Envers Redburn, who had been brainwashed by a passing fake Mad Magician, lost the trust of Duke Redburn because of that incident.

The Duke feared that either the brainwashing effects might still linger, or the Mad Magician might have transferred the brainwashing and turned him into an enemy of the family. Still, it would be wasteful to discard such capable talent based on mere suspicion.

Additionally, after being freed from the fake MadMa's brainwashing and until he heard from Roderus about "Blue Rose" being alive, Envers had been in quite a dejected state. Having realized his own inadequacies, he had been walking around looking almost like a corpse.

To the Duke, this appearance seemed like he was "self-reproaching and reflecting on his failure to help the family."

So...

"Brother, what's going on?"

"It's the Duke's order. You are to return to the Academy."

"What?"

"Go there and identify individuals who can be recruited with the Duke's money and power. If an opportunity arises to assassinate the Mad Magician, execute it without hesitation... That's all."

The verdict was expulsion instead of execution.

Thud.

Envers froze as if struck by lightning. He had left the Academy with ambitions to change the family alongside his brother, yet now he was being ordered to return?

He had even said all his goodbyes before leaving. He'd created the impression he would be gone for about ten years, yet here he was being ordered to return before even half a year had passed. What expression was he supposed to show his friends?

But Roderus was cold.

"Go. Fortunately, it seems the suspicion has been limited, so stay quiet at the Academy for now. When the time comes, I'll call for you."

"...I understand. But I worry about leaving you alone, brother. Don't get too close to 'Blue Rose.' Though her intentions may be righteous, she's using your pure heart for her justice!"

"..."

"As men, we must be careful of three extremes—ack!"

Roderus kicked away Namgung Cheong-hwi's sincere advice. And so, Envers Redburn returned to the Academy.

===============================================================

What was the Academy like at the end of the year?

During this time, students had grown through various trials under capable professors. Now they needed an opportunity to demonstrate their growth and prove themselves. After learning, shouldn't they put their knowledge to use?

This aligned with the needs of potential employers who wanted to know how capable this year's Academy students were.

Last year, the Academy had organized one-on-one duels with professors to commemorate the year's end. Outside visitors were invited, and students competed under the gaze of countless spectators.

For students with ambiguous social standing or uncertain futures, this was also an opportunity for career choices.

If they could even brush against a professor's robe in any way, they would receive numerous offers—invitations to become knights in various territories or executives in mercenary groups.

Students expected that duels with professors would again be the main event this year, and they were busy preparing strategies.

"To show off my magic firepower, I should challenge Professor Alejandro. Since he specializes in defense, my attack power will stand out."

"If I try sword techniques against Professor Alexon, I'll lose... Maybe I should challenge the Mad Magician instead."

"Are you crazy?"

But their plans were rendered useless.

The Mad Magician, who had returned to the Academy, wouldn't miss such an entertaining event, and he repeatedly suggested adding a touch of romance to it.

And thus was born...

"Form teams of up to ten people..."

"The faculty, including the 'Mad Magician,' has prepared various trials to showcase your diverse talents. The trials will cover all subjects taught at the Academy."

"Rankings will be determined by the total points earned in each trial. While many stages involve combat, there are also trials requiring wisdom or miscellaneous skills. A balanced team composition is recommended."

The "Academy Team Competition."

Naturally, the Academy was buzzing with excitement as everyone sought to form optimal teams.

The Goddess Cult Trio, who had returned to earn their Academy diplomas, were top recruitment targets, and Baek-seol (White Snow), who had already achieved Ascension, also received countless offers.

In response, Baek-seol, the Ascended mage of the Blue Tower, declared at the reception desk:

"Alone."

"Excuse me?"

"My team is just me, myself."

A solo declaration.

Hearing this, Selvia, who had been talking with Envers nearby, spontaneously combusted. If Baek-seol could do it, so could she. She had already achieved Ascension, so there was nothing to fear anymore.

Finally, the time had come to end this long rivalry and prove who the true powerhouse was!

She rushed to the reception desk and loudly proclaimed:

"I'm also entering alone!"

"Selvia, didn't you say you would team up with me...?"

"Not anymore. Find someone else!"

Selvia glared at Baek-seol with burning competitive spirit, but the latter merely looked away disinterestedly.

Despite their friendship from the Tower of Trials, Selvia had chosen to pursue her own path. That left Envers with only Luna.

