Chapter 253: Brother? (3)

Transcendence Academy, before the start of summer vacation.

“Haa…”

Lavina sat by the laundry pool and let out a deep sigh.

“Ugh…”

She slumped, utterly dejected.

Everyone possessed a talent suited to their own domain. In Lavina’s case, her aptitude as a maid was, to put it mildly, abysmal.

It was a never-ending cycle of repeated mistakes.

Once again, she had turned the laundry into rags. On the verge of being banished to toilet-cleaning duty, she desperately clung to the hem of the Maid’s skirt, barely managing to secure one last chance.

With that, Lavina couldn’t deny it any longer: she simply wasn’t cut out for this kind of work.

It was the worst kind of despair, one she could never overcome, no matter how hard she tried.

This can’t go on!

Lavina clutched her head in despair.

Even if she died and came back to life, her meager talent would likely never allow her to escape the status of a trainee maid.

She bit her lip, deep in thought.

Isn’t there any way out?

As these worries swirled through her mind,

Gleaming, gleaming…

A butterfly tumbled across the grass in the warm morning sunlight, catching Lavina’s eye.

She stared blankly at the insect.

You’re so lucky…

The butterfly lived a peaceful life, free from worries.

That creature, rolling around without a care in the world, must be the happiest being alive.

As Lavina gazed enviously at the butterfly, a lightning bolt of realization struck her.

“Huh?! That’s it! I have Yeongsu!”

Why hadn’t I thought of this before? Lavina smacked her forehead.

“If I can’t do it… I can just get Yeongsu to do it for me!”

Though she lacked any talent for housework, she possessed a talent that everyone envied: the ability to contract with Yeongsu and command them. Why bother with laundry and cleaning when there were beings perfectly suited to do it for her?

Immediately, several Yeongsu ideal for maid work sprang to mind. Though she didn’t currently have any contracted, finding and contracting them would be a simple matter.

And wasn’t she the one who possessed the ultimate magical beast, the ruler of all Yeongsu?

Lavina jumped to her feet and dashed over to Nabi.

“Nabi, Nabi! Please, help me!”

Kyuung?

Nabi lay sprawled on his back, lifting his head slightly.

Kyuung-kyuung.

He waved his paw dismissively, as if utterly annoyed.

Normally, Lavina would have sensed the mood and backed down, but desperation had blinded her, leaving her no room to retreat.

“Sorry! Just help me this once!”

Lavina scooped Nabi up and tucked him under her arm.

Kyuung?!

She bolted out of Transcendence Academy.

And that was the prelude to the birth of the greatest maid in history, a legend that would forever be etched in the memories of the academy’s staff.

After a long vacation, the students returned to Transcendence Academy. But instead of the usual excitement for the new semester, a sense of unease hung in the air.

Nothing had physically changed, yet the atmosphere within the academy felt distinctly different. The source of this shift was a rumor circulating through the halls:

“Did you hear? The Grand Masters are back!”

“Not just the Grand Masters, but the Tower Lord too, right?”

“That’s right! I heard he completely devastated the Syron Territory.”

“Rumor has it the Tower Lord used to be a student here!”

“Huh? What nonsense is that? A student becoming the Tower Lord?”

“It’s true! I heard he’s an old man with snow-white hair.”

While the students had been away, news of the events in Syron Territory had spread like wildfire through the academy.

Accounts from students who remained at the academy during the break, and stories from those boasting of privileged information about the Lord of the Tower, supposedly gleaned from their families, swirled together. Truths, lies, and exaggerated rumors mingled haphazardly, eventually transforming Louis into a grotesque monster with three heads and six arms in the students’ imaginations.

As the students ceaselessly gossiped about the Grand Masters and the Lord of the Tower, the Opening Ceremony finally arrived.

Lower Class, Intermediate Class, Advanced Class—students from each division gathered in the auditorium.

The ceremony began, and a ripple of unease spread through the crowd as they noticed the professors lined up at the front.

“What’s this? Where are the Masters?”

“What happened?”

Even when the Masters kept to themselves, they had always attended the Opening Ceremony in the past. Yet today, not a single one was present.

The students’ murmuring ceased as a woman stepped onto the platform.

“Wh-who is she?”

“Good heavens…”

Her elegance and beauty seemed to transcend the mortal realm. The trainees serving as instructors and professors respectfully retreated, making her ascent to the platform all the more striking.

After a moment, Floria, the beautiful woman standing on the platform, spoke.

“I hope you all enjoyed your vacation. It’s been a while since I’ve appeared in public like this, so I’m quite nervous.”

Floria smiled gently at the students.

“As of today, I am Floria, the new Dean of Transcendence Academy. In the world, they often refer to this unworthy person as the Grand Master.”

”…?!”

Gasps of astonishment erupted from the crowd at Floria’s words.

She wouldn’t falsely claim to be a Grand Master in this setting, with all the staff of the Transcendence Academy watching.

Therefore, the beautiful woman before them was truly a Grand Master.

It was no wonder the students were astonished. A Grand Master—an idol revered by Transcendents in their own academy—had suddenly appeared.

Anticipating this reaction, Floria sighed inwardly.

Haa… Tower Lord… is this truly the right path?

She had become the Dean of the Transcendence Academy entirely because of Louis.

While investigating the corruption within the Tower of Wishes, the investigation had inevitably uncovered connections to the academy. Like pulling on a tangled vine, one thread led to another until it ultimately reached the Dean himself.

When Louis ruthlessly dismissed the Dean, the position became vacant.

Louis appointed Floria to the vacant position of Dean.

