Chapter 219
Sacrifice
"I’m not surprised at all why there were rumors before that Duchess Ellie was the lover of Second Young Lord Aman rather than someone of Young Lord Owen."
The prince, who just sat down, feeling the need to stir up both of them a bit more. As expected, the scornful gazes of the two immediately fixed on him. Though they remained silent, their looks of hatred were unmistakable and unrestrained, a clear sign of their contempt for him.
However, if he were to accuse them based solely on this baseless verbal exchange, it might be seen as deliberately picking a fight, especially given the tense situation between the royal family and the Setter family. It was evident that the two understood this well, hence their lack of fear in displaying such contempt.
Ellie was the first to turn away, showing a remarkable ability to ignore others, much like her highly skilled brother whom he desired most. Wasn’t Luke the same? Known for his great skills, yet in the end, uninterested in public recognition.
Having someone like that by his side would be a great asset for him and the kingdom. However...gaining the trust of such a person wouldn’t be easy. Hence, he needed to take things slowly.
Using his status as a fellow hunter hadn’t worked well, so now he had to leverage his position as a prince. He couldn’t reveal his true identity, but he just had to avoid explicitly stating it. If others started to suspect, he would simply deny it vehemently. As long as he didn’t admit it, who could force the truth out of him?
Prince Jason smiled with satisfaction. Like Aman, he wasn’t used to encountering sincere people who showed their true feelings. Usually, even those who considered him as enemy had to force a smile in his presence. So, seeing Ellie and Aman being so genuine made him feel they were worth associating with, even if not necessarily as friends.
"Only a fool would believe that, Your Highness. I take good care of my sister-in-law. Anyone with a bit of sense can see that." Aman retorted, refusing to back down. He even dared to subtly insult the prince, which made Ryker immediately angry. He almost stood up to demand an explanation from Aman, if not for the signal from Prince Jason to remain silent.
At this moment, having issues with the Setter family would be like giving wings to the Rhea Kingdom. They would probably cheer and celebrate if the Ares Kingdom faced internal problems. Furthermore, the royal family and the Ares Kingdom could not afford to lose the great Setter family. Losing them would mean losing a massive amount of resources. As long as the Setter family didn’t meddle in politics or become too greedy and harm the people, they needed to be tolerated.
However, that didn’t mean Jason would let the Setter family bully him so easily!
Ellie, seeing the fierce glares between the two, thought about their background. They were destined to be enemies and might have been even without Nara’s involvement from the beginning. One was the future emperor, the other the future head of the Setter family according to the storyline, so they constantly had to balance their powers, just like their fathers had always done.
Nevertheless, for the sake of the Ares Kingdom, it could be seen that they often teamed up to overcome obstacles. Even though the novel mentioned the heroine as a relationship bridge, Ellie knew they were aware of their responsibilities. Disliking each other upon meeting didn’t mean they didn’t know how to conduct themselves.
Like now, even without the "heroine" as a mediator, they were merely exchanging sharp words. Aman spoke, then the prince, and now as Aman finished, the prince was ready to speak again. They could have gone their separate ways, or the prince could have accused Aman of disrespecting the royalty. Aman could also have shown his displeasure and challenged the prince to a duel, given his influence within the Setter family wasn’t small. Yet, they stood their ground without pushing their relationship to the brink.
However, in this round, it seemed the prince would have to wait for another chance, because just as he was about to respond, the acting director appeared with several professors.
"All students, please be silent," said Professor Gwen. Her voice wasn’t loud, yet everyone heard it clearly. The students, who had been discussing the recent events, gradually quieted down. They looked at each other and waited for the professor’s announcement.
"I know you all have questions about what’s happening, and many of you are aware of the impending war between the Ares and Rhea kingdoms. The main reasons are as you’ve heard; the rumors have spread far, so there’s no point in hiding it," Professor Gwen began. The students listened intently, not interrupting.
"The Rhea Kingdom is home to a notorious power group known as the “Seven Night Poison group.” This group specializes in the gather and study about the use of various poisons. Just a few days ago, they infiltrated our Ares Kingdom, and it was the Hunters’ Association that first discovered and captured them. During that incident, our Beast Training Branch students fell victim, but fortunately, they didn’t suffer severe injuries thanks to the hunters’ help."
"However, their audacious actions forced the Ares Kingdom to take a stand. If we let this slide, there will undoubtedly be a next time. Thus, we demanded the Rhea Kingdom to hand over the culprits for punishment. Unfortunately, the Rhea Kingdom dismissed our request entirely."
"When our demands were ignored, it signaled that they no longer saw the Ares Kingdom in their eyes. Other kingdoms, witnessing this outcome, began to look down on our kingdom. To demonstrate the consequences of defying us, the Emperor made the difficult decision, which was...to declare war between the kingdoms!"
"The last time there was an inter-kingdom conflict was nearly a century ago, which resulted in tremendous loss. Everyone believed that such unproductive battles should never occur again, leading to a peace treaty. Most of us focused on resource hunting and city conquest in the Tower of Eternity, never expecting that this peace treaty would be shattered."