In truth, Envers had intended to find Luna before meeting Selvia.

But no matter how much he searched the Academy, he couldn't even find her shadow. Wondering if she had left the Academy, he asked the Mad Magician, who confirmed she was still enrolled.

Since he couldn't find her to extend an invitation, he had approached Selvia first since she was visible.

After extensive inquiries, Envers finally collected eyewitness accounts of Luna.

"Luna Sterry... I believe she's with Princess Baek-ryeom."

"Thank you!"

Found her! Surely she would join my team...!

With high hopes, Envers went to find Luna, only to be shocked into gaping. There was already another woman by her side.

The leader of the Academy's noble faction, known for her generous heart—Princess Baek-ryeom.

"V."

"Luna, why have you joined Princess Baek-ryeom's team...?"

"Are you suggesting there's something wrong with choosing the Princess's team?! Naturally, everyone wants to feel eternal peace in the Princess's warm embrace!"

"That's right! It's as natural as the rising sun and setting moon for followers to gather around the Princess's leadership and dignity! How dare you question it!"

The Princess's loyal guards raised their voices, but Envers, focused on Luna, didn't hear them.

Luna said:

"If we're not on different teams, we can't fight."

"We... need to fight?"

"Without fighting, we can't know."

The way of warriors is to communicate with fists. Sharing drinks under the moonlight should only happen after testing each other's skills... That's what Luna was saying.

Envers was perplexed. He understood that fighting could be an excellent form of communication. But he had achieved Ascension, while she hadn't. Wasn't the outcome obvious?

"But there's already a gap between us..."

"That's a miscalculation."

Luna firmly denied this, wagging her index finger from side to side.

And then, faintly, the figure of someone with crossed arms appeared behind her.

How could he forget that terrifying being who had left an indelible mark on Envers's mind? The Heavenly Demon. Envers was shocked.

"What happened...?!"

"One day it came. One day it left. But, I learned a lot."

When MadMa was torn into pieces, the Heavenly Demon module had dwelled in Luna Sterry's body. Eventually, Yuna came and retrieved the module... but the martial arts remained.

Once, the Mad Magician had overwhelmed Roderus despite his weak body. If Luna had properly inherited the Heavenly Demon's martial arts, the gap of Ascension might be meaningless.

Luna extended her clenched fist.

"Duel."

"...Alright! I've learned and experienced much from my brother and benefactors. I'll show you how much I've grown!"

"Bet a wish."

"Gladly!"

Thump.

Their fists collided. Their reunion seemed set to be a lengthy one.

Meanwhile, Princess Baek-ryeom was slightly fidgeting beside them. While it appeared to be a cool and heartwarming scene on the surface, the reality was different. Hadn't Luna said? Without fighting, you can't know.

Envers seemed to have interpreted it as "without fighting, (you can't know how much I've grown)."

But to Princess Baek-ryeom, it was "without fighting, (you can't know my anger)." Shouldn't he pay for leaving the Academy so abruptly to handle family matters after even giving her a kiss?

The Princess remembered her conversation with Luna when she had come to her alone.

-Why do you want to be on my team? Of course, I'd be happy to have you, Luna... but I thought you had someone close already.

-To beat him, we need to be on different teams. Princess. Don't accept men. Then, definitely different team from Envers.

-I don't particularly discriminate by gender when accepting followers...?

-Those followers. Passionate. If men join, they'll burn with jealousy, saying they're after the Princess. They'll drive them out.

-Ah.

Luna had made it clear. She wanted to beat up Envers a bit.

What Envers should have done was kneel humbly and apologize, not engage in friendly banter.

But with his dull perception, he couldn't grasp Luna's hidden feelings, and thus the golden opportunity passed by...

Crack.

Only the veins bulging on Luna's hidden hand subtly hinted at what was to come.

===============================================================

If Luna had joined Princess Baek-ryeom, where should he form a team, and with whom? The answer to his dilemma was clear. Opposite the noble faction was the "Gold" faction led by Gordius, the mage of the Gold Tower.

Wandering like a knight-errant in search of a team, Envers went to find Gordius.

He lived in the Academy's male dormitory, which was decorated so lavishly it would be rude to compare it to other dormitories. From the entrance, exquisite statues struck poses, and the main gate was reinforced with various defensive spells.

Gordius himself was adorned with expensive items.

"Welcome to my faction, Envers Redburn! I was just gathering personnel. A prime specimen walking in on his own—I must be having a good day."

