War?
War was…
Tracy’s words caught in her throat, and she couldn’t squeeze out another syllable.
Indeed.
What exactly was war?
She had grown up in a military camp, had read every famous military history on the Continent, and had personally dissected every detail of over 100 classic battles.
She knew the pros and cons of 100 types of formations and could recite ambush plans for thirty different types of terrain from memory.
She truly believed she was born for war.
But until today, until Wendy asked the question, she realized she had never once considered this most fundamental problem.
Was war just fighting?
That didn’t seem right.
Would a brawl between two people be considered a war?
Was a Kingdom suppressing a domestic rebellion a war?
Tracy’s mind went blank.
The knowledge system she took such pride in collapsed instantly in the face of this simple question.
The classroom fell into a terrifying silence.
Everyone could clearly hear the sound of their own hearts drumming in their chests.
The students’ gazes shifted back and forth between the female instructor, who stood dazed with trembling lips before the podium, and the calm youth.
No one dared to take a heavy breath.
Seeing that she remained silent, Wendy waited for a moment before speaking slowly.
“War is a continuation of politics; it is politics with bloodshed.”
“It is an armed struggle between hostile parties carried out to achieve certain political, economic, or territorial goals.”
“To put it bluntly, it is an ultimate method used to completely crush the opponent’s will to resist and force them to submit through the most efficient means of violence.”
Tracy’s pupils shrank.
She understood every word, but when combined, they opened a door to an entirely new world.
“I won’t bother with those lengthy definitions. You wouldn’t understand them right now anyway.”
Wendy glanced at the future “enemy commanders” who were sitting around him like wooden chickens, and his tone shifted.
“Let’s use an analogy. It’s like two rival street gangs.”
Gangs?
Everyone was stunned.
“Everyone has a disagreement over who gets to collect protection fees on a certain street.”
“Normally, you can’t just start fighting immediately. First, you find a mediator and pick a place to sit down and drink tea to negotiate. This is called political mediation.”
“When the talk fails, the atmosphere gets tense. Both sides start stripping off their shirts, showing the tattoos on their arms, and slamming the tables while shouting things like, ‘You want to try lookin’ at me again?’ or ‘Believe it or not, I’ll kill you!’ This is called military deterrence.”
“Finally, when the negotiations truly break down and all pretense of civility is gone…”
“That’s when the Red Flower Poles from both sides step onto the stage. They grab machetes, bricks, and wine bottles — those ultimate weapons — and call their friends to start a massive brawl.”
“And the process of that brawl is war.”
Silence followed.
The entire classroom was deathly still.
A moment after he finished, Wendy realized the atmosphere felt off.
He looked around and saw that every single person present was staring at him in a daze.
The second son of a Noble from the Northern Region’s Makari Empire was carefully holding his chin with both hands.
His eyes were vacant, as if he were afraid his jaw might drop if he wasn’t careful.
The curvaceous Athena had stopped her heavy breathing.
Her red lips were parted in a perfect “O” shape, wide enough to fit a goose egg.
As for Instructor Tracy at the podium, she looked as if she had suffered a stroke.
Her mouth was crooked, her eyes were wide, and her entire body trembled slightly.
Her gaze was a mix of shock, confusion, and a hint of… excitement.
Wendy’s heart skipped a beat.
‘This is bad.’
He had let his mouth run and said too much.
If this female instructor was thick-skinned and acted like the “professors” from his previous life, she might plagiarize his theory, and he would have nowhere to complain.
Suddenly, a cry of surprise broke the silence.
“Prince Wendy!”
Athena suddenly sprang from her seat and rushed to Wendy in three steps.
Her exotic eyes flickered with an unprecedented frenzy.
“No! Boss! You are incredible! To think you could connect profound war with something like gang brawls so thoroughly! From now on, I’m following you!”
She grew more excited as she spoke, grabbing Wendy’s arm, her face flushed with agitation.
“We should open an Incense Chamber and drink sheep’s blood! We’ll draw hairtails and tattoos all over our bodies! Let’s form a gang! With someone as brilliant as you leading us, dominating the entire Central Academy won’t be a problem at all!”
“Once we graduate and return to our respective countries, we can open branch offices! We’ll conquer a massive territory and build a super Underworld that spans the entire Continent!”
“By then, Boss, you’ll be the underground King of the human world! We siblings will walk with our heads held high wherever we go. Who would dare mess with us? Even the Pope would have to take a detour when he sees us! No matter how powerful he is, we’ll send him to see the Sun Goddess with a single knife!”
Wendy was stunned.
He stared into Athena’s eyes and, amidst that pure fanaticism, confirmed one thing.
This girl really wanted to join the Underworld with him.
“Boss! Say something! We’re all waiting for your stance!”
Seeing him remain silent, Athena shook his arm anxiously.
Wendy glanced around out of the corner of his eye and nearly fainted.
Sure enough, every single student in the room was nodding their heads frantically, their faces written with the excitement of “I am willing to follow you to the death.”
He even heard a regretful whisper from a corner:
“Dammit! That little vixen Athena beat me to it! This is the merit of being a founding member! Sigh…”
Wendy didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
What was wrong with these people?
Instead of being the elite children of powerful figures from various nations, they were sticking their necks out to be gangsters?
Had their brains been bashed by a troll’s club?
He could only shake his head repeatedly and refuse with a righteous air.
“I’m not joining some Underworld. It lacks class.”
“Besides, collecting protection fees and fighting for territory is exhausting.”
“Furthermore, opening an Incense Chamber and drinking sheep’s blood… everyone sharing one bowl is unhygienic. That stuff smells fishy and tastes terrible.”
“Joining a gang requires a red-hot tong to leave a Mark on your body. The thought of sizzling flesh makes me hurt.”
“And the tattoos… my skin is so smooth and delicate. If I get those messy things tattooed on me, I won’t be able to wash them off later.”
The students hadn’t expected their “Boss,” whom they viewed as a man of grand vision, to be so fond of ease and lack ambition at such a young age.
For a moment, a synchronized sigh of disappointment echoed through the classroom.
Seeing the dejected looks on their faces, Wendy thought for a moment and added another sentence.
“However, it’s not completely impossible. Just follow me after class.”
“Oh!!!”
The crowd was overjoyed.
They began high-fiving in celebration, and the classroom was instantly filled with a joyful atmosphere.
“After suffering for so many years, we’ve finally found an organization!”
“Yeah, yeah! The good days are coming!”
“Ahem!”
A dry cough came from the side.
Only then did everyone realize they were still in class and the teacher was present.
Discussing their bright future in the Underworld in front of a teacher was, after all, a bit impolite.
Thus, everyone hurriedly sat up straight, looking ahead with the obedient expressions of “good students.”
Tracy walked over slowly.
She looked at Wendy with a complicated gaze, forcing a smile that looked more painful than crying.
Her voice was dry.
“Prince… Wendy, was it?”
She took a deep breath and asked in a tone that was almost pleading,
“I want to ask you something. Could you… explain those theories about war you just mentioned in more detail?”
Upon hearing this, alarm bells rang in Wendy’s head.
‘Here it comes!’
‘The free-loader has arrived!’
“Normally, I wouldn’t mind explaining,” the Prince replied with a faint smile, revealing his white teeth.
“But since you’ve reminded me, I suddenly realized that our Academy, and even the entire Continent, doesn’t have a single book that systematically explains the theory of war.”
“Therefore, I plan to write an article. I’ve already decided on the name; it will be called On War.”
“I might as well use it to earn some royalties and buy some good food…”