NOVEL NEXT With the geniuses of Tron Academy as an audience, he had no idea what to talk about.
For topics like administration, etiquette, history, and philosophy, it was obvious that the students would know more than himself.
‘If it’s stories about wars and battles, I could talk on and on, but……’
With just that, neither the students nor Roan would learn anything from each other.
Roan wished that there was something that he could also learn from the special lecture.
At that moment, he suddenly thought up a topic called ‘What if you knew the future?’.
‘A debate disguised as a special lecture.’
Through the debate with the Tron Academy students, Roan planned on thinking up new and various methods to prepare for the future.
‘Of course, there are things I can teach as well.’
Stories that a soldier who experienced all sorts of battles and wars could tell.
That too, from the perspective of the students, could be a valuable experience.
With a calm gaze, Roan stared at the students.
“What did he just say?”
“If you knew the future……?”
“Is he asking us right now?”
Seemingly baffled at the unexpected lecture style, the students whispered amongst each other.
Paying no attention to that, Roan opened his arms.
“For now, let’s agree on a setting. You are fourth year students in Tron Academy facing graduation. Your house is a fallen nobility and you aren’t a student with great expectations placed upon you. But like I told you before, you know what will happen in the future.”
His mouth slowly curved upwards.
“You know that a year later, the Byron Kingdom will attempt a surprise attack and invade our kingdom’s northern borders.”
As the story went on, the students’ whispers became louder.
Roan spoke loudly as he walked on the stage.
“But our Rinse Kingdom is completely unprepared.”
Besides the time and the opponent, it was exactly the same setup as the war last year between Rinse Kingdom and Istel Kingdom.
Roan looked straight into the students’ eyes.
“In this situation, what would you do?”
The question was thrown.
Simultaneously, the whispers between the students stopped.
A strange silence pervaded.
Roan cheerfully smiled and shrugged.
“Isn’t Tron supposed to be the kingdom’s best academy? It seems that not everyone is as smart as the rumors say.”
A taunt.
The students’ faces burned red.
An odd heat flooded out.
At that moment, a male student suddenly stood up.
“I’m Tron Academy’s knight school third year Charles Linkamp. Wouldn’t informing the palace or the central military headquarter, or at least the northern troops headquarters resolve the issue?”
Several students nodded as if they agreed with the suggestion.
On the other hand, Roan’s expression was unsatisfied.
“Would such highly esteemed people trust a mere academy student’s words?”
“That, that is……”
Charles couldn’t easily continue his words, and soon sat down.
Then, an irritated voice came out from somewhere.
“I don’t even need to think so hard about this problem. I can just tell my dad.”
Roan turned his line of sight toward the voice.
A delicate looking young man had an arrogant expression.
“Could you tell us your name?”
At those words, the young man pompously smiled and spoke aloud.
“Kyle Chase. I… I’m the second son of Count Chase’s house.”
The young man was the second son of Count Jonathan Chase and was repeating the Tron Academy’s administration school as a third year student.
Roan faintly smiled and shook his head.
“We have agreed on the setting before we began. You are a fourth year student facing graduation from Tron Academy, your house is a fallen nobility, and you don’t have large expectations placed upon you. In this setting, your father isn’t Sir Count Chase.”
“No that’s……”
Kyle momentarily hesitated and soon blushed.
Then, another student spoke with an irritated expression.
“What could a mere student from a fallen nobility who others don’t expect much of, do?”
Other students also frowned their foreheads and nodded.
“Yeah. However much we think about it, there’s really nothing we can do.”
One of the students asked to Roan.
“If it’s Sir Baron, what would you do?”
Everyone’s gazes turned toward Roan.
Roan cheerfully smiled as he replied.
“Who knows? How about applying for the Northern troops? In the Northern troops, we’ll raise merits while carrying out missions and find the signs that the Byron Kingdom’s troops are acting suspiciously. If we have evidences, even the military head generals wouldn’t be able to easily ignore us.”
This was actually the method Roan used before the war with Istel Kingdom.
At that moment, a student raised his hand.
“I’m Tron Academy’s administration school fourth year Justin Buford. The method you said is only possible for knight school graduates.”
Roan nodded at those words.
“You’re right. Certainly, that is so.”
“Then what should others like us from the administration school do?”
Justin’s eyes shone with passion.
Meaning he didn’t want an answer despite throwing the question.
Roan didn’t miss that.
“Who knows? Do you have any good idea?”
He returned the question.
A strange smile formed on Justin’s mouth.
Standing straight by himself, he showed off his thoughts with a confident voice.
“To start, I too would volunteer for the Northern troops. Then, while cutting down vague expenditures of military supplies and provisions and increasing the savings, I would repair the old defense facilities. At the same time, I would repair the roads and start a periodic military training for the locals……”
A well thought-out presentation continued on for a while.
