At Abel’s request, Delon immediately called the captain of the academy’s security team, who was in charge of maintaining order.
Soon after, a burly man appeared in the principal’s office.
He had dark skin, and his hair was cut so short it looked like he had barely bothered with it.
The thick muscles protruding from his body were so large that, even though he tried to cover them with his clothes, they were still clearly visible.
Abel thought that the first impression he had of this man wasn’t one of him being “big” or “rough,” but rather, “thick.”
This was the first time he had such a thought about someone.
“Ralph Cougar. It’s an honor to meet Sir Rudius, whose reputation precedes him.”
“Abel Rudius. Reputation, you say? It seems the captain is quite skilled at flattering people.”
“Ha.”
Ralph let out a surprised breath as Abel gave a wry smile while shaking his hand.
If anyone else had said something like that, Ralph would have just let it slide, but he couldn’t help feeling more bewildered in front of Abel.
After all, he was already well aware of Abel’s reputation.
The former head of the Imperial Special Forces Disposal Unit, or the Special Forces Unit for short, Abel Rudius.
He had played a crucial role in the final battle against the worst villain in history, Vorgan, who turned the continent into a land of war.
He was also the one who had contributed greatly to sealing Vorgan, alongside his teacher, the sword saint Aiperia.
After the war, Abel was recognized for his terrifying strength and became the leader of the newly formed special unit that dealt with Vorgan’s remaining followers and his faction.
At just twenty years old, without any opposition, he was chosen as the leader among a group of skilled individuals.
Even after his retirement, he continued to eliminate the remnants of Vorgan’s forces for the next three years, and the number of enemies defeated was so vast it could fill rivers and cover mountains—truly an astonishing level of achievement.
To hear someone like him speak of his reputation as though it was nothing special seemed not just humble, but almost arrogant.
‘Just standing here, I can feel the sting of his presence. How much blood has he spilled with those hands?’
Moreover, the moment Ralph faced Abel, he immediately realized that Abel’s reputation was far from hollow.
Abel wasn’t even trying to threaten him by releasing magical power, nor did he have such a large physique that his mere presence overwhelmed the other person.
No, if anything, if you only looked at his appearance, he seemed like a rather ordinary young man.
His messy black hair didn’t seem like it was grown out beautifully, but more like it had been left untended due to laziness.
However, when his golden eyes stared directly at Ralph, Ralph involuntarily flinched.
It was only because Abel was actively suppressing his presence for the sake of those around him that Ralph’s reaction was just a slight flinch.
Still, Ralph, who had spent time on the battlefield as a former member of the Imperial Knights, instinctively felt it.
No temporary effort could hide the imposing pressure and intensity in Abel’s gaze, a feeling that was different from anyone he had met before.
“Flattering me, are you? How could you say such a thing? I’ve heard so much about Sir Rudius and the sword saint Aiperia’s heroic deeds. My ears almost bled…”
Ralph, eager to score some points with his new superior, tried to continue, but was startled and swallowed his breath.
For a brief moment, Abel’s golden eyes seemed to fill with sadness.
‘Oh no.’
Ralph immediately realized his mistake and began to regret mentioning Aiperia’s name, especially since she had passed away.
Even though she had died honorably, for those who were left behind, it was still a sad memory.
“I apologize. I shouldn’t have said that…”
“It’s fine. Please, take a seat.”
As Ralph quickly apologized, Abel lightly waved his hand, signaling him to sit down.
***
Ralph took this as an attempt to change the subject.
Feeling guilty, he quickly sat down.
‘This is going to be a long road ahead.’
Ralph, who had likely ruined his chances of getting off on the right foot with his new superior, could already sense that his future in this position would be tough.
“Back in the day, there used to be about a hundred of us, but with the budget cuts and various circumstances, the number has gradually decreased to this point. Besides, there were always few bold people who would dare to raid this place to begin with.”
“…I see.”
“Cough…!”
Feeling like I could somewhat understand the reason behind the budget cuts, I glanced over at Delon Glast.
He cleared his throat and left the teacher’s office abruptly, saying, “Well then, you two can have a nice chat.”
‘That senile old man… Did he even cut the number of guards while lining his pockets for his retirement He managed to survive until his retirement without being caught.’
Though I wanted to scatter salt where he left, I restrained myself and instead addressed the captain of the guards.
“Would it be possible to double the number of guards within the next ten days?”
“Eh? Double the number? Are you asking to increase the number to something similar to the past?”
