I Broke Off My Engagement and Got a Job at the Academy

11 – 11. Starting Point

Ariel finally succeeded in establishing herself as a duke. The support of the Saint carried significant weight.

After the defeat of the last demon king, the clergy did not play a significant role in politics. The clergy, leading the charge against the demons alongside the Holy Sword and the heroes, had also dwindled.

However, deep within the clergy, many longed for the past. Although it may not have been the glory days of the past clergy, they hoped to regain some degree of power and influence.

Saint couldn’t ignore those who followed him, so he decided to step out of his passive stance and collaborate with Ariel.

And so, after another task was completed, I had to return to the Academy to finish my final year.

My father looked at me and said, “You’re not going to speak about it?”

“Speak about what?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know, my boy. You helped Arielle… I mean, Lady Cielline with her noble duties.”

What I did wasn’t just about capturing Saint. It also involved gathering the followers of Cielline who were causing trouble from within. My father knew this, so he asked.

“You might owe that girl a debt, but are you really thinking of giving up on it?”

I smiled faintly and replied to my father’s question, “Well, we’re going to be a couple, right? If I can live without owing anything, I’m content.”

My father gazed at me and said with a smile, “I see… As long as you’re happy.”

…

Another year passed. I graduated from the Academy. Without Arielle, there was no one who could compare to me at the Academy, and I ranked first among all the graduates.

As soon as I returned home, I jumped onto my bed.

“This is it. Ah, now I’m a graduate too.”

I enjoyed the leisure of being a graduate for a few days, taking a break. Then, suddenly, I heard some unexpected news.

“Count Derin is coming?”

“Yes. He didn’t interact with us much for the past year, as he didn’t like helping Cielline. But for some reason, he’s coming here now.”

My father told me, and no matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure out why, so I tilted my head.

And then, the door opened, and Lord Arca Derin walked in.

“How do you do, Lord Count?”

Lord Derin bowed deeply and greeted my father. Despite the reduced interaction, the Kaienes family was still his liege.

“Well, thanks to you, I’m doing well. What brings you here to see me?”

The Count glanced at me and said, “Um, pardon me, could Confucius step out for a moment? I’d like to have a private conversation with the Duke.”

My father nodded in response, “No, soon enough, my son will inherit Keynes. So, let’s speak here. If it’s something I can’t tell my son, it’ll be something I can’t tell myself.”

Hearing this, the Count bowed deeply and said, “I understand. In that case, this…”

What he produced from his bosom was a dagger. As soon as my father laid eyes on it, he furrowed his brow and asked, “…What is this?”

At first glance, it didn’t seem like an ordinary object, but its true nature was indiscernible. The Count spoke cautiously, “It’s a ‘Dawnstar.'”

“A Dawnstar!?” My father exclaimed, visibly taken aback.

A Dawnstar, an artifact of the royal family, quite literally a sword crafted into the likeness of the morning star. Symbolizing purity and the princess, its worth was beyond measure.

But the issue lay in the fact that this was an item lost decades ago during the terror caused by dark sorcerers.

“No, what is this…!”

“I happened upon it, purchased it due to its conspicuousness, only later discovering it was a Dawnstar. I felt incapable of managing such a thing…”

My father scowled deeply, eyeing the starlit dagger.

“Goodness… How did such an item… No, more importantly, how to handle this item…”

“It’s quite a conundrum. I, too, am at a loss, which is why I brought it to you, Your Grace.”

Possessing a lost item from the hands of dark sorcerers could be tantamount to a charge of treason.

Yet, returning it to the imperial court wasn’t a viable option for a simple reason. The Imperial Faction would undoubtedly pounce, leading to further ordeals.

My father rubbed his temples in frustration, clearly troubled by how to handle this situation.

The Count wore an expression of deep regret, unsure of how to proceed, looking at both me and my father.

“Truthfully, it’s my fault for acquiring this useless item. I should be the one dealing with this, causing inconvenience to Your Grace. I’m truly sorry, there’s little else I can say.”

Father sighed as he looked at him.

“…Sigh. I understand. Since there’s nothing we can do about this object, I’ll keep it for now and find a way to dispose of it later, whether by selling it secretly, discarding it, or destroying it so that no one knows.”

Count Derrin bowed deeply to his father.

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

Father waved his hand and said, “No, it’s nothing special. It’s an unavoidable situation, given how things turned out…”

Count Derrin then left.

…

Father and I were immersed in subtle contemplation as we gazed at the morning stars.

“How should we handle this…”

In the midst of it, the morning stars emitted a clean, white light as if they were unaware. Enchanted by their beauty, I found myself reluctant to dispose of them.

“It’s a dagger made of pure orihalcon. Honestly, the best course of action would be to extract the orihalcon inside, but it’s easier said than done.”

Orihalcon, obtainable only from meteorites, was incomparably valuable due to its conductivity, strength, and hardness.

“Well, it would be for the best. Even if we can use only a portion of the orihalcon inside, we can create something extraordinary.”

Father raised the morning stars and said, “Actually, maintaining its original form would be preferable. As long as it doesn’t cause any trouble.”

It was an artifact that had been preserved for countless years. Considering its value, it was better to preserve it.

“Given the potential for trouble, that’s true. Sigh…”

Father nodded. The appearance of the morning stars with their pristine white blades was beautiful, but the thought of what they could potentially cause made them not just beautiful but rather eerie.

“Well, then, we have no choice but to think of a way to melt it down and obtain the orihalcon.”

“Yes. Where did Count Derrin get such an item in the first place?”

I muttered to myself. Logically, it made no sense for the morning stars to suddenly appear. Faced with his bizarre luck, my lower lip involuntarily protruded.

Father reprimanded me, “Of course, this time it was quite substantial, but there’s no help for it. Preventing a crisis for a peer is also part of the duties of a duke, so keep that in mind.”

I could only nod in response to his words.

And then, as we were trying to figure out how to handle the Morning Star, one day a visitor suddenly appeared.

“A visitor, you say?”

“Yes. But the matter… is quite significant.”

My father went downstairs himself to greet them. It was curious how extraordinary the matter must be for such a sound to come from Kainus’s mansion.

And as soon as my father welcomed ‘them,’ he frowned.

“What brings you here?”

It was obvious. The knights standing before my father and me, clad in black armor, were none other than the Imperial Shadow Knights, dealing with the shadowy affairs of the imperial family.

“Imperial Moonlight Knights. We heard there is a Morning Star here and came to investigate.”

Moonlight Knights. Unlike the Sunlight Knights, they dealt with all sorts of illegal activities while handling the shadowy affairs of the imperial family.

The only problem was, to what extent their authority was extralegal.

“Leave. There is nothing we will give you.”

The apparent leader of the Moonlight Knights smirked and spoke.

“We don’t need permission. What we do is not seeking permission but informing.”

They swiftly barged into the mansion. And the voice of one knight echoed.

“The Morning Star is here!”

It felt like my mind was becoming distant.