I Became the Golden Sun That Steals the Academy’s Aircraft

71. Hero

Yannick, who had been watching Gilbert leaving the parlor with his usual expressionless expression, this time turned to his master.

Cold eyes and a tightly closed mouth that makes it impossible to tell what he is thinking.

He even had a face without a smile, as if the skit earlier was a lie.

Now Yannick had returned to the original Seraphina that he was familiar with.

“Her Royal Highness. There is one thing I would like to ask you.”

“Yannick. You must have said that that title is prohibited inside the academy.”

“I’m sorry, Seraphina.”

Yannick bowed his head and asked for forgiveness. It was a mistake that, unlike him, could not be corrected, but Seraphina’s unique energy made Yannick automatically say the title.

If you weren’t conscious of it, you would call her Serafina so well suited to the position of Her Highness the Princess.

I guess this is the dignity of a king.

Yannick could not help but nod inwardly.

“That’s it. So what did you want to ask her? If you were the usual Yannick, you would have swallowed her questions to yourself.”

Although he occasionally gave advice, it was rare for Yannick, who believed that loyalty meant not going against the will of his master. Normally, she would try to understand her intentions rather than question her actions, but since this was the first time in quite a while that she was being asked about her intentions, Seraphina was also intrigued.

“Why did you say that to Sir Gilbert a moment ago?”

“When you say that… What do you mean?”

“I’m saying that Serafina’s time is being given as a reward.”

“Oh, that’s what you meant.”

Yannick looked at his master quietly drinking cold tea instead of answering.

Originally, Seraphina was a thorough and charismatic leader who controlled her subjects. Her intimidating appearance made ordinary people cringe just by getting close to her, making them feel as if they were under her curse spell.

That was the whole reason she was designated as the next emperor. Because it was natural for Princess Seraphina to stand above someone.

But at some point, Seraphina became the same as she is now. Unlike before, when she had no idea what a joke was, she joked often, and she began to tell frivolous jokes often.

It was the same a little while ago. She was telling jokes that were previously unthinkable, and she was doing them so casually.

Considering her status within the empire, she had to avoid such jokes even if it was a private situation. Even if it was just a trivial word, the moment Seraphina said it, it was bound to be talked about.

And in politics, such trivial things accumulate and exert their power. That was the beginning of everything that gave justification and opportunity to attack.

Because of that, Yannick could not hide his wonder. She could not possibly imagine that Seraphina, who was known to have deep feelings, would have overlooked something that she could easily recall.

Then there must be some reason.

Yannick was curious about that.

“Yannick. What kind of man do you think Gilbert Lionheart is?”

“It is…”

At the question of Seraphina, who was quietly drinking tea, Yannick felt a sense of déjà vu. He had certainly heard this same question. When I thought about when it was, it was definitely during the entrance mock competition for new students at Demeia Academy this year.

At that time, Yannick harshly criticized Gilbert, calling him ‘disrespectful, dishonorable, and a lousy man.’ It was an objective evaluation without any hint of self-interest, combining the reputation that had been made so far and the information received from the Imperial Intelligence Department. If there was a mixture of opinions, it was only a feeling of disgust towards the idiot from an aristocratic family who was behaving poorly.

But now, several months later, I heard the same question, but I couldn’t give the same evaluation. Gilbert’s actions after entering Demeia Academy were 180 degrees different from what he had done before.

Did I say it was disrespectful?

Who is the one who takes the lead in subduing the enemies of the imperial family more than anyone else?

Did he say he doesn’t know honor?

He who never backed down in the face of countless enemies?

Did you say he was bad?

He who defeated all his enemies and stood alone?

Yannick shook his head.

The status of the exclusive disciple of the First Sword of the Empire and the only priest of the First Princess of the Infractus Empire. He was awarded the title of knight as an academy member, and was not lacking in anything, including the ability to block dozens of giant gods alone.

Of course, if you try to find fault with a political perspective, the bad reputation of the past could be a hindrance. There were quite a few high-ranking nobles who remembered his foolish behavior and gnashed their teeth.

But Gilbert, who brilliantly prevented the attack on the Academy, was now being hailed as a hero. While he was being used as great propaganda to quell public sentiment, he was at risk of becoming president if he engaged in politics that had nothing to gain.

Yannick gathered his thoughts and cleared his throat. He felt Seraphina’s eyes waiting for an answer.

“Sir Gilbert is a faithful subject of the Empire, a man of honor who never backs down even in the face of numerous enemies, and a courageous man who greets the enemies of the Empire before anyone else.”

“You’re evaluating it differently than before.”

“I was so narrow-minded that I didn’t know much about Sir Gilbert.”

“No, everyone does that.”

From noble mtl dot com

Seraphina, who was rubbing her empty teacup with her hand near her lips, soon called her maid standing nearby and filled it with black tea. As the reddish-colored tea filled the teacup, she added a few sugar cubes and swirled her teaspoon.

