I Got a Fake Job at the Academy
Chapter 450: The Roots of Rebellion (2)

"Hahaha! This is quite a sight! What a sight indeed! Who would have thought that Vierano would end up like this!"

In the private room of the House Dentis where the banquet was being held the elders from the three noble houses who had visited from outside burst into laughter while raising their glasses in celebration.

Having drunk their fill, they were quite intoxicated.

The first to speak was the elder from House Radix.

He was a male elf who appeared to be in his mid-40s, boasting long flowing hair.

"To be able to drive out Vierano, who was always such a thorn in our side, so easily. What a joyous occasion this is."

The one who responded was the elder from House Floheim, a middle-aged woman with sharp features.

"Indeed it is. And here we are raising our glasses in their house no less."

"I never thought we'd end up receiving help from House Lifrey, who used to be our mortal enemies."

The elder from House Radix said to the elder from House Crown.

"Isn't it all thanks to Crown's side keeping an eye on the royal palace and obtaining the information?"

The elder with short hair and sharp features replied.

"Ho ho. No need to praise us so much. House Lifrey, those shallow-rooted ones, were so sloppy in handling things that even we were taken aback."

"More importantly, is it really true about the survivor of Plante?"

"Lifrey sent their Shadewarden outside. Looking at the damage, it seems quite significant. Given that it has some connection to the World Tree, I'd say it's almost certain."

"Hmm. Well, this is troublesome. If House Lifrey gets that authority, things might become quite annoying."

"Well, what can we do? They won't be able to act as they please either. Rather than that, let's enjoy today. It's a special banquet after all. To think that Dentis, who maintained neutrality to an annoying degree, is now coming under us three noble houses."

The elders burst into raucous laughter.

They had framed Vierano with charges of treason and used that weakness to promote Viela as the next head of the house.

Of course, the actual authority would be reduced incomparably compared to when Vierano was the head.

After all, Viela would be their puppet, moving according to their orders.

The elder from House Floheim chuckled and said.

"Still just a child, she fell for it as soon as we sweet-talked her a bit."

"Hehe. Even with her considerable pride, you managed to persuade her quite well."

"What could someone like her possibly do? We just coaxed and soothed her saying we'd preserve the house, and after pretending to think it over for a bit, she accepted."

"I suppose a youngster can't help but be naive."

With this, the three noble houses gained a strong ally.

If House Dentis, which had maintained neutrality until now, joined the three noble houses, the balance of power that had been maintained precariously would tip in their favor.

"I'd like to do something about those Birk fellows too, if possible."

"That would be difficult. They're not your ordinary stubborn bunch. Plus, their military power isn't something to be taken lightly."

"Let's just leave them be. They're the type to stay away from politics anyway. Besides, haven't we gained some leverage against Birk? To think that a human would secretly enter House Dentis' territory. We can use that as a pretext to question Birk House's competence, which should be enough to keep them in check."

At that moment, Viela entered the private room.

Unlike the other middle-aged elves, she stood out with her still youthful appearance.

The elders, who had been badmouthing her just moments ago, greeted her with smiling faces the moment they confirmed her entrance.

"Ho ho! Look who it is. If it isn't the head of House Dentis!"

"What took you so long? Come, have a drink! On a day like this, we must celebrate!"

Even in their drunken state, the elders were skilled at hiding their true intentions.

"Then I'll gratefully join you."

Viela said this as she sat down in an empty seat.

The conversation continued.

However, it wasn't as blatant as before. Rather, it was closer to the elders giving advice to Viela.

No. Could that even be called advice?

In reality, it was nothing more than groundwork to manipulate Viela, who would essentially become their puppet from now on.

"The former head Vierano didn't particularly leave an heir. But Madam Viela is different, isn't she? What do you think about establishing good relations with our house?"

"Elder Radix, you're drunk. It's too early for such a talk with Head Viela. Though of course, we should keep the possibility open. We do have young and ambitious elves in our Floheim as well."

