The Teacher of Budding Villains Suffers Today, Too - Chapter 95

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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 95
“We too have reached a point where we must devise a strategic response befitting the threat.”
The bearded Commander spoke in a grave tone, making no effort to conceal his unease.
“Since the enemy has committed their elite mage corps to the front, I believe Tirnes must take equally decisive measures.”
“Decisive measures.”
Before the Commander could finish, the knights gathered in the war room exchanged quick, meaningful glances.
“There is no disagreement that measures are necessary, but—”
“—are you suggesting we deploy commoner mages on a large scale?”
At last, one of the knights ventured to speak, his voice carefully measured. The Commander nodded without hesitation.
“That is my intention.”
Given the military’s aristocratic character, violent opposition might have been expected. Yet surprisingly, the knights accepted the situation.
Regardless of rank or station, there was nothing more important now than victory in this war.
“Summon the commoner mages at once. I intend to position them where they will be most effective.”
The moment the Commander’s order was given, an aide unfolded a list of commoner mages that had been prepared in advance across the table.
The Commander gazed down at the roster, dense with information about each mage’s background, the type of mana they wielded, and their detailed capabilities, and sighed deeply.
He fervently hoped that this unprecedented decision would become the catalyst that would lead the empire to victory.
* * *
“You infused mana into an unexploded ordnance?”
“Yes, sir.”
“How did you arrive at such a reckless idea?”
The Commander regarded Tommy, the commoner mage standing before him, with keen interest. Though Tommy was tense under the gaze of high-ranking officers he had never met before, he spoke with measured composure.
“I am a former miner from the Northern Mines, sir. During my years working there, I handled explosives frequently in my mining operations, which naturally drew my interest to their principles.”
Tommy felt the weight of the knights’ stares from all directions and shifted his gaze nervously.
“There is no need for caution. Continue.”
“I theorized that no matter how thoroughly a bomb had failed to detonate, if one infused pure mana into it, the dead powder would regain explosive force. So I conducted remote detonations using mana as a conduit, turning the unexploded ordnance backward against the enemy and weaponizing it.”
The continent’s current bomb-processing techniques were far from refined. Whether in mines or on battlefields, more than half of the ordnance typically remained as duds.
Observing countless such failures, Tommy had independently devised a Mana-Guided Explosion mechanism.
After repeated trials and refinements, the perfected ordnance proved devastatingly effective. Naturally, Analoe’s vanguard, advancing carelessly under the assumption that the duds were harmless, suffered catastrophic losses where they stood.
“This must be reported to the Emperor himself. No—this is a great victory that should be proclaimed throughout the empire to raise our spirits!”
The Commander, greatly pleased, immediately began drafting a letter. Yet rumors traveling from mouth to mouth proved faster than any Message Carrier.
The tale of a commoner-born mage achieving great deeds on the battlefield spread like wildfire throughout the empire.
All the commoners cheered as though it were their own triumph.
Moreover, commoners filled with hope—wondering if perhaps they too harbored hidden mana-manipulation abilities—came flooding like clouds to become apprentices at the Mage Tower.
As a result, Rachel’s plan had created a virtuous cycle of continuously expanding commoner apprentice recruitment at the tower.
‘Did things truly unfold this smoothly…?’
Rachel felt somewhat bewildered. She gazed at Lucas sitting across from her and offered an awkward smile.
“I’m relieved the results came far faster than expected. It’s almost surprising.”
“It is all thanks to your bold initiative and keen judgment.”
Lucas gently took Rachel’s hand. At the moment his fingers made contact, the Ring on her ring finger suddenly felt heavy and real.
‘Now that I think about it, he gave me this ring, yet I haven’t given him a single proper gift in return…’
If she could, she would like to present Lucas with a splendid ring as well. But Rachel’s personal finances were currently almost nonexistent.
Yet she had no wish to offer the Crown Prince some commonplace, mass-produced item.
‘I wonder if there might be some heirloom left in Swan House.’
Even for a house reduced to a hollow shell, surely a single betrothal ring passed down through generations might exist somewhere in the depths of a storeroom.
Suddenly, Colo’s voice echoed in her mind—the words he had muttered about how “if the very end comes, even that would have to be disposed of.”
Whatever “that” was, if Colo treasured it so deeply, it was surely something of great significance.
Rachel smiled brightly at Lucas. Her heart already swelled at the thought of presenting him with a gift worthy of him very soon.