As she watched the hard sugar dissolving in the warm black tea, she gently placed the teaspoon in the teacup.

“Yannick.”

“Yes, Seraphina.”

“I like talented people. I think that the light that their talent gives off, like the stars that twinkle in the night sky, is truly beautiful.”

“I know. Serafina, aren’t you always working hard to find talent?”

“Yes. One by one, they will come together and become the cornerstone that supports the empire. As a woman, she cannot help but like talented people.”

Seraphina was always thirsty for her talent. As she was born with outstanding talent, she knew very well how far a talented person can achieve, so she attracted talented people to her, regardless of social status.

In some ways, she bordered on obsessive-compulsive, but there was only one reason she did what she did. She was for the Empire.

“The most important thing to Yeo is the empire. The development of the empire is the only goal and direction of Yeo’s life. How could she neglect her talented people?”

“Then…”

“Gilbert is a gem among gems. It has only been less than half a year since he entered the academy. But look at him. He has already left a deep mark on the empire. This can only be done by those with a heroic spirit. . He will be the one to change the landscape of the continent in the future.”

Seraphina savored the black tea and closed her eyes. When she closed her eyes, she naturally remembered the first time she saw Gilbert.

Seraphina inspected her new students every year to attract useful talent to her faction. She did not miss this year either and attended the entrance mock competition. Needless to say, she was more excited than ever, especially since she was known to be a freshman with a lot of talent.

Definitely, as rumored, the level of this year’s freshmen was higher than the previous year. Everyone had extraordinary skills in handling the Giant God Soldiers, and there were also some new students who wanted to be recruited into the faction.

However, as she was unable to attract all the talent due to customary practices, she began to sift through the good and bad, and selected a few as final candidates. She felt confident that if she could attract even one of them to her faction, she would be a successful recruit.

Gilbert is known to the world as the count’s bastard.

He stood out by demonstrating the most outstanding Giant Soldier piloting skills among the freshmen, and eventually defeated all of the commander cadets to win the final championship. Even Seraphina was surprised by his behavior, which did not fit with the nickname he had previously displayed.

I guessed that what he had shown so far was just an appearance to deceive others, and I suspected that the reason for deceiving was to threaten the safety of the empire.

She was in a position where she had to be careful of everything, so she decided to keep Gilbert by her side and watch over her. One day, when Brianna came to her and asked her to become his exclusive disciple, she agreed, and that was the underlying intention behind her decision.

But he showed actions that were different from her concerns. He not only prevented the Resistance’s terror attack on the Academy, but also made a remarkable contribution by being at the forefront of the operation to eradicate the Resistance.

Moreover, in this attack on Demeia Academy, he single-handedly blocked dozens of giant god soldiers and even protected all the cadets and guests who visited the academy.

Due to Seraphina’s always reserved nature, she did not completely trust him, but she felt quite a deep sense of trust. She felt that, above all else, she must not lose him, and so she was in the process of developing a sense of intimacy.

“So you’re being rude to Sir Gilbert?”

“If he can attract Gilbert with actions like this, he can do anything.”

Yannick seemed to be impressed by Seraphina’s calm words and closed her eyes. Even though he was in a nobler position than anyone else, serving a lord who could put even himself down when necessary was the greatest happiness and pride for Yannick, who called himself a loyal subject.

She has doubts about what the princess is doing.

Yannick blamed himself for her blasphemous thoughts, once again burning out his loyalty to Seraphina.

“Of course, it is also true that a priest suits a woman’s taste.”

“Yes? Princess… What are you doing…?”

“W also has her personal symbol.”

At the sight of Seraphina smiling and drinking tea, Yannick’s loyalty from a while ago faded, and she became a little lost in her wits.

You must be joking, right?

But Yannick could have sworn that this was the first time he had seen Seraphina make a joke like this.

***

Brianna, who was handling her pile of work due to the attack on her academy, suddenly checked the time. By now, Gilbert had finished his audience with Princess Serafina. She seemed to have lost track of time as she processed documents.

After Brianna finished and organized her agenda, she picked up the teapot to brew her tea. She happened to have her family send her some herbal tea leaves that were good for stabilizing the body, so she thought now would be a good time to brew the tea.

I think it took some time for Gilbert to recover after he broke his limit, but she was thinking of making him some tea just in case he felt angry.

Knock knock

When I finished making the tea, I heard a knock on the door. She seemed to have arrived within the time she expected.

“Master. This is Gilbert.”

“Come in.”

She carefully opened the door and signaled to Gilbert, who came in, to sit down. After seeing Gilbert sitting at her reception table, Brianna poured her herbal tea into two cups and placed one of her own in front of Gilbert.

“It is a herbal tea that is good for body stability. Drinking it will reduce the recoil from exceeding the limit.”

“I will eat well.”

Brianna burst into laughter as she watched Gilbert drink her tea.

