I Got a Fake Job at the Academy
Chapter 456: New Alliance (2)

Night had fallen and the cloudless night sky was filled with brilliantly shining stars.

Unlike Leathervelk, the air here had no pollution at all and was even refreshing.

Looking up at the starlight, Ambella Burke lit a cigar.

Without turning to the sound of footsteps in the grass behind her, Ambella asked.

"You're here? You're a bit late."

"Calling me alone without guards. What if I were to assassinate you?"

At Rudger's monotone voice, Ambella smiled with the cigar in her mouth.

"Stop the provocations. I haven't lived these years for nothing."

"So what's the matter, just tell me what you want."

Ambella said that as she continued smoking her cigar.

Watching her, Rudger couldn't help but ask.

"Is it okay to smoke in a forest like this?"

"Why? Worried about fire? Humans worry about the strangest things."

Ambella giggled as she continued smoking her cigar.

"If fire could start from something like this, this forest would have been reduced to ashes long ago. Don't underestimate the Forest of Life where elves live. It remained intact even through artillery bombardment."

From using her thumb and index finger instead of her index and middle fingers, to keeping it in her mouth until the fire went out on its own.

What people commonly called cigar etiquette was ingrained in her.

That too was probably something she learned while interacting with humans.

"Humans are really fascinating. To think they could make something like this from plants that grow commonly in our forest."

After finishing her cigar, Ambella muttered while staring at the remaining burnt portion.

"Taking something no one paid attention to, cultivating it, and transforming it into something like this. It's something we would never have done."

"I trust you didn't call me at this hour to criticize humans."

"You're such an unromantic man."

Ambella shook her head and looked back.

Even in the darkness, one of her eyes shone clearly.

"The Burke family will march on the Serendel Royal Palace tomorrow."

"That's quick movement for having just decided on rebellion. Have all the vassals agreed?"

"They had vaguely suspected something like this would happen someday. They might have been eagerly hoping for it deep down. After all, our family has accumulated too much over the years."

"You didn't call me separately to brag. You seem to have something else to tell me."

"This will be war in every sense. The kingdom will essentially enter civil war. I don't know how long it will take. It could end in a day, or it might drag on for a long time."

This was why Ambella had called Rudger.

"In the end, you'll be the key to this."

"..."

It's a matter of two formerly neutral families joining hands and taking action.

In a way, it could be seen as a three-way battle between moderates, hardliners, and neutrals, a situation where one kingdom splits into three and fights.

Nevertheless, the outcome of this fight depends not on elven command, but on the hands of one human.

"Others might not see it, but I can see it clearly. Even dressed so neatly, your extraordinary nature writhing inside is clearly felt."

"You think too highly of me, a human."

"Because you're not an ordinary human. Moreover, that black clothing you're wearing. It's not ordinary clothing to begin with, is it?"

Ambella knew about the existence of Aether Nocturnus.

As if surprised she would notice, Aether Nocturnus trembled slightly.

Ambella watched this with curiosity.

"Is that what humans call a familiar? Interesting. If you can handle something like that, you must be quite strong."

"Even so, there's no reason to evaluate me so highly."

"Why not? The spirits themselves fear you so much."

Ambella had sensed it since the reception room.

When she called the fire spirit to light her cigar, the spirit's reaction was strange.

Surprisingly, the spirit was afraid of this human sitting across from her so Ambella became curious.

Who exactly was this human? What could he have done to make even spirits fear him?

"Moreover, I can vaguely sense spirit power from you. Not your own, but something you're carrying."

"..."

Rudger was inwardly surprised.

Right now, he was carrying Quasimodo's spirit stone.

Could she have seen through that at a glance?

'She's not just any long-lived elf.'

Unlike her militant and bold appearance, Ambella had keen insight and could see the essence of things.

"...Yes. It's power I obtained unexpectedly."

"Well, I'm not trying to criticize that. Just...I thought someone of your caliber would be good to entrust the fate of this matter to."

Ambella let out a small laugh as if finding her own words amusing.

"Though it does hurt my pride a bit to say it. Having to entrust the fate of our homeland to a human's hands."

"I could yield if you want."

"Haha. So you're saying you don't need the credit? Sorry, but I know my place too. Every being has their given role. And I have the role of leader and head of a faction so I can't move recklessly given my position."

"Conversely, I'm in a free position where I can move in secret."

"Right. In human terms, would you be like a joker card in a card game? Anyway, something like that."

Ambella said with a hearty laugh.

"So I have one request. This fight that's about to break out soon. I'd like it to end quickly with minimal casualties."

"Do you know what I'm trying to do?"

"Rescuing Plante's child, and capturing and killing that vicious woman from Lifrey. Is there anything else?"

Since it wasn't wrong, Rudger nodded.

"While it may not determine victory or defeat, how quickly you move will affect the situation in this matter. The faster, the fewer casualties there will be."

"Are you talking about the enemy's lives?"

"If I were to boast, I'd say yes, but our side will have casualties too. Even though our forces are stronger, they have the full protection of the royal palace and surrounding forest. Once they enter a defensive posture, it will be hard for us to break through. In the end, it will just become a war of attrition with prolonged delays."

"So that's why my role is important."

"Yes. We'll buy you time. We'll draw most of the elves' attention to our side. In exchange, striking is your role."

Ambella stared at Rudger with eyes like flames.

"I'll dance to whatever tune you want. I'll gladly dance on this well-arranged stage."

However,

"Failure will not be tolerated. Understand?"

Those words were full of threats and warnings.

