CHAPTER 56: SILVER LINING IN THE GOLDEN SKY (PART 2)

I already knew we would have to borrow power from the Prince’s Faction.

The two Noble Factions are simply too powerful, and even if it is just Vaelen Ashfall that I’m facing, he would certainly be too formidable for me to face with my meager strength. This is especially true since he will have the support of other Nobles who share in his ideology.

Nobles like Earl Klaus Gerondester.

In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Earl is actively working with—or for—Vaelen.

Realizing the situation early, I had to consider my options.

Garron Starcrest is not a good option.

Just because he isn’t actively an opponent doesn’t mean we are on good terms. In the end, he still belongs to the same Noble Faction umbrella as Vaelen. He wouldn’t cross his fellow High Nobility to support someone like me.

In fact, conflict between Vaelen and me is probably something he wants to see.

After all, not only would he get to see Vaelen expend his energy and resources, he would also get to see my moves and the major cards at my disposal.

Just by staying passive in this matter, he would be able to reap the most benefits.

Unfortunately for me, staying passive isn’t something I can afford to do. However, making large moves would be flagged by my enemies, and the Academy could do something to suppress me, if not downright expel me.

Hence, it became obvious what I needed to do.

—Outsource.

I needed an external power that could protect me, and since both Noble Factions were out of the equation, the only option left was the Prince’s Faction.

It’s obvious that the Prince also arrived at the same line of reasoning, which is why he sent Selena Rudinger to me. The thing is, if he hadn’t acted first, I would have done so. I planned to attract his attention by dealing with the Noble Factions for him while taking a neutral stance regarding the Royal Faction.

Had I been Anti-Royal too, the Prince’s Faction would have labelled me as the enemy. However, I couldn’t do the opposite either. If I took a positive stance on the Royal Faction, there would be no need for him to bring me to his side, since I was already doing the work without compensation.

Hence, being neutral was my best bet.

’It took you guys long enough...’ A sigh of relief leaves my lips as I stare at Serena. ’I was beginning to get worried that you would keep watching from the sidelines. If my desperation compounded, I would have been the one to reach out...’

How exactly would I do that, one might ask?

Well, the solution has always been on my mind, but I have been held back by many things.

It’s simple: invite the High Nobility into the J-Tutorial Club!

Naturally, I would only invite Nobles belonging to the Royal Faction. This would send a signal to the Prince’s Faction, and they would take this as a sign of goodwill from me. It’s pretty much the same thing the Prince did, having Selena send me an invite as a sign of goodwill.

This is the language of the upper echelon of society.

I somewhat know how to play their games, especially when it involves the students.

When it comes to the grown-ups, though... I am still lacking.

Proof of this is my loss to the Earl’s scheme.

"I would be honored to be in the presence of his Highness." With a solemn expression and a courteous smile, I politely accept the prestigious offer.

Only an idiot would refuse.

Even if I wasn’t interested in joining the Prince’s Faction, I still wouldn’t refuse.

Why would I court death?

If one thinks the Nobles are scary, they haven’t yet seen the fury of the Royal Family.

Even in my past life, they were the winners of the Civil War. Even though the Nobles in the Noble Faction outnumber the Royals, there’s a reason the latter is more revered within the Kingdom and has held onto their power for so long...

The Royal Family is not to be messed with.

Perhaps the Dukes can try to resist them, using their Noble Faction as a shield to guard their interests, but someone as insignificant as I doesn’t have such luxuries.

I must tread wisely.

"Excellent!" With a loud clap, Selena clasped her hand and shut her eyes while grinning with sheer delight. "Did you hear that, Korrin? He agreed to see you."

’Wait... what?’ My eyes widen almost immediately.

Korrin?

Korrin Randalorion?!

That’s the name of the Prince!

’Don’t tell me—!’ Right as my thoughts fully process this information, I watch as a figure mysteriously appears out of thin air, with sparkles of light dancing all around their elegant regalia.

Having the appearance of a young man in his early twenties, his golden hair shimmers while dancing in the air. His bright golden eyes radiate with beauty, like a sunflower in bloom, and his olive skin glitters like gold.

A warm fragrance, oozing maturity and power, fills the air the moment he appears. His robe, long and majestic, flows and floats, not even touching the ground, despite its length.

I notice more and more details as I watch him, enamored by his presence alone.

So this is what a Royal looks like!