"Don't leave out House Crown."

It was a proposal to strengthen the alliance through marriage bonds.

However, Viela was not unaware of their disgusting intentions.

They planned to bind her more tightly through marriage.

If there was any consolation, it was that for now, this was just a proposal.

The three elders who had voiced their opinions silently checked each other.

Now that it was confirmed that Dentis would join the three noble houses, they were probably thinking about how much of a share each house would get.

Viela wanted to storm out of this place right now.

She wondered if Uncle Vierano had left the forest because he couldn't stand seeing such filthy sights.

"Thank you for the proposals. I will think about them."

But Viela answered without showing any change in her expression.

After all, she wouldn't have to see these disgusting faces for much longer.

Once the people, including Vierano, escaped from the underground prison, she planned to use that as a pretext to call in soldiers and drive these people out.

'So, Uncle. Please escape safely. And never return to this filthy forest.'

Viela made this resolution while waiting for the news that would soon arrive.

As the gathering grew deeper into the night, commotion began to be heard from outside.

Viela thought that finally, what she had been waiting for had come.

Now the soldiers of House Dentis would burst into this private room and suppress these elders...

"By the way, Head Viela."

At that moment, the elder from House Crown opened his mouth while slightly swirling the wine glass in his hand.

The grape wine in the glass gently swished.

"Even so, wasn't your scheme a bit too obvious?"

"What do you..."

Before Viela could finish asking, the private room burst open with a bang and a group of soldiers rushed in.

The elf soldiers immediately surrounded Viela upon entering the private room.

"This, this is..."

This wasn't part of the plan.

Viela glared at the three elders in bewilderment.

The elders, who had been drinking and talking freely just moments ago, now had completely sober faces, as if their previous behavior had all been an act.

'Could it be...they had already figured out our plan?'

Viela's anxious thoughts became reality.

"Just as you didn't trust us, you should have known that we didn't trust you either."

The female elder from House Floheim sneered.

"Well, it was a childish action befitting your age. It was amusing to watch while pretending not to know."

Viela bit her lip at those words.

Since they had moved first and taken her hostage, the soldiers of House Dentis wouldn't be able to move recklessly.

It was her own mistake for having stepped lightly into this space to reassure the elders.

"Rather, by causing this incident, it will be even easier to devour House Dentis."

The soldiers all raised their spears, pointing them at Viela.

They were full of determination to stab her to death at the slightest wrong move.

"With this opportunity, we won't need to drag Vierano to the execution ground, we can kill him right here. Now that we have justification."

Viela's head began to spin.

This was something she had undertaken even while betraying her uncle. Yet to think she had been dancing in their palm from the very beginning.

All her life, she had only followed her uncle's back.

He was an excellent head of the house and her proud uncle, the elf she respected most.

She had thought that someday she wanted to become like him and that thought grew stronger as she took on some of the head's duties.

She realized how much burden Vierano had been carrying while maintaining his position as head until now, that's why she wanted to help.

She wanted to lighten Vierano's burden and show that she too had become a proper adult.

She wanted to receive praise for doing well.

'But I...'

Viela's face was filled with despair.

The three elders watched Viela's state with apparent enjoyment and laughed.

Just as that laughter full of mockery and contempt filled the private room a single voice tore through it all at once.

"So this is where everyone was."

The soldiers from the three noble houses who had been pointing their weapons at Viela all turned around at once at the sound of footsteps.

Through the private room's entrance that had been thrown wide open, an elf was slowly walking in.

Seeing him, Viela spoke with a voice that couldn't hide her misery.

"Uncle Vierano."

"Viela."

Vierano looked at this situation with a cold gaze before shifting his eyes to Viela.

Viela didn't dare meet his eyes.

Why didn't you escape? Why did you come here?

More than being questioned about such things, she felt most ashamed that her uncle had seen her in such an unsightly state.

However, Vierano's eyes toward Viela were full of warm feelings.

"You've been through a lot. I'm sorry for making you take on such a difficult task."

