much complaint.”
“If I complain, would you reduce it a bit?”
“Of course not. My first disciple always followed this master’s academic workload without complaint.”
He even wore a subtle smile while saying this.
That cold man.
Just when he was feeling exasperated in various ways about that damn first disciple whose face, name, and identity he didn’t know.
Footsteps could be heard.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
Ferdinand’s red eyes turned toward the back.
“His Majesty the Emperor is calling for you. Please go.”
Though they said the Emperor had called, it was the Empress’s employees who had come.
They treated the Crown Prince with more courtesy when Schulz Schmidt was present.
Originally, they couldn’t openly disrespect Ferdinand, but they became somewhat more polite, one could say.
So normally, even if the Crown Prince’s arms were full of something, they would have just pretended not to see and merely bowed their heads politely, but now they respectfully extended both hands as they did with other members of the Royal Family.
However, Ferdinand didn’t spare a single glance at their hands and began walking.
Schulz Schmidt also began walking, following the servants who were flustered and hurriedly followed a beat late.
Thanks to his genius image, he had high prestige even among the nobles who visited the Imperial Palace, so the servants couldn’t actively restrain Schulz Schmidt.
In the first place, the Emperor who had summoned Ferdinand hadn’t specifically ordered them to bring him alone.
“You’ve come, Crown Prince.”
Emperor Alessandro, who had barely acknowledged Ferdinand’s greeting, saw Schulz Schmidt following behind and smiled warmly instead.
“Schuls Schmidt Pneuma has come as well.”
Though it seemed like father and son had been switched with a stranger, making him want to smile bitterly, Schulz Schmidt maintained his usual expressionless demeanor.
He offered appropriate greetings and straightened his back.
“Crown Prince.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Previously, you wanted to have a mountain in the Luromance Region.”
“That is correct.”
It was something he had requested several years ago.
An emperor should, by all means, bestow gifts upon princes on their birthdays.
However, Emperor Alessandro had never prepared gifts for Ferdinand.
That was right.
The Emperor had never once celebrated the Crown Prince’s birthday.
It was an open secret that Crown Prince Ferdinand was treated poorly.
Therefore, Ferdinand’s birthday celebrations were always barely adequate for appearances. The gifts from visiting nobles weren’t of particularly good quality either.
It was always like that.
But three years ago, the Emperor, who was in a particularly good mood for some reason, asked Ferdinand on his birthday if there was ‘anything he wanted.’
Rather than asking to celebrate his son’s birthday, it was exactly the kind of sentiment one might have when throwing a bone to a dog kept tied up.
But Ferdinand had already experienced too much coldness to be hurt by such things.
So he calmly requested the ‘Luromance Mountain’ that he had been busy scheming to obtain until then.
“Why that mountain in particular? It has no mines and is just an insignificant mountain in a remote corner.”
“Don’t all Royal Family members receive a mountain as a gift when they’re born, as a blessing of the earth? That’s the reason.”
“To choose such a shabby thing. Tsk tsk. Fine.”
Even after saying that, the Emperor didn’t give him the mountain.
As if it had just been a momentary whim brought on by drink.
However, Ferdinand hadn’t expected it either, so he simply continued working steadily toward obtaining that mountain in the Luromance Region.
“That land is indeed an insignificant mountain, but it happens to belong to the Frazier Domain.”
Emperor Alessandro clicked his tongue as he unexpectedly brought up that mountain as a topic again, though he had seemed to have forgotten about it.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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