The moment she returned to the Imperial Palace, Rachel sent a letter to Colo. The message was straightforward: she asked him to send an heirloom of Swan House, passed down through generations, to the palace at once.
The letter reached Colo swiftly. Yet upon reading Rachel’s message, Colo’s brow furrowed strangely.
“You intend to present that to the Crown Prince?”
Colo’s expression became one of utter bewilderment. Henry, who was in the midst of preparing his final equipment for deployment to the battlefield, tilted his head in confusion as well.
“Of all things, that?”
“I cannot fully fathom Miss Rachel’s deeper intentions, but since she has made the request, we ought to comply.”
Without another word, Colo retrieved a single iron box hidden in the innermost vault of Swan House. To deliver Swan House’s “heirloom.”
* * *
“A package has arrived from Swan House.”
The maidservant’s bright voice reached Rachel’s ears. Rachel approached the door with eager haste.
As the door opened, the maidservant appeared, carefully cradling an ornately wrapped box.
“Thank you. You may go now.”
Taking the box, Rachel hurried toward the table. Setting it down, she swallowed dryly and took a cautious, deep breath. She had no way of knowing what form of jewel lay within.
‘It’s bound to contain something spectacular—perhaps a ring crafted by some master artisan.’
Rachel lifted the box lid with eager anticipation.
“What…?”
But the moment she glimpsed the contents, she froze in place. What lay inside the box was none other than—
“…a powder compact?”
The sort of thing women used for their complexion.
If at least it had been adorned with a pretty gem, it might have been forgivable. Yet no trace of refined craftsmanship could be found, no matter how hard one looked. The powder compact before Rachel’s eyes had been crudely cast from rough iron, utterly without finesse.
What woman would ever use such a thing? And yet Colo had treated it like some priceless family heirloom. It was absurd.
‘This must be the wrong item. I’ll have to send it back.’
Rachel decided as much and reached to close the box lid. That was when—
“The Crown Prince has come to see you.”
As the attendant announced this, the door swung open and Lucas stepped inside.
“Lucas…!”
Startled, Rachel instinctively tried to hide the box behind her back. But haste betrayed her—the edge of the box slipped from her grip and tumbled to the floor.
Clatter-clatter-clatter.
The powder compact tumbled free of the box, rolling noisily across the floor.
“What is this?”
Lucas bent down and picked up the powder compact that had come to rest at his feet.
“Well, that is to say… it’s…”
Rachel hesitated. Whatever she said would sound strange.
“As far as I know, you don’t keep such things among your possessions.”
Lucas’s voice had grown quiet. In that same instant, his expression became utterly unreadable.
A clumsy lie would serve her worse than the truth. Rachel released a soft sigh.
“The truth is, you gave me a ring, and I felt awful that I had nothing proper to give you in return. So I sent word to Swan House asking them to send a family heirloom—and I’ve just received it.”
“Is that so?”
At Lucas’s question, Rachel nodded, her face flushed with embarrassment.
“Then I shall accept it gladly.”
“I’m sorry…?”
Rachel blinked, not quite understanding his words at once. He would accept a powder compact that even women wouldn’t use?
“Since it comes from you, it matters not what it is.”
There was no trace of falsehood in Lucas’s voice. He seemed genuinely moved by the mere fact that Rachel had given him something as a gift.
“I… I’m grateful that you’d say such a thing.”
Rachel murmured in the tiniest voice. But the moment passed quickly, and she soon steadied herself.
“Rachel, there is something I must tell you.”
“What is it…?”
From the start, the conversation filled her with dread. Her instincts warned her that nothing good would follow. Almost unconsciously, Rachel bit down on her lower lip.
“In a week’s time, I will lead the army myself to the front lines.”
“What…?!”
“Yes. And I will take the First Emperor’s Sword with me.”
The news that he was departing for the front was already shocking enough, but the words “First Emperor’s Sword” that followed left Rachel aghast.
“The First Emperor’s Sword? Why would you take such a thing with you?”
“Because the Emperor wishes it.”
The First Emperor’s Sword bore a curse beyond all comprehension. Even Lucas, for all his strength, could not possibly overcome it entirely.
“This is madness! I will speak to the Emperor at once!”
For a moment, Rachel’s vision swam. Her entire body trembled with rage as she moved to leave.
Tap.
“Rachel.”
Lucas caught her hand firmly.
“Calm yourself. I will not be played with by the Emperor’s schemes.”
Lucas drew her close and spoke softly against her ear.

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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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