Initially, Floria refused Louis’s directive. Aileo, the disciple she had personally taught, had attempted to kill his guru and committed an unforgivable sin. Furthermore, when forced labor was imposed on the prisoners—a punishment she deemed a comfortable alternative to death—her sole remaining disciple took his own life.

The tragic and lonely end of someone who had fallen from the highest heights into the abyss. The betrayal and death of her disciple.

Reeling from these successive blows, Floria found Louis’s directive utterly unacceptable.

“I… I’m not qualified to teach students anymore. How could I, after raising Aileo like that…?”

“That’s precisely why I’m entrusting this to you.”

“Huh?”

“To ensure someone like Aileo never appears again, you must guide the children onto the right path.”

“But…”

“Having experienced this failure, you now understand how to raise disciples properly. You know what it takes to prevent them from straying onto the wrong path.”

”…”

“So, raise them well.”

After further persuasion from Louis, Floria finally agreed to his proposal.

Recalling this conversation, Floria steadied her momentarily wavering resolve and continued her speech.

“Some of you may already know, while others may not. Over the summer vacation, Our Tower of Aspiration underwent significant changes. These changes have also affected the Transcendence Academy…”

Floria’s calm voice continued, outlining the future vision for the Tower of Wishes and the Transcendence Academy. The students listened intently, not missing a single word.

As her speech drew to a close, she declared, ”…I will dedicate myself to supporting your future progress.” These words were both a promise to the students and a personal vow.

The moment she finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted. After she stepped down from the podium, each department and class began introducing their newly appointed professors and instructors.

Meanwhile, Shiba watched the proceedings from the sidelines. “Hey.”

He turned to see Brew, his expression slightly stiff, tapping him on the shoulder.

Brew surveyed Shiba and his surroundings before barking, “Hey, commoner.”

”…What is it?” Shiba replied cautiously.

“Where’s that bastard who used to hang around with you?” Brew demanded.

Shiba tilted his head, puzzled. “The guy who used to hang around with me?”

“Don’t play dumb now. I’m talking about Louis.”

”…”

Shiba was momentarily speechless.

He retorted incredulously, “Wait, hold on… haven’t you heard the rumors?”

“What rumors?”

”…Never mind. If you haven’t heard them, it’s probably better if you don’t.”

For your own sanity, Shiba thought, biting back the words.

Brew’s expression twisted into a scowl, sensing something suspicious in Shiba’s evasive reaction.

Brew snarled, his face contorted with fury.

“You lowly bastard…”

”…”

“Hanging around with that scumbag has made you too cocky, hasn’t it?”

“Um…”

“You’d better watch yourself from now on. I’ll be watching you. Oh, and if you see that little shit Louis, tell him…”

“Tell him what?”

“Tell him his days of strutting around with his nose in the air are over. Things are going to be different this semester.”

“Ah, yes… Well, I don’t know if I’ll have the chance to tell him, but I’ll keep it in mind.”

Shiba, who knew the full story, nodded indifferently.

Brew’s expression darkened further at Shiba’s nonchalant response.

“This bastard…”

Shiba looked ready to grab Brew by the collar if it weren’t for the Opening Ceremony. But his anger didn’t last long.

“You don’t need to explain. I heard everything.”

A sudden voice cut through the air, drawing the attention of Shiba and Brew, as well as everyone else nearby.

Huh? When did he get here?!

What the hell? Where did he come from?!

Louis had appeared out of nowhere, like a ghost.

Shiba’s heart plummeted, and a cry of astonishment burst from his lips.

“L-Lord of the Tower!”

Horrified by his own outburst, Shiba hastily clapped a hand over his mouth, but his voice had already echoed loudly through the auditorium.

The title “Lord of the Tower,” which had recently become a hot topic, immediately captivated everyone’s attention.

“Lord of the Tower? Didn’t they say he was the Lord of the Tower somewhere?”

“Where? Where?!”

A murmur of commotion spread through the crowd.

Louis’s sudden visit caught the Transcendence Academy staff completely off guard. Floria, watching him from afar, shook her head in disbelief.

Honestly…

Having single-handedly disrupted the Opening Ceremony, Louis patted Brew on the shoulder, who was blinking in confusion, utterly lost in the unfolding situation.

“I heard your grand ambitions loud and clear. But what a pity…”

”…?”

“I don’t think we’ll be seeing each other again.”

”…What?”

By the time Brew managed to ask, Louis had already vanished. He reappeared moments later—on the podium.

“Why would you just barge in like this?”

“Ah, I almost forgot something.”

“Huh?”

Louis grinned at the question and stepped forward to the edge of the podium. Under the gaze of hundreds of pairs of eyes, he opened his mouth to speak.

“Greetings, friends. I am Louis, Lord of the Tower of Wishes.”

The reaction to his announcement was even more pronounced than when Floria had introduced herself earlier. Louis was already a well-known figure at the academy, and many recognized him.

“Hey, isn’t that the guy from the Low-tech Class?”

“See! I told you! The Tower Lord was one of us—a student! Not some old man!”

Meanwhile, Brew’s face paled as he processed Louis’s introduction.

Ma, this can’t be happening!

How could someone like him be the Lord of the Tower? Even after Shiba’s earlier outburst, which Brew had dismissed as nonsense, he stubbornly refused to accept reality.

Louis, however, frowned slightly at the commotion.

“Silence.”

His voice, though soft, carried a potent blend of mana and a faint draconic aura. The students fell silent instantly. Some, more sensitive to such pressure, even began to hiccup.

Louis swept his gaze across the now-silent hall, his red lips twitching slightly.