What’s unique about her is that she doesn’t have any questions.

“What’s going on? You’re in a softer mood than usual.”

“Well… There’s no teacher who wouldn’t be happy with his student’s growth.”

Brianna calmed her expression in response to Gilbert’s question. Her expression seemed to have relaxed without her realizing it.

“Are you feeling better than that?”

“As you can see, he’s fine. He wasn’t injured.”

“I know that. But that day, you definitely crossed the limit. No one can guarantee what kind of problems that will cause.”

Limited area. It was a different concept from the breakthrough that all practitioners, whether practicing martial arts or magic, desperately wanted. It was a very dangerous act of forcibly exceeding a level that was not yet permitted by using talent to open a gap.

No one could have known what kind of repercussions would come in return if one were to break through in a situation where physical and mental growth was lacking.

Brianna has seen too many people who could have made a name for themselves in history stumble into marginal territory and suffer permanent damage. She also had the experience of stepping into a marginal area and recovering from it, so she keenly felt the dangers of a marginal area.

“It’s a marginal area…”

“That’s why you were able to use the Winter Sword’s five powers during the attack on the Academy. It’s the limit area that literally allows you to demonstrate your divine power beyond your limits. But from now on, you won’t be able to set foot in the limit area. “I will prohibit it. The limit area allows you to exert strength beyond your current level, but it has a severe rebound on your body and mind. If you make a mistake, you could end up as a person in trouble.”

“I will not use it as much as possible.”

“I’m not saying I don’t use it as much as possible. I’m saying it’s absolutely prohibited.”

“I understand.”

It was only then that Brianna relaxed her stern expression after hearing the definitive answer. The anxiety that my precious student might fall into the limit and destroy his body was somewhat alleviated. In any case, the higher the level, the more difficult it is to step into the limit area. It was never easy to force oneself to open oneself up and advance to the next level through one’s talent.

Gilbert’s talent will quickly surpass his current level, so this level of warning will be enough.

“Are you calling me to say that?”

“That’s the biggest, but not everything.”

There was one more reason why Brianna called Gilbert aside from prohibiting her from reaching her limit.

She looked again at her student who was looking at her bluntly.

I could see her blonde hair that seemed to be made of melted gold, her eyes that looked somewhat fierce, and the piercings in her ears that were uncharacteristic of a noble.

If you only saw this, it wouldn’t be strange for her to be called a b*tch, but Brianna was confident that she knew her student better than anyone else.

Gilbert was a swordsman with a greater desire for the sword than anyone else, and a true knight who could never ignore the danger of others.

He saved himself from death during the attack and remained alone, never backing down against dozens of giant god soldiers. After he had disposed of all the titans, he moved to protect the cadets and subjects who could not evacuate, disregarding his own life in the process.

It was dozens of giant monsters, but it was too much for a cadet who had just started to shed the tag of a new academy student. And yet Gilbert did so brilliantly what was difficult to do as a first-year cadet.

Even Brianna, who was wary of Gilbert’s pride and was stingy with praise, could not help but praise him.

“Road.”

“…Please speak.”

Gilbert looked at Brianna, who had mentioned her nickname in a soft voice. He was inwardly surprised at seeing her for the first time since becoming Brianna’s exclusive student. Even in Tactical Combat, she had a cold expression and was quite different from Briana.

How could I not be embarrassed when I saw an expression on his face that even I had not seen before?

Gilbert swallowed dry saliva.

“As a teacher, there is no one who would not be pleased with the growth of a student. How could one not be happy that the student is moving in the right direction? I am very proud that you are moving forward on the right path. I will not deviate from the middle path in the future. “I hope we keep moving forward.”

“I understand.”

Is it because I cleared the death route that was unavoidable in Tactical Combat?

Gilbert looked at Brianna with a benevolent smile and clenched her fists. Trying to prevent her death was an action taken to minimize damage to the Academy. Personally, she also wished Brianna had lived.

How can you hate Brianna, who is willing to sacrifice her life for her cadets?

She wanted to save her life, so she did everything she could during the attack, but now, looking at this smile, it seemed like she had fully received her reward. As much as she worked hard, the reward for her was very great.

“Big deal. In that sense, try to set aside some time next week.”

“It’s not difficult… But is there a reason?”

“My student worked hard enough to be called a hero, but as a teacher, I have to give him a gift. A grand award ceremony will be held soon, so I will buy him something to wear at that time.”

“Are you talking about this, Master?”

“Yes. I will at least buy you something delicious to show off your hard work.”

The sight of Brianna clearing her throat as if embarrassed and drinking her herbal tea was no more familiar than her soft smile.

Gilbert couldn’t help but be dumbfounded when he saw that. Still, it wasn’t a bad offer, so he slowly nodded her head.

But isn’t this almost a date?

Gilbert, who was drinking herbal tea with Brianna, soon shook her head.

Oh no way.