"Uncle?"

"But don't worry. This was something I should have done from the start. So I'll finish it."

Vierano's gaze turned back to the three elders.

With eyes that were in stark contrast to how they had been when looking at Viela - now extremely sharp.

"Heh. Vierano Dentis. You escaped from the underground prison but instead of running away, you came back here?"

"You must have lost your mind. And alone, leaving behind the humans you came with? Were you that eager to die?"

The elders from House Radix and House Floheim mocked Vierano.

However, the only one who couldn't join in was the elder from House Crown.

He felt a chill from Vierano's almost expressionless appearance.

As an elder from a house that dealt with the forest's information, he knew facts that others didn't.

One of those was that despite his appearance, Vierano Dentis was an elf who had achieved great merit in various wars in the past.

"I see. Indeed, since I've been resting for so long, it seems everyone has forgotten."

Vierano muttered quietly as he looked at the soldiers pointing their weapons at him and the elders mocking him.

"If that's the case, I'll have to make you remember."

The surrounding air grew cold, it felt as if the temperature had dropped several degrees in an instant.

The weapons of the well-trained elite soldiers trembled.

Their complexions all turned pale and their breathing became rough as if they couldn't breathe properly.

"Wh-what's this?"

The elders were also bewildered.

The feeling that the temperature had dropped wasn't an illusion.

The temperature in this private room was actually falling at a rapid pace and the air pressure was doing the same.

As the air became cold and heavy, it pressed down on their entire bodies and froze their lungs.

Their lungs, which needed thin air, kept breathing in the cold air, causing turmoil inside.

In this heavy space, only Vierano moved lightly as if nothing was wrong.

"D-don't move!"

One trained soldier blocked Vierano's path but in the next moment, his body flew far away as if hit by a bomb.

With a crash, his armor not only crumpled but shattered completely.

Naturally, that elf perished without being able to show any resistance.

This had happened with just one kick from Vierano and everyone's eyes widened at this unbelievable sight.

"U-Uncle?"

Vierano demonstrated incredible strength that seemed unbelievable for his small frame.

Even Viela was so surprised that her eyes grew wide.

"Viela."

"Y-yes?"

"Would you close your eyes and cover your ears for a moment?"

"...Yes."

Viela closed her eyes and covered her ears.

"Thank you. It won't take too long."

With those words, Vierano moved.

It was a swift movement as if riding the wind itself.

"S-stop him!"

The soldiers rushed at Vierano from all directions but Vierano, like a lion rampaging through a flock of sheep, threw punches and kicked at the approaching soldiers.

Each time, with loud crashes, soldiers flew in all directions.

Some elves who were hit in the wrong places had not only their armor but also parts of their bodies explode.

Even amidst the sight of blood spraying everywhere, Vierano showed no mercy.

Rather, he only emanated a murderous intent filled with even more madness, as if adding fuel to the fire.

The elders gasped at this sight that was in clear contrast to his usually gentle appearance.

"Wh-what is this! What in the world is this?"

Among them, the elder from House Crown recalled one fact about Vierano's appearance.

"Spirit Assimilation!"

He had heard that Vierano Dentis was a spirit master who fought physically by harboring spirits in his body.

Moreover, his fighting style was so rough and violent that even the elves who went to battle with him trembled in fear.

"I-I had heard about it, but I thought it was just an exaggerated rumor."

"You wouldn't know."

Vierano spoke toward the elder from House Crown.

"How would those who held the position of elder yet hid deeper in the forest than anyone else when war broke out possibly know? It's natural that you don't know."

"Th-that's..."

"So let me show you what happens when you mess with my house."

Pure white spirit energy like heat haze spread all over Vierano's body.

Not a single drop of blood had splashed on his body during the fight.

The spirit power wrapped around his body completely deflected the whirling blood spray.

This made it all the more alien and chilling.

Vierano declared to the elders with a cold gaze.

"I'll teach you."

"W-wait!"

"The old-fashioned way."