“No, I don’t intend to keep it that high. However, I’d like to request that the security be reinforced at least on the day of the entrance ceremony.”
“If we gather mercenaries or former members of the guard, it might be possible. But may I ask… why?”
Of course, the academy always puts effort into ensuring strong security for the entrance ceremony, but the captain seemed surprised by the request to double the number of guards.
The entrance ceremony is a significant event, and while the academy would usually increase security for it, the reason for doubling the numbers didn’t seem to convince the captain easily.
If only he’d believed that dignitaries from various nations might attend and accepted that as a valid reason, that would’ve been nice.
But unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
Anyway, I had an excuse prepared, so it didn’t matter.
“In fact, we’ve received intelligence about a large-scale raid targeting the students on the day of the entrance ceremony.”
“Eh!? A large-scale raid? Who would dare attack our innocent students?”
I calmed down the captain, who was jumping up in surprise, and continued in a steady tone.
“You must have heard that the third princess of the Hildek Kingdom will be attending the entrance ceremony.”
“Yes… I’ve heard, even with my ears closed.”
“The attackers seem to be targeting that princess. I suspect they are people with a grudge against the royal family.”
“I can’t believe it. Even if that’s the case, it’s one thing to attempt an assassination or kidnapping, but to think they would attempt a large-scale raid on the academy…”
‘Exactly.’
‘Even I think they’re insane.’
‘But given that this world is the setting of an academy-based novel, it’s entirely possible.’
‘Terrorist attacks at entrance ceremonies are a common cliché in academy stories.’
‘Maybe the author just slapped on a convenient reason to include a terrorist attack, thinking it would be fitting.’
Of course, in the original story, it wasn’t the Trivia Academy that was attacked but the Eldrid Academy, where the princess would attend.
Still, since the “princess” was the reason for the attack in the original, I can’t guarantee there won’t be an attack this time either.
In fact, I’m quite certain they will attack.
After all, this is an academy novel.
“Lord Rudius, where did you hear such important news?”
“It’s from an old colleague who was in the special forces. He’s now scattered across various places looking for his own path, but thanks to him, I occasionally receive unexpected news.”
“Ah, if it’s information from someone in the special forces, it must be reliable. Understood. I’ll do my best to increase the number of guards by the specified day.”
“Yes, thank you. I’ll be counting on you.”
“Haha, no, I should be the one thanking you.”
***
After confirming that the captain of the guards had left the teacher’s office, I let out a rough sigh, “Hoo…” and slouched deeply into the sofa, becoming one with it.
“…Captain, was there such news?”
At this point, my reliable adjutant, Anis, finally spoke up, puzzled.
She had been the one who served as both a contact and an informant for those who had once been in the special forces, so she must have been surprised by the classified information she hadn’t heard before.
I took a sip of coffee, shrugged my shoulders, and replied.
“No.”
“That’s not the case.”
With my response, which was so dismissive it bordered on empty, Anis blinked a couple of times, then looked at me with a face that seemed to say, “What is this guy doing?” I avoided her gaze, quietly sipping my coffee and savoring the aroma.
‘As expected, you were already aware.’
Anis looked at his superior, Abel, with awe in her eyes, her expression filled with admiration.
Lately, Anis had also heard about the suspicious movements of the Hildek Kingdom’s rebel forces from one of her former special forces colleagues, but since there was still no concrete evidence, she had planned to inform Abel only once more solid information came through.
Yet, Abel had already been aware of the situation, even from his seated position.
The fact that he flatly denied the claim with an “No” without further questioning must have been his way of saying, “Don’t ask any more.”
He must have set up an independent information network that even Anis didn’t know about.
He had always been like this back when he was in the special forces.
Whenever urgent news came in, he would already have a clear picture of the situation even before it was reported.
Moreover, despite the uncertainty, he had given clear instructions without hesitation, prioritizing the safety of the students and important figures.
It was impressive.
‘If it had been anyone else, they might have dismissed it as a mere annoyance and not taken any action, or at best, they would have just increased the security level with the existing guards to deal with the situation.’
‘You haven’t changed.’
It was his insight and cool-headed judgment that allowed him to protect everyone in the special forces, gaining their respect even amidst chaos.
Seeing a glimpse of that time again, Anis smiled softly, nodding to herself.
As expected, he was the kind of person she wanted to serve for life.
As she reminded herself of this obvious fact in her heart, her cheeks lightly flushed.