This is the Second Prince of the Randalorion Kingdom—Korrin Randalorion.

’I never got to gaze upon a Royal in the entirety of my Past Life. If my past self were here, he would be gushing for joy and screaming in his heart about what an honor this is.’ A solemn feeling flows within my heart.

’But my present self is different...’

As overwhelming as this experience is for me, I am not carried away by the reality of the matter.

The Second Prince stands right before me, and the only thing that moves me is his sudden appearance. I do not have a shred of loyalty, piety, or any form of reverence towards him or the rest of his family.

In the end, he is only one of the many children of the King.

The King is only one of the many rulers of the fifty thousand Kingdoms in the Eariel Continent.

In essence... even he is nothing special.

Of course, I can’t let these thoughts of mine show, so I rise to my feet and offer due respect to the Prince. I bow deeply, displaying the highest amount of honor a Knight can render to a Royal or Noble.

I could have chosen to kneel, but that is only reserved for the King or the one whom a Knight recognizes as their Master.

Korrin Randalorion is neither, so I cannot go that far.

"Javier Aditi... I have heard so much about you." The moment Korrin speaks, I feel as though a warm breeze flows out of his lips, trapping me in a relaxing world.

My body grows weak almost instantly, almost like I am paralyzed just from hearing him speak.

This...

’Is this the effect of a Potion?’ I wonder to myself. ’Undoubtedly! What else could it be?’

His sudden appearance can also be attributed to a Potion.

After all, Potions tend to grant supernatural abilities and induce mystical phenomena when consumed by someone. That means he must have taken two different Potions within such a small time range.

Can he handle their side effects?

Oh, what am I even thinking about? Why am I worried about someone like this?

The Potions he has access to will undoubtedly be of the highest caliber, purified to the extreme. If there are any leftover side effects, they will be almost negligible at best.

Plus, if the Potion Rank is of a low Grade, then it won’t even matter what the side effects are.

I was worried for nothing.

"You should sit." The Prince raises his hand and places it on my shoulder, immediately sending me to my chair with very little effort. Since my body has grown rather numb, it must have been easy for him to achieve.

Of course, I do not resist in the slightest.

Instead, I simply nod.

Serena also has her seat, as she had stood up to curtsy as a greeting to His Highness.

"I’ve been following your case for quite some time, Javier... and I have to say, I’m impressed."

"... Impressed?"

"Yes!" His eyes flash with excitement, and he finally takes his seat. "Your actions have brought much-needed excitement to the Academy. The protest back then was an intriguing experience, to be honest. Such boldness... simply fascinating!"

Oh well...

It’s good to see that my struggles were nothing but mere entertainment to this man.

"You’ve been resisting the Nobles on your own for so long, and you’ve done an impressive job thus far. Such a man as yourself... has ability. You are competent. Resilient too. These are desirable qualities that a lot of these High Nobles lack, and it’s one of the reasons I find you so exceptional."

I notice the slight jab he throws at the High Nobility and inconspicuously glance at Serena to see her reaction. She shows none.

As expected... even if the Prince speaks ill of the High Nobility, those in his Faction either have to agree with it or tolerate it. This is simply the Royal Family’s way of suppressing the Nobles, and also exerting their dominance.

It seems that Lady Serena and Prince Korrin are friends, based on how they interact with each other, and how she even refers to him without honorifics, but that doesn’t seem to matter much when it comes down to serious affairs.

Such brutality—as expected from the upper echelon of society!

"Javier, I’ll be straightforward with you..." Prince Korrin stretches out a hand and flashes a confident smile at me. "Join my Faction. I require talents such as yours in my circle."

A wry smile nearly forms on my face.

Of course, he does!

The Prince just recently took on the position of Head of Student Council from his predecessor and is currently the most powerful student in the Academy. Naturally, this is something the other Noble Factions don’t want to see.

His administration has been under attack on many fronts, and the Noble Factions won’t cease their suppression.

However, thanks to my efforts, it seems his load has lessened considerably.

While I didn’t do anything to intentionally aid the Prince, my actions still weakened their hold on the students, hence sabotaging some of their plans regarding his rule.

In essence, I have been helpful to the Prince.

Now, I haven’t particularly allied myself to him, which also presents the danger of my turning against him. If I do that, even though I’d be easier to deal with than the Noble Factions, I’d still present some trouble to him.