"Of course, war requires substantial manpower and resources. Skilled individuals from across the Ares Kingdom have been summoned for this cause. Many of our professors are also occupied with their duties and won’t have time to teach you. However...there is a saying, “Learning from real experience is ten times more valuable than classroom learning.” Although this situation is a crisis, you all still have a unique learning opportunity. I believe you will gain a lot from this experience."
Professor Gwen’s eyes reflected sadness. Typically, they lost about 10% of their students each year due to the dangers of taking on missions. However, this year, it seemed more than 50% might be lost—a significant and tragic loss. Yet...they have no other choice.
It’s not just the students who need to assist; noble families and countless people must contribute to this fight. Even commoners would face increased taxes. War burdened every part of society. However, this situation was unavoidable. If they let this transgression go unpunished, the next one might be even more severe. To make an example for others, they must win this battle decisively!
"That’s all I need to tell you. Now, please listen to your assigned missions. And...remember to put forth your best effort, but prioritize your safety. Even if you give your all, if you perish...it means you can no longer use your abilities for the Ares Kingdom."
Professor Gwen stepped back. Although the acting director should have addressed the students, he claimed he couldn’t speak to those under his care. Other professors also refused, so the task fell to Professor Gwen, who could maintain the calmest composure.
They were well aware of the brutality of war. The students standing before them were children from various families who had come together to train and become stronger for a better future. Unfortunately, some might not survive to see the comfortable life they hoped for.
The harsh reality wasn’t just because they were students. Even after graduation, the kingdom would still call upon them to serve. Those who reached the required age were all summoned. Unlike students who received general assignments, those who were summoned were given roles suited to their expertise.
For example, those proficient in potion concocting would be called to concoct potions, whereas students with the same skills would have to join as resource hunters. Stratagem creators were tasked with working in stratagem units, but students were sent into the Tower of Eternity to gather resources. This was their misfortune.
Ah...The institute had no choice but to accept these missions. When comparing the loss ratios, the chosen path was deemed the most viable for survival.
The palace issued 2 mission options. The first was to assign tasks based on abilities. However, those without specific skills, making up the majority of students, would either have to follow soldiers into battle or hunt resources, primarily in the 3rd and 4th floors. If the institute chose this first option, the skilled students would be spared and given easier support roles to those with expertise. However, this group made up less than 10% of the student body, meaning the other 90% faced significant risks.
The 2nd option, which they chose, involved sending students to gather resources continuously on the 1st and 2nd floors without supervision but requiring weekly mission submissions at designated royal cities. Students would be divided among various cities, aiming to gather diverse resources.
Until the war ended, they wouldn’t be allowed to live comfortably. If any group failed their weekly mission, they would be punished by joining soldiers on higher-level hunts, considered unfair to other students.
Although it seemed like there was quite a lot of pressure, this 2nd option offered a higher chance of survival for their students. After reviewing the missions, they found they weren’t overly difficult. Some required gathering supplies and sending them to the soldiers continuously, others collecting herbs, and some retrieving other resources. With over 90% of students skilled in hunting, their chances of survival were high.
Some students had experience with missions in the Tower of Eternity, making the 1st and 2nd floors within their capabilities. Especially third and fourth-year students would be familiar with these tasks, provided they didn’t underestimate the challenges.
However, this choice also posed a high risk to students with special abilities. These students lacked combat skills and, if they were to be caught up in these missions, the likelihood of them dying was high. It was no wonder that many professors, such as Professor Nico, were displeased.
His students had spent much time training, and now they would potentially lose these valuable human resources just because the institute wanted to preserve the majority of its students? Even if he thought it was unfair, he couldn’t bring himself to say that they should let many students die. That was out of the question.
"I am here to explain the mission details to you. Your institute professors recommend that you pair up within your year groups, then join older students. Your group should consist of 8 people, but we allow up to 10 people per group."
"So, your first task is to pair up and register your group with us. We will then assign you appropriate missions," the royal representative stated with a stern expression.
Aman and Koross exchanged glances. They had already decided to group with Ellie. They, being third-year students, fit the pairing requirement perfectly. As for Wint, he didn’t have to think at all. He had been sticking close to Ellie, so it was understandable that he would be with her. Though Ellie found the 3 of them annoying, working with familiar people was undoubtedly easier.
Professor Medik looked at his sole student and nodded with a relieved smile. Seeing strong individuals around his student made him feel reassured about her safety.
While the two professor-student pairs exchanged reassuring smiles, Professor Nico felt immense concern. Most students had already formed their groups, but his direct and secondary students were still unchosen. It was just as he feared—his students, who spent their days and nights training, hadn’t formed bonds with students from other branches. His brows knitted together, and he was close to tears.
"Why don’t you spread out? And shouldn’t the hunters take in students from other branches? Isn’t it fair to help your peers? Students from other branches have abilities that might help you too,"
Professor Nico, unable to bear it any longer, spoke up in frustration. However, the students only looked down, unwilling to take any potential burdens into their groups.
The special ability students, who once had bright futures, now felt abandoned. Many professors understood the situation but couldn’t do anything about it. The royal representative remained silent, signaling the gravity of the situation. Choosing wrongly could have severe consequences."All of you..." Professor Nico’s eyes turned red with anger. Ellie bit her lip slightly, feeling that the situation was indeed unfair.
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