"..."

"Come in and let's talk. Feel free to admire the paintings along the way, but don't touch."

The interior decor was extravagantly opulent. All sorts of masterpieces decorated both sides of the corridor, creating an overwhelming atmosphere for visitors.

But something was... different.

Envers tried to figure out where this sense of incongruity came from. The lavish decorations were identical to those in the Redburn Duke's mansion, so why did it feel different?

Click, clack.

As he walked, Envers gained insight from the sound of his footsteps. There was no carpet. No candles either, and while there were magic lamps, they were few in number.

Though surrounded by expensive items, the wallpaper and floor tiles were made of cheap, durable materials. Not marble. The furniture didn't seem to have cost much either.

Come to think of it, Gordius was a mage of the Gold Tower with expertise in golem sculpting. The entrance statues... if he made them himself, they would cost nothing.

And the masterpieces, the jewels... they could be sold to recoup costs!

"Ah, as expected of nobility, you notice right away. Yes, this is decor that costs nothing to set up, investing in luxury items that make my home look wealthy while being recoverable. It's all free if I cash out."

"So the rumors about your frugality were true...?"

"I simply avoid unnecessary expenditures. And Envers... I heard you returned to your family, but now you're back at the Academy. Just in time for the year-end season. Let me guess? You've been ordered by your family... to recruit talent from the Academy!"

"...!!"

Envers's expression said, "How did you know?" Gordius's eyes gleamed. He had poked what seemed like an unripe persimmon, only to find it perfectly ripe.

If Envers had been sent as a scout... then from this moment, he wasn't just a fellow student but a potential investor. The scent of money wafted through the air.

If he could charm Envers and persuade him to secure research funds from the Duke?

If even a portion of that vast wealth could descend as a blessing?

Gordius put his arm around Envers's shoulders and dragged him in. His expression remained composed, but internally, his eyes were half-crazed at the prospect of a potential budget.

"I have several inventions I'd like to show you. Come, take a look and put in a good word with Duke Redburn. I'm sure he'll like them."

"No, I came to find a team for the team competition..."

"Yes, I'll accept you, so take a look at these inventions. They're remarkably economical!"

He invited Envers into his research lab.

The interior of the lab was surprisingly practical. It contained only what was necessary, nothing more. It seemed optimized for maximum efficiency with limited funds.

Gordius showcased his inventions to Envers.

"Here, this is a pet golem. You can swap parts for desired designs, and it grows slightly if you feed it soil. Different models can even combine."

"Would that make money?"

"This is a model of a next-generation transportation device. Three wheels roll automatically, running until the internal mana is depleted."

"Can't you just use teleportation magic?"

"...Well then. How about this? It's a wireless shower."

"That's no different from what a Blue Tower apprentice mage could do."

Envers's gaze grew increasingly cold. Even though he had no real intention of fulfilling the Duke's orders properly, if he had truly been loyal to Redburn, he wouldn't have invested in such useless inventions.

He became a stern investor and asked:

"Gordius. Didn't you say golem creation was your specialty? I've heard you've researched it for a long time. Put aside these ambiguous items and show me your main work."

"I've been waiting for those words. Then let me show you the detailed blueprint for my 50-meter golem..."

What now?

"Wait, wait. What use would a 50-meter golem have? It would cost an enormous amount to build, and I don't see equivalent utility. Who would invest in such a thing? Though I'm ignorant about golems, for economic viability, human-sized..."

"Nonsense! I don't need investors who want to reduce golem size. Negotiation failed. Get out!"

"???"

Gone were the courtship gestures of someone seeking an investor; Gordius had instantly reversed his attitude 180 degrees. Envers blinked in confusion. Unable to comprehend, he asked again.

"...Why are you so against reducing the size?"

To this, Gordius firmly replied:

"Because golems must be enormous."

Ah.

Envers understood.

Despite having the illustrious title of the Gold Tower Master's top disciple, why was he always short on research funds and even pinching pennies for food? He couldn't lack ability, so why had there never been rumors of investors backing him?

This was why.

That obsession. For whatever reason, his obsession with creating massive golems had kept him poor. If he had lacked ability too, he would have starved to death long ago.

Envers silently mourned inside. Gordius's yearning would never be fulfilled. To create such a massive golem would require either the entire Empire's mobilization or for him to achieve Sublimation.

Unless a national emergency erupted, wasn't it an unattainable dream...?