Students unknowingly attentively listened to Justin’s story.
‘He’s a smart student.’
Roan inwardly smiled.
By that point, Justin’s presentation ended.
“With this much, I predict that we would be able to adequately respond to a sudden invasion.”
“Umm.”
A low murmur flowed out from here and there.
Roan lightly clapped and nodded.
“It’s an excellent plan. But would someone leave such a large job to a newbie administrator who just graduated from the academy?”
“That’s……”
When Justin tried to answer.
A young man suddenly stood up from his sit.
“We can start as a low rank administrator at the military supply storage. If we can simply fix the loans and lease in the ledger, we should be able to reduce the unnecessary leaks in the military supplies.”
Justin continued the later part.
“He’s right. If we can efficiently oversee the military supplies, wouldn’t we be recognized by the troop commander and receive more important missions?”
That was the start.
Soon, various suggestions poured out from here and there.
“You can’t move up simply by doing well in missions.”
“Yeah. It’s much more complicated in reality.”
“Rather, wouldn’t finding out the reasons why the Byron Kingdom is invading us be better?”
“That’s right. If we can resolve that reason, we could stop an unnecessary war.”
“What if there isn’t a reason? Then we’ll end up wasting an entire year.”
Now, there wasn’t any need for Roan to cut in.
By themselves, the students opened up a heated debate.
Students from the administration school, the education school,and the school of magic started first and later on, even the knight school and the military school students participated.
The debate went on and on without an end.
Roan only lightly stepped in from time to time to pause when the passionate discussion become too heated, and simply stood and watched for the most part.
“This is quite a new sight.”
“You’re right. It’s the first time I’m seeing such a heated debate.”
“Anyhow, everyone is quite smart.”
“I never knew there were such diverse plans and thoughts.”
Even the Tron Academy professors seemed to be surprised at the students’ heated debate.
Principal Fred Brown, who had been watching from the side, made a faint smile.
“We should add this style of class into the main education course.”
Many professors nodded at those words.
All the while, the heated debate ran into a dead end.
Several hundreds of students shared their suggestions, but no clear answer appeared.
In the end, Justin raised his hand.
“Sir Baron. At this rate, this will never end. Please tell us what is the correct answer.”
“Yeah. Just what’s the correct answer?”
“What should we do?”
The students clamored with exasperated expressions.
Roan motionlessly watched them for a moment and then raised his hands to calm down the mood.
Smiling brightly, he looked at the students.
“The answer has already came out.”
At those words, the students looked at each other and clamored.
That was same for the principal and the professors.
“What? What was the answer?”
“Then as expected, is applying for the Northern troops like Baron Tale suggested the answer?”
“But that’s only possible for knight school graduates.”
The clamor slowly became bigger and bigger.
Roan raised his hand once again to calmed the mood.
“The answer to this topic is……”
Gulp.
Everyone made a dry gulp.
Feeling their gazes pouring down, Roan calmly continued his words.
“Every suggestions that came out until now.”
Suddenly, the students and the professors made aghast expressions.
Soul-less expressions.
Roan continued to talk without minding them.
“There is no right answer to this topic. However, there are countless and diverse answers that exist.”
He pointed at the students.
“The methods that everyone suggested are those answers.”
The silence went on.
“No way……”
Some students murmured with quiet voices.
Soon, shouts mixed with annoyance echoed.
“All the suggestions we put out are the answers?”
“Are you saying there’s no correct answer?”
“Then, why would we even have this debate?”
“Did we just waste our time?”
Roan shook his head at those words.
He slowly moved his foot and stood in front of the desk.
From this point on was the story that Roan wanted to tell.
“Everyone. If you knew the future, did you feel like you could do anything, and accomplish anything? But when we actually debated, you should have realized that there’s lot less that you can do than you first thought. Instead, you would also be scared. Because if you can’t respond correctly, you or the people important to you could die.”
The clamoring students closed their mouths.
They carefully listened to Roan’s story.
“Knowing the future; it’s not as difficult as you think. What’s the reason that everyone is studying hard for four years in the academy? To earn wealth? For power? Honor? In the end, it’s for the future. Smart friends and those who studied diligently should know. What kind of crops and minerals would become valuable, or perhaps where the kingdom’s current political power is and where it’s going. You should be able to predict and judge those things.”
Several students nodded their head.
Roan’s words continued.
“In the end, the only difference is how much certainty you have, and is not very different from knowing the future. I’ll ask everyone again. A year from now, the price of wheat will skyrocket. What will you do?”
The students didn’t quickly answer and raised countless plans again and again.
Looking at the twinkling light in their eyes, Roan faintly smiled.
“What everyone is thinking of right now are the answers to preparing for the future. But that’s not the everything.”
With a finger, he pointed toward his head.