Plus, the Noble Factions are sure to take advantage of the window I create and cause more damage to his administration.

Prince Korrin realizes all these things, which is why he has chosen to reach out to me.

My relationship with the Noble Faction is irreparable at this point, so it’s not like I have a choice in this matter. However, his taking the initiative to draw me in could mean he isn’t aware of how strained my relationship with the Nobles is.

Ah, I see...

The Nobles must have been using me as a deterrence card to Korrin as well, perhaps making it seem as though I am a neutral party that could turn to any side.

To prevent me from going along with his enemies, he has chosen to take the initiative.

How ironic.

But this works to my benefit in many ways.

This situation clearly indicates that the Prince has prepared benefits for me, ones that I will find very appealing.

’So let’s hear it... Prince Korrin!’ My eyes flash with radiance as I stare at him, maintaining an expression of shock.

"Don’t look so surprised, Javier! I know you’re a smart guy, so why don’t I simply tell you all that you stand to gain if you join my side?" Just as I hoped, the Prince has decided to go straight to the point and show me the benefits.

This is exactly what I have been looking forward to!

All hail the Randalorion Royal Family!

"I want you to join the Student Council as our Public Relations Officer. You are a natural leader. This is a talent I have observed in you. You have a remarkable ability to draw people in and gather them together. This shows your competence in forming a good relationship with people and maintaining it. Your incredible diligence and academic brilliance are also things I have noticed. Which is why... I will meet up with the School Authorities and have them restore your Scholarship. Even if they refuse, which I doubt, I’ll personally sponsor your education, no strings attached."

"W-what? Really?!"

My eyes widen in surprise, but I sneer internally—almost to the point of chuckling.

Of course, the Prince should be able to do this much.

Just when I was looking for a solution to my money problems, too. I have to admit, this man really came at an opportune time.

I finally have a cash cow that will help alleviate my financial burdens.

"The J-Tutorial Club will also be under our protection, which means you’ll get a lot of benefits, including financial support. I’m sure you need a lot of resources to expand, now that you’re taking in more members, right? Ah, of course, you’ll have to include the High Nobility in my Faction, but that shouldn’t be a problem for you..."

The Prince sure knows how to hit the nail on the head.

Everything he says is straight to the point, and while he speaks in a flowery manner, he doesn’t mince his intentions at all.

Honestly, I prefer his style of doing things.

He has also presented a lot of benefits, making it impossible for me to refuse, even if I wasn’t looking forward to this in the first place.

After all, someone who can offer these many rewards to his allies will also be able to mete out an equal level of punishment to his enemies. This, once again, shows how frightening the Royal Family is when it comes to their power in the Kingdom.

Of course, it also shows how resilient their Noble opposition is.

Honestly, they are like two giants fighting, and I am a lone rabbit merely caught in the crossfire.

There’s very little I can do... but that’s fine. After all, I will be gaining a lot in this transaction.

However, I am not a fool.

I recognize that the benefits that the Prince is offering aren’t coming at a loss to him. In fact, he stands to benefit a lot from this exchange.

The J-Tutorial Club is a pro-bono organization that seeks to help out students and make them excel in the Academy. It also cuts across to all students—especially catering to the majority of students in the Academy.

Once I join the Prince’s Faction, the Club will be under the Royal Family’s banner.

This will greatly improve the Prince’s reputation among the students, further raising the Royal Family’s prestige in the Kingdom. Even after I leave the Academy, this will continue to be the case, making this an investment with near-perpetual returns.

There are also a few other benefits I recognize off the top of my head, further establishing that the Prince has his selfish interests in helping me.

But who cares?

I would like to be used by him, especially since I am also using him.

Not only would it help me indirectly strike blows at the Noble Faction, but I also enjoy a lot of benefits from simply joining his side.

I admire Prince Korrin’s foresight. He really thought this through.

’No strings attached, he said... pfft! Such baloney!’ I nearly laugh, but control my expression.

We have reached a very important precipice, after all.

"So... what do you say, Javier Aditi?"

With a calm and graceful smile, I take his hand and shake it, lowering my head once again.

"It is an honor to serve under the Prince’s administration. I accept all of these benefits and look forward to the future, your Highness."

And just like that, I have become more deeply involved with the High Nobility.

But I have no regrets.

After all, I will be using this to regain my life in the Academy.