Of course, if he failed, Rudger would die too. From the start, weighing the gravity of the matter, Rudger's part was by no means light.

Ambella must know this yet she spoke this way as her own way of showing a bit of disappointment.

At least rescuing Sedina should have been her role but she couldn't do it. She hadn't even known of that child's existence until just yesterday.

Speaking of qualifications, Rudger Chelici, who had known Sedina most closely, was the best candidate.

"Of course."

Rudger also knew how dangerous this matter was.

Though he gained supporting forces, what he had to do was secretly infiltrate the Serendel Royal Palace and move with small numbers to take the head of the enemy leader.

Though it seems simple, could there be anything more dangerous than this?

Nevertheless, he pledged to do it gladly.

"I didn't come this far with naive thoughts to begin with."

"Words alone aren't enough for me to be convinced."

At Ambella's words, Rudger stared at her as if asking what she meant.

Just when it seemed the conversation was going well, she pointed this out.

"I'll add one person to move with your side."

"So that was your real purpose."

Ambella laughed in a low voice.

"Hey. I can't fully trust someone I just met today. Especially for something this important, wouldn't it be better to minimize risks as much as possible?"

"So you'll attach someone to me as a monitor."

"Monitor? Don't be so disappointed to put it that way. I'm purely trying to help you. Since you're moving with small numbers anyway, adding one more shouldn't matter, right?"

"It would be serious if that one interferes with my orders."

"That won't happen. They're not rigid, rather they're from the outside so communication will be very smooth."

"Outside? What kind of person is it?"

The 'outside' Ambella mentioned refers to outside the forest.

In other words, the person she called wasn't an elf, but someone else from outside.

In this situation, bringing in external personnel to join this side?

Rather than wondering how she did it, curiosity about who it was came first.

Looking at how Ambella speaks, they must be no ordinary person.

"I was just about to call them for that reason."

No sooner had the words ended than the new guest revealed themselves.

Rudger looked at the person Ambella had brought and opened his eyes wide.

"You are..."

Seeing that reaction, Ambella brightened.

"Oh? You know each other? Then this conversation will be even easier."

* * *

Deep within the Serendel Royal Palace lies the Root Throne commonly known as the Cradle of the World Tree.

That place, directly connected to the World Tree, was a vast space where light barely entered.

A place where the floor, walls, and ceiling were all covered in tree roots and at its center existed a small pond formed by intertwined roots.

The pond, emanating a soft light, was clear and transparent like a mirror.

From within it, water splashed as a person came out.

-Splash.

The water running down their body spilled onto the floor, but the roots immediately absorbed it.

Ventmin, wearing only pure white ceremonial clothing, gathered all the moisture from her body through the water spirits.

At that moment, an elf who had been waiting in the room approached Ventmin and handed her a coat.

It was the gray-haired male elf who had guided Sedina to the dining hall.

Ventmin accepted the coat without a word.

As if this wasn't the first time, their movements were very natural.

Usually, the two wouldn't have continued any further conversation but not today.

"How did it go?"

"How unusual of you to be curious."

"The situation is not normal. The moderates' movements have become more blatant than before."

"Hmph. We gave them the chance to swallow the Dentis family, but those worms couldn't even do that properly. Now are they trying to pressure us using Plante's survivor as leverage?"

Ventmin snorted at such worthless actions but that haughty face showed no signs of worry.

"How foolish. It is impossible to plot secretly before me, who can observe the forest's interior through the World Tree."

"They probably aren't doing it without knowing. They're likely moving while knowing...As a kind of demonstration or..."

"Or trying to get their hands on Plante's child themselves to threaten our position."

The gray-haired elf gave no answer but his behavior didn't mean he disagreed with the opinion.

"That child?"

"She's now quietly confined in the tower."

"There's no risk of escape?"

"You know better than anyone that she can't."

"Right. I was just asking."

The gray-haired elf caught the subtle emotion in Ventmin's voice immediately.

"Are you uncomfortable?"

"Uncomfortable? Hmph. What an irritating word. But it's not wrong either. I am uncomfortable with that bloodline's child just existing there."

Ventmin had harbored hostility toward the Plante family for a long time and it grew stronger after she had just connected with the World Tree through the pond.

"I still couldn't access the World Tree's deep layers. Waking the sleeping World Tree will probably be impossible forever."

The pond pooled at the center of this cradle was not made of ordinary water but from the World Tree's sap.

By entering that sap and concentrating, one could connect to the World Tree in the safest and fastest way.

This was why Lifrey could wield stronger authority than other families but even for the head of the family, Ventmin, connecting through the World Tree's bark was quite difficult.

"That's why we need that bloodline."

But there were those who didn't have such difficulty.

One of them was the Plante family.

The Plante family head's bloodline had deep resonance with the World Tree for generations.

They could hear its voice and draw out its mysterious power even without directly touching the World Tree.

It was unfair.

While this side could barely skim the surface consciousness using every possibility...

Of course, even that alone allowed them to demonstrate godlike abilities but unfulfilled desire screamed that it wasn't enough.

There was still too much power locked away. There was no way to be satisfied here.

If they could use just a bit more power from here, they could influence not just the palace but the entire kingdom.

Going further, they could rule the entire forest.

And beyond that, they could then influence not just this forest but the outside regions too.

More amazingly, even that wasn't the World Tree's full power.

What if they could completely wake the World Tree and if they could fully control that power as their own?

It would be possible to turn this entire continent into a sea of trees.

"We need to start the ritual soon. Prepare."

Ventmin strode forward, her coat fluttering on her shoulders.

"Because from now on, it's war."

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