“The world isn’t inside the head. The world is……”
The finger pointing at the head pointed towards the sky.
“Outside.”
A strength set in his voice.
“Don’t just think, but personally act. You already have plenty of answers. Now, it is time……”
A smile hanged in Roan’s mouth.
“To prove the answer.”
With this, the lecture was over.
The story Roan wanted to tell the students.
That is to say that they should personally move, act, face, and experience.
There were many smart people.
If we included the people who think they are smart, that number goes up even more.
But in reality, there were only a few people who left their names in history.
‘If you simply think of walking and don’t actually walk……’
Roan’s eyes flashed with light.
‘No footsteps will remain.’
Even if one failed and despaired, the footsteps he left behind would become a sign.
‘If you walk on and on, you’ll arrive at your goal.’
Just like that, Roan was tirelessly walking forward right now.
He wasn’t simply thinking and planning, but actually walking.
He wished that the Tron Academy’s students too would become people who diligently walked forward.
‘I’m not sure if they understood my message.’
Roan inwardly made a bitter smile.
He wasn’t sure about the students, but there were many things he got from the special lecture.
‘Among the many methods the students suggested, there were quite a lot worth using.’
The bold and radical methods that most nobles would likely avoid.
Roan planned on refining them.
“Then with this, I’ll end the special lecture.”
He walked to the side of the desk and bowed.
The students still looked to be deep in thought.
At that sight, Roan faintly smiled.
At that moment.
“Sir Baron Tale.”
Among the students, a powerfully built young man stood up.
He was quite a handsome young man, but his face was filled with a tired expression.
“I’m Tron Academy’s knight school fourth year Brian Miles.”
Suddenly, a shocked look appeared on Roan’s face.
‘Brian Miles?’
A name he had forgotten until now.
But it was a name that one would have heard of at least once if one was a kingdom’s knight or a soldier.
At least, it was like that in the last life.
Especially to Roan who was Pierce’s friend, he was someone that left a strong impression.
He looked straight into Brian’s eyes.
‘Brian Miles.’
His heart rapidly beated.
‘The unfortunate genius.’
*****
Boom!
From deep in the mountains, an explosion suddenly sounded.
Kugugugung.
Giant trees fell down and a mountainside collapsed.
Keuheoheoheong.
And following that, a monster’s scream echoed.
Bang!
Again, an explosion rang out.
The monster’s scream, as if it was a lie, wasn’t heard anymore.
Instead.
“Oi! I told you to control your strength. Your mana handling is still rough!”
An angry roar loudly echoed.
And then.
“Master. That’s not as easy as it sounds.”
A moody voice rang out.
Soon, the fallen tree was moved aside and a middle-aged man and a young man showed up.
Both of their hairs and beards were long.
The young man sat down on the tree and sighed.
“Huu.”
At that sight, the middle-aged man frowned.
“Why a sigh all of a sudden?”
A voice that was somehow humorous.
Puk!
Instead of an answer, the young man planted the spear in his right hand by his foot.
The middle-aged man snickered and glanced.
“Why? You want to go down?”
At those words, the young man once again sighed.
“Huu. It’s already been a year since we entered the Grain Mountains. Isn’t it about time we go back down?”
“And you’re satisfied with your skill?”
The middle-aged man threw out a question instead of an answer.
The young man wasn’t able to say anything.
The middle-aged man’s words continued.
“Even if you go down now, you’ll still have your name flaunted as one of the top spearman in the kingdom. But that’s all. If Roan is acting with the continent as his stage, then you’ll only be a so-so friend.”
Roan. The name Roan came out of the middle-aged man’s mouth.
“I heard you made a promise Roan. That you’ll become the continent’s best spearman.”
The final blow.
The young man, who had his head down, suddenly stood up.
Grabbing the spear by his foot, he looked at the middle-aged man.
“Master. Let’s go somewhere deeper.”
At those words, the middle aged man brightly smiled.
“That’s it. Now you’re acting like Pierce.”
Pierce.
The young man’s identity was Pierce.
And the middle-aged man that was harshly driving that Pierce was Reil Baker, the man known as a genius of the spear.
For their spear training, the two had entered the Grain Mountains.
Thanks to that, they had completely no idea what was happening to the Rinse Kingdom and Roan.
They simply focused again and again on training.
Reil put his arm around Pierce and made a wild face.
“Then. Shall we go somewhere deeper?”
Pierce smiled bitterly at those words.
But his footsteps were already heading deep into the Grain Mountains.
‘Sir Adjutant Roan. Just a little longer, please wait just a little longer.’
His loyalty was the same.
No, his loyalty became deeper as the time he spent away became longer.
Soon, Pierce and Reil disappeared.
Boom!
Once again, an explosion rang out.
And.
“Hey! I told you to control your strength!”
Reil’s voice followed.